jimmy-nardello-peppers

Red Caramelized Peppers

Red Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Jimmy Nardello are the greatest pepper find of the season These peppers  are super sweet. Plus as you roast them in the oven they get sweeter to the point of caramelization. Peppers do not require peeling after the roasting process as many other peppers do. This makes them my favorite pepper. Look for heirloom sweet red Jimmy Nardello peppers right now at your local Farmers’ Market.  Buy as many peppers as you can they are easily stored on your counter as a condiment.

Ingredients:

2 roasting pans
2-3 lbs Jimmy Nardello Peppers
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ cup fruity olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350.

Lay peppers in a single layer in both roasting pans.

Pour oil over the peppers. Add salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook for exactly one hour and turn oven off.
Leave peppers in the oven for next 5 hours as peppers caramelizes (be sure your oven is off).

Start this simple recipe in the morning and when you get home from work you will have a sweet snack or side dish with your dinner.
Leave on the counter versus storing it in the refrigerator.

Roasted Yellow Zucchini with Garlic Aioli

One of the most delicious squashes is this yellow squash. If you are not a fan of vegetables, the way this is prepared will change your mind. The roasted garlic Aioli sauce and the pesto give these vegetable an added boost of flavor.  Enjoy this special preparation as yellow squash is plentiful most of the year.

Ingredients:

3  yellow squash sliced approx 1/4 inch slices
½ large onion sliced thin
¼ tsp coconut oil to coat bottom of roasting pan
1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbl. Roasted Garlic Aioli- Stonewall Kitchen
2 Tbsp. Pesto sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease roasting pan with coconut oil.

Add yellow squash to roasting pan.

Add pesto and garlic sauce, mix with a large spoon until squash is evenly coated.

Season squash with garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano. Spread out evenly in the roasting pan. Add olive oil over top. Do not toss.

Bake 35 minutes or until it is nicely browned.

Enjoy!!!

Egg in a Basket

“Egg In A Basket”

One of my really great friends came over to show me how to run my new steamer oven. She showed me this great egg recipe. Since then I have been eating my “egg in a basket” for breakfast. I love cooking for people so you know this is my go to for morning guests. I can make this in less than 10 minutes. Everyone loves the presentation of their egg but most of all they love the flavor with the pesto and cheese .

You can pop it in steamer basket, take a shower and have a great breakfast with out the fuss. Great family morning breakfast, make it for your valentine or even for Easter brunch.

Ingredients:

Four 2″ ceramic flan dishes
4 eggs
4 tsp. pesto sauce
4 tsp.  Parmesan  cheese or other cheese (cheddar)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 colander
1 pot that fits the colander with lid
Black pepper to taste

steam with collander

Begin by putting the colander in the pot and filling the bottom with 4 inches of water (enough to barely touch the colander).  Bring to a simmer. While pot is warming, start assembling your egg baskets of love.  Coat each ceramic dish with a little butter (using a paper towel) to prevent egg from sticking.  Add a layer of Parmesan cheese on bottom then add layer of pesto. Next crack the egg into the dish.  Sprinkle pepper. Top with more pesto and a little more Parmesan.

Place in the steam bath colander and cook for exactly 8.5 minutes, cover to keep the eggs slightly loose.  Steam for 9.5 minutes for medium cooked eggs.

healthy-egg-basket

7 Layer Italian Dip Recipe

7 Layer Italian Dip

 “SETTE STRATA”

7 Layer Italian Dip Recipe

Great appetizer dip for any party, especially Superbowl! Can be prepared and assembled the day before.

Pans:

9 x 12 glass for baking dish

Roasting pan to crisp beans

Ingredients:

6 oz. shredded Asiago Cheese
6 oz. shredded Parmesan Cheese
5 Tbsp. Pesto Sauce
3 cans Canellini Beans (white beans)
1 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp kosher salt
½  cup Sherry or Marsala wine
1- jar Harissa Sauce
1- jar Artichoke Tapenade (Trader Joe’s)

Harissa, artichoke paste, beans, bruschetta, roasted red peppers

Preparation time: 1.5 hour

Instructions:

Total baking time:  1 hour

Baked Cannelini Beans Layer

3 cans Cannelini beans or white beans – drained n rinsed
½ cup olive oil
(¼ cup olive oil bottom of roasting pan)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. garlic powder

Add ¼ oil to beans and spices. Place in roasting pan and in the oven.

  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes pour another ¼ olive oil on beans and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

   *(These beans are great as a snack also. You can toss over a salad and add lemon juice over the top.

While, beans are baking caramelize your onions.

Caramelize Onions Ingredients:

3 large onion diced
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup Sherry or Marsala wine

Caramelize Onions Layer:

 Add oil to saute pan and heat well. Then add onions, sea salt, ? garlic powder and cook over medium heat for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. When well browned, add ¼ cup of Sherry wine and ?simmer for approx. 3 minutes longer to absorb the Sherry flavor.  Cool off onion mixture.

 Roasted Red Pepper Marscapone Cheese Layer

  ½ jar of roasted pepper -8 oz jar  drained
16 oz.  marscapone cheese (may substitute cream cheese)
2 Tbsp. pesto sauce
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
Add all ingredients in food processor and blend well for a minute.

Turkey/Sausage Layer

  2 Tbsp. of oil
1- lb of turkey meat or pork sausage meat
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ lb. red crushed pepper
½ cup Marsala wine

    Sauté meat in oil. Add meat and spices.  After all cooked, add Marsala wine and let simmer for 3 minutes. Cool off for dip.

italian layered dip

 Assemble Layers:

1st Start with layer of Red Pepper Marscapone

2nd sprinkle a layer of Parmesan / Asiago cheeses

3rd layer crispy beans

4th drizzle pesto & cheeses

5th layer carmelized onions

6th spread artichoke tapenade & sprinkle cheeses

7th layer harissa or bruschetta

  Top it off with shredded cheeses and drizzle pesto on the top.  Bake it in pre-heated oven for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Place in the oven 30 minutes before half time. You and your team will truly be a winner with this new famous Italian “7 layer strata tuffo.”  This is great to reheated later in the week.

Spriralized zuchinni noodles

Veggie Pasta with Pesto Sauce *Gluten Free*

We all love pasta, especially us Italians!  Pasta is one of my favorite foods in the world.  Most people haven’t tried their pasta with pesto which means their missing out on an amazing flavorful experience. This healthy recipe is a great runner up to a traditional pasta pesto dish.

I decided to make this strictly vegetarian. When I saw the already spiralized noodles at Whole Foods Market staring at me in all it’s colorful grandeur, I knew I had to do something yummy with them. I mean the vibrant orange of the butternut squash, and the green of the zucchini and the orange of the carrots, were calling my name. I knew my pesto pasta was the best way to decorate these vegetables. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. All the work is done already for you, it’s a matter of assembling these ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups of spiralized vegetables
(Spiralized zucchini, carrot and butternut squash  *Whole Foods*)

6 cups water

2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)

1 tsp. Pistachio Oil or other nut Oil

2 cloves fresh garlic

½ tsp. red crushed pepper flakes

4 Tbsp. pesto sauce (*Whole Foods*)

2 Tbsp. Pignoli nuts

½ cup of organic vegetable broth

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

½ cup hemp seeds

mixed spiralized vegetables

Directions:

Combine 6 cups of water in a sauce pan with a drop of olive oil and a pinch of salt. When water reaches a rapid boil, add spiralized vegetables for 5 minutes ONLY (just long enough to blanch, be carful not to over cook). Remove, drain and set aside.

pignoli nut recipe

In a large sauté pan add: chopped garlic, red crushed pepper, pignoil nuts & salt, stirring constantly over medium heat for approx. 2 minutes. Make sure the garlic only slightly toasts. Add cooked spiralized vegetable. Toss for 2 minutes to blend all the oil flavors with the vegetable “pasta”.  Add pistachio oil. Stir for 1 minute longer then add the pesto sauce along with the vegetable broth and let it cook for 4 minutes longer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and finish it off with a topping of hemp seeds. These add a nice texture.

healthy veggie pasta with pesto sauce

ENJOY!