Gourmet Food on a Budget — Ever Forward, Ever Flavorful
Recipes for Italian cuisine. Feel like you have taken a trip to one of the many beautiful Italian cities.
I was surprised at just how good this came out when I made it. Even Spane liked it once I explained what leeks are.
Leeks, I have told him and others, are a mildly sweet member of the onion family. They look like giant green onions.You don’t have to use a pork loin to make this. Pork chops would be fine. You could even use a rather tough piece of beef that does well with braising.
I bought meat to make Beef Stroganoff, but then realized there was not enough meat to make a meal enough for four people. Not only that, my friend had come by with a bottle of white wine, just the thing for Risotto. I thought I could combine the two and make something really wonderful. I was right, and I even had enough for the next day’s lunch!
Linguine with Kalamata Clam Sauce is a little bit of surf and a little bit of turf. The Kalamata gives this classic dish a delicious punch.
Strawberry Tiramisu is a show-stopping dessert that’s both elegant and indulgent. It’s the perfect choice for entertaining. This layered delight combines the traditional richness of tiramisu with the fresh sweetness of strawberries, making it ideal for spring gatherings or any time you want a refreshing treat.
These Stuffed Chicken thighs are easy to make and delicious. They are also healthy made with yogurt and grilled.
Last night was the 86th Academy Awards show, and the first time Spane had watched it with me. We had seen several of the nominated movies, and he’s old enough now, at 10, to appreciate and understand the ceremony. Of course, he had a lot of questions, like “When is dinner!?”
I wanted to make sometime special for the Oscars, even though our Oscar party was just the two of us. I thought I had white wine, but at the last minute realized I only had red, and I didn’t want to miss any of the red carpet show before the awards. Red wine is strong, so it needs strong flavors to go with it. Instead of vegetable or chicken broth, I used beef broth, and blue cheese goes great with beef, and has a good strong flavor. I added cherry tomatoes to give the dish some color.
Stuffed Ciabatta Garlic Bread makes a great appetizer or side for a big salad.
We are very lucky living in Glendale, where there is a wonderful bakery that makes the best bread, including a Ciabatta bread. When I picked Spane up this afternoon and needed some things at the store, I passed by the bread aisle and couldn’t help smelling the fresh bread.
This bread was pillow-soft with a crisp crust very reminiscent of the true Ciabatta bread found in the Lake Como region of Italy. It is nothing like the stuff that comes from mass bakeries.
Since the bread is small but rather flat and elongated, I knew it would be perfect for Stuffed Garlic Bread to go with our Antipasto Salad with Original Brown Derby Dressing.
When making this, you could use a relatively soft Italian bread or even sourdough would work well. Choose the cheeses that you like. Some sun-dried tomato would be good with this. Some homemade pesto would be another option. If you want to have an alfresco dinner with the grill, then wrap the bread well with foil to void burning it. Enjoy!
I highly recommend using Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset instead of Italian seasoning. It’s the perfect blend and I find myself using it a lot. It’s salt-free and has a much fresher flavor.
Mussels with AsparagusSpane comes in and says “What are we having for dinner?” I said “Mussels” Spane looked at me questioningly, and started biting his arm, “That doesn’t taste good, Mom!” I laughed at his antics and explained I was talking about the mollusk, not parts of our bodies.
Again, just as on the 1st of the New Year, when I made Ascencia Salad, there was no guest chef, and The Good Plate again came to the rescue. When I looked for what was on hand, there was still a lot of pasta in the pantry, so I made my list to make Pasta Carbonara. I wanted everyone to have a well balanced meal, so the green choice was brocolli instead of salad.
Luckily, there were two large bags of French rolls, perfect for my Garlic Cheese Rolls. We also had a wonderful salad of peas, pepper jack and celery made by guest chef Jerome. A good and healthy time was had by all.
You never know what life is going to give you, and tonight, the very first night of the New Year, I received something that made my heart leap with joy. I got to cook dinner for 40 people!
When the guest chef did not arrive, I asked if I could cook dinner, and my friend said, “Yes”. First I looked in the pantry, and was amazed to not find any of the things I usually have in my pantry, like onions, or potatoes. There was a lot of pasta, and a lot of spaghetti sauce, frozen turkey sausage, frozen garlic bread, many cans of tuna, two cans of kidney beans, one can of pinto beans, and a can of chopped tomatoes. No problem! The Good Plate to the rescue.