Garlic Cheese Bread

Slice your bread into 1/2 or 1-inch pieces
drizzle with olive oil
sprinkle with kosher salt

cut a garlic clove in half and rub over bread slices
place slice of provolone cheese on each slice
broil until cheese is bubbly.

Penne with Five Cheeses-Good enough for company

Penne with Five Cheeses Copyright, 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Kosher salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces) 1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces) 1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces) 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese 1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 pound imported penne rigate pasta 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butterPreheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot. Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine. Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2-cup capacity). Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

Alicia's Pasta

8 oz. thin spaghetti
2 chicken breasts
2-3 Italian sausages (optional)
1 t. minced garlic
1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1 14 oz can tomatoes
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 can olives
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, cut the chicken and sausage into chunks. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add chicken and sausage, salt and pepper lightly. Cook until meat is cooked through. Add the garlic and seasonings. Cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes with their juice and broth. bring to a boil, uncovered over med-high heat. Boil rapidly, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, about 5 min. Drain the olives, add to the skillet and stir. Remove from the heat and mix with pasta.

Tortellini and Bean Soup from Maddi Merrill

3 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c. canned chopped tomatoes, drained
8 c. low-sodium chicken broth (or less if you like your soup more chunky but still enough to cook the pasta.)
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
3 15 oz. cans black beans
2 T. Rice Vinegar--very important ingredient!
12 oz. fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
optional-veggies of your choosing
Black Pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion until tender. Add garlic and tomatoes and any veggies. cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, spices, and beans, vinegar and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add tortellini and cook for 8 minutes or until tender.

I usually add some sliced ham and it tastes really good!

Chicken Piccata

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Sweet Sausage Minestrone

This is a favorite recipe we have been making since we lived in Houston.

Sweet Sausage Minestrone
1 lg. onion chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 crushed garlic clove
1 13 oz. can beef broth
3 c. water
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 c. coarsely chopped cabbage
6 sweet Italian sausages (about 1 lb.)
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans or kidney beans
1/2 c. sliced olives
1 8 1/2 oz. can artichokes (opt)
1 lb fresh tortellini
parmesan cheese

Saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add the peppers and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Add the broth, water, tomatoes, cabbage, sausages (whole) and seasonings. Bring to a boil then cook over med-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the sausages and cut into 1/2 in. slices then return them to the pot. Add the beans, olives, artichokes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tortellini and cook until al dente. Garnish with cheese. Serves 8-10.

Chicken Florentine Style

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Salt and freshly ground black pepper All-purpose flour, for dredging 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons shallots, sliced 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1 cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed, drainedSprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken atop the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.		Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 servings User Rating:

Episode#: EI1D12
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