The first time my husband prepared for me a Bulgarian dish called Guvech I couldn’t stop eating it. Guvech is a Bulgarian casserole dish made with crumbled feta cheese, eggs, roasted peppers and whatever else you like. You can add ham or salami or skinless sausage. You can turn it into a fantastic vegetarian casserole by omitting the meat.
It is traditionally made in a clay pot but you can use individual casserole dishes as well. The word guvech means “earthenware casserole” in Turkish and it was probably introduced in Bulgaria during the time they dominated the country. Although I couldn’t find out much about the origin of this casserole dish, one thing is certain: It’s delicious and healthy!
I would like to share with you my first recipe but there are many variations to this recipe.
Eggs & Feta Cheese Guvech Ingredients:
¾ cup of ham or salami, chopped or diced
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup of fresh tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup of peperoncini peppers
¼ cup of green onions, sliced
¾ cup of feta cheese, crumbled
12 kalamata olives, pitted
½ cup of roasted pepper, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of olive oil
4 eggs
Ground paprika, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 385F.
Divide the first 8 ingredients equally between two 8 inch casserole dishes. Crack two eggs on top of each casserole dish. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Remember that the olives and the feta cheese may contain a higher amount of salt so you just need to sprinkle some salt on top of the eggs.
Loosely cover the casserole dishes with foil. Use a fork or toothpick to carefully make a few holes on the foil for part of the steam to escape during the cooking process.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until eggs are set.
P.S.: Just omit the meat to turn it into a great vegetarian casserole dish.
My sister’s post about ceviche inspired me to learn more about this flavorsome and healthy dish. I tried for the first time in Mexico. As she said, it is considered a national dish in Peru but many countries in Latin America have their version of this mouth-watering food. It has been one of South America's best-kept secret for centuries, but ceviche is becoming a popular appetizer and it is gaining popularity in North America.
There is a theory that ceviche was created during the ancient Inca civilization in which people used to eat a salted and marinated fish dish. The Spanish contributed the Mediterranean custom of using lemons and onions.
Many Latin American countries have their own version of ceviche (or seviche). In Peru, it is served with slices of cold sweet potatoes or corn-on-the-cob. In Ecuador, it is often served in a large bowl with the guests helping themselves. In Panama, ceviche is accompanied by little pastry shells called “canastitas”. In Mexico, it is usually served with toasted tortillas.
Ceviche is a seafood dish cooked with acidic juices (lemon or lime juice) instead of heat.
It can be eaten as a first course or main dish, depending on what is served with it. I have restaurant quality ceviche recipe for you that anyone can make at home:
Ceviche:
Ingredients:
2 lb of fresh tilapia or sea bass (or other firm white fish), skinless and boneless
1/3 cup of fresh lime juice
½ cup of lemon juice
¼ cup of tomato juice
¼ cup of kennel corn (optional)
¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup of red onions, finely chopped
½ cup of cilantro, chopped
10 oz of medium cooked shrimp, thawed and divined (tail off)
Salt, to taste
Cut fish fillets into ½ inch cubes. In a ceramic or glass casserole pan, place the fish, tomato juice, salt, cayenne pepper, lemon and lime juice. Gently mix ingredients to combine. All the fish needs to be covered with lemon and lime juices. Refrigerate for about 3 hours covered. Stir fish to ensure it is cooking evenly.
Stir in the remaining ingredients with the exception of the cilantro. Refrigerate for another 6 hours or overnight.
You know the fish is cooked when it has turned from translucent and pinkish to completely opaque and white.
Stir in corn and cilantro before serving. Serve it with corn chips, lime wedges and avocado slices on the side.
Feijoada is a type of Bean Stew original from Portugal that is also found in Angola, Brazil and other former Portuguese colonies. It can be made with different types of meat and beans. The name comes from feijão, Portuguese for "beans". In Brazil, the fusion of African and local cuisine, resulted in the famous Brazilian feijoada. An icon of Brazilian cuisine known internationally. Feijoada is the kind of comfort food that brings people together in Brazil. Feijoada lunches can be an all day event involving dancing and lots of fun conversations.
The traditional Brazilian feijoada is prepared with black beans and a variety of salted pork products, such as salted trimmings (ears, tail and feet), bacon and sausage. However, I am not a fan of fatty meats, so I created a slow cooker lean feijoada recipe. The result is an effortless dish that is also healthier and flavorsome.
In Brazil, feijoada is often enjoyed with family and friends paired with various side dishes and caiprinhas cocktailsor beer. Some of these side dishes are collard greens, rice, peeled oranges and a pepper sauce.
This stew is easy to prepare and it is very economical. You can make a large amount of feijoada with a few low cost ingredients.
Brazilian Feijoada:
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups of chicken stock
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of pork tenderloin OR pork loin
1 (8oz) skinless smoked sausage, sliced
¼ teaspoon of ground cumin
2 dried bay leaves
2 (15oz) cans of Black beans, not seasoned
1 slice of hickory smoked bacon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked rice, for serving
Trim excessive fat from pork tenderloin and cut it into 1 inch pieces. Lightly season meat with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Layer the sausage and pork meat in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle ground cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour beans and chicken stock over the top. Add the bay leaves and bacon.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until meat is tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. If you like, remove and discard the bacon slice too. Leftovers can be refrigerated for one week.
Serves 8.
Collard Greens
Ingredients:
1 lb of fresh collard greens, thin sliced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for about 3 minutes and stir in collard greens. Work in batches if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook it covered over medium low heat for about 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Serve immediately.
Serves 8.
Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ cup of roasted peppers, chopped
1/8 cup of jalapeno peppers (or any other hot pepper), chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1/8 cup onion, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
¾ cup of olive oil
1 dry bay leave
¼ teaspoon of paprika
Ground cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
In a bowl mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. Remove and discard the bay leave before serving.
You can call me old fashion but I am a big fan of traditional pasta dishes, especially lasagna (spelled “lasagne” in Italy). It is a delicious savory pie! You can layer this broad noodles with pretty much anything you like, including vegetables, cheese, meats and tomatoes.
I prepare this comforting dish in different ways, but today I would like to share with you the lasagna recipe that brings back sweet childhood memories. I will always enjoy this simple lasagna as if I was trying it for the first time.
Lean Ham Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 lb of egg roll wrappers
1 lb can crushed tomato
4oz of tomato paste
1 cup of water of chicken broth
8oz of sliced provolone cheese
¼ cup of parmesan cheese, shredded
10oz of mozzarella cheese, sliced
12oz of lean smoked ham, thin sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
6 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
½ teaspoon of dry oregano
½ teaspoon of dry Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon of sugar
Salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a heavy sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until it is very fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, sugar and tomato paste. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning and oregano. Season with salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Cover the bottom of a large casserole dish with the marinara sauce. Add a layer of egg roll wrappers, cutting the edges with necessary to make it fir. Apply another layer of sauce, followed by a layer of ham and then sliced cheese. Repeat the layers until there are no more egg roll wrappers. Finish the lasagna with a generous layer of marinara sauce and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
When I was pregnant with my first child a dear friend cooked chicken mole for us and it was delicious! He introduced me to the wonderful mole, this famous thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce. Traditional mole recipes call for more than 20 ingredients, including different types of pepper, nuts and a small amount of chocolate. This concoction is boiled for hours until it reduces to a thick, fragrant and unique sauce.
To make mole form scratch is time consuming, so I developed an easy chicken mole recipe inspired by our friend’s dish. It is a simple, economical and tasty recipe that you can serve even to guests. My husband and I love this dish and I hope you will enjoy it as well.
Simple Chicken Mole:
Ingredients:
1 ½ lb of chicken breast tenderloins, boneless and skinless
¼ cup of store-bought mole sauce
1/8 cup of fresh lime juice
2 ¼ cups of chicken stock or chicken stock
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of ground cumin
¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked white rice, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a casserole dish with cooking oil. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and lime juice. When oil is heated, add the seasoned chicken and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning it only once after 5 minutes.Add 2 tablespoon of chicken stock after 5 to 7 minutes to keep the meat from getting dry.
Transfer the chicken to prepared casserole dish. Set aside. Add mole to skillet and slowly add the remaining chicken stock (1 cup at the time). Cook it over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mole sauce is fully dissolved. Add cumin and let it simmer for about five minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in prepared casserole dish.
Bake it uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top it with chopped cilantro. Serve it hot with cooked rice. Garnish with jalapenos peppers, if desired.
Serves 4.
If you like your chicken mole with beans, here is another simple recipe:
Latin Style Pinto Beans:
Ingredients:
15oz (1 can) of pinto beans
1 dry bay leave
½ slice of uncooked bacon
½ cup of water
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt, to taste
In a sauce pan, cook the bacon over medium heat. Remove bacon from the pan. Add bay leave, garlic and pinto beans with the juice. Stir in water. Season with salt. Simmer over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crumble bacon and return to the pan, if desired. Serve hot.
Note: You can find mole sauce in the Latin or Hispanic aisle of your grocery store.
My older daughter is a food enthusiastic and she likes to experiment with flavors and tastes that are familiar to her. But usually she doesn’t want to try new foods. Most of the time, she wants to stay in her comfort zone. As she is growing older, her passion for food is increasing and I noticed that slowing she is adventuring herself into new flavors. A few months ago, she tried chili for the first time and she really liked it! Isn’t that exciting?
Today we tried to “recreate” the chili she ate at the cook-off! It was fun to come up with our own chili recipe. It was even better to work with my 8 year old daughter. For the first time we worked together developing a new recipe. I found a new way to spend quality time with Virginia.
Above all, Virginia is very happy with her chili creation. It was very comforting to eat such a tasty dish in a cold night.
Virginia’s Chili
Ingredients:
1lb of ground beef
5oz of pork breakfast sausage
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 2 cups of chicken stock
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ¼ cups of onion, chopped
15oz (1 can) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon of paprika
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
½ cup of tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic for about 3 minutes. Stir in ground beef and sausage. Cook the meat mixture for about 5 minutes breaking up big chunks of meats with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the meat and its drippings to a 5-qt slow cooker. Add chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, tomato paste and diced tomato. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 hours in high or for 4 to 5 hours in low. Stir in pinto beans drained and cook for another 30 minutes or until fully heated. Test seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Garnish with shredded cheese and jalapeno peppers if desired.
When we think of meatballs, we think of Italian meatballs in tomato sauce served with spaghetti. Actually, meatballs are very international and they can be prepared in many different ways. Meatballs are found in almost every cuisine. It’s likely that meatballs were created to avoid waste. Turning leftover meat into a meatball is still an economical way of conserving resources. When grounded or shredded meat is mixed with spices and liquids (i.e.: milk or vinegar), it becomes tender and flavorsome.
Different countries have created their own way of preparing and serving meatballs. In Italy, meatballs are traditionally made with ground beef and pork and they are baked or fried. They can be served with a brandy or herb sauce (more similar to a broth) or they can be stuffed with mozzarella. Above all, they are usually served alone as an entrée. The combination of the spaghetti and meatballs was created to please Americans, who craved red meat with their pasta.
In Brazil, meatballs are deep-fried and often served as part of an entrée paired with side dishes like rice, beans and vegetables. Every time we have these meatballs for dinner, the entire family eats very well! Really! To my husband, this dish is a good representation of southern Brazilian cuisine. These meatballs are also great for parties!
Below is my version of these appetizing dish.
Brazilian Meatballs:
Ingredients
1lb of extra lean ground beef
5oz pf ground pork
2/3 cup of low fat milk
1 cup of fine dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs seasoning
¼ cup of parsley, finely chopped (optional)
All purpose flour for dusting
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Heat a large sauté pan with about 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine meat, milk, bread crumbs, garlic, onion, paprika, salt, pepper, Italian herbs and parsley. Using a large spoon, mix throughout. Lightly flour your hand and shape into small sized inch meatballs. Push back any piece of onion that poke through the meat or they will burn. Roll them onto flour.
Fry the meatballs over medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning them once after 5 minutes. Work in batches if necessary. Immediately transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towel to remove excess oil or grease. Serve hot or at room temperature.
These meatballs can be added to tomato sauce or served as an appetizer accompanied by dipping sauces.
Preserve meatballs in the refrigerate in a airtight container for about 2 weeks. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
I like to develop my own recipes and try new ones too, but there are times when my kids just want a simple familiar dish. As a friend of my mine said once, “My kids don’t eat the food they show in gourmet the magazines”. Because of that, I often cook roasted and grilled meats that can be eaten with kid’s favorite side dishes (i.e.: pasta, potatoes). To be honest, I like when my family asks for our “old time favorites” because they easy and fast to prepare. If you are in the same shoes, I have a recipe that your family will enjoy:
Skillet Chicken:
Ingredients:
1/8 cup (1oz) of lemon juice
¼ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon of ground paprika
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of onion powder
½ teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt to taste
1 pound of chicken breast tenderloin, skinless
½ teaspoon of vegetable oil
Place the first eight ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to blend. Pour over chicken breast. Gently fold with a wooden spoon to ensure all the chicken is evenly coated. Put the wooden spoon aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook over medium-low heat, turning it only once. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Check and adjust the seasoning. Serve it warm.
Last night we were fortuned to have two of our friends over for dinner. It was a very pleasant surprise! When I learned we would have guests for dinner I had to figure out what to cook. I was craving some sort of pasta with creamy and cheesy sauce, so I just had to think of what else to add to this pasta dish. I remembered I had cooked shrimp and blue crab meat in the fridge and “voila”! I just needed to add some of my other favorite ingredients and a new dish was born! I hope our friends enjoyed it as much as I did.
Mascarpone Cheese & Seafood Pasta:
Ingredients:
1 cup of mascarpone cheese
4 cups of uncooked pasta
1lb of cooked large shrimp
6oz of blue crab meat
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of sliced green onions or scallions
½ of roasted sweet bell pepper, diced
1 cup of tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
½ cup of milk
½ cup of parmesan cheese
1/3 cup of half & half
8oz of fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water with the starch from the pasta.
In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and roasted bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese, milk, half &half and stir until mascarpone cheese is fully melted. Stir in green onions, Italian seasoning and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold in cooked pasta, crab meat, shrimp and parmesan cheese. Stir in the reserved cooking water as needed to obtain the desired sauce consistency (1 tablespoon at the time). Check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Note: You can add left-over grilled or baked salmon and cooked clams.
“Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.” Sophia Bush
Cold winter days call for tasty comfort food, but they need to be easy to prepare. On top of my list is “chicken potpie” because they please the entire family and they are simple to prepare. I like to give a Latin American twist to my flaky and buttery individual potpies. I have a recipe that is nothing like your grandmother’s chicken potpie:
Puffy Chicken Potpies
Ingredients:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
1 teaspoon of chicken flavor bouillon
1 pound of chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
½ cup of red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of chicken stock
½ cup of fresh carrots, chopped
1/3 of green peas, thawed and drained
1 small can (8oz) of pure tomato sauce
½ can of hearts of palm, drained
1 ¼ cup of kennel corn, thawed and drained
¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.
Preheat the oven to 4250F. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the chicken. Cook chicken in medium heat for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and red onion and stir. Season chicken with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon. Stir and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, corn, green peas and carrots. Lower the heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the hearts of palm (about 1 inch thick). Add parsley and hearts of palm and gently toss to combine. Remove from heat and keep it warm.
In a lightly floured surface, unfold and roll puff pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Divide the chicken filling among four 8-ounce individual casseroles. Place a square of puff pastry on top of each casserole.
Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust and puffed and golden.
I have always been a big fan of olives! When I was small girl my dad use to take me to the city's only Deli & Imports store to taste and buy olives and I was excited to go every single time! Sometimes I was so anxious to try all the different kinds of olives that I would put 2 or 3 in my mouth at the same time – it caused me swallow a couple of pits but it was worthy!
I like olives so much that I am always trying to incorporate them in my dishes. Today, I want to share with you two recipes that can be great life-savers when you are planning a party:
Tapenade
Ingredients
2 cups of Kalamata olives, pitted and drained
1/3 cup of green olives, pitted and drained
1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped
½ cup of sweet roasted peppers
1 tablespoon of capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
2 large leaves of fresh Basil, roughly chopped
¼ cup of olive oil
Ground black pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until you obtain the desired consistency. Put the tapenade in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours for flavor infusion.
Use it in dips, savory tarts and appetizers or as a spread for sandwiches and bruschettas.
Light Olive Dip
Ingredients:
15oz (1 container) of ricotta cheese
Tapenade
In a bowl combine the ricotta cheese and homemade tapenade. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Preserve it covered in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Serve it with crackers or small toasts.
If you don’t have time to make your homemade tapenade, you can use an entire jar of store-bought tapenade to make this quick and tasty dip.
Mushrooms can be part of a healthy diet. Some types of mushrooms are claimed to be cancer-fighters and they contain no fat or cholesterol. In my opinion, the qualities of mushrooms go way beyond its healthy benefits. They are also flavorful, easy to prepare and very versatile! I would like to share with you one of my very favorite recipes. It can definitely be the star of your next dinner party:
Provence Baked Mushrooms
Ingredients:
2 large Portabella mushroom caps
3 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
¾ cup of red wine
¼ teaspoon of paprika
¼ teaspoon of dried thyme (optional)
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 cup of cognac
Sea salt, to taste
1/3 cup of olive oil
Place mushroom caps in a baking sheet. Place all other ingredients but parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour it over mushroom caps and let marinate at room temperature for one hour. Heat the oven to 3550F. Bake mushrooms uncovered for 15 minutes, sprinkle parsley and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately with remaining cooking juices. It is a flavorsome complement to roasted or grilled meat.
If you need a mouth-watering appetizer for a bridal or cocktail party, replace the large mushroom for 8oz of baby Portabella mushroom caps. Bake it for 5 minutes and then add the parsley. Bake for another 4 to 5 minutes. Serve it with thin sliced toast. I recommend sea salt bagel crisps or lightly toasted French baguette. It is to die for!!!
“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are”. Adelle Davis
A good cocktail tastes even better when balanced with appetizing food. If you are wondering what could go well with the Strawberry and Kiwi Caipirinha, the answer is a quick and succulent Pan Grilled Shrimp:
Ingredients:
1 pound of raw large shrimp, divined and thaw
¼ cup of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of onion powder
½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, garlic, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined and pour over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Heat the oil in large sauté pan. Drain and shrimp and cook it over medium heat for about 5 minutes (or until it turns pink) turning it only once. Serve with lemon wedges.
“Food is the most primitive form of comfort.” Sheila Graham
A few years ago I discovered the fantastic versatility of wonton wrappers and I am always amazed to find new ways to cook it. It was invented in China thousand of years ago and in Cantonese cuisine is usually used to make delicious dumplings. Marco Polo was so impressed by its flavor that he took the recipe to Italy and it is probably the main inspiration of the fresh Italian pasta. You can use wonton wrappers to prepare a fast and impressive dinner for a small or large group of people. The recipe below can easily impress your family and friends:
Mushroom Ravioli:
Ingredients:
42 wonton wrappers
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 table spoons of olive oil
½ cup of mascarpone cheese
8 ounces of fresh mushroom, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of finely chopped onion
2 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
½ cup of finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/3 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Water for brushing
In a large sauce pan, sauté the onions in garlic in olive oil for about 2 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid has evaporated, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in parsley. Remove mushrooms from the heat.
Meanwhile, put oregano, fresh basil, mascarpone, mozzarella, parmesan cheeses in a medium bowl and stir to blend. Season with salt. Stir in cooked mushrooms.
Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper in half. Gently press the edges to seal. Repeat these steps until all wrappers are filled. Cook the ravioli in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain water from completely and transfer them to shallow serving bowl. Cover with marinara sauce (recipe follows) and serve warm.
Variation: Add 4 ounces of finely chopped Prosciutto to the filling.
Marinara Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of tomato pure
1 (28 ounces) large can of crushed tomato
2 tablespoon of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of Italian dried herb mix (or Italian Seasoning)
½ bunch of fresh oregano, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon of marjoram
1 teaspoon of sugar
Sea salt to taste
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté garlic until lightly brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato pure, crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 25 minutes or until thickened. Remove and discard thyme spring, coarsely chop it. Stir in all the herbs (oregano, thyme and dried Italian herbs). Serve it with pasta.
“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.” Orson Welles
I am a cheese lover so it doesn’t surprise me it has been consumed since Ancient times. Nobody knows for sure when and where cheese was invented but it could have been more 7000 years ago. It is even mentioned in the early pages of the Bible. Presently, there are thousands different types of cheese and I wish I could try them all!
What could be more satisfying and fortifying than cheese? Could it be the best food in the world? I think it is delicious and I may not be the only one. The “Reblochon” cheese was invented secretly by tenant framers that didn’t want to share all of their great cheese with their lords. It used to be made with a second milking not declared to the land owners. Who can blame them? The most recent statistics show that many Americans share the same passion for cheese. The consumption of cheese in the U.S. has almost double since 1982. If you are one of these cheese lovers, I have a recipe for you that I hope you will like:
Baked Salmon with Cream Cheese Sauce:
Ingredients:
12 ounce salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
1 Tbsp. of olive oil
¼ cup of lemon juice
½ cup of milk
1 cup of reduced fat cream cheese
2 tea spoons of dill
1 tea spoon of onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Place salmon, skin side down, on a non-stick baking sheet and season fillets with salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Cover it with foil. Bake salmon covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover it and bake it until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
While salmon bakes, add milk and cream to cheese to a heavy sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Stir in dill and onion powder. Season it with salt and pepper if you like.
I am not a great cook but I like to try different recipes from around the world. Food is one of my passions! I love to eat and I am good at it! Seriously! Because of that, I created this blog to share with you my experiences and ideas regarding food, cooking and baking. I hope you enjoy it!
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