Zuppa Toscana gets a make over

When my oldest daughter was little she went through what I like to call a "white food phase".  I wish I was exaggerating about just how particular she was.  If there was a speck of parsley on her pristine plate of white pasta with white cheese; she would sit there with the saddest pouty face ever and not touch it.  I would either have to send it back and try and not insult the chef who thought he or she was being a food stylist by adding that parsley masterpiece or sit there and painstakingly pick every green speck off that plate.  She was already on the thin side (sure didn't get that from her mother), so I tended to make sure we always had something on the table that met her critical eye.

I began to feel like a short-order cook, I would fix a huge dinner and then proceed to fix her a separate dinner just so she had something to eat that night.  I'm blaming the fact I did this squarely on my mother.  My younger brother (also painfully thin, and God why didn't that happen to me?) would never touch what my mom made us for dinner; he was allowed to eat a salami sandwich every night while the rest of us were forced to consume nasty stuff like liver or have our Dad yell at us (long story short, yes I still resent my Brother for being the special child, I'm totally kidding about that, well actually maybe I'm not).

Now that I'm all bent out of shape, let's move on to something more pleasant.  One place that my daughter enjoyed going out to eat was Olive Garden, not my first choice, but childhood traumas have a funny way of resurfacing at odd times.  I did however enjoy a bowl of their potato, kale and sausage soup or Zuppa Toscana as they called it. Being the picky food person I am I felt it needed a little something more (no that couldn't be where my daughter got her food issues, has to be my mother).

Zuppa Toscana Updated

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek, washed, cut in half and sliced

1 pound Italian Sausage, casings removed

1 - 32 ounce box of low-sodium chicken stock

2 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

8 ounces whole crimini or button mushrooms, stems removed

5-6 ounces kale, chopped (I buy it ready to use in the bag)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/3 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy stock pot on medium heat and add the olive oil and leek.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the leeks are wilting.   Add the sausage and break it up with a spoon and cook until browned.  Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, kale, salt, red pepper and cook for 8-10 minutes more, until the potatoes are soft.  Add the heavy cream at the last minute and serve.

Makes 4 large servings.

This soup packs more flavor than the original and uses only the minimal amount of cream.

As for the really good news, by the time my daughter left home she would eat pretty much anything I served her and I got to quit my short-order cook job.

Enjoy,

Gina

Stuffed Pork Chops - Exercise can be hazardous to your health

I know what you are thinking, that's a pretty harsh statement.  Well there is a good reason I don't go on and on about my exercise skills on this blog.  I decided maybe it's time that I change that. My daughter convinced me we should go hiking, sounded like such a good idea.

Exercise in general is a great thing except when you fall into the "Three Strikes" category like I do; Old, Overweight, and Out of Shape.

Old became immediately apparent when I realized I couldn't read the map they had provided at the entrance because I didn't have my readers.  I used my superior deductive skills, which landed us on a trail that ended up being 6 miles, 5 1/2 of them were up hill.

Overweight, well I get to experience that one first hand everyone morning when I try to fit in my jeans.  But who'd of thought how much harder it would be to navigate hills when you are lugging around some extra luggage.

The Out of Shape part, well on that hike my daughter and I were having a little fun making a video diary and when Dionne - Try Anything Once commented on one of my videos on You Tube, I couldn't help chuckle thinking about the one we made on our little hike.

Cranberry-Orange Stuffed Pork Chops

4 - Thick cut pork chops, bone-in (1 1/2" - 2" thick)

1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs

2 ounces craisins (or dried cranberries)

1 tsp. orange zest

3 tbsp. orange juice

2 tbsp. shallots, minced

2 tsp. olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the breadcrumbs, craisins, orange zest, orange juice, shallots, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Cut a pocket in the pork chops, insert the tip of a knife in the center of the chop, cut a 2" slit and work your way in until close to the bone and wiggle it around to the sides until you form a pocket. Stuff the stuffing in with your fingers and coat the chops with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat an oven proof skillet on medium high heat, place the pork chops in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  Place the skillet in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

While the chops are cooking, julienne a couple of zucchini and place them in a skillet heated on medium, add a little olive oil.  Toss until wilted, only takes one minute or so.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

As healthy as I feel at the moment, I couldn't help but shed a tear when I saw the Macarons Azmina - Lawyer Loves Lunch posted.  I think those cookies were mocking me, you know you want me, you know you really, really want me!

Enjoy,

Gina

Blackened Halibut, Fried Green Tomatoes and Bacon Sandwich

How is it that my calm and centering weekend was followed by a week of torrential downpours?  This week has left me drained, yet surprisingly hopefully.  Take this sandwich for instance, don't get me wrong it was insanely delicious, but I felt conflicted as to whether or not the bacon was a necessary component of the equation.

I do love bacon, but is it absolutely necessary for a happy life?  What does the bacon add other than a savory, smoky, salty edge.  Would the sandwich be just as good and flourish without the bacon?  There are some things that are integral to the sandwich, such as the bread.  The avocado, yep that was necessary in my opinion. 

So how could something so good ended up going so wrong?  I'm still working that one out.  But I did work out the fact that you do need to try this sandwich and that the bacon needs to be a part of it. 



Blackened Halibut, Fried Green Tomatoes and Bacon Sandwich

2 pounds halibut fillets – you need 4 filets

2 large green tomatoes

1 pound apple wood smoked bacon

1 large loaf focaccia bread

1 avocado

½ cup mayo

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. Emeril’s original essence (or blackening spice)

1 cup dried polenta (or cornmeal)

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup buttermilk

Canola oil for frying

1) Wash and pat dry the halibut and set aside.

2) Place bacon on a baking sheet and cook in a 375 degree F oven for 15-17 minutes or until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

3) In a large skillet add about 1 cup of oil or enough to cover the bottom by ½”. Heat the oil on medium high.

4) In a small bowl combine polenta, sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. In another bowl add buttermilk.

5) Cut the green tomatoes into ¼” thick slices, dip in buttermilk, then polenta mixture. Place the dredged tomatoes into the hot oil carefully and fry on each side for about three minutes, until crispy. Set on a rack to drain.

6) Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, when really hot add 1 tsp. of canola oil and add the fish. Cook 3 minutes per side or until firm. Remove from heat; remove any skin and bones from the fish.

7) In a small bowl combine mayo and lemon juice. Set aside.

8) Slice the focaccia in sandwich sized pieces and toast the pieces on a flat griddle.

9) Slice the avocado and start layering your sandwiches. Layer with the following: Generous amount of mayo, a piece of halibut, bacon (your choice), tomatoes and avocado.

Optional: Wear bib, although I did enjoy the juice cooling my chin as it ran down.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Enjoy,

Gina