This Mediterranean style Pan seared fish is fast, delicious and easy to make on your stove top. I used a grouper filet. You can use grouper, Branzino or any light flavored fish with the skin left on the filet.
The Italian olives are available in most markets.

Ingredients;
1-1.5LBS fresh fish filet (Branzino or Grouper) with the skin left on.
2 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine, use one that you will drink with dinner
2-3 chopped plum-Roma tomatoes
2 TBLS fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup Castelvetrano or Gaeta pitted olives, cut in half
1 TBLS capers
2 TBLS butter

Directions;
Sprinkle salt & pepper on the filet. In a saute pan heat the oil and sear the fish on both sides for about 5 mins. Remove the fish and set aside. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the balance of ingredients and simmer for a few more minutes. Return the fish to the saute pan for a few minutes. Lay the fish in a plate and spoon the tomato mixture over each filet.

This smoky lime shrimp recipe is so summer.
A great cook out item to compliment your menu.
You can marinate the night before and have more time
to prepare other foods.
Great when served with fresh grilled pineapple rings.

Ingredients;
1LB shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 TBLS olive oil
3 TBLS lime juice
1 TSP lime peel or zest
2 TSP smoky rub, any kind without salt
Pepper to taste

Mix all together and marinate for 1 hour to overnight in the refrigerator.
Skewer shrimp onto metal skewers or wood ones that you have soaked in
water to keep them from burning up.
Brush once with the marinade just before cooking.
Grill or broil a few minutes on each side until firm and no longer translucent.
Serve warm.

This roasted garlic recipe is so easy.
A great spread on toast rounds or any bread, alone or with other toppings.

Ingredients;
1 large head of fresh garlic, I like the white and purple skin type
Drizzle of olive oil

Directions;
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cut the garlic head in half on the side as pictured, leaving the skin on it.

Place on a piece of heavy duty foil. Drizzle the oil on the cut sides and place it back together. Seal the foil so the oil and juices won’t drip out while baking.
Bake for 35 mins.
Let cool and pop the garlic out of its pods and spread it on anything that appeals to you.

This Mediterranean seafood salad is made with olive oil and vinegar.
Its a great summer side dish or main course.

You can make it with any firm type seafood, such as calamari,
sliced scungilli (Italian conch) or clams (meat only).
This tastes better if made the day before allowing the ingredients to marinate.
It’s so delicious, I assure you the plate will be empty in no time!

Ingredients;
1/2 LB shrimp, shell removed and deveined
1/2 LB bay scallops
1 cup of mussels, meat only,  frozen will do
1 cup lump crab meat
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon, reserve the other half for garnish
4-6 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, diced (jar type is fine)
1 TBLS capers
6 olives, such as Gaeta or Kalamata, sliced in half
3 TBLS fresh parsley, minced
3 thin slices of red onion, cut in half
1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced and mashed

Directions;
Heat to boiling a pot of water large enough for the shrimp and scallops. Simmer them for just 3-5 minutes until just firm and no longer translucent. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Mix together all ingredients, then add the crab last.
Garnish with basil leaves and lemon slices.
Serve slightly chilled.

This Mojito Chicken Wings recipe is so tasty and a great item to prepare for an appetizer and a take along to a party.
The sauce gives a different take on wings that all will enjoy !!

Ingredients;
4 LBS chicken wings, cut into drum stick and flap, removing the tip
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice
4 TBLS olive oil
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 TBLS honey
2 TBLS mole verde spice, found in spice shop and the better markets
1 TSP grated lime peel
1 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP salt

Directions;
Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl.
Reserve half the marinade and set it aside.
Place the chicken with half of the marinade into a 1 gallon zip lock storage bag. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Remove the chicken and shake off the marinade.
Grill the wings turning often until they are cooked through and browned, about 20-30 minutes.
Pour all of the reserved marinade into a pot and simmer until thickened.
Place the cooked wings on a platter.
Brush the simmered marinade onto the cooked wings and serve.

This salmon salad recipe is a great summer time dish.
Easy to prepare and high in protein.
Serve it with crackers, cucumber slices or whatever you like.
The salmon can be poached, grilled or roasted,

Ingredients;
8oz salmon filet
2 scallions, sliced thin
1 TBLS fresh dill, chopped
3 – 4 TBLS mayonnaise
1 TBLS fresh parsley, chopped
2 TBLS minced celery
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions;
Steam, roast on 375 or poach the salmon until just cooked through.
If you grill or roast, rub the salmon with a little olive oil before cooking.
Cool and then flake apart. Set aside.
In a bowl mix all other ingredients, reserving a little dill for the garnish.
Add the salmon and mix.
The salad is to have just enough mayonnaise to hold it together, but not overwhelm.

This Shrimp with chili sauce is also known as Imperial Shrimp.
It originates from the Szechwan region of China.

It takes minutes to make and is full of flavor.
Some like to leave the shells on for that extra flavor.
Make it mild or make it spicy.

Ingredients;
1 LB large raw shrimp, shells on or off, your choice
1/2 TSP salt
11/2 TSP cornstarch
2 cups of oil for frying, I like a mix of canola and peanut
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 scallions, sliced fine
2 TBLS fresh ginger root, minced
1/4 cup tomato catsup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 TBLS sugar
1 TBLS sherry
2 TBLS chili paste with garlic (use less if you don’t want spicy)

Directions;
Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Add the salt and cornstarch, mix well. Heat the oil in a wok to 400 or if you don’t have a wok use a deep pot. Deep fry the shrimp for one minute and drain and set aside. Reduce the heat to 300 and reheat 2 TBLS of the oil.

Stir fry the onions, ginger and scallions for 1 minute. Add the catsup, stock and sugar. Bring this to a boil. Raise the temp to 425 and add the shrimp, sherry and chili paste. Stir fry for for 1-2 minutes.
Serve over rice as is or add steamed snow pea pods or broccoli.

This Asian cucumber salad is light and tasty. Very health friendly.
Great for a side dish to compliment just about any main entree
or as is for a light snack.

Takes only minutes to put together and a short time to marinate.

Ingredients;
1 standard or English cucumber, about 1 1/2-2 cups, sliced very thin
1 TBLS sugar
3 TBLS rice vinegar
1/2 TSP soy sauce
1 TSP sesame oil
1 thin slice of fresh ginger
1 TSP sesame seeds, optional
Directions;
Mix all but the sesame seeds and cucumber in a bowl. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Alternately peel the skin from the cucumber.
Slice very thin. Use a mandoline slicer if you have one.
Add the cucumber to the marinade and toss. Marinate for 30 minutes. Remove the ginger or if you like, dice it and add it back into the salad.
Serve topped with the sesame seeds if you like or a few slices of red onion.

These prawns (monster size shrimp) are sweet and succulent. Roasted prawns taste and cook just like shrimp. The only difference is the number of claws they have next to their legs. They are however somewhat hard to find. Upscale supermarkets or a good seafood shop should have them.

Ingredients;
2 or 4 Prawns, shell on or off is your choice
1 TBLS butter
2 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, mashed and minced
Dash of red pepper flakes
Parsley, minced

Directions;
Preheat oven to 400.
I like to peel, head and devein the prawns, leaving just the tail shell on. Melt the butter and combine with the oil and garlic. Place the prawns in a foil wrap and pour the butter mixture over the prawns. Top with the red pepper flakes and close the foil wrap.
Wrap them close together so the juices don’t evaporate.
Bake for 10 mins. Open the wrap and serve sprinkled with parsley.

This Italian Wedding Soup was known to me as a child as escarole soup.  Tasty and warms the soul on a stormy night.
See my “Tomato Sauce” recipe for the meatball recipe.
This soup only has a few ingredients, the meatballs do all the work flavoring the soup.

Ingredients;
Meatball recipe
32oz low sodium beef stock, one or two depending on the escarole size
one can beef consomme’ plus 2 cans of water
1 cup uncooked Ditalini pasta
med onion minced
1 head fresh escarole
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions;

Make my meatball recipe using 8oz to 16oz of meat and reduce the size of the meat balls to rounded teaspoon size, Saute’ them in a frying pan or broil for a few minutes.  Place the partially cooked meatballs into a pot large enough to fit  the beef stock and the escarole. Wash the escarole thoroughly and cut it into small 1 inch pieces.
Simmer the stock, consomme, meatballs, onion, pasta and escarole covered for  about 45 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

This Caponata eggplant appetizer originates from Sicily and is very popular.  Serve it with bread or crackers as your guests arrive.

Easy to make and if you follow my jam recipes for canning you can enjoy Caponata Sicilian Eggplant Appetizer all year long.  Just keep the jars in the pantry, once opened refrigerate them.

Ingredients;
4 cups cubed fresh eggplant, with the skin on
4 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
2 med onions, chopped
3-4 ribs of celery, cubed
1/4 cup capers, drained
2/3 cup pitted olives, green Sicilian are preferred
1 TBLS red wine vinegar
3-4 leaves sliced fresh basil
1/2 cup plum tomatoes, canned and rough chopped
2-3 TBLS tomato paste

Directions;
Heat the oil in a pan large enough to accommodate all the ingredients. Saute the celery and onion until nearly soft but not brown. Add the eggplant a saute a few minutes more. Add all the other ingredients and simmer on low uncovered for about 45 minutes until the excess juices are nearly gone. Serve at room temperature. It can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
You can also “jar” the mixture at this point with the mixture hot and going into hot boiled mason jars. Follow my canning instructions on my jam recipes  page.
Serve with a crusty Italian or French bread.

I made this Vegetable Appetizer Platter to pick on before a family meal or its great to serve while guests arrive for a holiday get together.

It contains; Stuffed Zucchini, Stuffed Mushrooms and fried Yellow Squash. The zucchini and mushroom recipes are listed in the pantry. Below is the fried squash recipe.

Ingredients;
1/2 cup or so combination vegetable oil and olive oil
2 yellow squash, sliced 1/4″ slices
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 TBLS grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
dash of garlic powder, not salt

Directions;
In a large non stick frying pan heat the oil to med/hot.
Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder and cheese in a 1 gallon bag. Egg wash the squash and place it in the bag. Shake the bag until the squash is coated. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm. Serve as is or dip in your fav dressing.

This Mushrooms Sauteed with Marsala recipe is a great side dish.
I love it with steak, but it goes well with poultry too.

16oz pkg of fresh mushrooms, button or any type you like
1/2 cup Marsala wine
2 TBLS butter **
Dash of pepper

Clean the mushrooms. I say that because I like to rinse them and brush with a soft mushroom brush. I just can’t get over the grown in substance and not wash them. Some people like to just dust them off.

Slice them or leave them whole. Place the butter in a saute pan large enough to loosely fit the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms on a fairly high heat until the juices come out and then absorb again. Add the Marsala wine and saute for a minute or two as the wine sizzles and deglazes the pan. Add pepper to taste and serve warm.

** replace the butter with olive oil to make this more heath friendly.

A good cut of veal is very light pink. It doesn’t matter if you buy the rib or loin cut. Whichever you prefer. Pictured is rib cut Grilled Veal chops.

Grill/broil on high to searing the outside, keeping it pink inside. Please do not over cook it or you will find it dry and tough.

Ingredients;
2 to 4 veal chops, about 1″-1.5″ thick, loin or rib cut
2 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
1 TSP Bell’s Seasoning (the yellow box with the turkey on it)
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and mashed
I have an herb garden so if you have any, a few leaves of each; sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary

Directions;
Place all the ingredients in a freezer bag and let marinate for 2-24 hours refrigerated.
Place on a hot grill and sear the meat on both sides. Baste once with the marinade. Cook until the center is pink about 155-160 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Spaghetti squash is nutritious and can be a good substitute for pasta. By itself roasted spaghetti squash does not have much flavor so its important to use a sauce with it that has an abundance of flavor.
I like to make something similar to a Puttanesca sauce.
Rich with olives, capers, tomatoes and herbs.

Ingredients;
1 whole spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
3 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
1/2 med onion, chopped fine
2 TSP anchovy paste
1/2 TSP hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in juice or 6 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup pitted mixed Kalamata & Italian green ( not Spanish)olives, sliced in half
2  TBLS drained capers
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions;
Preheat the oven to 375.
Drizzle a little of the olive oil on the cut side of the squash.
Bake the squash in a roasting pan cut side down for about 45-55 minutes, unit a knife inserts easily. Set aside.
In a heavy fry pan place the oil and cook the onion, garlic, anchovy paste and red pepper for 2-3 minutes while stirring.  Pulse chop the tomatoes and their juice in a food processor or blender.  Add to the frying pan and stir.  Add the balance of ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.  Scrap the squash out of its skin and add it to the frying pan tomato mixture. Toss to mix.
Lightly grate Parmesan cheese over the top and serve.

Bloody Mary is a great brunch beverage with or without alcohol. Tasty and many variations. Make it as spicy as you like.
Here is my favorite recipe.

4 cups tomato juice (I prefer Sacramento)
2 celery stalks with leaves and extra for garnish
4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce, adjust to your taste
1 TSP prepared horseradish, adjust to your taste
1/2 TSP celery salt
1 TBLS grated onion, Vidalia if it’s available
1 TBLS Worcester sauce
1 cup vodka (optional)
the juice of one whole lemon, extra for garnish
Spanish stuffed olives for garnish
Prudhommes Magic or Emerils spices, Rub the rim of the glass with lemon and dip into a spicy dry seasoning, optional

Place all ingredients, except the garnish, into a blender and puree.
Pour into a tall glass with ice and garnish as desired.

This Classic Chicken Salad recipe has minimal ingredients allowing the chicken flavor to be the focus. Serve it over salad greens, on bread or stuffed in an avocado or a hollowed tomato!
If you like you can add sliced almonds, walnuts, grapes or anything else.

Ingredients;
2 cups cooked chicken, skin removed, cubed or shredded, any mix of white or dark meat (for quick and easy  buy a roasted chicken)
1/2 cup celery, rough or finely chopped
1 TBLS minced parsley
1 TBLS onion or scallion, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 cup mayo, amount depends on your preference
1 heaping TBLS sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions;
Mix the chicken with all other ingredients.
Chill and serve.

Having a party or need a take along to a party. Try my Sausage, Peppers, Onions w/Potatoes recipe.   A party dish of sausage and peppers feeds a crowd and there is never any left overs so that’s proof it’s tasty!!

This stuffed zucchini recipe can be made with many different ingredients.

I used mushrooms, onion, tomato and bread crumbs. Just about anything can be used; peppers of any kind, sausage, ham, beef, olives, capers etc…..

Ingredients;

4 long thin zucchini
2 TBLS butter or extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a small onion, chopped
4 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 plum tomato, chopped
dash of garlic powder, not salt
Salt & pepper to taste
1 TBLS grated Romano cheese
2 TBLS bread crumbs, any kind you like

Directions;
Preheat oven to 350.
Wash the zucchini thoroughly. Leaving the stem in tact make a “V” shaped  cut in them and remove the cut zucchini.  Use a small melon baller to make a canal in the zucchini.

Chop the removed zucchini and add it to the stuffing. In a frying pan add the butter/oil and the onion.  Saute for a few minutes and then add all the other ingredients, except the bread crumbs.  Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes or so. If you use salty ingredients you might not want to add salt. Add the bread crumbs, this will tighten up the stuffing from being too watery. Stuff the cooked mixture into the zucchini canal as pictured.  Place in a covered baking dish and bake for about  30 minutes or until the zucchini are soft but not falling over and mushy.

If you have extra mushrooms and stuffing make stuffed mushrooms with it…

An assortment of tomatoes are in abundance in the summer months.
This Heirloom tomato recipe mixes all types of tomatoes.
I bought these from the local farmers market picked at their peak of flavor.

Fresh mozzarella is key also. It’s from my local market but the store brand BelGioioso is good too.

ingredients for Heirloom Tomato Mozzarella Salad

1 LB fresh mozzarella
1 LB Heirloom tomatoes, mixed types
2 TBLS extra virgin oil oil
4-6 fresh basil leaves, sliced
A bottle of Balsamic glaze, check the label to be sure it doesn’t have corn syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Mix and assemble in a dish. Pour the olive oil over them and add the salt and pepper. Decorate with the Balsamic glaze and the basil. Serve just slightly chilled with a good crusty slice of Italian bread.
Add a glass of wine and opera music and you could drift off into Italy!!

This is a green bean with tomato and potato one pan wonder.
Quick and fresh vegetables all together. Great for a family meal.

Ingredients;
1 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 LB fresh green beans, tips cut off
5 Plum tomatoes, rough diced
4 small red potatoes, cut into 1″ pieces
2-3 fresh basil leaves, rough cut
Salt & pepper

Directions;
In a saute pan large enough to cover and hold all the ingredients. Saute the garlic in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook 4 minutes. Add the green beans and potatoes, stir and cover on a low simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and add salt & pepper to taste.

This spicy Lobster and shrimp Fra Diavolo dish is classic coastal southern Italian. Make it mild or spicy, your choice.
You can also use other shellfish if you like. Serve as is or over your favorite long style pasta, like linguine or over cooked rice.

Ingredients;
2 lobster tails cut in half length wise, any size from 3oz-6oz each
1LB raw shelled and deveined shrimp, I like 16-20 count size
2 cups plum tomatoes, roughly cut
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 TSP red pepper flakes
1 TSP parsely, chopped

Directions;
In a large deep frying pan saute the garlic in the oil for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, red pepper and 1/2 the basil. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Add the shell fish and simmer for about 5 minutes turning the shell fish until the shrimp flesh is pink and the lobster meat is white and firm, but not too long so that it gets rubbery.
Place in a serving dish as is or over pasta/rice.
Sprinkle with the remaining basil leaves.

This is the classic dinner served in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Many tell me its not made in Ireland that it’s an American tradition.
Whoever makes it doesn’t affect the taste. It’s flavorful, easy to make and crock pot friendly.

Make my Irish Soda Bread recipe too and you’ll have a real crowd pleasing dinner!!

Ingredients;
3-5LB corned beef with the seasoning packet included, I like the brisket cut. It will shrink and lose about 1/3 it’s weight when cooked so keep that in mind for your portions needed
1- 2 heads fresh cabbage, each cut into 8 wedges
6-8 med size red potatoes, leave the skin on or peel them
4 Carrots, cut into 2″ pieces
Onion cut in half
Celery stalk cut in half

Directions;
The amounts of ingredients for this dish can vary to whatever you need to cook; more meat or more vegetables won’t change the cooking method.
Rinse the corned beef and place it with the seasoning packet in a stock pot or crock pot big enough to fit all of the ingredients. Cover with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and then the cabbage wedges.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover about half the cabbage. Simmer on low for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.  Let the meat sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before slicing.  Serve with a good whole grain mustard, a crusty rye bread and my Irish Soda bread.

This Green Bean and Wax Bean Saute makes a colorful easy side dish to any meal. If you can’t find fresh wax/yellow beans use frozen as a second choice.

For Christmas add a few thin slices of red bell pepper for extra holiday color.

1/2 LB fresh green beans, ends nipped off
1/2 LB fresh yellow wax beans, ends nipped off
3 slices of Pancetta (Italian non smoked bacon) minced fine
3 TBLS butter
2 TBLS virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, sliced thin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steam the beans until just soft. Set aside. In fry pan add the Pancetta and saute until the fat begins to melt. Add the butter, oil and shallot. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add the beans and toss. Add salt and pepper to your liking.

**Omit the butter and reduce the pancetta to make this health friendly

Want to make a tasty vegetable side a different way. Use a head of steamed cauliflower to mash instead of mashed potatoes. Mashed cauliflower is tasty and can be serve mashed or mashed then baked with a topping. Great for a holiday meal.

Ingredients;
One head cauliflower steamed to soft
4 TBLS butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions;
Mash or whip with a hand mixer all together adding the milk/cream to your desired consistency.
Other variations;
*Spread into a baking dish and dust the top with Italian breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and bake 375 for 10-15 minutes.
*Add chopped chives to the mashed cauliflower.
*Add a few TBLS of sour cream when mashing.

**use low fat milk to make it more health friendly

Ground beef chili is a simple easy work night meal and leftovers freeze well.  Feel free to change out the tomato sauce for diced tomatoes if that’s what you like. This is a mild recipe, just add hot sauce or red pepper flakes to heat it up to your liking.

Ingredients;
1 LB Lean ground beef
1/2 Large onion, chopped
1 TBLS olive oil
Two 8oz cans tomato sauce
One 16oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 TBLS chili powder
1 TBLS Worcestershire sauce
1 TSP ground cumin
1/2 TSP garlic powder
1/4 TSP salt
1/4 TSP black pepper
Garnish with cheddar cheese and avocado slices
Serve with tortillas if you like

Directions;
In a large frying pan saute the onion in the oil until soft. Add the ground beef and cook while chopping the meat up until the pink is gone and the beef is all crumbled in the pan. Add the balance of ingredients stir and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.

**use 93%+ lean beef or change to ground turkey and low fat cheese to make this health friendly