Tag: homemade

Sunday Supper with Chef John Tabone — Destination Sardinia!!

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If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing a meal prepared by Chef John Tabone @instinctivecook… what are you waiting for?!?!? The Sunday Supper event @barpazzo this past weekend was way more than just an #Italian meal; it was trip to #Sardinia without leaving Scranton. Each dish was so thoughtfully executed from the sourcing of ingredients to the wine or liqueur that was served with it. The tablescape was crafted from all things native to Sardinia; from the unique rocks to star anise to, my favorite, the juniper berry. There wasn’t a single detail Chef Tabone left out this one-of-a-kind dinner that has certainly left an impression in my memory.

It was a beautiful Sunday summer evening 😎to dine al fresco in #the570. One extra large table lined the sidewalk outside the restaurant and was set up with that beautiful tablescape so that everyone sat together. Outside of the five members of my family, I knew no one else at the start. Let me tell you though, it wasn’t long before we got to know so many others sitting along side of us. Another purposeful detail that left us feeling like we were eating a family dinner.

My two favorite dishes of the night were the #octopus salad 🐙 (I was so excited I forgot to take a picture!), which wasn’t even on the menu, and the stuffed #pasta course. The octopus was sliced thin with a light citrusy flavor that was very refreshing. The stuffed pasta with brigante cheese, potato and mint was served on top of a classic tomato sauce that paired so nicely with the wine, Vermentino “Costamolino” Argiolas…YUM!

Let’s not forget about the anti pasti and #Limoncello granita. If you’re wondering, he makes his own homemade Limoncello of course!

#Sardines…light, mild and prepared with the freshest radishes and fennel served family style. Another dish not on the menu. And left me pleasantly surprised and wanting more.

It was a first for me and #FregolaSarda; tiny little durum wheat pastas handmade with a gorgeous yellow saffron hue made with two different types of broth topped with shrimp, calamari, muscles and sausage. Delicious!

And how about that pig 😳🐽…it speaks for itself.

The dessert was made with Sardinian honey and cheese in a light fluffy pastry which balanced nicely with a creamy scoop of ice cream. The star of this course was the Tremontis Mirto Liqueur. My favorite drink of the evening because of how smooth and flavorful it was in relationship to the pastry.

Not all chefs come out of the kitchen to speak with guests…but Chef Tabone is no typical chef. With each course he provided a thorough explanation of the dish, its ingredients, where they came from, why he selected the ones he did and how it pairs with each wine. There is so much love that goes into his food and you can truly taste it!

#Cheers to you chef! Thank you for a fabulous experience! 🇮🇹🇮🇹

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Noodle Bowl with Seasoned Egg & Pan Fried Tofu

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Have I said I’m obsessed with “Bowls”!?!?! Well I am…for the last year or so. My newest creation wasn’t ramen…or soup…or with rice. This had a creamy peanut sauce covering the noodles, topped with pan fried crispy tofu, roasted baby bok choy, fresh carrot sticks, chopped cilantro, green onions and pickled ginger. Oooohhhhhh the pickled ginger I absolutely love! It’s a must have on any Asian inspired bowl I make.

Some details in case you would like to make your own:

  • I cheated and bought the peanut sauce. It was a quality one but there are tons of recipes on Pinterest if you’d like to make your own. Use it to coat the noodles and marinate the tofu before pan frying.
  • Roast the baby bok choy with olive oil and salt and pepper until they’re soft. That’s all you need here!
  • Cut all you fresh veggies while you fry the tofu and cook the noodles.
  • Put all your toppings on the noodles and enjoy – and I added a little sesame seeds at the last minute ☺️

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    Italian Breakfast Quiche

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    So I woke up in the morning, starving, and hadn’t gone to the grocery store in almost a week. There wasn’t much to put together in the fridge but I pulled it off! I’m definitely going to make this quiche again but I would add a bit more parmesan cheese (because I ran out) and add some mozzarella (which of course I didn’t have at all). All in all, this is a keeper!

    Full disclosure: I did not make the crust, it was store bought and left over from something else I made earlier in the week. There are some good quality pre-made crusts out there so if you don’t have the time, like a lot of people I know, save yourself some hassle and just buy one.

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 pie crust
    • 14 eggs, divided
    • 1 red pepper, chopped
    • 2 cups baby kale
    • Small handful parsley, chopped
    • Small handful basil, sliced thin
    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • Spray olive oil
    • S & P
  • What to do:
      • Preheat the oven to 375, prep you vegetables and spray your pie dish on he bottom and sides.
      In a sauté pan on medium heat, spray the pan and add the red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
      Next add the parsley and basil, then the kale and S & P. Cook another 2 minutes or until the kale is wilted. Set aside.
      Put the pie crust in your baking pan and layer the bottom with cheese.
      Whisk 8 eggs with S & P and garlic powder. Fold in the sautéed veggie mixture.
      Add the eggs to the dish.
      Gently crack the remaining eggs into the dish scattered throughout it.
      Add a little more salt to the top and place it in the oven to bake.
      I didn’t pay attention to how log this baked but it was at least 20 minutes. Make sure the middle of the dish is cooked and not loose. Also, the tips of the crust will be golden brown.
      Enjoy!

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    Coconut Curry Cod and Vegetable Noodle Bowl (Dairy and Gluten Free!)

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    It’s been far too long since I last posted! I shouldn’t make a habit of that.

    So I have an obsession…bowls! Ramen, udon, rice noodle, curry, you name it; I want to make them or try them all. This whole thing started when I found Terakawa in Philadelphia and it’s been bowls galore since then. I honestly can’t get enough of them! I even got my mom hooked so she’s testing out her own skills with these as well lol. Keep it up TJ! You’re doing great and we’re learning from each other!

    What you’ll need:

      8oz large rice noodles
      2 Tbls coconut oil
      1/2 red onion, chopped
      2 carrots, chopped small
      4 cloves garlic, minced
      6oz baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
      1 squash (green, yellow or patty pan your choice)
      10 leaves kale, chopped
      4 leaves bok choy, chopped
      3 eats corn, boiled and cut off the cob (or one small can drained)
      1 lb cod filets, no skin and deboned
      2 tbls better than bouillon chicken base
      2 tsp red curry paste
      2 tsp turmeric
      2 tsp ground ginger
      12 oz evaporated coconut milk
      8 cups water
      Fresh ground pepper
      Himalayan people no sea salt
      Fresh cilantro, optional

    Here’s what to do:

    1. Heat the oil over medium heat until melted

    2. Sauté the onions and carrots with a couple dashes of salt for 2-3 minutes

    3. Add the mushrooms and squash with a couple more dashes of salt for another 2-3 minutes

    4. Add the garlic, curry paste, turmeric, ginger and chicken base and sauté for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn

    5. Add the water, corn and cod with a couple more dashes of salt and turn the heat up to medium high

    6. Bring the pot to a bubbling simmer until the fish is completely cooked and flaky

    7. While it is heating up, cook the rice noodles according to their package. Set aside.

    8. Add the bok choy and kale and stir to combine while breaking up the fish into pieces if it didn’t already do that on its own. Turn off the heat.

    9. Serve in a bowl with chop sticks (or fork) and a spoon. Add the soup in first, then the noodles off to one side and garnish with a rough, small handful of fresh cilantro.

    Enjoy!

    P.S. My awesome husband got me special ramen bowls for my birthday because I made it so much these days 😊

    Chicken and Bean Burritos with Spanish Rice

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    What you’ll need:

    • 7 chicken breasts
    • 7 burrito shells
    • 1/2 cup dried black beans, hydrated
    • 2 avocados
    • 1/4 cup vegan cheese, shredded
    • 2 green onions, chopped small
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp coriander
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • Salsa of choice 
    • Salt

    Spanish rice:

    • 2 cups rice of choice
    • 4 cups chicken broth 
    • 8 oz tomato sauce
    • 4 tbls garlic powder
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp coriander
    • 1/4 cup of olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt
    • Cilantro, chopped

    What to do:

    1. If you’re using dried beans, start the night before and soak the beans in water and refrigerate overnight. Follow the directions on the bag. 
    2. Start the rice. Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the rice. Sautée until golden brown. 
    3. Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and cook on low until the rice is soft and liquid is absorbed. 
    4. In the mean time, season the chicken with cumin, coriander, garlic and salt. Grill and slice into thin pieces. 
    5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
    6. Lay out burrito shells and layer all burrito ingredients including the chicken, beans, avocados, “cheese”, and onions. 
    7. Wrap the burritos as tightly as you can and place on a sheet tray sprayed with oil. 
    8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the shells are lightly golden. 
    9. Serve with your favorite salsa and top the rice with fresh cilantro. 

    Late Night Snack

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    No words except, yum! The toddler was away and we didn’t feel like eating dinner, so this was our snack when we got hungry last night. 

    When you want to sit back, relax and watch a movie, this is where’s it at. The lights were a little dim so it looks gray in scale. The bread was homemade by my hubby. He MASTERED bread making after watching a Netflix series about the origins of cooking. The cheeses are two different kinds. On the left is a French cheese called Isigny Ste Mere: Mimolette Semi Vieille. It was amazing with the bread and my favorite combo. The one on the right was a mild NY cheddar. 

    It’s good to take a break and do something easy for a change!

    Cast Iron Vegan Chili

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    I made this for all my vegan and vegetarian friends and family. Not all meals have to have meat and some taste even better without it. If you are a carnivore, just give this a try and you’ll realize what I mean.  Look at the vibrant colors! You see onions and red, yellow and purple bell peppers. 

    Add the carrots for some orange…

    Put everything together…

    I’m really enjoying a local farm stand this summer that’s right down the road from me. All ingredients came from there and I believe one of the reasons this dish tasted so delicious. The fresher the better! 

    Serves 8

    What you’ll need:

    • 1 cup each dry black and pinto beans, rehydrated according to the instructions (or use canned beans and will equal about 3 cups total after draining)
    • 2 ears corn (or 1 can of corn)
    • 2 carrots, diced
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 3 large garlic cloves, chopped small
    • 3 bell peppers, largely diced 
    • 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
    • 13 oz can of diced tomatoes
    • 3 oz Tom paste
    • 28oz can tomato sauce
    • 1 tsp coriander
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 tsp ground mustard
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 2 tsp chili powder
    • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 Tbls olive oil
    • Pink Himalayan Salt
    • Fresh ground black pepper
    • 2 jalapeños, roasted and diced small for garnish
    • red onion, diced small for garnish
    • cilantro or parsley, for garnish

    What to do:

    1. If you’re using the dried beans like I did, you’ll need to start this the night before or follow the instructions for the quick cook. 
    2. In a large cast iron Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium. 
    3. Sautée the onions and bell peppers with some salt and pepper about 5 minutes until slightly soft. 
    4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the the carrots and garlic. Sautée another 5 minutes stirring frequently. 
    5. Add the fresh tomatoes, a little more salt and pepper, stir and simmer until you see the liquid expel from the tomatoes. 
    6. Boil the corn, let cool, slice off with a knife and add to the pot. 
    7. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and paste, stir until combined and add all the spices and nutritional yeast. Reduce the heat to low and stir again. 
    8. Simmer on the lowest heat for an hour to hour and a half stirring occasionally. 
    9. Serve in a bowl with the garnishes listed or whatever you choose. Feel free to add some hot sauce for some heat if you don’t do the jalapeños 😉

    Side note: You can roast your own jalapeños directly on your stove top. Be sure to char all sides, let cool, peel the char and diced away. Very simple and can be done with any kind of peppers. 

    Enjoy!

      Tomatillo Verde Sauce

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      Talk about a versatility…this sauce is the epitome of it. You can put this on top of tacos, eggs, salads as your dressing, dip, you name it. 

      What you see above is the Verde Sauce on top of a salad I threw together with the various things I had in my refrigerator. I also had left over shredded pork from pork tacos the night before (which also had verde on it 😉) that you see on top. 

      The pork tacos were quasi tacos because I’m really trying to cut carbs and sugar from my diet. I used Boston Bib lettuce for the wrap but a mini romaine lettuce would also be perfect. The recipe for the pork is here. I topped everything with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, fresh cilantro, carrots, and a little extra salt and pepper to the pork. 

      As for the Verde Sauce itself…

      What you’ll need (and remember I make in bulk to freeze some for future so feel free to cut it in half):

      • 18 Tomatillos 
      • 2 jalapeños 
      • 4 cloves of garlic
      • Juice of one lime
      • fresh cilantro to taste
      • S & P

      What to do:

      1. Boil a pot of water that will hold tomatillos and jalapeños. 
      2. Remove the husks off the tomatillos and run them under water until clean.  Also, clean the jalapeños.
      3. Boil the tomatillos and jalapeños for 10 minutes and strain. 
      4. Place them in a food processor with the remaining ingredients. 
      5. Pulse until smooth. 

      Use it for whatever you want and enjoy!

        Trottole Pasta Salad

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        I’m all about pasta this weekend! I used  Simply Balanced Organic Trottole Pasta for this recipe. It’s a fun shape and all the good stuff you add to a pasta salad incorporates well into it. You can pretty much use any type of pasta for this dish if you can’t find this type. Some good alternatives would be farfalle, penne or even multi colored radiatore! Remember to always salt your water when boiling pasta!!

        If you want to make this a vegan dish, use a vegan friendly pasta. 


        What you’ll need:

        • 16 oz Trottole pasta
        • 1 medium Eggplant, roasted and diced
        • 2 Carrots, chopped small (I used my Kitchen Aid Spiralizer if you have one)
        • 5 Kale leaves, chopped fine
        • 2 Green Onions, chopped into thin rings
        • 4 oz Tomatoes, grape or cherry, halved (optional)
        • Juice of 1 Lemon
        • 1 Tbls dried Thyme
        • 2 Tbls Garlic Powder
        • 1 small can of sliced black olives 
        • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
        • S & P

        What to do: 

        1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
        2. Begin to boil the water for the pasta. 
        3. Remove some of the skin on the eggplant with a peeler, dice and place on a sheet tray with olive oil and S & P. 
        4. Bake for 15-20 minutes until completely soft, remove and let cool. 
        5. Boil the pasta according to the instructions, drain and let cool. 
        6. Meanwhile, prepare the carrots, kale, onions, tomatoes and lemon juice and add all into a large bowl. 
        7. Add the eggplant, thyme, garlic powder, S & P to the mixture. Combine thoroughly. 
        8. Once the pasta has cooled, add it into the mixture with more olive oil and toss. Put in more or less oil and S & P to your taste. 

        Enjoy!!