There is a good reason to be picky because the caprese must be made with fresh mozzarella and the freshest tomatoes. This is truly a summer dish; however, in the off season, grape tomatoes like wild wonders will work fine.

Prosciutto Caprese Party Sandwich with Pesto

Prosciutto Caprese Party Sandwich with Pesto is a total crowd pleaser.

Caprese Salad with Pepperoni

This sandwich toasts the bread and mozzarella and tops it with pepperoni.

What is a Caprese Salad?

This idea of mozzarella, tomatoes and basil comes from the island of Capri, this simple dish is referred to as insalta caprese.

It presents the colors of Italy, and must have good extra virgin olive oil and salt. Adding a drizzle of balsamic is not typical, but if your tomatoes aren’t sweet enough, a small drizzle of GOOD balsamic (syrupy) can help.

• Red – Tomatoes
• White – Mozzarella
• Green – Basil

There are several myths as to its origin, one as a patriotic sandwich, one from a hotel, and one simply as a smart, peasant combination of ingredients. What is actually true is its popularity here in Italy and here in the States. The best we ever ate in a restaurant was during our first trip to Italy. I got the salad and my husband got the sandwich. To this day, he talks about that sandwich. Why? Because simple recipes must be made with the best of ingredients and balanced just right.

These are the actual pictures of our lunch in Chianti, Tuscany, at a very casual cafe. I like that they added some olives in and used buffalo mozzarella.

Lettuce Wrap Caprese Salad

Lettuce wrap caprese salad has no formal recipe. It’s an idea. After enjoying a large Sunday brunch, we only wanted and needed a very small dinner. Thus, the caprese lettuce wraps were born.

Summer Caprese Salad with Fresch Corn

Summer Caprese Salad with a southern twist. Here’s a twist on caprese salad, adding in fresh corn and using pesto. You could just use torn basil leaves.

Creamy Burrata and Heirloom Tomatoes

Burrata with summer tomatoes over arugula is a dream dish. Don’t forget to use lots of fresh basil, and if you have homemade sourdough bread, you have dinner.

As you can see, there are many versions of caprese salad, and you might have a few of your own. Let me know in the comments.

Caprese Skewers

These caprese skewers make serving at parties easy, and everyone loves them. Check out the cute toothpicks.

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Tips for Caprese Salad

• Only use ripe tomatoes at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate tomatoes unless already cut).
• Take mozzarella or burrata out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Cold mozzarella has no taste when cold.
• Use a good extra virgin olive oil. Simple recipes need good ingredients.
• If you don’t have a nice syrupy vinegar, skip this.
• Top with fresh basil or Italian herbs and don’t forget the salt and pepper.
• Do add in some olives or cucumbers for a twist.
• Avoid raw onion (in my opinion, this ruins the salad.)

More Salad Ideas for Summer

Summer Salad Ideas can be found HERE.

The post Seven Caprese Salad Ideas appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When I’m thinking about creating a salad, I like to follow the seasons and highlight what is fresh like this fresh corn and summer blackberry salad.

As luck would have it, I had access to the freshest picked corn from my friend’s produce stand. Burns Produce, located on Patton Road in Arrington right down from Arrington Vineyards is selling Luke Bryan’s corn. How fun is that.

As I was making this salad to take to a dinner, I knew this fresh corn had to be a part of it. I immediately thought that blackberries would be a great accompaniment along with a tangy cheese and a crisp vinaigrette.

I hit it right, as this salad disappeared fast with a fight over that last bite.

Salad is a funny thing. Sometimes people don’t think they like salad because the balance is off. I have never seen anyone not love my salads because of my keen understanding of salt, fat and acid.

The Acids

• Acids on a salad include vinegars and citrus such as lemon and lime juice.
• When adding mustard or honey, mix it first with the acid. Then add oil
• Feel free to mix your vinegars. I do this all the timeYou can also add lemon to a vinaigrette.
• Skip the cheap “so-called” balsamic. A $3.99 bottle of balsamic is not authentic and you’re better off using an inexpensive but good red wine vinegar.

The Fat

• The main fat in a salad is the oil in the vinaigrette.
• I also mix my oils. Sometimes I use half extra virgin olive oil and half avocado oil.

The Salt

While you don’t want to overdo salt in a salad, it’s very important. Sometimes the salt is in the cheese, such as ricotta salada, a briny feta or a Pecorino, so adjust accordingly. It could also be in the nuts or an addition of bacon.

Here are my tips for Making a Great Salad 

• Make sure lettuce is completely dry before you add a dressing or vinaigrette. Use a salad spinner if needed.
• Pre-mix your oil and vinegar. Using either dijon mustard or honey will help keep emulsify these two ingredients. I usually use mustard.
• Add salt and pepper to the vinaigrette and dip a piece of lettuce in. It should have a bit of a bite.
• Don’t serve salad with dressing on the side.  It must be tossed to taste balanced.
• Go easy with vinaigrette when using gentle lettuces like butter lettuces.
• Leaf lettuces do not need a lot of vinaigrette, while lettuces with a lot of of water content like romaine seem to need a lot more and also do well with creamy dressings.
• Assemble salad in advance, but put vinaigrette on right before serving. (Kale is the exception).
• Season again with salt and pepper.

Fresh Corn in a Salad

I did an instagram poll, asking people if they would eat fresh corn in a salad. To my surprise, 25% said no, yet anytime I’ve served it, everyone eats it. If the corn is super fresh, you can just cut it off the cob and put it into the salad. If that concerns you, you can cut the corn into a bowl and microwave it for a few minutes.

Best Cheese Additions

The cheese you choose depends on the salad you’re making.

When I want a briny profile, I add olives and feta cheese like this Greek salad with salmon. For some reason, these are best with a romaine lettuce that has heft.

Slivers of Pecorino work well in arugula with a light olive oil and lemon for the acid. Pecorino and romano are also necessary in kale salads like this.

I used ricotta salata (a sheep’s cheese) in this blackberry corn salad to add tang and salt against the sweet of the corn and berries. Feta or goat cheese would have worked well too.

Crumbled blue cheese in a vinaigrette is fantastic especially with steak dinner.

Crumbled blue cheese also loves certain fruits in a salad, like pears, apples and peaches.

Herbs, Veggies, Nuts

Fresh herbs can be nice addition. I used a small amount of rosemary in this winter salad. Make sure the herbs fit the salad. Basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, mint can add that little bit of extra. For example, fresh oregano in a greek salad is divine. Fresh basil in a tomato salad is amazing.

Tomatoes – Only add tomatoes if they are superb and properly ripened,  cut into bite sized pieces. A well-balanced salad should only need to be eaten with a fork, not a knife and fork. Don’t put tomatoes in until the last minute and never cold.

Cucumbers – Cut off the skins and make them bite sized.

Mushrooms – I am not a fan of raw mushrooms in a salad, but if you are, add them right before serving.

Nuts – I love adding nuts to a salad for added texture, but make sure the nuts makes sense. There are no nuts in this corn blackberry salad because they would clash with the textures. However, in my peach salad, toasted almonds make perfect sense.

More Notes on What Not to do to Make an Easy Vinaigrette

I have a few strong opinions on vinaigrettes.

Keep your vinaigrette simple. It’s a balance of fat, acid, and salt as stated above.

Don’t add in spices such as garlic powder, garlic salt, onion salt. While you think that might sound good, these can be off-putting.  The secret to a good vinaigrette is less is best; balance is key.

Don’t add garlic (unless it’s for a kale salad) and only do that gingerly. Garlic is a turnoff in a vinaigrette.

Don’t add onions to a vinaigrette or to a salad. Raw onions take over and contaminate your ingredients. You may not agree with me on this, but if you want your guests to love your salad, trust me. I admit I have an aversion to raw onion, but one of your guests is bound to feel the same. Leave the onion out. Leave celery out for the same reason. There are people who have just as strong of an aversion to celery as well.

Nuts such as toasted sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts and pistachios can certainly make many salads better.

Most Popular corn recipe

Southern fried corn

More Summer Salads from Spinach Tiger

• Honey Baked Goat Cheese Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette 
• Grilled Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Salad with Toasted Almond, Peach Vinaigrette
• Spinach Salad with Grilled Peaches
• Corn, Avocado Salad with Black Eyed Peas

• Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad
• Swiss Chard Nectarine and Toasted Pecans

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Blackberry Corn Salad with Simple Vinaigrette

Fresh corn off the cob with blackberries, ricotta salata for a summer salad.

Course Salad and Salad Dressing

Cuisine American

Keyword blackberries, corn, ricotta salad, salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bags butter leaf lettuce
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 pint blackberries
• 3 ounces ricotta salata cheese can use feta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt taste and season
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper taste and season

Vinaigrette

• 2 teaspoon dijon mustard can replace with honey
• 6 tablespoons vinegar champagne or red wine
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• dash teaspoon sea salt
• dash teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Vinaigrette

• You may have extra dressing. Keep in jar outside of fridge for future salads. Only apply what you need.
• Mix mustard with vinegar in jar. Add oil and shake until well incorporated.
• Season with dash of salt and pepper.

Salad

• Cut corn off cob. You can add to salad or microwave in bowl for 3 minutes.
• Allow corn to cool.
• Add lettuce, corn, blackberries and crumbled ricotta salata to large salad bowl.
• Toss with just enough vinaigrette to wet all leaves. Taste and add more vinegar as needed.
• Season with salt and pepper.

The post Summer Blackberry Corn Salad with Easy Vinaigrette Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Strawberry Sweets

• Strawberry Pie (gluten free)
• Strawberry Muffins (sugar/grain free)

Strawberry Cocktails

• Strawberry Martini
• Frozè
• Strawberry Sangria
• Srawberry Simple Syrup

If you want to really brighten up your party, make strawberry drinks. No one is going to turn down strawberry sangria, full of fresh fruit and bright colors. Get fancy with a strawberry martini and serve it in a pretty glass! When the weather is really hot, try the frozé.

Salads

You often find strawberries in salads in restaurants, but too often served with overly sweet nuts and dressings. This arugula salad with pecorino combines the sweet and salty for a refreshing salad that better accompanies a savory protein. If you like sweeter check out the salad with a confetti of white chocolate.

• Arugula Manchego Strawberry Salad
• Arugula Salad with Fruit and White Chocolate

When purchasing strawberries, remember to get homegrown or organic strawberries. Regular strawberries are loaded with pesticides. Don’t wash in advance, and when storing, make sure they are have room. Strawberries on top of each other in fridge end up too often going bad.

Strawberry Sauce

Lastly, this strawberry sauce made sugar free or traditionally has many uses. You can add to ice cream for a sundae, yogurt, smoothies, etc.

• Sugar Free Strawberry Sauce

The post Spring Recipes with Strawberries appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Here are a few of my favorite things to cook, bake, eat while hunkered down in a storm. If you have to be stuck inside, at least enjoy the food. Or perhaps take time to try some new recipes.

Smoothies

You might be stuck at home too many days, but still want to feel good and stay healthy. Try any of these smoothies which are tried are true for my family. The twins were sick last week and asked for the red beet smoothie. By chance, I had red beets and all the ingredients.

• Vitamin C Smoothie and Tips for a Fever
• Two Green Smoothie Recipes Kids Love
• Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie
• Red Beet Smoothie (kids love, so do teens)
• Blueberry Protein Smoothie Bowl
• Chocolate Fix: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

Snacks

Try some healthy snacks if you start getting bored.

• Olive Feta Salad
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Cowboy Caviar (Bean Dip)

Soups

I know EVERYONE is making soup this week. Here’s a few of my favorites.

• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Sausage Lentil Soup

Bread

Perhaps have always wanted to know about how to make your own sourdough starter. I just made a new one and it was ready in five days, just using all purpose flour. The bread was great.

• Sourdough Bread (Easy)
• Sourdough Starter (will be ready in five days)
• Best Traditional Southern Fluffy Biscuits

Stews

• Beef Bourguignon (low carb option)
• Old Fashioned Beef Stew
• Four Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie Recipes (Low carb options)
• Chicken Chicken Pot Pie with Best Crust
• Irish Stew with Soda Bread

Pasta

You can make most of these with any kind of macaroni.

• Tuscan White Bean Pasta
• Creamy Sausage Ragu
• Stuffed Shells
• Three Cheese Pasta Chicken Bake

Easy Delicious Ground Beef Recipes

• Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls
• Italian Ground Beef and Peas (my STILL number one post)
• Picadillo (Cuban ground beef with olives) serve with rice
• Our Favorite Taco Meat (made with bacon)

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

I know you all have a huge amounts of eggs and here are some great ideas.

• Eggs in Purgatory (Italian Shakshuka)
• Arugula Hash with Oven Baked Eggs
• Spinach Frittata with Manchego
• Homemade Egg Pasta (even if you don’t have a pasta machine, you can do this using a rolling pin).

For Fun

• Snow Cream

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The post Snow Storm Food appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Thanks to bloggers and restaurants, the last 20 years has brussels sprouts into a star side. If you’re still not making them at home, hopefully, this post helps you change that.

Let’s Start with Some Favorite Brussel Sprouts Recipes

• Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Brussels with Figs and Bacon
• Brussels Sprouts with Almonds, Dried Cherries

Brussels Sprouts Recipes (Salads)

Brussels sprouts, raw and shredded, nbv 67t65

• Shaved Brussels Salad withe Pecorino
• Kale Winter Salad with Brussels
• Apple, Brussels Sprout Salad

Brussels Sprouts Recipe for Frittata, Pizza and Flash Fried

• Brussels Frittata – Keep some brussels sprouts uncooked to make this over the weekend.
• Pizza with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
• Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts (like a restaurant)
• Brussels Sprouts with Red Quinoa – This is a meal, takes a bit of preparation but is divine.

The Brussels Sprouts Recipe to Consider

Brussels Sprouts with Butternut Squash

This is not the best picture because it’s a very old recipe, but trust me, it’s fantastic and has a secret ingredient. It’s made with sage leaves and a small amount of toasted bread cubes, but delivers umami satisfaction.

Now that you have a few brussels sprouts recipes to choose from, let me know what you make.

More Ideas for Brussels Sprouts

• Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Lemon, Breadcrumbs.
• Green Bean Casserole with Brussels and Bacon
• Brussels Sprouts Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

Don’t be stressed out by Thanksgiving. I have a great turkey recipe that requires very little from you and always comes out. It’s covered with cheesecloth and needs no basting.

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Thanksgiving Turkey

If you feel the stress of holiday cooking, this turkey recipe I make year after year is a winner. You cover the entire turkey with a cheesecloth soaked in broth. You end up with a self-basted crispy skinned, tender turkey.

RECIPE HERE

The post Brussels Sprouts Recipes You Will Love appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is one of my most popular summer recipes for many years. I think it’s the black pepper that makes it so so tasty. Don’t forget to see all the things you can do with corn, as I have many recipes here.

While I’m not originally from the South, I can claim a few southern roots. My grandmother was from Virginia and she made the best fried chicken in the world. Here is her recipe.

After years of practice and patience it has been said that Spinach Tiger’s southern fluffy biscuits can’t be beat. Even the gluten free fluffy southern biscuit has gotten rave reviews from readers. (Both have videos to help you along).

Why is something as simple as a southern fried corn recipe to hard to get right or require a recipe?

TWO THINGS

Childhood memories. This person’s grandmother made it this way with sugar and flour and who knows what? This other person had a grandmother who knew how to milk the corn to the last drop. Then there’s someone else who adds a cup of heavy cream. Everyone remembers their southern fried corn recipe differently.

Quality or Type of the Corn  It’s key to get very fresh, creamy sweet corn. Silver queen corn would be the corn of choice for this recipe. If you use other less creamy corn, then a little heavy cream will do. Having said that, I used peaches and cream corn for this and still loved it. (I find it hard to turn down any kind of fried corn).

What’s the Best Way to Cut the Corn off the Cob?

If you don’t have a sharp knife, or you want the EASIEST WAY to cut corn off the cob, you will want this tool from Oxo.

What’s the Best Pan to make Fried Corn in?

Cast Iron Frying Pan – I practice what I preach. I have 13 cast iron pans (most are frying pans, a few are dutch ovens). I use them every single day in one form or another. They take the heat. They last forever. They go right into the oven. They are super affordable. I use my 12 inch lodge cast iron frying pan in this recipe, because I like the corn to get a little caramelize


More is not always more in a Southern Fried Corn Recipe.

I’m Italian, and it’s our food philosophy to make the best food with as few ingredients or disturbances as possible. Some of the Southern cuisine recipes (not all, just some) have more ingredients than necessary and sometimes too much cooking time. More is not always more.

Two sticks of butter is not better than one stick of butter for making Southern fried corn. A cup of cream is not better than a splash of cream when only a splash does the job. Editing is the absolute key to bringing balance to a recipe. Even this recipe might need your own personal tweaks, so taste taste taste and stop stop stop when you like it!

Do this if you like your Fried Corn Super Creamy.

If you like your corn super creamy, don’t let it caramelize. Cook it on very low, adding cream as you see fit. If you like your corn a bit browned and creamy at the same time, like I do, turn the heat up a bit, and use cream sparingly. Keep in mind you will be at the mercy of the type of corn you use, but I think with the proper tweaking, you can make any corn off the cob taste good!

Black Pepper is Key to Southern Fried Corn

This southern fried corn recipe has few ingredients. Bacon grease, butter, salt, pepper and perhaps a splash or two of cream. You can opt out of the bacon grease and add more butter, but do not forget the black pepper, and use more than you think you should. If you have some white pepper, a dash of that would be nice too, but sparingly, as that can be harsh.

Some people add bacon to the corn. I prefer not, but feel free.

Left Over Southern Fried Corn can Blossom into other Recipes.

• Southern Fried Corn Cakes – light, fluffy, full of flavor, texture and comfort.
• Leek and Corn Quiche
• Sausage Corn Muffins
• Caramelized Onion Risotto and Sweet Corn
• Open Faced Frittata
• Scrambled Eggs with Corn
• Corn Buttermilk Quiche.

Make Fried Corn with Canned Corn if Necessary

If it’s past fresh corn season and you still want to make fried corn, it will take 6 cups of corn to make this recipes. Each ear of corn is roughly 3/4 cup of corn.

More Recipes for Corn

• Creamed Corn using JUST CORN.
• Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pudding (one of my most popular recipes).
• Summer Chicken Soup Yellow Squash and Corn.
• Seven Ways to Grill Corn on the Cob
• Sweet Corn Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

So tell me, if you grew up in the South, how did your family make their southern fried corn recipe? Please follow me on instagram to see behind the scenes cooking and food prep along with recipes not yet published.

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Southern Fried Corn Recipe

How to Make the Best Southern Fried Corn

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 ears of corn
• 2 tablespoons bacon grease
• 4 tablespoons butter more if you need it
• salt if you need it
• 1 to 2 tablespoons black pepper
• splash of heavy cream

Instructions

• Cut the corn off the cob with a sharp knife.
• Using the sharpest knife, cut down into the cob to get the milk of the corn.
• Heat up the bacon grease and add two tablespoons of softened butter.
• If you like the corn to be a bit caramelized, cook longer, stir less frequently.
• If you like corn to be creamier, cook for about ten minutes, and at the end add the remaining two tablespoons butter.
• At this point, you can add a splash of heavy cream if you want a creamier corn.
• Add a little bit of salt, and a lot of black pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Reserve cobs for making corn broth. Boil in water and reserve corn broth to add to soups, stews, casseroles.

The post Secret of the Best Southern Fried Corn Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

SUMMER SALADS WITH FRESH CORN

• Blackberry Corn Salad – the one berry that stays fresh the longest.
• Caprese for a Party – How did I never think of this years ago.
• Corn, Avocado Salad, Tomato, Black Eyed Peas – the salad that almost feels like a meal.
• Grilled Corn and Tomato Salad – if you insist on grilling the corn, this is a fun one.

By the way my most popular post of summer for the last three years is THIS FRIED CORN RECIPE.

SUMMER SALADS WITH RAW VEGGIES– Salads that take you right through the fall.

• Broccoli Salad with NO sugar dressing.
• Purple Cauliflower Salad with walnut vinaigrette
• Shaved Cauliflower Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
• Red Cabbage Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
• Triple Crunch Cabbage Salad with Marcona Almonds

SUMMER SALADS FOR A CROWD WITH ADDED FRUIT

• Cole Slaw with Blue Cheese and Apple
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Spinach Salad with Grilled Nectarines
• Blackberry with Baked Goat Cheese Salad
• Strawberry Arugula Salad
• Swiss Chard, Nectarines, Toasted Pecans

ITALIAN SALADS (make ahead)

• Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans
• Tuscan Kale

Last by not least, enjoy these Summer Cocktails

Bonus Idea

• Bruschetta

As simple as this is, there are ways to get it right and get it wrong. When done right, it disappears fast and you’ll want to make more right away.

The post Summer Salads for a Crowd appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is probably my most popular post in this 16 year old blog. It’s simple. It works. It’s delicious.

I’m proud to say I love meat and I especially love steak. Meat is very pricey right now and is a splurge for most people. While I love a good ribeye, the next favorite is the New York strip steak. You can find them in family packs at Costco for a decent (still not cheap) price.

Choose a Steak with Fat Cap

Most butchers agree that a cast iron pan is essential for cooking a good steak. We talk about how to best sear, and we look for steaks that has that nice fat cap. Fat equals flavor!

The New York Strip Steak

The New York Strip steak gets its name from the first fine dining restaurant in New York. In 1937 Delmonico’s opened and served the short loin cut of meat. There are differing stories as to whether the Delmonico steak was a strip steak.

Today when you order the delmonico steak at Delmonico in New York City,  you most likely will get a rib eye steak.

What is a New York Strip Steak?

It’s comes from the short loin of the cow, is not as tender as filet, but tender enough to be cooked quickly and still be tender. It can be lean but if it’s prepared properly, it’s still tender and has an exceptional taste. I like thick strip steaks about 2 inches thick.

My New York Strip Steak Recipe: Cast Iron Pan fry and oven finish.

I get a cast iron pan smoking hot and then sear the steak on one side, turn it over and stick it in the oven. Make sure you put on your exhaust fan and open windows or your smoke alarm will probably go off.

• Salt the steak 24 hours in advance. It goes into the meat overnight, adds moisture and enhances flavor
• Don’t cover steaks in the fridge. The outside of the steak should be dry if you want to sear them. Put them on a rack so both sides dry.
• Make sure the steak is dry, before searing. When ready to cook, I used to think my steak needed to come down to room temperature, but I now find that I get a better sear  with a cold steak, as long as the steak is dry. It’s the water that comes out of the steak that prevents that nice sear, also known as the mailard effect.
• Start with a very hot cast iron pan.
• Do not add oil until pan is hot.
• Use a round grill press, if you can, but no worries if you don’t have one.

What is the Maillard Effect?

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring the addition of heat. It’s what happens when the meat is seared, creating a much deeper flavor profile.

My New York Strip Steak Recipe

The seasonings are up to you. Sometimes I just use salt and pepper. Other times if I don’t see enough marbling  in the steak, I will marinate it in an olive oil, red wine, and minced garlic. When I do that, I will still dry my steak before searing.

I like a steak medium rare and will take it out of the oven at 135 degrees F. I use my oven probe. This meat thermometer works well too. Then, let your steak rest for five to ten minutes. During that time, make a nice salad from the list below.

If you’re a meat and potatoes type, (like me) make these smashed buttery fingerling potatoes or  purple lemon dijon roasted potatoes.

• Tomahawk Ribeye Steak (Reverse Sear)
• Steak Au Poivre
• Carne Asada

My Best Salad Recipes

• Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds
• Arugula Salad with Strawberries
• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Wedge with Blue Cheese
• Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Baby Peas, Toasted Almonds
• Caprese Salad with Pesto

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How to Cook a Perfect New York Strip Steak

How to cook a good a New York strip steak, from frying pan to oven with optional marinade.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• New York Strip Steak
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Marinade (Optional)

• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 
  Kitchen Tools for this recipe
• Cast Iron Pan ORDER HERE
• Meat ThermometerORDER HERE
• Grill Press ORDER HERE

Instructions

• If you have a few days, salt steak and place uncovered on open rack to dry out. If you don’t have days, salt at least for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat frying pan on medium to medium high heat for a few minutes. Add small amount of oil.
• Heat a few more minutes.
• Use paper towel to make sure steak is dry.
• Add in steak. Place grill press over steak if you have one. Don't worry if you don't have one.
• Turn over at 3 minutes when steak easily moves. If it's not moving easily, give it another minute.
• Turn over, place in oven and cook for 5 more minutes for rare, 7 minutes for medium rare, 9 minutes for medium. These are approximates. Use a meat thermometer to check.
• Remove from oven at 135 degrees for medium rare.
• If you want to add butter and thyme, add a tablespoon of butter to pan when removing from oven.
• As butter melts, spoon on top of the steak.
• Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

The post The Perfect New York Strip Steak Recipe, Pan-Fried, Oven-Roasted appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You can keep this grain free or serve with orzo. I served the orzo on the side, as this makes this soup a lot more family friendly (Without the pasta, it’s a perfect keto or low carb soup).

While this is a simple soup, it’s a hearty rustic soup that requires a little bit of finesse.

The original soup had chunky tomatoes, but I refined the broth to a tomato broth using a hand blender. The original soup had arugula, which I love a lot, but I thought kale would hold up much better, and it did. You could use any green you prefer, but I wouldn’t use spinach, unless you only add it raw as you serve it, so it doesn’t disintegrate.

I didn’t make the meatballs super small or bite-sized, because I wanted them to be tender. I made them slightly smaller than usual, baked them for 15 minutes, and added them to the soup about 30 minutes before serving.

The result of this super easy to make recipe was nothing short of spectacular.

The broth is a light tomato broth, the meatballs are grain free and orzo is an option to add in for those in the family who eat pasta.

When I fed it to the family, I added in some cooked orzo. The key to this soup is tender meatballs, sultry tomato broth, greens, and lots of Pecorino Romano cheese.

I talk about this cheese all the time and how we are addicted to it. It’s a sheep’s cheese, whereas Parmesan is a cow’s milk cheese. It aged, dry, salty, tangy and often okay for people who are lactose intolerant. You could even add a dollop of ricotta cheese.

Warm yourself up with this delicious easy soup.

NOTES: You can keep the orzo separate and serve it as an option. This way those who are gluten free or carb counting can thoroughly enjoy this soup too. Let me know how much you’ve enjoyed this soup.

More Ideas for Italian Meatball Soup

• Add any macaroni, such as dittalini, or tiny shells.
• Replace kale with arugula, or spinach.
• Add dollops of ricotta.
• Add rice or cauliflower rice.
• Add a can of white cannellini beans.
• Add any leftover vegetables.
• Add a little heavy cream to the broth.

Soup Bowls

These soup bowls (amazon) are perfect for this soup.

More Italian Style Soups from Spinach Tiger

• Italian Summer Vegetable Soup
• Italian Sausage Lentil and Kale Soup
• Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage
• Italian Eggplant Soup
• Lentil Sausage Soup
• Quick and Easy Ministrone Soup
• Ribolita, a Tuscan Soup

Print

Homemade Italian Meatballs Soup

Italian Meatball Soup

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword keto meatballs

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Baking Meatballs 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds grass fed beef
• 1/2 pound ground pork or more beef
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley divided
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 quarts boxed chicken broth
• 28 ounce San Marzano Tomatoes (can)
• 2 cups kale or spinach
• 1 cup dry orzo optional

Instructions

• Season meat with salt and pepper
• Add remaining ingredients (except greens and orzo )and very loosely, gently mix together. You don't want the meat to be compacted, as that will make the meatballs tough. (Save some parsley for garnishing. Have extra pecorino for topping soup.)
• Form into medium sized balls. You can make these into bite sized meatballs, but I prefer larger meatballs, which are more tender.
• Place foil or parchment paper on baking sheet.
• Bake meatballs for 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until outsides seems browned. Set aside.
• In soup pot, add just enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add can of tomatoes, crushing with your hands. Add in broth. Cook on medium heat until tomato broth is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immersion blender to blend the tomatoes to make a cleaner broth.
• Cook orzo al dente according to directions in separate pot minus one minute. You can also use small macaroni. Add to broth to finish cooking.
• Add in meatballs and optional greens.
• You can choose to serve orzo on the side or put into the soup.
• Serve with parmesan or pecorino romano. Garnish with more parsley.

Notes

Milk: You can skip milk. Do not substitute with almond or coconut milk as it will affect the taste. If you do skip milk and are using grass-fed beef, add a few tablespoons olive oil. Another way to add in some fat and flavor is to add in some chopped proscuitto, about a slice per pound.

 

The post Italian Meatball Soup in Tomato Broth appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I have a few unique soups along with a few traditional cold soups.

I recently attended a spanish wine tasting and a spanish cooking class. We all loved the gazpacho soup. Luckily I have a few gazpacho recipes to share.

Gazpacho – I made this when I picked everything from my garden. This recipe contains bread, whereas, the golden grape gazpacho below does not.

Gazpacho with Golden Grapes – In this version, I skipped the bread, which is usually very much a part of the gazpacho.

Cold Summer Soups with Melon

Watermelon Gazpacho – I’m most proud of this, because it’s refreshing and unique.

If you like unusual watermelon recipes, try my grilled watermelon with lavender sea salt.

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup – Cantaloupe, coconut milk, rum, finely chopped mint made a summery first course. This is fun, delicious and a great starter.

Green Cold Summer Soup Recipes

Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho – My most recent recipe, very simple with just cucumbers, arugula and olive oil.

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More Soups You May Be Interested in

Soups in a Vitamix

The post Cold Summer Soup Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.