What is a Caprese Salad?

When we think of caprese salad, we think of fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, a bit of fresh basil and some form of vinaigrette. I usually only like olive oil, salt and pepper with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, but topping with fresh corn is a summer game changer. And, for a summer corn caprese salad, you don’t have to cook the corn, which adds sweetness and texture.

Ingredients for Corn Caprese Salad

• Ripe Tomatoes (can be almost any kind as long as they are ripe, sweet, juicy)
• Fresh mozzarella or burrata
• Fresh basil (or pesto)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh Corn
• Salt, Pepper

Pesto/Pistou Variations

The difference between pesto and pistou is basically the addition of nuts and cheese. A pistou is easy to make with just garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. It comes together very easily. However, you can also add a full pesto to this salad. Or, just use olive oil with freshly cut basil. This is more of an idea for caprese than anything you have to follow exactly. I’ve even thought of doing with an addition of fresh peaches along with the tomatoes.

I have several pesto recipes here at spinach tiger. This is my classic recipe, but I’ve been replacing the pine nuts with roasted, salted macadamia nuts (about 1/3 cup). You can also use pistachio nuts as I did in this recipe. You can replace the basil with fresh mint as I did here.

Pin This

More Pesto Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Snapper with Pesto
• Grilled Lollypop Lamb Chop with Mint Pistou
• Ricotta Peas Pesto Appetizer
• Italian Potato Salad with Authentic Pesto
• Party Caprese Salad
• Caprese Party Sandwich
• Chicken with Creamy Pesto
• Seven Herb Pesto

Print

Corn Caprese Salad Recipe

Corn Caprese Salad with Tomatoes, Basil or Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella,

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword caprese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella or burrata
• 3 fresh summer tomatoes
• Pistou Recipe Below enough to cover tomatoes and cheese
• 1/2 cup Pesto or
• 2 handfulls basil
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cob fresh corn

Pistou

• 2/3 cups fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/3 extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• If using large tomatoes, cut in thick slices, serve immediately.
• Set cheese out about 30 minutes in advance to enjoy the flavor and texture.
• Toss with cheese, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper or pesto
• Slice corn off of the cob.
• If using pistou or pesto spoon over salad, then top with corn.
• Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Pistou

• Combine all ingredients. Add salt as needed.

The post Summer Caprese Salad with Fresh Corn appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

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.

Pin This

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.

The only thing I wish I would have added in this recipe is more tomatoes. When you read the recipe, add more potatoes or more tomatoes according to your own preference.

Why Eat Red Snapper?

• Super Nutritious
• Low Mercury Levels
• High in Omega 3’s
• High in Protein (23 grams per 4 ounces)
• Firm Flesh, makes it versatile for many different recipes
• Mild Tasting White Fish
• Easy to Prepare

The only con is price. Red snapper runs about $34 a pound, so this is a treat, but it can be well worth it to make it at home, rather than spend more than that in a restaurant.

Ways to Prepare Red Snapper

• Pan-Sear
• Poach
• Bake, Roast
• Add to Pasta with creamy sauce or butter and lemon

Process for Red Snapper Recipe

This recipe couldn’t be easier. I did boil my potatoes first because there is not much oven time. You will only need about 8 to 10 minutes in the oven, just enough time to warm through the tomatoes. The only thing I would change it to add more grape tomatoes, because they were so good with each bite of the fish.

8 minutes per half inch at 400

Here are some of my Red Snapper Dishes

• Roasted Snapper with Pistachio Pesto
• Whole Grilled Red Snapper

More Fish/Seafood Recipes

• Roasted Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa
• Tuscan Shrimp
• Salmon Kabobs
• Seared Scallops

Pin This

Print

Roasted Red Snapper

Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Grape Tomatoes in Olive OIl

Course Entree

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword red snapper

Ingredients

• 1 pound Red Snapper Filets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 small golden yukon potatoes
• 12 grape tomatoes
• salt, pepper
• 1 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley
• 1 teaspoon capers

Instructions

• Boil potatoes in cold water until fork tender. Cool enough to be be able to slice. You can use any potato, but yukon gold slice easier without falling apart.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Drizzle olive oil bottom of dish. Add sliced potatoes. Place snapper on top of potatoes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the fish, add capers, lemon juice, tomatoes, fresh dill or parsley. I prefer to cut the tomatoes in half before placing in dish.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes.

The post Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Tomatoes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Osso Buco is Italian for bone with a hole. The bone marrow is cross cut and is typically made with veal. Originating in Milan and the Lombardy Region of Italy, osso buco showcases their culinary genius, transforming modest cuts of meat into long-standing recipes.

In its earliest version, osso buco was made with butter, onion, white wine and broth, using very typical ingredients found in many northern Italian dishes. Tomatoes are now part of a more modern recipe, and I think adds to its heartiness.

What is Osso Buco?

Basically ossobuco is a meat shank (usually veal) which used to be a very inexpensive cut with the bone marrow cut crosswise (thus, bone with a hole).

Osso buco requires a long braise in a tomato broth with vegetables. In this recipe, I served it with creamy white beans (it was New Year’s Day), but it’s most often served with risotto ala Milanese and topped with gremolata to cut through the richness.

Eat the Marrow

The marrow is considered a delicacy and is especially good with bread or eaten on a spoon. I recommend crusty bread like my sourdough to enjoy every bit of the sauce and marrow.

Why This Dish is Represents Italian Values

• Italians are known to take modest, humble cuts of meat to create spectacular gourmet recipes. Peasant food achieves elevation and Osso buco is now a proudly recognized Italian National Dish.
• Italians are known to respect the whole animal, wasting nothing, even bone marrow.
• Italians not only embrace slow food, Italians embrace eating ingredients which can be locally sourced, which is why the menu changes often radically in each region of Italy.

The History

The first mention of osso buco found its way in cookbooks in the mid to late 1800’s, particularly Pellegrino Artusi (1891) which helped it become a national Italian dish.

What Kind of Meat is Used in Osso Buco?

Veal is most often used, but other choices could include beef or pork shanks. This time, I served with cannellini beans, put in the pot at the last twenty minutes.

Top with Gremolata

Gremolata is a mixture of chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and salt. It brightens up the dish and cuts through the richness.

Other Hearty Italian Dishes You May Like

• What is Bolognese? Answers to all your questions.
• Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers
• Italian Meatball Soup
• Braciole – Italian Rolled Steak
• Beef Stock and Roasted Bones
• Beef and Veal Stew Shepherds Pie

Pin This

Print

Osso Buco

Osso Buco, the quintessential veal dish from the Lombardy region of Northern Italy.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion
• 2/3 cup carrot finely chopped
• 2/3 cup celery finely chopped
• 4 T butter
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 4 veal shanks
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup meat broth
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• several sprigs parsley
• freshly ground pepper
• sea salt

Gremolata

• 1 handful parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon garlic clove
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, for two to three hours of braising
• Pat Veal shanks dry. Season with salt and pepper. Coat veal in flour, and when pan is hot, brown veal on both sides in separate frying pan.
• Choose heavy pot (dutch oven with lid) to cook vegetables, which can be put in oven.
• Heat butter in dutch oven. Saute onion, carrot, lemon zest, celery on medium heat, 8-10 minutes. Then add garlic and cook a few more minutes.
• Once vegetables are done, stir in white wine and cup of broth. Cook on low for ten minutes to cook off alcohol.
• Add in tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. You want the veal to be covered 2/3 in broth.
• Add in veal shanks. Cover and braise for 2-3 hours, until fork tender.
• Serve with a garnish of gremolata.

Gremolata

• Chop together, parsley, garlic, lemon zest and add in sea salt.

The post Osso Buco Recipe with White Beans appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

We absolutely love bolognese, an Italian meat sauce that is cooked very slow on low heat for several hours.

Served with tagliatelle or paparadelle, (wide flat egg noodles), it is the comfort food of all comfort foods. In our house, it disappears fast, and this particular pot of bolognese got rave reviews from the twins who ate bolognese all over Italy. My Homemade Pasta recipe is here.

This is almost the same recipe as this authentic bolognese recipe from Marcella Hazan. It’s still begins with carrots, onion and celery, but we really caramelize the soffrito in this recipe. It still contains milk and white wine, (not red), but everything is added in a different order.

Pancetta is an important ingredient. It isn’t something I can always easily find in my area, and I decided to add my own twist by adding peppered uncured salami from Boar’s Head. This might seem odd, but once chopped very find, and fried, it nearly disappears into the sauce, but not without leaving an added layer of flavor. Did I lose you? I hope not.

Another thing I added to this was chicken stock. You could also use beef stock. The stock helps to thin the bolognese out when it gets too thick, keeping in mind that it has a small amount of tomato sauce and can dry out.

Bolognese can be used for other recipes such as lasagna, crepes, polenta or risotto.

What is Bolognese?

Bolognese is a meat sauce, simmered for hours, made with, soffritto, ground meat, milk, wine and and little bit of tomato. My new recipe adds chicken broth. Additionally you can add pancetta and a dash of nutmeg.

What Kind of Pot Should I Cook Bolognese?

A heavy pot that retains heat, like an enameled cast iron. My favorite is this pot from Le Creuset.

What Meat Should I Use for Bolognese?

You have options here. The best cut of beef is ground chuck, but you can certainly mix ground pork and beef or veal and beef. If you use pork, use 2 parts beef, 1 part pork and make it a fatty pork. All of these combinations work. I would not use ground turkey or ground chicken.

How Long Should I Cook Bolognese?

Cook bolognese on the lowest heat for a long time, no less than 3 hours, making sure it does not dry out. You can use broth or a little water as needed.

Can You Make Bolognese in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, but first you must cook the ingredients on top of the stove. Once you are at the final step and ready to simmer for hours, you can transport your bolognese to a slow cooker. Cook on very low for as long as 6-8 hours if you have the time.

Do You Need to Use Wine in Bolognese?

Wine is one of the main components to push flavor in bolognese. Keep in mind that the alcohol will burn off. If you want to skip the wine, add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the sauce, once you are ready to simmer, and replace the amount of liquid with more broth. Use white wine not red wine which brings a brightness to the dish.

Is Milk Necessary in Bolognese?

Milk is one of the main ingredients of bolognese as it breaks down the connective tissues of the ground beef and acts as a tenderizer. If you do skip, use a very fatty ground beef, or a combination of beef and veal. If you are using veal, use less milk.

Can I Make Bolognese without Tomatoes?

Yes, it’s actually called White Bolognese. We had white bolognese in Montepulciano. The recipe will include the soffritto (carrots, onion, celery) white wine, chicken stock, butter and heavy cream. I plan on making a recipe soon.

What Pasta Goes Best with Bolognese?

The typical pasta for bolognese is tagliatelle, or paparadelle. Make sure you use a bronze cut pasta if store-bought. You can also use a rigatoni macaroni.

What Wine Pairs well with Bolognese?

Although, I use only white wine in the sauce, we drink red wine with the meal. We like a good rich red like Chianti Classico or Sangiovese. Cabernet works well too.

Should Cheese Be Added?

There are no shoulds when it comes to grated cheese, except that either pecorino romano or parmesan should be freshly grated at the table. We like Pecorino best; it’s tangy and salty.

Can You Freeze Bolognese?

Yes, so make a double batch and freeze up to three months.

Is Bolognese Really Italian?

Bolognese comes from Bologna and is served throughout Italy. We ate bolognese in Rome, Lucca and White Bolognese in Montepulciano.

What’s the Difference between Bolognese and Ragu?

Some will say no difference. I differentiate ragu from bolognese in my recipes from the time it takes to cook. For example, my sausage ragû is a meat sauce that I make quickly.

Pin This

Variations on Bolognese

• Peach and Pork Bolognese
• Spaghetti Bolognese with Pork
• Italinan Sloppy Joe’s Bolognese
• Marcella Hazan’s Bolognese

Print

New Red Bolognese Recipe

Bolognese Recipe with All Your Bolognese Questions Answered

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Bolognese

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons butter plus 2 T for tossing pasta
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 2 pounds ground beef chuck mixed with salt and pepper before cooking
• 8 ounces pancetta See notes
• black pepper freshly ground
• salt
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
• 2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes with juice chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock more as needed
• freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese at the table

Instructions

• On medium heat, add oil, butter, onion, until translucent.
• Add celery, carrots and cook on low until all is caramelized. This will add a lot of flavor. Once cooked, remove to a bowl. Set aside.
• In the pot you will be making the bolognese, cook meat. Sautè chopped pancetta or peppered salami. Salt meat. Add ground meat and satue Sautè meat separately until cooked completely.
• Add milk until cooked through on low about 10 minutes.
• Add nutmeg.
• Add the vegetables and mix through.
• Add the white wine and cook for about 10 minutes until alcohol is cooked off.
• Add the tomatoes, crushed with your hands.
• Add chicken stock. Cook on low for 3 hours and add more stock as necessary.
  

Notes

This recipe is a double batch, which I recommend, as you will eat it all. You can freeze, or make other dishes with it, such as bolognese sliders.

I sometimes substitute Boar’s Head peppered salami (about 4 ounces) instead of pancetta. 

The post What is Bolognese? All Your Questions Answered and a New Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Actually this soup came about quite by accident. I was hoping to use eggplant, canned tomatoes, and bell pepper to make a chicken dish. But when I roasted the vegetables with olive oil, white wine and garlic, covered in the onion and decided to blend and make a soup or a sauce.

Once blended, I added in some heavy cream and broth and it turned to be a lovely summer soup. You could go dairy free (see below).

Variations for Creamy Eggplant Tomato Soup

• You could change out the heavy cream for coconut milk to thin it down if you want to keep it vegan.
• Add in other vegetables like zucchini, which is also plentiful this time of year.
• Use this as a pasta sauce with a penne pasta or gnocchi. Use less broth in this case.
• Make this a meal with grilled bread or use as a starter.
• Serve with a white, mild fish, or shrimp.

Equipment

• Immersion Blender
• Cutting Board Flexible Mats
• Small Soup Bowls

More Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Chunky Italian Summer Vegetable Soup
• Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Chilled Cucumber Gazpacho
• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Gazpacho from My Garden
• Eggplant Rollatini

Print

Creamy Summer Eggplant, Tomato Soup

Soup made with Eggplant, Canned Tomato, Onion, Bell Pepper, Garlic and Olive Oil with a bit of heavy cream, great for Summer

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Bean macaroni Soup, Eggplant Soup, Tomato soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant peeled, cubed
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1 24 ounce Italian Tomatoes
• 1 cup white wine
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
• fresh thyme, oregano or basil for garnish

Instructions

• Peel, cube eggplant. Salt and place on colander lined with paper towels.
• Chop onion medium dice.
• Peel garlic cloves.
• Seed and slice bell pepper in 1 inch slices.
• Place all vegetables in shallow baking dish (so you can spread out). Pour olive oil and toss. Add garlic cloves whole.
• Open tomatoes. Chop tomatoes and pour over vegetables including juices.
• Stir in white wine.
• Bake at 300 degrees for up to two hours, until all is soft. A long, slow bake melds flavors. Or put in slow cooker for four hours on low.
• Use immersion blender to blends and add broth and heavy cream.
• Serve with herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

The post Creamy Roasted Eggplant, Tomato Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

When you’re making this chicken with potatoes and tomatoes, and people enter your home, they’ll walk straight to the kitchen. This happened today when the twins (boys age 17) came in from school. I told them it’s actually a dish for the next day, because these kinds of dishes takes minutes to prep, but hours to braise. However they HAD to have a potato and to my surprise ate dark meat chicken. They only eat white meat chicken or so they thought.

How to Serve Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Tomatoes

• Remove the chicken skin before serving, but keep it on for cooking.
• Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Budget Friendly

Chicken thighs are probably the most affordable meat right now. I love the Bell Evans air-chilled chicken from Whole Foods. These four thighs were very meaty and cost about $7. I also like the Greenwise brand at Publix. Most of the 4-thigh packages are under $5. You will see below that I have a LOT of chicken thigh recipes that present as gourmet good without too much fuss. I actually like to double the recipe and freeze the thighs for another dinner.

Ingredients

• chicken thighs
• tomato sauce
• chicken breast
• potatoes
• bell pepper
• herbs, salt, pepper
• capers
• white wine (optional)

More Chicken Thigh Recipes

Serve with Tossed Salad.

• Greek Chicken Thighs on the Grill
• Creamy Chicken Thighs with Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Italian Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes
• Italian Roasted Chicken Thighs with Peppers and Onions

Pin this

Print

Chicken with Tomatoes and Potatoes

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken thighs

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 bell peppers peppers
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon capers
• 2 cups potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes see notes
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine Optional
• fresh thyme, basil or parsley Can use 1 teaspoon dried herbs

Instructions

• Season chicken breasts with salt.
• Heat oil in dutch oven or (to brown chicken thighs). Add chicken thighs and brown on each side, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Remove and set aside.
• Chop peppers and onions (and fennel if using) into large dice or large bite side pieces. Peel garlic. Leave cloves whole.
• In same dutch oven, add onion, peppers, and saute for five minutes. Add garlic cloves. Saute for one minute.
• Add chicken thighs. Crush tomatoes with hand and add to chicken. Add chicken broth. You will want enough liquid to cover the chicken by about 3 inches. Add more broth if needed. Add wine. Season again with more salt and pepper. Add in capers and any herbs you want.
• Cut potatoes into large chunks. I cut medium sized potatoes into quarters and I left skin on.
• After one hour, add potatoes and continue to cook for another hour. You may need to add more broth at this point.

Slow Cooker

• You can place everything in a slow cooker, once sauteed on low for four hours.

Notes

I  used a large can of San Marzano Tomatoes. You can replace with  tomato puree, crushed tomatoes. 

The post Chicken Thighs with Potatoes and Tomatoes 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.

Pin This

More Soups You May Be Interested in

Soups in a Vitamix

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

The mix of olives and sweet red peppers, canned tomatoes, white wine and chicken broth will bring good scents into the kitchen and satisfy winter comfort food cravings.

This dish reminds me of my grandmother. It’s the only chicken dish I can remember her ever making. She was first generation Southern Italian and came from a long line of amazing Italian cooks who had the special talent of making simple food taste and feel spectacular. She would have add potatoes to the baking dish and served a green salad.

The list of ingredients may seem daunting, but most of them you will have on hand. If you don’t have basil or sage, use what you have. I eliminated a few ingredients that most people won’t have on hand and will not affect the dish, such as a few kale or endive leaves. No need to purchase those, as they aren’t the ingredients that make the dish.

Ingredients

• Chicken Pieces
• Oil Cured Olives
• Red Pepper
• Crushed Pepper
• Olive Oil
• White Wine
• Onion
• Herbs

Cooking Process for Italian Chicken

• I used various pieces of chicken on the bone, cutting chicken breasts in half and mixing with thighs. Feel free to use all thighs for a more budget friendly dish.
• Start the dish a day ahead to marinate the chicken with a mixture of the herbs, garlic, onion, olive oil, crushed red pepper.
• Use a baking pan in a size that will fit all your chicken with room between each piece and room for adding white wine and chicken stock. If you want to add potatoes, make sure the dish is large enough.
• Cut the peppers into strips (seeded) and arrange under the chicken thighs on a baking pan. Add olives
• Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Baste, add half of the wine, continue to cook at 350 (180 C) until the chicken reaches 165 F. internal temperature.
• Add half of the broth, place chicken under broiler for a few minutes to brown the top.
• Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Place baking pan on top of stove, adding rest of the broth and wine. Cook, stirring continuously.
• Pour sauce over the chicken and squeeze a lemon over the dish.

Side Options: Add in potatoes. Cut into bite sized pieces around the chicken after 30 minutes. Chicken and potatoes makes a full meal, and is complemented with a simple green salad.

Why I Liked This Dish

Pin This

More Chicken Dishes to Consider

• Ricotta Stuffed Chicken
• Chicken Picatta
• Chicken Francaise
• Stovetop Creamy Chicken Thighs
• Greek Chicken
• Whole Roast Chicken Cacciatore

Print

Baked Chicken Cacciatore

Delicious Chicken Dish with Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked chicken, Chicken cacciatore

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken pieces on bone

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 8 sage leaves or teaspoon dried
• 8 basil leaves or teaspoon dried
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 red onion diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Baking Process

• 1 large red bell pepper seed, sliced in 1 inch strips
• 1/2 cup oil cured black olives
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (large can)
• 3 potatoes peeled, large cube
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth divided
• 1 lemon halved

Instructions

• Season chicken with salt.
• Mix together herbs, olive oil, onion, garlic. Rub over chicken. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degress F.
• Place chicken on large baking pan. Tuck peppers underneath. Scatter olives and tomatoes, crushed red pepper over the chicken.
• Roast for 30 minutes. half of wine over chicken.
• Add potatoes at this point.
• Turn oven down to 350 and roast another 30 minutes, basting frequently, adding in the rest of broth as needed.
• If needed, brown the chicken under broil 4 minutes per side.
• Once chicken internal temperature is 165 degrees. F. Remove the chicken and veggies, to a serving dish.
• Using all the pan juices, add remaining wine and 1/2 cup broth and continue to cook in on top of stove until reduced by half. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup broth. Simmer to blend and season with salt and pepper.
• Pour sauce over the chicken. Squeeze lemon over all of the dish right before serving.
  

The post Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Christmas Lima Beans Recipe for Soup

Christmas Lima Beans are beautiful. They are big, fat, meaty and a gorgeous burgundy color with white stripes. I refer to them as the steak of beans.

Where to find Christmas Lima Beans

You can find them on Amazon or order direct from a bean company like Rancho Gordo here. If you get to Napa, look up the store and visit.

Meaty (almost chestnut-like) this soup is filling and flavorful.

Christmas Lima Beans Soup Ingredients

• Chicken Broth
• Christmas Lima Beans
• Garlic Cloves
• Can Italian Plum Tomatoes
• Garlic, Onion
• Macaroni
• Parsley
• Basil

How To Cook Christmas Lima Beans

• Rinse Beans and soak overnight with a tablespoon of salt.
• To cook the next day, change the water.
• Simmer in fresh cold water (with two inches to spare) to a simmer until tender (about 45 minutes). Taste to make sure.

How to Make Tomato Broth

Tomato broth is my favorite broth for soups. I use a can Italian plum tomatoes (squishing them in my hands) into organic boxed chicken broth. Sautè garlic and onion in some olive oil. Add tomatoes, broth and herbs and you have a delicious broth. If you want it to be even easier, you can use garlic powder and onion powder.

Hearty Soup Made Easy

Once you have made your beans tender (see above), add beans and cooked macaroni to your tomato broth. You want to add cooked macaroni, because if you cook the macaroni in the broth, it will soak it all up.

Add plenty of herbs such as parsley and basil. Season with salt and pepper and you are done! Add a few cherry tomatoes for color if you have them on hand. Serve with a smattering of pecorino romano. Don’t forget salt and pepper! Enjoy a simple, easy, hearty dinner!

Pin This

More Bean Soups from Spinach Tiger

The first time I did a Christmas Lima Beans Recipe, it was a thick bean stew here made with celery leaves, olives and lemon.

Print

Christmas Lima Bean Macaroni Soup

This is a hearty, scrumptious winter soup, made with heirloom Christmas Lima Beans, macaroni in a tomato broth,

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bean soup, Christmas Lima Beans

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Cooking Beans 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound Christmas lima beans cooked with broth reserved (or 2 1/2 pounds cooked beans, see recipe for cooking below)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 pound macaroni
• 8 garlic cloves chopped use every bit of it, the garlic gets absorbed into the soup
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 large can Italian plum tomatoes roughly chopped, with juice (use fresh tomatoes if they are ripe)
• 6 cups chicken broth
• chopped parsley to garnish soup
• black pepper
• salt
• pecorino romano freshly grated

Instructions

Prepare/Cook Beans

• Soak beans overnight with 2 inches water over beans. Add tablespoon salt.
• Rinse beans. Put beans in fresh water with 2 inches of water and simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 45 minutes. IF you didn't soak beans, you cook, but you will add at least another 20 minutes cook time (maybe more).

Make Soup

• Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic, chopped onion, sprinkle of salt and cook for ten minutes.
• Add tomatoes, cook a few minutes.
• Add beans and broth.
• Simmer for 45 minutes.
• Cook macaroni according to directions, minus two minutes. Add to soup and continue to simmer until the macaroni is tender.
• Garnish with fresh basil and or parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with Pecorino Romano or Parmesan.

Notes

 

 

The post Christmas Lima Beans Recipe for Macaroni Soup appeared first on Spinach Tiger.