Search results for: "porchetta"

Porchetta Pork Chops + Fennel with Shallots and White Wine

March 14, 2014 //

Porchetta Pork Chops

Have you had porchetta before? If you haven’t, find some fast. One of the first times I ever had it was from a stand at the Brooklyn Flea aptly named Porchetta. Essentially it is a fatty, boneless pork loin that is stuffed with salt, fennel seeds, rosemary, garlic and other herbs before it is roasted over a wood-flame. Heaven!

Obviously we all can’t make porchetta ourselves at home, but fortunately Melissa Clark at the Dining Section of The New York Times created this super easy, at-home recipe. The first time I made it I was shocked at how much it tastes like its namesake. (Note: Clark’s recipes is for 2 servings, but simply double the ingredients to serve 4.)

Fennel with Shallots and White Wine
To compliment the fennel of the porchetta pork chops, I thought I’d share this braised fennel recipe from The Wine and Food Lover’s Diet cookbook. I know that I’ve been using a lot of fennel these days, but it is a great winter-ish vegetable. Don’t worry, the days of asparagus and peas are just around the corner!

2 large fennel bulbs
2 TB. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ ts. lemon juice
salt and pepper

Cut off the stems from each fennel bulb and if the outer layer is tough, remove it or trim it. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and remove the core if it is tough. Cut each half lengthwise into 2 or 3 wedges.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the fennel and toss well to combine with the shallot and garlic. Pour in the wine and lemon juice and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the fennel is tender when pierced with a thin, sharp knife, about 15 minutes.

Uncover and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly and the fennel is beginning to caramelize and brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Tags fennel, garlic, lemon, pork chops, rosemary, white wine

Categories Meals

Zucchini, Tomato and Feta Bake + Any Protein + Corn on the Cob

September 18, 2014 //

Zucchini, Tomato and Feta Bake

This recipe is good year-round since you can usually get decent zucchini and plum tomatoes 12 months of the year, but it is, of course, amazing in the summer/early fall when both are at their peak. Also, it is such a pretty dish and comes out of the oven looking very impressive. This week I made pork chops with it, but steak or fish would be good too.

2 medium zucchinis, sliced
6 plum tomatoes, sliced
4 ounces feta, crumbled
olive oil
dried oregano
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub the bottom and sides of a baking pan with oil. Line bottom on pan with zucchini, followed by tomatoes, then feta and then drizzle with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Continue layering until you have used all of the vegetables and cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the dish is bubbling and you can easily slip a knife into it.

Corn on the Cob

Boil water in a pot, put shucked corn in the water, turn off the heat and put a lid on your pot. Wait 10 minutes or so. Eat with lots of butter, salt and pepper.

Tags corn, feta, tomatoes, zucchini

Categories Meals

Cooking with Wine

March 14, 2014 //

Well, this week wasn’t any calmer than last. That may be why three out of the four recipes I choose for this week include white wine! Obviously, something is on my mind…

I do love to cook with wine. Like lemon juice or butter a little bit adds a ton of flavor and in a snap you can make a sauce to accompany almost anything. One of my rules for cooking with wine, which I learned watching Mario Batali, is to always use a wine you would drink on its own. This is great advice not only because you want to treat your dish with respect and not ruin it with something that doesn’t taste good, but also because it is nice to have a glass of wine while you cook. You don’t have to use a $30 bottle, but don’t use those “cooking wines” you sometimes see at the grocery store. There are enough decent $10ish bottles around these days which will do the job nicely. Note, the alcohol burns off as you cook so kids can eat any of these dishes.

(Meals should feed four adults and take about 30-40 minutes to prepare, or the time it takes Patrick to give Eliza a bottle and put her to bed.)

Meal #1: Perfect Pan-Roasted Chicken Thighs + Roasted Potatoes with Green Beans
Meal #2: Swordfish Parmesan + Roasted Broccoli
Meal #3: Porchetta Pork Chops + Fennel with Shallots and White Wine
Meal #4: Chicken Piccata with Noodles + Green Salad

Your grocery list, excluding the usual pantry items:

red or yukon gold potatoes – 6 medium
broccoli – 1 large head
green beans – 1 lb.
fennel – 2 large bulbs
shallot – 2
lemon – 4
lettuce – 1 head or bag
rosemary – 1 bunch
fennel seeds
noodles- 1 bag
eggs – 2
garlic (if you don’t already have it)
flour (if you don’t already have it)
capers (if you don’t already have it)
red pepper flakes (if you don’t already have it)
Parmesan cheese (if you don’t already have it)
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – 4-8 (depending on the size)
bone-in pork chops – 4
thin chicken cutlets – 1 ½ lb.
swordfish steaks (6-8 ounces per person)
white wine

Tags broccoli, capers, chicken, fennel, fish, garlic, green beans, lemon, noodles, Parmesan, pork chops, potatoes, poultry, rosemary, salad, seafood, shallots, swordfish, white wine

Categories Meal Plans

Meal Plans

January 10, 2014 //

Looking for one of my past meal plans? Here you go!

“The Standards” – roast chicken, penne with broccoli rabe, baked fish and kale salad, and smoked pork chops and squash

“One-Dish Meals” – chicken fricassee, pork chops and peppers, salmon w. red cabbage and potatoes, and chicken and vegetable fried rice

“Homemade = Healthy” – one-pan farro, braised white fish, skirt steak with arugula, and broiled shrimp and white beans

“Improv” – honey-soy salmon with bok choy, Italian “stir fry”, chicken with red onion and lemon and roasted broccoli, and brussels sprouts and pork/beef stir fry

“Groundhog Day” – grilled shrimp and avocado salad, pasta carbonara with leeks and lemon, spicy peanut chicken and broccoli, and mustard crusted branzino and sautéed spinach

“Valentine’s Day” – kale, white bean, and kielbasa stew, roasted wild striped bass with lemon, olives, and rosemary and roasted fennel with artichoke hearts, macaroni and cheese with prosciutto, roasted chicken thighs with tomatoes, olives, and shallots and sauteed green beans with shallots

“Cooking for a Crowd” – cauliflower and sausage casserole, meatloaf with roasted potatoes and green beans, shrimp “scampi” with linguine, chicken and vegetable stir fry

“Try it, You’ll Like it” – panko-crusted salmon with fennel and Parmesan salad, sausage with caramelized red onions and radicchio, lemon chicken breasts with sautéed spinach, penne alla vodka

“Busy as a Bee” – fennel and garlic shrimp, chili, pork tenderloin with apples and red onion and Brussels sprouts with blue cheese, dried cranberries and walnuts, pasta with marinara

“Cooking with Wine” – chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and green beans, swordfish parmesan and roasted broccoli, porchetta pork chops with fennel, shallots, and white wine and chicken piccata with noodles

“Celebrations” – salmon with red cabbage and potatoes, butternut squash salad, skirt steak with winter salad, penne with Brussels sprouts, chile and pancetta

“Cravings” – roast beef with potatoes and shallots, spicy peanut chicken and broccoli, beer-marinated pork tenderloin with red cabbage, baked fish with tomatoes and olives

“Discoveries” – roast pork loin and cauliflower gratin, one-pan farro with tomatoes, lemon and olive chicken and red roasted carrots, honey-soy salmon and baby bok choy with cashews

“Spring or Winter” chicken fajitas with black bean and corn salad, Brussels sprout and beef (or pork) stir fry, penne with swiss chard and kielbasa, fennel and garlic shrimp

“Anticipation” – penne with asparagus, scallion, peas and prosciutto, mustard crusted branzino and sautéed spinach, Italian sausage and farro salad with roasted vegetables and feta, roasted chicken thighs with tomatoes, olives and feta and sautéed green beans with shallots.

“Digging Through the Recipe Collection” – sweet and sour chicken thighs, pasta with marinara, spring minestrone with chicken meatballs, shrimp with orange and ginger

“Asian Tonight?” – salmon and potatoes in tomato sauce, pork stir fry with asparagus and sugar snap peas, grilled tuna steaks with dipping sauce and sesame broccoli, pasta carbonara with leeks and lemon

“Celebrating Spring!” – chicken saltimbocca with sautéed spinach, pork chops with rhubarb-cherry sauce with roasted asparagus, splayed roast chicken with caramelized ramps, garlic and capers and roasted fingerling potatoes, penne with shrimp, feta and spring vegetables

“Taking Stock” – penne with broccoli rabe and sausage, pork medallions with mustard-caper sauce and braised swiss chard, soy-glazed chicken with asparagus and scallions, whole baked trout with cherry tomatoes and potatoes

“Longest Day of the Year” – fettuccine with peas, asparagus and pancetta; roasted salmon with white wine sauce and sautéed summer squash and spring onions; steak with parmesan butter, balsamic glaze and arugula, roasted wild stripped bass with lemon, olives and rosemary and roasted fennel and artichoke hearts

“The Last of Spring” – leek, bacon and pea risotto, Nancy’s chopped salad, roasted salmon with potatoes and herb vinaigrette, fava bean puree

“Hello Summer” – grilled sausages with summer beans, herbs, tomatoes and caramelized onions; fish fillets with summer squash, tomatoes and basil and corn on the cob; summer pasta with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella; pork tenderloin with plums and red onion and corn on the cob

“Summer’s Contradictions” – striped bass with summer beans and heirloom tomatoes and corn, citrus asian marinated chicken thighs with sesame broccoli, salmon with peach and tomato salsa and corn, gnocchi with chicken sausage and tomatoes and kale caesar salad

“It’s Not Over…” – chicken cutlets with tomato salad and green beans, greek shrimp with tomatoes and feta and garlic bread, pork tenderloin with peach and tomato compote and corn on the cob, summer saute with corn

“Back to School” – grilled shrimp with greek salad, grilled skirt steak with chimichurri and cucumber salad, caprese-stuffed peppers and steamed green beans, Italian sausage with panzanella

“On the Road Again” – pressed chicken thighs with corn, scallion and pepper saute, zucchini, tomato and feta bake, Italian “stir fry”, fennel compote with tomatoes, olive and fish

“In Good Company” – mediterranean chicken with polenta, lemon pasta with roasted shrimp, pork tenderloin with plums and red onion and corn, salmon and potatoes in tomato sauce

“When Cooking is a Chore” – maple dijon chicken thighs with roasted green beans and potatoes, skirt steak and arugula, butternut squash polenta with sausage and onions, fennel garlic shrimp

“Market Discoveries” – Pork Tenderloin with Maple Glaze + Roasted Roots, Penne alla Vodka + Green Salad, Pan-Seared Scallops with Apple Cider Brown Butter and Brussels Sprouts Apple Slaw, Lemon and Olive Chicken + Red Roasted Carrots

“It’s the Holiday Season” – Pork Chops with Apples and Onions + Braised Red Cabbage, Chicken Saltimbocca with Cheese + Sautéed Spinach, Brussels Sprouts and Pork (or Beef) Stir Fry + Rice, Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp + Green Salad

“Happy 1st Anniversary!” – Beer-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage, Penne in a Cream Sauce with Pancetta, Roasted Red Peppers and Peas, Sausages with Lentils and Green Salad, Roasted Wild Striped Bass with Lemon, Olives, and Rosemary + Roasted Fennel with Artichoke Hearts

“Distractions” – Roasted Chicken Provençal + Crispy Potatoes, Margarita Pizza with Quick Pizza Dough, White Fish Fillets on a Potato Raft, Broiled Steak and Asparagus with Feta Sauce

“Cravings” – Asparagus alla Fontina + Green Salad, Chicken with Gorgonzola + Roasted Green Beans and Potatoes, Panko-Crusted Salmon + Fennel and Parmesan Salad, Pork Chops with Rhubarb-Cherry Sauce + Roasted Asparagus

“Endless Bounty” – Soy Lemon Skirt Steak with Arugula + Salted Potatoes, Swordfish Parmesan and Roasted Broccoli, Chicken Francese with Noodles + Roasted Asparagus, Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce + Sugar Snap Peas