Fresh Endives Stuffed with Olives, Anchovies, and Provolone

This is a tradition I created a few years ago at my parents' annual New Years Day family party slash food feast. It was such a surprise hit with everyone that we continued making it every year since. They are a great, light appetizer you can eat with your hands. If you want something different to bring to the table, this is it for sure! This is very quick and easy to make - It also makes a pretty presentation!

Ingredients:

• Raw Endive Leaves, rinsed
• Italian Green Olives, cut into small pieces around the pit
• Anchovies soaked in olive oil, cut into small pieces
• Sharp Provolone Cheese, diced into small pieces. 
• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• Cracked Black Pepper

Spread out the endive leaves on your platter.

Combine the olives, anchovies, provolone, olive oil and cracked pepper in a bowl and mix all together. 

Spoon in the mixture equally into each leaf. And you're ready to serve!

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

I've never been a huge fan of coleslaw, maybe because I didn't grow up eating it, ever. Things with mayo always sort of discouraged me. Over the years coleslaw has grown on me and I've learned that it can add nice flavor and crunch to certain dishes (like my pulled pork sliders!). We initially had this coleslaw in Wisconsin, credits to Ryan's mom, and he immediately fell in love with it. In an effort to be a good wife and make one of his favorite foods, I made this coleslaw (Ina Garten's), but tweaked it a bit to be my own. I used two different kinds of blue cheese for a more sophisticated flavor, and I used miracle whip instead of mayo to make it a tad bit healthier.

Ingredients: Party Size

Left - Roquefort, Right - Danish Mild Blue

• 1 Small Head Green Cabbage
• 1 Small Head Red Cabbage 
• 4 Large Carrots, cleaned and julienned
• 2 cups Miracle Whip (one jar) 
• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard 
• 2 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Celery Salt
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 lb Roquefort Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 lb Danish Mild Blue Cheese, crumbled

Cut the cabbages in half and then in quarters and cut out the cores. Slice them very thin and chop into smaller slices, OR run them through a food processor. I prefer to hand cut so that I can get the size and texture I want. Transfer into a large bowl. Add the julienned carrots and mix altogether.

In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the miracle whip, mustard, vinegar, celery salt, kosher salt, and pepper. Add in the crumbled blue cheese and mix again. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Heirloom Tomato and Balsamic Reduction

There's just something about biting into an heirloom tomato that makes it special, compared to a normal tomato. When you are making a salad or an appetizer where tomato is the focal point, I recommend looking for the heirlooms.There are a few different types of heirloom tomatoes...The kind in this post is a cross-pollination hybrid. Yes, we can cross-breed tomatoes just like we do dogs ... use two different parents! That's how we get the marble colors, stripes, and multi-colored tomatoes.

I used a few ingredients to create this masterpiece. First, I found an amazing extra large tomato, but you can find perfectly good heirlooms smaller in sizes. With that, you just need some olive oil, sea salt, cracked pepper, balsamic, honey, sugar, and some really darn good cheese. The cheese I picked here is called Roncal - a creamy sheep's milk cheese from Spain. It was a perfect pick to pair with the tomato and balsamic reduction...not too mild, but not too stinky. This simple appetizer was so fantastic, easy to prepare and looked beautiful!

Balsamic Reduction: For 1 Large Tomato

• 4 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp Honey (I used Lavender Honey to give an extra kick)
• 1/2 tsp Sugar

Tomato Salad:

• Extra Large Heirloom Tomato, thickly sliced
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Roncal Cheese, sliced

For the balsamic reduction - heat the balsamic in a small pot until it comes to a boil. Lower heat and add the honey and sugar. Mix until it is fully dissolved. Once the balsamic cooks down and thickens remove from heat. That's it!

Slice the tomato like so.

To plate, first drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom of your plate. Add the largest layer of tomato slices on the bottom base. Add another drizzle of oil on top and some sea salt and cracked pepper. Repeat layers, largest to smallest. Drizzle a little of the balsamic reduction on the side for display, and put the remainder in a small dish for additional use. Add the Roncal on the side.

Dip a piece of tomato and cheese into the balsamic reduction - and enjoy!

Eggplant Parmigiana

Also know as "parm" - True parmigiana is made with eggplant, or melanzane. Italian Americans have modified the true parmigiana by using chicken, veal, shrimp, and who knows what else people have made into parmigiana. As the name suggests, it is called Parmigiana because of the Parmigiano cheese! I recommend getting a block of imported Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and grating it yourself. I do this every time I need it, but I am pointing it out here to give proper merits to the star of the dish.

Here is my very simple, but oh so tasty classic way to make eggplant parm. You'll notice that I peel the skin off the eggplant, and I do not use breadcrumbs anywhere in this recipe. If you find seedless eggplant, even better - I hate big fat seeds, gross! These are just my personal recipe choices - I think you'll agree. ;)

Ingredients: Serves 5-6 hungry loved ones

• 1 Large Italian Eggplant, peeled and sliced thinly.
• 1 Large Ball of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced into small pieces
• Loads of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1.5 cups of Flour, give/take as needed
• Canola Oil for frying

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 Cans of Whole Peeled Tomatoes - Please get the good brand. I recommend Muir Glen.
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
• 2-3 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Rind
• 6 Fresh Basil Leaves

Get the sauce going first, then prepare the eggplant. Run the tomatoes through a blender. Then, in a large sauce pan, add the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper on high heat. Cook for about 1 minute (don't let the garlic burn). Add in the tomato sauce and stir. Bring to a boil, and add in the parmigiano cheese rind, basil leaves, and salt to taste. Lower the heat; stir occasionally.

Now let's prepare the eggplant. You should have your sliced eggplant, cracked/beaten eggs, and plate of flour.  Take each slice of eggplant, dredge into the eggs, then into the flour. Pat it well so that it is fully covered in flour. Transfer to another plate.

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Carefully place eggplant slices on the pan, in a single layer. Fry until each side is golden brown. Continue until all eggplant slices are fried.

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Layer paper towels on top of each layer of eggplant on the plate. This way they don't stick to each other and the paper towel will soak up the excess oil.

By now the sauce should be done. Remove from heat. We are going to layer the ingredients in a baking pan now. First, add a ladle of sauce on the bottom so that it doesn't stick. Then add a single layer of eggplant, spread more sauce evenly on the first layer, then add the mozzarella and loads of parmigiano cheese. Repeat this until the eggplant runs out, should be 3 layers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for about 3-5 minutes. Slice and serve!

Greek Salad

I love putting feta in salads. It gives a great, salty taste that I am sometimes missing in my greens. This Greek salad is a perfect side dish to my Mediterranean Chicken Skewers , but it can be used as a fantastic starter or side dish to any protein. I use Boston Lettuce because it is one of my favorites, but it's not mandatory here - use what you like best!

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Boston Lettuce, washed and torn into big chunks
• 2 tbs Red Onion, chopped
• Large handful of Grape/Cherry Tomatoes, cut into halves
• Greek Olives
• Crumpled Feta Cheese, as desired
• 1/2 Lemon, squeezed
• 1 Small Seedless Cucumber, cut into big cubes/slices
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 tbs Dry Italian Oregano
• Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients and add lemon juice + olive oil prior to serving. Toss lightly as to not wilt the lettuce. Enjoy!

Spicy Garlic Hummus

Hummus is a great, protein-filled healthy appetizer, side dish, or snack. I will be the first to admit it, I have done my fare share of purchasing Sabra pre-made hummus, but it actually is pretty easy to make from scratch. It's a great dip for hosting friends/family where they can dunk veggies, pita/pita chips, pretzels, etc.  Here is a very basic recipe that I personally enjoy, but you can add additional ingredients like roasted pine nuts, roasted peppers, or fresh herbs.

Ingredients: For a big bunch!

• 2 Cans of Chick Peas (aka Garbanzo Beans)
• 2 Lemons, Squeezed
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 3 tbs Tahini
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 tbs Water
• Few Squirts of Hot Sauce (as desired)
• Salt to Taste, about 1.5 tsp

Run all the ingredients through a food processor or blender until it becomes a smooth texture. Taste for salt and/or additional hot sauce. Refrigerate for 15+ minutes before serving.

Serve cooled, with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of paprika. Garnish with Greek olives.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Bread, cheese, garlic... what more do you need? I've been making my garlic bread the same way for years. I was inspired by the garlic bread served at my Family's restaurant.  I've made this cheesy garlic bread using different types of breads - white, whole wheat, multi grain... french baguette, dinner rolls, Italian bread. You really can't go wrong, but I prefer some type of baguette. In these photos, I used a multi grain baguette. It's is great as is or dunked in sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 Baguette, split in half
• 3-4 crushed and minced Garlic Cloves
• 1.5 tbs Butter, more for spreading
• Dry Oregano
• Paprika
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmigiano
• 1/2 cup Fresh Mozzarella, cubed/sliced

Preheat oven  to 350 degrees. Warm the butter on medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Slice the Baguette in half, and spread each side with butter. Season with dry Italian oregano and paprika. Add the melted butter and garlic mixture on each half.

Add the parmigiano and mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.



Slice and serve immediately.

Bruschetta

I LOVE Bruschetta. If it is on a menu, chances are I will order it as a starter. If I am hosting people over, chances are I will make Bruschetta as a starter. It is just one of those very simple, but delicious and easy appetizers that everyone loves.

I use either grape or cherry tomatoes because I think they are tastier, and packed with more flavor. For every serving of tomatoes, I like to use about a quarter of red onion.

You can make these on a plain, toasted baguette... but I like to jazz up the toast with parmigiano and garlic. I've done this on both multigrain and regular bread. You choose!





Ingredients:

Tomato Bruschetta:
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes, Diced
Red Onion, Diced
Dry Italian Oregano
Cracked Black Pepper
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Toast:
Baguette, sliced
Olive Oil/Butter
Parmigiano Cheese, grated
Garlic Powder


Mix together the tomatoes, onion, oregano, evoo, salt & pepper. Taste until there is enough salt and oregano. These two really make the flavors come out. Let sit together for about 20 minutes so all the flavors marinate together.

In the mean time, get the toast prepared. Drizzle olive oil or spread butter on each slice of baguette (I used olive oil here). Sprinkle garlic powder and parmigiano cheese on each slice. Toast in the oven for about 8 minutes. I like the bread softer rather than toasted harder, but if you want it crunchier, leave it in longer.

Serve the tomatoes either on top of the toasts, or display separately and let your guests make their own (this way the bread doesn't get soggy).

Stuffed Pepper Wedges

What a fun, different appetizer starter for a dinner party! I made these this weekend as we were hosting some friends over for dinner. I decided to add these to the menu at last minute and I am really glad I did because everyone loved them!

It was the first time I made these, but not the first time I've eaten them....I kind of copied my mom's recipe; she always makes a similar version of these (if not the same) for our annual family New Years party. I got the idea to make them when I walked into the grocery store and gigantic, beautiful red and green peppers were staring at me.

The stuffing is very similar to my stuffed mushrooms stuffing. So here is an idea if you need a couple appetizers - make a mix of stuffed pepeprs and mushrooms! Easy peasy and yummmyyyy.

Ingredients:

2-3 Different Colors Peppers, cut into wedges

2 tbs White Onion, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 tsp Parsley, chopped

1 1/2 Cups of Bread Crumbs

1 tbs Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

2 tbs Mozzarella, chopped

1 tbs Olive Oil

Crushed Red Pepper

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Salt to taste

Water

Directions:

Stuffing:

In a small frying pan, saute the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil until onions are translucent. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmiggiano cheese, mozzarella, pepper, and parsley. Add the sauteed onion/garlic mixture and extra olive oil. Mix all together. Add in water as needed to make the stuffing sticky, but not runny. Water will keep the stuffing from getting dry.

Form/patt a small portion of the mixture in your hands, enough to fit on top of each pepper wedge, and press it on each pepper.

Bake in 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, until peppers are cooked through and softened.

Summertime Potato Salad

Growing up I never ate mayo in anything - obviously, I'm Italian! I always knew potato salad to be made with oil and vinegar, as my mom and aunt made it. And to this day, I will not eat potato salad if it is made with mayo. It actually kind of grosses me out - no offense to everyone, I know you all like the American, classic potato salad! Well, since I am marking my words here, I have to share this recipe with y'all. It's very simple and delicious! This makes a great side dish to any meaty meal or BBQ. We made it this Mother's day along side our grilled veal chop that you see in the photo.

 Use about 1 potato for every 2 people, depending on potato size and about 4 string beans per person - but people tend to go for a second helping so I suggest to always make more!  

Boil the potatoes whole until they are fully cooked through.

Remove from water and peal off skin while they are still hot, as it is easier to remove skin while potatos are still hot.

Set aside to let potatoes cool. Slice into chunky pieces, as shown in photo.

Snap/cut the string beans in half. Boil the them with a little salt until they are cooked but still crunchy. Like a blanch, but a little bit longer.

Set aside to cool.

Once these are cooled off, combine in a large mixing/serving bowl. Add some sliced red onion, a few cherry tomatoes cut into halves, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Dress with EVOO and red wine vinegar. Toss all together and serve at room temp or slightly cooled. This can be refrigerated for days for left overs!

Crispy Potatoes

I think I've mentioned this before, but Potatoes are one of my favorite foods. Although I have good self control, I can probably eat potatoes almost every day if I was a glutenous pig. The recipe I am about to write about makes a great side dish along side most proteins. It's very simple, you don't even have to be a good cook to make them. ha.

Ingredients:

• Idaho Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the potatoes into thin-ish pieces. Example below.

Coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil so that entire pan is coated. Add the potatoes into the pan and drizzle more olive oil on them. Mix well so that each piece is well coated. Sprinkle on cracked pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, tossing around the potatoes after adding each ingredient.

Stick in the oven for 30-35 minutes - cook until golden brown and crispy. Make sure to mix/flip/rotate the potatoes at least twice... they will try to stick to the bottom. Be careful though - they get soft and can crumble.

Guacamole mole mole mole!!!!

I love Gucamole - guac and chips can be so addicting. Some people are turned off by it because of how fattening Avocados are, while not being so filling. Avocados are in fact fatty, but they have the "good fat" so if you eat it in moderation, it's ok.

Guacamole is so easy to make, it's a great starter, side or garnish to a spanish dinner - A Mexican dinner isn't complete without Guac. Must serve with tortilla chips!!!

I like my guacamole chunky, but if you don't, just mash the avocado up more until you get the consistency you want. My heat is the jalepeno, but feel free to add pepper if you want.



Ingredients: Serves 4

• 1 Ripe Haas Avocado
• 1 Small-Med Sized Tomato, chopped
• 1 tbs Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Small Jalepeno Pepper, diced
• A bit of Celantro (optional), diced
• 1/2 Lime, squeezed
• Salt to taste

Directions:
Cut the avocado in half and scoop it out with a spoon into a bowl. Mash it up with your spoon, and add in the tomatoes, onion, jalepeno, celantro, salt and mix up. Finally, mix in the lime - this will add a nice citrus taste and prevent the guacamole from turning brown. Serve immediately...  but if you need to wait before eating, keep the pit in the bowl/container - the avocado won't brown when the pit is in there.

Parmesan Crusted Asparagus

Sometimes I just need a green side dish other than salad. My favorite alternative is my Parmesan crusted asparagus. I have to say, I copied my mom's idea for these. The first time I tried asparagus as a kid she made them with breadcrumbs and parmigiano cheese on top, and I instantly fell in love.


I didn't know her recipe, but a few years ago I was craving them and decided to try to make it up myself by remembering the taste. It was a success! However, this is another one of my recipes that I don't measure - sorry!! You just need to eyeball it!!











Ingredients:

• A Bunch of Asparagus
• Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, Grated
• Breadcrumbs
• EV Olive Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 370 degrees. Rinse the asparagus and pat dry. Snap off the hard ends (they will naturally snap where they need to be cut off). Lay flat in a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

 Season with sea salt, cracked pepper, and lots of garlic powder. Layer on lots of breadcrumbs; then drizzle on extra virgin olive oil. Finally, grate lots of parmigiano cheese all over. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes then switch oven to broil for another couple minutes to get a nice top crunch.

No measurements - but they should look something like this!