Perfect for Summer! ♥
Ingredients ♥
(1lb) cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt and pepper
(5oz) burrata
1 cup fresh basil
Directions ♥
Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic.
Grill over high heat for 10-15 minutes until charred and blistered.
Season with salt and pepper then drizzle with more olive oil and Balsamic.
Serve with burrata and fresh basil. enjoy! ♥
I am partnered with Jovial Foods and decided to make my Gluten Free Minestrone since the weather has been so cold!
Jovial Foods, Inc. was founded by a husband and wife team who have always been passionate about food, farming, and traditions.
Carla and Rodolfo were both born into families of talented home cooks, and food was at the center of their childhoods. They also have a love of the past, and focus their product lines around ancient grain ingredients and traditional food preparation during manufacturing. Once Carla and Rodolfo had children, they discovered their daughter had gluten sensitivity. Carla and Rodolfo soon suspected that changes in wheat and other varieties of plants over the years were contributing to the increasing number of children with food intolerances. Looking to the past for answers, they discovered a nearly extinct ancient grain called einkorn, nature’s original wheat. In einkorn, Carla and Rodolfo found a wheat their daughter could flourish with.
They realized they had to bring einkorn back to help other families. They both were professionals in the organic food industry, so they established the jovial brand to help address the many issues faced by those with food sensitivities. Jovial is all about family, feeling good, celebrating life, and showing love with good food. Jovial is a small, family-owned company and promises to stay that way.
Ingredients ♥
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup onion diced
1/2 cup celery sliced
1/2 cup carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
1 zucchini quartered and sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 15 ounce can small white beans drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
1/2 cup canned cut green beans
1/2 cup small shell pasta I use Jovial Gluten free shells
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions ♥
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and zucchini to the pot.
Cook until the vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, tomato paste and Italian seasoning to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
Add the white beans, kidney beans, green beans and pasta to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta and vegetables are tender.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes or until wilted.
Sprinkle the parsley over the soup, grade fresh Parmiggiano Reggiano on top and serve!
Happy Christmas Eve! I am making Seven Fishes Cioppino today!
The ancient tradition of eating fish on Christmas Eve dates from the Roman Catholic custom of abstinence from meat and dairy products on the eve of certain holidays, including Christmas.
The number seven is rooted back in ancient times and it can be connected to multiple Catholic symbols: in fact, the seven seems repeated more than 700 times in the Bible. Also, according to the Roman Catholic Church, seven are the sacraments, the days of the Creation, as well as the deadly sins. Hence seven courses!
A traditional menu would include Typical "fishes" include baccalà (salt cod), frutti di mare (shellfish), capitone (eel), calamari (squid), scungilli (conch meat) and vongole (clams). Fried vegetables are also a popular accompaniment to the fish; expect fried artichokes, pickled vegetables, fried squash blossoms, and other treats.
I am putting an easy twist on the Feast of the Seven Fishes! I am making Seven Fishes Cioppino!
Ingredients ♥
Seafood
2 (4 oz) lobster tails, meat removed and cut in bite-size pieces, reserve shells for stock
1.5 pounds large shrimp 16 to 20, meat removed, reserve shells for stock
8 Littlenecks clams scrubbed
1 pound mussels scrubbed
1 pound skinless sea bass or halibut fillets cut into bite-size pieces
6 sea scallops cut in half or quarters depending on size
1 large king crab leg cut in 2 or 3 pieces
Cioppino Broth ♥
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves minced
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 large fennel bulb thinly sliced
2 stalks thinly sliced celery
1 carrot peeled and finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups dry red wine Chianti works well for this
2 28 ounces cans San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes, finely chopped with juice
1 medium pinch saffron threads
3 cups seafood stock see recipe for homemade shellfish stock or use store-bought
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Handful fresh basil finely chopped for garnish
Directions ♥
Add olive oil to a large Dutch Oven pot over medium high heat on the stovetop and heat until shimmering. Add garlic and onions and cook until garlic just starts to brown. Add butter to stop the garlic from burning.
Add fennel. celery, carrots, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, thyme sprigs, salt and black pepper stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add wine and boil until reduced about 3 - 4 minutes. Add shellfish stock, tomatoes with their juice and saffron. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add crab, clams, mussels to the pot, cover and simmer until clams just open, about 5-10 minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that do not open after 7 - 10 minutes.
Add the lobster, scallops and halibut pieces on top. Simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 - 10 minutes.
Add the shrimp last. Simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 3- 5 minutes.
Test for seasoning. Add more black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes if desired. Gently stir in parsley and basil. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
To serve Cioppino, place fish pieces in bottom of shallow soup bowl or pasta plate. Ladle the broth on top. Serve immediately with grilled ciabatta bread (I use gluten-free!) on the side.
