Pomodoro Sauce, Baby

 

Oh, ok. Butter is a bit magical in a tomato sauce. 

Here is Pomodoro Sauce from Rachael Ray's "Everyone is Italian on Sunday." When I read the recipe, it seemed really interesting to me as it includes ingredients I never ever use in my marinara: butter and a cheese rind. Oh yes, and chicken broth?!

This sauce doesn't need a ton of time to come together, so it was a cinch to make after a day of teaching. I did add red pepper flakes and black pepper, because I do like a bit of spice. I also used 1 can of whole tomatoes and 1 can of crushed.

The sauce is very luxurious and is perfect with ravioli. Be sure to stir frequently and cook super low so that it doesn't stick to the pot and burn. For shame.

If you are curious as to what is the difference between marinara and a pomodoro it is as follows: Marinara is smooth; pomodoro is not. 

Here you go:

Pomodoro Sauce

Makes about 6 cups

From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday"

By Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt

1 cup chicken stock

2 (28-to-32-ounce) cans San Marzano tomatoes

A few basil leaves, torn

Rind from a small wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese

Instructions:

In a pot, heat the oil (1 turn of the pan) over medium heat. Melt in the butter, and the onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook, partially covered, until very soft. 

Add the stock. Hand crush the tomatoes as you add them to the pot, then add the juice from the cans. Stir in the basil and add the cheese rind. Reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. Adjust the salt. Remove the rind before serving.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes and 1 can of crushed tomatoes. She added 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper to the sauce, as well.

 

Going Green Mexican Style

There's waaaay more to Mexican food than tacos. And I love discovering all the different foods of this cuisine. I'm so excited to share with you this Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice recipe. Packed with vegetables and flavor, this dish is totally delish and good for you! And it is slightly fancy pants, which I super duper love.

This is a pretty lengthy recipe so be sure to read it through before working on it. It comes from Rachael Ray's cookbook called "Just in Time." As I find with many Rachael Ray recipes, this one takes a bit longer than 30 minutes to make. Just a little heads up for you!

First off, chili relleno is simply Spanish for stuffed pepper. I thought you should know!

If you have trouble finding poblano peppers, you can also use cubanelle peppers. And of course, you can omit the jalapeno if you aren't a fan of spicy. I often use a can of regular diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted. I just always have diced on hand.

This is nice when you are in the mood for Mexican but are trying to keep it a meatless meal. The peppers and corn are currently in season, so this a great time to make this dish, although I make it anytime of year.

I served these poblanos with green rice with a citrus marinated chicken (for the sake of my son), and a salsa fresca. Below is the recipe for the peppers and rice. Enjoy!

Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice

From "Rachael Ray: Just in Time!"

By Rachael Ray

Makes 4 servings 

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

2 cups white rice

4 large poblano peppers

4 to 5 ears or 3 cups frozen corn kernels

3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained well

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 (10 ounce) sack of baby spinach

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 cup shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the broiler or a grill pan to high.

In a saucepot heat about 3 1/2 cups of the stock with the bay leaf to boiling. Add the rice, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 18 minutes or until tender. Discard the bay leaf.

While the rice cooks, place the poblanos under the broiler or on the hot grill and char evenly all over, about 15 minutes.

While the peppers and rice are working, scrape the corn off the cob. To do this efficiently, invert a small bowl and place it in the bottom of a large bowl. Stand the cobs on the inverted bowl and use a sharp knife to slice off the kernels; they will collect in the large bowl. If you are using frozen corn, pop it in the microwave to take the chill off: a couple of minutes on the defrost setting will do it. Drain and dry the defrosted corn by spreading it out on a clean kitchen towel.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil ripples add the corn, onions and jalapeno and toss until the vegetables char at the edges and the onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the garlic, tomatoes, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two, then remove from the heat.

Place the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, the remaining 1/2 cup of stock, and the remaining tablespoon of oil in a food processor and puree into a coarse green paste.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with a small sharp knife, then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place the peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each pepper with lots of the corn mixture, mounding it out of the peppers. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Place the stuffed peppers back under the broiler to melt and char the cheese until bubbly and browned, a minute or two. 

Stir the green paste into the hot rice and serve with the peppers.

Wow Factor Linguine with Crabs

Hope you are all surviving the quarantine.

I picked up a can of lump crab meat recently. With meat shortages hitting my grocery store, I've been expanding my menus to try different proteins when whipping up din. It's like the chicken section of the store has totally reached the apocalypse.

We often have a fab crab meat marinara on Christmas Eve, and my son does eat it so I thought I would try this amazing Linguine with Crab by Rachael Ray. It features a white sauce and lots of herbs. Pancetta is a main ingredient. Like a well-prepared Italian cook, the Jersey Girl ALWAYS has sliced pancetta on hand in the freezer.

This dish was a hit with my husband and son. The texture of the linguine holds up perfectly with the crab. I will definitely be making this again. It can definitely work for an elevated din with guests - if we are every allowed to have people over again. Ha. It's nice and light so I can see me dining on this al fresca under the moonlight. Dreamy.

I did sub out the fresh peppers for just a 1/4 tsp. of dried red pepper flakes. I thought that would be more child friendly. My son can handle some spice, but I didn't want to overdo it. In case you are having trouble finding chives, the green tops of scallions can be used in their place.

Linguine with Crab
4 Servings
From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday" by Rachael Ray

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, finely diced
4 large shallots, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 red Holland or Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 Tbsp. butter
1 lb. linguine
1 pound lump, king or snow crabmeat
Grated zest of juice of 1 organic lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

In a deep large skillet, heat the oil (2 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. When it ripples, add the pancetta and render 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, chiles, thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook until it has reduced by half. Swirl in the butter, then reduce the heat to low to keep warm while the pasta cooks.

Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to just shy of al dente. Before draining, ladle out about a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce along with the crabmeat, lemon zest and lemon juice. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes for the pasta to finish cooking and to allow the flavors to be absorbed. Toss in the parsley and chives and adjust the seasonings.

Please note: The Jersey Girl used white wine instead of vermouth and 1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes instead of fresh hot peppers.

Super Delish Cherry/Grape Tomato Sauce

Cherry Tomato Sauce over spaghettini was an amazing hit for a Lenten Friday recently. I will definitely make this again in the summer when Jersey tomatoes are hot and heavy.

This cooks up in minutes. Literally.

It's from a really awesome Rachael Ray cookbook called, "Everyone is Italian on Sunday." Best title ever! I love this cookbook, and I strongly recommend it.

The recipe offers you options. You may use cherry or grape tomatoes. I used grape.

You may use red onions, white onions, spring onions or scallions. I used a white/yellow onion.

For cheese, I used pecorino.

You can serve over any pasta you dig. I used spaghettini.

Here's the recipe. So easy!

Cherry Tomato Sauce
From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday"
By Rachael Ray
(Serves 4-6)

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small red or white onion, or 1 bunch scallions or spring onions (white parts only), finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or thinly sliced
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
Salt and pepper
Grated ricotta salata, Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, for serving

In a skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil (3 turns of the pan) over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, over the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes to sweat the onions.

Add the tomatoes, shake the pan, cover and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Mash and stir the sauce. Add the basil. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve: Cook one pound pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Toss together the sauce, starchy water and pasta. Top with cheese and serve.

Ravioli in Vodka Sauce

When The Husband and Son go out on the town for their sports and whatnot, the Jersey Girl still throws it down in the kitchen for Me, Myself and I.

These are the moments I cook something a little special but doesn't require too much cleanup. Because homegirl needs to enjoy her food while watching a trashy show or a chick flick or reading a good book. AmIright, Darling? Of course I am. No stress, please and thank you.

So here we go: Vodka Sauce but not just with any old penne. Aw, hell no. Homegirl went in big with the ravioli.

Now my package of ravioli had a quantity of 12, so the amount of the sauce made in the recipe below was a bit extra. No problemo: Into the freezer it awaits for my next night alone. Although, I do think my homeboys would groove on this. So, maybe I'll share when it defrosts.

I served my magnifico ravioli with some roasted asparagus. But it would also be fab with a little salad, maybe some baby spinach or spring greens.

I used my girl Rachael Ray's recipe from her classic book "30 Minute Meals 2." This book came out when she was first blowing up on Food Network. I think it is a very useful book, especially for beginner cooks. It is one of the first cookbooks I bought before even getting hitched. I use it all the time, 16 years later.

Rachael has a thing against measuring, but I did literally measure the vodka. I feel like the wrong quantity of that could totally jack this recipe up. Plus, who wants to waste their precious pricey vodka? Not this girl.

You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long Vodka Cream Pasta
From "30 Minute Meals 2"
By Rachael Ray

Makes 4 servings (Make it for 2 with seconds in mind)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (once around the pan)
1 Tbsp. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread

Put large pot of salted water on to boil.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently saute garlic and shallots, 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about a cup. Reduce vodka by half, 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble, then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, a bit firm to the bite (cooking time should be listed on your box of pasta).

Stir cream into the vodka sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve immediately along with crusty bread.

Chicken Paillard, Pizzette-Style

I love this recipe; I love this cookbook.

This dish is called Chicken Paillard, Pizzette-Style. It is from the awesome cookbook by Rachael Ray called "Everyone is Italian on Sunday." This cookbook has your traditional Italian-American recipes like chicken parm and fried calamari, but it also goes beyond with some awesome outside-the-box recipes. Like this one.

Paillard is a French term, that means pounded-out meat - usually chicken or veal. I take a shortcut and just buy thin-cut chicken cutlets at the store. To make cutlets out of chicken breast. Cut the chicken breast in half vertically and open up the sides as if your opening a book. Make two cutlets. Place between plastic wrap and pound the bejesus out of them with a meat pounder or a mallet. You can even use a rolling pin.

I hope this is a recipe you enjoy all summer long!

Chicken Paillard, Pizzette-Style

Serves 4
From "Everyone is Italian on Sunday"
By Rachael Ray

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), butterflied and pounded into cutlets, or 8 skinless thin-cut chicken cutlets
1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic aka garlic powder
1 tsp. granulated onion aka onion powder
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
A fat handful of basil leaves
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced or shredded on the large holes of a box grater
Arugula or baby kale for garnish

Butterfly and pound the chicken cutlet breasts into cutlets. (You can skip this step by using store-made thin-cut chicken cutlets.

In a shallow dish, drizzle the chicken with the oil and season with salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and thyme. Let marinate while you make the sauce.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil (1 turn of the pan) over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, cover and cook to soften the tomatoes, shaking the pan occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Wilt in the basil.

Preheat the broiler. Heat a large griddle pan or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Cook the chicken on the griddle pan for a few minutes on each side, then transfer to baking sheets.

Treating the chicken like a small pizza crust, spread with sauce and top with mozzarella.

Broil to brown and melt the cheese.

Serve topped with arugula or baby kale.

Please note: The Jersey Girl uses thin-cut chicken cutlets rather than butterflying and pounding chicken breasts. She also places the prepared chicken on top of the arugula.

Pepper Steak Shenanigans

January is totally the month during which I go into hibernation and try to make sense of my clutter. The Husband visits Goodwill on a weekly basis in the hopes that our collection of castoffs, retail mistakes, and gifts of yesteryear collecting dust in the basement will do somebody good somewhere all while giving me fresh open space for my new sparkly treasures.

In the meantime, I love busting out all of my Christmas gifts of kitchen gadgetry and cooking up a storm. Of course this is only AFTER finding the rightful place to store my glistening fresh wares in my comfortable kitchen. (Please note that the adjective for my cucina is "comfortable" as opposed to much more desirable describers such as luxurious, spacious, state-of-the-art, deluxe and/or designer.) But, if there's one thing the Jersey Girl can do it is make do.

Despite the average nature of my cooking space, some majorly delish eats can always be concocted and devoured. (No joke, I threw cooking parties back in college with a plug-in burner. Granted, I was also drinking Vladimir vodka with a splash of pink lemonade Snapple, so perhaps, my level of taste WAS a bit skewed. Gag.)

Anyways, ain't nothin' like kicking off the new year with some wild and crazy new recipes, so I present you with ....... pepper steak.

Right. You were TOTALLY expecting some trendy rigmarole such as sesame tofu with cauliflower or stir-fried gluten-free whole-grain noodles on a bed of shaved brussels sprouts topped with an egg, but I'm kickin' it so OLD SCHOOL with a straight-up, no surprise pepper steak. And the recipe comes from Rachael Ray. I mean, could I be any more avant garde?

While food trends - and shoe trends - come and go, the classics stand the test of time. Wholeheartedly, I must admit I am no expert in Asian cuisine,but it does seem like pepper steak stir fries or some variation of them have been a staple on Asian menus in America for ages. It's got staying power, right? So, after wracking my brain and scouring Pinterest, and cookbooks and various cookery Web sites for a fru-fru stir-fry recipe, I decided to just stick with the one stir-fry I had been making for 10 years from my good old Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meals 2 cookbook: Five Spice Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry.

The new angle is that I rocked it out in my shiny new wok, courtesy of my mother-in-law, who quite awesomely feeds my J. Crew, shoe and cookware addictions. Honestly, when I unwrapped the gift with my 3-year-old helper, I was taken aback. (Perhaps, I should have written my Christmas gift list BEFORE drinking a bottle of wine.) The Jersey Girl kinda forgot that she requested a wok from the North Pole. But, when I realized what was before me, I was PUMPED!!

My sweetie Evan helps me open my gift. Yay!

For my review of the wok, please click here.

If you do not have a wok - or the space for it - have no worries. This dish works just as well in a large pan. Make sure you have some high sides going on so that the sauce isn't spilling out, mucking up your stove.

I make my stir fry with red and green peppers. The red peps add a bit of sweetness. And, I omit the almonds from the recipe so that The Husband does not need to haul my bootie to the ER. I also did not use any sherry because that is an ingredient that I NEVER have. Sorry!

My 3-year-old culinary counterpart LOVED my pepper steak. In fact, he asked for more steak for three days after. Be sure to add the chopped scallions at the end. Gives the whole thing a nice freshness.

This could not be any easier. Honest to goodness.

Five Spice Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry
From 30 Minute Meals 2 by Rachael Ray

Makes 4 servings
Jasmine rice or short grain wite rice, 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups, prepared to package directions

2 cups beef broth or stock
2 Tbsp. wok or clear oil (twice around the pan)
1 and 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or beef tenderloin tips, trimmed, sliced and cut into bite-size pieces
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced (1-inch pieces)
1 medium onion, coarsely diced
1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
2 Tbsp. Tamari dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder (1/2 palmful, found on Asian foods aisle of market)
Cracked freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish
1/2 cup smoked whole almonds (available on snack aisle), for garnish

Boil water for rice and prepare to package directions.

Place beef broth in a small pot over low heat to warm the broth.

Heat a wok-shaped skillet or pan over high heat. Add oil (it will smoke) and beef bits, stir-fry for 3 minutes then remove meat from pan or move off to the side. Return pan to heat and add peppers and onions. Stir fry, 2 minutes, and stir the meat back in. Add sherry and stir-fry until liquid almost evaporates, about 1 minute. Add soy sauce. Dissolve cornstarch with a ladle of warm beef broth. Add beef broth to the pan, then the cornstarch with a ladle of warm broth, the five-spice powder and the black pepper. Stir until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adjust seasonings. Add more soy sauce or salt if necessary. Remove from heat.

Fill dinner bowls with beef stir-fry and with an ice cream scoop, place a nicely rounded scoop of rice on top of beef. Garnish with chopped scallions and smoked almonds.

Please note: The Jersey Girl omitted the cooking sherry and almonds. She used 1 green and 1 red bell pepper. Also, her wok did not smoke when cooking. She used low-sodium broth and low-sodium soy sauce.

And Now I Need to Feed Yous Guys?!

A Rachael Ray pizza salad.

This is what it’s come to.

Yes, dear patient readers. The Jersey Girl has not blogged in well over a month, and all I have is this measly 10-minute I-just-worked-all-freaking-day/took-care-of-a-baby/washed- 10-loads-of-laundry/cleaned-the-house-and-I’m-totally-over-it recipe. By Rachael Ray.

It’s not my proudest moment.

But for reals, peeps. This pizza tastes AWESOME.

And it’s not take out. Plus, you can do it on zero sleep/patience/brain cells.

(Yes, there is a jarred pizza sauce involved, but get over it. And give me a bottle of wine, why don’t ya?)

So, hopefully all y’all have been doing fab.

We have been rocking out at Chez Jersey Girl.

Baby Evan is a super big biggie who is creepin’ and crawlin’ all over the joint.

He’s reaching many milestones: Waving to Daddy; saying hi to Daddy; whacking Daddy in the face; gazing at Daddy when asked, “Where’s Mommy?”

Guess it’s time to get all Bob Dole/Elmo on Evan and start talking about Mommy in the third person.

Anyhoo, to make this pizza I used a prebaked pizza shell, such as a Boboli, or as my Aunt Lorraine says, “Baba-lo,” because as proven on such astute television programs as, “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” we pretty much mispronounce everything in my parts.

The actual recipe calls for unbaked pizza dough. So, yes. As I hang my head lowly lowly lowly in shame - I am taking even MORE shortcuts than Rachael Ray.

I asure you, dear readers, that the Jersey Girl is still a Domestic Goddess of the highest order. It's just that time is not on my side.

Back to the cooking before I have to go fold laundry:

I always have the ingredients for a Pizza Salad on hand: container of designer lettuce, prosciutto, garlic, mozzarella, lemons, hot pepper flakes.

And I buy two pizza shells at once – because that’s how my rocking Italian market Bagliani’s packages them. So, I use one now and freeze one for later.

See. Even with Mommy Brain, I can still plan.

The recipe calls for 2 cloves of garlic, but I seriously quadruple the amount. Sometimes, I go crazy and chop up 10 cloves of garlic for it. (The Husband lurves his garlic.)
So please enjoy the recipe below.

And here’s a picture update on my lovely Evan, who is the cutest cutie pie to ever be in my world. I can't believe he's going to be turning the big ONE soon. Eek!

Pizza Salad
"From Cooking Around the Clock"
By Rachael Ray

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Store-bought pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian-4 cheese blend
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 lb. prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
3 cups arugula leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sprinkle a little flour on a clean work surface. Roll or press out dough to form a 12-inch pie and place dough on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce on dough and top with garlic and red pepper flakes. Top with cheese. Bake pizza until cheese is bubbly and crust is crip. About 12 minutes. Top the hot pizza with sliced prosciutto, working all the way to the crust's edge and covering the whole pie. Toss arugula with lemon juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season arugula with salt and pepper. Pile arugula up on the cetner of the pizza. Cut into quarters and serve.

Yield: 2 servings.

Please note: The Jersey Girl bakes her pizza at 375 degrees for 12 minutes because she uses a prebaked pizza shell, such as Boboli.

Delightful Dinner

Sometimes, a light meal is all you need.

Especially, if you want your 10:30 p.m. fix of a bowl of ice cream while watching the DVR version of “General Hospital” following that night’s Phillies game.

These Lamb Chops with Mint and Mustard Dipping Sauce along with Grilled Vegetables with Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette are the perfect combo of healthiness.

The chops are a Rachael Ray recipe from the first cookbook of hers that I ever purchased, “30 Minute Meals 2.” This was Rachael Ray before she really hit the big time. Before she was Oprah-fied and uber famous with a talk show. Before she had pots and pans in her name and hosted 20 different Food Network programs. I like this Rachael Ray. Honestly, if you are a beginning cook, I strongly recommend the cookbook. It has some great, easy recipes.

The sauce can be made ahead, and the lamb chops cook in just a few minutes. This is a fantastic recipe for a dinner party because it’s easy, breezy but comes off super special. My motto is: The less stress for the hostess; the better the party.

With the chops, I served a fabulous array of grilled veggies and a simple lemon parsley vinaigrette.

Because we are currently grill-less in my household, I grilled my zucchini, red bell peppers and scallions on my Le Creuset grill pan. This forced me to cook the veggies in batches which is fine because different vegetables require different cooking times.

The vegetables can totally be served at room temp, so no worries. This recipe comes from yours truly, but it’s really just a guide. You can shake up your vegetables, or change up the herbs in the vinaigrette. Basil or mint would totally rock in it.

I must advise all of you fabulous readers to try grilled scallions, because they really are heavenly. In its raw state, a scallion is just an onion; but after grilling it for a few minutes it is SO much more.

Lamb Chops with Mint and Mustard Dipping Sauce
From “30 Minutes Meals 2”
By Rachael Ray

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it

2 cloves smashed garlic
12 loin lamb chops, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick each
Salt and pepper
3 rounded tablespoons prepared grain mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 splashes
1 tablespoon honey, a good drizzle
1/4 cup mint leaves, a couple of handfuls of sprigs, reserve 4 leaves for garnish
4 leaves radicchio lettuce

Preheat broiler to high. Place garlic in a small saucepan and add 2/3 cup oil, to cover. Heat oil and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove oil from heat. Arrange lamb chops on broiler pan. Drizzle 3 teaspoonfuls of the garlic oil over the lamb and spread the oil over the chops with a brush to coat evenly. Season chops with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.


To a food processor or blender, add mustard, vinegar, honey. Turn processor or blender on and stream in remaining garlic and oil. Turn the processor or blender off and add mint to the container. Pulse and grind the dipping sauce to incorporate the leaves.

Broil chops 3 minutes on each side, then let them rest up to 10 minutes for the juices to distribute. The lamb will be cooked to medium. Serve 3 chops per person with dipping sauce portioned in radicchio leaves along side the chops. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

Please note: The raddicchio leaves are optional. The Jersey Girl does not use them.

Grilled Vegetables with Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette
(Makes 4 servings)

1 red bell pepper, in ½ inch slices
1 large zucchini, in ½ inch vertical slices
1 bunch of scallions (6-10), ends trimmed
3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus a drizzle for grill pan
Salt and pepper

Toss each type of vegetable with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a paper towel, lightly grease grill pan with a drizzle of olive oil

In batches, grill vegetables in a grill pan over medium heat. Grill bell peppers for about 10 to 12 minutes; zucchini for about 7 to 10 minutes and scallions for about 5 minutes. Flip vegetables halfway through so that both sides are grilled. Remove vegetables from pan and place on serving platter. Top with lemon-parsley vinaigrette. (Recipe is below.)

Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together. Pour over grilled vegetables.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dinner 1, 2, 3

So, we all have those go-to dinners that we make when there isn’t enough time in the day to put a ton of thought or pressure into the cooking.
This is one of those instances.

I’m presenting to you Pork and Lemon Orzotto from Giada De Laurentiis’ cookbook, “Everyday Pasta.”

I have so much love for this recipe. You can make the sauce ahead and it needs no heating up. So, there aren’t too many pots and pans to wash up when finished. Love that.

Lemon, basil and parsley are the stars of the vinaigrette. The flavors blend together fabulously, and the pork chops are a blank canvas so that the bright green and golden sauce is front and center.

I often like to use the thin-cut pork chops for this, but the recipe calls for a much thicker cut. If you use thin, or scallopine-style pork chops, just cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

The orzotto is really yummy. The dish uses orzo pasta, but it is cooked in the same way that risotto is prepared. I often make Rachael Ray’s Cheesy Orzo recipe to go with the pork chops instead, because it is less time consuming. In addition, the orzotto recipe makes a huge amount of pasta, and when cooking for two, it isn’t necessary. I am listing the orzotto recipe below, but click here if you would like the Cheesy Orzo recipe.

Pork and Lemon Orzotto
(4 to 6 servings)
From “Everyday Pasta”
By Giada De Laurentiis

Orzotto
3 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup finely chopped onion (about 1 onion)
1 pound orzo pasta
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Herb Vinaigrette
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pork Chops
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless pork loin chops, about 2 inches thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

For the orzotto, in a medium saucepan, bring the 3 ½ cups of broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the orzo and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the pasta, adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar or tight-sealing plastic container. Shake well and set aside.

For the pork, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, carefully place the pork chops in the skillet. Sear the pork until a golden crust begins to form, turning once, about 8 minutes per side. Remove the pork from the pan and cover loosely with foil to rest. Pour off the excess oil from the pan and return it to medium heat. Pour the ½ cup of chicken broth into the skillet and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat.

To finish the orzotto, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the broth from the pork skillet, the Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter and the salt and the pepper.

Spoon the orzotto onto a serving platter (or onto individual plates.) slice each chop into ½-thick strips and arrange the meat on top of the orzotto. Drizzle with the herb vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Please note: The Jersey Girl likes to make this dish with scallopine thin-cut pork chops. The thin-cut chops needs to brown on each side for 3-4 minutes. She also likes to serve the chops and vinaigrette with Cheesy Orzo. For the recipe, click here.