No Respect

Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap.

But saute a bit of shallot and pancetta and you've gotta be out of your freakin' mind if you don't inhale these suckers.

At least this is my humble opinion.

The Husband: "That's a complete waste of pancetta."

He made this statement BEFORE eating the Brussels sprouts that I lovingly Catholic-guilted him into eating.

He DID go for seconds on his own accord. Honest to goodness. Yay, Husband!

I also informed my Moms that I will be schlepping over my fantabulous Brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving, which believe it or not, has totally turned into my most fave holiday in my old age.

It used to just be a day during which I nursed a massive hangover and tried to block out the hours upon hours of football being forced upon me.

But now, I unabashedly look forward to all that family time of eating and drinking and reminiscing with some laughing and crying thrown in for good measure. Wayyyyyyyyyy less hectic than Christmas, fo sho.

I use Italian bacon aka pancetta, which I always keep on hand in the freezer. But the recipe works with regular old Americana bacon, too. Obvi.

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

3 slices pancetta, chopped

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
• Salt and pepper, to your taste
• 1 cup chicken broth

Brown pancetta in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove pancetta to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked pancetta bits.

That Girl

You know those annoying posters on food Web sites who say they made the recipe BUT they changed this, this and that? God, those people are the WORST.

Yeah. I'm THAT girl today.

So the recipe I'm rockin' out to y'all involves grilled bread, but The Jersey Girl lives in a grill-less house. Say what?!?

I know.

It's a long, boring story that I've probably mentioned previously on my dusty blog. In a nutshell, The Jersey Girl's humble abode stands atop Jersey land that is surrounded by blueberry fields (natch) and when the wind howls across our terrain, it's pretty fierce and strong and insanely loud and it decided to take down The Husband's shiny meat-cooker one too many times. Therefore, my better half's cooking pride and joy swims with the fishes in a Jersey landfill somewhere over the rainbow. Of course a grill will be in the mix, when Deck Project Jersey Girl Style 2013 comes to fruition. (See, Husband. I'm writing about the fantasy deck to make it seem.... real.)

So I made my Grilled Bread with Prosciutto by using the oven's broiler. It's totally fab as are all the Barefoot Contessa recipes that I try. Totally recommend with a glass of wine. Really, what doesn't go with some vino, that is the question. Serve at your next cocktail party, mmmmkay?! Cause you know, parents of toddlers are ALWAYS throwing cocktail parties. (With themselves and Elmo.)

I am including some pics of the yumminess as well as my almost-2-year-old yumminess, Evan. He's been loving the whole Halloween scene. He rocked his pirate costume three times. (Totally worth the dollas. Thanks, Party City!) And we took him on a hayride extravaganza in Egg Harbor City on the Saturday before Hurricane Sandy. The romp in the hay - awesome; the storm - not so much.

In case you were wondering, all The Jersey Girl familia is safe and sound.

Grilled Bread with Prosciutto
(Makes 6 slices)
From "Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?"
By Ina Garten

6 slices good Tuscan round bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick
1 large garlic clove, cut in half
Good olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn in pieces
2 ounces smoked mozzarella, grated
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Prepare a charcoal grill with medium-hot coals or turn gas grill to medium-high heat.

Grill the bread for 2 minutes until golden on one side. Place the bread grilled side up on a platter and immediately rub the cut side of the garlic clove over the surface of the bread. For really garlicky fettunta, rub hard. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over each slice of bread.

Place the torn prosciutto over the grilled side of the bread and top with the grated mozzarella. Return the bread to the hot grill, cover the grill, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes - just long enough to melt the cheese and rewarm the toast. (Be sure the vent is open so the fire doesn't go out!) Drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper and serve hot.

Please note: The Jersey Girl made her toasts using her oven's broiler.

Lemon risotto

Risotto is so worth the effort.

Sure, all that stirring can be a pain in the you-know-what, but sometimes it's nice to just zone out while completing a kitchen task. (A glass of wine is also required.)

The recipe comes from Giada. Of course, she serves hers in dainty little lemon cups that she makes from scooping out the insides of actual lemons. I'm sure that presentation is FABULOUS for a dinner party or a fancy do, but when it's me and The Husband grubbing, a scoop on a plate is as good as it gets.

Also in typical Giada fashion, marscapone and lemon are key ingredients. It's probably wise to have more than one use for the marscapone that you purchase so that you don't have to throw out the almost-entire now-moldy remnants of a tub wasting away in your fridge after literally using 2 tablespoons of it for ONE dish. (Apologies to all the starving people in the world. Never a fan of throwing out unused food.)

This risotto is super duper delish. It tastes really quite special with the lemon and marscapone. And I'm sure the lemon cup situation is wonderful touch if you can swing it.

Also, a word to the uninformed on risotto: The recipe calls for 2 cups broth, but I heat up more like 3 cups because 2 never seems to be enough. The recipe also calls for diluting the broth with some water. That's a good plan. I feel like measurements in risotto are kind of inaccurate, especially since you can cook it to your preferred level of  creaminess.

Lemon Risotto
By Giada DeLaurentiis

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon

1 large shallot, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

1/2 a lemon, zested and juiced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 lemons, for serving (optional)

In a medium saucepan bring the broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper.

To serve in lemon cups: cut 1/4-inch off the bottom of each lemon so they stand on their own. Take 1-inch off the stem end. Using a grapefruit spoon scoop out the flesh of the lemon and discard. Fill each lemon with about 1/2 cup of risotto. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

For other rockin' risotto recipes please check out:
Basic risotto
Butternut Squash Risotto

The Chicken Finger Conundrum

Chicken Fingers.

Who you foolin? You know your kid loves them.

There’s no need to get all judgy-mom/Jamie Oliver on me. I saw him do the vile gooey pink-chicken-parts-in-a-blender demo on his saving America from our obese disgusting selves program on ABC. I watched it from beginning to end. The entire series. It was fascinating. I think I was prego at the time. Probably stuffing my face with Fruit Loops and cheesesteaks while lying on the couch. Irony, yes?

 And I agree with that crazy British dude in all his lecturing glory.

But, the reality is: My Baby Evan grooves on his chickie.

What do you want from me?

Fortunately, the Jersey Girl has ways in which to rock out breaded chicken in a manner that is not disgusting. Or wrapped up in a pre-cooked Perdue package. Or found in the prepared frozen food section of the grocery. The HORROR!!

Sidenote: I’m not judging you if you feed these things to your kid. Or go the Mickey D’s takeout route. But I do hope you will consider the way shown below. Even me and The Husband eat these chicken fingers. The key to their fabulosity: garlic-infused Greek yogurt. Marinating in this wonder-sauce keeps the tenders so…. Tender.  

And you can make a whole bundle of them and sock them away in the fridge for your day-to-day operation. Or for those moments when you’re all like, “God. I’m exhausted. Calgon, take me away. Where’s my wine? Can I just watch Jersey Housewives? Jesus, kid. You need to eat. AGAIN!”

Shut up. You know you think these unmotherly thoughts.

Since we’re keeping it real, The Jersey Girl tends to order chicken fingers for the Babes quite often when we’re dining out. I’m not proud of this decision, but sometimes you gots to do what you gots to do – and by that I mean prevent screaming from an impatient toddler. The Husband staged an intervention this summer on the matter, so on a lunch outing the Jersey Girl ordered Evan a scrambled egg with cheese, which pretty much went untouched by a restless and annoyed toddler. I know his inner monologue was something like, “WTF? Where’s my chicken, Dad?!!! Chickie. CHICKIE. CHICKIE!!!!!!!”

Evan loves to play peek-a-boo. But, really. Who doesn't?

Rest assured, Evan makes his foodie Mama proud. While his old-standby of chicken fingers and fries (along with blueberries and strawberries brought by moi) often grace his plate in restaurants, he loves to try what me and his Daddy-O are eating, too, because the truth is my offspring eats enough for four people on a daily basis. So, he has the comfort of his familiar chicken while exploring the wonders of new tastes in what we eat. And well, I love that about my very hungry 21-month-old, who lately has been all about teetering and tottering with me in the kitchen with my pots and pans and wooden spoons. He tells me he’s making sauce. Should be delish.

Mmmmm. Chicken fingers. Yes, the salad will probably 

get thrown in your face by a 2-year-old who prefers a side of chips or pretzels.

Homemade Chicken Fingers

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 fat clove of garlic, chopped

1 ½ pounds chicken tenders

¾ cup Italian style bread crumbs

¼ cup grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Line a sturdy baking sheet with foil. Lightly brush with olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt and chopped garlic. Place chicken tenders in the yogurt mixture. Marinate for 15-20 minutes. (Don’t marinate for long because the chicken will become tough and stringy. Yuck.)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

In another bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. When the chicken is finished marinating, coat each chicken tender in the bread crumb mixture.

Place each tender evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Once all the tenders are breaded and lined up, drizzle each with some olive oil.

Bake in the super hot oven for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy with your hungry little monsters!!

Told Ya So

The true test of culinary greatness is when you can convince someone – in this case the someone is The Husband – that he/she really enjoys consuming an ingredient  - in this case, the ingredient is mushrooms - that he/she mistakenly thinks he doesn’t dig.

God, this husband of mine. Look, I love him with all of my soul. Even when he spills mustard, coffee or some other impossible element to Shout out, scrub out, curse out of his freakin’ million-dollar Ralph Lauren Polo shirts not even an hour – AN HOUR – after The Jersey Girl finishes laundry. Don’t even get me started on the bathroom. And if you must know, yes, he is a snorer.

I know that paragraph was riddled with about 100 husband/wife clichés, but it is SO my reality. What do you want from me?

Meanwhile, my loving better half who moves the earth and the moon and the sun to make my life and that of Baby Evan’s super duper fabulous - (Yes, I’m covering my bootie right now. But The Husband really is awesome despite my griping, pinky swear) – decides to protest the eating of mushrooms. Mushrooms. They’re perfectly harmless. God.

So, what’s your beef with mushrooms, Husband?!

When asked to reveal his inner thoughts on the shroom, The Husband calmly states while swilling his Stella, “You know what it is? It’s the texture.” Then he went on to say something about big mushrooms vs. little mushrooms and that he likes them when they’re in a dish with something else but they shouldn’t be the focus of the dish and he doesn’t like the chewy ones they put in the takeout at the Chinese restaurant….. At this point, as most seasoned wifeys masterfully do, I blocked him out. When he was at a wrap, I informed him that he would be trying stuffed mushrooms with red peppers and scallions, and he would like it.

And……………….

He DID!!!!

In fact, he went back for seconds. AND THIRDS.

God damn, I’m amazing. Well, maybe I’m not that great, but the recipes of Lidia Bastianich are, and I guess really, I should be thanking her.

I strongly believe The Husband was head over heels with this dish due to the above-mentioned sautéed red pepper and scallion. The Husband loves his red peppers and scallions. And beer. And escargot, which is ironic, since the texture of a snail drenched in butter is totally similar to that of many button-sized mushrooms. (The Husband is rolling his eyes right now as he is not a fan of my lectures regarding the similarities between mushrooms and foods he claims to like, or my curseword-laden monologues about how our home is NOT a college dorm and please for the love of God pick up your clothes off the floor, or my subtle reminders that it REALLY is time to bring the mounting pile of castoffs in the spare bedroom to Goodwill. No, really.)

For the record, The Husband is amazing at making the bed, cleaning up the kitchen and tidying up toys. Plus he puts up with me and my questions and my giggles and my worries on a daily basis. So, he really is a saint of sorts. Plus, he rocks out with some fabulous diamond-laden jewels when the time is right i.e, Christmas, birthdays, Labor Day (Just kidding, Husband.) And Evan adores him. And so does The Jersey Girl!!

OK. So below is the recipe. These mushrooms would be fab at a cocktail party. Just stick a toothpick in it. Hee.

There are also some pics of Baby Evan (who is SO not a baby anymore) kicking it at a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. The Husband did not understand why I failed to post pics of this event in my last blog entry. And my reason is….. well, I got nothin’.  Maybe I don’t want to remind all of us how bad this year’s team is.

Take it away, Lidia:

Stuffed Mushrooms

From "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen"

By Lidia Mattichio-Bastianich

24 white or cremini mushrooms

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the tops of the mushrooms if you like
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the stems from the mushrooms (set the caps aside), and finely chop them.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the red peppers and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove and cool.

Toss the bread crumbs, grated cheese, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and the sautéed vegetables until thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper.  Stuff the cavity of each mushroom with the filling, pressing it in with a teaspoon until even with the sides of the mushrooms.

Using 2 Tbsp. of the butter, grease a 12-by-18-inch low-sided baking pan. Arrange the mushrooms side by side in the pan and, using the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter, dot the top of each mushroom with about ¼ tsp. butter. Add the stock, wine if using and remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley to the pan. If you like, drizzle the tops of the mushrooms with olive oil. Bake until the mushrooms are cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serve the mushrooms on a warmed platter or divide them among warmed plates. Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Boil until lightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the juices over the mushrooms and serve immediately.

Please note: The Jersey Girl did use the optional wine called for in the recipe. She did NOT top each mushroom with a dot of butter, just a drizzle of olive oil. She also did NOT reduce the pan drippings into a sauce.

Hanging with Mommy.

Hanging with Daddy.

Directing Mommy and Daddy.

Checking out the Phanatic.

Taking a break to shout out some letters. 

Evan's obsessed with the alphabet.

Evan loves his Daddy!

That's Just How I Roll

Snickerdoodles are filled with cinnamony goodness. Last week, Evan and I bestowed a tin of these old-timey cookies to two of our most fave old-timers in the whole entire universe: Mommom and Poppop Sacco.

Yes, Evan is blessed with four great grandparents still going strong in their 90s. God bless. Even better, three of his great grandparents live five minutes away right here in H’town while his Great Poppop Ed lives about 30 minutes from our town. Visits bring many smiles to the young and the old, so we love stopping by for a little catching up.

While they say toddlers and seniors need their routines, the Jersey Girl decided to shake things up a bit with my recent visit to Casa di Mommom and Poppop. Oftentimes, Mommom and Poppop get one of my fabulous Sour Cream Coffee Cakes, but this go-around, I thought some Snickerdoodle action was in order. Cinnamon is involved in both treats, so I reasoned, “What’s the worst that could happen?” It’s not like I’m changing Mommom’s program or moving Poppop’s newspaper.

Thankfully, my gambling gal ways paid off: The Snickerdoodles were a hit with the gramps. Mommom, one of my lifelong inspirers of being a fab baker/cook, was fascinated with the perfect circular shape of my Snickerdoodles. She thought for sure that I sliced the dough into exact same-size rounds, meticulously measuring each one, when in fact I rolled the chilled dough into balls and then swished them around in a bowl of cinnamon sugar completely and totally eyeballing the situation. It ain’t rocket science.

Don’t get me wrong: Baking is totally based on rhyme, reason and order. Accuracy is my first, middle and last name when it comes to measuring. But baking also requires a sense of patience and calm and joy, which is why I SO love rocking out with my cake tins and such.  That sense of urgency which takes over our lives during the day-to-day goes out the window when baking.

So next time you feel like you’re going to flip your lid, try baking these puppies:

Snickerdoodles

From “Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook”

Makes 36 cookies

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a small mixing bowl combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. 
Roll balls in the sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. 

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 36 cookies.


Please note: The Jersey Girl uses extra-large eggs.


Here are links to more of my fave cookie recipes:


Chocolate Thumbprints - These are magnificently awesome!!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - These are the William-Sonoma ones. The Nigella ones are AWESOME. I'll have to post them for all y'all.

Ricotta Cookies - A staple at all Jersey Girl Family Functions.

A Simple Kind of Life

I must admit, I was worried that my days and nights would be a bit empty while on my summer break from teaching, but The Jersey Girl was SO wrong, dear readers. SOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong.

If you must know, my break has been action-packed – in a stay-at-home chillin’ out mommy kinda way. I quite love spending all of my moments with my superfly Evan. We’ve been rolling to the playground and the library and his Aunt Michele’s pool to hang with cousins. Then there’s the beach. And last night, he kicked it at Citizens Bank Park to watch the Phillies ACTUALLY pull in a win. (Yeah, right. We were on the Walt Whitman Bridge by the sixth inning, but the Fightin’ Phils did for reals eek out a victory.)

Below is one of my summer experiments: Rosemary and Thyme Chicken Burgers. These babies are simplicity in their purest form, so The Jersey Girl highly recommends that you use really fresh rosemary and thyme. While processed cheese and ketchup (GASP!) can be used to mask a lowly burger’s flaws, this burger needs nothing more than the best and freshest ingredients you can find.

Rosemary and Thyme Chicken Burgers

3 servings

1 pound ground chicken

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded mozzarella

In a medium bowl, combine ground chicken, rosemary, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Lightly mix with hands until well combined.

Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to cook, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Form the mixture into three patties.

Grill one side for seven minutes. Flip burgers. Grill other side for five minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with a large lid or a piece of aluminum foil. Grill for 2 more minutes.

Serve on your favorite roll or bun! We topped ours with fresh arugula.