Escarole and White beans (Fagioli)

Ingredients:

One large bunch Escarole (about one pound or so)

4 tablespoons olive oil plus more to drizzle on plate

2 clove of garlic

3 cups of cooked white beans (Fagioli, great Northern or Cannellini)

One cup escarole stock (reserved from cooking your Escarole)

Pinch of baking soda

One tablespoon of salt for your water in oder for it to come to a boil.

One additional teaspoon to sprinkle on your Escarole and beans when it's ready.

Side dish or soup, this is such a healthy go to dish this time of year.  Even my son enjoyed it last night. I wonder where he gets that from?
Plenty of Fresh Escarole is rinsed, cut up and blanched. I even like to add a pinch of baking soda to help the Escarole retain it's pretty green color.  Salt the water and cook for a good 5-6 minutes.  Remember that once you add your Escarole, your timing begins when your water is boiling again.  Drain well.  Set aside.
Thaw your beans (about 3 cups). I keep a good amount in the freezer.  If you like to use a can, be sure to drain and rinse those beans.  On occassion, I have even given them a boil to remove that canned residue.  However, fresh is best, but you can get a good result either way.   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet.  Add some Rosemary.  When the Rosemary is fragrant remove from your pan and add 2 cloves of garlic cut up.   After just about 30 seconds, your garlic will be fragrant.  Add your Escarole, One cup of Escarole Stock,  turn your heat up just a little and continue to mix and cook until all your liquid is has evaporated in your pan except for about 1/4.  Add your beans, and cook for about 5 minutes. Remember your beans are pre-cooked.   Your pan will become quite dry.  You can remove from heat, drizzle some Extra Virgin Olivie oil and serve as a side dish or stand alone meal with some crusty bread.  Buon Appetito

Crab Cakes (Polpette di Granchio all' Italiana con herb e peperone)

I love it when a certain food just "Stirs" up all kinds of conversation.  I am not sure what it is exactly about the crab cake that gets everyone excited, even me.  Maybe it's that delicious, unexpected flavor that one gets from each and every crab cake.  It's always fun to come up with your own and break from a traditional recipe.  

I came up with this in my kitchen on the coast a few years back.  I just had very little ingredients around the kitchen but had one container (One pound of crab meat), and one vivid imagination.

 Makes 15-20, 2-3 inch crab cakes

Ingredients:  One pound, picked and rinsed,  lump/claw meat mixed crab meat (it doesn't have to be the most expensive).

One cup of bread crumbs.  (I make my own with left over bread, toasted and various herbs and salt).

Plus extra bread crumbs for your plate to coat before frying.

One handful of chopped, diced parsley (just use what you like)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

One teaspoon Dijon mustard or Lemon mustard (I like to make my own)

one teaspoon salt

Black pepper to taste

One egg yolk

One red pepper / one yellow pepper, roasted, peeled and diced. Be sure to dry them with paper towels some.  You can use jarred if you like.  Just drain and dry with paper towels before adding to the recipe.

One parchment lined baking sheet

one large skillet

One cup frying oil (I like to use Sunflower oil to fry)

Method:   Combine all your ingredients in a bowl. 

Using a Tablespoon, shape two spoonfuls  in your hand to form your shape.  Pass them once again in some extra bread crumbs.   Place them on your baking sheet.  Continue until you have used up your crab meat.   (Depending on how heavy handed you are, you can really make these in any size you wish.  Just take some practice).

Roasted peppers// cooling

Combine your ingredients

On to a parchment lined baking sheet

At this point you can put them into the refrigerator to firm and set for one hour.  If you are making them in a hurry, be sure and place them in freezer to firm up  for 20 minutes to set before frying.  Make sure your oil is hot by placing  a few bread crumbs in the pan.  If they sizzle, it's hot enough.   Slip in your crabcakes and fry until crispy.  Drain on paper towels.

Optional Condiment:  serve with your favorite dipping sauce or fresh tomato salsa. I like to use a combination of fresh, homemade mayonnaise, hot sauce and some lemon Mustard.  Buon Appetito!

Special note:  You can even add optional cup of cooked corn which can be quite colorful and delicious. 

Herbed Stuffed Red Snapper all' italiana

Ingredients:
2 whole 3-4  pound Fresh whole Snapper.  Cleaned and di-scaled.
2 large lemons  (One sliced for cooking, one cut in half)
2 teaspoons of salt.
Pepper to taste

For the stuffing:
One cup of bread crumbs (I like to make my own)
several sprigs of parsley
2 cloves of garlic  diced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of pitted black olives
Extra parsley for garnish

Method:
In a food processor, process your bread crumbs, garlic, parsley and olives adding your olive oil a little at a time.  Stuffing should hold together nicely.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper to tast. 
Preheat your oven to 375.

Make tiny slits all over your fish with a paring knife.  Squeeze lemon juice all over your fish and pat dry with paper towels.  Lay on a baking sheet and gently insert your stuffing into the center of fish using about 1/2 for each.  Pack it in.  Do not worry that it comes out of your fish a little.  Add several sprigs of parsley over your fish along with lemon slices. 
Add additional salt over your fish.   Place in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of white wine to your fish, and cook 15 minutes more.   Your fish should be crispy  on the outside. and ready to be removed from the oven.  Stick your fork in your fish and flake away some meat.  If the fish  flakes away from the fork it's done.  (You must allow ample time since the fish is stuffed).  Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. 
 Remove the bones from your fish by cutting the head off, opening up your fish to reveal the rest of the stuffing.  Remove the bones gently, and slowly spoon your pieces of fish fillet onto a plate with a little stuffing on the side.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve!
Buon Appetito!

Special Note:  If you are making one whole fish, the cooking time is the same.  You can cut your stuffing recipe to 1/2 cup bread crumbs and follow the same methods.   You can use this stuffng for any whole Fish you like.  Be sure and leave the head on.  You will have to adjust your cooking time by the size of your fish.  The meatier the fish, the longer the cooking time.  Be careful not to overcook.  

 Cooking fish with the Head intact maximizes flavor.   Look for a fresh fish by the clarity of the fish eyes.  

Spaghetti with Calamari and Telline (Squid and Coquina Clams)

On a night when nothing goes as planned, it's nice to know you can always rely on a great pasta dish.   It's a big challange aquiring any kind of fresh seafood here in Mississippi except by mailorder.  I came across these Coquina clams frozen in a box at the Grocery.  To my suprise, they were quite delicious, flavorful and quite deceiving too.  You would never know they came out of a box.    As I always say, fresh is best, but sometimes you must do what you can.  What a wonderful surprise.
Ingredients for 4 people:
12 oz of Spaghetti
4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
One tablespoon salt (for the pasta water)
One large pot filled with 8 quarts of water
One large skillet to cook your fish sauce
One plus 1/2 teaspoon salt for the fish
optional pinch of red pepper flakes or small pinch of fresh chile pepper
1 pound Clams (any small variety will do)
One pound of cleaned, cut, calamari (squid)
One cup of white wine
3 cloves of diced garlic plus one more for your sauce.
(Special note:   These were frozen, pre-cooked, clams.   They require very little additional cooking time, or your clams will be rubbery and tasteless.  If you are using fresh, be sure to allow ample time for the cleaned clams to steam open while bathing in a sautee pan of a few tablespoons of olive oil and garlic.   Add your white wine and place a lid on the pan for a few minutes.  Keeping your heat on medium/high.   Take a look at your clams.  When they are open, remove the lid and remove your clams from the pan.   Add you squid and cook.  Add some wine and let evaporated.  Your squid will turn opaque.  Be sure and remove them from the pan).  Follow instructions below to cook your sauce).
3 teaspoons of garlic minced
one cup of white wine
One 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juic
1/2 cup of water
additonal salt to taste.
One handful of parsley to taste
Method:   Into a skillet, heat your oil and sautee your garlic until fragrant.  Since you are dealing with frozen clams, it is not necessary to thaw them.  Just add them to the pan along with your fresh or frozen (thawed), squid rings.  (Be sure and cut them before adding them to the pan.

Turn your heat up and let the liquid bubble away.  Add your wine, salt, and give them a stir.  After 5 minutes, you will see a small ring of oil on the outskirts of the pan.  Remove your fish and the liquid into a bowl.   Add addtional oil and some more diced garlic and sautee. 

 Add your tomatoes (blend in the food processor if you like), water, salt, (pepper if you like), and stir.   Add some parsley and let cook away for at least 10 mintues on simmer.  When your sauce begins to stick just a little, add your fish back to the pan.  

 Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes more until most of the liquid is evaporated.   You will notice a ring again around the pan of oil.   Give your fish a mix.  Your sauce will begin to stick to the sides of the pan just a little.  Remove quickly form heat and cook your pasta until al dente.  Mix and enjoy.  Buon Appetito!