The "Perfect Margarita"

You'll need a big shaker. When I learned how to make this margarita, the
bartender used the liquor pourers for easy pouring. Each "count" is about equal to 1 shot (or part).

In a shaker, in this order...pour:

• 3 counts (1 1/2 oz) of Jose Cuervo Especial
  
• 2 counts (1 1/2 oz) of Cointreau
  
• 2 counts (1 oz) of fresh lime juice
  
• 1 count of Gran Gala
  
• 14 medium ice cubes (yes he counted these, and they were the size of bar ice cubes, not the ones in your fridge!)
  
• lime wedge for garnish
  
• salt for rim

Shake vigorously until you hear the ice sounds change. The shake makes all the difference. (Yes, he told us this.) Pour into your favorite margarita glass! Makes one serving.

I happen to like mine frozen, so this went in the blender. But, this recipe makes one kick-ass margarita on-the-rocks.

I had some mint leaves (no lime), so that was my garnish! Perfect for an evening snack, I had mine with some tortilla chips and guacamole topped with crumbled queso fresco.

Italian Sausage and Potatoes

• 1 pound Italian sausage w/ broccoli rabe, cut into chunks (got this from the Amish!)
  
• 1 pound small red potatoes, cut into quarters
  
• 1 large (about 1 pound) onion, cut into 12 wedges
  
• 2 peppers (red, yellow or green), cut lengthwise into 8 pieces
  
• 1-2 tablespoon(s) olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.


2. In a glass Pyrex pan, combine sausages, potatoes, onion, peppers , olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; toss to coat.


3. Roast sausage mixture 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender and sausages are lightly browned, stirring once halfway through roasting.

Served with parmesan risotto with peas and a mixed green salad with beets & feta. This meal seems too simple to be good, but it is PACKED with flavor! Definitely a keeper.

Whole Wheat Margharita Pizza

• Whole wheat pizza dough - Trader Joes
• Pomi® Marinara Sauce
  
• 3-4 slices tomato
  
• 3-4 slices of fresh mozzarella
  
• 2 handfuls of shredded mozzarella
  
• Fresh basil leaves

Bake on pizza stone at 500° for 6-10 minutes or until bubbly.

Flank Steak on a Whim

Got a nice flank steak at the farmer's market this Saturday. $7.99/lb and
fresh from the Amish farm. I had good intentions for my little flank steak (Ropa Vieja!...that will make its debut soon), but my laziness got the best of me. I ended up slappin' it on the grill.

Found a pretty good BBQ rub, and, well...rubbed. Drizzled with EVOO prior to grilling. 5-7 mins per side, Cut against the grain. You don't need a wet
marinade to have a super juicy result. Dry rubs are just as good, and sometimes, much more satisfying!

I cheated and bought some prepared spanish risotto. Mmm. Laziness strikes again! Served with a mixed green salad with pine nuts, gorgonzola, EVOO &
balsamic. Not shown...ate it too fast!

Broccoli with a Kick

Had some broccoli that I totally forgot about, I had to do something with it.
I boiled it first, and put a little pouch aside (unflavored) for Lilly. With the
rest, I did this:

Heat sesame oil (or EVOO) in a pan, depending on how much broccoli you have.
Don't drench it. Ew.

Add crushed garlic. Nothing could be easier (and flavorful!) than Dorot
frozen spices.

Red onion chopped, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, red pepper flake (optional),
parmesan cheese.

Saute til onion is tender, tossed with prepared broccoli.

Excuse-free Handmade Cavatelli

One cup of semolina flour, and warm water. Add water gradually and stir with
fork until it clumps into a ball, easy enough to knead. Keep adding flour till
no longer sticky.

Break off a piece, and roll it out.

Chop into inches...

"Dig" the Cavatelli...

1 Cup of flour makes about 2-3 servings.

No excuses, ladies!! This took me about 20 minutes, tops. And, it's relaxing.


Tossed with a Quattro Formaggio sauce. Trial and error again. This one is a
little dense for my taste, I think next time I will try ricotta.

Handrolled Pici: Trial and Error!

Oh Marichelle, you have made me feel inferior. I make a slammin' gnocchi, but this time, I think I met my match!

Since I don't have a scale, I couldn't tell how many grams of flour/water, so I looked up other pasta methods. And even though the pasta felt fine in my hands, I think I could've rolled it out a little thinner than this.

I made some thicker-than-normal pici for dindin, and while it all tastes the same going in, I was disappointed in my work.

Since this is a work in progress, I wont post the recipe until I've mastered it.

Dang, why did I have to put my recipe books in storage!?

Hand-kneaded dough...


Pici


Whoa, way too thick, but still tasted great! Thanks to Carlino's for the sauce/sausage. I'll make my own next time.

Summer: Defined.

To me, nothing says summer like a nice mater salad. Jersey tomatoes fresh from the vine, red onion, green cukes, fresh basil from the garden, smashed garlic, drenched in EVOO & balsamic vinegar!

The Perfect Lunch - Grilled Panini

Already had everything in the fridge: Proscuitto, mozz, tomato, and fresh basil. Not so much of each (we Americans tend to PILE IT ON), on TJ's Tuscan Pane bread, dripped with EVOO. Assemble and plop on Forman Grill!





Mmm! Must be the Italian girl in me.

Life in Six Words

Marichelle from Lifelix tagged me on this one.

If you haven't seen her blog, and you love to cook, GO there. I have come to rely on her ideas! She's my hero - quit the corporate crap to follow her dream.

 

OK, back to this little assignment...

1. Write the title to your own memoir using SIX words.
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Link to the person that tagged you.
4. Tag 5 more blogs.

My life in 6 words:

 

Libra scales are made for tipping.

 

On the cover would be...
The scales, of course. On one side: Me - arms folded, wide stance. Other side (the heavy side), a jumble of all life's little challenges. You know who/what you are.

I'm excited to see titles from...
Mo, Girl66, and I suck because other than Lifelix,  I only read those blogs.

Potato Frittata with Prosciutto, Mozzerella, and Basil

It was pouring tonight. A perfect night to make something with anything left in the fridge.

This is an egg frittata, made with leftover hashbrown potatoes, proscuitto, mozzarella, and parmasean cheese. Oh and some fresh basil from my herb pot!



Recipe:

• 5 eggs
  
• 1/2 cup milk (better if you have 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup milk)
  
• 3 slices of proscuitto or 3 strips of bacon cut into 1/4 inch pieces
  
• handful of leftover hasbrowns or canned sliced potatoes
  
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
  
• handful of mozzerella shredded
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• fresh basil leaves
  
• salt & pepper

Oven at 425 F
Heat up a 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and cook bacon/prosciutto/potatoes. Cook until meat is crispy. Then add garlic. Add a pinch of salt.
Scramble eggs with the milk and the parmasean (save some for the topping).
Pour in egg mixture into the skillet. Stir around so that everything is well-distributed.

Top with remaining cheese and basil leaves. Place in oven until bubbly and firm.