Carla's Kitchen Capers: Frittata, Fast, Filling and Double Duty

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Frittata, Fast, Filling and Double Duty: Frittata, an Italian quiche if you will, is a fast easy dinner that will double as tomorrow's breakfast. The possibilities are endless, eggs...

Frittata, Fast, Filling and Double Duty

Frittata, an Italian quiche if you will, is a fast easy dinner that will double as tomorrow's breakfast. The possibilities are endless, eggs and practically anything you have in the fridge. I bake mine but the proper Italian way is to fry it in olive oil in a frying pan, flip onto a plate, slide it back into the pan and brown the other side, but I have seen many fall on the kitchen floor and I'm chicken shit (lol). I use for my egg base:

8 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup grated cheese

2 tablespoons parsely

salt and pepper to taste

Tonight I added:

chopped pepperoni and Mozzarella

 scramble the egg base, add the pepperoni and mozzarella, grease well a baking dish and bake at 350 till set.

*soup or salad a perfect weeknight dinner

**I can't think of any addition that wouldn't be good except fruit 

***leftover pasta of any kind is perfect

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Time To Bake The Christmas Cookies

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Time To Bake The Christmas Cookies: I don't like to bake so much but I do enjoy making Christmas cookies. I've been baking them, first with my grandma Capp and mom, since I was...

Time To Bake The Christmas Cookies

I don't like to bake so much but I do enjoy making Christmas cookies. I've been baking them, first with my grandma Capp and mom, since I was 5. Today I started with Nutballs (my favorite) and Chocolate Muzzettes.
for the nutballs:
1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
mix well then add
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
mix until dough comes together, shape dough into 1 inch balls and bake at 375 for 10-12 min and bottom is lightly browned, roll in powdered sugar while still hot.
makes about 40
for the muzzettes:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
mix well then add
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla

mix until dough forms a ball cut into 2 even pieced and shape into logs. Bake at 375 15-20 min till set but still a little soft. Frost with chocolate frosting and slice on an angle.

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Braciole, A Special Addition to Sunday Sauce

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Braciole, A Special Addition to Sunday Sauce: I dont' make it a habit to add braciole to my Sunday sauce (never called gravy), but today I felt like this special treat. Simmered in the s...

Braciole, A Special Addition to Sunday Sauce

I dont' make it a habit to add braciole to my Sunday sauce (never called gravy), but today I felt like this special treat. Simmered in the sauce for hours its so tender and delicious. Very simple to make.
thin sliced flank steak or top round
lots of garlic and parsely chopped very finely
grated cheese (I use a 50/50 mix of parmesan and romano)
bread crumbs
olive oil
salt and pepper
lots of butchers twine

Season the meat with salt and pepper, spread on the garlic and parsley mix, sprinkle with the grated cheese and bread crumbs, drizzle with olive oil. Next roll up and tie nice and tight so it doesn't fall apart in the sauce. Simmer for at least 3 hours, remove twine and slice.
*you can also simmer in a simple marinara sauce
** it's also very tasty in a brown sauce like a marsala and served over white rice

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta Carbonara, Quick, Easy and Delizioso!!!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta Carbonara, Quick, Easy and Delizioso!!!!: This is one of the easiest pasta dishes to make with very few ingredients. In the time it takes to boil the pasta dinner is on the table. 4...

Pasta Carbonara, Quick, Easy and Delizioso!!!!

This is one of the easiest pasta dishes to make with very few ingredients. In the time it takes to boil the pasta dinner is on the table.

4 eggs

4 oz pancetta

3/4 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tblspn butter

1 lb pasta of your choice (I used fettuccine)

lots of fresh cracked black pepper

easy on the salt

Beat the eggs, cheese, cream, salt and pepper and set aside. Dice the pancetta and fry until crispy, remove from pan and add the butter to the hot pan. Boil the pasta drain and add to the pan, over a very low flame add the egg mixture and gently heat to cook but not scramble the eggs toss in the crispy pancetta and serve.

* if you don't have or can't find pancetta you can use bacon

** not scrambling the eggs takes a little practice

*** serve topped with more cracked pepper and grated cheese

Carla's Kitchen Capers: I Love Broccoliraab!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: I Love Broccoliraab!!: Dad always said it in his heavy Italian accent as one word. Broccoli Raab is a very bitter green, it's an acquired taste. Most commonly it's...

I Love Broccoliraab!!

Dad always said it in his heavy Italian accent as one word. Broccoli Raab is a very bitter green, it's an acquired taste. Most commonly it's served with sausage, I love it tossed with pasta, other tasty additions are pepperoni, ham hock, pork chops, I guess the possibilities are endless. Really easy to cook and just 3 ingredients besides the salt and pepper of course:

broccoli raab 

good olive oil

garlic (I used 6-8 for 2 lbs)

salt and pepper to taste

I cut the stems off (but most Italians would say "your throwing half of it away"), and wash really good, then just toss it all together in a pot with about a half inch of water on the bottom, cover tightly and steam until it reaches your idea of tender, I just mine cooked very soft.

* I love mine tossed with cavatelli (aka bullets in my family)

** some lemon and red hot pepper flakes would be good too

*** you either love it of hate it and I LOVE it!!!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change: I usually have a house full for Thanksgiving dinner but Dad has alzheimer's and can't handle a lot of people and loud talking so it was just...

Thanksgiving for 4.....Things Change

I usually have a house full for Thanksgiving dinner but Dad has alzheimer's and can't handle a lot of people and loud talking so it was just me the hubs, mom and dad. The Menu was turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and stuffed mushrooms. Stuffing is my favorite and it took me a few years to come up with in my opinion the perfect recipe, I always make a double batch because I love leftovers cold.

2 bags cubed stuffing (I use Pepperidge farm herb)

2 rolls Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage

1 large bulb of fennel sliced

1 large onion chopped

6 ribs of celery sliced (I like to use the inside ribs and leaves)

1 stick of butter

2-3 cans chicken stock (I like my stuffing cake like but it's your choice)

fresh sage and thyme, and salt and pepper to taste

First I sweat the veggie in the butter and add the herbs and salt and pepper, all it to the dry stuffing (in a very large mixing bowl) the add the sausage to the skillet and brown, add to the bowl and pour in the stock and mix well. Put in into a casserole and bake about an hour. I never stuff my turkey but I always put an apple in the cavity, makes the gravy so tasty and I love the way my new convection oven makes the skin so crispy and the meat so juicy.

* gravy pan on the right was just the roux

** mashed potatoes were still boiling

*** this blog was for you Vin

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla: I was craving linguine and shrimp so I went into the kitchen and just started cooking with no recipe in mind, that's ...

Linguine e Gamberi alla Carla

I was craving linguine and shrimp so I went into the kitchen and just started cooking with no recipe in mind, that's when the best dishes are created...roughly translated...shrimp,olive oil, butter, garlic, shallot, parsley, lemon juice, hot pepper flakes....let the pictures do the talking....first get some good color on the shrimp and remove from the pan, add garlic, shallot and a knob of butter and let it go about 3-4 min., next add white wine and the juice of 1 lemon, (I didn't have any white wine so I used dry vermouth) reduce about 3 more min and add parsley and hot pepper flakes. Now throw the pasta in the water and while its boiling add some of the starchy water to the sauce pan, when the pasta is almost cooked add it to the sauce with the reserved shrimp. I love to make a crispy topping for my white pasta dishes with a panko and olive oil base today I added lemon zest and parsley. This dinner was just screaming for some garlic bread!!!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Saturday Night Steak Night

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Saturday Night Steak Night: Saturday night has always been steak night since week one. When I go to the grocery store what ever steak looks good I buy, to...

Saturday Night Steak Night

Saturday night has always been steak night since week one. When I go to the grocery store what ever steak looks good I buy, today it was the filet mignon, $16 for 2. I decided to make a blue cheese sauce to top it off and served it with haricot verts (fancy name for skinny french green beans) and rice pilaf.
for the blue cheese sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz blue cheese crumbled (2/3 for the sauce 1/3 for garnish)
1 tsp beurre manie (see note)
salt (lightly) and pepper to taste
reduce the heavy cream and beurre manie for 5 min add 2/3 or the blue cheese and simmer until thick, next blanch the green beans and toss in olive oil salt and pepper. Next grill the steak 6 min per side, top with sauce and reserved  blue cheese, garish with green onion.
p.s. a beurre manie is equal parts butter and flour kneaded into a paste, the most perfect thickening agent and never any lumps.
* a squirt of lemon on the green beans is yummy!!
** I always have beurre manie in the fridge and so should you, you'll thank me later, promise.
*** still waiting on my first comment, just saying ;)

Carla's Kitchen Capers: When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese

Carla's Kitchen Capers: When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese: Sometimes on Sunday's when I don't feel like frying meatballs I make this sauce. The addition of the veggies and cream make it rich and swee...

When I'm Lazy I make Bolognese

Sometimes on Sunday's when I don't feel like frying meatballs I make this sauce. The addition of the veggies and cream make it rich and sweet.


2 lbs meatloaf mix (equal amount ground beef, pork & veal)
1 large onion chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic chopped
3 carrots peeled and chopped
3 ribs of celery diced
3 cans of tomatoes crushed or put in the blender
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream
dry oregano, basil,bay leaves salt & pepper to taste


saute the onion, garlic & carrots in the butter add the chopped meat and cook until no longer pink add the oregano, basil, salt & pepper then add the wine and cook until the wine is evaporated add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 hours during the last half hour add the cream until it becomes a pinky orange color serve over your favorite pasta.

 

* sometimes I add ground italian sausage too...I did today
** I didn't have any red wine in the house so I left it out
*** this sauce works really good for a quick lasagna

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Meatloaf Italian Style

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Meatloaf Italian Style: I make meatloaf many ways this is one of them. for the loaf: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1/3 loaf day old Italian bread soaked in water, sque...

Meatloaf Italian Style

I make meatloaf many ways this is one of them.

for the loaf:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef 

1/3 loaf day old Italian bread soaked in water, squeezed and crumbled 

2 eggs

2 cloves of garlic chopped (I grated them on a rasp)

1 hand full of grated cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper

chunks of cheese for the middle (any mild kind like mozzarella)

mix and shape into a loaf and make a trench add cheese and pinch closed bake in 350 oven for about 45 min.

for the sauce:

1 10 oz pkg mushrooms sliced

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt, pepper and my magic ingredient adobo

saute the mushrooms in oil until brown add tomato sauce, ketchup and season. Simmer until meatloaf is just about done. Pour sauce over meatloaf and cook another 5 min.