Salami Crisps:

Ingredients:

Salami – That’s it!

Instructions:  cut salami in half.  Place in a hot skillet (no oil) and cook for only 20- 30 seconds on each side.  Place on a paper towel to drain oil.  The salami will take on the texture of a crispy chip with a less greasy feel.

Sweet Walnut and Blue Cheese Dip:

1 cup of chopped walnuts

¼ cup of honey

3 tablespoons of blue cheese crumbles

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley, minced

1 pinch of salt and pepper

Combine ingredients.  That’s it!  Serve with a slices of warm baguettes and a few slices of cheddar cheese.

Posted in Recipe-Italian | 3 Comments »

Matriciana (Serves 4-6)

1 lb of Bucatini pasta (thick spaghetti with a hole in the noodle), cooked al dente

150 g guanciale (if you can not get guanciale you will have to use bacon instead, but it won’t be authentic Matriciana)

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup of dry white wine

6 or 7 good tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed (San Marzano or pomodori pelati),

½ tsp of red chili (or more, if you like it hot),

100 g grated pecorino romano cheese, salt.

(optional:  1 clove of garlic, finely minced, and 1 tsp of Tony’s seasoning)

Instructions:

Cut the guanciale into small cubes and fry it lightly in the oil together with the red chili (and garlic and Tony’s seasoning). Remove guanciale pieces and set aside to avoid overcooking.  Add white wine to the pan. Add the tomatoes. Return the guanciale to the pan and mix.  Add the pasta, cooked al dente, to the pan and mix.  Add the pecorino cheese.

Posted in Recipe-Italian | 1 Comment »

Crispy Creamy Chicken

Ingredients (for 1 person’s dinner and next day lunch to share!)

2 chicken breasts

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten with 2 teaspoons of water

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup white wine

½ cup cream

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 branches thyme

1-2 button mushrooms, sliced

Instructions:  Poke holes in chicken with fork.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour.  Soak in egg wash and then dredge in bread crumbs.  Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan.  Add butter, mushrooms, thyme, wine, and cream to the pan, and stir together.  Return the chicken to the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 5 minutes.  In this cooking process, one side of the chicken remains crispy.  The bottom of the chicken soaks up the liquids, which the low heat thickens to create a mild sauce.  Carefully remove the chicken and cut into ½-inch pieces.  Place over fresh green salad, top off with mushrooms, and drizzle with cream sauce.  You can use leftovers (if any) in salads, an Asian stir fry, or for a creamy tomato pasta sauce!

Posted in Chicken | 6 Comments »