Tag: rosemary

Turkey and Chicken Sausage Ragu

This is a yummy ragu with ground turkey and chicken sausage. Sausage already has yummy flavor and it is a great way to add deliciousness to any dish…

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground dark meat turkey
4 chicken sausage links, casings taken off and crumbled (I bought the roasted garlic variety)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
4 cups whole-wheat spaghetti, al dente

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the turkey meat and cook on high heat while separating the meat with the back of a wooden spoon for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crumbled sausage and continue to brown for another 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the rosemary, onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add salt and mix well. Simmer on low heat, covered with lid for about 45 minutes while stirring every 10 minutes or so. Take lid off and check for seasonings. Serve on top of spaghetti and garnish with grated cheese.

Chicken and Beans Stew

This is a great one pot meal to make through the week as it doesn’t take very long to make. Serve with some crusty bread and a crispy salad and you have an amazing meal!!

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
Salt
Pepper
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can cannellini beans
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
½ pound pasta
Salt
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over the chicken pieces Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Brown the chicken pieces with skin side down, about 5 minutes on each side. Keep aside. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, carrots and celery. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the beans and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and continue to simmer till the pasta is cooked through. In the mean time take the skin off the chicken pieces and shred with fork and keep aside. Add the chicken pieces to the stew. Check for seasonings and garnish with cheese.

Chicken and Bean Pasta Stew- One Pot Meal!

Yummy, hearty stew with chicken thighs and beans… I flavored it with some pancetta and decided to make it a one pot meal by adding the pasta to the mix!

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
Salt
Pepper
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can cannellini beans
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
½ pound pasta
Salt
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Chicken and Bean Stew

So my daughter just got a full set of braces- so she has to eat all soft stuff for a bit. I decided to make a play on pasta fagioli- I changed it by making it a stew instead of a soup. I also added chicken to it as I wanted more protein in the dish and I thought a one pot meal would be a lot easier to make. This is a great dish to make today- especially with all the snow coming…

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
Salt
Pepper
½ cup pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 can cannellini beans
4 to 6 cups chicken broth
½ pound pasta
Salt
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Roast Lamb

This is an amazing roast to make for the holidays. We originally had it in Spello, Umbria. A friendly woman named Paula made it for us. I watched her make it step by step and replicated it at home.

I realized the ingredients make an amazing difference. The Italian vegetables and meats are amazingly fresh and taste so different. I tried my best to buy the most local and fresh ingredients I could find including using herbs from my garden.

The key is to use a lamb shoulder which can be roasted several hours in the oven. If you prefer a lamb leg, make sure you don’t over cook it.

It is perfect for Christmas. I made it with a white bean ragu, a big green salad and a huge tray of tiramisu. How can you go wrong with that??

One 5 pound lamb shoulder roast
¼ cup chopped pancetta
¼ cup chopped pork fat
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh sage
¼ cup fennel frawns
2 garlic cloves
Salt
Pepper
2 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Process the pancetta, pork fat, rosemary, thyme, sage, fennel frawns and garlic cloves in a food processor until smooth. Keep aside.

Place the roast in a roasting pan and spread the pancetta mixture on the lamb roast- you can use all of it or save some for roast vegetables to be served on the side. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Pour 2 cups chicken broth at the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 2 to 2 ½ hours. Bring the heat down to 350 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes- till the meat is tender and soft.

Leftover Chicken Lasagna

After I made the delicious stew, I had some chicken left over- this is a great way to make a completely new dish!!! If you haven’t cooked the stew and don’t have leftover chicken- just buy a rotisserie chicken…

Leftover chicken breast, meat taken off and chopped, mixed with any leftover gravy. It should be about a cup.
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and keep aside.

3 to 4 cups fresh tomato sauce
9 lasagna noodles (I used no bake ones)
1 medium sized oven proof dish
5 to 6 small slices of fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Dip the no bake noodles in tomato sauce and place three at the bottom of the dish. Add half the amount of ricotta cheese mixture and top with half the amount of chicken. Top with three more no bake noodles (dipped in tomato sauce) and repeat the process. Finally top with the last three no bake noodles (dipped in tomato sauce) and add at least a cup of tomato sauce on top, covering all corners (add more sauce if needed). Top with fresh mozzarella and then cover with aluminum foil. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Take out and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Pasta with Turkey and Spinach

This is a healthy one! My daughter’s friend was coming over on a Sunday and was going to stay for lunch. Kids love pasta- we all know that. It is always hard to come up with new and interesting dishes to serve them.

I had ground turkey in the fridge and decided to make a quick meat sauce. I also had a big container of freshly made marinara sauce. Instead of serving vegetables on the side, I added it into the sauce. I love making one pot meals- especially for kids. I have also noticed they tend to eat the veggies if they are incorporated into the dish.

I sauteed an onion and garlic with the meat- added the tomato sauce and spinach. That was it- so simple and delicious.

1 pound ground turkey meat
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups marinara sauce
Salt

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the turkey meat and separate meat with a wooden spoon. Cook on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the two cups marinara sauce and mix well. Add salt and check for seasonings. Cook, covered for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta.

« older entries newer entries »