Category: Recipes

Zuppa di Cozze for Two Recipes at my Table

Zuppa di Cozze For Two

Zuppa di Cozze For Two

Zuppa di Cozze For Two is perfect for a romantic supper which brings us back to Cefalu, Sicily.  John and I have had the pleasure of dining many times in Sicily.  We have many favourite places to eat this soup.  You wouldn’t think of eating soup on a hot night, yet we have had this when the temperature is till 30 C at 9 pm at night.

Zuppa di Cozze For Two is meant to be shared with your significant other with a good glass of wine or two.  The mussels today come from the east coast and are only one day old.  We are lucky that today many grocery store chains carry an array of seafood.

We also love Cozze Scopiatte which only uses olive oil, black pepper, parsley, garlic and a splash of fresh lemon juice.  My favourite place to eat these is at : http://ragnodorocefalu.it/  Besides the food the owners here go above and beyond to make you feel at home.  Our favourite waiter was Franco; he passed away last year.  We will always remember him with his fresh plums in the street luring passersby to the restaurant.

I put a couple of tablespoons of flour into a large bowl and after I rinse the mussels they go into this bowl with more water and ice.  The flour will help to clean out the sand.  I leave them in this bowl for at least 30 minutes.  Throw out any mussels that are open.

The ingredients for the simple sauce are assembled.

The mussels hang out in the bowl.

I start the sauce with olive oil, garlic, basil and Italian seasoning. Let it warm up in the pan.

Next I toss in these small cherry tomatoes that are cut in half.  Cook for one minute.

I rinse the clams and throw them into the pan and toss them around for a few seconds.

Next the wine goes in.

The lid goes on and they steam for about 5 minutes. Now they are all open and I add some fresh basil.  Discard any mussels that don’t open.

I grilled some whole wheat baquette on the grill and it is toasty and ready for this Zuppa.

Plated and ready for two.

Zuppa di Cozze for Two Recipes at my Table
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Zuppa di Cozze for Two

This is a dish to share!!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Zuppa di Cozze for Two
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Zuppa

  • 1 bag fresh mussels
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • hand full of fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cups cherry tomtoes
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 cup white wine

The bread

  • 1 large baquette
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp oregano

Instructions

The Zuppa

  1. Clean the mussels by rinsing and placing them in a bowl of cold water with a couple of tbsp of flour for 30 minutes.  

    Rinse the mussels again.  Brush off any remaining debris such as beards. They can be easily pulled off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDsBCI2xCX8

    In a large pan, add olive oil, basil, garlic and warm for a minute.  Do not burn.  

    Now add the sliced cherry tomatoes. 

    Cook for 2 minutes and add the rinsed mussels.

    Toss everything together and pour in the white wine.

    Place lid on pan and cook for 5 minutes.

    Remove lid and garnish with fresh basil. 

The bread

  1. Slice the baquette in half and brush with olive oil.

    Sprinkle some oregano on each half.

    Put cut side down on barbecue for a minute.

    Flip over and cook for another 30 seconds.

    Remove and add to the bowls of soup.  

Recipe Notes

You can easily double this recipe.  

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Buttermilk Blueberry Sones recipes at my table

Buttermilk Blueberry Scones

Buttermilk Blueberry Scones

Buttermilk Blueberry Scones are a nice summer breakfast or anytime treat.  Introduced to scones for the first time in England, I instantly fell in love with these little breads.  I thought it was great the way they could be packed with any fruit.  Blueberries are in abundance and before these go to waste, they will adorn these scones. For a little light reading on scones visit: http://www.thequeenofscones.com/the-history-of-the-scone/

I like this butter dough because it is easy to handle and doesn’t split when you roll it out.  There is no patching, LOL.  I also like this recipe because it is a tiny bread infused with fruit.  You can use peaches, fresh cranberries, pears and apples.  I also make a savoury scone using this recipe, but that is another post.

Today it is all about making something fruity for a breakfast treat.  I have to confess, that I do eat these with my 4 PM glass of wine.  Something about dough, fruit and wine that goes well together.

The blueberries are fresh and i have a little over 2 cups today.

My food processor is my best friend.  The butter makes beautiful little pea size shapes.

Pulsing the dough recipes at my table

Add the buttermilk and pulse on high.  When the dough moves away from the blades it is time to turn it onto the counter.

the dough comes away from the sides recipes at my table

The dough goes onto a piece of floured parchment paper.

dough recipes at my table

A 15 X 15 rectangle ready for the blueberries. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

flatten dough out recipes at my table

Once the blueberries are on the dough roll it up.

rolling up the scones recipes at my table

All rolled-up.

all rolled up recipes at my table

Cut on the diagonal.

cut on the diagonal recipes at my table

Ready for the oven.

ready for the oven recipes at my table

Out of the oven.

out of the oven recipes at my table

Buttermilk Blueberry Sones recipes at my table
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Buttermilk Blueberry Scones

Buttermilk Blueberry Scones are a little breads from heaven.  

Course Breakfast
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The scones

  • 3 cups flour I always use unbleached or pastry
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 %
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups blueberry
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar

Yogurt cream

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 tbsp orange marmalade
  • 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

The Scones

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

    Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a food processor. Blend on low for a few seconds.

    Cube the butter and add it to the food processor a little at a time. Pulse after each addition.  Mixture should form pea sized crumbs.

    Next add 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and set food processor to high until dough comes away from blade.

    Turn dough onto a large piece of parchment that is floured.

    Flatten dough out with hands.  

    Sprinkle with flour.

    Put a piece of clear plastic wrap over dough and use a rolling pin to make a 15 X 15 rectangle.

    Place blueberries on rectangle.

    Roll the rectangle into a long cylinder. 

    Cut the dough into rectangles along a diagonal.  I got 15 pieces.

    Brush with remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and dust with coconut sugar.

    Bake for 18 minutes.

    Remove from oven and let cool.

    I like them plain, but you can serve with my yogurt cream. 


The Yogurt Cream

  1. Mix everything in a bowl and serve on the side with the scones.  

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Italian Bocconcini Burgers recipes at my table

Italian Bocconcini Hamburgers

Italian Bocconcini Hamburgers

Italian Bocconcini Hamburgers are my twist on burgers with some favourite Italian ingredients.  I am using the burger-in-a-bag method which you may have seen on various blogs.  I got the idea from Ziploc bags: https://ziploc.com/recipes/dinner/gourmet-hamburger-patties-red-onion-burger

Using Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags come in handy for many things and I find this method easy to use and not as messy.  The burgers are easy to remove from the freezer and you can put just about anything in them. Today I use lean ground beef, mushrooms and onion.  To add the Italian zing I put in basil and my mix of Italian seasoning which has fennel and red pepper flakes in it.

This Italian Hamburger is topped with bocconcini and served with a Pesto mayonnaise.  Fresh heirloom tomatoes from Leamington make this a burger that’s easy for entertaining and a crowd-pleaser.

View the video to watch the process.

Here the burgers come out of the freezer.  They hold together better and don’t fall apart on the grill, which can sometimes happen when using vegetables in the meat.

I love grill marks and after 4 minutes on one side these marks are perfect.

bruger grill marks recipes at my table

It’s all about the bun.  I went to our local bakery and bought these beauties.  I smother them with a pesto mayonnaise.  For a quick mayonnaise, I use store bought mayonnaise and add 1 tablespoon of my homemade pesto.

It’s a beautiful site to watch once the bocconcini hit the burgers.

Aww that first bite!!

the first bite recipes at my table

 

Italian Bocconcini Burgers recipes at my table
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Italian Bocconcini Burgers

It's the little cheese balls that will make you smile!!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 2 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 container fresh mushrooms 300gr
  • 1 medium onion
  • 12 large leaves of fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion and mushroom into small pieces.  If your pieces are too large, the burgers will fall apart.

    Chiffonade the basil.  You can learn how to do this at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88tztCqjAkY

    Combine everything together except the water.

    Mix thoroughly.  Now add the 1/2 cup water and mix again.

    Take a large Ziploc freezer bag and place the mixture in it. 

    Ensure that it is tightly sealed.

    Spread out the meat mixture.  I used my small rolling pin.

    Now use something to score the contents into 9 pieces.  I used my large chef's knife with the lid.  You can use a ruler or the handle of a large wooden spoon.

    Place the bag in the freezer for at least 3 hours.

    Remove and break the burgers apart and use as many as needed.

    This recipe makes 9 burgers.  I like to allow 2 burgers per person and that is generous.  🙂

    Heat the grill to 400 F.  Grill 4 minutes on each side.

    Turn again and lay the bocconcini on the burgers for 2 minutes.



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barbecued pork loin recipes at my table

Dry Rub Barbecued Pork Loin

Dry Rub Barbecued Pork Loin

Dry Rub Barbecued Pork Loin is colourful, tender and infused with strong  flavours.  Sometimes putting meat on the barbecue can dry it out, but the secret is cooking it at a lower temperature.  There is a difference between barbecuing and grilling.  I keep the temperature between 250 and 300 for this recipe. You don’t want your rub to burn; keeping it at this temperature will give you a great coating.

Growing up we had a charcoal barbecue for the longest time, and it was such a treat to get a gas barbecue.  I remember when my parents bought the barbecue, like everything else it was a celebration; family and friends came to savour the treats.  Being Italian, I never tasted barbecue sauce until I started to date my husband.  My parents infused the meat with dry spices. They also used long-stemmed oregano leaves as brushes.  They dipped the leaves into a mixture of spices and oil and brushed the meat before and after in this manner.

My favourite memories of a barbecue are from our huge fire pit at camp.  When the embers were hot, my grandmother would wrap potatoes and bake them under the natural white coals.  I can still smell the fire and taste the potatoes.  We would sit there late at night and bite into the best potato skins, and NO Italians never roasted marshmallows. LOL

I don’t like barbecue sauces on any of my recipes.  The flavour I choose comes from spices, and today it is a mixture of spices.  I am using dry ingredients, but moistening them with oil as my glue.  This recipe keeps the pork moist.

For more excellent dry rubs go to https://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1083246/dry-rub-recipes

All the spices rolled into the pork loin and it is ready for the refrigerator.

The meat hits the grill and the spices are very colourful.

the meat hits the grill recipes at my table

The proof is in the grill marks.

grill marks recipes at my table

Love to stack these slices.

stacked pork loin recipes at my table

barbecued pork loin recipes at my table
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Dry Rub Barbecued Pork Loin

Use dry spices to enhance your barbecue.  

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 medium pork loin
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tbsp The Keg Chicken and Rib Spice
  • 2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a dish. 

    Place the canola oil in another dish and roll the pork loin in it.

    Now roll the pork loin in the spices.

    Place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

    Place on a 300 F grill.

    Grill each side four minutes.

    Remove and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  

Recipe Notes

I don't use extra salt because the Keg spices already have salt. 

Only turn the meat over once.  

Make this rub a head of time and put in a jar for chicken and ribs.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

barbecued pork loin recipes at my table
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Dry Rub Barbecued Pork Loin

Use dried spices to enhance a barbecue.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 pork loin medium in size
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbst Keg chikcen and rib spice
  • 1 tbsp paparika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder

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