In your kitchen don’t be:
Chicken Cacciatore
This is a very popular recipe from my youth. It has an amazing blend of flavors. You can actually use frozen chicken and it will turn out juicier.
Equipment
- Large pot with cover
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced
- 1 green pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and kept whole
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Romano cheese to taste
- ¾ box macaroni or spaghetti cooked
Instructions
- Sautee onions, peppers, and garlic for about 4 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to the pan.
- Cook on medium heat for about ¾ hour or until chicken is cooked.
- Let sit for a couple of minutes and remove chicken from the pan retaining everything else.
- Place cooked pasta in a large bowl and add the juices etc. from the bottom of the pan.
- You can serve the chicken separately or serve it on the same plate as the pasta. Be sure to add your cheese to the pasta before you take a bite.
Notes
Olives are optional. I add them because I like the salty flavor. If you add them, adjust the salt.
20 to 30 minutes is all you need to get these healthy Mediterranean diet dinners on the table.
Breakfast Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 frozen whole wheat or gluten free pizza crust or you can make your own…but not too thick
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs
- ¼ chopped onion
- 1 bell pepper chopped into small pieces
- ½ can diced tomatoes very well drained
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup chopped baby spinach
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet or a pizza pan with parchment paper and cook the pizza crust in oven according to package directions until it is nice and brown.
- Turn the oven down to 350 F.
- In a large skillet pour one tablespoon of the olive oil and turn the heat to medium high.
- Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic and let them cook for five minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet.
- In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs and beat them together with a fork.
- Let the eggs cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. (Drain well)
- Spread evenly on the cooked pizza crust.
- Distribute the mixture of onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, and mozzarella cheese on the pizza crust.
- Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. (In the last minute, add the baby spinach).
- Take out of the oven and sprinkle the pizza with parmesan cheese and a tiny bit of oregano.
Pastina Chicken Soup with Spinach
Pastina is tiny pasta. It is delicious with butter and Romano cheese. This recipe, however, uses it in a tantalizing soup which is extremely easy to make.
Pastina Chicken Soup with Spinach
This soup takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp. garlic minced
- 3 cups chopped spinach kale, broccoli, escarole are also suitable
- 2 carrots minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water spring water tastes better
- 3 cups shredded chicken cooked
- ¾ cup uncooked Pastina
- grated Parmesan cheese to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Add the spinach and carrots and cook for 5 five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broth, water, salt, and pepper and turn the heat to high.
- Bring the broth to a boil and add the pasta.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through stirring every few minutes. Note: Do not allow the pasta to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken and cook for two more minutes to warm through.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, and top each with a half tablespoon of cheese, and serve.
Prosciutto-Lettuce Tomato Avocado Sandwiches
Try this irresistible recipe as a substitute for the less healthy bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich.
Ingredients
- 8 slices whole grain or whole wheat bread
- 1 ripe avocado halved and pitted
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 4 romaine lettuce leaves torn into 8 eight pieces total
- large ripe tomato sliced into eight rounds
- 2 ounces prosciutto cut into eight thin slices
Instructions
- Toast the bread and place on a large platter.
- Scoop the avocado flesh out of the skin into a small bowl. Add the pepper and salt.
- Using a fork or a whisk gently mash the avocado until it resembles a creamy spread. Spread the avocado mash overall 8 pieces of toast.
- To make one sandwich, take one slice of avocado toast, and top it with lettuce leaf, tomato slice, and 1 prosciutto slice. Top with another slice of each lettuce tomato and prosciutto, then cover with the second piece of avocado toast, avocado side down on the prosciutto. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make three more sandwiches and serve.
Notes
Prep tip: Place the avocado standing up on your cutting board with the stem end down. Slice the fruit in half maneuvering your knife around the pit. Then simply twist the two sides and pull them apart. Scoop the pit out with a spoon.
