Tasty Travels: Praiano, Italy

Tim and I ate very well on our 8-day trip to Italy.

Our first stop was Praiano, on the Amalfi Coast.

From the restaurant La Strada:

Seafood Risotto
Ravioli

From the Trattoria S. Gennaro Pizzeria:
Green salad with sliced fresh fennel
Pasta Carbonara

...and some Limoncello at the hotel Le Fioriere to finish off our last night.

Tasty Travels: Ravello, Italy

Tim and I had the honor of attending a wedding in Ravello, Italy on the Amalfi Coast. The beautiful wedding was at Villa Cimbrone, and the wedding meal was held at Hotel Caruso.

Our menu:
Rossinis
Proscuitto di Pietraroja, Stringata e Capocollo, Sausages with Fennel Seed, Fresh Mozzarella, Marinated Eggplant Strips, and Sundried Tomatoes
Pizza MargheritaThe Amalfi Coast's Seafood Risotto
Neapolitan's Classic LasagnaGrilled Selection of Vegetables with Olive Oil and Parsley; Potatoes Gateau with Peas and Melted Cheese
Wedding CakeFriandiesEspresso
... and later on, a little Limoncello

Breakfast Scrambler

Inspiration:
Yukon Gold potatoes sitting in my potato bin and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 5 medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, diced with peel
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 eggs
• 8 T whole milk or half and half
  
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Arrange the potatoes and onions in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish so that they are evenly distributed. Season with garlic powder, salt and chili powder. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat potatoes and onions with oil and spices.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until potatoes are fork tender and slightly crispy. Stir every 10 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, beat eggs with milk, using a wire whisk or a fork.
   
5. When potatoes are tender, pour egg mixture into pan and stir. Return to oven, stirring every 2-3 minutes or until eggs are cooked to your liking.
   
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Wait about 5 minutes for the cheese to melt before serving.

Notes: You could scramble the eggs separately, if desired. This was not as spicy as I thought it would be, but that is not a complaint. It was really good.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Product Rave: Annie's Naturals Organic Ketchup

Tim and I are trying to live a trans-fat-free and high-fructose-corn-syrup (HFCS)-free lifestyle.

One HFCS-containing item that I know Tim would not give up is ketchup. I found this HFCS-free ketchup at our grocery store, and we actually like it better!

Annie's Naturals Organic Ketchup

Giada's Pasta alla Caprese

Inspiration:
Modified from Giada's "Fusilli alla Caprese" recipe.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces whole-wheat farfalle pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn (do not use dried basil)
  
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a potato masher or a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. If needed, add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Notes:
This was a great fresh-tasting recipe. It was relatively quick to make, except for quartering the tomatoes. If you're in a huge rush, you could probably substitute the fresh tomatoes with drained canned tomatoes, but it would lose a bit of "freshness."


Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans

Inspiration:
A recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches Swiss chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
• 1 pound red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• Plain yogurt

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 13 minutes. Mix in curry and cayenne. Add broth and chard. Increase heat; bring to boil. Add lentils and garbanzos; reduce heat to medium.
2. Cover; simmer until lentils are tender, stirring twice, about 10 minutes. Divide stew among bowls. Top with yogurt.

Notes: Serves 4-6

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Going Veggie: Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

A few of my readers are attempting to "go vegetarian" for a few weeks or a month. They're inspired by Michael Pollan's mantra: Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not Too Much.

With that in mind, here are a few ways to make some of my recent recipes vegetarian.


Vegetarian Pizza
Using the Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza recipe, remove the prosciutto! The pizza will taste great without it. Alternatively, use the base pizza recipe and top with your favorite toppings: mushrooms, onions, spinach, red or green bell pepper strips, olives, pineapple, or any combination of the above.


Vegetable Soup
Using the Hamburger Soup recipe, omit the hamburger and replace with a can of your favorite beans: black, kidney, garbanzo would all be good. Drain and rinse beans before adding. Don't like beans? How about adding a package of frozen spinach which has been thawed and thoroughly drained? A sliced zucchini or summer squash would be a delicious addition. Replace the beef broth with vegetable broth.


Pizza Rolls
Again, follow thePepperoni Rolls recipe and replace the pepperoni with your favorite pizza toppings. You could steam broccoli and add it with some cheddar. Or, sauté onions, mushrooms, and/or spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper before adding.


Giada's Lasagna Rolls
These rolls would be delicious just by removing the shrimp! You could replace the shrimp with sautéed spinach, if desired. (Especially if you are trying to eat "mostly plants" )


"Tuna" Melts
Using this tuna melt recipe, replace the tuna salad with this mock version.


Cherry Pasta Salad
Just remove the chicken from this pasta salad. Delicious!


And of course, a big salad at every meal is healthy and tasty!
So there are some ideas for you.