Italian Gravy

Back to my childhood when to stretch the dinner budget mom would whip up a quick pan tomato sauce using fresh sweet tomatoes, a little garlic, a few anchovy filets for a savory punch and a few sprigs of fresh sweet basil from the yard.  This thick unctuous satisfying sauce was poured over a steaming  mound of corn polenta.  I am decended from a "Polentone". My mother Luigia, is from the far reaches of the North Eastern Italian region known as Friuli Giulia Venezia. A collection of farm villages near Udine in a hamlet named Campo Lessi that survived from what they raised and grew on their land. By the way, their excellent wine, cheese and salami made from their own pigs is a favorite meal of my lifetime.

I am proud of my family and lucky to have visited the family farm twice.

This tomato gravy recipe is also wonderful on potatoes, pan fried eggs, shrimp, roasted chicken and in a documented case over a bean burrito topped with fresh ricotta cheese.

Smoked Salmon Scramble

 

I wish you could be here to smell the aroma of the smoked salmon and taste the creamy, delicate, buttery egg curds. A simple recipe, can be made in 10 minutes. perfect for morning breakfast when serving overnight guests or a great brunch with a pink champagne. Click open to view time lapse easy to follow video.

Rice Paper Bacon

 

As anyone can see by my recipe collection I am neither vegetarian nor vegan but I do enjoy experimenting outside my culinary comfort zone. I like bacon and while I do not slather it on everything and for some the occasional Bloody Mary cocktail it is a great addition to many dishes, especially sandwiches. TALLBlonde's favorite food group!

Nomato Sauce

 

Okay America, I am just going to say it, this Nightshade-Free NoMato sauce is "effing" amazing.

I must admit, I could not believe that a rich and flavorful Marinara Sauce could be made without tomatoes. I am cooking for a family member that can no longer eat nightshade veggies (tomato, potato, eggplant, all peppers).  The inflammation from the naturally occurring enzymes create great havoc with their immune system.  If you suffer from arthritis, you may want to try eliminating nightshades for a few weeks and see how your joints feel with less inflammation and pain. I have reviewed numerous recipes and have developed this recipe that is 95% the closest to the real thing, a classic Marinara sauce without tomatoes. It can be done.

Some recipes require an expensive InstaPot, which I do not own, nor do I want to dish out for one.  TallBlonde's recipe requires only a crockpot and a classic blender. And may I say this is healthier than the stuff you purchase in a glass jar at your local grocer. I highly recommend sharing this with your friends that are suffering the ravages of nightshade terror.

They can eat pasta and pizza again, that alone make this worth it even if you are not nightshade intolerant because it is fresher!

Kofta & Salad - ISRAEL

Third in a three part series centering on typical food served in Israel. Everyone loves Kebabs (Kofta)  and here is TALL Blonde's version. I have previously tried recipes and felt the flavor components needed to be ramped up. That is my first contribution, the second contribution to this recipe is the option to consider using ground lamb instead of ground beef, some optional flavor suggestions and the elimination of the skewer so anyone can make these without the requirement of a grill. These patties make terrific sliders smothered with a little plain yogurt and diced green onions or spicy green harissa (recipe link below)

If you wish to try your hand at preparing a complete meal, check on my other recipes titled "Isreal Step One" and "Israel Step Two" for complimentary side dishes: Pita Bread, Tabbouleh, and Green Harissa.  I have included a recipe for refreshing Israeli Salad below.

Tabbouleh - ISRAEL

 

Three part recipe series on dishes found in Israel.  There are more self described vegetarians and vegans in this country than any other single country in the world, true fact. 

This recipe is a classic Tabbouleh traditionally made with cracked bulgar wheat.  I make this recipe with Quinoa as a gluten free option. So good, you will serve it in a martini glass.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

 

It has been said a thousand times that soup is like a warm hug, but it's true.  When you find a terrific soup that is layered in flavor, richness to the tongue and a little spike of heat to push away the chill it is like wearing cashmere underwear in a feather bed with flannel sheets and the electric blanket has been turned to high for an hour.

This is the soup for that warm and cozy, loungy day experience. TALLBlonde took a basic Potato Leek Soup Recipe and made it much more special. It is so superb I would serve this to guests as a first course.

Mango Chutney (or Peach)

Truth be told I developed this recipe to reverse engineer my most favorite brand of prepared Mango Chutney and very difficult to source.  This recipe is an amalgam of different flavor profiles to make the best Mango Chutney to throw into any dish at the last moment without much additional preparation.  This is terrific on any pan seared or poached white fish,or as a glaze on roasted lamb or your favorite pork ribs.  Even drizzled on a basic cheese pizza can bring sheer joy and delight to your taste buds with this sweet and acidic exotic elixir. I am truly proud to bring you this TALLBlonde Mango Chutney recipe.  Get a clean quart-sized jar ready as you will only need to make this recipe once a year. While this may seem laborious on its surface I would like to think it is so good you will make an effort to make it twice a year to replenish your well used and well enjoyed supply. When you consider $8 for an 8 oz. jar this is so worth making.

Hawaii's Dole Whip

 

Aloha.

If you have ever visited the Hawaiian Islands, you know about Dole Whip.  This is the smoothest, creamiest refreshingly ice coldest cup of nirvana you have ever tasted.  Disney (who owns the Dole company) has released the recipe for you to now make it at home.

After a few attempts of my own I have tweaked the recipe to make it my own.

Champagne Parmesan Leek Pasta

This pasta dish is easy to prepare, cheap on the budget and packed with rich flavor of parmesan and luxurious butter sautéed leeks.  TALL Blonde uses leftover Champagne from New Year's Eve. An economical and excellent morning after dish.

Nut Crust - Gluten Free

Gluten Free pie crust made from pecan nuts pulverized in your food processor.  Other nuts can be substituted, go experiment.  You can control the level of sweet making this almost a crust with savory possibilities.

French Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise is fabulous as a summer condiment on cold poached fish or ham, even vegetables. This is a French classic for artichoke leaves or asparagus spears.  This mayo is not only cream but has a nice mildly acidic zing.

Sicilian Pasta

TALL Blonde took a classic Sicilian Sardine Pasta recipe and made it her own. The addition of the cremini mushrooms and dry white wine may be omitted if you want to be a purist.  NOTE: Do not skip the anchovy fillets, this is where all the flavor lies. Salt has been omitted due to the saltiness of capers and anchovy fillets, not even the pasta water was salted. Your palette may require some extra salt. Serves 2 dinner portions.

Turkey Mix'd Bean Chili

This recipe admittedly begins one day ahead. TALLBlonde does love turkey but my inspiration was using leftover turkey that was no longer in the form of a sandwich/wrap/casserole. I don't like using the "H" word because that just makes any dish sound boring but this is incredibly H-ealthy, high in protein, some mild heat, smoke and next to no fat.

Begin the day before by soaking mixed dry beans overnight and rinsing twice the next day. This will help eliminate your "buuurp" zone.  TALLBlonde also made her own turkey broth buy boiling the leftover turkey carcass for a couple hours on the stove until liquid is reduced by 2/3 creating a rich, deeply colored, flavorful bouillon. Chill broth overnight in the refrigerator and magically the fat will rise to the top making it easy to scrape off. If you took the time to boil the bones for a long time your broth will be in a solid gelatin form which is highly nutritious and great for fighting a cold!  The bits of meat from the boiled carcass is also used in this chili recipe so don't toss out those bones until they are picked clean. Let's get started.

Duck Tales

Duck a L'Orange in 50 minutes. Make a quick orange sauce (below), score the fat throughout, salt/pepper both sides and place fat-side down on a dry skillet at medium-high heat to render the fat. Turn over after about 10 minutes and cook until 130-degrees for medium rare. Take off the skillet and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Brussel Sprouts sauteed in the rendered duck fat.

Simply Ketchup

TALLBlonde has been experimenting with making scratch foods recently. The ingredient labels on food packages are reading more like a chemistry set and not real food. I thought making ketchup from scratch would be an easy experiment and perhaps finding not only a healthy option but a much more flavorful one.  This recipe is easy, has tons of flavor, wonderfully tangy, a bit of heat and you will never go back to the bottle where you have to damage the palm of your hand to get it to pour out.  You will have to cook the mix on very low heat on the stove so that it does not burn, or a safer alternative is to use a crock pot on medium-high heat. You will also need a traditional jar blender, or immersion blender.

Asparagus Cheese Prosciutto

This is a very special asparagus dish served chilled with home-made mayonnaise on a hot summer night. It is light, tangy, refreshing and super easy to make.

Never made mayonnaise from scratch?  My quick YouTube video below will show you how in only 4 minutes.

Slam Brussel Sprouts

I hate Brussel Sprouts, PERIOD!

Until . . . . . . . .

I had tasted the brussel sprouts a friend ordered over dinner at Tyler Florence's San Francisco Restaurant, Wayfare Tavern. These are truly a foodie fantasy. I now always insist my dining companion orders them and they thank me for the recommendation.

I have recreated to the  best of my ability their formula and they taste 99.9% perfect. These have a sweet acidity of pomegranate-balsamic vinegar syrup glaze topped with bacon jam. This is served as a traditional side, or incorporate it into your favorite "kitchen sink" salad where everything is added from the fridge and tastes fantastic.

Smoooooooth-y

Plan ahead, but well worth it.

Pizza Slaw

TALL Blonde Pizza Slaw, what's that ??

Say bye-bye to that boring Margherita $4 grocery store frozen pizza. It is like a tired old 80's movie. Try this TALLBlonde Pizza Slaw on top of your next favorite Three Cheese Pizza.

The first time I ever had a pizza with a fresh tossed salad on top was at California Pizza Kitchen.  It was their Pear, Hazelnut, Gorgonzola pizza and freshly dressed salad leaves were thrown on top.  I was so intrigued and it's memory has never left me.  Now I have created the ultimate fresh topping...Pizza Slaw.

This "slaw" is perfectly married with a three-cheese pizza or a pepperoni pizza for added salt and that porky smoked flavor.  I like to add to my grocery store pizza fresh mozzarella slices and thinly sliced fresh onion before baking. It adds a nice richness and balance to the piquant slaw.