spaghetti alla carbonara

I seem to be on a pasta kick lately. Maybe the late summer heat has me craving carbs? Maybe I'm just tired of making salads and pizzas? Whatever the case, I've been revisiting old favorites and trying out new ones. Carbonara is a dish that was big in Rome when I studied there, but I haven't attempted to make myself until now. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound pancetta, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste

leftover omelets

To some of you, the idea post may seem beyond obvious. I'm not a huge breakfast person. Usually I grab something simple - a croissant and coffee, a bowl of cereal, etc. However, I've been making a conscious effort to use leftover ingredients in the same week in order to stop letting things go to waste. Most often, the things I have laying around are herbs (basil, arugula), cheese and vegetables (onions, tomatoes, etc). Finally, the idea occurred to me to try tossing some of these ingredients into omelets.

Now, I also have to admit that up until a few weeks ago, I'd never made an omelet before. Ever. Turns out, they're super easy (I figured as much) and you seriously can't go wrong. I've been tossing in whatever I have laying around and it turns out amazing every time. Most recently, I took the leftover bacon, onion and green pepper from the traditional meatloaf recipe and tossed them with some cheddar (pictured) - amazing! The week before that, I used the basil and fontina from the chicken w/ fontina & proscuitto recipe and threw in some arugula for good measure - even more amazing! So for those of you out there who, like myself not too long ago, haven't tried your hand at the wonderful world of omelets, here's the basics:

• 2 eggs
• Pinch of salt

traditional meatloaf

Bon Chappétit actually started out as a recipe bank of sorts. It was a way for me to begin documenting and storing recipes that either my mother had passed down to me, or new ones that I'd tried and wanted to tell her about. It was a much more organized method than the random emails and newspaper clippings, Word documents (she gave me a Word doc recipe book when I'd gone to college) and the other various means we've used over the years.

That's really at the core of what this is all about - sharing recipes with those you love. Whether it be your parents, grandparents, friends back home (some of who may have blogs of their own), friends from wherever you may be now, or perfect strangers. Sometimes even more so than photographs, a meal can evoke all kinds of memories and emotions.

You may be wondering what this all has to do with meatloaf? Well, meatloaf has always been one of my favorites. I've always loved my mom's - even if it was one of the simpler dishes she made. It was hers, and it always reminded me of home no matter where I had it. Recently, I found my great grandmother's recipe buried in an email from my great aunt. I decided to give it a whirl, and even though I never had the pleasure of having the meal directly with my great grandmother, I still had nostalgic feelings while preparing and enjoying the meal. It was a true pleasure to make, and I got several meals out of it (including a breakfast, which I'll post soon). So without any additional rambling, here's what you'll need:

For the loaf:

• 2 lbs. of meat (I used 1 lb. of ground beef, and an additional lb. of beef/pork/veal combo)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 onion, grated
• 1/4 finely chopped green pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cracker crumbs (I crumbled up Ritz)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 slices bacon

stuffed peaches

While perusing some cookbooks for a dessert recently, I came across a recipe for baked, stuffed peaches and was instantly reminded of how delicious my last venture into cooked peaches turned out. These were totally different, but nonetheless delicious once again (and it doesn't require a grill!) Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 peaches
• 1/4 sugar
• 4 amaretti cookies, crushed
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Peel, halve, pit and chop up one of the peaches and place in a bowl. Halve and pit the remaining peaches. Scoop out a little flesh from the cavity of each and add it to the bowl. Stir in the sugar, amaretti, egg yolks and cocoa powder.

Divide the mixture among the peaches, placing it in the cavity of each and piling into a dome. Dot each with a slice of butter, and place the peaches into a greased baking dish. Bake for one hour and serve hot.

Bon chappétit!

bruschetta baked chicken

Tonight I was inspired by a recent post by Fooding with Emily and her bruschetta chicken. I picked up her recipe and tweaked it to my own style. It was a pretty great and easy dish. Here's what you'll need:

• Chicken breasts
• 1 bunch of cherry grape tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Breadcrumbs (Italian style)
• 1 egg
• 1 ball bufala mozzarella 
• Salt, pepper and oregano to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the chicken breasts in egg then breadcrumb, and place into a glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes and place them into a bowl along with the basil, oil, salt, pepper and oregano.
After the first 15 minutes in the oven, remove the chicken, add the tomato mixture on top and finish it off with a few slices of mozzarella. Bake for another 15 minutes and serve. Done and done (and delicous).

Bon chappétit!

penne arrabiata

So the temperature finally seemed to drop last night. Either that, or I'm just completely used to 90+ degree heat...which is just sad. In any event, I got back to making meals that take more than 5 minutes - but not much more, so don't worry. I went for an old favorite - penne arrabiata. This is a pretty simple pasta dish that really packs a punch. If you like your pasta with a kick, this one's for you. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb. thin chicken
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (small can) tomato sauce
• Salt/pepper
• 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
• Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 lb. penne

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
While that's going on, cook the penne until al dente, then drain and add to the sauce and simmer as well.

Egg, breadcrumb and fry the chicken in olive oil until browned, about 5-10 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. I like to cut it into small strips when done and toss with the sauce and penne before serving. However if you'd really like to preserve the crispy breading, serve the chicken on top of the pasta. No matter how you serve it, it's going to be simply awesome.

Bon chappétit!

oven-fried pork chops

Last night I made pork chops. They weren't crazy-fancy, they were just downright good. I'd never had a breaded pork chop before, and I have to say everything really does taste better breaded. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 pork chops
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian style)

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter, then pour it into the bottom of a baking dish. Next, dredge your chops through the flour, then coat with egg and cover with breadcrumbs all over. Sprinkle with pepper and place them in the baking dish and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the juices run clear. I put them under the broiler for just an additional minute or two to make them crispy and golden brown.

Remove and serve. Super easy. Took me back to the good ol' days. If only I'd had applesauce to serve them with.

Bon chappétit!

spinach, basil & tomato frittata

This weekend, in honor of Dan's mom visiting (Hi Terry!), we decided to forego the usual Sunday dinner in favor of a brunch. I'm not personally huge on cooking brunch at home - the most I've ever really made was the occasional banana pancake. I decided to branch out and try a frittata for the first time, and the results were delicious. Here's what you'll need:

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups packed fresh spinach, chopped
• 10 egg whites
• 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup grated Asiago
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• *Sadly, no meat

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Begin by heating the oil in a medium skillet and sautéing the shallot over medium heat for a few minutes until browned. Then add the spinach and continue sautéing for a few more minutes until the spinach is nice and wilted.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix your egg whites (you could also do half egg whites, half whole eggs), tomatoes, basil, cheese and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix the shallot and spinach in as well when it's done.

Pour everything into a round pie dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the frittata is firm in the center.

This was honestly pretty fantastic. Super easy, super tasty. Definitely a great idea if you're serving a brunch yourself.

Bon chappétit!

halibut fishsticks

Sometimes you're starving and simply nothing sounds good - especially when you're writing a blog and trying to come up with new and interesting things all the time. It can really start to wear on the fun of cooking and eating. Last night seemed to be heading that direction until, through the magic of great food, a dish as simple as fishsticks turned my night around. I'd never considered making homemade fishsticks, and honestly, didn't think they could get much better than the frozen kind (a secret guilty pleasure of mine). I really should have, years ago, because these puppies were incredible. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 pounds 3/4-inch-thick halibut fillets, cut into 3 x 3/4-inch strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Begin by spreading the breadcrumbs on a shallow dish and lightly beating the eggs in a bowl. Heat the oil for a minute or two in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip each fish slice in the egg, then coat liberally in the breadcrumbs and toss into the skillet. Fry each side for about 2-3 minutes. They probably took less than 5 minutes total to turn a fantastic, crispy, golden brown.

I know I said it above, but it's worth repeating. These were incredibly fantastic, and super quick to boot. Great for summer cooking.

Bon chappétit!

italian meatballs w/simple tomato sauce

Last night I decided to betray my mom (sorry!) and try a new meatball recipe. I'm used to the basic, old school kind that's really just ground beef, breadcrumb and egg. Well, let me tell y'all, this new version really sent me for a loop. They were so succulent and tasty, I don't think I'll ever turn back. And I really don't feel that sorry Mom - once you try these you'll see what I mean :) Here's what you'll need:

For the meatballs

• 1 lb meat (I used the a ground beef/pork/veal combo in my local market)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/4 cup of cheese (I used a pecorino romano I had, but you could use parmesan as well)
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce

• 1 large can peeled tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 8-10 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive 
• Salt and pepper

Begin by getting the sauce going. In a medium pot, sauté the garlic and onion in oil. Once they begin to open up and brown, pour the liquid from the tomatoes into the pot, and the tomatoes from the can into a bowl. Mash them up nicely, and then add to the pot, along with the basil, salt and pepper to taste.  Let this simmer on low heat in the background while preparing the meatballs.

For the meatballs, basically just combine everything in a large bowl.  Roll into desired size (mine pictured are about the size of golfballs).  I then baked mine on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes on 450 degrees.  You can also brown them in a skillet with a little oil if you'd prefer.  They also get a little crispier this way, which can be nice. However, I was feeling lazy and didn't want to have another pan to clean (I lined the cookie sheet with tin foil to avoid cleaning - genius!)

After they've been cooked by whichever method, add them to the sauce and let them simmer and blend while you cook your pasta. Once the pasta is done, toss it all together and you're done.  This made 16 meatballs, which could easily feed 4 people.  You may want to double the sauce if you're serving that many and want it really saucy. I kept it on the lighter side - although I ate half of this all by myself in one sitting...

Bon chappétit!

turkey meatloaf

The other night it looked like it was getting ready to pour, so I decided to settle in with a meal that takes a little longer than most of mine to prepare. Believe it or not, all of the recipes on this site clock it at or under 30 minutes. I've been eyeing up a couple turkey meatloaf recipes for awhile, and decided to combine a few. Here's what I came up with:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (Italian, as always)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Begin by sautéing the chopped onion with the oil, salt, pepper and thyme over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until they soften and begin to brown.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and chicken stock.  Cook for another few minutes until everything blends and reduces nicely.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs and egg.  Once the onion mixture is done and cooled a bit, add and mix well.  Roll into a nice little loaf shape, and top with a nice layer of ketchup.

Bake at 325 degrees for about an hour (depending on the thickness) and you're done.  Not crazy-longer than my typical meal, but definitely one worth waiting for.

Bon chappétit!

bread pudding

So, I'll open by admitting that I really don't understand bread pudding. I've seen it on dessert menus, but it seems like a breakfast dish to me. Furthermore, I really don't know why I ever tried it in the first place. I suppose I just had these ingredients around and decided...why not? Here's what you'll need:

• 6 slices of day-old bread (I love this with the wheat bread that has honey and molasses in the ingredients OR those flavored cinnamon raisin breads...but any bread will do)
• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle the melted butter (or margarine, I say butter, but I actually always use margarine) over the bread. If desired - and you should, because they make the dish - sprinkle with raisins.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed the pour over the bread. Lightly push down with a fork until the bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped. This is awesome when hot, awesome the next morning cold. Just all-around awesome.

italian biscotti (updated)

Just like lasagna, biscotti recipes tend to vary wildly from family to family. Below is (you guessed it) my mom's recipe. They're a little softer than a lot of varieties. Here's what you'll need:

• 12 eggs
• 3 cups of sugar
• 2-1/2 cups of oil
• 8 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 oz. anise extract

Add all of the dry ingredients together except for the sugar and set aside. Then beat the eggs with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. Add the sugar, oil & extract and continue beating. Next, add the flour with baking powder until well mixed. Divide into 2 (1”) ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min (although I usually do almost 20 min.) Test with your finger to tell when they're done - if the dough springs right back up, it's done. Take them out of oven and let cool for about 5 min. Slice down, usually to about 1/2"x2", but really, slice 'em however you feel like. Put them back on a cookie sheet. Return to oven under boiler to toast. They brown fast so be alert!

***So a few people now have brought to my attention that I often neglect quantities. Most dinners I post are made for either myself or two people.  They could probably feed 3-4 people with more modest appetites than my own.

With that said, I checked with Momma Chappel, and the above biscotti recipe makes about 10 dozen :)

Bon chappétit!