GET YOUR GRILL ON!!

And make an EGGPLANT BRUSCHETTA

Simply brush a loaf of ciabatta bread with olive oil, and grill it till crisp. In the meantime, mix together your favorite goat cheese, along with some mascapone, to even out the tang.Mix in some lemon peel and fresh herbs, I used basil and parsley, set aside.

After you have grilled your eggplant that was also brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper, lightly toss it in a balsamic vinaigrette. ( a very important step!)

Now spread that creamy mixture over that crispy ciabatta and layer your eggplant on top, oh yeah, I also grilled up some red pepper for a little color and added flavor! Serve at room temperature. I hope you eggplant lovers try this!!


GRILLED ZUCCHINI RIBBON SALAD

This recipe is adapted from Michael Chiarello. Take a mandoline or a vegetable peeler and make length wise strips of zucchini. Toss them in some olive oil and place on grill, he suggested cooking only one side, but I did both. It cooks up fast so watch it, you just want it lightly wilted with light grill marks. Place them all on a platter. In the meantime, whisk together a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing, adding some crushed garlic, just a hint! of course salt and pepper to taste.

Now add fresh basil and parsley roughly chopped and toss into the zucchini ribbons. Pour the lemon dressing all over.

Top it off with some shaved Pecorino and toasted pinenuts! Can I just say, Yumm!



LILAC'S FROM MY GARDEN

Lilac's are popping up everywhere here in Chicagoland! They are in full bloom right now, and the smell is incredible! These were taken from a big bush I have in my backyard. Thought I'd share this bouquet with all of you.

Note to all my blog friends... I will be gone on vacation for 1 week, we are flying to sunny California, ( Napa Valley & San Francisco, Woo Hoo!!) I will be sure to come back with plenty of pictures to share, after all it is a foodie lovers dream trip! So with that being said, I won't be around to visit you till I come back, don't worry you are all in my reader, I'll look forward to catching up when I get back.

See you soon,

Marie

ROASTED TOMATO AND RICOTTA TART

This is such a great summer appetizer, side dish, or even a light lunch. Savory ricotta on flaky puff pastry that is studded with vine ripened tomato slices that have been roasted with a hint of garlic, thyme and olive oil. Now pour yourself a glass of your favorite crisp white wine, and your good to go!

Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet, add your sliced tomatoes, fresh thyme, ( you can use fresh basil also, but add it later you don't want it to get brown) ) salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and drizzle them all with EV olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees till juices are more concentrated. These could be done ahead of time until ready to use.

Next mix up your ricotta with salt and pepper, egg and lots of grated cheese, I used Romano, because it has a more intense flavor. This also can be done ahead of time.

Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet, and with a small knife form a 1" border around the pastry and slice diagonally all around like it is shown above. Be care full not to cut through. With in the frame, poke with fork all over, and lightly brush border with olive oil.

Place ricotta mixture within the frame, now layer the roasted tomato slices all over.

Bake for around 20 minutes at 400 degreesF, till golden brown. Let it rest for a while before you cut into it. Serve warm.

Buon Appetito!!

Hotdogs, Tamales, Italian Beef and a Wedding!!!!

Over the last few days we have had relatives from Florida staying with us to attend a family wedding, so I haven't had much time for blogging and visiting my favorite blogs. Don't worry, I'll be back to normal shortly! I just wanted to share with you some of their favorite foods they crave when they come to Chicago.
One of their traditions is Portillo's Italian beef, always consistent! perfectly spiced! Never a disappointment!

A tamale from Portillo's. Yes, these are not traditional tamales you make wrapped up in corn husks, but there's something about the taste of these steamed goodies!!

And of course who can resist a Chicago style hotdog? Nobody in my family can!!!

And last but not least, I wanted to share with you a picture of my precious Granddaughter who was the flower girl at the wedding.
I know I'm a little biased but isn't she beautiful? :)

Can't wait to see what all of you have been up to!

Talk to you soon,

Marie

ROSEMARY LEMONADE (SPIKED!!)

Nothing screams summer-time more to me than a nice cold glass of lemonade! It's refreshing and it really quenches your thirst on a hot afternoon. Now, add a savory and subtle kick of rosemary, and you have a fantastic twist on this traditional drink!
We all know how good lemon and rosemary pair together in cooking, but who knew it would be just as good in a drink? So, if you like these two flavor combinations, please give this a try, one sip and you'll be smitten!!!

But now wait! theres more! by simply adding one shot of Limoncello to this tasty lemonade you've now created a crisp and delicious summer cocktail fit for any special occasion, or a special treat just for yourself. :D

You'll need a cocktail shaker to combine the juice of 1 lemon, 4 TBL. of sugar (or less), a pinch of rosemary leaves, some ice cubes, and enough cold water to fill. If using Limoncello, pour one shot into the shaker also. Shake well and pour into a tall glass lined with thin slices of lemons.

Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary, and a thick slice of lemon. Serve immediately!

MAKES 1

Cin Cin!!

PASTA SALADS!

ORZO WITH GRILLED SHRIMP AND FETA

INGREDIENTS

Grilled shrimp (marinate the shrimp in lemon peel, lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, then grill)

Cooked orzo pasta

Diced and seeded English cucumber

Diced red onion

Crumbled feta

Fresh lemon and lemon peel

Mint, parsley, a little oregano

Make a vinaigrette by whisking olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a little crumbled feta, salt and pepper,and white wine vinegar, and a crushed garlic clove. Taste it to your liking either adding more or less.
Place all ingredients in a bowl, adding all the herbs, more feta, (make sure it's in small crumbles)pour your vinaigrette over all the ingredients, taste it and make sure you have enough of everything! Adjust it to your liking.

BOWTIE CAPRESE

INGREDIENTS

Cooked bowtie pasta

Grape tomatoes sliced in half

Fresh mozzarella cut in chunks ( I used a dry pack)

Fresh basil

Place everything in your bowl and coat with good olive oil, salt and pepper

The juices will come out of the tomatoes and flavor the oil and give a great taste to the salad.

These salads are great for any party, lunch with the girls (or guys), BBQ's, and picnic's.

Hope you give them a try!

Buon Appetito!!

CHEESECAKE POPS! ( Daring Bakers)

This happened to be a very timely challenge for me, because yesterday my daughter and I hosted a personal shower for my neice. I thought "what a great idea, I'll make these for the shower!" Considering I had a bunch of other things to cook and bake for the shower, this might not have been such a good idea! Doing something new and unfamiliar, then dipping and decorating them, and of course taking pictures! Well you know what I mean!!

Thursday night I baked the cheesecake which by the way, took me 65 min. to bake. My oven is only 2 years old and very accurate, so I set the timer for the 35 to 45 min. that the recipe called for, but it just didn't set. Other than that, I had no problems at all!


Here is the perfectly set and cooled cheesecake!



This months challenge of these DECADENT Cheesecake Pops, was hosted by two ladies, Elle, of Feeding my Enthusiasms and Deborah, at Taste and Tell. Go over to their blogs to check out the whole recipe. I have to admit these little pops were quite a hit at the shower, I got alot of "Ooooh's" and "Ahhhh's" A big thanks to them both!


As far as the melting of the chocolate, I did mine in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, it turned out nice and glossy and stuck to the frozen cheesecake balls perfectly.



I decided to decorate the lolipop stick with pipe cleaners, they were super easy to bend around, and I liked the color it added. Great for a Girlie shower!!



I got a little carried away with what I decorated them with. Here is what I used:

Mini chocolate chips

Sprinkles

Coconut

Chopped pecans

Crushed Oreo cookies

Plain chocolate

Crushed Skors toffee bar

Crushed Biscotti ( of course I had to get something Italian in there!)




These one bite wonders are perfect for any party, trust me, they're worth it!!




Please check out some of the other Daring Bakers amazing Cheesecake Pops here.

GRILLED CHICKEN OREGANATO

This past weekend the weather was beautiful, which prompted me to fire up my grill for dinner.
Since I was going to be grilling chicken I knew exactly how I was going to make it. I got my inspiration for this from eyeing Amy's huge jar of Marinata Diavola, over at Familia Bencomo.
What a great idea to have this on hand in your frig during grilling season. Go over and check out her recipe here, I had to change mine up a bit because I didn't have any fresh rosemary, so instead I used dried greek oregano, hence the title...Chicken Oreganato.

What ever herbs you use trust me it will be delicious! Its simply a mixture of fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, sea salt, and pepper, and cayenne pepper. ( I only had red pepper flakes). Put it all in a jar, shake it up and use it as a marinade or just brush it on grilled meats, all kinds of fish, and your favorite veggies.

I didn't make enough, so I'll be making lots more. I love having it readily available in my frig, and the longer it sits, the better it tastes. :)

I even brushed it over my lemons that I grilled. If you have never grilled a lemon, you have to try it, it's sweeter and super juicy! I squeezed it all over my chicken, mmmm was it good!!

If you haven't had a chance to visit Amy's blog, or gotten to know her yet, please stop by for a visit, one conversation with her and you'll think you've known her for years! Really!!!
Thanks Amy!

Happy Grilling!!