Aaron's Corn Salsa

Ingredients:


1 package frozen sweet white corn, thawed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro , chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 c Parmesan shredded

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Corn/Tortilla Chips for dipping

Directions:

Combine corn, black beans, peppers, onions and cilantro in medium size bowl, set aside.  Place garlic in microwave safe bowl, cover with olive oil and microwave for 20-40 seconds until almost hot (you are infusing the oil with the garlic flavor).  Sprinkle seasoning (salt, cumin, pepper) into the bowl, stir.  Pour olive oil and lime juice into the bowl, mix throughly.  Serve with chips.  Buon appetito!!

  

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Lemon Fish with Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

Four pieces of tilapia
Two lemons
Salt and Pepper to taste

Eight small button/white mushrooms
1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated provolone
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Two large Portobello mushrooms
Corn Salsa (it holds up better than tomato based salsa to grilling)
1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Technique

Slice the lemon and place one slice on each filet, salt and pepper to your taste.  Grill fish for 7-10 min until moist but not slimy anymore.

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Stir the bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend.   Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom.  Top with shredded cheese Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Or grill for about 10 minutes until cheese bubbles.
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Place Portobello mushrooms top side down and fill with salsa and sprinkle on cheese.  Grill for 10 minutes until cheese bubbles.  Buon appetito!!


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Vegetable Marinara

So hearty and sweet even the meat lovers will be asking for more!

Ingredients

One large onion
1 1/2 cups carrots
1 ½ cups celery
¾ cup Italian parsley
4 cups crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt (to your taste)
Extra virgin olive oil

Technique

Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and parsley. In a large pot (I suggest a stock pot) sautè the chopped vegetables in olive oil for about 5-10 minutes until tender on a medium flame, without browning. Add tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 1 hour on low. Serve over your favorite pasta with ridiculously huge quantities of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Tips

§  About 10 minutes before the sauce is finished cooking, add a couple spoonfuls of red wine…Mamma mia, che buono!!!

§  Don’t have time to chop up carrots or want to add more veggies? Add in a few jars of stage 2 organic baby food. The more carrots the sweeter your sauce, try adding sweet potato puree!

§  Use for lasagnas, a minestrone soup base, or on your next homemade pizza!

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Gnocchi with Italian Sausage

Delicious and easy gnocchi is one of mine and my husband’s favorite kinds of pasta.

Ingredients

3 pounds russet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, extra large
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups vegetable marinara
1 ½ pounds fresh Italian sausage

Technique

Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft (about 45 minutes). While still warm, peel and pass through vegetable mill onto clean pasta board.

Set 6 quarts of water to boil in a large spaghetti pot. Set up ice bath with 6 cups ice and 6 cups near boiling water.

Make a well in center of potatoes and sprinkle all over with flour, using all the flour. Place egg and salt in center of well and using a fork, stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta. Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch.

Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Drop these pieces into boiling water and cook until they float (about 1 minute). Meanwhile, continue with remaining dough, forming dowels, cutting into 1-inch pieces. As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them to ice bath. Continue until all have been cooled off. Let sit several minutes in bath and drain from ice and water. Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil and set aside.

Cut the Italian sausage into 1 inch sections and place in sauté pan.  Adding a small amount of water to the bottom to prevent sticking/burning cook sausage thoroughly or until crispy brown.  Add sauce right before serving.  Pour sausage/marinara mixture over gnocchi and serve.   Buon appetito!!

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