Tag: Italian

Baked Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs are really simple to make and you really add any flavors you want! I’m Italian and I learned a lot from seeing my grandparents cook when I was very young and also from seeing my parents cook as well. Italian meatballs are really easy to make, there is no need to buy the store bought ones! You can put this recipe together in now time!

This recipe is a pretty basic Italian meatball recipe! I used ground beef as it was all I had but you can use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork that also comes out delicious! My grandmother use to fry the meatballs, but to make these a little healthier I bake them! You can simmer these meatballs in sauce, enjoy with pasta or eat them on their own. I personally eat them with a little drizzle of oil and some delicious shaved Italian cheese with a chunk of bread! Yum!!

Baked Italian Meatballs

Ingredients:
2lb ground meat (beef or a mixture of beef & pork)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp Garlic & Herb Seasoning (See below for Amazon Link)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 shallot, grated
2 tsp olive oil

Extras:
Olive oil cooking spray

My Favorite Amazon Items: https://www.amazon.com/shop/garlic_and_oliveoil_veins

Directions: Preheat oven 375°. In a medium bowl add all the ingredients above and gently mix with your hands (Yes, your hands) until everything is fully mixed together. Do not over mix the meat, this is important to keeping a moist meatball.

Next grab a few pinches of meat and form your meatballs. Don’t overly work the meat mixture. You want to just gently roll into balls. Make the meatballs any size you want. Add the meatballs to a greased cookie sheet leaving a little room in between. Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes until fully cooked through. There is no need to flip the meatballs during the cooking process. Adjust the cook time based on the size of the meatballs. Enjoy the meatballs with pasta, simmered in sauce or just on their own!

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Easy Italian Pasta Salad

It’s so sad Summer is almost coming to a close. I can’t believe we are already halfway through August. WOW! No clue where 2021 has gone. I figured I better share this recipe before the snow hits the ground so here goes! This easy Italian Pasta Salad is quick it make and is always a hit! It’s best to make this in advance so the flavors can marry!! Give this a try and you won’t regret it!

Easy Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1lb multi-color pasta, cooked
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 green pepper, diced
1 can black olives, cut in half
8 oz block mozzarella, diced (I usually add extra as cheese is the my favorite)
1-2 cups bottled Italian dressing
1/2 packet dried Italian dressing packet
salt/pepper to taste

Directions: In a large bowl mix cooked pasta with the dressing. dressing packet, olives and green peppers, refrigerate. Add in the tomatoes and cheese about 2 hours before serving. The longer this sits the more flavor it will have. This salad is easily customizable. Switch up the cheese for fresh mozzarella or you’re favorite kind. Add diced or sliced salami or pepperoni for an extra kick. Add onions, or red peppers for other veggies you may like. I made this for a family gathering at my brother’s house and he doesn’t like onions. I love them so this salad would be great with some red onions or green onions!

Note: You may need to adjust the seasoning and dressing once the salad sets and is refrigerated. Add more or less depending on taste.

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Viral Baked Feta & Tomato Chicken Verison

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you missed me?? I’m so sorry I’ve been so MIA. My focus is on my new job and I’ve been beyond busy haven’t really spent to much time cooking up new recipes, unfortunately. I have made a few but not as many as I’d like.

I decided to give this viral baked feta and tomatoes recipe a try! I mean it’a all over, I had to! I’m watching the carbs so decided to do a chicken version of this viral recipe. O.M.G. It came out delicious. Full of flavor. You can easily do this with chicken breast which I’ll probably use next time. I made with chicken thighs.

You need to make sure to try this dish! It’s so yummy and you don’t even miss the pasta… well maybe a little.

Baked Feta & Tomato Chicken

Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
1 8oz block feta cheese
3 garlic cloves minced or grated
1-1 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
3 T extra virgin olive oil (Use the good stuff here)
1/2 T Italian seasoning
2 t pepper
2 T fresh basil

Directions: Preheat oven 400°. In a medium size baking dish add in the tomatoes. Make a whole in the middle and add in the block of feta cheese. Drizzle the extra virgin over the tomatoes and completely cover the top of the feta cheese. Season the tomatoes and feta with Italian seasoning and pepper and mix tomatoes to fully coat. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered.

Remove pan from the oven and smash the feta cheese and mix in with the tomatoes. Add in the garlic and mix well. Spoon the feta mixture over the chicken thighs and return to the oven at 375°and bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Internal temperature needs to reach 165°.

Remove chicken from oven let rest for a few minutes and then top with basil and serve. This dish would be great served with a vegetable side, over rice or mashed potatoes.


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Lobster Linguine with Crostini

I know I’ve been MIA lately on posting new recipes. I’ve still been working on new recipes just need to get them written out. 2021 has started out great for a few reason but I got a promotion at work early February and I’ve been so busy. I love the new job, I’m really enjoying it a lot. I’m hoping this is just the start of great things to come in 2021, especially after the last year!

Enough about that. Cooking is still my passion. I have so many great recipes to share. Stay tuned for me.

Let’s start out with this one that I’m really excited about. Lobster Linguine! Buttery, rich, and perfect for your next date night!

Lobster Linguine

Ingredients:
4 lobster tails, meat removed (cut into bite size pieces) (reserve shells, no small pieces)
6 T salted butter
1 cup white wine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 T extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1/2 t xantham gum
6 oz linguine, cooked a dente
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions: Heat a medium sauté pan on high heat with olive oil. Add in reserved lobster shells. No small pieces. Cook until the shells turn red.

Remove shells and discard. Add in onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Next add in the butter and let it melt then add in the wine.


Reduce the heat to low and add in the lobster meat. Let the lobster cook through till white and red in color. Around 4-6 minutes stirring often.

Add in the parsley and xantham gum and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the cooked linguine and gently toss together. Add in the parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with crostini.

Air Fryer Crostini

Ingridents:
1 small baguette
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T melted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 t fresh parsley, chopped
sprinkle salt & pepper

Directions: Cut the baguette on the bias and set aside. Mix the rest of the ingridents together and brush the baguette with the butter mixture. Add to air fryer rack and cook at 400, for 3-5 minutes. Remove and set asside till ready to use. Note: The crostini will crisp up more once recmoved from the oven.

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Fried Eggplant with Tomato & Burrata

The Italian in me, loves fried eggplant. This recipe I made fried eggplant in my air fryer. You can also just do the same steps however, you would have to bake in the oven at 400 for probably 20 minutes flipping half way through. However to make this full recipe I added some fresh tomatoes and burrata cheese. OMG game changer.

This dish so so light and fresh and perfect for a meatless meal!

Fried Eggplant with Tomato & Burrata

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled or unpeeled
2 eggs, whisked
1 1/2-2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 T Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
olive oil or cooking spray

Extras:
fresh tomatoes
fresh burrata cheese
extra virgin olive oil
fresh or dried parsley or basil for garnish

Directions: Prepare the eggplant by slicing into 1/2″ rounds, discard the top. Add eggs to one deep bowl and season with salt and pepper and add the Italian bread crumbs to another bowl. Whisk in the cheese and seasonings.

First dip the eggplant rounds into the egg mixture, making sure to remove any excess egg. Next dip the eggplant into the breadcrumb mixture and fully coat on both sides and edges. Remove and set aside. Finish breading each slice of eggplant.

Preheat the air fryer. (Note: my unit preheats at 400° for 4 minutes) Spray the air fryer pan (or basket) with olive oil or olive oil cooking spray. Place the eggplant rounds flat as to not overlap. Spray the top of eggplant with olive oil. Place in the air fryer at 375° for about 12-16 minutes, flipping or shaking half way through. Once you flip the eggplant, if you feel the breading is a little dry spray with a little more oil. I would continue to watch the eggplant and cook to your desired crispiness.

Remove the eggplant from the air fryer and sprinkle with salt if so desired and enjoy. See below with how I served my fried eggplant. I served with fresh tomatoes and burrata. Just drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and some dried parsley and salt.

Note: I was fully prepared to cook my eggplant about 20 minutes or so, just based on a few recipes I’ve seen. However, after I started watching it, I decided to remove before it got to dark in color. Mine cooked rather quick. Just note that every air fryer is different. These times and temps are based on my specific air fryer.


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Air Fryer “Fried” Eggplant

The Italian in me, loves fried eggplant. I usually make it by frying on the stove or by baking in the oven. Decided to try it with my air fryer and boy was I glad I did. It came out fantastic. So little oil used, and the crisp and flavor was spot on. I will totally make this again. ( I actually made 2 times in 1 week already…shhh don’t tell anyone.)

Check out my recipe below. Keep in mind. All air fryer are not the same. You may need to adjust cook time and temp to your specific air fryer. Also, there is several ways to remove the moisture from the eggplant. For example you can put in a colander and sprinkle with salt. However, this recipe I didn’t do that at all. Using the air fryer the eggplant didn’t’ get mushy at all.

Air Fryer Fried Eggplant

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled or unpeeled
2 eggs, whisked
1 1/2-2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1/2 T Italian seasoning
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
olive oil or cooking spray

Directions: Prepare the eggplant by slicing into 1/2″ rounds, discard the top. Add eggs to one deep bowl and season with salt and pepper and add the Italian bread crumbs to another bowl. Whisk in the cheese and seasonings.

First dip the eggplant rounds into the egg mixture, making sure to remove any excess egg. Next dip the eggplant into the breadcrumb mixture and fully coat on both sides and edges. Remove and set aside. Finish breading each slice of eggplant.

Preheat the air fryer. (Note: my unit preheats at 400 for 4 minutes) Spray the air fryer pan (or basket) with olive oil or olive oil cooking spray. Place the eggplant rounds flat as to not overlap. Spray the top of eggplant with olive oil. Place in the air fryer at 375 for about 12-16 minutes, flipping or shaking half way through. Once you flip the eggplant, if you feel the breading is a little dry spray with a little more oil. I would continue to watch the eggplant and cook to your desired crispiness.

Remove the eggplant from the air fryer and sprinkle with salt if so desired and enjoy. See below with how I served my fried eggplant. I served with fresh mozzarella and burrata. Just drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and some dried parsley and salt.

Note: I was fully prepared to cook my eggplant about 20 minutes or so, just based on a few recipes I’ve seen. However, after I started watching it, I decided to remove before it got to dark in color. Mine cooked rather quick. Just note that every air fryer is different. These times and temps are based on my specific air fryer.


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