Infused Olive Oil

I enjoy making food gifts and projects.  The Candy Cane Vodka was so easy and so good.  Infused olive oils are very similar... it takes about 5 minutes to put it together and the results are usually amazing.  For this project I filled some bottles with extra virgin olive oil and added 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, 2 quartered garlic cloves, and a big fresh sprig of rosemary.  Cap it, put it aside, and let it sit for about 5 days for optimum flavor.  If you pop it in the fridge, it will get cloudy but it should dissipate once you shake it and bring it to room temp.  I'd recommend keeping it at room temp and out of direct sunlight for best results.

Note: as with any type of infused olive oil, you want to watch out for any sign of spoilage and dispose of the contents immediately. 

Homemade Meat Sauce

I've posted several recipes that call for tomato sauce, so I figured I'd post one of my homemade sauce recipes in case you want to try it out.  This is my "kitchen sink" sauce.  It has a little bit of everything and my husband has given it rave reviews.  

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef 
• 1lb sweet italian sausage
• 1/4c+ olive oil
• 1 medium diced yellow onion
• 1 diced celery rib
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4lb diced prosciutto
• 1/4lb diced pancetta
• italian seasoning, salt, pepper
• 1c italian red wine
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 28oz crushed tomato
• 28oz tomato puree
• 3/4 tsp sugar

1. In a dutch oven or sauce pan, brown the beef and the sausage in a little olive oil until it starts to brown.  Add the red wine and cook 8 minutes on medium heat.
2. In a skillet, add 1/4c olive oil and the onion through pancetta.  Add some italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook on medium low for about 10 min.
3. Add your veggie/pancetta mix to the beef mix along with the tomato paste, crushed tomato, puree and sugar.  Bring to a boil, and then let it simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours.  Stir every 20 minutes or so.

You can use this meat sauce for pasta, lasagna, stuffed cabbage rolls, etc.

Slow Cooker Italian Chili

I am not a huge fan of winter, but I love that it's slow cooker season.  Coming home from a long day of work to dinner prepared and waiting with minimal effort is one of life's simple pleasures.  If you follow The Improper Chef, you'll know that I am always looking for ways to revamp my chili recipe.  I put an italian spin on it with this recipe and the results were fantastic.  

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground beef
• 1/2lb hot or sweet italian sausage
• 16oz tomato sauce
• 14oz italian style diced tomato
• 1c chopped yellow onion
• 1c chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/2c jarred banana peppers
• several assorted  hot chopped peppers (optional- if you like your chili spicy)
• 3/4c chicken or beef broth (low sodium)
• chili powder, italian seasoning
• a pinch of sugar
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1c diced pepperoni
• optional garnish: shredded italian cheese, grated parm, green onion, italian bread 

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef and italian sausage in a little olive oil on medium heat until no longer pink.
2. In a 3quart+ slow cooker, combine the sauce through garlic.  
3. Add the beef/sausage mix, along with the pepperoni, to the slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 hours.
5. Spoon into bowl, garnish and serve

You could also use turkey in place of beef, up the amount of sausage, double the pepperoni.... the possibilities are endless!

Penne & Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce

There's nothing like homemade sauce if you've got the time and patience.  This recipe features a homemade sauce that's ready in no time.  If you want to create a restaurant dish right in your own home, look no further.  I made this last night and my kitchen still smells fantastic today!

Ingredients:

• a box of your favorite penne pasta
• olive oil
• 1 lb italian sausage (hot or sweet, depending on your pref...or both!)
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• crushed red pepper
• sweet basil
• 28oz crushed tomato or tomato puree
• a pinch of salt
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Absolut Peppar vodka (you could use regular vodka, whatever you have on hand)
• 1/2c heavy cream
• optional garnish: grated parm, diced green onion & minced cilantro

1. Cook a box of penne per the instructions on the box.  Drain well.  While the pasta is cooking, you can make your sauce.
2. In a sauce pot, add a little olive oil and 1 lb of sausage (casings removed).  I found hot italian sausage already removed from the casings... score!  Cook on medium high heat until browned.  Then add the garlic, some crushed red pepper and some basil, to taste.  Cook 2 min.  Add the crushed tomato or puree, a pinch of salt, and the sugar.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat o medium low, and simmer for 15 min, stirring on occasion.
3. Stir in the vodka, the cream, and some additional basil and crushed red pepper, to taste.  Bring to a boil again, reduce to low, and cook for another 10 min, stirring on occasion.  Stir in the drained pasta, mixing well to coat, and cook 1 minute longer.
4. Garnish with parm, green onion and cilantro. 

Serve this pasta dish with a nice antipasto or caesar salad and some italian bread, and you've got a restaurant-worthy meal right in your own home!

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I developed this idea for Christmas, but the holidays always go by way too fast.  Who doesn't love chocolate and peppermint all year round?

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4c flour
• 2/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2c unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1/3c granulated sugar
• 1/2c light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4c chocolate chips
• 3/4 bag of Andes peppermint crunch pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, soda and salt.
3. In a larger bowl, add beat 1/2c butter with the sugars until creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.  Stir in the dry ingredients, and then add the chips and crunch pieces.
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, and drop the batter on in tbsp+ balls, spaced apart.  You should be able to fit 12 cookies on a baking sheet.
5. Bake 10 minutes, until the edges are a nice golden brown.  Cool 5 min on the sheet and then cool completely on a wire rack.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.  If you can't find the Andes peppermint pieces, you could use crushed candy cane.  I understand that Walmart carries the Andes at the holidays, but I couldn't find them so I ordered online through the Tootsie Roll company.

Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Jalapeno Poppers

Yes, this is a real thing.  Bacon, buffalo chicken, and jalapenos are pretty much all my favorite foods in the universe.  I found a way to put them all together.  This recipe can be done as an appetizer (pictured) or you could make this into an entree by leaving the chicken breasts intact.  Either way, this is very spicy and very good.

Ingredients:

• 3 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
• celery salt, black pepper, buffalo rub (optional)
• 4 oz softened whipped chive cream cheese
• 5 julienned jalapenos, red fresnos or serranos (make sure you remove the seeds! this is crazy hot as it is)
• 12oz buffalo sauce
• 5 slices of uncooked bacon (don't be scared- this will cook in the oven), halved
• garnishes: ranch or bleu cheese dressing, carrot sticks, celery sticks

1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 slices.  Season with celery salt, black pepper and the buffalo rub if you have it.  If  you don't have the buffalo rub, don't despair.  There is plenty of buffalo goodness coming up.
2. Spread some cream cheese on each chicken piece, top with some of the sliced peppers, and roll up.  Dip in buffalo sauce (start with 1/2c in a bowl, that should do just fine), coating all sides, and wrap with bacon.  Place seam side down. Secure with a toothpick.  Repeat with all the chicken.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Take a round baking dish and pour some buffalo sauce in the bottom.  Add the chicken/bacon bites.  Drizzle some additional buffalo sauce over, season with more salt and pepper, and bake for about 35 minutes.  You'll want the bacon to be done and sizzling and the sides of the roll-ups to be a little oozy.
4. Remove from the oven and serve with your choice of cooling dressing and veggies.

These are crazy hot.  I know I mentioned it before but seriously, this is spicy.  If you want to cut down on the spicy factor, you could either not drizzle additional hot sauce over the bites before cooking them, or you could refrain from rolling them in buffalo sauce prior to wrapping in bacon.  But if you love spicy like I do, go for it!

Epic Antipasto Salad

Like a true Italian, I don't measure when I cook.  I throw in a little of this, and a little of that.  This becomes problematic when you have a food blog and a love of sharing recipes, so I've gotten really good at approximating.  Except for with salads.  There are no specified amounts below, because I always eyeball everything when I put my salads together.  Feel free to add more of something, less of something, or leave something out if you're not a fan.  That's the beauty of salad!

Ingredients

• sliced italian meats
• sliced provolone cheese
• diced fresh mozzarella
• tri-color pasta (I used a 12oz box, that much I do know!)
• cherry tomato
• diced white onion
• banana pepper rings
• marinated mushrooms
• marinated artichokes
• salad dressing of your choice (I use Newman's Balsamic for this recipe)

1. Cook and drain the pasta.  Cool completely.
2. Add all but the dressing, mix well.  Add as much or as little dressing as desired.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour.  Remove, stir well, and add some additional dressing if you wish.

I'm really starting to get into homemade dressings, so watch for some new salad dressing recipes to be posted over the coming weeks.

Fried Goat Cheese

We bought a fryer about a year ago.  We do a lot of cooking at home, so I knew that this could be a health disaster.  We try to limit our fryer use to once a month, when we'll bust the sucker out and have an all out appetizer night.  The fried goat cheese is one of our favorite apps at Bocado, a local tapas restaurant.  While theirs is a-freaking-mazing, this is a pretty close second.

Ingredients:

• 2 4oz logs of goat cheese
• canola or peanut oil
• 1/2c flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2c italian bread crumbs
• a cup of hot water
• honey
• warm, sliced baguette

1. Place the goat cheese in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.  This makes the cheese easier to slice and work with.  Note:  You WILL get messy making this.  Just your hands, really.  If you make a bigger mess than that, I can't help you.
2. While the cheese is chilling, get your fryer ready.  Heat your oil to 350 degrees.
3. Prep your dredging station- I love my Pampered Chef dredging station.  It comes with three chambers and I use it all the time.  In one bowl, add your flour.  In another bowl, add the eggs and bet them.  In the third bowl, add the bread crumbs.  Have a butter knife and your hot water handy.
4. Remove the cheese from the freezer and cut in 1/2 inch slices.  In between slices, you'll want to dip the knife in hot water.  Dredge each slice (both sides) in the flour, then the egg, then the crumbs, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
5. Once all your goat cheese is sliced and dredged, you're ready to fry!  Drop the goat cheese slices into the basket and cook for about 90 seconds, possibly 2 minutes.  Check after 90 seconds, you want a nice golden brown like in the photo.  Remove, drain on paper towels, and repeat until all your goat cheese has been fried.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with honey.  Serve with warm, sliced baguette.

If you don't have a fryer, you can use a deep skillet and fry on your stove top.  I've done a buffalo variation of this as well.  All you need to do is roll the goat cheese in buffalo sauce after it's fried.  Serve it on a bed of greens and skip the honey.

Blueberry Salad

I am allergic to a lot of different fruits, so I miss out on a lot of fruit salads.  I decided to take one of the fruits that I can eat (blueberries!) and make a green salad concoction that came out better than imagined.  If you'd like to add chicken and make it a main dish, I'd recommend topping it with some lemon pepper chicken.

Ingredients:

• spring lettuce mix
• halved cherry tomatoes
• fresh blueberries
• crumbled goat cheese
• crushed crispy onions (you can find these in the fresh veggie section of your grocery store, they come in a bag)
• honey balsamic dressing (truth be told, I didn't make my own.  I used Ken's and it is fabulous!)

1. Combine the lettuce through the crispy onions, and mix well.
2. Serve with honey balsamic dressing
3. Optional add-on: lemon pepper chicken breast, sliced

I've been advised that nuts would taste amazing on here, but alas, allergies.  I added the crispy onions for the crunch factor,  but you could absolutely use nuts instead, or in addition!

Cauliflower Gratin

One of my favorite websites out there, Closet Cooking, always has the best and most beautifully photographed recipes.  I get a lot of inspiration from the site, including this cauliflower gratin.  If you're a fan of pancetta, roasted veggies, and a little muenster cheese to liven things up, give this a try.

Ingredients:

• 1lb cauliflower florets
• olive oil
• salt, pepper and crushed red pepper
• 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp
• 4oz diced pancetta or prosciutto
• 1 minced shallot 
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1.5c milk
• nutmeg, italian seasoning and paprika
• 1c shredded muenster cheese
• 1/3c italian bread crumbs or panko

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Add the cauliflower in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and roast on 400 degrees for 30 min.
2. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 350.
3. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter and add 4oz diced pancetta & 1 minced shallot on medium heat.  Cook 5 min.  Add another tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp flour.  Cook 1 min, stirring constantly.  Add milk, a dash or two of nutmeg & paprika, and some italian seasoning.  Stir well.  Add the cheese, reduce to low, and stir until the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted.
4. Add the cauliflower to a round prepared (coat with olive oil) casserole dish, pour the sauce over, and mix well.  Top with 1/3c of bread crumbs or panko.  Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the crumbs have browned and the sides of the casserole are bubbling.
5. Remove from the oven, stand 10 min and serve.

My grocery store sells the fresh florets right in the veggie section, so I didn't have to take a large head of cauliflower home and cut smaller pieces.  You could also use frozen cauliflower, thawed.

Chicken Piccata

This is another favorite recipe for many where there are so many different variations out there.  I hope you'll consider giving mine a try!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4lb thin sliced chicken 
• 1 juiced lemon + 2 juiced lemons
• 1/2c flour
• italian seasoning
• crushed red pepper (optional)
• olive oil
• 1/2c white wine + 2/3c
• 2 tbsp drained capers (balsamic if you can find them)

1. Squeeze lemon juice from 1 lemon over both sides of the chicken.
2. In a bowl, combine 1/2c flour with italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.  Dredge both sides of the chicken and shake off the excess flour.  Reserve the flour.
3. In a large skillet, add some olive oil, 1/2c white wine, and the juice of 2 lemons.  Add the chicken and cook 3 min.  Flip, add 1/3c wine and 3 tbsp of the reserved flour/seasoning, and cook 3 min.  Flip again, add some additional italian seasoning and crushed red pepper, and another 1/3c wine and 3 tbsp of flour to thicken the sauce.  Cook 2 min. 
4. Stir well and pour the entire skillet into a baking dish.  Cook on 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Remove, and garnish with the drained capers.

I had no idea that balsamic capers existed, and they are fantastic!  You can absolutely use regular capers if your store doesn't carry the balsamic variety.

Baked Italian Wontons w/ Spicy Aioli

Going to a New Years Eve party and not sure what to bring?  Try these baked italian wontons!  Unless the other guests follow this blog, I'm fairly certain that no one else is going to show up with the same thing.  This is the perfect party appetizer because you can eat it with your hands and you could even cook it ahead of time and just pop it into the oven for a reheat once you get to your destination.

Ingredients:

For the wontons- 

• olive oil
• 12 wonton wrappers (double the recipe if you're feeding a bigger bunch)
• whipped cream cheese (get chive cream cheese if you can find it! game changer)
• 36 pepperoni slices
• 2c+ marinara sauce
• 1c+ shredded italian blend cheese 
• garnish: chopped cilantro or basil & some grated parm

For the aioli-

• 1/3c canola mayo
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• a pinch each- garlic powder, cayenne, chili powder
• 1 tbsp sriracha chili sauce
• salt & pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a mini muffin tin with olive oil.
2. On your work surface, lay out 12 wonton wrappers.  Spread each one with a thin layer of cream cheese, then top with 3 pepperoni slices, 1 tbsp marinara and 1 tbsp shredded cheese.   Gather the sides and pinch to make a "purse" and place them in the mini muffin tins.  
3. Bake approx 30 minutes or until the tops and sides are browned.  Serve with additional marinara and the spicy dipping sauce below, and garnish with some chopped cilantro or basil and a little grated parm.
4. While the wontons are cooking, you can make the aioli.  Whisk all the ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe was born out of "we need to clean out this fridge" and a love of fun & new appetizer ideas.  In the photo, we drizzled the wontons with the aioli and some additional sriracha, and then served with the marinara in the middle.