New Year's Eve Hosting

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I apologize to all, I have been totally absent from blogging lately! The stomach flu had me out for the count for quite some time and then before I knew it, it was time for the holidays! Instead of spending them in the kitchen, I spent them traveling to see family and doing lots of holiday dinners and parties! Can't complain, but I am ready to get back in the kitchen .. and so is my waistline and bank account :) This post is from our New Year's Eve pre-game. Most food I provided has already been posted previously, but here are two new items! Nick and I had a few friends over before heading out to the Newseum for their New Year's Eve Ball!

JM's Pasta Salad
- 1 pound small shaped (I used half elbow macaroni and half ditalini)
- 3/4 bottle Fat Free Italian Caesar Dressing (this is just my favorite for this)
- handful of feta cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (whichever color you prefer)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1/4 cup chopped seedless cucumber
- 1 to 2 tb Salad Supreme Seasoning (to your liking...I usually eyeball it)

Bring salted water to a boil. Pour in the pasta and cook until done. Drain the pasta and pour into a serving bowl. Combine half of the dressing and let cool. Mix together the remaining ingredients, including the other half of the dressing. This recipe is all very adaptable to your liking. Feel free to get creative!

Snack Plate
OK, so I didn't exactly "cook" this, but I did put it together and boy was it delicious! Super fast, easy, and addicting! Pick your favorite serving dish and pile on crackers or bread, your selection of meats, cheeses, and condiments. I did a basic tray of sourdough, hard salami, summer sausage, prosciutto, and extra sharp Vermont cheddar, served with a side of whole grain mustard.

Italian Frittata

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

I think I've become obsessed with the frittata concept and experimenting with different flavors! They're just so easy and fast, and pretty delicious! I tend to have a lot of Italian-ish ingredients in my fridge, so I used whatever I could find that sounded good together :) This is great for a group too since it makes a decent amount! As Duncan put it, who was over for the frittata, this is a yummy egg pizza!

• package of sliced prosciutto (about 3 ounces)
• diced pepperoni (about 2 ounces)
• approx. 1/2 teaspoon rosemary (I had dried on hand)
• approx. 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• approx. 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• approx. 2 tb capers, chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• pinch of pepper
• 1-2 tb fresh grated Parmesan
• approx. 6-8 thin slices fresh mozzarella
• approx. 6-8 tb pesto

In an ovenproof skillet, brown the prosciutto, pepperoni, and rosemary. Preheat the broiler. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, red peppers, capers, pepper, parmesan cheese, and basil and pour into the skillet. Cook, until almost set; top with the mozzarella cheese and pesto sauce. Broil until set in the center, about 5-7 minutes. 

Mix and Match Italian Skewers

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

As usual, I got this idea from watching Giada on the Food Network years ago. Her original recipe uses cherry or sundried tomatoes. I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes (unless they're simmering away in some pasta dish or in salsa or ketchup). Therefore, I changed this up a bit and it's been a hit at pretty much every gathering I've ever had. They're also very easy to assemble, which is a plus when you're cooking for multiple people to come over. This go around, I mixed it up and did different combinations. The mini mozzarella balls are the key ingredient and base for each skewer. You can either wrap ingredients around it, or stack them. I would definitely recommend using the mini sized mozzarella balls versus a chunk and cutting it up...it's easier, and it just looks cooler :)

• 24 medium basil leaves
• 24 small fresh mozzarella balls packed in water, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 24 toothpicks
• 1 package of prosciutto, cut into approximately 1 inch wide strips
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, also cut into long strips (if wrapping around mozzarella...these can be cut into chunks if stacking)
• olive oil and balsamic vinegar (if desired for drizzling)

Wrap the mozzarella ball with a piece of basil and a strip of roasted red pepper. Place on toothpick. Alternate by substituting prosciutto for the roasted red pepper, or use any variation you desire. Arrange the toothpicks on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil (if desired - balsamic vinegar is also tasty). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.

Prosciutto & Asparagus Risotto

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Risotto is a little intimidating at first (well, to me at least), but it's actually pretty simple -- it's just a bit time consuming. You must stand at the stove during all of the cooking time, but it's so worth it :) The best thing about risotto is you can start with a generic base and add whatever ingredients you want! Tonight I was in the mood for prosciutto and asparagus...mmmm.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio)
1 shallot, diced (or small onion)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 pound asparagus, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 slices prosciutto, cut into strips about 3/4 inch
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the shallot, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.

Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the prosciutto and parmesan.

*Note: If the risotto is too thick, add more broth to thin it out...or wine :)

Italian Breakfast Sandwich

Adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

This is a new take on your typical breakfast sandwich, one in which I welcome :) It's super fast and easy! I made a few variations from the original recipe and spiced it up a bit!

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper
• 1 slice fresh bread (I used jalapeno cheddar -- sourdough is also delicious)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 slice of prosciutto
• 1/4 cup warm tomato sauce/pizza sauce
• parmesan (optional for topping)

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the white is firm and the yolk is almost set, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. Meanwhile, toast the bread until golden brown. Rub the garlic over the toast. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spoon the marinara sauce over the Parmesan. Top with a slice of prosciutto and the egg. Serve open faced.

Roman Style Chicken

Courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis - Food Network

I saved this recipe a long time ago in my recipe box on the Food Network's website (I do this way too often). One of my best friends from JMU came down with her husband, so I figured it would be a good dish for a group. It's also great for easy clean up because you only use one pan! I'm all for that :) Another reason I like this dish - it's great for leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced (I had roasted red peppers on hand and used those)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves (can use dried if that's all you have)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Rice (optional - I used basmati and served the chicken on top)

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Prosciutto Wrapped Lemon Pepper Chicken

Want an easy week night dinner? I have your solution! This was super fast to prepare and yummy. It also provided some good leftovers...and who doesn't love those?

I would use either thin chicken breasts or get regular ones and pound them out until they are about 1/2 inch thick. It's a good opportunity to let out your frustration :)

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts (however many you wish to make -- I did four)
Prosciutto
Olive oil
Lemon Pepper seasoning (or your favorite herb seasoning)
Lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Kitchen string or twine (can get away without this)
Salt

Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with a little salt and lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle some garlic on each chicken breast. I left two of the chicken breasts as-is at this point.

For the other two, I laid a piece of prosciutto on top. Roll the chicken and secure with string (or in my case, place in baking dish so that it will not come unrolled). Bake all four chicken breasts at 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes.

Steam green beans and asparagus, seasoning as desired. I seasoned the green beans with salt and lemon pepper. I seasoned my asparagus with vinegar (a personal favorite).