Tag: European
Penne with Peas and Pancetta
Penne with Peas and Pancetta
This is a great example of how Italian cuisine can be simple using minimal ingredients, yielding massive flavor. Penne pasta was what I had on hand, but orecchiette, shells, bowtie, or just about any other type will work.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried penne pasta cooked al dente according to package directions
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz pancetta diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Brown the pancetta for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the onions and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Stir in the peas and black and crushed red pepper. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the penne and grated parmesan cheese. Cook for 2 minutes.
Italian Monkfish Kabobs
Italian Monkfish Kabobs
The pour man’s lobster is very underrated. Having a slight flavor of lobster with the firm consistency of a fish, monkfish is quite versatile and great on the grill. I marinated the fillets in olive oil, garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper for 30 minutes; skewered with a grape tomato, and grilled only for 10-12 minutes in total. If you don’t have a grill, you can leave the fillets whole and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 400°.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- metal skewers
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 4 monkfish fillets each cut into 4 pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup basil finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 4 grape tomatoes
Instructions
- Marinate the monkfish with the ingredients for 30 minutes.
- Place 4 pieces of monkfish on metal skewers. Put a grape tomato on top of each skewer.
- Let your charcoal get gray in the chimney starter. Pour the charcoal in the grill and place on the grate. Put the skewers directly over the charcoal.
- Gril for 5-6 minutes a side.
Chicken Souvlaki
Chicken Souvlaki
Souvlaki is the general Greek term used for skewered and grilled meats. This method of cooking has been dated back to 2000 B.C. Today, souvlaki is considered Greek fast food; typically served with pita, cucumbers, tomato, and tzatziki, with a side of fried potatoes. Souvlaki can be made with chicken, pork, beef, or lamb.
Equipment
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
- metal skewers
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 1/2” cubes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon juiced
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Accompaniments
- pita
- tzatziki
- cucumber sliced
- tomato sliced
Instructions
- Mix together the marinade ingredients.
- Marinate the chicken breast for up to 24 hours.
- Skewer 5-6 pieces of the chicken breast per stick.
- Place the charcoal in the chimney starter and light until they are grey. Place the skewers directly over the charcoal.
- Grill for about 3 minutes on all 4 sides until cooked through.
Bangers and Mash
If you can’t find a store bought banger sausage and want to make them from scratch, a recipe I made is: 4lbs ground pork, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp mace, 1 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp …