Flavors ~Pineapple~ 'Grilled Pineapple Salsa'

Y'all have seen that the 'flavor' of the week is Pineapple. When they are fresh, a pineapple is sweet and juicy. Luckily, we can find them almost year 'round. I usually use my sniffer when choosing the one I want. The good one's smell like ~ Pineapple!
I'm excited to see what everyone else is doing with their pineapple . . . in truth ~ I am a little short on inspiration.
I made a simple pineapple salsa. Grilling the pineapple brings out the sweetness and dries it a bit. Perfect for this dish.
All the recommended flavors have been Capitalized.
Grilled Pineapple Salsa
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 RED PEPPER
2 small CUCUMBER
1/2 cup chopped CILANTRO
1/2 cup chopped PARSLEY
1/4 cup SWEET ONION
1 tablespoons finely chopped JALAPENO PEPPER, stemmed and seeded
Juice of 1 large LIME
2 Tbs Lemon yogurt
Salt, to taste
Slice the pinapple into managable quarters. Place on a hot grill and roast for 1 minute on each side. Dice pineapple, red pepper, and herbs. Mince garlic and onion. Combine all ingredients and stir in yogurt to desired consistency. I usually serve this over grilled salmon or with Bar-B-Q
I simply ate mine on top of a avocado!
Join us for the ride on Facebook and our blog Flavors .

Happy Cooking y'all~
Sandi

Slow Cooking Sundays ~ grillin'

I'm grilling with my friends from Slow Travel. This sunday our secret ingredient is boneless chicken breasts. Easy enough!

I knew right away that I needed something to spice up these chunks of chicken. I found this recipe on Epicurious... The fresh pistachio pesto is AmAZinG!

Chicken K-bobs with Tarragon/Pistachio Pesto
•1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
•2 tablespoons unsalted natural pistachios
•1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1 medium garlic clove, peeled
•1/4 cup olive oil
•16 1-inch pieces red onion (1/3 inch thick)
•16 1-inch squares red bell pepper
•8 lemon slices, halved
•1 pound chicken tenders (about 8
Puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until slightly coarse paste forms. Mix in 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons pesto to small bowl (for brushing chicken and vegetables); reserve remaining pesto.
(I marinated my chicken in WhistleStop Marinade with a little extra tarragon)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill with oil. Thread 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, 1 lemon slice half, 1 chicken tender (lengthwise), then 1 onion piece, 1 bell pepper square, and 1 lemon slice half alternately on each of 8 skewers. Brush vegetables and chicken on skewers with olive oil, then with 3 tablespoons pesto from small bowl. Sprinkle skewers with salt and pepper. Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with reserved pesto
The recipe is a little detailed as far as the making of the k-bobs . . . after all, it's a summer afternoon. My recipe was actually a little more like this:
Marinate chicken ~ skewer chicken ~ grill chicken.
(each ~ stands for another glass of wine)

Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Pomodori e Vino ~Veal with Marsala and Cream

This chapter of Essential's of Italian cooking has been a challenge... VEAL. It is not something that we eat often. Ok... the truth... I have never cooked veal, but I do order it whenever I get the chance.
Now I have the reason to cook veal in my own kitchen.

Classic Veal with Marsala and Cream is a beautiful combination of flavors. The scaloppine is first dredged in flour then browned in butter and vegetable oil. Once the veal is lightly browned, remove it from the pan. Using the same pan, add marsalla and cook down the little bits in the pan. Add cream and cook to a thickened sauce.This is a simple and a beautiful blend of flavors. Essentially Marcella Hazan~ Essentials of Italian Cooking.

Remember to follow us along daily on Facebook or on the Pomodori e Vino Blog ...Much more Veal to come!
Ciao Y'all,
Sandi

Pomodori e Vino ~Butter & Sage

This week's challenge for Pomodori e Vino is 'Borro Oro e Salvia' ~Golden Butter and Sage~ Doesn't that just sound like a pinch of heaven?

I have some lovely sage in the garden. This recipe couldn't be simpler. First you brown the butter until golden and add the fresh sage leaves, turning after a few minutes to get them crispy.

Marcella says that this is best eaten with fresh pasta... so here we go! I put on my pasta apron and made some fresh tortolloni.

The pasta was light and fresh. The browned butter and sage sauce fabulous. Topped with a touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Perfetto!

Ciao y'all~

Sandi

Y'all look at my comment from Marcella on the Pomodori e Vino blog...

Sandi, who could have imagined an Alabama belle making such deft
tortelloni! You've proven that if one really loves pasta one doesn't have
to settle for second-rate store bought stuff. It has to do with whether
eating well is worth making an effort or not. And that, I understand, is
what Southern cooks know something about.

Super Snacks

The Super Bowl is a big event, almost as big as the Iron Bowl. It is a great occasion to have friends over, enjoy some good eats, a little BuffaloRock, maybe an occasional adult beverage, and watch the commercials.
This year I can undertand that we can look forward to seeing Mr. Brittney Spears working in a fast food resturant (fitting!), one or two beer commercials, and those Emerald Nuts. Companies have to get really creative to keep us from fast forwarding straight through!

Snacks, on the other hand, will be eaten no matter what. Bags of chips, bowls of dip, and platters of hot wings will be consumed, why not add something healthy this year? These are some Chicken strips, easy to marinate and throw on the grill.
Chick on a Stick
2 pounds chicken breasts sliced into strips
1/2 cup Marinade
1/2 cup beer (optional of course)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
cherry tomatoes
fresh mushrooms
Chop or tear fresh cilantro leaves into pieces. In a zip-loc bag combine herbs and marinade. Add chicken and allow to marinate overnight. The next morning soak wooden skewers in water. Thread chicken with tomatoes and mushrooms. Grill over low heat until chicken is done~ only a few minutes depending on how thick the slices are.














I've also made some fresh Chimichurri to eat with the chicken. This Argentinian sauce is a combination of garlic, herbs, and olive oil that packs a flavorful punch. It goes great anytime with chicken, beef, or shrimp.
Chimichurri
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
3-5 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Hot sauce to taste
Dice herbs and garlic. Add cumin and stir until well combined. Pour good olive oil over the top, 2-4 tablespoons. Allow to stand at room temperature 1-2 hours. This can be done in a food processor, depending on the consistency you like. If you added the olive oil in while blending in the food processor, you could make a creamier sauce.
I like my chimichurri chunkier, but watch out for parsley teeth! Your friends will eat it up ~between commercials that is.
Y'all enjoy!
Sandi