This Car is a "Lemon."- October 3, 2010

This Car is a "Lemon" - October 1 - 2010

Greetings to all the great fans of Rosalie Serving Cookbooks. I must apologize for the late newsletter; it seems the book signings, private cooking classes, and political fundraiser dinners have kept me quite busy. But as I have stated before, "no rest, no rust."

The political fundraiser dinner was especially fun for me, mainly because I got to try out my new recipe, Chicken Parmigiana served with Marinara Sauce. I also served Pasta con Broccoli with Italian Fried Asparagus, and topped it all off with Italian Cream Cake. Now, I have no idea how the candidate will fare, but I'm thinking when they get to the poles, they may just vote for the Italian Cream Cake.

Did you know that our love for food not only satisfies the palate, but we also use it to describe every day life. If something is bad, we usually use the "lemon." We say, "that car is a lemon." Or if we describe someone who is weak in character we say, " you are just a chicken liver." How about some others…"If life is a bowl of cherries, why am I always in the pits?" Or, " he is so squirrelly" and, "her thighs are like ham hocks." Of course the list goes on an on, and some can be very humorous. Have you ever described someone as "a rotten egg" or "prune face"? The one that always amazed me was the "cabbage patch doll." Now, I don't know about you, but would you liken your baby to a knobby headed cabbage?

So, I just thought I might invent a board game called, "Name That Food," and everyone can tag a person, place, or thing with their favorite food metaphor. Sounds like fun to me. Don't forget to email me with any food question or suggestion, and be sure to cook up the Chicken Parmigiana tonight.

Have fun,

Rosalie

Chicken Parmigiana - Recipe 10-01-10

Recipe - October 1, 2010 - Chicken Parmigiana

Note:

These crispy fried chicken breasts are wonderful, even without the marinara sauce, but you will want to try them both ways. They are scrumptious!

6 skinless chicken fillets, about ½-inch thick

Lawry's course garlic salt with parsley

Olive oil for frying

 

3 eggs, beaten

¾ cup Progresso Italian Style bread crumbs

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons fresh curly parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Buffalo mozzarella, (8-ounce) sliced thin

2 cups shredded mozzarella

 

3 cups marinara sauce,

Or Rosalie's Marinara Sauce on page 127 of Rosalie Serving Italian Cookbook

Fresh basil leaves, garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Rinse chicken fillets well, pat dry and place on work surface. Sprinkle each breast liberally with the garlic salt.

2. Place beaten eggs into a shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the egg mixture on both sides.

3. Place the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper into another shallow dish. Pat the egg -dipped chicken into the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs into the breasts.

4. In large skillet, pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom, adding more as needed. Fry the chicken breasts in the olive oil over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Put the lid on the chicken and turn the heat down, allowing the chicken breasts to steam cook, about 8 minutes.

5. Remove chicken to a baking sheet. Top each breast with a slice of buffalo mozzarella, and then with ½ cup marinara. Sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella.

6. Place baking pan in oven and let cheeses melt, about 5 minutes. Garnish top with chopped fresh basil. Serves 6.

September 9, 2010 - THE ZUCCHINI MONSTER

September 9 , 2010 - The Zucchini Monster

1. Greetings to the great fans of Rosalie Serving Cookbooks. I hope you look forward to these newsletters, because I really enjoy connecting with you all, especially stretching my brain for new recipes.

So, I have to tell you all about my thriving garden of six tomato plants, 3 pepper plants and the 3 zucchini plants. This is the first year in a long time that my small garden has produced so much harvest, and since I didn't have the foresight to plow up a larger area, it gives one the impression of a small jungle.

The tomato plants have reached a height of 5 to 6 feet and are wrapping around one another. I have already canned 10 quarts of tomatoes. The green peppers are about to be overrun with their fruit, but it's the zucchini plants that are definitely giving me my money's worth.

I have heard how zucchini plants can proliferate, but these plants have more than quickly become out of control. They were so cute and little when I planted them, but now they each resemble a giant octopus. They have crept out of the garden, over the phlox, around the old dog house and heading for the neighbors drive way. They not only look like a creeping village, they also produce like one.

They start out like little green thumbs, and three days later they have grown to the size of a baseball bat. You don't dare turn your back on them, much less go on vacation. If you don't have the entire neighborhood watching, you may come back to the Zucchini Monster. And did I mention they have babies like carter has liver pills? Like, how many zucchini can fit on your back porch?

So this is why people stand on the street corners in your subdivision waving anyone down who will stop, asking the simple question…you wouldn't want any zucchinis would you?

Granted the little devils are quite delicious, and can be used in multiple dishes…like, soups, salads, casseroles, breads, muffins and even jellies. They can be fried, baked, grilled, blended, and even canned, probably for 100 years. I'm thinking of selling stock in the zucchini fortune.

All kidding aside, there's nothing better than fried zucchini in extra virgin olive oil, with a little garlic and onion, and topped off with fresh lemon juice.

Now that might even suffice putting up with the Zucchini Monster.

Have fun,

Rosalie

ITALIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS - September 9, 2010

August 25, 2010  - ITALIAN TURKEY MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

Note: These juicy meatballs are every bit as good made with ground turkey as they are made with ground chuck. You will love them made as sandwiches or in your favorite marinara sauce.

1 pound white ground turkey.

2 cloves garlic, chopped.

¼ cup plain breadcrumbs.

¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

2 tablespoons curly parsley, chopped.

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fennel seed

1. Mix together the turkey, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, eggs, salt and pepper and fennel seeds. Make into meatballs or patties, depending if using as sandwiches or meatballs in Marinara sauce.  Fry in olive oil over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side for sandwiches. If using in marinara, cook partially done, 2 minutes on each side. Makes 6 to 8 meatballs.

HOT SUMMER, COLD CARDINALS - AUGUST 20, 2010

HOT SUMMER, COLD CARDINALS - AUGUST 20,210

Greetings to all the great and wonderful fans of Rosalie Serving Cookbooks!

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, I have experienced lots of hot summer days, but how quickly we forget them until we leave our homes and walk out into the sultry, steaming dog days of summer. With temperatures reaching 100-degrees the past few days, frying an egg on the sidewalk seems totally possible.

 

Take my tomato plants for instance. I reached in to pick a lovely red tomato and it became instant tomato soup in my hand. The zucchini monster plants have all but dried up into skeletons, and I haven't seen our humming birds in days. I guess they all flew north. And how about getting into your car in the middle of the day? My bootie melted right into the floor board.

But then on the other hand, our beloved St. Louis Cardinals are cooling things off a bit. Like, how about landing in the middle of the north pole, and right in the middle of August? We amazingly sweep the Cincinnati Reds, and loose every game since. I say, break out the popsicles.

So, I just broke into my imagination and thought I would celebrate both the weather and baseball with two fabulous dishes. For the hot days of summer, how about a delicious cool Lemonade Pie. Just one bite will arrest the sweat glands. And since I have made five testers in the last few days, I just can't wait to give you the final and best version ever.

And now, about those cold, cold Cardinals. Well, I thought if they tasted my Chicken Gnocchi Soup ( much better than Olive Garden's, by the way), they would be so warmed up and energized, nothing could stop them. This soup is so light and delicate with the little homemade dumplings that your taste buds will do jumping jacks in your mouth.

Well, there you have it. A delicious soup followed by the best summer pie you could ever hope to experience. Be sure to look for the recipes in this newsletter. Have fun, and keep cool….take in a baseball game.

Rosalie

　

LEMONADE PIE - AUGUST 20, 2010

ROSALIE'S LEMONADE PIE - AUGUST 20, 2010

NOTE:

What I love most about this version of Lemonade Pie is the smooth texture and tangy/tart taste all in one. While most cream pies have a store bought graham cracker crust, this one is homemade and laced with sweet brown sugar. Simply divine!

11/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

 

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

 

Canned whipped cream,

 Or 1 carton (8-ounce) cool whip

1 lemon, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Combine cracker crumbs, sugar and butter and press into a 9-inch pie plate. Place in freezer for 8 to 10 minutes to set.

2. In large bowl, stir together the milk and lemonade until well blended. Add the lemon zest and stir into the mixture. Pour into the crust and bake pie uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until set. Remove and chill pie 3 to 4 hours until firm.

3. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lemon slices. Serves 8.

NEWSLETTER - JUNE 8, 2010 - THE SECRET'S IN THE SAUCE

NEWSLETTER - June 8, 2110 - The Secret's in the Sauce

 

Greetings to all the wonderful friends and fans of Rosalie Serving Italian and Rosalie Serving Country Cookbooks. Today, June 8, is my wedding anniversary of many years to a wonderful husband, Bill, who always reminds me that he is still "driving Miss Daisy." Miss Daisy of course, is me. I know he loves it, even when he packs the cookbooks, pots, pans, and food.

Back to the newsletter. Did you all know that the secret of many delicious recipes is in the sauce? Now, I personally don't know why we always use the "sauce" for the "secret." I mean, what about hair spray? What would we all look like if the hair spray went flat? Or if the kitty litter didn't have the smell killer strong enough? You know, you've been in some homes where this was evident. Or, what about the underarm deodorant that went south? Can you imagine working with that individual for 8 hours? Even yet, how about the toilet bowl cleaner that never worked; you were the one to notice.

So then, why do we usually always apply the "secret" to the sauce? I guess because food is the last thing we would want to be short changed on. Especially, when we get all dressed up on our anniversary to go to the 5-star restaurant, only to be disappointed with "the secret" that just wasn't there in the sauce. This is why we all need Rosalie Serving Cookbooks for the greatest sauces in the world--am I prejudiced?. Of course! What kind of cookbook author would I be if I didn't believe in my product?

Just take the Italian Peppermint Sauce listed in Rosalie Serving Italian cookbook on page 120. This little sauce gets mostly unnoticed next to the great Rosalie's Red Sauce, or the Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce--even the ever popular Marinara Sauce. It's true these sauces are all fantastic and it is very easy to overlook this delicious, taste bud jumping, awesome sauce.

I and many other Sicilian kids, grew up with peppermint sauce. We knew if our dad's were grilling Modiga Steaks, or the wonderful Spiedinis, whether chicken or beef, we would have the peppermint sauce to top it off. I can still see my dad going over to the peppermint patch in our back yard and cutting off the sprigs, while mom made the fresh tomato sauce in the house. He would dip the sprigs in the tomato sauce and lather the meat while it was still on the fire. Yum! I can taste it now!

So, the next time it's your turn to contribute to the barbeque, surprise everyone with Italian Breaded Chicken Rolls and Italian Peppermint Sauce.

Have fun,

Rosalie

 

 

Italian Breaded Chicken Rolls

 Note:  These wonderful little rolls will have your taste buds hopping; they are awesome!  Cook them on the gril, or just fry them up in your pan in olive oil.  

 

 

6 thin skinless chicken filets         2 beaten eggs

olive oil                                        1/2 cup Italian Style bread crumbs

coarse garlic salt with parsley     1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

                                                         2 cloves garlic, minced

1(10-ounce) package frozen       2 tablespoons fresh Italian

chopped spinach, drained            flat-leaf parsly, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil               1/3 cup olive oil, more if needed

salt and pepper                          

6 thin slices prosciutto                   coarse sea salt to taste

1 cup rope provel cheese,            ground black pepper to taste

or 6 slices buffao mozzarella      grated Parmesan cheese garnish

 

1.  Rinse chicken fillets well, pat dry and place on work surface.

Fillets should be about 1/8-inch thick.  If too thick, pound between waxed paper to flatten.  Brush olve oil on both sides and sprinkle with the coarse garlic salt.

 

2.  Squeeze thawed spinach to remove excess water and place in bowl.  Add olive oil with a little salt and pepper to flavor spinach.

Toss together.  Place 1 slice of prosciutto over each fillet.  Next, add 1 tablespoon spinach over prosciutto.  Lastly, add some rope prove or the slice of mozzarela.  Starting from one end, roll the fillets up jelly-roll style and secure with two strong thoothpicks.

 

3.  Beat eggs until fluffy.  Mix bread crumbs, cheese, garlic and parsley together.  Place bread crumb mixture in shallow bowl.  Dip each roll in the eggs and then into the bread crumbs.  Fry in hot oil 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Turn heat down and put lid on pan to steam the rolls, 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove rolls to a large platter.

 

4.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve as is, or top with Italian Peppermint Sauce.