Oops We Made Them Again - Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Hey, New Englanders. Now is the time to stop the zucchini madness. We know you don't want to be snacking on zucchini bread all fall, and neither do your neighbors and co-workers. Before those vibrant yellow blossoms can become full-fledged green squash, pick them. Stuff them with cheese. Dip them in egg wash and seasoned flour and fry them up. Yes, they are edible. And they're delicious, an Italian delicacy, even. If you like a more tempura-type batter, follow Sara Moulton's recently published recipe. Ours (below) has a lighter, crisper touch that we believe allows the flower, not the batter, to be the star. Make them both and see which you prefer. And just say no to zucchini bread!

Ingredients:

8 squash blossoms, rinsed well

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin strips about as long as the flowers

1 egg

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

dash cayenne pepper

oil for frying

Fill a frying pan up to about 1/2 inch with oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, stuff the blossoms with the strips of mozzarella. Make an egg wash by beating the egg and water together. Then mix together the flour, salt, paprika, black and red pepper in a shallow dish. When the oil is hot enough for frying, dip each blossom first in the egg wash, then in the flour mixture, and gently place it in the oil. Avoid crowding the blossoms - if the pan isn't large enough, do this is two batches of four. Cook each blossom approximately two minutes on each side, then let rest on a paper towel. Eat the entire thing while it's hot!

Meatless Monday: Celery Root Soup

It's only recently that we have come to love celery root, or celeriac as it is also known. It's pretty ugly, and as the saying goes, you eat with your eyes first. But we have found this funny-looking root vegetable to be quite delicious in dishes such as our Potato, Leek and Celeriac Gratin. Then again, cheese can be like bacon in that everything-tastes-better-with-it kind of way. Regardless, we bought a couple of celery roots the last time we were at the farmers market and were looking for something new to do with them.

Rewind to Christmas, when Amy received this beautiful set of cookbooks from her cousin J (Thank you so much, J! We love you!). The cookbooks are particularly meaningful as they contain recipes created by the Rome Sustainable Food Project at the American Academy of Rome, where Amy was lucky enough to study in the summer of 2004 via a Fulbright Grant. She has so many wonderful memories of her time at the AAR and her other adventures in Rome, and while this particular program did not exist back then (darn it!), Italian, or more specifically, Roman, food is definitely something close to her heart and soul. Suffice it to say, she loves these books and she has been flipping around in them almost daily since she got them. 

Now back to the celery root thing. Since the volume on soup, Zuppe, is arranged by seasons, one of the first things she had looked at was the chapter focusing on winter, and there it was! Celery Root Soup (or, rather, passato di sedano rape), a velvety soup with beautifully rich flavors of celery, leek and potato that was as comforting as it was nourishing. Just lovely. And perfect for Meatless Monday.

Now, normally, we would post the recipe for you. But, as is noted on their website, "The American Academy in Rome is a private institution supported by gifts, grants and membership fees of individuals, foundations, corporations and leading colleges, universities and arts and cultural organizations." And purchasing items in their store, particularly these amazing cookbooks, is part of that support. So we don't want to do anything to take away from that. Perhaps this post and its photographs will inspire you to consider buying the book from AAR (or on Amazon here) and enjoying this and 49 other amazing soup recipes.

Italian Lemon Shrimp (Secret Recipe Club)

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day again! And we haven't posted anything since April 9th! Sorry about the unannounced hiatus, by the way. We have lots to catch up on, but first, you really need to check out the blog assigned to us this month for SRC - White Lights on Wednesday - where author Julie shares DIY projects, giveaways, cooking challenges, and PLENTY of fantastic recipes. 

One of Julie's most recent recipes was for a "Mocha Cupcake Milkshake," and we can't tell you how tempting that was. Let's just say it's been bookmarked, and seeing as we are entering the chaos of the beginning of the end of the school year, we'll probably be making two of 'em quite soon. Several others sounded scrumptious as well, such as Tequila Infused Queso Fundido (hmmm...Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner), Thai Pizza with Peanut Butter Sauce (so creative!), and Butter Cream Chicken (decadently delish). 

Still, we were in the mood for shrimp and Julie's Italian Lemon Shrimp sounded easy and refreshing - perfect for a pretty spring evening. And even though our last post was about a shrimp dish, again, that was way back on April 9th so we thought  it would be okay. 

We made the Italian Lemon Shrimp almost exactly according to the recipe, using Key West Pink Shrimp that our favorite market carries (frozen, unfortunately). These Gulf shrimp have a salty-sweet taste and firm texture that went really well with Julie's spicy buttery lemon sauce. A great match indeed! We served ours over angel hair and ate it all up. 

Italian Lemon Shrimp

minimally adapted from this recipe by Julie of White Lights on Wednesday

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flake

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut lemon in half and then into thin slices. In a medium bowl, combine Italian seasoning, oregano, chile flake, salt, and pepper. Add shrimp and toss to combine. Pour shrimp onto prepared baking sheet. Top with lemon slices and melted butter - evenly distributing both. Bake shrimp for 10 to 12 minutes, until pink and cooked through. While shrimp bakes, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Remove lemon slices from shrimp. Pour shrimp and butter onto drained pasta. Add reserved pasta water and Parmesan cheese to taste. Toss to combine. Top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Wordless Weekender: A Present from Our Nieces

The Most Amazing Italian Stuffed Peppers

(thank you, ladies!)

The Best Article about the Best Cheese. Ever.

This is the best article about the best cheese. Ever.

Dear God, let Craig Ramini figure it out.

Chicken Saltimbocca

This is our sage plant. It barely wilted over the mild winter we had, and since then, it has almost doubled in size, and is currently blooming. Seeing as we are swimming in sage, we made Chicken Saltimbocca the other night. "Saltimbocca" is an Italian hybrid word formed from the verb saltare (to jump), and the noun bocca - the mouth, thus it means "jumps in the mouth." What a great word, huh? It's the perfect description for this dish, which traditionally is made with pounded veal or chicken breast that is cooked with prosciutto and sage. The blending of that woodsy sage flavor with the salty meatiness from the prosciutto really tickles the tastebuds. Saltimbocca!

Our version is pretty easy and quick to make, so it is nice for weeknights, but also has a touch of elegance that can translate well into a dinner party, especially when paired with the right Pinot Grigio. We do one extra step that makes a big difference - infuse the coooking oil with sage by frying a few sage leaves in it first, which you can use as an edible garnish for the plated dish.

Cut sage leaves

Fry sage in oil to infuse oil and make a unique edible garnish

Use thinly sliced prosciutto

Pound the chicken with the sage and prosciutto

to mingle the flavors

Dredge chicken in flour and fry in infused oil

Don't forget the other side!

Make a quick pan sauce with shallots, wine and butter

Chicken Saltimbocca

Serves two, includes directions for optional sauce

Ingredients:

10-12 large fresh sage leaves

2 thin slices prosciutto

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, minced (optional)

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

2 tablespoons butter (optional)

Rinse sage leaves and carefully pat them dry. Rip up one large or two small sage leaves and place pieces on top of each chicken breast. Lay one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast, over the sage. Pound chicken breasts to desired thinness. Season flour with salt and pepper, then dredge chicken breasts in the seasoned flour; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. In small batches, fry 8 of the sage leaves for 4 seconds on each side. Remove from oil, drain on a paper towel and set aside. Place floured chicken breasts in hot oil, prosciutto-side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turn, and repeat on the other side, with the timing depending on thickness, until chicken is browned and cooked through. Plate chicken with fried sage leaves for garnish. If desired, make a quick pan sauce by adding minced shallots to the hot pan, and sauteing for a minute. Then add white wine and cook over high heat until reduced by half. Swirl in butter and serve over chicken with favorite side dish (we like haricot verts, as you can see).

Like this? Try our Chicken Piccata!

Tuscan Sausage Soup

We published this picture as a Wordless Weekender yesterday, but had a few requests for the recipe, so here it is. This delicious dish was the fare at a housewarming/dinner party hosted by G and J in celebration of old friends coming back to Connecticut. We were joined by J and J, as well as C and L, and we had a wonderful time catching up and being together for a fun night of food and good company. It was the first time G had made this particular recipe, which her dad shared with her (we're not sure of the exact origin). Everyone loved how hearty and full of flavor it was - a must-try, indeed!

Tuscan Sausage Soup

serves 10-12

Ingredients:

2 lbs. hot or mild Italian sausage

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 quarts chicken broth

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with juice

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 cups large shell pasta, uncooked

12 ounces spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage from casings if necessary and cook sausage meat in a large pot until brown. Add carrots, onion, and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring often, 5-7 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, beans and basil. Bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until pasta is tender (about 10 minutes). Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Chicken Piccata

What a week! Amy went to a conference and came back with anti-biotic-resistant strep, an ear infection and bronchitis. Suffice it to say it was a long week of tea, soup and popsicles (Bomb Pops, if you must know...). There were a couple of takeout meals and a rotisserie chicken purchased from the grocery store which became a homemade stock, but generally, there wasn't a lot of cooking going on in our house last week. But that stock was fantastic, and when Amy felt better, we made her famous chicken pot pie, and then last night, chicken piccata.

It starts with a well-seasoned flour

The chicken, dredged in that flour, is then browned nicely in butter and olive oil

The chicken is set aside while the sauce is made

Neither of us is big for ordering chicken when we go out to eat. We make chicken so much at home, it seems like a waste of a night out. The one exception to that is chicken piccata. When done right, chicken piccata is a wonderful Italian meal, filled with the most simple flavors - chicken, capers, lemon, white wine, butter, garlic - that mesh together to be just perfetto! And last night when we saw that beautiful homemade chicken stock, and a package of chicken tenders in the fridge, we came up with this recipe on the fly but were quite impressed with the tasty result. Buttery, tangy, well-seasoned, and garlicky, with juicy and tender chicken pieces - all the invidual parts came together in a delicious way and paired nicely with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Now that we can make it ourselves, we'll have to figure out something else to order next time we go for Italian!

Capers packed in salt offer a boost of flavor

The chicken finishes cooking in the sauce

while the pasta finishes on the back burner

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

1/2 pound linguine, prepared according to package directions

1 lb. chicken tenders

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

(we prefer Connecticut's own Boxed Goodes' version, found here)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup chicken stock/broth

1 tablespoon (or more, to taste) capers packed in salt

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

Begin to prepare pasta according to package directions. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt until well combined. Dry the chicken tenders and dredge them in the flour mixture; set aside. Heat one tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Place the chicken tenders in the heated pan and brown them on each side; remove from pan and drain on a paper towel (do this in batches if necessary). Wipe out pan with some paper towels. Return pan to heat and add the white wine, water, lemon juice, chicken stock, capers and fresh garlic. Bring to a low simmer and return chicken to the pan. Allow the chicken to cook in the liquid until cooked through, about 6 minutes, turning half way through. The liquid should have reduced by about half. Once again remove chicken from pan and set aside. By now the pasta should be done so divide pasta onto plates. Swirl remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce until well incorporated. Serve chicken over pasta with plenty of piccata sauce poured over it. Garnish with a couple more capers if you like, or maybe a slice of lemon. Mangia!

Italian Pork Chops served with Alexia Oven Reds and Garlic Spinach

Since you are one of A Couple in the Kitchen's readers, you know that we are pretty big on cooking from scratch. But sometimes the "busy-ness" of life just drags you down and all you need is good food fast. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, we received a coupon for a free Alexia Foods frozen food product (we chose their "Oven Reds"). We stopped at the market today, after a particularly busy day, to pick them up. Those, a package of on-sale pork chops, a bag of spinach, and a couple of pantry items is all we needed to make tonight's 25-minute meal (take that, Rachel Ray!), "Italian Pork Chops served with Alexia Oven Reds and Garlic Spinach."

We took a good look at the potatoes once we opened the package. They looked like what they claimed to be, which were wedges cut from "Columbia Basin" red potatoes, and seasoned with olive oil, parmesan cheese and roasted garlic. We could vaguely catch the scent of the cheese and garlic, but then again, they were still frozen at the time. We preheated the oven to 425, as directed, and spread them out in a baking pan. That part was done.

  

We allowed the potatoes to cook for 10 minutes and then started to prepare the rest of the meal. First, we seasoned some plain breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning (you could skip this step by using Italian-style breadcrumbs). We placed those in one shallow bowl; in another, some flour; in a third, an egg beaten with a little water. Into the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, then into our heated cast-iron pan went our chops. Three minutes on each side, then into the oven with the whole pan. There were five minutes of cooking time left.

Now, for the greens. We heated some olive oil in a saute pan, added most of our bag of spinach, and crushed a clove of garlic into the pan. By the time the pork and potatoes were done, so was our spinach, and all that was left to do was plate the meal. Everything was done at the same time, and all of it done in 25 minutes (the suggested time for cooking the potatoes), from start to finish.

Our verdict on the potatoes? They are pretty good, particularly for a quick-and-easy frozen food product. We do have a couple of criticisms, however. First, we would have liked them to be crisper on the outside (which may be possible with longer cooking time). And second, they were a little bland, so more cheese and garlic flavor would improve the taste. Still, we applaud Alexia for putting out a tasty, all-natural (yes, we recognized AND could pronounce each ingredient) potato product that makes a busy day that much easier.

Italian Pork Chops served with Alexia Oven Reds and Garlic Spinach

Ingredients:

1 bag Alexia Oven Reds

2 pork chops

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 bag spinach

1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 425. Spread the potatoes in one layer on a baking sheet and cook according to package directions. Relax for 10 minutes, because you deserve it and because the rest of the meal only takes 15 minutes to cook. Season pork chops with salt and pepper; set aside. Lay out three shallow bowls. In one, mix together the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning. In another, place the flour. In the third, beat together the egg and water. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron pan over high heat. Dip each side of each pork chop first in the flour, then in the egg wash, then in the breadcrumbs. Carefully lay the pork chops in the hot pan. Sear for 3 minutes on each side, then place the entire pan in the oven. Heat a saute pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the desired amount of spinach and minced garlic. Toss over heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove potatoes and pork chops from oven and serve with spinach.

Disclaimer: Through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, we received a coupon to try one Alexia frozen food product for free. The recipe in this post, all opinions, and the photos, are our own.

Wordless Weekender: Carbonara One Day, Frittata the Next

"Festa Romana" at Bricco Trattoria, Glastonbury

Local celebrity Chef Billy Grant opened Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury in 2010. Since then it has become, like his other restaurants, a Connecticut hot spot. At this particular location, Grant offers simple, fresh, polished Italian, from imported salumi and cheeses to housemade pastas and thin-crust pizzas. While the menu tends to change often, depending on season and availability of ingredients, last week there was a special menu offered for three nights only called "Festa Romana," to celebrate "the spirit of Rome." Since Rome is Amy's favorite place in the whole universe, how could we not go? We made it a double date with friends J and M, whom we don't see often enough, and what a great meal we had. Between us, we tried everything offered (each diner choosing one of the two choices per course), so here it is, with accompanying photos (which again, aren't great because they were taken on our phone...sorry). This was an authentic Roman meal that truly celebrated the spirit of Rome, which could be encompassed by the chef's favorite saying, "Eat and live well always."

PRIMI

Artichokes Fritti

with lemon, capers and parsley

Verdict: light, crispy, tangy, delicious

Braesola

with rocket arugula, EVO, parmigiano

Verdict: fresh, peppery, smoky, needed more cheese

SECUNDI

Spaghetti Vongole

with manila clams, parsley, garlic olive oil

Verdict: perfectly al dente, garlicky, very good

Sheeps Milk Ricotta Ravioli

with guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, chilies

Verdict: fluffy, pillowy, luscious, we all wanted to lick the sauce off the plate,
the winning dish

TERZO

Whole Grilled Branzino

with fennel, radish and lemon

Verdict: flaky, flavorful, some inconsistencies in the cooking (overdone/underdone areas)

Veal Saltimbocca alla Romana

with proscuitto, lemon and sage

Verdict: perfect thinness, great flavor, really nice dish

IL DOLCE

Warm Chocolate-Filled Cornetto

Verdict: crisp, flaky pastry, but the chocolate inside was not melted,
the losing dish

Zuppa Englese Gelato with Biscotti

Verdict: creamy, delightful, perfectly Italian