Grilled Zucchini with Penne

Ingredients:

4 zucchini – sliced ¼ inch thick
2 fresh tomatoes – quartered
1 sweet onion – sliced
5 cloves garlic – crushed & coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil
Red pepper flakes
Dried oregano
Olive oil
Romano Cheese for grating
Penne Macaroni or your favorite

Heat your griddle and place zucchini slices on the heated griddle. Drizzle a little olive oil over the zucchini and dust with the dried oregano. Let the zucchini become golden on one side and then flip. Continue this process with the onions, garlic and last the tomatoes. Finally place the basil on the griddle, drizzle a little olive oil and let the basil become slightly crispy. Place the vegetables in a serving bowl and sprinkle a few dashes of red pepper flakes.

Prepare the macaroni as directed, drain and add to the grilled veggies. Drizzle a little more olive oil some more red pepper and then Romano Cheese for the finish.

This is a light and delicious way to serve up your summer vegetables!

Lots and Lots of Summer Love,

Catherine

Grilled Zucchini with Penne

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Adapted From: Family Circle

1 Chicken - cut up
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. garlic pepper
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. paprika
1½ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
Olive oil

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

In a baking pan, whisk together flour, garlic pepper, sugar and paprika. In a medium size bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking powder and baking soda until smooth.

Dip each piece of chicken into buttermilk mixture, shaking off excess. Roll in flour mixture and then dip into buttermilk and flour mixture a second time. Place in baking pan and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake about 50-55 minutes or until chicken is golden.

This is a delicious oven fried chicken. You will be asked to make it again!

With Lots of Love,

Catherine

Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken

Asian Style Baked Veggies with Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

1 package of Rice Noodles
1 head of fresh broccoli – sliced
½ red onion – sliced
1 pint of button mushrooms – halved
5 cloves of garlic – crushed and chopped
1 cup of baby carrots – sliced
1 pint of grape tomatoes – halved

Asian Sauce:

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

Combine all of the vegetables in a baking dish. In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and mix. Pour this sauce over the vegetables and bake for about 35-40 minutes.

Prepare the Rice Noodles and mix in the vegetables. You may like some more of the sauce so feel free to mix some more up!

This is wallet friendly and very authentic in taste.

Enjoy with Lots of Love,

Catherine

Asian Style Baked Veggies with Rice Noodles

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Salad

Adapted from: bon appetite

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
1 jalapeño pepper – seeded, minced
2 garlic cloves – crushed and chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro – chopped
1 small – medium head green cabbage – thinly sliced
½ red onion – thinly sliced

Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, zest,

jalapeño pepper and garlic in large bow. Stir in cilantro.

Add cabbage and red onions: Toss, cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.

This is a unique way to serve up coleslaw.

Enjoy with Lots and Lots of Love,

Catherine

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Salad

Bacon Salad

Adapted from bon appetite:

Salad Ingredients:

About 6-7 slices of bacon
1 head of romaine lettuce – torn
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Radishes
Red Onion – sliced thin
Baby Carrots – sliced thin

Combine all of the ingredients for the salad and mix well.

Dressing:

1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons of vinegar
1 tablespoon of bacon drippings

Heat bacon drippings in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, then mayonnaise and vinegar; whisk until blended, 30-40 seconds.

Pour over salad and sprinkle bacon over. Serve immediately.

You have just created a delightful summertime meal!

Lots and Lots of Love,

Catherine

Bacon Salad

Fresh Fruit Salad with Feta and Basil

Ingredients:

Watermelon
Bananas
Apples
Oranges
Grapes
Kiwis
And any other fruit you like!
Feta Cheese – crumbled
Fresh Basil - chopped

Cut up the fruit and crumble the feta cheese on top and add the fresh basil.

You have just created a beautiful and gourmet fruit salad!

Lots of Love,

Catherine

Fresh Fruit Salad with Feta and Basil

Buttermilk Cherry Crumb Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 box of your favorite yellow cake mix
1 cup of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1½ cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of ½ orange
½ cup applesauce
1 tablespoon butter

Cherry Topping:

1- 16 oz. can of cherries – drained
1 tablespoon orange marmalade

Crumb Topping:

½ tablespoons of melted butter
½ cup of flour
¼ tablespoon of brown sugar

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer.

Combine both bowls and mix well with an electric mixer.

Butter a baking dish and pour the mixture in the baking dish.

Prepare the crumb topping in a small saucepan on the stovetop.

Mix the drained cherries with the marmalade. Arrange the cherries and marmalade on top of the cake and then sprinkle with the crumb topping.

Bake the cake for about 35-38 minutes or until the toothpick test comes clean.

This cake is a delightful end to any meal and really no one would believe how easy it was to make!

Lots of Love,

Catherine

Buttermilk Cherry Crumb Cake

Oven Fried Potatoes

Ingredients:

6-7 Baking potatoes

Dressing for the potatoes:

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon

Small bunch of fresh basil - chopped

3 cloves of garlic - crushed and chopped
Few dashes of red pepper flakes
Few dashes of paprika
Few dashes of black pepper

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

Wash and peel the potatoes. Pat the potatoes dry and slice about ¼ inch thick.
Prepare all of the ingredients for the potatoes and mix well. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and toss the potatoes so the mixture is evenly distributed.

Bake the potatoes about 40 minutes or until golden.

These potatoes go well with any meal!

Enjoy with Lots of Love,

Catherine

Living the Gourmet Oven Fried Potatoes

Curry and Sage Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic – crushed & chopped
juice of ½ lemon
juice of ½ orange
small bunch of fresh sage – chopped
3 tablespoons of honey
dashes of black pepper
tsp of curry
dashes of turmeric

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

Clean chicken inside and out and pat dry.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, garlic, honey, sage, curry, black pepper and turmeric in a small bowl and mix well.

Rub chicken down with this mixture and stuff some of the garlic and sage mixture under the skin of the chicken.

Place in a baking pan and bake according to the size of your chicken. Let the skin become golden and beautiful.

This chicken dish has light a fresh taste for summer.

Enjoy with Lots of Summer Love,

Catherine

Curry and Sage Chicken

Broccoli Rabe with Spaghetti, Feta Cheese and Croutons

Ingredients:

2 bunches of fresh broccoli rabe – cleaned with hard stems cut off
8 oz. of feta cheese – crumbled
5-6 cloves of garlic – crushed and chopped
1 cup - Italian style croutons – crumbled
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil – for drizzling
1 box of your favorite spaghetti

In a large pot cover the broccoli rabe with water and bring to a boil for two to three minutes, enough to soften the broccoli rabe.

Remove the broccoli rabe from the water and set aside. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil with the garlic and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Carefully, add the broccoli rabe to the garlic and oil. Continue to sauté the broccoli rabe in the oil and garlic for a few more minutes and then set aside while preparing the spaghetti.

Add a few drizzles of olive oil to the feta cheese and a few dashes of red pepper flakes and mix.

When the spaghetti is done cooking lift it out of the water with tongs and add to the broccoli rabe. Add the feta and the croutons to spaghetti and broccoli rabe and toss.

Drizzle a little more olive oil and a few more dashes of red pepper flakes.

You have just created a meal that is satisfying and delicious.

Enjoy with Lots of Love,

Catherine

Broccoli Rabe with Spaghetti, Feta Cheese and Croutons

A Living the Gourmet Garden

Here are a few photos of our Living the Gourmet victory garden.

So far, we have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, strawberries, green beans and sugar snap peas.

We have our herbs in flower pots, separate from our little garden patch. There is still some more work left to do, but we are very proud of all the hard work that has been put into our Living the Gourmet garden.

It is so satisfying using fresh home-grown herbs in my recipes! I love going out to the backyard picking some fresh basil, parsley, sage, Italian oregano, Greek oregano and so much more.. . I cannot wait for the tomatoes to grow !

What's growing in your little garden?

Quick and Delicious Chili!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground Sirloin

1 large Jalapeño pepper – sliced with seeds

½ red onion – sliced

4 cloves garlic – crushed and chopped

4 sun dried tomatoes

1- 1lb. 12 oz. can black beans – drained

1 ½ pints grape tomatoes

Olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

Dashes of Red Pepper Flakes

1 tablespoon Living the Gourmet Dry Herb Rub

1 tablespoon Living the Gourmet Signature Spice Mix

In a large heated frying pan cook the chop meat breaking it up as it cooks. When the chop meat is cooked, drain the fat.

In a food processor place the tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes and give a few good chops.

In a heated frying pan drizzle a little olive oil and place the jalapeño, onion and garlic and sauté until tender.

Add the meat and the beans to the jalapeño, onion and garlic and continue to sauté. Add the tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes and mix well.

Add the seasonings to taste.

This is quick and oh so good!

Enjoy with Love,
Catherine

Ciao Bella!

Quick and Delicious Chili!

Citrus Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken breast – cooked and diced
2 stalks celery – chopped
½ small red onion – sliced
Few sprigs of fresh cilantro – chopped

Dressing:

Juice of one lemon
Juice of one lime
Juice of one orange
½ tsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

Combine the chicken, celery, onion and cilantro in a bowl.

In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Pour this over the chicken and mix well. Your chicken salad is complete!

This is a fresh and delicious way to use your left-over chicken.

Enjoy with Love,

Catherine

Citrus Chicken Salad

Easy Apple Crumb Cake

1 box of your favorite yellow cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1¼ cup milk
¼ stick of butter – softened
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla

Apples:

4 apples peeled & sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla

Brown Sugar Topping:

½ stick butter (melted)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat Oven 350 degrees;

Combine all of the ingredients for the cake and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine all of the apple ingredients.

Butter a baking dish and spread the apples on the bottom of the baking dish. Top the apples with the cake batter. Prepare the brown sugar topping and sprinkle on top.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This is an easy and tasty way to end your day.

Enjoy with Lots of Love,

Catherine

Easy Apple Crumb Cake

I've just added this wonderful recipe to Mama Bird's 'Whatcha got Cooking Wednesday.'

Head on over to Mama Bird's Nest and add your recipe too!

Grilled Eggplant

2 eggplants – sliced with skin
5 - plum tomatoes – sliced
1 large onion – sliced
5 cloves garlic – crushed & chopped
1 bunch fresh basil
Romano cheese – for grating
Dried oregano
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil

Dressing:

Equal parts of:

Balsamic vinegar
Honey
Olive oil

In a baking dish place eggplant slices, tomatoes, garlic, basil and onion and drizzle with olive oil.

Place the veggies on a heated griddle and grill until the eggplant is soft and onions are charred.

Preheat Oven 350:

Place veggies in a baking and drizzle the dressing over the veggies.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

This dish is delicious either warm or cold.

Enjoy with Love,

Catherine

Grilled Eggplant

Sausage & Pepper Hero

This post was requested by my new follower, "Son of Italy".

Ingredients:

Fresh Hero Rolls
Shredded Mozzarella
Grated Romano Cheese
Fresh Basil Leaves
Olive Oil

Baked Sausage & Peppers:

Ingredients:

4 hot sausages
4 sweet sausages
Bunch of fresh basil - chopped
Bunch of fresh parsley – chopped
5 cloves garlic - crushed & chopped
1 tablespoon of Capers plus a little caper juice
1 Jalapeño – sliced with seeds
1 large onion – sliced
4 Sweet Italian peppers – sliced
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Dashes of Red Pepper flakes
Dashes of Dried oregano
Dashes of Paprika
Dashes of Chili Powder
Olive oil for drizzling

Preheat Oven 350 degrees:

In a baking dish drizzle a little olive oil place and place all of the veggies plus the can of crushed tomatoes and spices. Drizzle the top of the veggies with a little olive oil.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

In a separate baking dish place the sausage and bake for about 30-35 .

When completed baking cut the sausage lengthwise and place in with the veggies and toss.

Building the Hero:

Open the hero lengthwise and drizzle a little olive oil over the bread, place face down on a heated griddle. Take a few basil leaves and place on a heated griddle and drizzle a little olive oil over the leaves. Grill for a minute or two. Remove the hero from the griddle and place the basil leaves on the bread. Place grated mozzarella and grated Romano cheese on the hero and then fill with the sausage and peppers. Top with some more mozzarella and Romano cheese and some more grilled basil.This is a feast not to be missed!

Enjoy with Love,

Catherine

Sausage & Pepper Hero