Fried Green Tomato and Polenta Sandwiches!

One of my favorite things in the summer time is fried green tomatoes!  My favorite part about them, is that they are sweet, and sour you can't get better than that!  I went blueberry picking the other day (yes, I go a lot), and they also have veggies for sale.  I was able to go to their garden and pick the tomatoes that I wanted.  Man, if you don't live in NH I'm sorry.  I love polenta, and I thought that it would make a fun sandwich paired with fried green tomatoes.  This is completely my recipe, so let me know what you think.

Polenta
4 cups water
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp salt

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then add the remaining water, corn meal and salt.  Stir constantly until thickened.  Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Place in a greased bread pan, and cool in refrigerator until firm or over night.  Once cooled, cut into 1-1 1/2  inch slices, then place on panini press
until crispy (with cooking spray).

Fried Green Tomatoes
2 large green tomatoes
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs ( I use Italian)
1/2 cup corn meal
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 eggs

Cut tomatoes into 1 inch slices.  In a bowl whisk eggs.  In another bowl add all the dry ingredients, and mix it well.   Dip tomato in egg batter (coat both sides), and then into the dry ingredients (coat both sides), grill until crisp on a panini press (with cooking spray to crisp them).

* if you don't have a panini grill, you can make both of these in a regular pan but make sure for use either butter or olive oil to brown them up.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches
Place one fried green tomato in between two fried polenta's with slice of fresh mozzarella and a few slices of fresh basil (with a little mayo, or a dash of wasabi sauce).  Place these of the panini press again, until the mozzarella is melted.

These were sooooooo good!  The texture of both the polenta and the fried green tomatoes were the same, crispy on the outside but had a warm gooey center that burst in your mouth after every bite.  The fresh mozzarella adds a creamy texture that simply melts in your mouth.  I will definitely make these again this summer.

Now is the time for green tomatoes, so make sure you try them!!!

Buon appetito friends,

Mary Proulx

Ps.  I'm going home, so the rest of the week I will be cooking from my parents....My favorite place in the ENTIRE WORLD!!!!!!

The Best Cinnamon Rolls!!!!!

I have been making these cinnamon rolls for a few years now, and they are so delicious.  Besides just the normal filling, I add lime zest and it adds such a delicate touch.  Also, the frosting has fresh lime juice in it that makes the rolls gooey and simply perfect.  I am such a fan of all citrus zests in foods.  They add such a fresh bite, and zest has been known to help prevent skin cancer...so I add zest to lots of things!!!  I guarantee that if you make these, you will be making them all the time.  I make them on the weekends when I have guests, special occasions, or when I am craving them.  Also a great tip is to 1/2 bake them the night before (because it does take some time to make these).  Then you can have fresh baked rolls in the morning!!!  and it is a GREAT way for your guests to wake up and smell citrusy cinnamon rolls!!!


Lime Cinnamon Rolls

• DOUGH:
• 1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1/4  cup  warm water 
• 3/4  cup  reduced-fat sour cream (room temp)
• 1/3  cup  granulated sugar
• 1/4  cup  butter, melted
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten (room temp)        
• 2 1/3  cups  all-purpose flour, divided

• FILLING:

• 1 cup  packed brown sugar
• 2  whole grated lime rinds
• 2-3 tbls cinnamon
• • 4  tablespoons  butter, melted, divided

• GLAZE:
• 1-2  cups  powdered sugar
• 2   whole  limes juiced

• To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.  
  • Combine sour cream and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring until well blended (it doesn't need a lot of mixing). Gradually stir yeast mixture into sour cream mixture.  Add flour to mixture, stirring to form a soft dough.
  
  
  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel slightly tacky).  The dough is very soft and it is a lot of fun to knead!!
  Place dough in a large bowl coated with butter,  turning to coat top. Cover ( I use plastic wrap)  and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
  To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, rind, and cinnamon. Divide dough into two equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, roll dough into a large rectangle shape; brush with butter. Sprinkle half of filling over dough. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll) I use butter to also help seal the roll. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Cut each roll into 12 (1-inch) slices. Place slices in a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with butter. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
  Preheat oven to 350°.
  •  Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  If you prepare it the night before bake them for 15 minutes and then 10 minutes the next day.  
  
  
  To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls.
  
  I couldn't help myself before I took the picture, they are just soooooo good!  The lime makes them so fresh, and it adds a lightness to the cinnamon rolls.  This recipe is perfect, because they are not so sicky sweet...you can eat more than one roll.  I had 5!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Semplicemente delizioso, 
  
  
  Mary Proulx

Arugula Pesto Pasta

My dad is here for the weekend, so while they watch Boston vs. New York I'm writing up our meal.  My dad loves pesto, so I thought I would surprise him with this meal.  I also made macaroon's for dessert.  Growing up (and now) my dad's always has the best stories, and one of them involves macaroons, so I had to make him them (I will share this recipe another day, I don't want to be writing all night).  It was my first attempt, and they were wicked good!!!  I've heard of pesto's using arugula, but I was skeptical, I really love the taste of the original basil pesto.  I actually really loved it!  The arugula adds a real peppery flavor to the pesto, and adds a big bite to your meal.  I found this recipe in the Everyday Rachael Ray magazine, and it looked delicious.

Arugula Pesto

6oz. arugula
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nut
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves of garlic
2/3-3/4 cup olive oil
salt to your liking

Using a food processor, puree all the above ingredients.

I used fusilli pasta, which was perfect because the arugula pesto really stuck to it.  I put asparagus, crispy bacon, and more parmesan cheese (to me you can never have enough parmesan cheese).  The peppery taste of the arugula with the bacon and asparagus really worked well together.  The cherry wood smoked bacon added an extra layer of flavor to the meal.






Ciao amico's,

Mary Proulx

Buffalo Panini's

One of Mark and I's wedding gifts was a Cuisinart griddle/panini maker (thanks aunt Jane and Uncle Steve), and we are obsessed with using it! If you don't have one, you can make them in a fry pan, and just put a heavy pan on top of the sandwich or a cast iron pan would work even better.  The best part is that the possibilities are endless.  You can make sandwiches, desserts, bacon....

Buffalo Panini
1/2 lb. buffalo turkey deli meat
1/4 lb jalapeno cheese (or a spicy cheese)
1/2 red onion (cut into slices)
1 jar jalapeno slices
1 tomato
1 cup baby spinach
Focaccia bread  or any bread you want

Special Sauce
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbp buffalo sauce

Heat the panini press on high heat, and cook the panini until the cheese is melted and the bread is as crispy as you want it.  The other trick to this panini is to put cheese on both sides of the bread so it all sticks together.

We are lucky to have a lot of places in Keene to get fresh bread, and the Keene Fresh Salad Co. has the best fococcia bread.  It is so moist, from all the olive oil, and it also crisps up well.

This was the first time that we made this type of panini and it was delicious.  I am obsessed with buffalo chicken tenders, and I am sure that would be an awesome upgrade to this dish.  Mark makes THE BEST buffalo chicken tenders (that recipe will come soon).  The red onion, jalapeno, and baby spinach add a great complement to the buffalo turkey, spicy cheese, and the "special sauce".  These panini's are also so big, that they are a meal in itself.


comprendere cucinare,


Mary Proulx

Paul Proulx's Crepes

Growing up, my dad always made the BEST breakfasts!  The weekends were always special, and he would always make something fun, and exciting.  My favorite thing that my dad ever made was his crepes.  My Papa was French, so my dad carried on the tradition of making crepes.  Growing up he would always try to make the crepes healthy and would add an apple compote to the middle.  As we grew up, we would put brown sugar, maple syrup and spray whipped cream in them (now that's what I'm talking about).  My new crave is chocolate and berries.  So here it is!!


 Crepes (this makes one crepe)


1 egg
1 tbs flour
1 tbs water

Place a greased skillet on medium heat, you want the pan hot when you add the batter.  For every crepe you are making you just multiply this batch by the # of crepes you want.  Mix all together in a bowl.  Put a ladles worth of batter on a hot greased skillet and move the batter in clockwise position until the batter is no longer moving. Flip the crepe once it is no longer sticking to the skillet and vice versa.

I put nutella spread in the middle, and add fresh berries (both inside and in the middle).  Serve with whipped cream!!!  If you make this dish, you will think you have died and gone to heaven!  You can serve it as breakfast or dessert (or anytime you crave it).  I guarantee if you like sweets, that you will fall in love with this dish!  I crave it weekly!

It is actually very healthy for you:  Eggs, berries, dairy, and nutella (which is a good substitute for peanut butter)!!  You don't have to feel guilty eating this dish at all!!!!




There really are no words to describe this dish, other than, simply irresistible (or to die for)!!!!!!!


Grazie Papa,


Mary Proulx

Pesto Pizza

In the summer (or anytime) there is nothing like a fresh batch of homemade basil pesto!  I mean who doesn't like, basil, nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil?!  It can be expensive to make, but it is totally worth every cent.  I grow my own basil (in a pot) and leave it outside.  If you do this, make sure to water it EVERYDAY!  I trim it back once a week to make a batch of pesto, and by the next time I use  it, it has grown back to the same size if not bigger.

Basic Basil Pesto


3 cups of tightly packed fresh basil (no stems)- or fill the food processor loosely to the top
2-3 cloves of garlic (depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor (minus the olive oil), pulse until its in small pieces then add olive oil.


Pizza Dough (one dough)


1 cup warm water
1 pkg. active yeast
2 tbls honey
2 tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups of flour (you may use more or less)

Dissolve yeast in the water, salt and honey (in kitchen aid mixer bowl).  Wait 10 minutes, or until the yeast is fluffy looking.  Add olive oil, and then add 1/2 cup of flour at a time (using dough hook) until it is not too sticky to pick up.  Kneed the dough on floured surface, and place in a oiled bowl (or floured bowl).  I put saran wrap on it to help it rise faster.  Let rise 1 hr or until doubled in size.  Once it has rose, punch it and let it sit for another 10 min.  -

 I usually make two batches of dough, so it is o.k. to double everything at once.


Pesto, Shrimp, and Tomato Pizza


1 pizza dough
1/2 of the basil pesto
1 tomato
1/2 lb shrimp
1 1/2-2 cups of mozzarella

Preheat 375.  Stretch one pizza dough onto an oiled pan (don't precook dough).  Place pesto all over the dough.  Then add the rest of your ingredients. Cook pizza 15 or so minutes, or until cheese is melted and dough is cooked.

This pizza is amazing, it is so fresh a delicious!!!  The crust doesn't get too crispy because of all the olive oil, but it is soft and moist.  By adding the shrimp, and tomatoes it makes it a real meal.  I never thought to add seafood to a pizza, let alone  cheese but having it with the pesto complements it perfectly!  We made two of them, so we had leftovers, so the next day we pan fried them (like my dad does) and it gets the crust nice and crispy!  It was almost better the second day.

Ps.  A few glasses of red wine goes perfectly!!!




Buon appetito,


Mary Proulx

Granola and Tea....yes please!

This winter, my parents went on a little vacation to franconia notch and stayed at a quaint little bed and breakfast.  While on their stay they obviously had breakfast, and The Snowflake Inn made their own granola.  Well, my step mother fell in love with it, and asked for the recipe and has been making batches of it every since (with her own added spin).  Every time I go home, I can't wait for breakfast!  So a few weeks ago Mark asked me if I would make it and that was the motivation for me to try.  I was apprehensive to take on such a task, but to be honest it was really easy to make!!!  When you are first buying the ingredients it can seem pretty expensive, but trust me you will get a lot of batches made before you run out of the ingredients.  I over cooked the first batch, and some of it was burnt, but it was still really good!  I finally ran out, so I made another batch this weekend.  My first batch took me 3 weeks to finish, and I ate it most mornings.

199's Granola

(prep-time: the first time 25 min, after that 10 minutes) 

(bake time: 30-45 minutes, I turned every 7 minutes) 

5 cups oatmeal                                         1 cup honey

1 cup wheat germ                                    1/2 cup sesame oil

1/2 cup pumpkin seed                             1/2 cup peanut oil

1/2 cup sunflower seed                           1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups coconut 

2 cups assorted nuts (no peanuts) give them a rough chop!  (and I chop up all the nuts at once and store the extra in the refridge).

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Heat all the wet items on the stove and then add to the dry bowl.  Place EVENLY on a cookie sheet, (preferably with sides) to prevent burning. Turning often (with tongs) until lightly browned.  Cool completely before storing it in an air tight container. 

I bought this glass container for 5 dollars at Target, and it is the perfect size for this recipe (I think it was 1.5 quarts).  

Like I said, the first time I made this I overcooked it.  I think I was afraid that it was still going to be sticky, but the second time I took it out it was golden brown and a little sticky, but as it cooled it crisped up.  I don't think that this batch will last as long!

I like to eat it with fresh berries, and milk!!!  The combination of the blackberries, blueberries and granola is heaven!  When you are all done, and  are left with the bowl of milk it is sweet from the honey, and it goes down so smoothly!

Fresh Brewed Iced Tea

12 cups of water

5 black tea bags

5 green tea bags

Boil 12 cups of water, and once it is boiled turn it off and wait 30 seconds before adding the tea bags. Put the cover on a let it steep and the cool for 15 minutes.  Pour into container and place in refrigerator until it is cooled.  

When I went blueberry picking in Troy they had the cutest little tea place, and I had a cup of their fresh brewed tea (2.25).  It was so good, and good for you, that I decided I am going to start making my own.  It really doesn't need you to add any sugar or honey.  

I am chronically dehydrated, so I find this the best way to keep cool and hydrated on hot summer days!  

12 cups of fresh brewed ice tea costs $1.00!  

Finire di mangiare, 

Mary