Sunday Dinner: Pasta e Patate
We have encountered yet another Sunday at the senior center which means it’s macaroni time. Today’s meal of choice was the good old Neapolitan and childhood staple of pasta e patate, aka, pasta and potatoes. Yes, I spent the majority of my childhood eating double carbs because my grandmother made this weekly and, if I had it my way, I would have eaten it daily. Making this dish always brings up fond memories for my father, mother and brother — reminded of my grandmother’s overuse of red pepper and the way she would save the tiniest dish of leftovers and send it upstairs to our apartment for one of us kids to have as a leftover snack the following day.
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Zucchini Rollatini
At every catered event in the scope of my childhood — First Holy Communions, Confirmation parties, baby showers, bridal showers and, yes, even cocktail hours at weddings — there were trays, stacked on trays, of eggplant rollatini. Why? I don’t really know, but we’re Italian and I can only surmise that our love for cheesy dishes slathered in sauce runs deep, deep like a bottomless aluminum tray filled to the brim with hot food. I can recall my brother Louis and I having in depth conversations, as kids, about whether or not there would be eggplant rollatini at a family party or on a menu — and doing the same as adults. We don’t talk much, but we do talk about food and, I guess, that’s something.
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Party Platter: Pickle Infused Egg Salad
Let’s face it, thinking of what to make for dinner, every night for a family, is the pits. I now understand this so truly, madly and deeply as I’ve been a full time caregiver to my parents. I’m finding it’s best to theme nights and days of the the week because, well, I think it helps me get by and it helps them too. Food has given us all something to look forward to — browsing recipes, planning the grocery list and cooking. No frill Friday’s no and no cook nights might be my favorite and, honestly, sometimes they also happen on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s — but who’s keeping track?
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Salted Chocolate Chia Pudding
My chocolate cravings have been bonkers. Bonkers. They could very well be a result of stress. Call it perimenopause or, very likely, the early mornings and long days at the senior center with interrupted sleep to boot. I’m making an effort to steer clear of refined sugar, cookies, cakes and yes — even you my beloved ice cream — in an effort to avoid blood sugar spikes, stay mindful and in my best health before my next surgery in September. I’m back to a somewhat regular yoga practice, which I’ll once again be out of for 2-3 months after this upcoming surgery, so I’m being diligent. Well, as diligent as I can be as a woman who has a history of emotional eating — but, who doesn’t?
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Chia Pudding + How I Came to Love it 9 Years Late
Chia Pudding had its day in 2016 — well — from what I remember. I was getting my certification in Integrative Health Coaching and not only were these power seeds talked about in my health education courses, but every where I looked on health blogs and the internet — there they were. Some folks were putting them in water and drinking them, with an aim to promote better digestion and weight loss — while other bloggers were turning them into a sweet treat like pudding.
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Pan Seared Zucchini with Feta and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
Zucchini are plentiful and in season late May through August. We’ve been getting our fill of them in our home — AKA “The Senior Center” — because they’re readily available at the market and they make a quick and easy side to prepare at meal time. Last summer I loved pan searing zucchini whole and serving them with whipped lemon ricotta and feta, but this season I’m finding myself drawn to combinations of sweet and savory flavors, the use of a lot more herbs and a lot of garlic — of course.
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Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
When I was working at Lifetime Television, my first real job in the big city, the office building was across the street from a Food Emporium. As a kid from Brooklyn the Food Emporium was FANCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. I only knew Waldbaums, Key Food and Shop Rite — and every fruit and vegetable stand in Bay Ridge and on Avenue U. But I loved to go into Food Emporium on my lunch break (it was 2003, mind you) and scope out the sushi section, among many other delights that were beautifully stacked and color coded in the refrigerated “to go” section. Everything was priced way above my pay grade, every thing but one item.
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Asian Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Slaw
Admittedly, I’ve been preparing pork tenderloins every other week for dinner. And, yes, I have been using the pre-marinated ones to save a step since I’m cooking every single night, but this past week we made a bodacious Costco order and scored a fair price on two beautiful, un-marinated, pork tenderloins. The part about getting a plain old piece of meat or fish is that you can play with flavors and seasoning, the scary part about that is now the cook has a responsibility to come up with a marinade.
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Pasta with Garlic & Oil
Almost every Sunday, for as long as I can truly remember, we’ve eaten pasta. Heaping bowls filled with macaroni and, usually, red sauce with meatballs, ribs and sausages on the side. It’s tradition, right? Well, I mean, I think there’s room to change things up. In the summer months I find pasta with red sauce to be heavy so we’ve been opting for pesto, but we were over it.
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Mediterranean Rice Salad
With so many nights of dinner to prepare a week, I’m always trying to think of new sides and pairings to balance our plates. Most of the meals I’ve been making have been very veggie forward, with protein and some sort of starch. To be honest, I got a wee bit reliant on the good old potato in its golden and sweet form — which really isn’t a problem — but we were all growing tired of them even if we’d eaten them roasted, boiled and as an air fried french fry.
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Uncle Gino's Italian Tuna Salad
Uncle Gino would often prepare Italian tuna (yellowfin, canned in oil to the taste of the tuna is rich and moist — unlike a solid white albacore in water — Italian tuna is smooth, almost silky, and easy to flake) salad, nothing fancy, but my mother’s memory of it was so strong that I could hear the taste of it in her voice when she described it. I remember his cooking, watching him cook, his hugs — but my mother would not let up on this tuna salad.
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Cod alla Puttanesca
It has been years since I have made puttanesca sauce, so I’m really excited to be sharing this recipe on Tina to Table. Do you know what puttanesca sauce is? Puttanesca is a tomato based sauce loaded with olives, capers, anchovy and red pepper flakes. It is slightly sweet, salty, spicy and thick with love and flavor. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of spaghetti alla puttanesca, particularly on Friday’s during Lent — but as an adult I really favored eating white fish bathed in this hearty sauce, well, for numerous reasons. Sure, I love pasta, but I’m actually a bigger fan of being able to eat salty, briny sauce by the spoonful.
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Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta (or bacon)
I love roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Locatelli. So salty and delicious. And in my hay day of college and early working days, weight loss and limited income, I’d often buy frozen brussels sprouts, steam them and then bathe them in butter, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. I know you’re probably judging me, but they were inexpensive and filling — the butter was the trick to making them tasty — satisfying. I was that girl, with the tupperware, in the microwave at work. Now, my tastes are a bit more refined — I haven’t had a frozen, steamed sprout in about 20+ years.
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Bacon, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Smoked Gouda Quiche
A few weeks ago I prepared a Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, Crispy Kale & Cheddar Quiche along with this Bacon, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Smoked Gouda Quiche. I made two quiches at once because I knew I wanted to have a spare for a quick dinner that would require nothing more than a reheat and preparing a salad. You know, some days you just don’t feel like cooking — so having a quiche in the freezer can be clutch on those nights. Well, that and they’re great for breakfast reheats, lunches and when you get an unexpected meal guest.
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Cranberry Orange Scones 2.0
My aunt’s favorite scone flavor is cranberry orange, and I can’t blame her because it’s sweet and also very slightly citrusy. It has a really balanced wake up flavor, making it the perfect breakfast treat. Now, I’ve been making cranberry orange scones for quite a while and have tweaked the recipe time and time again over the years. This time, my aunt bought heavy cream to make the scones, where in the past I have always used half and half. I was curious to see where the heavy cream would take the scones and, it turns out, it took them to an even fluffier and creamier — somewhat pillow like
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Caramelized Red Cabbage
Cabbage gets a bad wrap for being gassy and it’s often relegated to use only for coleslaw and St. Patrick’s Day. But the red cabbage is a powerhouse of a vegetable, loaded with so many health benefits and nutrients. It packs loads of Vitamin C (great for immunity and collagen production) and Vitamin K (oh, hey, strong bones), aids in decreasing inflammation, is heart healthy and it’s also high in fiber — which is not only a benefit for our hearts but for digestion. While at my aunt and uncle’s house we’ve been preparing and eating red cabbage at least once a week alongside braised kale and collard greens.
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Spring Chicken Thighs with Vegetables & Wine
I’ve been making this very chicken thigh dish for at least 9 or 10 years now. I love it so very much as an alternative to chicken marsala and even chicken cacciatore. Loaded with fresh spring vegetables in a white wine and herb sauce, this dish is a simple one pan dinner to make on a weeknight but it could easily impress your family or guests on a weekend. This dish is made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs which are way more flavorful and tender
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Pecorino + Lemon Oven Roasted Asparagus
If you’re looking for a way to add a little more green to your dinner table, look no further than the asparagus! And I’m not talking about steamed asparagus (although, I personally LOVE steamed asparagus with lots of salt, lemon and oil), but oven roasted asparagus takes about 10 minutes to prepare and really enhances the flavor profile of this lean green veggie — especially once you add a pop of lemon, garlic and pecorino romano to them.
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