Tuscan Recipes: Pure and Simple

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh tuna, sliced thin
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 teaspoons tomato paste
salt and pepper
3 cups cooked green peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a fry pan saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until garlic has turned golden brown.

Remove the garlic from the pan and then add the fish.

Lightly brown the tuna on both sides.

Add the wine and reduce heat to simmer.

Dilute the tomato paste with a bit of water and add this to the pan.

Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.

Add the cooked peas and parsley and cook for about 5 minutes longer.

Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Makes enough for approximately 6 servings.

Tuscan Fried Chicken
Simply Delicious!

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into small pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
olive oil for frying

Directions:

Combine 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper into a bowl and stir well.

Add chicken pieces making sure they all get coated with the mixture.

Marinate the chicken for one hour.

Drain the chicken, pat it dry with a paper towel and then dredge it in the flour.

Dip flour coated chicken into beaten eggs.

Fry the chicken in hot oil until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Enjoy!

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Spinach Pesto tastes great when served as a topping for Bruschetta (toasted slices of Italian bread) or pasta and can also be smeared as a flavor booster over a piece of grilled chicken or fish.

Spinach is jam-packed with important vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Eating lots of it can actually help lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. Considering the fact that spinach reduces down by approximately 1/6 in size after cooking, one serving of spinach actually carries 6 times the amount of health benefits to your body.

My spinach pesto recipe is an easy way to deliciously serve this powerful vegetable to your friends and family. Try some tonight!

Spinach Pesto Recipe

Spinach Pesto is a unique flavorful combination of spinach, garlic and basil that can be served as a topping for bruschetta, pasta or grilled meats.

Ingredients

8 cups fresh spinach (One 9 ounce bag)
1 cup fresh basil
½ cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place spinach, basil, pine nuts and garlic into a food processor or blender. Don't try to add everything at once. Pulse or blend by starting with small bunches until all of the ingredients are able to fit in the container.

Add olive oil and continue to process until the mixture is creamy.

Transfer to a bowl.

Stir in the grated cheese, salt and pepper, and it's ready to serve.

Kitchen Notes

Keep in mind that a small dollop of this flavorful spinach pesto goes a long way. It should be served it in small portions. This recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of spinach pesto and will keep in the refrigerator for several enjoyable days.

Spinach Pesto photo appears courtesy of JSPatchwork

Take ordinary tuna salad to the next level with this exciting new recipe. My exciting new Tuscan Style Tuna Salad Recipe is easy to make, extremely healthy, and hearty enough to serve for supper while also being kind to your budget and your waistline.

Tuscan Tuna Salad is a nice blend of fresh vegetables, canned tuna, beans, and olives, all topped with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.

This recipe makes a wonderful light summertime lunch or dinner, and can alternately be used as a side dish at any time of the year.

Ingredients

1 12oz. Can of Tuna, drained
2 Fresh Tomatoes, cut into bite sized wedges
¼ cup Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Can Cannellini, or Great Northern Beans, drained
½ Cup pitted Black, or Kalamata Olives
1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
¼ Cup Itailan Vinaigrette Dressing (Use your favorite, regular or diet.)

Directions

Flake, drained tuna into a large enough sized bowl to hold all of the ingredients.

Add Tomato wedges, sliced red onions, beans, olives and spinach to the bowl.

Top with Italian Vinaigrette Dressing.

Toss all ingredients together in the bowl, gently.

Serve immediately.

This recipe serves two for supper, four as a side dish.

Tuna Salad photo appears courtesy of Wordridden

Panzanella gives new life to day old bread. It is a wonderful, light dish to serve in the summer.

Ingredients

About 2 cups crumbled day old Italian Bread
6 Tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 medium Onions, thin sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 sprig Fresh Basil, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions

Crumble Italian bread into a large salad bowl.

Add tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and basil, toss lightly with enough olive oil to coat.

Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Just before serving add vinegar, a bit more oil, and salt and pepper, to your liking.

Serves 4 hungry guests

Panzanella photo appears courtesy of Allerina&Glen...

Looking to impress your dinner guests with a super chic new recipe? My basil ice cream recipe just might do the trick. Basil ice cream may sound weird, but it sure doesn't taste weird. It has a delicate, slightly-herby, sweetness to it that goes well when served in small portions alongside of a nice lemon sorbet.

Aside from your average everyday kitchen utensils, you'll need an ice cream maker and a strainer for this one.

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup granulated sugar, separated
A pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream, well chilled

Directions
In a heavy saucepan, bring milk, basil, ¼ cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let sit for half an hour. Pour into a blender and blend on high until your basil is finely ground.

Beat egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Combine with the milk mixture and mix at medium speed until fully blended.

Pour the liquid from the blender back into the heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, again stirring constantly with a large spoon, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of your spoon.

Remove from heat and pour through a strainer to remove any leftover basil particles.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill, at least one hour.

Stir in the heavy cream and then freeze in your ice cream maker.

Store your basil ice cream in an air-tight container in the freezer.

Basil ice cream photo appears courtesy of Stu_Spivack

Pizza Recipe: Secrets From Inside The Pizzeria. Learn How To Make Pizzeria Style Pizza At Home Better Than You Can Buy At The Pizzeria.

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