summer cooking

Simply Seasoned Salmon

Salmon is one of the easiest, most versatile fish to cook. Baked, grilled or poached, for lunch or dinner, Salmon is also a great add on to rice bowls or Summer salads. Today, at the market when I saw wild caught salmon (which is not always available here) I had to buy it. I am cooking my Salmon “simply seasoned”, fast and easy, it works for a light summer lunch or dinner. Let’s Cook!

Simple Seasoned Baked Salmon

Servings: 3-4
Time: 25 min
Difficulty: easy
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Fast, easy, healthy for a Summer lunch or dinner

Ingredients

3-4 Wild caught Salmon filets

Large handful of fresh thyme

3 tsp capers

The juice of 1 lemon

2 tbls extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

Sea salt, course grain

Fresh ground pepper

-Preheat oven to 350 F

-Place Salmon filets skin side down on an oven to baking dish

-Squeeze the lemon over the fillets

-Drizzle fillets with olive oil, add the course grain salt (to taste)

-Generously add the fresh thyme leaves, the capers and fresh ground pepper

-Pour wine into the baking dish

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-Bake 12-20 minutes (desired doneness)

-Serve directly from the baking dish

Buon Appetito!

Mickey

Melon Mango Salad

Melon and Mango Salad, I came up with this idea when I wanted something a little more than just the usual prosciutto and melon that we enjoy so much during the summer months. When I serve this salad with prosciutto, I call it “Deconstructed Prosciutto and Melon”. Not only does this go well with thinly sliced imported Prosciutto, but, can accompany grilled pork chops or pork tenderloin. Its sweet, tangy, spicy, crisp…. we love this salad and hope you do too!! Lets cook!

Melon Mango Salad

Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: easy
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A summertime favorite takes the simple prosciutto and melon to another level

2 ripe mangos

1 ripe Cantaloupe melon

2 scallions

1 lb cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

1 lime

3 tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 tbls balsamic vinegar

1 tbls white wine vinegar

1/2 fresh red hot pepper (to taste)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Directions

-Peel the mango and score diagonally on both sides cut the mango off it’s seed

-Peel and cut the melon into bite size pieces place both melon and mango in a serving bowl

-Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add to mango and melon

-Peel and dice the scallions into tiny pieces add to melon

-Depending on desired heat, chop the red pepper into tiny pieces add to salad

-Add the chopped basil, the juice of both the lemon and lime, both vinegars and the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve with imported prosciutto or with grilled pork

Buon Appetito!

Mickey

Tuna Stuffed Peppers, Fish on Friday!!

Instead of stuffing your peppers with meat, try stuffing them with a flavorful tuna filling. This recipe is light, great for summer entertaining, easy to make and has few ingredients. Now when you see those lovely sweet (or hot) banana peppers at the farmers market bring them home and make this fun fish alternative. Let’s Cook!

Tuna Stuffed Peppers

Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy
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An alternative to meat stuffed peppers, light, easy and flavorful

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of canned tuna, oil or water

4-6 depending on size, long, sweet or hot banana peppers

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (depending on the moisture of the ricotta you might need to add more)

1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano

2 cloves of garlic

1 egg

1 1/2 cup easy tomato sauce

1/2 lb fresh Mozzarella cheese

Fresh thyme to taste

Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350F

-Clean and cut the pepper in half, if the peppers are large you can fill whole

-Drain the tuna and put in a mixing bowl, add the ricotta, garlic, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, thyme, salt and pepper mix well. If the mixture is too wet to hold a shape, add more bread crumbs and or parmesan cheese

-Fill the peppers with the tuna mixture

-Top with tomato sauce

Slice the mozzarella and lay on top of the each pepper

-Bake for 25-30 minutes, peppers should be soft and mozzarella melted

-Serve

Buon Appetito!

Mickey

Memorial Day Picnic “Italian American”Style!!

Coming up with a menu for the biggest summer picnic weekend in America can be daunting. Well, I have some ideas for a Memorable, Memorial Weekend, ” Italian -American Style”. Most of the recipes you have already seen and hopefully tried, on my blog. Now, let’s create the perfect menu for your Memorial Weekend Picnics.

Starters or Appetizers ideas