CRISPY GRILLED POLENTA BITES WITH ARUGULA-OLIVE TAPENADE

You can serve this tapenade over toasted bread slices or polenta. Another delicious way to serve tapenade is spread some goat cheese on toasted bread (crostini) and top with the tapenade. You will have plenty left over for another time. It should keep a week or more in your refrigerator because there are no anchovies in this recipe.

2 cups finely diced arugula
¼ cup finely diced Italian parsley

¼ cup finely diced basil

1½ cups pitted Italian olives, such as Cerignola, finely diced

½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, in oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 T avocado or extra-light olive oil, for frying

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (16-oz) log prepared polenta

Place the arugula, parsley, basil, olives, tomatoes, and garlic in a medium bowl.

Add the lemon zest, juice, and olive oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the ends off of each side of the polenta log and slice into rounds.

Brush generously with oil on both sides.

Heat a griddle pan over medium-high heat.

When griddle is hot, grill the polenta rounds without moving, for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side.

Place on a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, using a small round cookie cutter, cut out a small round that will be bite-size. You can cut them into small bite-size rounds before you grill them if you prefer.

Spoon a little tapenade on top of each round and serve.

Makes 16 rounds

BENNY GRECO c1940, PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA

SICILIAN SALAD

This healthy salad is sure to please everyone in your family. We love this with pizza.

Dressing

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour vinegar into a jar fitted with a tight lid or in a small bowl.

Add the olive oil and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Shake the jar or whisk to combine.

Salad

Enough mixed salad greens or arugula for 4 servings

1 bulb fennel, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 few fennel fronds

1 navel orange, peeled and sections removed with a paring knife

1 red grapefruit, peeled and sections removed with a paring knife

½ cup pitted black Sicilian or Italian olives, coarsely chopped

½ red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

¼ cup drained capers

¼ cup coarsely chopped mint leaves, optional

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.

Drizzle the salad dressing on top and toss again.

Serves 4

ZUCCHINI & FENNEL SALAD WITH SHAVED ASIAGO CHEESE

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable. I have grilled it and added a vinaigrette. I've also cooked and baked it. Raw zucchini is also delicious and is so healthy. Zucchini and fennel are low in calories and high in potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.

4 medium-size zucchini, rinsed and ends cut off

1 large bulb fennel, rinsed

Juice and zest of 1 large lemon

2 T champagne or white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, pressed

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Asiago cheese, shaved

Fennel fronds, minced

Using a mandoline on a thin setting, shave the zucchini, lengthwise, into a large bowl.

The zucchini will look like ribbons. If you don't have a mandoline, you can do this with a sharp knife.

Do the same with the fennel.

In a small bowl, add the zest, lemon juice, vinegar, and garlic.

Whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour vinaigrette over zucchini and fennel. Toss to combine.

Using tongs, place on a large serving platter and add some shaved asiago cheese and sprinkle with fennel fronds.

Season again with salt and pepper.

Serves 6

OVEN ROASTED COD PUTTANESCA

You can make this meal in 30 minutes. Chop up everything and place it on a platter so it is ready to add to the skillet. We love Spaghetti alla Puttanesca and this sauce is excellent over fish. I made this with cod, but you can use haddock, red snapper, halibut, or any firm white fish you prefer. 

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces.

1 T avocado oil

1 shallot, cut in half and thinly sliced

¼ t red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 anchovy fillets
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 T chopped fresh oregano leaves

1 T chopped fresh basil

½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped Italian black olives (I use Gaeta olives)

2 T capers

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

A splash or two of dry white wine, (I use Pinot Grigio)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

2 fish fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each

Lemon slices, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place potatoes in a cast-iron skillet and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15 minutes while you make the Puttanesca Sauce.

Puttanesca Sauce

In a skillet, add the oil and sauté the shallot for 2 minutes.

Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, and anchovies. 
Sauté another minute while breaking up the anchovies with a spoon.

Add the chopped tomatoes, rosemary, oregano, basil, olives, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and wine.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes only.

Stir in parsley, turn off heat and set aside.

Place fish on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove potatoes from oven and scrape up any potatoes with a metal spatula that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. 
Place back in the oven along with fish and bake both for 8 to 10 minutes.

The fish should be flaky when pierced with a fork.

Using a spatula, add a fillet of fish to each plate and add a side of potatoes.

Briefly, reheat the sauce and spoon some over each fillet.

Serve with a green salad.

Serves 2

PORK CHOPS MARSALA WITH PROSCIUTTO & MOZZARELLA

If you love chicken or veal marsala, I think you will love this recipe made with pork chops and topped with Prosciutto di Parma and mozzarella.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

In 2011 the new guidelines from the National Pork Board and the USDA recommends cooking pork to 145 degrees Fahrenheit (63 degrees Celsius). That's 15 degrees less than what was recommended for years and...that's a good thing because your pork chops will not be dried out and tough. I removed the pork chops to a baking sheet when they registered 140 degrees F. The temperature will rise and they will also go under the broiler for a minute or two.

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 (1-inch thick) bone-in pork chops

2 T avocado or extra-light olive oil, divided

12 cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

1 t fresh or dried thyme

½ cup dry Marsala wine

¼ cup chicken stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices Prosciutto di Parma

2 slices mozzarella cheese

2 T Italian parsley, for garnish

Pour flour into a shallow bowl and dredge pork chops in flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the pork chops and cook about 8 to 9  minutes, per side and internal temperature is 140 degrees F.

Transfer to a baking sheet and set aside.

Turn on broiler and place rack in the middle of the oven.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the mushrooms until lightly browned.

Add the shallot, garlic, and thyme and cook another 2 minutes.

Add the wine and bring to a simmer, stirring up any brown bit from the bottom of the skillet.

Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.

Keep warm on the stove.

Place a slice of Prosciutto on top of each pork chop and top with a slice of mozzarella.

Place under broiler and broil until cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Place pork chops over steamed spinach, buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Serves 2