STUFFED TOMAHAWK PORK CHOPS

Who doesn't like stuffed pork chops? I think almost everyone does and this is a simple recipe with a delicious sauce. Get your butcher to cut a pocket in each thick chop or you can do it yourself with a small paring knife. If you don't want to use wine, double up on the chicken broth. USDA has lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 degrees F to 145 degrees F with the addition of a three-minute rest. 

Stuffing
2 T avocado oil or extra-light olive oil

¼ cup minced onion

1 stalk celery, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ t dry thyme

2 T minced parsley
1 T chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup bread cubes or plain stuffing croutons

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pork Chops
2 thick tomahawk pork chops, trimmed of excess fat, and a pocket cut into each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 T extra-light olive oil

½ cup minced onion

¼ t dry thyme

1 T all-purpose flour

½ cup Marsala wine

1 cup chicken broth

Melt the butter in olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. 

Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic for 10 minutes. 

Add the thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bread cubes. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Spoon into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Pack as much of the stuffing into each pork chop and secure with toothpicks.

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  

Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the pork chops and brown on each side for about 3 minutes.

Remove and set aside on a platter.  

Pour out most of the grease from the skillet and add the minced onion and thyme.  

Sauté for about 5 minutes then mix in the flour and cook another 2 minutes.  

Add the wine and chicken broth.

Simmer until it thickens slightly.  

Place the browned chops and any liquid that has accumulated on the platter into the skillet.

Cover with a lid or with parchment paper and then aluminum foil.
Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until internal temperature of stuffing is 145 degrees F.

To serve, arrange the chops on a heated platter or plates and pour the sauce through a strainer over them. 
Let rest 3 minutes before serving.

THE BLUE GROTTO - GROTTA AZZURRA - CAPRI

Ernest and Elizabeth Novello with friends in 1966 waiting to be rowed into the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri. On one of our trips to the Amalfi Coast, our daughter swam through the less touristy Green Grotto (Grotta Verde) located closer to Marina Piccola at the Faraglioni rocks. Kayaks and swimmers are only allowed to go through the Green Grotto. We met her on the other side and she didn't want to get back in the boat. There is another green grotto about 3 miles (5 km) west of the town of Amalfi called Emerald Grotto (Grotta di Smeraldo). It is the jewel of the Amalfi coast. Italy is truly a magical place.

CHOPPED ROMA SALAD

Here is my version of a Chopped Roma Salad, with shaved Pecorino Romano Cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and cannellini beans.

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 small head radicchio, chopped 

½ cup cannellini beans drained and rinsed 

8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

Shaved Pecorino Romano Cheese, for garnish

Vinaigrette 
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 small shallot, minced

1 T Dijon mustard

¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse and spin dry the lettuces.

Place in a salad bowl and add the beans and sun-dried tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallot, and vinegar.
While whisking, slowly add the olive oil and whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour some of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to combine.

Top with a few pieces of shaved Pecorino Romano cheese and serve.

Save the rest of the vinaigrette in a jar in the refrigerator for another salad.

Serves 2

CAMPARI JASMINE COCKTAIL

This is now my favorite drink. It is so refreshing and delicious!

3 to 4 oz vodka
2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 oz Campari
1 oz Cointreau

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add the vodka, lemon juice, Campari, & Cointreau and shake well.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Makes 2 drinks

MY KITCHEN

APEROL-RED GRAPEFRUIT SPRITZ COCKTAIL

Aperol and Campari are known as Italian bitters and served as an aperitivo. Aperol is made with licorice, fennel, aniseed, poplar buds, bitter clover, wormwood, valerian, gentian, bitter orange, cinchona, and rhubarb. It became popular after the First World War. Aperol contains only 11 percent alcohol. This is a delicious and refreshing cocktail to have before an Italian dinner.

3 oz ruby red grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)
1 ½ cups Prosecco sparkling white wine, chilled
¾ cup Aperol (Italian apéritif)
2 oz vodka (optional)
2 oz San Pellegrino water or other sparkling water
Ice cubes
Ruby red grapefruit slices, for garnish

Squeeze the juice from the grapefruit and pour into a pitcher.
Stir in the Prosecco, Aperol, vodka, and San Pellegrino.
Pour into 4 cocktail glasses ¾ filled with ice cubes.
Garnish with grapefruit slices and enjoy.

Makes 4 drinks 

DANTE'S INFERNO PANINI

Make the spread in the morning and put together the panini in the afternoon, for lunch, or evening, for dinner. I served the panini with a warm bowl of Tuscan Bean Soup. 
The panini are my take on two famous panini made at All' Antico Vinaio in Florence, Italy. One is called La Dante and the other is L'Inferno.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:
One sandwich is - un panino
Two sandwiches are - due panini
Vinaio in Italian translates to vintner or wine merchant

Spicy Eggplant & Zucchini Spread

1 T avocado oil
8 cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and diced

1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t red pepper flakes (adjust to your liking)

½ small jar sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, diced

½ jar artichoke hearts, drained and diced

2 T minced Italian parsley

1 T minced basil or basil paste

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook until golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.
Add the eggplant and cook until golden and crisp, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove with a slotted spoon to bowl with mushrooms.
Add the zucchini and cook until golden and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook one minute more.
Return the mushrooms and eggplant to the skillet with the zucchini and garlic.
Cook another minute then turn off heat and add the sundried tomatoes, artichokes, parsley, and basil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Spoon into a bowl and serve over bruschetta, crostini, or a spread for panini.

Panini

Ciabatta bread brushed with a little extra-virgin olive oil and warmed in the oven

Fresh mozzarella cheese

Spicy Eggplant & Zucchini Spread

Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced

Arugula

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Cut bread in half and add a couple of slices of mozzarella on one side.

Place in oven under the broiler for a minute, just to melt the cheese; do not burn.

Spread the other side with the Spicy Eggplant & Zucchini Spread.

On top of the eggplant side, add some slices of prosciutto, top with arugula and drizzle with olive oil

Place the mozzarella side on top and serve.

Buon appetito!