Flavorful Wasabi Cannelli Bean Side Dish

Love this one!

2 Tbs mushroom seasoned sunflower oil
1 can cannelli beans drained
1/2 tsp capers
1/4 tsp wasabi sauce (or desired amount)
salt (the key)

Fry in a hot pan constantly stirring until beans are soft and mushy (almost created their own white sauce).

Eat immediately or hot. This was really satisfying just as a quick lunch with a salad.

Roasted Garlic Broccoli Salad

1 head of broccoli in pieces
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
4-5 cloves roasted garlic (as desired)
1/4 tsp chive (minced green onion tops)
1 Tbs fresh parsley chopped
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup mayo
1-2 Tbs milk
1/4 tsp salt

Silvia's Four Simple and Delicious Italian Recipes

After a fine dinner at Tarocchi restaurant to celebrate and get to know each other from Martinho Correia's portrait workshop last summer, the vivacious and enthusiastic model Silvia (whom nearly everyone has painted!) got into an excited conversation with me about the most universally uniting subject: food. Scribbled on a rustic placemat she imparted to me some of her favorites. Semplice e buono!

Frittata:
eggs - uove

cream cheese

smoked salami - salumi fumicato

parsley - prezzemolo

sale e pepe

Risotto 1:

1 cup white wine

1 cup risotto

1 piece leek minced

red radiccio chopped

walnuts chopped

continue adding chicken or vegetable broth by the ladle until risotto é finito

finish with parmigiano cheese

Risotto 2:

1-2 celery/sedano minced

1 onion/cipolla minced

1/2 pear/pera diced

white pepper/pepe bianco

salt

1 cup white wine

1 cup risotto

3-4 cups chicken broth or water

top with gorgonzola

Quattro Formaggio

Mix

mozzarella

parmigiano

gorganzola

lo stracchino

Pour over cooked pasta

Bake in oven

The base for many sauces seems to be minced carrot, onion, celery, and garlic.

Buon apetito!

Marilyn's Midwest Corn Chowder

Have to take back what I said about the Chicken Chili, the corn chowder always won out if given the choice. Yet! It was a difficult debate if it was between the Fresh Cream of Mushroom soup...either topped with seasoned homemade croutons. Maybe half a cup each of both, too hard to decide! (Reminiscing and simultaneously mouth watering)

This was an original of infamous Unicorn Cafe in Clinton Iowa which years later one of the waitresses opened up her own cafe with a friend in DeWitt, The Garden Cafe, and the recipe was passed on for the betterment of everyone! Thank you Marilyn and Deb!

6 cups water

9 cups potatoes

1 1/2 cups carrots

1 1/2 cups celery

3/4 cup onion

4 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

6 cups milk

30 oz cheddar cheese

3 cans/ 4 cups creamed corn

Boil water, add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until tender. 

White sauce - butter, flour, milk, add cheese

Combine white sauce with veggies and add corn. Mix thoroughly. 

Enjoy!

Tropical Pancakes (GF)

These are definitely a favorite! Very flavorful and stay hot for quite awhile.

Mix
1/2 - 3/4 cup pineapple pulp (leftover from making fresh juice)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp sea salt
1-2 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp b. soda
4 Tbs blanched almond flour (or less coconut flour)
Whisk
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
Fold together
1/16 tsp nutmeg optional
Fry in Coconut oil on medium heat (flip carefully, it takes skill) preferably thin.
Serve with fresh berries, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Scribbled on a note pad, obviously must return to this budding idea:

1/3 c apple pear pulp

1/4 tsp cinnamon + salt

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp honey

2 Tbs almond milk

sprinkle with vanilla

...? 

Caramel should be involved at some point, certainly. 

Chocolate Glazed Cut-Out Christmas Cookies

This is my own little twist on the christmas classic, made in an italian kitchen minus the fun shapes. Since I could not make snowmen or reindeer silhouettes, squares or diamonds were a simple and classy alternative. If you wanted to give an extra touch, you can let your cookies cool on rolling pin for a convex shape and drizzle a jackson pollock-esk design on top.

5 cups flour
1 tsp b. soda
1 tsp b. powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg

1 cup 2 eggs (sounds like a bad joke) fill remainder with milk
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (opt. substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
opt 1 drop YL lemon essential oil

Mix well and refrigerate over night.

Glaze:

2 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup cocoa powder (as desired)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg

Could always add in ginger or orange instead of lemon.

Enjoy!

Simply Autumn Stew

3 cups homemade beef broth

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 beet

1 carrot

1 potato

1 bunch kale

1 can pinto beans

1/2 red onion

salt

You can embellish it with maybe a bay leaf here or there or an herb of your choice. 

Enjoy!

*Incredibly quick and easy to make (factoring out homemade beef broth time)

Classic Chicken Chili

3 Tbs olive oil

2 onions diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cans cannelli or white beans

6 cups chicken stock

3 cups diced cooked chicken

2 Tbs white vinegar

1 tsp salt and pepper

2 cups monterey jack cheese

It was my favorite soup when I worked at the Garden Cafe. Delicious!