Author: Diva di Cucina

I'm a wife, mom, graphic designer, & blogger. I love my life, especially when in the kitchen or with my boys. I started a cooking blog in November 2011 to share my recipes with family, friends, and anyone else that may be interested.
Sauces

Recipe—Marinara Sauce

Diva di Cucina

Who doesn’t love a big bowl of pasta smothered in a thick flavorful marinara sauce? It certainly is always a big hit in our household. I find jarred pasta sauces to be far too sweet for my liking. After trying this marinara recipe you will never again want a jar of Prego. I typically double the recipe and freeze it for future use. I’m sure canning it would be great also. This recipe makes a fantastic sauce to be used on homemade pizzas, over chicken parmigiana, paired up with your favorite pasta, or even as a dipping sauce.

Here’s a little history for you. Marinara sauce is the term for a simple tomato sauce cooked with herbs. It dates back to Italy as far back as 1550. The name loosely translates to “sailor-style” sauce in Italian. One theory for the name was because marinara could easily be prepared on ships. Due to the high acid content from the tomatoes, and the absence of meat, the sauce did not spoil easily, making it ideal for those at sea before refrigeration techniques existed. The other theory on the origins of the sauce is that the wives of sailors developed it. Marinara could be prepared quickly once the wives caught a glimpse of the ships offshore, making it possible to serve their husbands a hot meal as soon as they returned home, often serving it with the sailors fresh catch.

Note: For some extra veggies I occasionally add in some chopped mushrooms and green bell peppers when cooking the onion. If you would like to make a rich meat sauce brown 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb Italian sausage with your onion and garlic, and follow the rest of the recipe as usual. The meat sauce is killer in lasagna! (Lasagna recipe coming soon)

INGREDIENTS
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes

STEPS

  • Brown onions and garlic in olive oil.
  • Add remaining ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Add water until sauce reaches desired consistency. I typically add about a 1/2 cup. Feel free to add more water as it cooks.
  • Keep in mind that it will thicken up quite a bit as it simmers.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour.

Mangia!

Dinners

Recipe—Zucchini “Pasta” with Basil Cream Sauce

Diva di Cucina

In this recipe the zucchini replaces the noodle in what I would consider a flavorful spinoff of pasta alfredo. I have served it with just garlic bread but it also goes great with a grilled chicken breast for some added protein. The most time consuming part is slicing up the zucchini and carrots, once you get that done the meal comes together really quickly. To get a jumpstart on dinner cut up your vegetables the night before or in the morning and this dinner will take you less than 10 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 c chicken broth
1/2 c white wine (If not available substitute additional broth.)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large carrot cut into julienne strips
2 large zucchini, cut into 1/8” strips
2 yellow squash, cut into 1/8” strips
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1/4 c parmesean cheese, grated
1/4 c mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 c half and half
salt and pepper to taste

STEPS

  • In a large skillet bring stock, wine, and cayenne pepper to a boil over high heat.
  • Add zucchini and carrot, cover and cook until tender, about 3–4 minutes.
  • Drain off most of the liquid.
  • Add remaining ingredients to skillet and toss together. 
  • Cook just until the half and half comes to a boil and the cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with a fresh basil sprig and serve immediately. 
Kitchen Tips

Kitchen Tip—Olive Oil

Diva di Cucina

Olive oil is something that I cook with on a daily basis. Yesterday I discovered that I don’t know nearly as much as I thought about this wonderful ingredient. Did you know that extra virgin olive oil is not the best type of olive oil to cook with? I thought I would share some of my findings with you.

Today olive oil is primarily produced in Spain, Italy, and Greece. Together these three countries produce more than 70 percent of the world’s olive oil supply. The flavor of the olive oil can vary dramatically depending on the source, the variety of olive, the soil conditions, weather, etc., just like wine. Olive oil is produced by grinding olives and extracting the oil by mechanical or chemical means.

Olive oil for consumption is broken down in to four categories, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), virgin olive oil, pure olive oil, and lite olive oil. You should have at least one bottle of each in your kitchen as they are all intended to be used very differently.

  • EVOO is the most flavorful and considered the finest. The word “virgin” indicates that the olives have been pressed to extract the oil; no heat or chemicals have been used during the extraction process. The flavor of EVOO is best when uncompromised by heat. It is intended to be used in salad dressings, marinades, or to finish off a dish. For example, drizzle it over your caprese salad, bruscetta, or pasta. Note: Look for bottles that say “cold press” on the label. If it’s not cold-pressed, the heat from the extraction process changes the chemistry and quality of the olive oil.
  • Virgin olive oil is perfect for garnishing and is great hot or cold. It’s essentially a low grade EVOO with a more mild flavor.
  • Pure olive oil is intended for your every day cooking. It has a mild flavor and is perfect for anything cooked over heat. It is actually a blended oil product of refined pomace oil and virgin olive oil. Pomace is produced by processing the leftovers of the virgin olive oil.
  • Lite olive oil is the least flavorful of the olive oils. It is not lower in fat as one might assume. It can withstand heat up to 470º and has a high smoke point. This makes it ideal for frying and baking as it can withstand high temperature cooking and the flavor is not compromised.

Regardless of the type of olive oil you use, be sure to find one with a green tint to it, not yellow. Good quality olive oils should appear green in color.

To delay spoilage of olive oil, be sure to store it in a cool dark place.

Use this chart to convert the quantity of butter called for in a recipe to the required quantity of olive oil for easy substitutions.

Conversion table

Soups

Recipe—Harvest Corn Chowder

Diva di Cucina

What is better than a bowl of steaming hot homemade soup on a cold fall day? This recipe is one of my all time favorites. It is a hearty corn chowder packed with fresh veggies. I made it over the weekend and was surprised that it was even a big hit with my 21-month-old son.

If you have room in the freezer consider doubling the recipe and freezing some for quick meals to enjoy later. (Just be sure you have a large enough pot.) I put leftovers in both small and large containers. The small containers are a perfect size to take to work for a quick lunch and the larger sizes are convenient for a quick family dinner. Dinner could be ready in as little as 10 minutes and you hardly have to lift a ladle. To round out the meal add a grilled cheese sandwich or some fresh rolls.

Note: For a healthy alternative cut out the bacon and replace the half and half with non-fat milk.

INGREDIENTS
6–8 slices of thick cut bacon chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 tbsp butter
5-6 large ears of corn cut off the cob (or a 16 oz bag of frozen corn)
2 medium zucchini chopped
2 large potatoes chopped
1/2 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
leaves from 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika (add a couple dashes of cayenne pepper too if you like a little extra punch)
salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)
5 tbsp flour
5 c chicken stock
2 1/2 c half and half
1/2 c fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

STEPS

  • In a large soup pot, cook the chopped bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain off the majority of the fat.
  • Add in garlic, onion, and butter. Cook until the onion is tender.
  • Add in the corn, zucchini, potatoes, and bell pepper, stirring well between each ingredient added.
  • Add the bay leaves, thyme, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veggies begin to soften.
  • Sprinkle the flour around the pot and mix for one minute.
  • Stir in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil.
  • After it thickens up a bit, stir in the half and half.
  • Simmer for 10–15 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the chopped parsley and allow the chowder to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and be sure to discard the bay leaves. 

Enjoy!

Sweet Treats

Recipe—Cheesecake

Diva di Cucina

With the holidays quickly approaching I thought what better recipe to post than one for cheesecake. Everyone needs a straightforward cheesecake recipe and this is mine.

Note: I recommend using a 10″ spring form pan but you can also use a 9″ x 13″ pyrex or two 9″ pie dishes. 

STEP 1: CRUST
2 c graham crackers or chocolate wafers crumbled
1/2 c butter, melted
2/3 c sugar

  • Mix ingredients together.
  • Press into bottom of pan (and up sides if using a pyrex or pie dishes) using the back side of a large spoon or rubber spatula.

STEP 2: FILLING
2 lbs cream cheese
1 c sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Mix well and carefully pour over graham cracker crust. (Be sure you leave plenty of room for your topping if using pie dishes. I usually fill a pie dish about 2/3 of the way.)
  • Bake in oven for 30–40 minutes.
  • Allow to cool and do not cover.

STEP 3: TOPPING
2 pints sour cream
½ c sugar
2 tsp vanilla

  • Preheat oven to 375º.
  • Mix ingredients well and pour over cooled cake.
  • Bake at 375º for 10–15 minutes.
  • Allow cheesecake to cool completely and then place in refrigerator.

 Note: This is also great with scrumptious toppings. Cherry pie filling, fresh strawberries, or shaved Ghiradelli chocolate are my favorite.



Fun Food Facts

Fun Food Fact—Beer!

Diva di Cucina

Americans spend approximately $25 billion each year on beer.