Couscous salad topped with grilled veggies, serve with grilled pita and you'll have the perfect lunch,

or serve it as a side with any roast you might be putting on the grill.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing a platter filled with grilled veggies drizzled with olive oil and balsamic glaze!

A perfect side dish with any grilled meats.

Or slabs of grilled sweet onions with dollops of warm gorgonzola.





For an extremely fresh salad that you can't stop eating, try this Zucchini Carpaccio

Salad. Paper thin slices of fresh zucchini tossed with baby arugula, shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. Topped with toasted walnuts.

For a quick dessert take advantage of all the beautiful apricots that are still available.

Stuff them with sweetened mascarpone and plop a blackberry on top, drizzle with honey or agave and stick them under your broiler. Garnish with pistachio's.

Keep it simple and savor every last bit of all the beautiful summer produce.

Buon Appetito!

Autumn fruits are everywhere and pears are definitely in season. I'm certain you're going to love this recipe if you're a Gorgonzola fan. Pears with Gorgonzola, it's such a perfect paring! (no pun intended). Ripe juicy pears, cooked in Marsala wine that reduces down and becomes infused in a wonderful glaze. Each pear is then topped with a combination of Gorgonzola, mascarpone and toasted chopped walnuts.

I love the deep rich salty flavor of Gorgonzola and the "bite" it gives you from it's blue vein. Combine that with the sweetness of the pear and Marsala. Perfection!

This recipe comes from an old issue of Tastes of Italia magazine, the recipe is for 4 servings but you can alter it for 2.

4 Pears cut in half lengthwise, remove cores.

2 Cups Marsala Wine

2T Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Sugar

2t. lemon Zest

4oz Gorgonzola

3 T Mascarpone

2T Toasted Chopped Walnuts

In medium pan combine wine, sugar, zest. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pears and cook 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Remove pears, place on serving dish. Bring wine mixture to a boil, cook for 6 minutes until liquid thickens. Remove, let it cool and drizzle around pears. In a small bowl add mascarpone, Gorgonzola, and chopped walnuts, mix well then fill pears.

Here's another way of getting that same flavor combination of pears and Gorgonzola, something that you could put together fast for either a quick appetizer or an ending to a meal. Peel your pears and cut them into 1 inch chunks, cook them in warm honey until tender, then skewer a piece of Gorgonzola between 2 pieces of pear, finish with an extra drizzle of honey. Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

CHICKEN WITH GORGONZOLA AND TOASTED WALNUTS

Gorgonzola is one of those cheese's that you either like, or you don't like, you know,it's a blue cheese thing! it has a little bite to it, along with a very rich and creamy taste.Well I happen to love Gorgonzola, and if your like me, you'll love this recipe.
Lightly dust chicken in flour, salt &Pepper,and saute in some butter and olive oil till golden. Remove chicken. Add a couple of shallots and deglaze with 1/2 cup of white wine. Return chicken to the pan on low heat turning them once or twice. Place Gorgonzola on top, cover till melted. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. A simple concept, that gives you a delicious result!! Adapted from 1,000 Italian Recipes

CHICKEN PARMESAN
Sometimes Chicken Parm tends to be heavy with all that breading and frying, this is a much lighter version,that I saw Giada do, it's a fresh approach with mega flavor!! The key element to this dish is brushing the chicken with a fresh herb oil, yes, make your own, chop up some fresh herbs and place them in a small bowl with some extra virgin olive oil. I used rosemary,thyme, and parsley but you can use whatever you like. Make sure you have a homemade sauce with good tomatoes, I always use San Marzzano, the flavor is fantastic with no bitterness. Squish your tomatoes in some olive oil and garlic, and add some fresh basil thats it!Simple!
Brush both sides of the chicken with the herb oil and saute in pan, till almost cooked. Place fresh mozzarella on top along with sauce and place in oven till melted and cooked through.Top with shaved parm. I'm sure you will love this if you give it a try!



CHICKEN CUTLETS
Again, this is a little lighter version I like to make when I'm trying to watch the carbs! There are no bread crumbs in this, just chicken lightly dipped in egg and then into Romano, parm or a mixture of both, some fresh chopped parsley, and a little lemon peel, salt & pepper.Saute in olive oil till crispy. Believe me you won't miss the breadcrumbs!!


BUON APPETITO!