Italian Onions (Family Favorites)

The next recipe I wanted to revisit from my cookbook, Carrie's Experimental Kitchen, for the Family Favorites theme is this one for Italian Onions; especially since today is National Hot Dog Day. This Italian Onion recipe originated from my Great Uncle Artie Palladino and he graciously shared it with me a few years ago. He uses water instead of chicken broth so if you're looking for a vegetarian option, you can use that or vegetable broth instead. I really like how simple and quick these are to make and they have become a staple at all of our summer barbecues. Since I don't eat hot dogs, I personally like to add these Italian Onions to a nice juicy burger or grilled Italian sausage sandwich . 

Italian Onions
Prep Time:  5 minutes    Cook Time: 35 minutes   Total Time: 40 minutes    Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Vidalia Onion
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1/2 c. Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 3/4 c. Ketchup (I used Heinz)
• 1 tbsp. Dried Oregano
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cut the top and bottom off of the onion and peel back the skin. Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice into thin strips. 
2. Add the onions to a medium saucepan along with the butter and simmer over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes. 
3. Once the onions have started to soften, add the chicken broth and reduce heat to low. Simmer approximately 15 minutes until the onions become translucent; stirring every 5 minutes.
4. Add the ketchup, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve hot. Can be prepared up to three days ahead of time and kept refrigerated. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 70, Carbs 11.7g, Fat 2.9g, Protein .3g, Fiber .3g, Sugar 10.7g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Italian Onions Shopping List

You can find this recipe for Italian Onions, along with 180 other recipes in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound. Signed copies or hardcover versions are available by emailing carrieexpktchn (at) optonline (dot) net. 

If you are a Goodreads member, I'm holding a Giveaway where you can enter for your chance to win a copy for yourself, but hurry, Friday, July 26, 2013 is the last day to enter!  

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Carrie's Experimental Kitchen

by Carrie Palladino Farias

Giveaway ends July 26, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Tips for Picnicking Down the Shore

This is a sponsored post. 

As a young child, some of my fondest summer memories include my family renting a small efficiency in Point Pleasant Beach each summer on the Jersey Shore for a week where we would go deep sea fishing, lay on the pristine beaches with our picnic lunches and entertain ourselves with fun and games in the evening on the Point Pleasant Boardwalk. As I grew older, my grandparents retired to Hazlet, where we visited Island Beach State Park and Sandy Hook to enjoy the swells and sounds of the ocean year round.

In my teenage years, I looked forward to making the hour and a half trek down the Garden State Parkway to Exit 82 and Seaside Heights. Like all NJ teenagers, it was, and still is, a right of passage to go “Down the Shore” (a.k.a. DTS) after your Senior Prom here in the Garden State. We’d change into our beach attire, pack coolers full of sandwiches, beverages and snacks and head down to what will always be remembered as “the best time in our lives.” To this day, (uh hum…27 years later) I can still remember who went DTS after prom and what we did, but I can’t remember what our prom theme was!

The Jersey Shore is an integral part of New Jersey and it’s culture. It’s a part of what makes us who we are. After Hurricane Sandy, many of my favorite shore landmarks were destroyed, but we’re are a tough breed and like the Six Million Dollar Man said (ok, now I’m really showing my age!) “We can rebuild” and we have. NJ is “Stronger than the Storm” (#STTS) and has 45 glorious beaches open and ready for you and your families to enjoy this summer.

If you’re like many families, ours included, you’ll want to spend the day on the beach to enjoy the sand and surf this summer. That means brining the right things for a picnic lunch is a necessity. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your day.

Tips for Picnicking Down the Shore

The Basics

• Bring the basics. A blanket, sheet or beach chair. If brining a blanket or sheet, make sure that they are large enough to seat each person in your party comfortably.  This will also help keep the sand away from your food; as long as no one steps on it!

• An umbrella and sunscreen to block the sun. The summer sun is brutal; especially by the water where the cool ocean breezes mask the heat and rays. 

• An insulated cooler. Sure, a picnic basket is pretty, but sand may get inside through the holes of the wicker. An insulated cooler is the best option to hold your food and beverages for a picnic on the beach, as this will prevent or prolong your food from spoiling in the hot sun.

The Food

• Two words: Finger Foods. When dining al fresco on the beach, finger foods are best. Avoid bringing food that you need utensils to eat it with. It makes for easier clean up at the end of the day and creates less refuse and pollution.

• Sandwiches are best. Sandwiches made on wraps or rolls hold up much better than sliced bread; where the bread tends to get soggy. Some great sandwich choices that hold up well and are some of my family’s favorites include peanut butter and jelly, turkey, grilled chicken or vegetables or the recipe below for Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Fresh Spinach, Campari Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella.

• Choose the right condiments. Everyone loves a sandwich with mayonnaise, but it’s not the best condiment for picnicking in the hot sun. If you must have it on your sandwich, bring it separately or choose other condiments like mustard, pesto or vinaigrette based dressings.  

• Single portion snacks. All of that swimming and sun make you hungry. Bring single sized portions of your favorite snacks like granola bars, pretzels or popcorn. Better yet, opt for whole fruit like apples, oranges, and peaches and cut up raw vegetables like celery, cucumbers and carrots for healthy snacking. These will also help keep you hydrated in the hot sun. Single portion packaging also helps to reduce waste; as well as help to eliminate any excess sand from getting into family sized snack bags.

• Stay hydrated! Make sure you bring enough to drink for each person to stay hydrated throughout the day and try to stay away from carbonated beverages. Fruit or vegetable juices are a good choice; as well as plenty of water. If you freeze your water bottles the night before and place them in your cooler, they will act as ice blocks keeping your food cold and will be cool and refreshing when you’re ready to drink them.

The Entertainment

• Ocean waves and food will only keep you occupied for so long. Bring along something to do to pass the time like reading a good book, playing cards, or throw a Frisbee or football.  The beach is not the best place for electronic gadgets as they will inevitably get ruined by the sand and salt air. 

•  Battery operated radio. Put on your favorite NY/NJ radio station and listen to some tunes. It helps pass the time and informs you of local happenings; especially if you’re staying through the evening hours. Just be aware of the volume as to not disrupt the other people around you.

When picnicking, my family and I are not particularly fond of luncheon meat; however, we do enjoy a good sandwich every now and then. This Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Fresh Spinach, Campari Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella drizzled with Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of our absolute favorites and we take it with us on every road trip or picnic outing. I’ve also made this sandwich with grilled chicken, arugula, other lettuces and pesto and it’s fantastic every time. Whatever part of the Jersey Shore you decide to visit this summer, I hope you make your own lasting memories!

Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Fresh Spinach, Campari Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella

Prep Time: 15 minutes          Yield: 4

Cook Time: 10 minutes         Serving: 1

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken Cutlets

·      2  4- to 6- oz. Boneless Chicken Breasts

·      1 c. All-Purpose Flour

·      2 Eggs + splash of water (egg wash)

·      1 c. Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

·      ¾ c. Canola Oil

For the Sandwich

·      4 Breaded Chicken Cutlets

·      2-8” Ciabatta Rolls, cut in half horizontally 

·      2 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, rinsed and stems removed

·      2 Campari Tomatoes, sliced into ¼” thick slices

·      ½ lb. Buffalo Mozzarella, sliced into ¼” thick slices

·      4 tbsp. Aged Balsamic Vinegar

·      4 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·      Kosher Salt, to taste

·      Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

For the Chicken Cutlets

1.     Slice the chicken in half vertically forming four pieces; then using a meat mallet, pound the chicken flat until it is even in thickness.

2.     Prepare three bowls. One with the flour. One with the egg and water mixture. One with the breadcrumbs.

3.     First dip the chicken into the flour, then the egg wash and then the breadcrumbs. Repeat for all pieces.

4.     Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat; then add the chicken. Cook the chicken approximately 3-5 minutes per side until they are golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

For the Sandwich

1.     Slice the bread in half vertically forming eight halves.

2.     Drizzle 1 tbsp. vinegar and oil on both the top and bottom halves for each sandwich.

3.     Place one chicken cutlet on the bottom half of the bread, then top with fresh spinach leaves, tomato and mozzarella slices. Season with salt and pepper; then place the top of the bread on the sandwich. Cut in half and serve. Wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil to keep it fresh until ready to eat.

*If you like your bread on the crusty side like we do, bake the bread in a 425 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes, then allow to cool before cutting the bread in half.

For more information on the Stronger Than The Storm campaign(#STTS), please visit their website. 

Italian Baked Beans

Summer, as you all know, is a time for grilling and barbecues. And one menu item can usually be found at most gatherings...baked beans. I never particularly cared for the pork and bean variety so I generally never made them myself; though my mother in law makes a great version using chorizo (I'll have to get that recipe from her one of these days to share with you!). That is until I was reading the June issue of Food Network Magazine and saw a recipe from Jeff Mauro for Tuscan Stovetop Baked Beans. They looked delicious and had many of the flavors I love like garlic, tomatoes, rosemary, wine, cheese and lemon. He even added some balsamic drizzle over the top and they looked amazing! But as I started to look at the recipe to duplicate it, I decided to make a few changes.

Since I didn't have pancetta or white wine in the house, I used turkey bacon and used up an open bottle of Chianti. I started out cooking them on the stove, but they were still a little too "watery" for my liking, so I added some cornstarch to thicken it up a bit and also decided to bake them instead of cook them on top of the stove. They really got nice and bubbly that way too!

These Italian Baked Beans were INCREDIBLE! Now as you're looking at the ingredient list, you're probably thinking there are A LOT of ingredients. But most of them you should already have in your pantry and if not, just click on the Shopping List at the end of this post for a print out of what you need to purchase.


Italian Baked Beans
Adapted from Jeff Mauro's Tuscan Stovetop Baked Beans
Prep Time:  30 minutes      Yield: 16
Cook Time: 30 minutes      Serving: 1/2 cup
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. Organic Turkey Bacon, small dice
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 c. Red Onion, small dice
• 2 Stalks Celery, small dice
• 1 Large Carrot, peeled and small dice
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 3/4 c. Dry Red Wine (I used Chianti)
• 1 c. Crushed Tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1 Lemon, zest only
• 2 c. Chicken Broth (I used homemade)
• 2 tbsp. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp. Asiago Cheese, grated
• 4-15ounce Cans Small White Beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tbsp. Cornstarch + 2 tbsp. Cold Water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; then add in the bacon. Stir until crisp about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. 
3. In the same pan, add the onion, celery, and carrots and allow to soften for about 5-7 minutes; then add in the garlic, rosemary and the cooked bacon and cook for another minute.
4. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to simmer down until reduced by half; then add in the tomatoes, lemon zest, chicken broth, both cheeses and beans. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat allowing some of the liquid to absorb.  
5. Combine the cornstarch and water together and gradually add it to the beans until they have thickened (you may not need all of it); then transfer to a 2 quart oven safe baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the beans are hot and bubbly. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 104, Carbs 18.1g, Fat 1.3g, Protein 5.7g, Fiber 5.5g, Sugar .8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Italian Baked Beans Shopping List

Shared at Thursday's Treasures 7/11/13

20 Free (or Low Cost) Things to Do With Your Kids This Summer

School is out for the summer. Now what? 

This is a question most parents, including myself, face every year. Trying to entertain your children 24/7 for two months can be daunting. No matter what you try to do or plan, they will inevitably say at least once (or in my case 100 times!) "I'm BORED!" 

The key is to keep some sort of a routine and plan, plan, plan and then have a Plan B! Murphy's Law will always give you a rainy day the one time you plan to go to the beach. Try allotting 30 minutes before the start of each week to schedule in some fun activities for the week ahead; and don't forget to get their input. They're more likely to get up out of bed, ready to start the day when they know what's coming instead of plopping down in front of the television watching cartoons, sitcoms or playing video games.  

Use it as a guide. It gives them (and you) something to look forward to. If you're going out for the day, enlist a specific job for each person, this way they're more vested into the days events and gives them something to be responsible for.  Here is an example: 

Monday-Local Beach/Pool/Lake (pack towels, sunscreen, water shoes, floatation devices, etc)
Tuesday-Bowling (pack socks)
Wednesday-Doctor appointment (don't forget those yearly physicals!)
Thursday-Movie (pack a light jacket, sweater or sweatshirt in case it's too cold inside)
Friday-Kids in the kitchen (have them pick out the menu or choose which food to purchase)

This summer, it will just be G and I most of the time since R will be working. So in between college visits and cheering practices, I'll be filling our days with some of these fun activities. 

Here are 20 Free (or Low Cost) Things to Do With Your Kids This Summer

1. Take them bowling. With KidsBowlFree.com, registered kids get two free games of bowling every day all summer long. Click on the link to find a participating bowling alley in your area. Shoe rentals are an additional cost. 

2.  Visit a museum. If you own a Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card, you can get a free ticket on the first Saturday of every month with their Museum on Us Program. Each cardholder gets one free admission to over 150 participating museums nationwide. 

3. Home improvement workshops. Home Depot's program teaches children DIY skills, tool safety and gives them a sense of accomplishment. They get to keep their creation and get a certificate of achievement. Lowes also had a kids clinic on weekends called Build and Grow. 

4. Free Movie Program. Many movie theaters offer free movies from July through August and are generally held weekday mornings. Check with your local movie theater to see if they offer this program and pick up a movie and time listing. It's a nice way to cool off the kids on a hot summer day! 

5. Kids in the Kitchen. Kids LOVE to be in the kitchen. Go to your local farm stand or market, have them pick out a new food to try or recreate one of their favorite dishes. Let them be the chef and help them out where needed depending on their age. 

6. Scavenger Hunt. I used to love these when I was younger. You can either hide specific items yourself or look around the area for items that are already there for kids to find. Stay local in your backyard or neighborhood or venture out to your local park. 

7. Ice or Roller Skating. Rates are generally under $10/pp (depending on age) for a 1-1 1/2 hour open skating session (skates not included). It's great exercise and fun, but be sure to bring a helmet and safety pads for those elbows and knees!

8. Go on a picnic. It's fun to eat a meal on a blanket outdoors and gives the kids a change of scenery. Bring a frisbee or wiffle ball and bat for some entertainment. 

9. If you have a scout, the Girl Scouts have a list of online activities for girls ages 5-9 and Boy Scouts have a list of games as well. 

10. Water fun. Don't have a pool, lake or beach at your disposal? Turn on the sprinklers and run through them, squirt each other with the hose or fill up balloons and have a water balloon fight! 

11. Local sports and activities programs. Check out your local parks and recreation department for offerings. Many have free or nominal fees for sports, arts, culinary instruction, etc. for kids. 

12. Free tours. Ask your local television station, hospital, fire house, vet or pet groomer, supermarket, sports stadium, etc. to give you a tour of their facility. They may offer such tours individually or in groups, so bring some friends along for a fun outing. 

13. Pictures/Scrapbooking. Do you have albums and albums of pictures nestled away from years gone by that you're kids haven't seen? Break them out and reminisce over the fun times (and crazy clothes and hairstyles!). My kids love to look back at their baby pictures from time to time, but generally don't go much further back than the last few years. If you have loose pictures, sort them out by occasion or year and enlist their help in putting them into a photo album or scrapbook. It can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. The key is you're working together and you'll be amazed at how many hours go by once you start digging in! 

14. Volunteer. Teach your children the importance of helping others by leading by example. Visit your local animal shelter if they love animals, elder care facility to read or play cards with the elderly, help out at your local church or civic center or Feeding America to help out at your local food bank. You'll feel great knowing you helped someone else! 

15. Reading and Library Events. Many libraries offer free summer reading events where the children read a certain number of books; then get rewards or prizes. Barnes and Noble offers their Summer Reading Program as well. Kids read any 8 books and record them in a Reading Journal, bring the Journal to their local B&N store; then they get to choose a free book. 

16. Computer Camp. Apple offers a Youth Program where they offer Apple Camp for kids ages 8-12. They will learn how to shoot their own footage, create an original song in GarageBand on an iPad, and put it all together in iMovie on a Mac. This free workshop, held at the Apple Store, spans three days and ends with campers debuting their masterpieces at the Apple Camp Film Festival.

17. Online Education. I'm not recommending that they spend hours on the computer each day, but computers do offer a wealth of information and learning capabilities, especially if it's a rainy day. Most websites break out their site by age group so click on the one that is most appropriate for your child. Check out sites like ABCMouse.com, Leap Frog, Jump Start, PBS Kids, Fisher-Price, and Disney. 

18. Concerts. Many towns offer free or nominal fees for local music concerts. Grab a blanket, pack a picnic dinner, dance and listen to some new music. 

19. Have a Stay-Cation! Does your town have a museum that you drive by every day? Stop in to see what's inside. A local park with hiking trails or row boats? Find out what you've been missing. Many of us (me included) take our local surroundings for granted and there is a wealth of information right outside your door. I for one have lived in NJ for 99% of my life, 40 minutes from NYC and have yet to visit the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. (Yes, it's on my list for this summer!)

20. Local Sports Club. Check with your local sports club for kid activities. Many have special rates over the summer (i.e. 30 days for $30) where kids can swim or take certain classes where age appropriate. 

These are just a few things you can do to keep your kids busy this summer. If they attend a Summer Camp during the day, use this list as a fun weekend guide for the entire family to enjoy the fun.

Enjoy making memories together this summer!