Bistecca al Pepe Verde (Green Pepper Steak)

Ingredients:

4  5 oz. each Beef Tenderloin
2 Tbsp. green peppercorn coarsely crushed (Use black if you cannot find green)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. cold butter
1/2 cup cognac
1/2 cup cream (use the Crema Mexicana non agria, it is the closest cream to the Italian cooking cream)
Salt to season

Let beef stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, season with salt and some peppercorn.
In a pan add the oil and heat it until is almost smoking. Add the meat and sear the beef 3-4 minutes per side over medium high heat. Remove the steaks from the pan and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Drain the excessive grease from the pan, add the butter and the remaining peppercorn and cook over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add half of the cognac and stir. reduce heat to low, add cream and stir gently, then add the rest of the cognac. Stir, pour on the beef tenderloin and serve immediately.

Ham, Cheese, Spinach Frittata

If you are making breakfast but at the last minute you realized you don't have enough eggs, try to make a frittata. By adding few ingredients to your eggs, you will cook a nice filling breakfast without having to run at the store to buy more eggs.

INGREDIENTS: for 4 people

6 to 8 eggs add a bit more milk if not enough eggs
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cups flour
2/3 cup mixed cheddar and mozzarella cheeses
2/3 cup cut/cubed ham
1 handful fresh spinach
salt, pepper to season
olive oil to cook

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, warm up the olive oil in a pan and add mixture.



Cook thoroughly both sides of the frittata without scrambling the eggs. Put a plate on top of the pan to help turn the frittata, than slide it from the plate back to the pan.



Serve with toasted bread.

Smoked Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin

This is my favorite way to cook pork loin. This is my mom old recipe for her roasted pork loin that I twisted a little to use in the smoker.

Ingredients 

One medium pork loin

1 1/2 packs of thick bacon

Celery

1/4 cup finely chopped Parsley

Some parsley leaves

Sea Salt

2 garlic cloves chopped 

1 pinch Cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning

1 Tbsp Tone's Tuscan Garlic Seasoning Blend

1 Tbsp Chili powder

Rosemary leaves

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil 

2 cups white wine

Clean the pork loin, in a small bowl mix olive oil, sea salt, cayenne pepper, old bay, Tuscan seasoning, chili powder. Rub the mix on the pork. Let it sit while you're prepping the bacon. 

Beat the bacon with a meat beater to make it thin and longer. Lay each strip on a flat pan or cookie sheet overlapping each strip. 

Put the pork loin in the center of the bacon strips.

Chop the garlic and spread it on the pork, add the rosemary leaves. Inject the pork loin with the white wine using a culinary siringe, make sure you inject it in various parts. Roll the bacon around the pork loin tightly, chop the parsley and rub it on the bacon. Add some parsley leaves and celery. 

Smoke it on medium for 8 hours (I use an electric smoker, if you have a regular smoker you will have to adapt temperature and cooking time)

Dr Pepper Roasted Pork Loin

Few days ago was my daughters birthday, I decided to surprise her with one of her favorites for lunch, Dr. Pepper roasted pork loin.

Ingredients

Medium size pork loin

1 1/2 - 2 cups Dr Pepper

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley 

2 garlic cloves 

Fresh Rosemary 

1 Tsp Kosher Salt

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tbsp Tone's Tuscan Garlic Seasoning Blend

1 1/2 Tbsp Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning

(These 2 seasoning blends are really good for rubbing roasts)

Wash the pork loin, make sure all the blood is gone. Lay it in an oiled roasting pan. In a small bowl mix the Kosher salt, olive oil, and the two seasoning blends. Rub the mixture on the pork loin. 

Inject the pork loin with Dr. Pepper using a culinary siringe in various parts of the meat (this will keep the roast super moist)

Chop the garlic in thick pieces, chop the parsley, and spread them on the pork loin. 

Cook at 375 for about 60-70 minutes. It's good served with roasted potatoes or for a lighter side dish, steamed vegetables 

Raspberries Mimosa (Alchohol and Alchool Free Recipes)

With summer around the corner, we start craving those sweet but cold and refreshing drinks. this is my Raspberries Mimosa. Perfect for those hot summer nights.
The alcohol free version (at the bottom) is a yummy drink for kids and non drinkers.

Ingredients (for a pitcher)

1 bottle orange juice
2 packs frozen raspberries
 prosecco wine (if you don't like dry wine use a sparkling sweet white wine)
1 cup sugar
mint leaves for garnishing


Blend the orange juice with 1/2 pack of the raspberries, pour in a glass pitcher, add prosecco wine to top (1 part juice and 2 parts wine), add sugar. Chill for two hours before serving. When serving, pour drink in a glass, add some thawed raspberries and mint leaves to garnish. (for those that like a kick in their drinks, add a splash of vodka in the glass)


Alchool free Raspberries Mimosa

Same ingredients and process, but substitute Prosecco wine with Sprite, and use 2 parts of juice and 1 of Sprite. Stir before serving.

You can use strawberries or pineapple instead of raspberries.

Ham and cheese Involtini

Ingredients 

6 large thin steaks

6 cheddar cheese slices

12 ham slices

Pickles sliced (optional)

Dried rosemary

Minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Lay a steak flat on a plate, sprinkle with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cut the cheese slice in two and lay on the steak. Add two slices of ham. Add the pickles if you like them. Roll the steak, secure with a toothpick.

Oil a pot with Olive oil. Cook the Involtini until all sides are well cooked.

Serve with Béarnaise Sauce (see previous recipe)