Nana's Blue and White Dishes

Monday, August 18, 2025

Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Salad

Our family loves tomatoes! Especially my husband!

Heirloom tomatoes that ripen is the summer sun, big and juicy

and so delicious, nothing compares.

Now top those large ripe slices with the creamiest of cheeses,

the burrata!

Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sprinkle a bit of flaky salt,

and top with fresh basil.

To me there is nothing that says Summer, quite like this salad!

As Always,
Enjoy

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Fabulous summer pasta dish! Delicious with fish or chicken.

Quick to prepare, which makes it so nice for a summer evening.

I served this pasta with my lemon Salmon recipe. It was so refreshing

and light. The type of meal we all enjoy in the summer.

As Always,
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. short pasta (like fusilli)

4 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

4 Tbsp. lemon pesto

1/2 lemon juiced

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Always add salt to your cooking water to flavor the pasta. I always prefer my past Al Dente. Save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later use if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Top with the remaining ingredients and toss well. If desired add some of the cooked pasta water or a little olive oil if you prefer the pasta a bit more saucy. Optional to top with grated pecorino romano cheese.

LEMON PESTO

1whole lemon

juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. pine nuts

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese grated

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Use a strong powered blender. Trim ends off of lemon, cut into small pieces, removing seeds and any tough center membrane. Place whole lemon pieces in blender along with remaining ingredients except for the olive oil. Blend until pureed. Slowly add the olive oil with the motor running to emulsify the mixture.

This quantity is about twice the amount you will need for the pasta dish. Freeze the remaining quantity for future use.

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Potato Gnocchi

Puffy, delicate, cloud like gnocchi.

Once boiled, gently toss in a creamy gorgonzola sauce!

Once your gnocchi are shaped leave them out on a tray

until ready to cook in a pot of low boiling water.

My husband loves gnocchi! Ones that are light and fluffy!

There are some that can be heavy as bricks and that is not what you want

when making these little dumplings. The key to light gnocchi is only to add

enough flour to bring your potato and egg all together.

It is always best to add the flour in small amounts instead of all at once.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Swedish Cardamom Rolls

So delicious for any holiday or

special weekend gathering.

All lined up, out of the oven cooling.

Can't wait to take a bite!

Topped with homemade pearl sugar.

Sheet pans in the oven and ready to bake!

This recipe made over 2 dozen rolls!

All the filled dough, cut and ready to twist.

Once the dough is filled and folded,

use a pizza wheel to cut strips that will be twisted.

Once dough is rolled out. Spread with the

cinnamon and cardamom filling and dot

with raisins. I used golden raisins.

Roll your sweet dough out to make a very

large rectangle.

So much fun to make these Swedish treats, even better to eat them!

With this many rolls, you can put some in the freezer or share

some with friends!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Homemade Orecchetti

Homemade pasta of any shape is so delicious

tossed simply with tomatoes!

Trays of pasta read to cook

It is so gratifying watching the tray fill

with all the "little ears"

Orecchetti is probably my number one favorite shape

to make and to eat!!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Apple Varieties

This is probably one of my favorite salads! I know I have shared many posts

with this same combination. Beautiful greens, whether they are butterleaf, or baby greens,

with pungent cheese, toasted nuts(walnut or pecan) and apples or pears.

How absolutely beautiful though when you can use apples with color that add so much

visual interest to the salad than just the white color interior normally found in

apples and pears.

Since apple season is now upon us, it is always so fun to search out the unusual varieties.

Maybe even go apple picking to find some of the type not in the markets!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Semolina Bread

This is just before going in the oven!

This bread is not always easy to find, maybe only in an Italian bakery.

It used to be more popular, but when you can't find it elsewhere,

best to just baked it yourself.

The crumb on this bread is moist, dense and very flavorful. I am a fan of

sesame seeds, so I love that this is very traditional for this bread.

So delicious for sandwiches or toasted.

As Always,
ENJOY!

Bakewell Tart

Baked and toasted on top to perfection.

Once cooled, so easy to slice and great

for a few days with coffee or tea.

this tart not only tastes delicious but it makes

a pretty presentation on the plate.

In the colder months of the year, when we tend to drink more hot beverages like coffee and tea,

it is so nice to have a tart or tea cake available to slice. Whether it is just for yourself or if

you are having friends over. A tart like this Bakewell tart is easy to make ahead, and it stays fresh for

days, if it lasts that long!!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Mexican Tamales

Mexican food is always a favorite with our family!

When you really crave a great tamale, there is nothing like homemade.

Making homemade tamales is a team effort, not only getting all the supplies ready,

but in the assembly process. These beef tamales were assembled with the help of my son, daughter,

and son-in-law, and myself. They were then shared with all of the family at Christmas time(yes this is a very delayed post) , but better late than never, as the saying goes!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Monday, January 9, 2023

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

When you want a delicious warm soup, especially mushroom,

but you don't want all the thick cream,

this soup is the answer!

This came together so quickly and I can honestly say it was the best

mushroom soup I have ever had in my life.

I could have eaten the whole pot full.

The recipe I used was excellent, but honestly I know it is

because I had some delicous bone broth and roast chicken drippings

that I added to the soup!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: The Modern Proper

4 tbsp butter
2 cups onions, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tsp dried dill
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup whole milk
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley

Rib Eye (Reverse Seared)

When it is cold, rainy or snowy, and you can't get out the grill,

it is time to pull out the cast iron skillet!

Even if you could use your grill, this is a fabulous way to cook a

rib eye steak and get it just perfect! Plus the herbs and brown butter

when finished cooking are perfect for dribbling over the steak or maybe

even your baked potatoe!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Fennel Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Crunchy, fresh and yummy!

This is a great pick me up salad for the winter!

So healthy and so many good flavors!

I love fennel and so I had to try this recipe.

The fennel is roasted before adding it atop the

baby greens.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: The Hygge Life

1 fennel bulb cored and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon canola oil

kosher salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon butter

2 slices day-old sourdough bread, crusts removed and bread torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups salad greens of choice, such as mesclun, arugula, baby spinach

One 4-ounce wedge blue cheese crumbled

Finely sliced radishes, for garnish

Turkish Rice Pilaf

After steaming, the rice is ready to serve.

I added finely diced carrot for a bit of color.

Fluff the rice with a wooden spoon before serving.

Served alongside roasted meats and there juices, it helps

absorb all the wonderful juices.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Spruce Eats

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons orzo pasta
1 cup rice (long grain)
2 cups chicken broth
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Turkish Roasted Lamb (Kuzu Tandir)

Leg of Lamb, divided into three pieces for

easier cooking.

Marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh rosemary and

fresh bay leaves.

Slow roasted for 2 1/2-3 hours at a low temperature produces

melt in your mouth lamb.

Serve with Turkish Rice Pilaf and flat bread.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: The Spruce Eats

1 leg of lamb
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 fresh bay leaves
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup hot water

Clean off as much excess fat as possible. Then, separate into 3 pieces.
Preheat your oven to 285 F. Place the lamb in a shallow metal oven roasting tray. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Pour the mixture over the lamb.
Rub the mixture all over the lamb, massaging it into the meat for several minutes. Add the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Place the tray in the oven uncovered.
Let the lamb cook slowly at this low temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. After the first 30 minutes, turn the pieces of lamb over. Repeat this two more times during the cooking process.
When 1 1/2 hours have passed and you have turned the meat three times, pour the 1/2 cup of hot water over the meat, then close the roasting pan completely with aluminum foil. Turn up the oven temperature to 365 F and leave the meat to roast for at least 1 hour more.
After about 1 hour, remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the foil. Using two forks, remove all the meat from the bone. Also, remove the bay leaves and rosemary.
Serve hot with rice pilaf and flatbread.