Italian Cuisine For The Night: 6 Italian Recipes That Will Elevate Your Dinner!

6 Burger Ideas That Will Elevate Your Ordinary Lunch!

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

3 boneless chicken breasts

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup virgin olive oil, divided

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Juice of 1 lemon

900 gm pickles, rinsed

Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps

1- Cut chicken breasts in half. Pound each breast until 1/4" thick in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and generously season with salt and pepper.

2- Place the flour in a large shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. In a large skillet over high heat, add 1/4 cup oil until very hot. Add 3 chicken pieces at a time, cook, turn them once, until golden brown for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Adjust heat as needed and repeat with remaining chicken.

3- In the same skillet over high heat, bring apple cider vinegar, broth, and lemon juice to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, one piece at a time. Keep whisking until all butter is incorporated. If the sauce starts to break, add 1 tablespoon of water and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and glossy.

4- Return chicken to the skillet. Slice the pickles and add them to the chicken. Bring the sauce to a light simmer and cook until warmed through for about 3 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges alongside.

Recipe and image credit: delish.com

For The Love of Japanese Dessert: The Best Mochi Places in Egypt

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients

400 gm large shrimp, deveined (peeled or unpeeled)

2 tbsp butter

1 ¼ tsp salt, divided

2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup minced white onion

¼ cup broth of any type

1 can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes for medium spicy, plus more to taste as desired

2 tsp dried oregano

Optional for serving: 220 gm pasta (like spaghetti or linguine) or crusty bread

Steps

1- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel.

2- In a large skillet, heat the butter on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and ¼ tsp kosher salt and cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until almost cooked through, turning them with tongs (they will cook fully later). Remove the shrimp from the pan into a bowl, leaving the juices inside the skillet.

3- Reduce heat to medium and add the olive oil, minced garlic, and minced onion. Cook until the garlic is starting to become golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the broth to the pan, scraping until the pan is smooth. Once the broth is nearly evaporated, add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, oregano and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer. Simmer partially covered, for 7-10 minutes until the flavor is smooth and rich (or up to 15 minutes if the tomatoes are not fire roasted). 

4- Stir in the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute before serving. Serve with crusty bread or over pasta.

Recipe and image credit: acouplecooks.com

"Friends" Most Iconic Meals And Sandwiches

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/2 cup whole milk

600 gm ground beef

200 gm Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

2 large eggs, beaten to blend

1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving

2 tbsp. virgin olive oil

1 jar or homemade marinara sauce

Steps

1- In a small bowl, mix bread crumbs and milk until combined. Let sit for 15 minutes.

2- In a large bowl, combine beef, sausage, onion, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in bread crumb mixture, eggs, Parmesan, and parsley until just combined. Form beef mixture into 1 1/2" balls.

3- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Working in batches, sear meatballs on all sides to develop a crust, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl or plate.

4- In the same skillet over medium-low heat, bring the sauce to a simmer, then return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through for about 8 minutes more.

5- Top meatballs with more Parmesan and parsley.

Recipe and image credit: delish.com

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini

Olive oil, for rubbing

Salt and black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano, divided

450 gm standard Italian sausage

2 garlic cloves

425 gm fire roasted crushed tomatoes

¼ tsp fennel seeds

6 tbsp grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

½ cup whole milk mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp Italian seasoned panko

1 tbsp fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Steps

1- Preheat the oven to 218°C.

2- Cut the zucchini each in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Place the boats on a baking sheet and rub each with a bit of olive oil. Then sprinkle all 8 boats with a ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp oregano, and fresh ground black pepper, divided between the boats. 

3- Place the sausage in a medium skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan with the sausage and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, fennel seed, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Heat for 1 minute until warmed through.

4- Scoop the filling into the zucchini boats. Top with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle with the panko. 

5- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let it sit for 2 minutes before serving.

Recipe and image credit: acouplecooks.com

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

340 gm bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces

1 tbsp. salt

400 gm spaghetti

5 large egg yolks

1 large egg

113 gm finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 c.)

Freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1- In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy for 25 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.

2- In a large pot, combine salt and 10 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until al dente for 8-10 minutes; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

3- While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, egg, and cheese until just combined.

4- Transfer spaghetti to egg mixture right away. Add bacon and 1/4 cup pasta water and stir, adding 2-4 tablespoons more pasta water if sauce seems too thick, until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth; season with pepper.

Recipe and image credit: delish.com

Vegetarian Lasagna With Ricotta

Ingredients

10 to 12 lasagna noodles

8 cups chopped spinach

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

Zest of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp)

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

4 cups of your favorite marinara sauce

1 tsp salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Steps

1- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

2- Boil the noodles. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles until just before al dente, stirring often. Drain the noodles, then drizzle a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Lay the noodles flat onto the sheet, then turn them over so they become coated with olive oil to prevent sticking.

3- In a large skillet, add the greens and ¼ cup water in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until completely wilted and reduced for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt and stir, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled, use your hands to squeeze out all excess liquid and discard. Roughly chop the spinach.

4- Remove the stem from the thyme then roughly chop the leaves. Add 1 ½ tablespoons thyme to a medium bowl and reserve about ½ tablespoon for topping the lasagna. To the bowl, add the lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.

5- In a baking dish, spread ½ cup tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then top with 1 layer of noodles, half of the cheese mixture, half of the greens, and about 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Repeat again. Finally, top with noodles then the remaining 1 ½ cups of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and ½ tablespoon thyme.

6-  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe and image credit: acouplecooks.com