Best French and Italian Food Recipe

My bestie Mary was sweet enough to give me a basketful of campari tomatoes again.  I was so excited, I have been waiting for the right tomatoes to make this dish and I finally had them.  Well, I know what you are thinking...  Feta, surely Mr W and Em didn't eat that.  No, you are right.  Neither of them would touch it.  But, I didn't say I made it for them.

My friends came over to play games Saturday night, the same ones I shared the Creamy Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey with.  My bestie YaYa came over (Em calls her YaYa not sure how she came up with that, but I later found out it means Grandma in Greek - so it fits, she is like family.  And it stuck.) she really enjoys Italian flavors too, and she was thrilled to share this salad with me.  I also brought it to a barbeque that we went to on Sunday.  Mary hosted (ok, so I have 2 besties. Plus Mr. W.  Three is better than one, right?).  I told her about the pasta salad on the phone and warned her to eat around the feta, but she apparently forgot.  She was sweet enough not to spit it out though.  Although I wish I had my camera to capture the look on her face when she realized it was feta and not mozzarella.

I am still enjoying the pasta salad.  The tomato flavor is amazing, the sweetness of the tomato and the tang of the vinegar.  It all comes together perfectly.  It seems to get better each time I go back to eat it.  Yes, this dish is a stand in the fridge with a fork kind of hazard.  This is a quick and easy summery dish!  Buon Appetito!

Recipe from the fabulous Ina Garten 

Tomato Feta Pasta Salad
1/2 pound rotini pasta
For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.


Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley, and toss well.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

I was so excited when Lynne asked me to guest post for her on 365 days of Baking.  I have been writing The Slow Roasted Italian and loving every moment of it.  I love to tell stories of the food I am so passionate about along with my family that I truly enjoy feeding.  This is my first guest post and I wanted to stay within the theme of this blog and stay true to my own, so I picked a fabulous baked Italian dessert that I love.  It is called a Chocolate Sformato.  A sformato is an Italian flan.  It is a thick pudding, delicious and oh so chocolaty.

I had the urge to make this around 8pm, it was done about 9pm.  I brought two pieces of the Chocolate Sformto into the family room where Mr. W had been watching TV.  I found him crashed out and sleeping.  I didn't want the beautiful dessert to go to waste, so I was sure to eat his too!  Although, I would not recommend it.  My eyes are definitely bigger than my belly.  I was going to make this again the next night for our game night, because it is so easy to make and is so fast, but we ended up eating the left overs the next night with our friends. It was even more delicious the next day.  With or without the whipped cream this is a decadent and delicious dessert.  The bittersweet chocolate takes the flavor to a rich incredible level.  The toasted almonds on top provide an incredible nutty crunch in contrast to the creamy chocolaty pudding.
In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk and let dissolve for 2 minutes. Combine the cold milk and gelatin with the hot milk and sugar.

Stir to dissolve the gelatin, about 5 minutes. (Heat the milk gently if the gelatin is not dissolving easily.) When the gelatin is dissolved add the milk to the eggs, one ladle at a time whisking constantly (this is called tempering) to avoid scrambling the eggs.


Return mixture to the pot.  Place the bowl into the sink with a sieve over top pour the mixture through.   To make sure you have a smooth mixture.


Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a double boiler.  You can make one by putting a heat safe bowl over a pot with about 1" of water.  You do not want the water to touch the bowl.


When the chocolate is melted gradually combine the milk and egg mixture with the melted chocolate, stirring between each addition to create a smooth chocolate mixture.


Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish, or use a 6" springform pan (the bottom wrapped in heavy duty aluminum foil, large enough to use one sheet or you can get water in your sformato). Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup of the almonds.


Place the casserole dish in a larger dish or roasting pan. Add hot water to the outer pan until the water comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the sides are firm and the center is jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven, remove pan from water (set on a heat safe cloth) and let cool for at least 30 minutes.


If using a springform pan slide a butter knife around the pan to release the sformato before opening the pan.
Just before serving, whip the cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer. Add the sugar and almond liqueur and whip to combine. Spoon the sformato into individual serving bowls and dollop the top with the almond liqueur whip cream.


Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Almond peach soup is probably something you have never heard of.  It was a surprise to me when I first heard it, but a pleasant one.  It is served chilled, it is like sunshine in a bowl.  As you bring the soup to your lips, the aroma of the almond hits you and awakens your senses.  It is creamy, sweet and fabulous!!

I love this soup, perfect with the right peaches and oh so easy to make.  If your peaches are not peak season (flavorful and juicy) you will most likely have an end product that is the same.  I doubled this recipe and it came out wonderfully.

Well, this is a short post today.  I am having a family day, just Mr. W, Em and I.  We are going to a BBQ late this afternoon with our closest friends, I can't wait.  What are you doing today?

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Buon Appetito!

Recipe from Taste of Home 

Almond Peach Soup

Friday morning I woke up like every other day, Mr. W and I got Em out of her crib, I came into the kitchen, fixed her a bottle and got myself some ice water.  I sat down at the kitchen table and opened my laptop.  I started to catch up on my blog reading.  I didn't make it far, when I came across a post about a peanut butter pie.  Little did I know how much that post was going to change the course of my weekend.

A picture of a wedding ring really caught my attention as I read about Jennie Perillo a fellow food blogger In Jennie's Kitchen and her husband Mikey. As I sat sobbing, absorbed into the words and feeling my heart ache for a complete stranger, I felt a tiny hand start patting my back.  I looked over to see Em looking at me with such concern and love, I had to stop what I was doing and take her out of her highchair.  I tell you I held her as if it was the first time and like there was no tomorrow.  I danced around the kitchen with her singing to her.  She nestled into my neck and hummed along as I sung, she petted my hair, I continued to silently weep.  Feeling so much pain for Jennie and her family, yet aching in my heart for the fear of loss of my own family yet feeling so full of love, such a confusion of overwhelming emotion.

Shortly thereafter Em and I walked into the office to find Mr. W.  I wanted to tell him about the Creamy Peanut Butter Pie and the story, but all I could muster in the midst of my sobs was "I love you" and "read Facebook".  I couldn't get the words out.

In Jennie's words:
For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on.

I committed at that moment to make this pie that Jennie asked us to make.  I spent all day Friday with Em and Mr. W.  I wanted to make sure to hug them and love them, spend time with them as I savored every moment with them.  Saturday morning Em and I shared a girls day out as we did some shopping and then came home to make the Creamy Peanut Butter Pie in memory of Mikey, to share with our loved ones.

I spent Saturday afternoon preparing this delicious pie (using Jennie Perillo's recipe) with Em around my ankles.  She was so attached to me, you would think she knew and was helping. The entire weekend was spent loving my family like there is no tomorrow.  I try to do that everyday, but this weekend I hugged a little tighter, kisses lingered a little longer, we fought a bit harder, made up even stronger and told them I loved them over and over.

As the pie was put into the fridge I stopped to thank God for my family, for our blessings and for our friends (who are family to us).  We shared this fabulous pie tonight and I shared the story as I told our dear friends that we love them.  The pie was delicious, the moment that I told them we were sharing the pie with people we loved will be with us forever. 

Finally, I found some more beautiful and delicious peaches.  The last really good ones I had were used to make my Spiced Peach Jam, which is fabulous by the way.  So, with the summer really heating us up I have been leaning toward making as many things as possible that do not require the oven or stove to be turned on.  So, there you have it.  To top off the peaches, my friends brought me some fresh honey that is just amazing.  So, with 3 simple ingredients that you most likely already have (especially during the summer) you have Honey Peach Frogurt!

I found a lot of different recipes when I was researching.  Better Homes and Gardens and Baltic Maid among them.  I decided I wanted to leave the skin on for more flavor and I wanted the use the non fat plain yogurt to allow the peach and honey flavors to shine through.  The frogurt is delicious, but I will try non fat vanilla yogurt next time to see which I like best.  The honey and peach flavors are amazing, the consistency is incredibly smooth.  I garnished with some toasted almonds and granola for a fantastic crunch.  All three of us loved this.  Em ate it until her tongue was frozen, she kept pulling on it.  It was so adorable.

Recipe adapted from many sources including Better Homes and Gardens and Baltic Maid

Honey Peach Frogurt
3 cups non-fat, plain yogurt
Line a colander or a sieve with a cheese cloth or coffee filter.  Add the yogurt to the lined sieve/colander.  Now put the sieve into a bowl and cover it with a plate.  Place in the refrigerator for several hours.  I let it sit overnight, but that is not necessary.  3-4 hours is plenty.  NOTE:  As you can see the yogurt drained out a significant amount of liquid.  It reduced almost in half.


Place the peaches into a blender or food processor and puree.   Add the strained yogurt to the peach puree and blend until well incorporated.  Add honey and blend until combined.  Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours until the mixture is chilled.


You may have to break up your mixture if the honey hardens, just use a spoon.  Pour the peach yogurt mixture into the ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.  I place a kitchen towel over the ice cream maker to help keep the cold in.


Remove from bowl of ice cream maker into an air tight container, place in freezer for a few hours until it becomes more firm.  Serve and enjoy. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

{This is the last day to enter my giveaway.  You can be the winner of one of my favorite cookbooks (brand new of course) giveaway}

A simply delicious and nutritious side dish, these Green Beans with  Garlic are a fabulous compliment to any meal.  Green beans with garlic and olive oil are actually my moms favorite side dish.  Although she prepares hers significantly different than I do, I have to give her credit for inspiring me to make this dish.

I suppose that it is fair to say that I never expected Mr. W to even look at these (they are green after all).  The fact that he took such beautiful pictures of the final dish is amazing.  Em and I on the other hand were huge fans!  We enjoyed our with Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze and it was a fantastic combination.    Em's required a quick steam to soften them up a little.  She is not fond of veggies that are that crunchy, yet.  I loved them just blanched and warmed in the garlic olive oil.  Delicious!!!  I can't wait to have these again.

Green Beans with Garlic
1 pound fresh green beans, both ends snapped off
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Fresh ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add water to season.  Add green beans boil for 2 minutes and drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water (to stop the cooking).  Once they have cooled, drain the water from the bowl and set aside.


Heat the oil in a large skillet (about 12") over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.


Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

Munchkin's favorite flavor is banana.  She eats bananas like a monkey and could eat even more if I would let her.  So, when I saw posts for banana ice cream popping up everywhere I was intrigued.  There are so many variations with peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate or strawberry sauces and so many more.

Click here for Recipe»