Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
1 (14 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
3 pounds mussels, scrubbed with beards removed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Procedure:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, celery and garlic until translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook 5-10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the wine and cook an additional 10 minutes, adding as much water as needed if the sauce becomes too thick. Add the cleaned, drained mussels, cover, and cook until the shells open, which should be about 5 additional minutes. Add the parsley just before serving. You can serve this dish on grilled garlic bread, spooning the juices over the bread in a shallow bowl, or serve with a good crusty bread on the side.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound chicken livers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh
or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts,
drained and cut into fourths
3 to 3-1/2-pound cut-up broiler fryer chicken
1-1/2 pounds new potatoes (10 to 12), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Procedure:

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook livers, onion, garlic, sage, parsley and capers in oil about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until livers are no longer red. Spread liver mixture in ungreased rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Spread artichokes over liver mixture. Place chicken, skin sides down, and potatoes on artichokes. Mix wine and lemon juice; pour over chicken and potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Turn chicken and potatoes. Bake about 30 minutes longer or until chicken is brown on outside and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of the thickest pieces are cut.

Ingredients:

8 Artichokes
150 g of ham or salami, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 loaf
100 ml of milk
50 g of parmesan
1 Lemon
30 g of Parsley
1 clove garlic
Salt
Pepper

Procedure:

Prepare a bowl with water and the juice of the lemon. Wash the artichokes, cut the stem (that you can use in the filling), the tips of the remaining leaves that are prickly and remove the tough outer leaves at the base. Then force the center leaves slightly open in the middle and place them in the bowl with water and lemon as shown in the picture below. Place the loaf in a bowl with the milk in order to soften it. Cut in small pieces the stems of artichokes. Prepare a chopped garlic and parsley, put it in a bowl, and add in it the loaf crumbled, the egg, the pieces of stems, the ham or salami, the parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix all together and with this mixture fill the artichokes. Place the stuffed artichokes in a pan with a drizzle of oil and some water and cook on a low flame for about 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Penne Pasta
4 Medium Artichokes, Cleaned, Choke Removed, Cut Into Quarters And Dropped In A Lemon Water Bath
1 Lemon
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 2 or 3 PpHalf
2 tablespoon finely chopped mint
2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Salt & pepper
Red pepper flakes as desired

Procedure:

Place the artichokes in a pot, and cover with enough of the lemon water to just cover them. Bring this to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook just until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Heat half the oil in a saucepan, and add the garlic. Heat for a minute or two until sizzling, but do not burn. Add the artichokes with half of the fresh, chopped herbs, and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, shrimp, salt and pepper to season. Add a small amount of red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until the tomatoes begin to soften, and the shrimp turn pink. Taste and add additional pepper flakes if you would like more heat.Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, and return to the pot, keeping a small cup of the pasta water aside. Add the sauce ingredients, the olive oil, and a few teaspoons of pasta water if needed to moisten to the pot and cook a minute or two until combined. Add the rest of the fresh herbs, and serve, topping each serving with some of the remaining sauce.

Ingredients:

4 Tuna Steaks, At Least 1 1/2 Inch Thick (About 2 Pounds Total)
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Pound Chopped Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Fresh, Chopped Parsley
6 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt And Pepper
1/2 Cup White wine
1 Cup Good quality Black Olives, Pitted And Coarsely Chopped
4 Teaspoons Salted Capers

Procedure:

Soak the capers in a bowl of water for 15 minutes. Drain and chop. In a heavy frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once it is hot, add the onion and cook it until it is soft. Add the garlic, and cook an additional minute or two. Add the wine, and cook until it is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until thickened over low heat, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, and in a separate frying pan, sear the steaks in the remaining oil on both sides for two minutes. Add the tuna steaks to the sauce with the capers and olives, and spoon the sauce over the seafood. Over low heat, cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 (60z) Tuna Steaks (Preferably At Least 2 Inches Thick)

Topping:

2 Cups Small, Ripe Cherry Or Grape Tomatoes
12 Ripe, Black Olives
1 Tablespoon Chopped Capers
1/4 Cup Fresh, Chopped Parsley
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove, Finely Minced
Salt & Pepper

Procedure:

Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Pit and coarsley chop the olives. Combine both with the remaining topping ingredients, and set aside. Brush your tuns steaks with the olive oil, and grill to your desired preference. Place a tuna steak on each of four plates, and divide the topping mixture on each. Serve.

Cooking Tip: The mistake most people make is overcooking their seafood. If you buy good quality tuna there is no harm in a pink center, and you’ll always have good results.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves in large dice
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lb (500 grams) very ripe cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 lemon, sliced
salt
2 lb (900 grams) white fish (orange roughly, bass or cod)

Procedure:

Place the olive oil and garlic in a skillet large enough to receive the fish, on medium heat. As soon as the garlic starts coloring remove the garlic and let the oil cool. Add water to the pan about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep. Add about half of the parsley, the lemon. . . . and the tomatoes. Add the fish slices, top with the rest of the parsley. Season the fish lightly with salt. Place the skillet back on the stove on medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning the fish to cook on the both sides. Make sure the fish is only half covered by the water. Adjust salt, and add pepper if necessary. Serve warm.

Ingredients:

1 (2 1/2 to 3 Pound) Chicken Cut Into Pieces
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
Salt & Pepper
1 Teaspoon Oregano
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Sliced
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup White Wine
Juice From 1 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Unsalted, Softened Butter
1 Tablespoon Flour
1/4 Cup Chopped, Fresh Parsley

Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together the flour and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Rinse and dry the chicken pieces, and then dredge them lightly in the seasoned flour mixture. In a heavy, oven proof skillet, large enough to hold all of the chicken pieces, heat the olive oil, and then brown the chicken well on all sides over medium heat. Be careful not to burn the oil by using too hot of heat. Once all of the pieces are well browned, remove them to a plate. Pour out the left over oil in the pan, leaving just a tablespoon or two with the browned bits at the bottom. Add the onion and cook until soft, and then add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the wine, and stir the browned bits at the bottom while you reduce the wine by half over medium high heat. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Break up the rosemary into pieces, and add it to the sauce. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, and spoon the sauce over top. Bake the chicken until done, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Mix the tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Add the remaining butter to the sauce in the skillet, and mix well. Remove the rosemary pieces from the sauce. If the sauce is thin, stir in a little of the flour and butter mixture, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Once the sauce has thickened, add the chopped parsley, and pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter. Serve immediately.

Although rabbit is prepared in a number of ways, my favorite way is to simply braise it in a light sauce after it has been briefly brined in a salt water bath which helps to temper any gamey flavor.

Ingredients:

1 (3 Pound) Rabbit, Dressed And Cut Into 10 Pieces
1/4 Cup Sea Salt
3 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled
2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary
1/3 Cup White Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
3/4 Cup White Wine
1/2 Cup Fresh, Chopped Parsley

Procedure:

Place the rabbit pieces in a bowl with the salt and sugar, and cover with water. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain the rabbit and pat it dry. In a food processor, finely chop together the garlic, rosemary and vinegar. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet that will hold all of the rabbit pieces, and brown the rabbit on all sides, about 4 minutes each side. Add the rosemary garlic mixture into the pan, brushing it over the rabbit pieces. Cover the pan, reduce to low, and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender, turning over the pieces every 15 minutes or so. Remove the rabbit to a heated platter, and cover. Add the wine to the pan, and cook over high heat, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until it is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, and add the parsley, mixing well. Pour the sauce over the rabbit, and serve.