A beautiful plate of sliced tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled with a rich balsamic reduction was always a mainstay on our Italian table growing up. You have come to know and love it as Caprese or Insalata Caprese. (Have you ever noticed that this dish reflects the colors of the Italian flag?) Besides being a delicious and light salad or appetizer, Caprese is as versatile as a dish gets. So much so, that you’ll now find it in many variations and combinations with other foods. The Marinated Chicken Caprese is the perfect example and is sure to be a new favorite for you and your family! You can make the pesto and balsamic reduction from scratch or use store bought. The Chicken Caprese also answers that age-old pesky question; How can I come up with new ways to cook Chicken? Well, maybe I can help you at least for this week!
minced garlic
Shrimp Portofino
It wasn’t until after I made this dish that I realized how popular it is on the menu at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. The recipe was given to me by a family member who makes a weekly visit to the restaurant just for their Shrimp Portofino. It really is a delightful meal, loaded with a flavor and many different textures. The dish starts with a creamy, dreamy lemon butter sauce that gets a lot of flavor from minced garlic and shallots. Once the cream sauce is done, the next step is a quick sauté of mushrooms, jumbo shrimp, fresh spinach and toasted pine nuts. Make sure to toast the pine nuts in a hot, dry skillet just until golden brown. Macaroni Grill features angel hair pasta with their Shrimp Portofino, but I think this recipe is delicious with any pasta of your choice! Make sure to have a nice fresh, crusty loaf of French bread to sop up all of the goodness at the bottom of your bowl. The recipe seems like it has a lot of steps, but actually, it’s one of the easiest meals to create. Once you do, I think Shrimp Portofino may end up in regular rotation on your meal planning schedule!
