By Maria Filice • October 20, 2012 I love the Fall for it’s weather and the beautiful transformation of the Foliage – beautiful majestic colors! Cleaning the leaves is another story …..
In this photo, I prepared a simple salad with yellow, red cherry tomatoes, roasted artichokes, red onion and cooked green beans. I drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a little balsamic, chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper (to taste) and ready to serve. You can serve it as a side vegetable with your favorite grilled meats, fish or cheese. I also like to add cured olives – it reminds me of visits in Italy! A simple salad you can enjoy throughout the year – why wait just for summer? a presto, Maria
By Maria Filice • July 29, 2010 
Here’s a tasty pasta sauce with a little bit of pantry and little bit of fresh ingredients!
My cousin Renee prepared a quick and easy pasta sauce while the pasta water was boiling for the farfalle pasta (farfalle translates to butterfly). They also resemble bow ties or butterflies.
In a saucepan (medium heat), drizzle a little olive oil and sautee one clove garlic (thinly sliced) until golden brown. Add four plum tomatoes (rough chop) and add to the pan. Stir for a few minutes. Add a can of artichoke hearts (chopped in quarters), 1 cup of kalamata olives (jarred), 1/2 cup of roasted peppers (chopped), 1 tbsp. capers. Stir for another five minutes.
Add the sauce to the farfalle and add approx. 2 cups of arugula and freshly grated parmigiano. I added a pinch of red chili flakes to my dish! loved it! Not to mention, it only took less than twenty minutes to prepare and eat!
ps – Renee Angela Filice is my cousin who painted the lovely silkscreen of the Trattoria San Biagio in L’Aquila for my book Breaking Bread in L’Aquila. Check out her beautiful work at http://www.reneeangelafilice.com
By Maria Filice • July 4, 2010 
I threw in another dish for Arlene’s bbq with the family. Here’s a tasty artichoke potatoe salad. That’s right “hold the mayo”!
It’s a very simple and quick to make potatoe salad for those last minute dishes. This is perfect with your outdoor parties and doesn’t spoil by holding the mayo.
This salad has a twist of a tasty artichoke dip (artichokes, garlic, parmigiago cheese) to the potatoes. Delicious!
2 lbs. red potatoes
2 cans of artichokes (halved)
1/2 cup extra virgin oil
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 cup freshly grated Parmiagiano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian Flat leaf Parsley
salt and pepper (to taste)
pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, approx. 20 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and cut into quarters.
Add the artichokes, garlic, olive oil, parley, parmigiano. Mix, taste and add salt and pepper (to taste), red chili flakes (optional). Garnish with a little parlsey.
Ready to serve!
Enjoy the Holiday Weekend,
maria!
By Maria Filice • May 2, 2010 
Here’s how a little of this and that works in action!
I was putting some chicken breasts in the freezer (they were on sale) but realized oops…..the freezer is loaded with a lot of other stuff (mainly biscotti for upcoming book signings).
Yesterday, I had roasted some artichokes (canned) and stuffed the hearts with fresh chopped garlic and basil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and roasted for fifteen minutes. Perfect.
While I was trying to make space in the freezer, I noticed a one pound container of fresh lasagne noodles. I then looked in the refrigerator and had some fresh mozzarella. In the vegetable drawer, a bag of fresh spinich from last week (it was in the state of use it or lose it).
Now we have something: lasagne with roasted artichokes and spinach. Ok….sauce??
For sauce, I had two cups of tomoatoe sauce in the refrigerator and added a little cream and vodka = voila, vodka sauce for the lasagne.
Let’s begin:
Pre-heat over at 350 degrees.
Grease a 9-by-13 baking dish with a tsp. of butter. Spread the bottom of the pan with a little of vodka sauce and add one layer of lasagne noodles. Layer the roasted artichokes and fresh spinach. Add fresh mozzarella, vodka sauce and fresh parmigiano. Add another layer of noodles and add fresh parmigiano, fresh mozzarella. Place foil paper on top of the dish and place the dish in the over for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook for additional five minutes. Remove the lasagne and let sit for fifteen minutes while it settles.
a new tasty dish!
maria !
By Maria Filice • March 7, 2010 
Who said salad had to be boring? How about making a salad as the main meal and adding a little of this and and a little of that? This is quick, easy and a medly of mediterranean mixers! Perfect for serving at last minute Oscar Party pot luck or anytime! Serves 4-6
Tips: perfect for next day sandwiches!
Ingredients:
1 cup roasted peppers (sliced)
1 avocado (sliced)
1 fresh mozzarella (cubed)
1 cup grape tomoatoes (or cherry)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
1 cup fresh basil (sliced in ribbons)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve on a platter. Garnish with fried artichoke hearts. Here’s a quick and easy recipe:
Fried Artichokes =
1 can artichoke hearts, drained (8 1/2 oz can)
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh black pepper
In a medium frying pan, medium heat, sautee olive oil, garlic and artichoke hearts for 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown on all sides. Add the artichokes to the salad and serve!
Serve with fresh crusty italian bread!
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