6 all-time favorite recipes

Happy Saturday, friends! Today I’m sharing six of my all-time favorite recipes that I’ve shared in past issues of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine.

 

From Blueberry French Toast Casserole to Rosemary Apricot Pork Tenderloin and so many other yummy and comforting I’d love you to try!

 

Bon Appétit!

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

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sheet pan mac and cheese

 

Hi, friends. It’s been busy around here with a new garden potager project we’re working on. We removed all the lawn from our backyard that faces my garden shed, and I designed 6 raised beds for planting all sorts of veggies and herbs. 

 

In the meantime, you won’t need any veggies and herbs to whip up this amazing Sheet Pan Mac and Cheese recipe for supper. 

It appeared in the Kitchen Makeovers Issue of Country Sampler a while back, and this recipe is still a huge hit for my family, so this is what’s for dinner tonight!

 

 

I’ll be back soon with pictures of my new potager garden, and I hope you have a fabulous day! xoxo  

  

 

 

   

ciao! fabiana

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

one amazing pasta recipe and more!

Over the last week, I’ve really had an inkling for cooking and baking, so when I came across this recipe for Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, I thought I’d give it a go for dinner.

 

I just received this beautiful Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid from Arthur Court, so it was the perfect time for trying out this Martha Stewart pasta casserole recipe.

 

It’s basically a creamy, cheesy, and utterly delicious sauce that whips up easily on the stove, and then you just add cooked chicken, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. Pop it in the oven, and let it cook for 25 minutes or so.

 

My family was head over heels about it, and one of my sons even rated it as a 10 out 10 in terms of taste out of all the pasta dishes I make, and I make a lot!

 

And even though pasta and cheese are out of my dietary realm, I couldn't help but have two tiny little bites, and I’m telling you… it was AH-mazing!

 

It’s not that hard to make, either. In fact, this recipe is enough to make two 3-quart casseroles. 

I halved the recipe, so I only made one, but next time I’ll be sure to make the whole recipe and freeze the extra one or bring it to a friend.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

 

A recipe from Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)

1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

 

Step 2

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

 

Step 3

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

 

Step 4

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Step 5

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I garnished this with fresh cherry tomatoes that I cut in half and a few little sprigs of basil.

In addition to the Chicken & Penne dish, I also prepared a little antipasto of Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Marinated Mini Mozzarella, and Marinated Olives, served with Italian breadsticks.

 

Can we talk about this gorgeous 3-Bowl Clam Server? Isn’t it so cute for summer? This is one of three beautiful coastal themed items I recently got from Arthur Court.

 

I’m calling this trio my “Summer Entertaining Essentials”. I’ll share the third piece with you very soon. It’s called the Oyster with Pearl Chip and Dip, and it’s just as pretty as these two serving pieces I’m sharing with you here today.

 

Now here’s the lowdown on the antipasti:

 

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta – Place halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl and generously drizzle with olive oil. Add a clove or two of minced garlic, chopped basil and finish off with salt and pepper.

 

Marinated Mini Mozzarella- Mozzarella balls can be enhanced with the addition of a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs. I used a little rosemary, thyme and oregano on these. Be sure to drain the mozzarella first. 

 

Marinated Olives – Bottled Greek, Italian or Spanish olives are the best to use for this. Drain all the liquid from the olives and then add flavorings of your choice. I used olive oil, ground fennel seeds, chopped oregano, minced garlic and little bit of lemon zest.

 

I hope you’ll check back again soon because I’ll have another yummy recipe to share with you, in addition to a few beautiful summer tablescapes that are easy to duplicate.

 

 

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

Shopping info:

 

Pyrex Baking Dish with Shell Lid

3-Bowl Clam Server

Maison d’Hermine Napkins

Best Italian Breadsticks

Really Good Olives

White Starfish

 

 

 

 

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a Balboa cottage dinner party

Yesterday afternoon was so much fun! My friends Angi and Pete were hosting a birthday dinner party at their absolutely adorable Blue Door Cottage on Little Balboa Island, and I helped them by styling and setting a table for sixteen for them.

We were going for a sophisticated coastal theme, so I started by arranging four mason jars full of vibrant blue hydrangeas. The aqua blue jars were just perfect for this look since it reminds me of beach glass.

This adorable cottage is so reminiscent of Cape Cod, and the hydrangeas are too. I just picture them blooming all over Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket!   

The best configuration for this front yard patio was to have a large square table with four chairs on each side. That left lots of empty space at the center of the table for me to decorate.  

Pretty much everything for the table was blue and white, which coordinates entirely with the inside of the cottage, and I used lemons around the center lantern for just a pop of color.

Here’s the mood board I put together with the items we selected from the party rental company. 

I was so happy to know they offered so many interesting options, especially the blue goblets, blue and white china and gingham napkins, which are my go to items for a no-fail tablescape.

It's always more interesting to mix and match china, like  here where we used scalloped white dinner plates to set off the blue and white salad plates.

For a little fun, we added chunky white starfish at each place setting, and the best part of all, everyone also got their own personal “message in a bottle”.

This version is a lot more fun than the one Sting sang about. Angie and Pete took it to another level by making a whole party game out of this favor. Inside each little bottle, Angie hand-wrote interactive questions which urged everyone to participate. 

These messages in a bottle come all decorated with a tag and little anchor tied on with twine. They’d make great place cards too to for each place setting. Simply write your guests’ names on the little tag that’s already attached!

A white lantern was the perfect choice for the center of the table, as if offers a little height but doesn’t block dinner conversation.

I surrounded it with greenery, scattered lemons and more white starfish, inspired by my interpretation of a summery coastal California look.

Yesterday turned out to be the perfect summer evening for this alfresco birthday dinner. Check back soon for more on the Blue Door Cottage and get a little peek of the inside!

ciao! fabiana

 P.S. After I left Pete ran out to get some more votives for the table...
candlelight is so important to set the perfect mood!

4 of my favorite, easy to make soups

French Onion Soup 

There’s still quite a chill in the air, so today I’m sharing four of my favorite soup recipes. You'll see quite a variety here, but the thing they all have in common is that they’re all creamy soups, without the extra unwanted calories. Sipping these luscious soups will provide comfort and satisfy even the heartiest of appetites. 

(For recipes, just click on the name of each soup.)

Paleo Butternut Squash Soup 

Potage Cressonniere (French Potato Watercress Soup)  

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup 

ciao! fabiana

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