All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

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Active prep time (to make filling): 20 minutes
Inactive prep time (for baking peppers): 25-30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 to 1-1/2 cups cooked basmati rice (per manufacturer’s directions), set aside to cool
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces dark ground turkey or ground beef
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely minced
1/2 of a medium zucchini, finely minced
2 whole peeled tomatoes (canned), puréed in a blender
Salt, ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cut in half vertically, stems discarded
One glass or porcelain baking dish (to hold 4 bell pepper halves)
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Prepare the Filling:
1. After you have cooked the rice and set it aside to cool, in a 4-quart saucepot, heat the olive oil (DO NOT LET IT SMOKE).

2. When oil is hot, add the ground turkey or beef; using a wooden spoon, break up the meat.

3. On medium-high heat, cook and stir the meat, breaking it up, for about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. When meat has turned brown, stir in the minced onion, carrot and zucchini; stir and cook on medium for about 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.

5. At this point, stir in the puréed tomatoes; cook on medium-low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. The ground meat mixture has finished cooking when the liquid has reduced slightly.

6. When cooked, stir ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

7. Preheat oven to 375°F and transfer the meat mixture to a glass or porcelain bowl; let it cool until it is slightly warm.

Fill and Bake the Peppers:
1. Using a large spoon, gently stir 1 cup of the cooked rice into the meat mixture; add 1 tablespoon olive oil and gently mix.

2. Taste the rice/meat mixture; if needed, adjust salt and pepper level. If you want to add more rice, you can add the remaining ½ cup.

3. Spoon the rice/meat filling in each of the four (4) red bell pepper halves. When stuffed, the peppers/filling should have rounded tops. If there is leftover filling, it can be reheated the next day and enjoyed by itself.

4. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the baking dish.

5. Place each stuffed pepper half (pepper-side down) in oiled baking dish.

6. Cover the baking dish with foil and place on an oven rack which is set at center of preheated oven.

7. Bake the stuffed peppers for 25 minutes.

8. After 25 minutes, using a small spoon, scoop out filling at center of one pepper; taste. If it is hot, peppers are ready to be served. If not, bake for an additional 5-6 minutes.

9. Serve the Stuffed Peppers with a green salad or other vegetable side dish. Garnish with basil leaves.
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc (white), Cabernet Sauvignon (red).
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4

Treat a mom to this easy Italian classic – Tortellini al pesto!

Ingredients:
One pound (16 ounces) cheese or meat tortellini – found in refrigerated section of your local supermarket
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of your favorite premade pesto sauce
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. In a 4-quart saucepot, bring water to a boil.

2. When water boils, stir in the tortellini and 1 teaspoon salt; cook per manufacturer’s directions.

3. Meanwhile, using a spoon, transfer the pesto sauce from the jar to a 4-quart glass or porcelain bowl.

4. When tortellini are cooked, drain them in a colander.

5. Transfer drained tortellini to bowl with pesto; toss with two serving spoons.

6. Serve the tortellini al pesto in individual dishes.

7. Ask guests to add grated cheese to tortellini (optional).

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay (white), Cabernet Sauvignon (red).
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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These cookies burst with rich flavors – chocolate, vanilla and sesame. And the best part is that the cookies have a low sugar content.

Delight your guests with these Chocolate Easter Cookies on April 20th or anytime!

You can make these scrumptious cookies ahead and freeze them in double freezer bags.

Active Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 9-12 minutes
Makes: 25-30 cookies

Ingredients:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons tahini
2/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup toasted sesame seeds (TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS: PLACE SEEDS IN A NONSTICK SKILLET AND TOAST ON MEDIUM-LOW HEAT UNTIL LIGHT BROWN, STIRRING CONSTANTLY)

Prepare Cookie Batter:
1. In a double-boiler, heat and melt the chocolate chips and butter together. Stir in the tahini and set aside.

2. In a 3-cup bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.

3. In a 4 to 6-cup mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the eggs until blended.

4. Stir brown sugar and vanilla into eggs; beat until uniform.

5. Next, stir in the chocolate/butter/tahini mixture and mix until uniform.

6. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and beat until combined and a batter has formed.

7. Cover and chill the cookie batter for 30 minutes.

8. After 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375°F and line a 18-inch X 16-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Shaping & Baking Cookies:
1. Place toasted sesame seeds in a 2-3 cup bowl; set aside.

2. Wet your hands with water and grab enough cookie batter to shape a 1-inch ball.

3. Roll ball in sesame seeds, shaking out excess.

4. Place cookie ball on cookie sheet.

5. Repeat wetting hands, shaping cookie batter into balls, rolling in seeds and placing on cookie sheet – cookie balls should be 2 inches apart on sheet.

6. When all cookies have been placed on baking sheet, transfer the sheet to a rack positioned in center of oven.

7. Bake cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, or until puffed.

8. Cool completely. Cookies can be made a day ahead or they can be frozen in double freezer bags up to 2 months.
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Prep time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves: 2

Since I dislike thin, watery soups, I came up with this “dense” soup (without using flour, cornstarch or other thickening agents). Instead, I simply minced three ingredients that I buy from a local farmers’ market. And then… I created this Market Veggie Soup which will please vegetarians and vegans alike!

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled (ends cut & discarded)
1-1/2 medium zucchini, ends cut & discarded
1/2 medium white or yellow onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Russet or Yukon Gold potato
1 vegetable bouillon cube
3/4 cup canned, whole white or pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1-1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach

Prep the Veggies:
1. In a food processor, mince together 1/2 carrot, 1/2 zucchini and 1/2 onion; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, dice the remaining carrot and zucchini; place in a bowl with cold water & set aside.

3. Peel and dice the potato.

4. Add diced potato to veggies in bowl with cold water; set aside.

Make the Soup:
1. In a 4-quart saucepot, heat the olive oil (DO NOT LET IT REACH A SMOKING POINT).

2. Transfer the minced veggies from food processor to hot oil in saucepot.

3. Using a wooden spoon, stir-fry the mixture over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. After 1 to 2 minutes or when the mixture has softened, add 3 to 3-1/2 cups cold water to the saucepot.

5. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil.

6. When mixture boils, drain the diced veggies in bowl and add them to the saucepot.

7. Crumble the bouillon cube into the soup and stir.

8. When the soup boils, stir in the beans and chopped spinach; cook over medium-high heat until all veggies are tender.

9. Serve Market Veggie Soup with your favorite bread!
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4

When I was growing up in Italy, my grandmother or “Nonna” had a meal to prepare on a daily basis by 1 p.m. At times, she only had pasta and grains on hand and didn’t have time or money to shop for foods.

One day, my Nonna created a last-minute dish that required a short pasta variety. Since she only had long fettuccine, Nonna grabbed a few at a time, broke them into one-inch pieces and said, “Ecco! (there!), now I have short pasta”. She then made a quick tomato sauce, cooked and drained the pasta, threw in the chickpeas and served everyone. When we added grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano to this poor man’s dish, it tasted heavenly!

Here’s the recipe – only three ingredients are needed!

Ingredients:

One pound long pasta or short (if using long pasta, break it into one-inch pieces)
One 14-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
2 to 2-1/2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a 4-quart saucepot, bring water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the chickpeas; set aside.

3. When water boils, cook the pasta to desired tenderness (9 to 10 minutes).

4. Drain the pasta and return it to the saucepot.

5. Quickly stir in about 2 to 2-1/2 cups tomato sauce and the chickpeas.

6. Serve immediately and ask guests to add cheese to their pasta e ceci, if desired.
Text & Photograph ©2025 Nancy DeLucia Real