Supposedly this is not a real Italian dish, but something made up in America by the Olive Garden... I wouldn't know because I've never been to that restaurant.

Zuppa Toscana:



4-5 links Italian sausage (I used the turkey ones to reduce fat)
1/6 lbs pancetta, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2-3 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups chopped kale
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 garlic cloves, minced
pepper & oregano
olive oil

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and lightly fry pancetta until crisp. Place pancetta in another dish, and without draining the oil, brown sausages on all sides, then add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium low heat until sausages are cooked. Remove sausages, add onions and garlic, and simmer until onions are cooked, about 10 minutes. Chop sausage into 1/2 inch pieces. Transfer the onion and garlic broth to a stockpot, then add chicken broth, chopped sausages, and potatoes and bring to boil. Season with pepper and oregano (salt is not needed, depending on the chicken broth you use). Lower heat to medium low, and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add pancetta and kale and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove about 1/2 cup of potatoes to a bowl, mash, and stir in heavy cream until well mixed. Stir in this mixture into stockpot, simmer for another few minutes, and serve.

8/10: This is really good soup. I had it as an appetizer with some crusty bread and red wine before some baked ziti, but it could probably be served as a meal by itself. However, I dropped a little piece of paper towel into the stockpot near the middle and wasn't able to fish it out until the soup was done... minus 10,000 points!

Straight from the tasteofcuba.com website, this is Coconut Chicken:



3 large chicken breasts, skinless
1 1/2 medium onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
7 oz coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and stir for a minute until fragrant. Add chicken and fry until chicken begins to brown, then add onions, red and green peppers, and saute until vegetables are cooked. Stir in coconut milk and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, seasoning with salt & pepper. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a baking pan. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and chicken is cooked.

I served this with some black beans and rice, and some chopped scallions.