Archives for 2008

PIZZA DOUGH!!! UNO, DUE, TRE!

March 7, 2008 by 30 Comments

SAUSAGE BREAD

I love having pizza dough in my freezer at all times, whether I make home made, or I buy it from my local Italian grocery, which by the way makes excellent dough! All you have to do is defrost it on your counter, and let it get to room temperature and your good to go!
This recipe of sausage bread I remember way back when I was a kid, I remember my Mom making this and we would eat it slice by slice. It’s sort of like a stromboli, but we always called it sausage bread. I like using hot Italian sausage because, between the dough and the cheese, it sort of cancels out some of the heat, and leaves a lot of flavor. There are many variations but mine is simply hot sausage, Fontina cheese, and lots of grated cheese like Romano.

Roll dough out and layer all ingredients on top (pre cook sausage) roll up jelly roll style.
Make 3 slits on top, brush with olive oil and sprinkled cheese. Bake at 375 degreesF till golden about 1/2 hour.

WHITE PIZZA

Traditional pizza is always a given, but sometimes we crave this white pizza, no sauce thank you! Again, I would imagine there are a ton of different variations, but mine was made with a blending of roasted garlic, Ricotta cheese, and a grated combo of Asiago, Fontina, Provolone, and Parmesan cheese’s. Make it like you would a regular pizza. It’s out of the norm, but quite delicious!!

CALZONE

Of course you can stuff these guys with anything you want, the skys the limit!! This one I made all veggie with a little mushroom, eggplant, and artichoke, add some sauce and mozzarella, fold it up and bake like a pizza. When you bite into it all those flavors come oozing out! Mmmmm

Buon Appetito!!

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30 Comments Filed Under: Pizza Tagged: , , ,

SPAGHETTI WITH OVEN BAKED CLAMS!!!

March 2, 2008 by 34 Comments

This recipe is courtesy of Tyler Florence, and all I can say is… THANK YOU TYLER! I knew this was going to be good the first time I saw him make it. I love how rustic it’s made. Every thing’s made in a huge roasting pan, the kind you’d make a turkey in. It fits 5 lbs. of clams and a pound of pasta, and everything else just fine! Plenty of room for the clams to open up and spread out!

My trip to Costco on Saturday really convinced me into making this dish. They happen to have the best littleneck clams there, flown in fresh every week from the North Atlantic ocean, and fresh they were!

RECIPE
40 littleneck clams ( 5 lbs.)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
10 garlic clove, smashed with the back of a knife ( Yes 10!!!)
1/4 lb. pancetta, small dice
Handful of fresh basil
Red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of white wine (I used more)
2 pints of cherry tomatoes ( I bought the big container from Costco)
Lots of fresh ground pepper
1 lb. spaghetti
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. ( I raised it to 425)
Make sure clams are cleaned and discard any that are open. In the meantime get your water boiling for your spaghetti.

On top of stove put your roasting pan over 2 burners. Add oil, garlic, pancetta, red pepper, cook till pancetta renders. Add the clams, wine, tomatoes, and a good amount of pepper and toss all together. Transfer pan into the oven and roast till clams open up. The recipe said about 10 min. but it took mine about 1/2 hr. or so, maybe because of the size of the clams. The key is wait till they open!

When clams do open, throw your cooked pasta right into the same roasting pan to soak up all the good juices and intense flavors. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, lots of pepper, and an extra drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Make sure you have some good crusty bread to soak up the juices too. I highly recommend this! You will not be disappointed!

Buon Appetito!
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34 Comments Filed Under: Pasta, Seafood Tagged: , ,

Julia Child’s French Bread- Daring Baker Challenge # 2

February 29, 2008 by 41 Comments

Julia Child! What can I say? She’s an Icon to say the least, chef extraordinaire, the real deal, and the true Queen of food television! So it’s no wonder why our Host’s, Breadchick Mary, of The Sour Dough and Sara, over at I Like To Cook, wanted to make Julia’s french bread our next Daring Baker challenge.

I have to admit when I first saw the recipe ( by the way, you can get it in detail over at Mary’s site) I thought it was a bit overwhelming, I had to read it several times to take it all in. I kept pushing it aside, because as I said before, I have issue’s with precise and exact measuring. ( believe me, ask my family!) But heck! We’re Daring Bakers! Up for the challenge, good or bad we all learn something. Right?
That’s one thing I always admired from Julia, she was never afraid of making mistakes, she would take it in stride and move on!

So now, on to my french bread baking experience!

The dough came together with no problem at all, I did it by hand.

I did however have other problems, I wanted to make batards, but they ended up turning into baguettes, the dough didn’t fit into my pans, I rolled it out too long, so I ended up flipping my pans over and baking them on the actual bottom of the pan. It worked out well after all, but it was very hard to clean my pans for some reason.

I ended up making two plain loaves, and the other one I added sundried tomatoes with Kalamata olives.

I didn’t change the recipe at all, I just stuck them in, so I hope I stayed in the recipe guidelines as the host’s said we can top at least 1 loaf with any ingredient we wanted.

But I have to say, the plain loaf was our favorite anyway! The crust turned out crispy, crunchy, and chewy, just the way we like it, and the texture inside was the best!

Nothings better than a great loaf of bread, dipped into some very special extra virgin olive oil! Mmmm!!

As Julia would always say….Bon Appetit!

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MY 15 MINUTES OF FAME!!

February 26, 2008 by 33 Comments

This past week has been crazy and fun all at the same time. You see, I have a soon to be famous neice, who has already filmed 13 episodes for A&E which owns Bravo and the Biography channels. She will be featured in a documentary/reality show coming out in the summer. (not the wild kind!) I will give you all the details as time goes on. Anyway, to make a long story short, last Friday night they filmed part of an episode right in my house! A get together of my neice’s family and friends, a little wine, a little food. But the exciting part for me was, that I made all of the food that you see on the table for everyone! They definately shot footage of the food, which I was so excited about. There was about 25 people that came, and I served Mini Italian meat balls
Bite size sausage and peppers
Roasted veggie pasta salad
Grilled shrimp with orzo and feta pasta salad
Salami, provolone and Kalamata olives on skewers
Caprese salad
Chick pea salad
Zuccini with pesto and pine nuts
Assorted tapenades, and bruschetta’s
For dessert we purchased assorted mini bar cookies, and a quick stop at our favorite Italian bakery for a few dozen mini cannoli’s!
The film crew and the producers were a lot of fun, and they seem to really enjoy the food.

On a side note, my daughter will be in a lot of the scenes here, as my neice and her are very close. Not only was she wired with a mic, she got interviewed, gave a toast, the whole bit! ( who knows, she might get a spin off! ha ha) Needless to say, we all had a lot of fun, I managed to stay behind the scenes, no way was I getting on camera!!

So hopefully the table of food won’t get edited, LOL ! But just in case it does, I wanted to give you a little glimpse!

Watch out for a new shining star coming your way, her name is Julie!!!

To be continued….

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"FESTA ITALIANA" – A FOOD EVENT !!

February 25, 2008 by 33 Comments

Maryann of “Finding La Dolce Vita” and myself, are hosting a delicious new food event called “Festa Italiana”.

Picture a long table set under the shade of twisting grape vines on a warm summer’s evening. One by one our friends are arriving, each one carrying their favorite Italian dish or drink. We eat and drink with happy hearts and before long, the guitars and accordions are filling the air with song. Everyone is eating, drinking, laughing, singing and dancing. As the sun sets, we are filled in every way and no one wants this evening to end.

So, come join us in a celebration of the sweet life, it’s a gathering of friends not to be missed! We are accepting your Italian dishes and drinks until March 22nd.

This is what you need to do to participate:

*Create a post featuring your favorite dish or drink. Remember to please link to both Maryann and I so others can participate. You are welcome to use our Festa Italiana graphic.

*Send an email to me (prouditaliancook@hotmail.com) or Maryann at ( msgfarm@gmail.com) by March 22nd. Please put the words “Festa Italiana” in the subject line.

*Tell us your name, your blog’s name, your blog’s url, the name of the dish, and a permalink to the post where your dish appears. Photo’s must be no bigger than 350 pixels wide. Height does not matter.

*All are welcome, but we ask that your email be in English, please.
* Only one entry please*

Maryann and I will be hosting a roundup shortly after March 22nd.

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33 Comments Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: , ,

BREAK OUT YOUR SPRING FORM PAN!!

February 16, 2008 by 26 Comments
AND MAKE A ROUND LASAGNA!
For some reason, don’t ask me why, I like curved objects! I know it’s a bit weird but my eye always goes to curved things, arches, rounded windows, scrolls, I can go on and on. Give me a choice between a straight line and a curve, and guess what I’m picking? So it’s no wonder that I sometimes like to make a round lasagna, it’s out of the norm, I know, but it’s fun to change it up sometimes. Just make your favorite lasagna, this one was made with ricotta and spinach, and do it exactly how you make any lasagna, just trim up the pasta to fit your spring form pan. This was made in a 10″ pan, and I’ve even made it in the smallest one, for an individual size, you can be very creative!! The only thing I would suggest is to bake it on a cookie sheet in your oven.
AND A ROASTED VEGETABLE CROSTATA!
This is a great way to use up any vegetables you might have laying around. Cut them up and lay them on a cookie sheet with olive oil, and seasonings of your choice, I used a tuscan dried herb mix I have, plus salt and pepper. Roast them till al dente in a 400 degree oven, you do not want to overcook them!For mine I used, eggplant, zuccini, red pepper, onion, and a little fennel I had. Next, roll out one piece of puff pastry so its big enough to line the bottom of a 10″ springform pan, just push down the sides and make a little crust. Place your veggies on top, sprinkle with a generous amount of Romano cheese, about a cup of Provolone cut in chunks,( the real stuff). Beat 2 eggs with a little milk, pour all over, and finally, grated Fontina sprinkled all over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 mins, or until everything is golden and crisp.

 

Don’t cut it while its hot, let it cool down to room temp, that’s the best way to eat this! If you wait, it won’t fall apart when you cut into it either. Besides the flavors come out even more at room temp. This is great with a salad for dinner, or fancy enough to serve at a party! Only you will know, you were just using up your leftover veggie’s!!!BUON APPETITO!!

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LIMONCELLO TIRAMISU !

February 12, 2008 by 36 Comments

I know many of you are Chocoholics out there, and rightly so, but if you want something equally as decadent and a little different than the norm, try this sinfully delicious Limoncello Tiramisu!! This is definitely for very special occasions, when you want to Wow your certain someone, friends or family with a special dessert. The one I made was meant to be shared by two, because of its size. But you can certainly make smaller, individual ones. The main characters consist of pound cake that is drenched in Limoncello, a homemade lemon curd, all layered with Mascarpone and whipped cream!! Need I say more??

In a pan place the juice and zest of 3 lemons seeds and all, you’re going to strain it. 1 Tbl. short of a whole stick of butter, 6oz. of sugar, and 3 whole eggs. Whisk everything on med low just till bubbles start to show. Strain with a fine mesh strainer.

Next, take your pound cake and cut it to fit the size of your glass, I used a biscuit cutter.

Now take your bottle of Limoncello, and drench your pound cake pieces, you could use either a homemade, or a good quality store bought one. Just use a basic pound cake recipe if you make it, you want to be sure to taste the Limoncello.


Make sure it’s soaked!!
Finally, start whipping up a small carton of heavy cream, when you have stiff peaks, add a small container of room temperature Mascarpone, beat together just till incorporated.

Assemble it by layering all the components together in a pretty glass, and topping it off with some lemon peel.


Words cannot describe how amazing this is!

Note** You can also layer this in a glass 9×12 pan, or a glass loaf pan instead of individual portions.
 It’s also beautiful placed into a trifle bowl, you’ll will definitely hear lots of ooohs and aaahs when you bring it out of the frig. It makes for a great presentation and what’s really nice is that you can make it the night before.
Just be sure to double everything if you’re using the trifle bowl. A good store bought pound cake is fine, I used 2 for this, slice it into 3rd’s lengthwise, cut strips to go around the edge of the bowl, and bigger pieces to layer up the middle.
limoncello tiramisu

 

 

 

Enjoy!!

 

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36 Comments Filed Under: Desserts Tagged: , , , ,

FAGIOLI !!!

February 10, 2008 by 19 Comments
CECI STUFATI ( stewed chickpeas)

Beans and greens,what a perfect marriage!! And if you like chickpeas and a little heat, I’m certain you will like this. I actually used dried beans this time and I have to say I liked it better. It’s easy if you prepare them in advance. The other night before I went to bed, I put them in a pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches, and let them soak overnight. When morning came I drained them, and when I was ready to cook them, I covered them with enough water to cover 1 inch. Let water come to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hrs.

In another pot, saute some garlic and onions in olive oil, along with red chile flakes. Cook for about 5 mins. then add drained beans and about a cup of water, salt and pepper. Cook about another half hour till all the flavors blend, then add some roughly chopped Swiss chard. Cook till wilted. Taste for more salt or pepper, and give it an extra drizzle of olive oil.

This is simple food, with great flavor!!!

Buon Appetito!



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19 Comments Filed Under: Greens, Side Dishes Tagged: , , , , , ,

TUNA, JAZZED UP!!!!

February 7, 2008 by 14 Comments

Yes, I know, it’s tuna in a can, but I happen to like it! I always seem to throw some in my shopping cart each time I’m at the store, not realizing I already have about 8 cans just sitting in my pantry, along with some great tasting canned salmon I usually keep around.


The weather has been really lousy here in Chicago, cold, windy, icy, and lots of snow! Not fun to drive in, to say the least! So whenever I’m homebound, and by myself, I like to have tuna for lunch. The above salad was made with the Genova tuna, along with some good olives, hard boiled eggs, capers, red boiled potatoes that I had left over, along with some asparagus, and a white bean salad I put together in 5 min. I added some artichoke bottoms and cut up a few tomatoes I had laying around, and topped it all off with a balsamic vinagrette. This is also great for a light and fast dinner.

This next tuna salad here, I created after my love of Whole Foods Mediterranean tuna salad. I usually buy a small container when I’m in there, it is sooo addicting, you must try it, if you’re lucky enough to have a Whole Foods near you. It’s pretty pricey at about 8.99 lb. but they are happy to share their recipe on line. Although I might have left a few things out, it’s basicly Albacore tuna with chopped red onion, red pepper chopped, slice Kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts, I used frozen that were defrosted and squeezed out. Mix that all up with mayo, light or regular, salt and pepper. If you like all those flavors together, trust me, you will love this!!!


It’s great in a pita, or just on a plate like I have above. I hope you give it a try!!

Buon Appetito!

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14 Comments Filed Under: Fish Tagged: , , , , ,

GRILLED PESTO SHRIMP WITH ROASTED TOMATO SPAGHETTI

February 3, 2008 by 26 Comments

I love pesto! or for that fact, anything with basil, so it’s no wonder that I always keep a jar of it stocked in my pantry,or in my freezer when I make it homemade. I think it enhances a lot of dishes and it’s a way to add a lot of flavor. Pesto is exceptionally good when brushed on shrimp, and oh so easy to prepare!


I decided to grill my shrimp inside because A, it’s too cold outside!!, and B, I wanted a good excuse to use my new Le Creuset grill pan!! I love the size of it, not too big, and not too small, fits perfectly on one burner, and great for grilling shrimp. But of course any indoor grill pan will do.

Another thing I always have in my house, are those sweet little Campari tomatoes, I always have a bowl of them sitting on my counter. To make this sauce, I just slit the top and bottom of each tomato, put them on a cookie sheet with olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Roast them at 400 Degrees till they pop open a little, and the juices start to run. Pour everything over some hot pasta, oil and all,, and mix in some fresh basil!

If you don’t feel like having pasta, the shrimp certainly stands alone by itself, I usually marinate them for about an hour in a ziplock bag with just some crushed garlic, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. When they’re on the grill, then I brush them all over with the pesto.

BUON APPETITO!!

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26 Comments Filed Under: Seafood Tagged: , , , ,

PETTO DI POLLO!!! (CHICKEN BREAST)

January 30, 2008 by 22 Comments
CHICKEN WITH GORGONZOLA AND TOASTED WALNUTS
Gorgonzola is one of those cheese’s that you either like, or you don’t like, you know,it’s a blue cheese thing! it has a little bite to it, along with a very rich and creamy taste.Well I happen to love Gorgonzola, and if your like me, you’ll love this recipe.
Lightly dust chicken in flour, salt &Pepper,and saute in some butter and olive oil till golden. Remove chicken. Add a couple of shallots and deglaze with 1/2 cup of white wine. Return chicken to the pan on low heat turning them once or twice. Place Gorgonzola on top, cover till melted. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts. A simple concept, that gives you a delicious result!! Adapted from 1,000 Italian Recipes

CHICKEN PARMESAN
Sometimes Chicken Parm tends to be heavy with all that breading and frying, this is a much lighter version,that I saw Giada do, it’s a fresh approach with mega flavor!! The key element to this dish is brushing the chicken with a fresh herb oil, yes, make your own, chop up some fresh herbs and place them in a small bowl with some extra virgin olive oil. I used rosemary,thyme, and parsley but you can use whatever you like. Make sure you have a homemade sauce with good tomatoes, I always use San Marzzano, the flavor is fantastic with no bitterness. Squish your tomatoes in some olive oil and garlic, and add some fresh basil thats it!Simple!
Brush both sides of the chicken with the herb oil and saute in pan, till almost cooked. Place fresh mozzarella on top along with sauce and place in oven till melted and cooked through.Top with shaved parm. I’m sure you will love this if you give it a try!

CHICKEN CUTLETS
Again, this is a little lighter version I like to make when I’m trying to watch the carbs! There are no bread crumbs in this, just chicken lightly dipped in egg and then into Romano, parm or a mixture of both, some fresh chopped parsley, and a little lemon peel, salt & pepper.Saute in olive oil till crispy. Believe me you won’t miss the breadcrumbs!!

BUON APPETITO!

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22 Comments Filed Under: Poultry Tagged: , , , , ,

My First Daring Baker Challenge!…LEMON MERINGUE PIE

January 28, 2008 by 52 Comments

After many months of observing, I decided to join the elite group of men and women called, The Daring Bakers. This group is the brain-child of Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis of La Mia Cucina, two blogger friends, who decided to challenge themselves by baking the same exact recipe, and then posting about it on each of their blogs. It turned out to be so much fun that they decided to do it again, other bloggers started to see what they were doing, and they too wanted to join in on the fun, and the group just grew and grew. As of today there are 400 plus members and it’s growing every month. The premise is the same today except now each member gets to host the challenge of their choice. This month the hostess is Jen, The Canadian Baker and her pick was Lemon Meringue Pie!!

I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I made a Lemon Meringue pie, I think I was a newlywed, and believe me that was many moons ago! And being that I have a thing about precise measuring, I knew this was going to be a challenge for me when I saw how long the recipe was! There are 3 components to this pie, the crust, (which by the way, tasted and turned out great!) the filling,( as you can see in my picture) was light and lemony, a bit of a challenge because when it comes together it gets really thick and you have to whisk the heck out of it!! But I’m proud to say I succeeded with that also. And last but not least, the meringue.
As for the meringue… well, I had visions of grandeur!! I envisioned it peeking so high in the center, so that when you cut into it, you would have this HUGE pile of meringue on the top of your slice, picture perfect huh??NOT!!

As you can see my dreams didn’t turn out the way I wanted. My meringue never got to that real stiff peek stage,instead it just flattened out when I scooped it on. My fellow Daring Baker, Maryann, suggested that maybe I actually didn’t beat the meringue long enough, and you know, I think she’s right! Any other input from other Daring Bakers would be truely appreciated!

In conclusion, even though the meringue flopped on me, it had a great taste, in fact the whole pie had a really nice flavor, better than any meringue pie I have ever purchased. You could really tell the difference between store bought and home made!

So,I’m happy to say that I completed my very first Daring Baker challenge, and I look forward to what’s in store for next month!!

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SLOW-ROASTED BALSAMIC GLAZED ONIONS

January 23, 2008 by 23 Comments

Although this takes about 2 hours to make, I guarantee you wont mind it, because it fills your home with a wonderful aroma, and besides, the oven is doing all the work!

I got this recipe out of an Italian magazine a couple of years ago and loved it because it goes great with any kind of grilled or roasted meats. Simply brush some thickly sliced onions with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, place in a shallow pan and cover with foil. Roast for 45 min. at 350 degree’s F. Then uncover and roast them for another 40 min.

You’ll want to use a good balsamic that has been aged for at least 10 yrs. If you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a bottle Trader Joe’s has a great one( another plug for TJ’s!!) but I’m certain you can find some readily available other places.

Once the onions are tender transfer to a platter, and pour your vinegar right into the pan on top of the stove, and on medium heat let it simmer till thick, always moving it with a rubber spatula to scrape up the brown bits.
It didn’t take very long to become rich and syrupy. because of the quality of the vinegar.

Stir in some toasted almonds to add a little crunch, and spoon it all over the onions. The flavor is unbelievable!!!

Buon Appetito!!!

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23 Comments Filed Under: Vegetables Tagged: , , , , ,

D O L C I !!!…(On the lighter side)

January 20, 2008 by 18 Comments

STRAWBERRIES WITH LIMONCELLO RICOTTA CREAM!

Although I’ve made many desserts with ricotta, I’ve never once thought of putting it in my blender, until I saw Bobby do it on the Food Network. Something magical happens when you do that, the texture comes out smooth, creamy and rich tasting. You have to sweeten it up a bit, with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, then the sky’s the limit for flavoring! Amaretto, white chocolate liqueur, I think Bobby used Grand Marnier, but my favorite is Limoncello, I used about 2 tablespoons per 1lb. of ricotta. Throw everything in the blender, and make it the consistency you want, I made mine thicker than Bobby’s, just make sure it all smooths out! No one will ever know this is low fat!!

RUM SOAKED PINEAPPLE WITH MASCAPONE!

This is a favorite of mine which I make in the summer and winter.

Melt a little butter in a saute pan, add some brown sugar, when it all melts down and blends together, add some dark rum. Place your pineapple in the pan and cook it low and slow, turning each piece till everything soaks in and creates a slightly thick sauce.

Place it all in a pretty glass and dollop with a nice portion of Mascapone that has been sitting out at room temperature!

It’s warm, creamy, and the rum takes it over the top!!

Both of these desserts are quick to make, and taste’s oh so decadent!!

Enjoy!!!

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SALMON STUFFED WITH ARTICHOKE & SUN-DRIED TOMATOES, WITH A LEMON CAPER SAUCE!

January 17, 2008 by 21 Comments

If you’re a lover of salmon like me, then you have to try this! It’s easy to put together for a mid week meal, and elegant enough to serve for a special dinner party.

Serve this with a nice crisp salad and a cold glass of Pinot Grigio, and you’ve got a match made in heaven!!


The actual stuffing is made with frozen artichoke hearts, that have been defrosted and squeezed of any excess water (Trader Joes has the best!) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and sliced into strips, a couple of shallots, a hint of garlic, and some good flavored breadcrumbs, not the kind that’s real fine, something with texture.

Saute in olive oil and butter, the shallots and garlic, add your breadcrumbs till golden and crispy.
Add artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, mix well.

Take one piece of salmon, seasoned with a little salt and pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil, place a mound of stuffing on top, add a second piece of salmon on top of that, repeat with salt, pepper, olive oil and a little paprika. Line a pan with parchment or tin foil and roast till moist and flaky.

Lemon Caper sauce****
Squeeze fresh lemon and a dash of water into half and half, or cream that has been cooked down till thick, add black pepper and capers.

Lay your salmon on a bed of fresh sauted spinach, and pour the sauce on top, the flavor combinations work great together, hope you give it a try!!

Buon Appetito!

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21 Comments Filed Under: Fish Tagged: , , , ,

THE HUMBLE PEPPER AND EGG SANDWICH!!

January 14, 2008 by 30 Comments

I don’t know exactly when this humble sandwich had it’s beginning, but I’ve been eating this since I was a little kid. It’s usually offered primarily during the Lenten season in many of the Italian beef stands here in Chicago land, and on Friday’s, as an alternative to meat. Yes, way back when, the Catholic religion had a “no meat on Friday” rule and I think that’s how this sandwich all came about. I have to admit, even though I can find this sandwich close to where I live, and in some places it’s on the menu all year long, my favorite place to get this is right out of my own kitchen!!

Why? you might ask? Because I always think it taste’s blah there, never enough seasoning, you know, salt pepper, Romano! you can’t be skimpy with the ingredients!! It’s all about the flavor! the blending of the olive oil with the scrambled eggs and cheese, oh, and you must have good crusty bread, none of that white spongy stuff will do here!

With that being said, here’s how you put it all together… Saute your sliced peppers in olive oil that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic, till tender not mushy. Next, scramble up some eggs that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and a generous amount of Romano cheese, don’t be skimpy on the cheese, this is what makes it so good!! Pour it all over your peppers till it sets up. Place it in some crusty bread, and if you like hot stuff like I do, a little Hot Giardiniera to top it off!!

It’s warm, satisfying, and beats a cold sandwich any day!!!

Buon Appetito!!

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30 Comments Filed Under: Sandwiches Tagged: ,

EGGPLANT WRAPPED WITH TOMATO,BASIL AND MOZZARELLA

January 10, 2008 by 15 Comments

I love eggplant and make it in any way, shape or form. This is great for a light meal or an appetizer.

Thinly slice your eggplant and place slices in boiling water for 2 min. drain on paper towels.

Place slices criss cross and layer tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella, then fold up into a neat little package.

Brush with olive oil and broil for 5 min, on each side.


Serve warm with a light tomato sauce, or a tomato based vinaigrette. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.

They’re so tender and flavorful, they just melt in your mouth!!

Buon Appetito!!!

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15 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged: ,

TILAPIA PUTTANESCA

January 6, 2008 by 13 Comments

Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish. I love it for it’s firm and moist texture, and when it cooks up, it turns a bright white, not to mention it holds up to any sauce you make with it. and for some odd reason it never overcooks!! I’ve had it many different ways, but this by far, is one of my favorites.

There’s much speculation about the origin of the name Puttanesca, which is slang for “ladies of the evening”. Legend says that they would make big pots of this to fortify themselves between “appointments”, and it is known for it’s very “spicy” characteristic. Yes, this is not a delicate sauce by any means, the flavors here are strong and bold!!!
There are many different versions of Puttanesca, it’s really very easy to make. I think the most important thing is to use quality ingredients, the main ones being tomatoes, olives and capers.Simply saute some olive oil with a good amount of garlic and onions till soft, sprinkle in red pepper flakes, add some slightly crushed tomatoes with a couple of handfulls of olives ( I used pitted Kalamata’s) and capers. You could add some oregano and basil, if you like, and as always salt, and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Just let all the flavors blend for about 15 min’s or so, it’s a very quick sauce.

 

As far as the Tilapia goes, pan saute in a little olive oil till bright white, it just takes a couple of minutes.
So when you’re in the mood for something spicy and bold I hope you try Puttanesca sauce, it’s also great with pasta, chicken or whatever!!! 

Buon Appetito!!! 

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13 Comments Filed Under: Fish Tagged: , ,

SAVORY RICOTTA BUNDLES WRAPPED IN PANCETTA!!

January 3, 2008 by 10 Comments

First I have to say, this it not my recipe, I discovered this little gem while sipping on a latte at Borders bookstore and looking through the latest Donna Hay magazine. She had a whole section on ricotta, which really interested me. I never did purchase the magazine, but I definitely made a mental note of these. They are very easy to make, so refreshing and light!! I have been craving something citrus so I knew just the thing to pair it with! Now I don’t quite remember the name Ms. Hay gave these, ( you’ll have to check out the magazine). But to me they are little ricotta bundles,so savory and so good!!! If you’re looking for a light lunch or dinner ( and you love ricotta!) you got to try these. And whats really nice, you can make a whole bunch, keep them in the frig, all you have to do is warm them slightly in the microwave. When they’re warmed all the flavors come out.

Simply mix about 1lb or more of ricotta, with 1 cup of Parmesan, (I used Romano) 1 egg, I added some lemon peel, salt and pepper. That’s it!!

Next take a muffin tin, sprayed with oil and line it with 1 piece of Pancetta, scoop the ricotta mixture on top. Bake at 350 degreesF for about 30 min. or until set and golden.
I placed them into a salad mixed with Romaine and Arugula, whipped up a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing to pour on top, and then topped it off with some toasted pine nuts.

Give them a try, if you’re craving something light and refreshing!

Buon Appetito!!!

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10 Comments Filed Under: Salads Tagged: , , , ,

2 0 0 8 !!!!

January 1, 2008 by 10 Comments

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HEALTHY, HAPPY, AND DELICIOUS NEW YEAR!!!!

For a quick party dip mix Mascapone and cream cheese, that has been at room temperature, and a very good olive salad, either homemade or store bought ( well drained) and just a touch of grated lemon peel.

As always, Buon Appetito!!
Marie

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10 Comments Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged: , ,