Proud Italian Cook

Cheese and Herb Polenta Croutons

March 31, 2009 by Marie 46 Comments

I’ve been wanting to make these ever since I saw them tossed in a salad that my SIL ordered at a restaurant we were at. I love polenta, and what better way to add something special to your favorite salad or soup.

I used the instant polenta that only takes 15 minutes to whip up. I added freshly chopped rosemary and thyme, and grated Parmesan cheese. Go easy on the herbs, you just need a little they easily could overpower the croutons, especially rosemary!

Pour your cooked polenta on to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spread fast and evenly with a spatula. Cool the whole pan in the frig for 1/2 hour. When cooled cut the polenta into squares or triangles.

Drizzle lightly both sides with olive oil and bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 45 min’s. Turn them over to make sure they get crispy on the other side. Cool on a rack when done.

Best if used the same day, but I had alot extra so I stored mine in an airtight container in the frig and the next day I reheated them to crisp them up a bit.

I tossed mine with a salad mix of romaine, arugula, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, red onion, green and black olives, and slices of some leftover Fontinella cheese I had. Olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing.

I have to say the polenta croutons made the salad! I will definitely make these again!

My talented friend Nina of My Easy Cooking gave me this award, you’re suppose to list 10 honest things about yourself and pass it on. I’m so very bad with awards and things but I thought this would be fun.

I’m a night owl, feel free to call or email me after midnight, I’ll still be up.

I love spicy food, pretty much all ethnic varieties.

I love to listen to Andrea Bocelli while I’m cooking.

I like my toast very well done, bordering burnt.

I make a pot of coffee everynight after dinner, without fail.

Ok, this is really weird, but I have to drink my coffee out of a white or cream colored cup.If you open up my cabinet all you will see is white cups. I know, my family thinks I’m crazy! of course when I’m out I make a concession. 😉

Along with all and any cooking shows, I’m also a sucker for reality TV, thanks to my daughter who years ago got me hooked on “The Real World.”

When I watch TV I like to snack on pumpkin seeds, you know the thick shell kind, I always buy a bag when I go to my Italian market.

I love the rocky coastline of the pacific northwest, and of course the awesome ocean.

I want to retire in Italy in a Tuscan villa. ( I can dream can’t I?)

Married to the same guy since we were 19, and we’re both full blooded Italian.

I’m passing this on to any of you who want to do this, especially my regular readers, just let me know so I can come and check it out.

Buon Appetito!!

46 Comments Filed Under: Salads Tagged: honest scrap award, polenta croutons, special salads

Happiness is… A Warm Ciabatta!!

March 26, 2009 by Marie 56 Comments

I think ciabatta bread makes the best panini, it’s not doughy at all, its light with lots of holes in the dough but sturdy enough to hold what ever you put in it, and best of all it has great crunch!

You could roast your veggies ahead of time and put this together for a great weekend lunch in no time at all. I had some grilled eggplant sitting in my frig from the other day, and other veggies I wanted to use up, so I roasted red and green bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and artichoke hearts to go along with it. All were roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper in a 400 degree oven.

Just slice your ciabatta loaf lengthwise, and slather pesto on each side, in this case I used sun-dried tomato pesto, but basil pesto is equally as good. Layer your veggies along with a good sharp cheese, I used Fontinella, it has the flavor of a good provolone, nice and sharp, and it melts great.

Cook it up on your panini press if you have one, or you can use a grill pan with a weighed down lid on top. This was so good! Crunchy on the outside, the roasted flavors of the veggies inside, the sharpness of the cheese, all highlighted by the pesto. Hope you give it a try!

Have a great weekend, and Buon Appetito!

56 Comments Filed Under: Sandwiches, Vegetables Tagged: ciabatta, fontinella cheese, veggie panini, weekend lunch

Ricotta Poundcake

March 21, 2009 by Marie 82 Comments

This is hands down my favorite poundcake! I can’t say enough good things about it, except that it’s so moist, rich in flavor, and just plain delicious!

I’ve made it several times ever since I first saw the recipe in “Dolce Italiano” by Gina De Palma. Everyone who takes a bite of this always says the same thing, “OMG this is so good!”

The original version, which I made here, is vanilla based, and it’s truly outstanding.

I also make a lemon flavored version replacing the vanilla with Limoncello and freshly grated lemon peel, it’s citrusy and lovely!

Update on this recipe.

I first posted this 2009, it is now 2020 ( I can’t believe it) and I’m still making this delicious ricotta pound cake. Nothing has changed, it’s still a winner in my books!

I recently made it in my longer loaf pan and as you can see it turned out wonderful.

This time I added one heaping tablespoon of vanilla bean paste into the mix and the result was amazing, but you can’t go wrong with lemon either!

This is one of those recipes that never disappoints a classic and a great dessert to have all year long. Make a nice pot of coffee and share it with your friends and family!

INGREDIENTS:

Adapted from Gina’s recipe

1 1/2 cups of cake flour

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

3/4 cup or 6oz unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups fresh whole milk ricotta ( mine wasn’t whole milk & it turned out perfect)

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 vanilla bean ( I didn’t have any at the time, and believe me it was just as good!)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract ( I added a little more because I didn’t use a vanilla bean)

Confectioners sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and position rack in center. Grease and flour a 9-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, bak powder, and salt, set aside. With your mixer cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 min’s. Beat eggs in one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Split the vanilla bean, scrape out, and beat into the batter along with the extract. On low speed beat in the dry ingredients. Scrape down and beat for 30 seconds more.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth down with a spatula. Gently wack pan on counter to remove air pockets. Bake just for 15 min’s, then turn pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower temp to 325 degrees F and bake till cake springs back lightly, the sides start to pull away, and when it comes out clean in the center, about 25 min’s more.

Ok, here’s a couple of things I noted. Depending on how wet your ricotta is you might have to bake it longer, so drain your ricotta for a while if it’s very wet. This time I added an extra 15 min’s to the time. One other time I made this, I added another 1/2 hour. So just watch it and keep testing for doneness. Cool on a wire rack, then invert, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

UPDATE IN 2020

I followed the general directions but it took 1/2 hour longer to bake, so don’t stress about that, you’ll know when it’s done, the ricotta wetness definitely affects the time sometimes.

82 Comments Filed Under: Cakes, Desserts Tagged: Gina De Palma recipe, poundcake, ricotta desserts