Making Up for Lost Time

 

This is an unbelievably simple week night dinner that tastes like you are eating at a five star Italian Restaurant. Sometimes it pays to have a Sicilian in the family.

                                  

We tend to have most of these ingredients in the house most of the time. Pickled artichokes are something we always keep on hand. Not only are they delicious, they are very versatile. They can be used in so many different things, from dip to main dishes.

Here they star with the prosciutto to create an amazing dinner.

Artichoke and Prosciutto Pasta

1 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic put through garlic press

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup slice mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced black olives

6 pickled artichoke hearts, rinsed and roughly chopped

6 slices Parma prosciutto

Several turns freshly ground black pepper

Grated Locatelli Romano cheese

1 lb. linguini cooked as per package instructions

On cookie sheet, lay out slices of prosciutto and bake at 350º until crispy.

Heat olive oil in large skillet.

Add in garlic and sauté

Add in mushrooms, olives, and artichokes allow the mixture to sauté for several minutes,

Pour over cooked pasta and top with crumbled prosciutto and sprinkle with cheese.

Bad Bloggers, Very Bad Bloggers

We are so sorry for the delay in posting again.  Unfortunately, the Holidays took over and we never had the time to take pictures of all of the food and cookies made. Believe me, there was an invasion of the gingerbread army in our house. We will share all of those wonderful recipes throughout the year for now all I can ask is your forgiveness and hope you will continue reading.

Sunday's Gravy: Simple Things Made not So Simple

Sunday's Gravy: Simple Things Made not So Simple: "This is a show stopping simple antipasti. The flavors are rich and creamy, with a wonderful crunch on the side. In Italian it is called Ner..."

Simple Things Made not So Simple

This is a show stopping simple antipasti. The flavors are rich and creamy, with a wonderful crunch on the side.  In Italian it is called Nero e Bianco.  The English translation is actually black and white.

Make sure to find yourself and wonderful Italian bakery so that you can purchase good ciabatta bread. This is what will be responsible for the crunch after you grill it. While each of the components are simple in themselves when put together they are superb. We hope you enjoy it. 

Nero e Bianco

1 eggplant

1 package goat cheese

1 loaf ciabatta bread

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

6-7 large leaves fresh sweet basil julienned

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar mixed with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tomato sliced

Salt and pepper to taste-tricolor pepper gives the best flavor

Using a mortar and pestle bruise garlic and add olive oil. Mix thoroughly and let infuse for 2-3 hours.

Slice eggplant in 1/2 inch rounds and season well with salt and pepper; also slice ciabatta bread about the same thickness.  Slice the tomatoes to the same thickness as well.

Brush both sides of the bread and eggplant with the garlic infused oil.

Grill the bread and set aside to cool. Grill eggplant until tender. You can do on your Barbeque, a grill pan on the stove, or a Panini press.

Slice goat cheese in thin rounds (it is crumbly so slice carefully).

Julienne the basil and set aside monetarily.

Place 1 slice of eggplant on the plate. Add a goat cheese slices to cover the eggplant slice and then another slice of eggplant. Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil mixture and sprinkle with basil.

Serve with tomato and grilled bread. Enjoy.

No Counting Fat Grams with this Recipe

 While this is one of the most wonderful combinations in the world, who can beat cheese with noodles, it is also one of the most fattening things you can eat. To get my daughter to even try this we had to introduce it as Italian macaroni and cheese. At one time she refused to even give it a try. Now she can’t get enough.

We don’t make it very often because of the amount of fat but it is a fabulous dinner to impress without too much work. Often we make this with the previous shrimp scampi recipe as a dinner party meal. It is always a big hit with everyone.

If you can be sure to use the proper cheeses but if money is tight you can substitute less expensive. The real Locatelli Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano,

however, will give you the best flavor. I suggest you serve this meal with a nice salad and garlic bread.

                           

While this is one of the most wonderful combinations in the world, who can beat cheese with noodles, it is also one of the most fattening things you can eat. To get my daughter to even try this we had to introduce it as Italian macaroni and cheese. At one time she refused to even give it a try. Now she can’t get enough.

We don’t make it very often because of the amount of fat but it is a fabulous dinner to impress without too much work. Often we make this with the previous shrimp scampi recipe as a dinner party meal. It is always a big hit with everyone.

If you can be sure to use the proper cheeses but if money is tight you can substitute less expensive. The real Locatelli Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano,

however, will give you the best flavor. I suggest you serve this meal with a nice salad and garlic bread.

 

Classic Fettuccini Alfredo

1 stick salted butter

3 cups cream

2 egg yolks

Fresh cracked black pepper and salt to taste

1 cup Locatelli Romano finely ground

1 cup finely ground Parmigiano-Reggiano  finely ground

1 package fresh fettuccini noodles (fresh works best for this but you can use dry pasta if that is all you have)

1 tablespoon finely minced parsley to sprinkle on top.

In medium sauce pan melt butter on medium high heat, add cream and whisk slowly until beginning to boil

In bowl beat egg yolks until light yellow, temper yolks with cream mixture. Then add back into saucepan.

Add in remaining ingredients and whisk continually until mixture thickens. Make sure you taste sauce before adding any salt. It may be salty enough with the butter and cheese.

Even Six Year Olds Love This Stuff!

Tonight’s dinner is something that we knew we would post at some point when we decided to start this blog. When we make this for dinner we always serve it with pasta. Until tonight, our six year old daughter would politely refuse the “sauce” and have butter and cheese on her pasta. She would then proceed to eat the buttered pasta totally missing out on the wonderful, garlicky, deliciousness, being very contented with just butter and cheese. This time however, we dipped a little piece of the bread (you have to have good hearty, Italian bread with this), and made her taste it. 

Her initial comment was what we expected because she never likes anything we make her try. It is always too, something. Tonight, it was too lemony.  However, near the end of the meal she started tearing off pieces of her bread dipping it in the sauce, and inhaling it. She decided it was great and she didn’t stop eating until the sauce was gone.  Too bad for the dog, he won’t get any leftovers.

Ultimate Shrimp Scampi

1 lb shrimp (peeled, de-veined, butterflied but leave tail on)*

1 stick butter

3/4 cup olive oil

1 cup white wine (best to use Pinot Grigio)

12 large cloves garlic run through garlic press

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1/2 of a large lemon juice only or 1 whole small lemon juice only

Melt butter in large skillet on medium high and add in olive oil. Mix in garlic and sauté garlic 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add half of the parsley and sauté

Add wine and lemon juice and reduce for about 7 minutes. The sauce will reduce slightly.

Add shrimp and sauté until all shrimp turn pink. This won’t take long only 1-2 minutes. Constantly stir to avoid over cooking taste sauce use salt only if needed.

Plate and garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley and a little more freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Serve this with a large loaf of crusty Italian bread. You will need it. Everyone will want to sop up the sauce. This sauce is fabulous and you won’t want to miss a drop of it.

*If you are worried about a strong iodine taste to the shrimp, soak them in ice water for about 1/2  an hour before cooking.

Simple, Elegant, Delicious

Today we felt like baking some cookies. Not just any cookie but one of the oldest which from our research may have been around since the 12^th century. Something similar to the version we know today is attributed to Mary Queen of Scots in the 16^th century.  These were in a form called Petticoat Tails which contained caraway seeds. They got their name from their shape. The round shortbread were baked and cut into triangles which resembled the petticoats of the day.

Here is our updated slightly Italian version of this favorite cookie recipe. We added a teaspoon of almond extract to the mix.

We used the method of simply rolling into a log shape, wrapping in plastic wrap, and placing it into the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours. When they were fully chilled, we simply removed them from the fridge, unwrapped and sliced about 1/8” thick. We placed them on a cookie sheet and baked as listed in the recipe that follows.

After removing them from the oven, we mixed another 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract into some superfine sugar and dusted the cookies. They are simple and absolutely delicious, especially with a cup of Earl Grey.

Shortbread      

Preheat oven 350º.

2 sticks butter (softened)

2 1/4 cups flour (sifted)

1/2 cup sugar

Whip butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add flour mixing it in thoroughly.

Roll mixture into ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Take dough from fridge and roll out to 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface.

Use your favorite cookie cutter shapes to cut out. Place them on cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 15-18 minutes.

At Christmas time I also sprinkle these with colored sugar.

Variation:

◦Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup pecans before refrigerating.

◦ Add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 1/4 cup almonds before refrigerating.

º Melt 1/2 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips and dip cooled cookie on one edge.

You can also roll these into a log and wrap as listed before refrigerating. Then when you remove from fridge all you have to do is slice into 1/4" thick rounds.  Place on cookie sheet and bake as normal. 

For this recipe I added the almond extract (no actual almonds) and then dusted with 1/4 cup superfine sugar mixed with another 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. 

As you can see this can be adapted to almost anything.