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. 

Sunday's Gravy: Work week dinner. Yes, I know it is Saturday but, ...

Sunday's Gravy: Work week dinner. Yes, I know it is Saturday but, ...: "This was a busy workday so thank goodness for the Crock pot! It’s my favorite appliance. You get the low and slow flavor without having to w..."

Work week dinner. Yes, I know it is Saturday but, I still had to work.

This was a busy workday so thank goodness for the Crock pot! It’s my favorite appliance. You get the low and slow flavor without having to watch something on the stove all day. Dinner took about twenty minutes of prep before I went to work. Tony didn’t even help with the cooking today which is unusual. He pitches in when I have to work late most of the time.

I have made this with a whole chicken and chicken breast. This time I didn’t have a whole chicken in the freezer. Chicken breast was it, so after everything was cooked tonight, I took a little time and shredded the chicken.  If I had used a whole chicken I would have just served it and let everyone remove the chicken bones and skin themselves. Pardon the date on the picture. For some reason the camera decided it was 1929 LOL.

This is a great meal for the work week because you can leave it and come back only having to make the noodles and toss a salad together. If you are like my family make sure there is a fresh loaf of French bread nearby. You’ll need it to sop up the sauce.  The flavor is amazing.  Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikash

 

Set Crock pot for 5-6 hours.

14 oz. can chicken stock or broth

14 oz. can dice tomatoes or tomato sauce

2-3 bay leaves

12 oz. can of V-8 juice (this adds wonderful flavor and keeps me from having to chop so many veggies when I am in a hurry)

5-6 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 red onions sliced very thin

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup white wine

4-5 chicken breast (You can also use 1-cut up chicken which will give you even more flavor) this will easily serve a family of four with leftovers.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cooked rice or cooked noodles to serve with chicken.

1/4 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons corn starch mixed with enough water to dissolve

In medium size bowl: Mix paprika, cumin, allspice, and clove, salt and pepper together. Roll chicken in spices and brown on all sides in heated olive oil. Place chicken in Crock pot. I also toss the remaining spice mixture in Crock pot also.

Add onion into heated oil and sauté until soft. While onions are still a little crunchy add vinegar. De glaze pan with white wine and cook a few more minutes.

Pour chicken stock, tomatoes, and V-8 juice over the chicken in the crock pot. Add in onion, wine mixture and bay leaves. Cook on low heat for 5 to 6 hours. About one hour before serving add sour cream and corn starch-water mixture to Crock pot.

Serve over noodles or rice. This is traditionally served over spitzel (a homemade rag type noodle, but I worked until 7:00 pm today and no time to make homemade noodles.

Tony’s Sunday Gravy (aka- Spaghetti Sauce)

 Ok, so here it is as promised, Tony’s Sunday Gravy. While we were cooking this morning, Tony was sharing stories about his mother making this sauce. He decided to name the meatballs Hail Mary Meatballs because, before the time of food processors to whir bread into crumbs in seconds his mother used to sit for quite some time hand shredding bread into the meatball mix saying her Hail Mary’s. Hope you enjoy.

Sunday Gravy (aka Spaghetti Sauce)

1/4 cup olive oil (Good imported Italian regular oil not extra virgin)

1 onion minced finely

10 cloves fresh garlic

1/4 cup fresh basil minced

1-14 oz can tomato paste

4 - 28 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes (this is important you must use these)

1 cup good Chianti (preferably imported Italian)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste (use fresh ground black pepper)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 lb. Italian sausage sweet or hot whichever you prefer. (we get ours from a good Italian butcher in our area)

Place olive oil in 16 quart sauce pan and heat on medium high.

Add minced onion and sweat until clear.

Mix in garlic run through a garlic press continue to sweat garlic and onions and add in basil.

Add in tomato paste and continue to cook down for 5 minutes or so.

Incorporate San Marzano Tomatoes. When these are mixed in well add in water. Stir in water until it also is completely incorporated. Add in water, salt and pepper, Chianti, dried oregano, and pepper flake. Bring this to a boil  and lower heat to simmer. This is the point you would add the prepared meatballs (see below), fried Italian sausage, and braciole (see below) Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta of your choice. It works best with pasta which has ridges to hold in the sauce such as Rigatoni.

Hail Mary Meatballs

3-4 inches of olive oil in skillet to fry meatballs

1 pound meat loaf mix (this contains beef, pork to make the most of flavor)

2-3 cloves garlic - pressed

3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 eggs

1/4 cup Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese grated-this is specific to this recipe if you use anything else the flavor will suffer

1/4 cup water

4 slices white bread shred into bread crumbs

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high.

Mix all ingredients together well. You may need a little more or less water. You want the meat mixture to be very moist and soft. Water helps to accomplish this.

Form into meatballs about the size of golf balls. Fry in olive oil until dark golden brown crust forms.

Drain on paper towels and set aside while you prepare braciole.

Fry Italian sausage until crust forms in same oil and drain on paper towels and set aside as well.

Braciole

6-8 thinly slice top round steaks – pounded paper thin

6-8 paper thin slices prosciutto

1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Water

1 clove pressed garlic

1/4 cup Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese grated

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Butchers twine to tie rolls up after filling

Mix together all ingredients except top round and prosciutto, adding water until  it forms a thick paste. Take one top round steak and line with prosciutto, spread bread crumb mixture over prosciutto and roll steak up to create a roll. Tie together with butchers twine and fry in oil used for meatballs and sausage. Drain well on paper towels.

After frying all meats and draining them add them to the sauce and continue to simmer as listed in sauce recipe.

This freezes well so we make this large amount and will be able to have a minimum of 2 or three meals. We also use this to make lasagna which will be listed in a future post.

Welcome, manga, ya'all pull up a chair..Some combo, huh?

 Those of you from the northeast United States will recognize the name Sunday Gravy as the wonderful stuff you had at your Italian neighbor’s house on Sunday or if you were lucky at grandma’s house. It was an amalgam of what they knew from “the old country” and the abundance they found here in America. Rich tomato sauce loaded with the wonderful meat mixtures, garlic and the basil from Mama’s garden.  They were new Americans and shared their wonderful food with their new countrymen.

If you were from anywhere else, you wouldn’t recognize it at all. You might assume it has something to do with southern fried chicken, biscuits, and gravy that were eaten all over the southeast on Sunday afternoon. Either way, we hope you enjoy.

Stay tuned for our first post coming next week, Tony's Sunday Gravy.