ITALIAN FOODS

California Italian Wedding Soup

2009-05-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (optional)
2 green onions, sliced (optional)
5 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 cups finely sliced escarole (spinach may be substituted)
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta), uncooked
grated Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS
Mix together the meat, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil, parsley, and green onions; shape into 3/4 inch balls.
Pour broth into a large saucepan over high heat. When boiling, drop in meatballs. Stir in escarole, lemon zest and orzo. Return to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook at a slow boil for 10 minutes or until orzo is tender, stirring frequently. Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Quick Italian Vegetable Soup

2009-05-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 (16 ounce) can diced plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 cubes beef bouillon
6 cups water
2 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
2 cups sliced cabbage
1 teaspoon garlic salt
salt and ground black pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, carrot, and celery until onion is translucent and vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and Italian seasoning, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
Dissolve bouillon cubes in water, and stir into vegetables. Adjust heat to a medium simmer, and cook approximately 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cabbage, sprinkle with garlic salt, and cook until tender, 5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve.

Italian Tortellini Soup

2009-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS

4 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
2 medium zucchini, sliced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen cheese-filled tortellini
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Place the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme and 2 cups of the broth in a 6-quart saucepot. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the onion is tender.
Add the remaining broth, zucchini, tomatoes, tortellini and beans. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the tortellini is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Venison Italian Soup

2009-05-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground venison
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1/2 (16 ounce) package fusili (spiral) pasta

DIRECTIONS
Brown venison, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.
Stir in beans, carrots, and zucchini. Simmer soup for 90 minutes.
Add pasta, and cook until tender.

Top individual servings with grated cheese, and serve.

Minestrone Napoletana Soup

2009-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 yellow bell pepper
2 ounces pancetta
1/2 onion

1/2 carrot

1/2 garlic clove

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprig, chopped

2 potatoes, diced

3/4 cup fava beans, shelled

2 zucchini, sliced scant

1 cup peas, shelled

1/4 cabbage, coarsely shredded

1 Belgian endive head, cut into strips

2 eggplants, diced scant

1 cup cannolicchi pasta

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil salt and pepper provolone cheese, freshly grated, to serve

Directions:
Place the bell pepper under a preheated broiler and cook, turning frequently, until the skin is charred and blistered. Place in a plastic bag and tie the top. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, halve and seed the pepper and dice the flesh Finely chop the pancetta with the onion, carrot and garlic. Heat the oil, add the pancetta mixture and cook over low heat for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, Add 8 3/4 cups water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, add the potatoes and beans and simmer for 1 hour, Add the zucchini, peas, cabbage, Belgian endive, eggplants and yellow pepper. Simmer for a further 30 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes until al dente. Season with salt if necessary. Ladle the minestrone into a soup tureen, sprinkle with the basil and serve with provolone.

Serves 4-6

Sausage Soup - Italian

2009-05-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Ingredient:
2 slices bacon

1/2 lb lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cans (14 oz each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 cups water

4 cups chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard leaves

1 can (15 or 19 oz) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

1 cup fat-free half-and-half or regular half-and-half

Directions:
1 In 4-quart nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp; drain on paper towel. Crumble bacon; set aside. Remove and discard drippings from saucepan.2 In same saucepan, cook sausage over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Drain well on paper towels; set aside.3 In same saucepan, mix potatoes, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, broth and water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.4 Stir in bacon, sausage, kale and beans. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and kale are tender. Stir in half-and-half; cook just until heated.

Reboiled Italian Cabbage Soup (Ribollita)

2009-05-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENT
2 cups dry cannellini beans
4 cups water
3 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 large stalks celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped
1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread, lightly toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Sort and rinse the beans before placing them in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 1 1/2 hours. Drain.
Place the beans, chicken broth, garlic, sage leaves, bay leaves, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Cool. Remove 1 cup of beans. Discard the bay leaves and sage leaves. Blend the remaining bean mixture with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until transparent, about 10 minutes. Combine the carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, Swiss chard, and kale with the onions. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and cook until greens have wilted, stirring at least once, about 20 minutes. Stir in the pureed bean mixture, and cook 40 minute until the mixture thickens. Stir in the reserved beans. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add the toasted bread slices; cook until bread is soaked, about 10 minutes longer. Cool, and refrigerate overnight.
Reheat the soup over low heat until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve each serving garnished with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

2009-04-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

"This flagship, Tuscan steak is made from the region's Chianina breed of cattle which are prized for their tenderness and flavor. In typical Italian style, simplicity rules the day; little more than olive oil, rosemary, and salt are needed to highlight the rich flavor of the grilled meat. With Italian food, freshness and quality are top priority, so I use nothing less than choice porterhouse, and much prefer prime!"

INGREDIENTS
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 (2 1/2 pound) choice or prime porterhouse steak
3 tablespoons Tuscan olive oil
Moist, grey sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
6 lemon wedges

DIRECTIONS
Press chopped rosemary onto both sides of porterhouse steak; set onto a plate and allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
Start an outdoor grill using hardwood charcoal, such as hickory. When coals are white and glowing, arrange for high heat.
Gently brush or rub olive oil onto steak, then season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Place steak onto grill, and cook until a dark, golden brown (not burnt) crust forms, 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of meat. Turn over, and continue cooking until golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. When finished, place steak onto a platter, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
To serve, remove the two pieces of meat from the bone, and replace the bone onto the serving platter. Trim any unwanted fat from the round (tenderloin) steak, slice into 6 equal pieces at an angle to the grain, and fan out on one side of the bone. Slice the rectangular (loin) steak into 1/4-inch slices at an angle to the grain. Fan out on the other side of the bone. Finish by garnishing the platter with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of additional sea salt.

FOOTNOTES
Bistecca Fiorentina is normally served rare or medium-rare. If you prefer your steak more well done, cook as stated to form the crust, then place onto a cooler part of the grill, and continue cooking to desired doneness.
If you do not wish to fire up the grill, this steak may also be cooked under the broiler, otherwise following the directions and times in the recipe.

Spaghetti Sauce I

2009-04-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

"A sweeter-than-usual spaghetti sauce. I never make it the same way twice. Try varying the spices for different flavors."

INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 tablespoon dried basil
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic powder

DIRECTIONS
Saute the beef and onion. Drain.
Stir in the tomato sauce, butter and sugar. Add the oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Cook over low heat until hot.

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PIZZA

2009-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

Homemade Pizza

What to do when your 8-year old nephew comes to visit? Make pizza, of course! Well, not of course, actually. I didn't think of it until we exhausted Sorry, Monopoly, and gin rummy. But it did turn out to be a brilliant idea as dad had just received a baking stone for Christmas, and my nephew Austin loves pizza. I told him if he helped me make it and didn't make too many faces I would put him on my website and he would be famous. That seemed to get his attention. He thought the dough was "slimy and gross" but he loved picking his own toppings, and the finished product was "awesome".
The following method I patched together from recipes in both Joy of Cooking and Cook's Illustrated The Best Recipe. I made two batches of dough, four pizzas in all, with varied toppings. Next time I'll be a bit more patient with stretching out the dough so I can get it even thinner. Look to the end of this post for some excellent links about pizza from other food bloggers.

Homemade Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Pizza Dough: Makes enough dough for two 10-12 inch pizzas
1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pizza Ingredients
Olive oil
Cornmeal (to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone)
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded
Feta cheese
Mushrooms, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced
Italian sausage, cooked ahead
Chopped fresh basil
Pesto
Pepperoni, thinly sliced
Onions, thinly sliced
Sliced ham
Special equipment needed
A pizza stone, highly recommended if you want your pizza dough to be crusty
A pizza peel or a flat baking sheet
A pizza wheel for cutting the pizza, not required, but easier to deal with than a knife
Method
Making the Pizza Dough
1 In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid), add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Stir to dissolve completely if needed at the end of 5 minutes.
2 Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Knead using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and knead by hand.
3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have a warm spot in the house you can heat the oven to 150 degrees, and then turn off the oven. Place the bowl of dough in this warmed oven to rise.
At this point, if you want to make ahead, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Preparing the Pizzas
1 Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
2 Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.
3 Prepare your desired toppings. Note that you are not going to want to load up each pizza with a lot of toppings as the crust will end up not crisp that way. About a third a cup each of tomato sauce and cheese would be sufficient for one pizza. One to two mushrooms thinly sliced will cover a pizza.

4 Working one ball of dough at a time, take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2-inch thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter - 10 to 12 inches. Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the very edges if you want to form a lip.
5 Brush the top of the dough with olive oil (to prevent it from getting soggy from the toppings). Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes.
Repeat with the second ball of dough.

6 Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with corn meal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.

7 Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place your desired toppings on the pizza.
8 Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven (watch your hands, the oven is hot!). Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and on to the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. If you want, toward the end of the cooking time you can sprinkle on a little more cheese.