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Tagliatelle with Sausage & Swiss Chard

August 12, 2013

Here’s a simple recipe that you can put together in a pinch. Though I love tagilatelle, any pasta shape, short or long, wide or narrow, will work fine. Isn’t Swiss chard gorgeous? So very colorful and it happens to be one of the healthiest of vegetables (its nutritional benefits include vitamins K, A and C, magnesium, potassium and iron).

Swiss chard is delicious briefly sauteed in a bit of olive oil with a sprinkling of fresh garlic. In this recipe we cook it a little longer with onions and garlic then chop, chop, chop, before adding it to the pasta.

I’ve used both roasted garlic & herb sausage and Italian sausage and either are delicious in this recipe.

Tagliatell with Sausage & Swiss Chard

2 generous servings

Ingredients

1 14.5 ounce chicken broth

2 garlic and herb or Italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (about 6 ounces)

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed well and chopped

1/2 medium onion, sliced thin

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

red chili flakes (optional)

6 ounces tagliatelle or other pasta of your choice

1 tablespoon butter

crumbled feta cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, boil the chicken broth over medium high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 6 minutes.

Remove the casings from the sausage. Crumble the sausage into bite sized pieces and lightly brown for a few minutes over medium-high heat. The sausage I used was fully cooked. If you buy uncooked sausage follow the cooking directions on the package.

Cut off and discard a small portion of the ends of the Swiss chard ribs. Remove the thick portion of the ribs and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Roughly chop the leaves and keep separate from the ribs. Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic cloves.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the Swiss chard ribs and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until just tender (do not brown). Add the onion and garlic and a dash of red chili flakes if using. Sauté on medium heat for about 6 minutes or until the onion has softened. Fold in the chopped Swiss chard and season with salt and pepper. Cook covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then until the vegetables are very tender.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Remove the vegetables to a cutting board and chop into very fine pieces. Place the saucepan back on the stove on medium-high heat and add the reduced chicken broth and butter. Add the pasta, give it a stir then add the chard and sausage. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve right away with a sprinkling of feta cheese.

Beans, Italian, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

A16 Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

July 28, 2013

These beans are so luxurious and creamy there must be some special magic involved in making them. They are exceptionally delicious. Many years ago on one of our trips to San Francisco we had dinner at A16, a very popular Italian restaurant which shares a name with the highway that runs from Naples to Canosa, Puglia. We ordered a side of these beans and fell in love with them.

Fragrant and aromatic, marjoram adds that “je nais sais quoi” to these beans.

I’ve always been pleased with Bob’s Red Mill products. If you can’t find his cannellini beans check the bulk food section at your local market where there are usually cannellini beans sold by the pound. The original recipe recommends soaking the beans for 2 hours or longer however I found this is not necessary. These flavorful beans go especially well with grilled pork tenderloin with herbs and pancetta.

Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

Serves 6

Adapted from A16 Restaurant

Ingredients

2 cups dried cannellini beans

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of a knife

1 small bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves, chopped

Preparation

Rinse the beans well in a colander, picking out any broken beans or pebbles. Transfer to a large stock pot and add water to cover by 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Test the beans after 1 hour to check for doneness. It might be necessary to top off the beans with more water as they cook. Remove the cooked beans from the heat, stir in the salt and let the beans stand in their cooking liquid for 30 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, bay leaf and oregano and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the garlic begins to soften. Stir in the beans and the 3/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and simmer, stirring gently, for about 4 minutes or until the beans achieve a creamy consistency. They should not be as thick as mashed potatoes but should hold their shape if spooned onto a piece of bread. If the beans are too thick, stir in a little water and continue to cook. Stir in the marjoram, taste for seasoning, add salt if needed. They are now ready to serve. You may cool the beans and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Italian, Pork, Recipes

Pork Milanese

February 28, 2013

It’s amazing what you can do with inexpensive boneless pork loin chops. For under $7.00 you can prepare an impressive dinner for four people. I wasn’t sure what to call this dish. Milanese, schnitzel, pork cutlet, cotoletta?

I found this description of Milanese on-line:

“Milanese” is a preparation in which a meat chop (it can be pork or veal, but flattened chicken breasts can also be cooked “milanese”) is dipped in egg wash, then bread crumbs, and then shallow-fried in oil. It’s basically the same preparation as Wiener schnitzel (made with veal cutlet, pounded thin) and in some parts of Germany that dish is called “schnitzel milanese”. It’s called Wiener schnitzel in Austria – the schnitzel of Wien (Vienna), but it may have originated in northern Italy and migrated to Austria from there. The Milanese cut is probably named after the dish, a thin cut suited to that sort of frying. The chops in my grocery store are already cut pretty thin, but if your chops are thick you can pound them with a meat mallet. (Wiener schnitzel is always pounded very thin, and in Vienna a cut always covers an entire large plate. It’s very dramatic.)

Pound each slice of pork very thin being careful not to tear it.

Panko bread crumbs provide and extra crispy coating.

Pork Milanese with capers and lemon.

Pork Milanese

Ingredients

1 pound thin cut boneless pork loin chops (4 pieces) pounded thin

3/4 cup flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 c fine panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Capers (not traditional, but I like them with this dish)

Fresh lemon wedges

Olive oil for frying

Preparation

Pound the cutlets very thin, about 3 times the original size (cut one side of a Ziplock bag open and place pork between the two layers then pound until thin. This works better than plastic wrap which can tear). You can do this prior to cooking the pork Milanese, just place waxed paper between each piece, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

In a shallow bowl, mix the panko with the cheese and herbs.

Put the flour and eggs in two shallow bowls.

Once you’re ready to cook the pork, generously season each piece on both sides with salt and pepper.

Dredge the pork in flour, tapping off the excess then dip in the eggs, making sure to coat well letting the excess egg drip back into the bowl.

Place the pork in the panko mixture and coat well, patting the panko mixture on each side. Continue the same process with the other pieces of pork.

Heat 3 – 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan. I fry one piece at a time since the pork is pounded so thin and takes up the entire pan however go ahead and use two pans if you want to. Once the oil is hot add the pork and fry until nicely browned and crispy, about 3 minutes. Turn the pork over and fry for another 2 – 3 minutes. It shouldn’t take much longer, the pork is very thin and cooks quickly. Add more oil as needed when frying the remaining pork.

Place the pork Milanese on a large serving platter and sprinkle with capers (optional), minced parsley and lemon wedges. Fresh tomato sauce with spaghetti is a good accompaniment.

Buon appetito!

Dinner, Italian, Recipes

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

December 1, 2012

Finally the weekend has arrived. No alarm clock disturbance or lunch to pack up. My work clothes don’t need to be ironed and they can stay piled up on the chair for another day or two. Maybe it’ll be the perfect weekend to clean out the cabinets which definitely have too many items “I need to save” but never use. Like those gift boxes that are just too good to toss, vases or jars that never get used. Speaking of jars, I have a half dozen old glass mayonnaise jars. Now that mayonnaise comes in plastic containers somehow I treasure the glass jars more than ever. I really don’t have much use for them, but I just can’t bear throwing them away. They will live to see another day. Which brings me to pizza.

This pizza dough was adapted from Peter Reinhart’s recipe, the best one we have found so far. You can mix the ingredients in a bread machine, stand mixer or by hand.

I’ve tried many brands of pepperoni and like Boar’s Head the best. Their pepperoni has good flavor with a bit of spiciness that’s just right for pizza.

I love pepperoni but I don’t want my pie dripping with grease so I “render” the sliced pepperoni in my toaster oven for 5 minutes at 300 degrees then remove the slices to a paper towel lined plate and dab off the oil.

My favorite toppings are pepperoni, olives and fresh sliced tomatoes, mild Italian sausage and spinach.You can add spinach to your pizza in its raw form or quickly blanch it. Just press between paper towels to remove the water before layering on your pizza.

Why am I showing you this yogurt cheese? I am lactose intolerant and thus can’t eat mozzarella. I searched around for a cheese that would adequately replace mozzarella on my pizza and voila! Yogurt cheese is my new friend. It melts well and tastes good too. The mozzarella is for my husband.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator about 2 hours prior to baking so that it has time to come to room temperature then form into a 12 – 14 inch circle (above).

Use your favorite pizza sauce, add veggies, pepperoni, sausage and olives.

Check out the Super Peel here. Watch their video on how to use it, you will be amazed at how well it works. It effortlessly scoops up your pizza and transfers it to your stone without a hitch.

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (bread machine version)

Makes two 12 – 14 inch pizzas

Preheat oven to 550 degrees (1 hour prior to baking)

Ingredients

1/4 cup sourdough starter (If you don’t have sourdough starter, follow Peter Reinhart’s recipe (see link to recipe above).

10 ounces water (1 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

14 ounces bread flour (3 1/4 cups)

2 ounces whole wheat flour (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon instant yeast

Preparation

Mix sourdough starter in the 10 ounces of water.

Place sourdough starter/water and olive oil in your bread machine.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the order listed into the bread machine. Set bread machine to dough setting. When dough cycle ends remove to lightly floured surface and divide dough into two equal portions (kitchen scale comes in handy). Form into balls and place in oiled bowls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove dough 2 hours before baking. Place dough balls on a lightly floured surface and flatten into small disks. Then cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel.

Once dough has come to room temperature, pat or roll the dough into a 12-14 inch circle. If the dough resists too much, cover again and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Add your favorite pizza sauce, veggies, Italian sausage, pepperoni and cheese. Fresh basil and a sprinkling of dried oregano make a tasty topping as well added before or after baking (see pizza at the top of this page). Bake for about 4 minutes and rotate the pizza with your peel. Total baking time is usually 6 to 7 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is nicely browned . Transfer the pizza to a large cutting board. Slice and enjoy! Repeat above steps for second pizza. Or alternatively, the second dough ball can be frozen in a ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months.

*If using a stand mixer follow the same basic steps as with a bread machine.

*No bread machine or stand mixer? Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with large spoon or your hands until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough (about 5 minutes) until a smooth ball is formed. Continue with the directions above.

Beef, Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes

Meatballs & Spaghetti ~ Mike Maroni Style

November 25, 2012

There’s something to be said for a good meatball. You start with ground beef which by itself is nothing special, until you transform it with flavorful ingredients. Though meatballs take a bit more time than say a hamburger patty, you will be rewarded in the end. I was watching a Bobby Flay Throwdown episode one afternoon and the challenge of the day was meatballs and spaghetti one of my favorite dishes. So I dropped whatever chore I was doing and plopped down on my big comfy chair and watched the entire show.

Mike Maroni was Bobby’s opponent. Maroni is noted for his grandma’s famous meatball recipe. Bobby makes some terrific food and typically wins the Throwdown but in this case, Mike defeated Bobby. I had to have that recipe. The original recipe calls for ground chuck and a lot more cheese, twice as much cheese! I adapted the recipe and used ground sirloin which is leaner, and less cheese but go ahead and use ground chuck and all of the cheese if you desire.

With 3 ounces of cheese, 3 eggs and breadcrumbs the meat mixture is quite rich and makes for a very tender meatball.

Maroni bakes his meatballs on a sheet pan rather than browning in a skillet which is more time consuming. I line a 16 3/4 x 12 inch jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean up.

Maroni’s Meatballs (my variation)

About 18 meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground sirloin or ground chuck

1/2 cup + breadcrumbs

1/4 c milk

3 large eggs

2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano (about 1/2 cup)

1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano Regianno (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 c finely minced onion

3 medium garlic cloves

4 tablespoons finely chopped basil

4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a large baking pan with heavy duty foil.

In a large bowl gently break apart the ground sirloin with a fork. Add all other ingredients and mix lightly (I use disposable gloves) just until combined. You may add more breadcrumbs if you feel the mixture is too soft however it should not be too firm or the meatballs will be dense and dry. Very gently (do not pack) form into 18 meatballs, approximately the size of a golf ball. Place meatballs on prepared baking pan so they do not touch one another. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Heat your favorite tomato sauce and add meatballs to the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve on spaghetti noodles with extra cheese.

If I’m not feeding a crowd, I freeze the leftover meatballs in plastic containers with waxed paper between each layer. Defrost in the refrigerator the morning you plan to have them for dinner then simmer the meatballs in tomato sauce to warm up.

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pesto with Macadamia Nuts

November 8, 2012

Pesto is a simple and delicious dish. The fragrant basil, pungent cheese and garlic, rich macadamia nuts and olive oil go together like no other dish I know. Most recipes call for pine nuts which I used in the past, until I had an awful experience with Pine Mouth. Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn. It’s something that can’t be easily forgotten. I suffered for two weeks and could not figure out why suddenly everything I ate or drank tasted bitter, very bitter. So bitter I didn’t want to eat. I googled my symptoms and discovered Pine Mouth. Like others who have had this weird problem, I too had eaten pine nuts (in pesto) a few days prior to getting my symptoms. My husband also ate the pesto but without any problems. It apparently doesn’t affect everyone. The FDA is still trying to determine what the exact cause of Pine Mouth syndrome is. Needless to say, I have given up eating pine nuts. Some say that pine nuts from China are the culprits and that buying pine nuts that originate from the Mediterranean won’t cause such a terrible reaction. Hmmmm. I’m still not convinced enough to eat them again.

Many pesto recipes suggest walnuts as an alternative to pine nuts (which can be expensive). I tried this once, however my pesto turned out to be a drab green-brown color. Now, due to my aversion to pine nuts, macadamia nuts are my choice for pesto. They are light-colored like pine nuts and don’t have the annoying skin of a walnut. They can be pricy like pine nuts though you really need just a small amount for each recipe and you can store the rest in the refrigerator for other baking recipes. The package above is from Costco and was very reasonably priced.

Rinse the basil leaves gently and leave out to dry for a short time.

Use good cheese. Real Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano and grate them yourself.

Pesto

Serves 6

Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

4 ounces fresh basil leaves

1/3 heaping cup macadamia nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed and finely minced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or a combination with Pecorino Romano)

Preparation

Remove basil leaves from stems and gently rinse. Set aside on a kitchen towel to dry for a short time.

Put half of the basil, all of the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Scrape down the sides and add the rest of the basil and pulse a few more times. Add the oil in a thin stream and process until the consistency is that of a slightly grainy paste but not a fine puree. Add the garlic and process briefly, just to mix the garlic into the sauce. If the pesto seems too thick, add a bit more olive oil. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and fold in the grated cheese.

I like to serve the pesto on thin capellini noodles with a bit of extra grated cheese sprinkled on top. Sometimes I use spaghetti and add steamed, finely chopped broccoli florets to it or I’ll make a pasta salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach. For a change, use pesto on your pizza instead of tomato sauce (top with sliced tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mozzarella).

Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Pour a very thin film of oil over the top of the pesto and cover the bowl. You can also freeze pesto in small containers for a few months.

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Tagliatelle with Sausage & Swiss Chard

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A16 Braised Cannellini Beans with Garlic, Marjoram & Oregano

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Pork Milanese

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Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

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Meatballs & Spaghetti ~ Mike Maroni Style

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Pesto with Macadamia Nuts

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