Biscotti

1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon aniseeds, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup whole unblanched almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy.
Beat in melted butter, aniseeds, and orange extract.
Mix together flour and baking powder.
Add to the batter and beat until well blended.
Stir in the nuts.
Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour.
(The chilled dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Shape the dough into a 9 x 6-inch oval 1 1/2 inches thick and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool slightly.
Transfer the dough to a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces.
Arrange, cut side down, on the baking sheet and return to the oven.
Bake an additional 15 minutes.
Transfer the baked Italian Biscotti to wire racks to cool.

Makes 18.

adminItalian20 Oct, 2007No Comments

Antipasto Platter

Posted by artsycook 6/11/01 3:53:19 pm

Cheese: Provolone, Mozzarella and fresh mozzarella sliced between slices of ripe tomato

Meats: hard salami, capacola, pepperoni

Olives: Italian, Greek or Spanish, green to black

Vegetables: cucumber, sweet cherry peppers, pepperoncini, green onions, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts etc…

Italian Dressing - homemade!!!!!!

Arrange assortment of vegetables, cheeses, or deli meats; sliced or rolled and arranged on a serving platter.
Pour Italian dressing (see index) over all and served with Italian bread or crackers. Feel free to make up your own combination.

adminItalian18 Oct, 2007No Comments

Sausage and Cheese Calzone

Pizza dough
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, skins removed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

Prepare pizza dough.

In a skillet, cook the sausage and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat.

Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring often, or until the sausage is cooked through and vegetables are soft.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
Stir in the mozzarella, parsley and red pepper flakes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Brush 2 baking sheets with olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.
Take one piece of the dough and with floured hands press it into a 6-inch round.
Stretch or roll it out with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle.
Leaving a 1/2-inch edge, spread a quarter of the filling over half of the dough. Dampen the edges with water.
Fold the dough in half to enclose the filling; seal the edges with a fork.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
With a large spatula, carefully transfer the calzones to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp on the outside.

Serve warm.

adminItalian17 Oct, 2007No Comments

Bistecche dei Poveri (Poor Man’s Steaks)

In Sicily bistecche like these are served as an antipasto, a contorno, or, when a charcoal fire is going, as one of many dishes in a mixed grill.

3 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds)
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

Start outdoor grill.
Cut the eggplants into lengthwise slices about 1/4-inch thick.
Throw away the outermost, curved slice, which is mostly skin.
Salt eggplant and let stand.

While the eggplants are standing, mix the olive oil with the oregano and chopped mint leaves.

When the fire is ready, take as many slices as will fit on your grill, brush them on one side only with the flavored oil, and put them on to brown oiled-side down.
While they are grilling, brush their top sides with more oil.
When done on both sides, remove to a serving platter, brushing with just a bit more oil, and keep warm until all the slices are cooked.

Serve hot.

Serves 6.

adminItalian16 Oct, 2007No Comments

Bean Soup with Pasta (Pasta e Fagioli)

5 cups water
8 ounces dried great northern or navy beans (1 1/4 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped or 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 medium stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 pound salt pork, chopped
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup uncooked macaroni (shells, bows or elbow macaroni)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat water and beans to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
Add onion, tomato, celery, garlic, salt pork, bouillon, salt and pepper to beans.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours.
Do not boil beans as they will burst.
Skim fat if necessary.

Stir macaroni into soup.
Cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Yields 5 servings.

adminItalian16 Oct, 2007No Comments

Pecan Encrusted Italian Pork Roulade

Posted by bettyboop50 May 14, 2001

7 ounces pork tenderloin
1 ounce spinach
Pinch nutmeg
2 ounces prosciutto ham
2 ounces ricotta cheese
2 ounces pecan pieces crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pound the pork tenderloin to a nice thickness.
Layer with prosciutto, spinach, nutmeg, and ricotta cheese.
Roll and secure if necessary.
Sear on all sides and brown.
Roll in crushed pecan pieces.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

adminItalian13 Oct, 2007No Comments

Garlic Rosemary Focaccia

Posted by bettyboop50 May 9, 2001

3 whole heads garlic, not cloves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 scant tablespoons or 2 (1/4 ounce)
packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 cups warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal, for pans
2 tablespoons crushed fresh rosemary
leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
Coarse salt, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Separate garlic head into cloves and peel.
Add olive oil in a small heavy saucepan, add garlic, cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, or until softened but not browned.

Remove from heat and strain.
Set oil aside to use later.
When cool, cut cloves into lengthwise slivers and set aside.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.
Add 1 cup of unbleached flour and stir thoroughly.
Let sit for 15 minutes or until mixture is filled with tiny bubbles.

Add 2 tablespoons of reserved garlic oil and 1 more cup of unbleached flour and all of the whole wheat flour and salt to the yeast mixture.

Beat vigorously with a dough hook or a heavy sturdy spoon for 2 minutes.
Gradually add more of the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from sides of bowl.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour a little at a time as necessary for 8 to 10 minutes, or until you have a smooth elastic dough and blisters begin to develop on surface.

Place dough into an oiled bowl.
Turn to coat the entire ball of the dough with oil.
Cover with a tightly woven kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Sprinkle a well greased 13 x 18-inch baking sheet with cornmeal. Turn dough onto an oiled work surface.
With the heel of your hand, flatten dough into an 11 x 16-inch rectangle.
Lift dough onto baking sheet.
Using hands, press dough into corners and edges of baking sheet.

Flattening dough with hands rather than a rolling pin will give the irregular texture associated with focaccia.
Cover dough with towel and let rise 20 minutes.

Sprinkle top of dough with rosemary and the slivered garlic. Using fingertips, make indentations in dough about 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart, to give a dimpled effect.
As you do this, press garlic slivers into dough to keep them from falling off or over cooking.
Cover dough with towel and let rise an additional 20 minutes.

Place a shallow pan on lower shelf of oven and heat up.

Drizzle remaining garlic oil over top of focaccia.
Use a brush to pat the oil over the entire surface, allowing any excess to pool in the indentations.
Sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons of coarse salt.

Put 1 cup of ice cubes in the heated shallow pan in the oven. Immediately put the focaccia in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until pale gold.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
It is best eaten slightly warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: you can substitute parmesan cheese for the salt, or use both.

adminItalian11 Oct, 2007No Comments

Amaretti (Almond Macaroons)

1/2 pound blanched almonds
4 drops bitter almond oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Finely grind blanched almonds, in batches, using a hand grinder, blender or food processor.

combine almonds with almond oil, sugar and lightly beaten egg whites.
Knead mixture into a firm dough.

With moistened hands, form dough into 1-inch diameter balls (about 45 balls).
Place balls at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment, using a second baking sheet if needed.
Place baking sheet on bottom rack of oven and bake for about 55 to 60 minutes.

Transfer baked cookies to a wire rack.
Using a fine sieve, dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar while warm.

adminItalian8 Oct, 2007No Comments

Italian Dinner Soup

Posted by Annette 1/16/2002 10:35 am

1 pound lean ground beef
1 quart water
1 cup finely cut onions
1 cup finely cut celery
1 cup finely cut carrots
1 quart diced tomatoes
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup uncooked broken spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon Italian spices
1 cup peas

Cook and drain ground beef.
Using a large kettle, pour in water, add onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, spaghetti and simmer 20 minutes.
Season with Italian spices and add peas.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

adminItalian6 Oct, 2007No Comments

EGGPLANT SALAD (Caponata)

1 (1 1/2 pound) eggplant
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil

Cut eggplant into 3/4-inch cubes.
Heat small amount salted water to boiling.
Add eggplant.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes; drain.

Place eggplant and onion in nonreactive bowl.
Mix vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; pour over eggplant and onion. Toss.
Stir in tomato and parsley.
Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Just before serving, stir in oil.

adminItalian29 Sep, 2007No Comments