DIY Italian Bistro Lunch & Cocktails

So to celebrate my Mom's 39th birthday (again) she wanted some Italian themed food.  I like when the whole family comes to our house instead of going out- we can relax, stay as late as you want, drink as much as you want and most importantly watch the Giants game ;)  There are 6 of us usually and they come with the booze and I'll cook up the meal- having a great time + saving money + everyone pitching in = a normal family gathering for us.

My mom is a bruschetta fanatic- it is always a must have.  So to change it up I made homemade focaccia bread instead of just regular Italian bread- which came out perfect and is oh so good.  Here's the menu run down:

Appetizer

Homemade Focaccia with Bruschetta
Romaine and Fennel Salad
Raspberry Bellinis

Main Lunch

Paninis!
Caprese- Homemade pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes on Italian artisan bread
Proscuitto, arugula, and provolone on roasted garlic artisan bread
Genoa Salami, hot capicola, homemade roasted red peppers, provolone and arugula on whole wheat artisan bread

The last panini combo was the favorite!

Dessert

(Healthy) Lemon Semifreddo with raspberry and almond topping



Wow- this seems like such a lot of work when I actually typed it out! But it really wasn't- just some good planning and prep can make your party easy and enjoyable.

First things first: food shopping the day before.  I basically made the deli counter lady crazy.  I ordered all the meat and cheese pre-sliced so all I needed to do was put on the bread and fry.  I also picked up frozen bags of raspberries because they were on sale and of course all the other fresh ingredients I needed.

When I got home from food shopping I made the pesto, roasted red peppers (you can also just pick up a jar of them no biggie), and the lemon semifreddo.  By the way, semifreddo is like an Italian sherbet.

Fast forward to the day of- I made the focaccia in the morning (which you could have done the night before but I wanted it super fresh and it made the house smell wonderful), pureed the raspberries in the blender, and made the bruschetta (which could also have been made in advance).  When we were all done with the appetizers I just assembled the sandwiches and fried them up. Simple!

So the focaccia recipe is again Anne Burrell's but I this time I used a bit less flour and a bit more yeast.  Can't deny the fact that this is a great simple recipe.

Then you slice the small squares again through the middle and make a small little bruschetta sandwich!

Pesto

• 1 big bunch of basil leaves (about 1-2 cups)
• handful of parsely
• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese (Or pecorino)
• 2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Throw everything into a food processor or blender except the oil.  Get everything chopped then slowly add the oil to make a pesto as thin or thick as you like. Freezes wonderfully- but mine never makes it to the freezer ;)



Bruschetta Recipe

• 4 large tomatoes, diced (I have also used canned diced tomatoes before- just drain them well)
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 1 bunch of basil, torn or chiffonade
• Extra virgin olive oil- about 1/3 cup
• salt to taste

Combine everything and let sit to marry the flavors.

Romaine and Fennel Salad
I wanted something light and crunchy to go along with my focaccia and bruschetta

• 2 heads of romaine, sliced
• 1/2 bulb of fennel (aka anise), sliced paper thin- save a couple fronds for garnish (the green leafy stuff on the top of the bulb)
• orange zest (optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper

To make the dressing combine the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil until it looks like a dressing.  Toss the romaine and fennel together and zest the orange on top for garnish as well as the fennel fronds.  I served the salad undressed, then had everyone pour the dressing on their own salad.  Just don't overdress the salad or it will make the lettuce heavy.  (I also made the salad ahead- if you do this definitely do not add the dressing).  Thinly sliced red onion would be nice in this salad too.

Raspberry Bellinis

So a Bellini is a classic Italian cocktail made with peach and prosecco.  I decided to change it up with raspberries. 

• 2 bottles of good Prosecco (or any sparkling wine/champagne)
• 1/2 bag of frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup of triple sec (this is really just to help the raspberries in the blender- you could omit or just use water or another flavored liquor)

Blend the raspberries with the extra liquid of your choice until it is a puree.  You can choose to strain out the seeds and pulp- I was in a rush and forgot but they were still good.  You can either make the drinks individually by adding a bit of puree to the bottom of each glass or (like I did) make a pitcher- one bottle at a time.

Panini

Panini is just a hot squished sandwich.  I do not have a panini press- but I do own a cast iron skillet.  If you don't own a heavy pan you can just weigh it down with whatever you have- a large can of beans or tomatoes etc.  One thing about paninis is that it is a good idea to make sure you have a piece of cheese directly on the bread on BOTH sides- so it acts like glue to stick everything together

Caprese: is the classic combo of basil, mozzarella and tomato.  Just slice the bread, slather both sides with pesto, top with cheese and tomato and put in a skillet with a bit of oil and pop the cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich to weigh it down. 

Prosciutto: I used sliced prosciutto, provolone and arugula in this sandwich on a roasted garlic bread. Same technique as before

Salami: This one was the best! And everything you can get right at the deli! Genoa Salami (which is a sweeter salami), Hot capicola is another type of salami-which is from the shoulder or neck- they even have sweet versions, Roasted red peppers , arugula and provolone.  Pile everything up, squish down and fry until the cheese is melty and delicious!



Did this the night before. Oh and check out my new magnetic knife holder I got for Christmas!

 Onto the dessert....

Ok so I basically followed Anne Burrell's Lemon Semifreddo recipe but of course I forgot to buy heavy cream- so I had to improvise (and pray it worked) and then when it did work out I got to call it "healthy" hehe.  This needs to set for AT LEAST 6-8 hours- so I suggest you do this the day before.

• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• other half a bag of frozen raspberries left over from the bellinis
• 8 eggs- yolks and whites separated
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 lemons, zested and juiced
• 2 pinches of salt

Start by prepping the pan- take a loaf pan or even a small casserole dish and line with plastic wrap (for easy removal later!) then in the bottom (which will eventually become our top) coat with crushed raspberries and nuts. 

Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls- set the whites aside.  Add the sugar, lemon zest and juice and one pinch of salt to the yolks and whisk to combine.  Now we need to set up a double boiler.  In a sauce pot, that will snugly and comfortably fit your bowl with the yolks (obviously the bowl must be glass or metal), fill the pot with just an inch of water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Put your yolk bowl on top and continuously stir the eggs until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.  This takes about 10 minutes.  DO NOT STOP STIRRING or you will end up with scrambled eggs.  When it reaches the correct temperature take off the heat and set aside. 

I didn't use a snug fitting bowl and it took SOOOOOO long- don't let the steam escape!

Back to egg whites: Add the other pinch of salt and beat until tripled in size and have stiff peaks.  You beat the eggs until it becomes like a whipped cream almost.  Stiff peaks refers to the fact when you dip your whisk in the egg whites, pull it out, hold vertical over the bowl for a second, then turn horizontal, and what is on the end of your whisk should look like small little mountain peaks of egg white foam.



Staight Old School- with Grandmas Hand Crank Egg Beater



Combine the egg whites with the egg yolks in three installments.  The first installment try to cut the whites into the yolks with a spatula.  Next two installments gently fold in the whites as to not let all the air out of them.

Fill your loaf pan- I had a bit left over- don’t worry I'll show you a dessert you can make right away with the extra for the cook ;) After you fill your loaf pan wiggle it around so there are no air bubbles and everything will freeze evenly.  Pop in the freezer over night until solid but still soft (like a sherbet!)

To serve- use the plastic wrap to help you pull it out of the pan and then slice and serve! Super delicious, refreshing and pallet cleansing!

Try one or try them all! Buon appetito!


Oh so back to the extra left over from dessert- now this is not brain surgery- but you are going to have to eye ball it- depending on how much egg mixture you have left- sprinkle some flour into the batter- mix as gently and as little as possible to incorporate the flour (sifting would really help here).  Mix until the batter looks like it has a thicker texture.

Now in another loaf pan or I used these cute ramekins- grease the pan, pour mixture in and top with raspberries.

Pop then into a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden on the edges.  Depending on how much flour you put in you might not be able to rely on the "toothpick method" but hey whatever comes out is at least going to taste good for a quick dessert.  It came out almost like a really moist sponge cake.  I think I baked it for about 20-30 minutes.

Before she went in the oven

Obviously we all had a great day!

Thanksgiving Dinner + Leftover Turkey Chili

So my first Thanksgiving dinner party went great.  I am so thankful the turkey (cooking it for the first time ever!) was juicy and delicious and for the friends that came over to help enjoy it.  I didn't have too many leftovers but my favorite turkey use up is chili- it is an easy one pot meal and you can use just about anything you have left over. 

I didn't take many pictures of my dinner party which I am a bit upset about, but Christmas party time is right around the corner! 

So quick recap: I defrosted the 15lb frozen turkey for 2 days, brined for another 2 days, then let dry out in the fridge over night before I roasted and basted for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.  Then let rest for at least half an hour.  I followed Anne Burrell's brined turkey recipe for the most part.  (I also have to especially thank my brother and sister in law for letting me borrow the electric knife- otherwise I would have been cutting that thing forever!) Then when I was all done with the turkey I even made some homemade turkey stock!

See all the wonderful flavors being infused!?

I served appetizers: cheese platter, homemade olive bread, stuffed mushrooms, nuts etc.

Main course: was of course the turkey w homemade gravy, roasted regular and sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli, corn muffins, biscuits, cheesy cauliflower, stuffing, Anne Burrell's Killer Mac and Cheese with Bacon (which was the hit of the party) and the gross jelly cranberry stuff (which will not be served next time).  There could of been more, I just can't remember right this second.



Not bad for the first time!

 Dessert (which most of us didn't even have room to consume) was homemade pignoli cookies and clemetines. 

I can't wait to do this again.  And next time will come with more pictures.

Now on to the leftovers!  Remember you can swap or substitute whatever you have/want.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 poblano chili peppers
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• about 3 cups of leftover turkey chopped or sliced into bite size pieces with all bones and skin removed
• 1 cup of corn
• 1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes
• 28oz of homemade turkey stock (just use tomato can to measure)
• 1 (15oz) can of red kidney beans
• 2 palmfuls of chili powder
• 1 palmful of cumin
• 1/2 palmfull of coriander
• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat up a bit of oil.
2. Add the onion and peppers, cook for about 5-7 minutes
3. Add the garlic, cook 2 minutes
4. Add all the spices first, then everything else
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  I usually like to simmer for at least 20 minutes to get the flavors married.  Longer is fine.  If it looks to thick, add a bit more stock.
6. Garnish with leftover shredded cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, raw onions, crumbled corn bread, tortilla chips etc!

Pinwheels and Calzones

So this past weekend I got engaged!  Super excited and hopefully I will be able to keep up with all the planning, work and my blog!  I think I'll manage- I mean, we still have to eat! 

(I also want to apologize for the sub-par photos- my camera is MIA right now!  The pics might not be as great- but it sure did taste awesome- I didn't even get a chance to take a photo of the finished cooked pinwheels- we ate them too fast!)

Anyway- so Sunday is Football day in our house and it usually means pizza too.  I changed it up a bit and made some pinwheels and calzones.  Start off with my pizza dough recipe and that will make about one dozen pinwheels and 4 calzones.  These are super versatile and you can use absolutely anything you want inside them both.  I used what I had in the fridge/freezer and dipped in my home made sauce. 

Pinwheels

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb. Pepperoni, sliced or chopped
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 small tomato, sliced
• about 1½ cups of mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c. of your favorite tomato sauce

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to about 450 degrees F
2. Make the dough and then divide into two pieces if you will be making both recipes (one for the pinwheels, one for the calzones), if not make double wheels or save the rest in the fridge
3. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle shape.  Make sure you use a lot of flour on the underside of the dough so it is easy to roll up.  Don't roll the dough too thin, we don't want it to rip, but if it does don't worry just patch it up- these are very rustic.
4. It is almost like we are making a Sicilian pizza.  Spread the sauce out very lightly and evenly.  Then top with all your toppings and gently roll up into a log.
5. Slice even sections about 1½ inches thick. 
6. Gently transfer to a baking sheet and squish the wheels together a bit so they keep their shape. 
7. Cook about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Calzones

• Use the remaining half of the dough you made
• 1½ c of mozzarella
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 small onion diced
• 1½ c of broccoli (I used my own frozen and just defrosted and chopped up)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pepperoni

Directions

1. I put the oven to 500 degrees F and then when they just started to get brown I lowered the heat to 350 degrees and let it go for another five minutes or so just so everything is cooked through- because these were thicker and I didn't want them to burn.
2. Separate your ingredients evenly into 4 piles (for each of the calzones to make it easier)
3. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle- like the pinwheels
4. Cut the dough into 4 rectangles.
5. Layer all our ingredients onto one side of the rectangle then just fold over the other side on top of everything- like a blanket.  Press the edges together to seal the calzone- you can even use a fork to make it look prettier. 
6. Gently slice a couple slits on the top of the calzone to let the steam out- otherwise it will explode.
7. I sprayed them with a little cooking spray and laid on a baking sheet, then popped in the oven  (See step one for oven directions)

Mini Stuffed Peppers

This is one of my most viewed posts- even with the original no so perfect pictures! I think I took the first photos with my cell phone! I originally posted this in Oct 2011, and I felt it needed a photo update* (along with most of my earlier posts-see the end for originals).  Recipe is still the same and still delicious. Perfect for an easy make-a-head appetizer! 

{Since my Greek style Stuffed Peppers- w/ Beef, Orzo and Feta Cheese were such a huge hit, I decided to follow that up with an Italian style smaller/appetizer size stuffed pepper recipe.  These are so cute and colorful they are hard to resist.  Yes it is more of a summer time recipe, but I just found the recipe scribbled down and felt compelled to share.  If you can't find the mini peppers just try and go with the smallest peppers you can find, and you will probably need to cook them a bit longer.  This filling recipe will make about 20-30 mini peppers.  The peppers I usually buy come in a bag already pre-packaged.  Oh, and do I really need to mention they are super easy to make?}

Ingredients

• 20 mini sweet peppers (I buy them in a bag of about 30-40 peppers)
• 2 hot (or sweet) sausages, removed from the casing
• 1 small onion or shallot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 10 oz box of spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out (or fresh spinach cooked down to about the same amount- about 2 bunches or so)
• 3/4 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c pecorino (or parmesan) cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prep peppers by cutting off the top and carefully removing/scooping out seeds and ribs from the inside.  Set aside and reserve.
3. Meanwhile, remove the sausage from the casing and brown in a skillet with about a tsp of oil just to get it going.  After sausage is fully cooked through, drain excess oil but leave about a tbs in the skillet.
4. Add onion and garlic- cook until soft about 5 minutes.
5. Add the spinach and heat through
6. In a bowl combine the cooked sausage mixture and the rest of the ingredients.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Wait until the stuffing is cool enough to handle and stuff peppers.
9. Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray, lay out all your peppers, drizzle with a little oil and put in the oven about 20 minutes.

You might end up with a bit of extra filling, depending on the size of your peppers. You can just put the remaining filling in a ziplock bag and then freeze for later use.

*Oh yea, and here are those original photos:



Israeli Spiced Chicken & Pearl Barley with Roasted Vegetables

This is actually one of my first recipes that I created completely by myself. I was inspired by a dish I ordered at a wonderful local restaurant named Veranda Cafe (If you live in Queens, NY I would highly recommend checking it out).  Anyway, the original dish was herb crusted salmon on a bed of Israeli couscous with grilled vegetables.  This is the first time I have ever used mint in a dish, and my boyfriend doesn't care for it, but I thought it was good. So you can have the option of omitting it if you like.  I will also be letting you in on the secret of homemade roasted red peppers.

Homemade Roasted Red Peppers

Gas stove: Take the peppers and put directly onto the flame.  I know if sounds scary but they won't go on fire I promise.  They will sizzle and pop a little, but don't worry.  Check them periodically and when they are all crusty and black flip them to the other side- the blacker the better!

Electric stove: Take the peppers and put them on a baking sheet under the broiler, and follow the same idea- once one side gets crusty and black, flip it. 

When all sides are charred.  Put the peppers into a bowl and cover with saran wrap tightly.  We are trying to trap all the steam so the flesh will soften and pull away from the skins.  I would say let sit for at least 10 mins.

Then carefully (they can still be really hot) cut them open and scrape out seeds and ribs, also the charred skin should rub right off too- if you don't get all the black and skin off it's not a big deal. If you really are bothered by the black stuff you can always give them a quick rinse. Then I just diced them into small pieces to add to the barely later.

Barley: Some people are weirded out by other grains.  So many people are used to just rice- so boring! I used pearl barley because I didn't have Israeli couscous- which is the super sized small ball shaped couscous.  Barley is chewy, almost like pasta, and can be creamy too (think risotto).  It is also high in fiber and selenium.  It can be eaten as a side dish (like what I made in this recipe) or added to soups or stews.  One more awesome thing: its super cheap to buy.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, covered in spice rub (see below)
• 1 cup of barely
• 2 medium sized zucchini, diced
• 1 large red pepper (or two small)
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (I was lazy and used the stuff in a bottle)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh mint, chopped

Spice rub:

• 1 tablespoon each of: smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, & parsley.
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes, fresh black pepper, rosemary, garlic powder, thyme
• 3-4 tablespoons of panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. First get the barley going (takes at least 30 mins). Read directions on the package. Just really bringing water to a boil and simmering til done.
3. Put diced zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer- toss with oil, salt, pepper and just a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Put in the oven until crispy. Probably for about as long as the barley will cook.
4. Prepare the roasted red peppers (see technique above). Or you can just used jarred peppers too. Either way is fine- just dice up into small pieces.
5. Mix the spices for the rub in a small bowl.  Coat the chicken in a little oil so the rub sticks and cover the chicken completely with the rub (I went heavy with the rub on one side, and lightly on the other).
6. In a skillet (that will fit all the chicken) heat some oil on high heat.  Add the chicken with the side you coated heavily down into the oil so it gets time to get crusty. Now you will be tempted to move and fuss and check with the chicken- don't do this or you will never get a crispy crust.  Let it go for like 8 mins at least on one side (Now I was also working with thick chicken breasts, so if yours are skinny or thin sliced, you can flip them over sooner)  Then flip the chicken to the other side and finish cooking over a lower heat (med-med high).
7. When the zucchini and barley are done, add them both, along with the diced roasted red pepper, and combine in a bowl with salt, pepper, the oil, lemon juice and mint. Taste it because you might have to or want to add more of one of these ingredients. 
8. Spoon barley onto a plate and slice up the chicken.  I served along side a quick salad.