PIZZA RUSTICA
Filling
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Divide the dough into two pieces: two-thirds for the bottom crust and one-third for the top. On a floured surface, roll out the larger portion of the dough into a large round to line the bottom and sides of large spring form pan with extra to overhang. Place filling into the dough lined pan. Roll out the remaining dough to cover the top. Trim off extra dough, moisten dough with water to seal edges together. Roll dough under on the outer edge of pie. With a sharp knife tip score small holes on dough.
Bake for 45 minutes. then brush with beaten egg and continue to cook for another 45 minutes
Easter Bread
3 Large Eggs- room temerature
1 Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Lemon Flavoring
1 Tablespoon Anise Flavoring
1 Cup Milk
1 Package Fast Active Yeast
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
5 Cups Flour -extra for dusting
4 whole Raw Eggs -dyed-for decoration
1 Egg Wash
Using a stand or hand held mixer, whisking room temperature eggs with sugar on high until thick and pale. Whisk in salt, lemon and anise flavor.
In a medium size pot, warm milk, and add yeast. Change mixer to paddle attachment, mix in flour gradually, then pour milk mixture and oil in and mix to combine. Use more flour if dough is too sticky.
Turn dough out onto floured board and knead until smooth, approximately 5 minutes, continue to lightly dust board with flour while kneading to avoid sticking.
Cut dough into three equal pieces and roll each one into long, thick spaghetti shapes. Attach all three together at one end and braid until you reach the end. Make a circle touching ends together and press dough so they stay together. Place dyed eggs around bread.
Place bread on a greased and floured cookie sheet, drape bread with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
Brush the bread with egg wash and bake on lower, middle rack for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool on wire rack. Serve. Enjoy!
Eggs Nun Style
4 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Egg – beaten with a splash of milk
Splash Milk
1 Cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Cut hard boiled eggs in half length wise, remove yolks into a bowl. Add ricotta, parmessian, salt, pepper and nutmeg in with the egg yolks and mix until well combined. Stuff each egg white with yolk and cheese mixture, forming a round egg shape.
Roll stuffed egg into flour, then the egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil @ 350 degrees until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve.
Italian Style Shepherd’s Pie
1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Large Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1- 14/5 Can Diced Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
1 -14/5 Can Corn
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Red Potato – Herb Butter Smashed Potatoes *
2 Cups Gold Potato – Pecorino Romano Smashed Potatoes *
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
In large skillet, brown ground beef, just slightly on medium heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove meat from pan and set aside. In the same pan, drain most of oil from the meat, leaving enough to fry onions. Slice onions and fry on medium low until just soft. Add in diced garlic, continue to cook another minute, salt and pepper to taste and place onions in with meat and mix.
Again in the same pan add tomatoes and basil and salt and pepper to taste. Remember tomatoes need a lot of salt. Simmer tomatoes until almost all liquid is reduced.
In large oven safe casserole dish, place beef and onion mixture on bottom, place tomato mixture next topped with pecorino romano cheese. Then place the corn that has been drained on top, add in cheese layer. Then add the red smashed potatoes. Last layer is the white smashed potatoes.
In preheated oven, bake casserole on lower then middle rack, cook for about 40 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve. Enjoy!
For Potatoes:
In large pot of water add cut up potatoes (about 5 Large Potatoes) and boil until soft. Drain and return poatoes to pot. Add in 1/2 stick butter and 1/4 cup milk, salt and pepper.
*Herb Butter Smashed Potatoes- with softened butter mix in finely chopped basil, parsley, garlic, roasted red peppers, salt and pepper. Add a half of stick worth of herb butter into potatoes. ( This replaces the butter used in above recipe) Roll into a round stick of butter with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Use herb butter in place of regular butter for anything!
*Pecorino Romano Smashed Potatoes- Add into potatoes 1/4 cup of pecorino romano cheese.
My oldest daughter’s favorite dessert is tiramisu. So every year I make some sort of tiramisu dessert for her. I like to make it different every year also, so it’s some kind of a surprise. Well this year was a double surprise! The cake turned out wonderful, and looked really good also; well for awhile…anyway.
Birthday Tiramisu Charlotte Cake
7 Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Amaretto
1 1/2 Cups Brewed Espresso or Strong Black Coffee
16 Ounces Mascarpone Cheese
3 Bags Stella D’oro Cookies-Margherite Vanilla and Chocolate
Semi Sweet Chocolate- Grated
With electric mixer on high with whisk attachment, whisk egg yolks and sugar together for about five minutes or until thick and creamy. Add in 1/4 cup of the amaretto, 1/4 of the espresso and mascarpone cheese, whisk on medium speed until smooth.
In shallow bowl mix together the reaming amaretto and espresso. Line the sides of a cheesecake pan alternating vanilla and chocolate cookies that has been slightly soaked in espresso, amaretto mixture.
Lay lightly soaked vanilla cookies on the bottom of the pan, top with 1/3 of the cream. Next layer lightly soaked chocolate cookies, top with half of the remaining cream, last cookie layer use the reamining vanilla cookies, top with reamining cream.
Cover cake carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Grate chocolate on top and serve. Enjoy<3
ooooooopppppss!!! Well there it is, the second surprise!!! Happy Birthday!!!!
So glad the birthday girl thought it was funny too!
Pecorino Romano Encrusted Chicken
Pecorino Romano Encrusted Chicken
Drizzle Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Flour
4-6 Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
Coat chicken with flour, and set aside. In small bowl, mix together panko, cheese, garlic and pepper.
With an oven safe skillet, fry chicken lightly on each side. Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese mixture and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cook through. Serve. Enjoy!
Pasta Primavera
On a Friday during lent, hubby was at work and was going to cook for the guys, ( he is a fireman) they decided on Pasta Primavera. So hubby calls me up and says “You don’t have Pasta Primavera on your web site” I say “I Know”. The next day I asked how his Pasta Primavera came out. He said “We had pizza instead, you didn’t have a recipe.” You have to love him for being so true. So here you go for the next time honey, and thanks!
Creamy Pasta Primavera
1 Pound Ziti
Drizzle Olive Oil
1 Onion-Sliced
2 Celery Stalks-Sliced
3 Cloves Garlic- Diced
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 Bag Frozen Mixed Vegetables ( your favorite)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/3 Cup Peorino Rommano Cheese
1/2 Cup White Cheddar Cheese- shredded
2 Tablespoons Butter-room temp.
2 Tablespoons Flour
In boiling salt water cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.
In a large saute pan, drizzle oil and cook onions and celery on medium low heat until just turning soft. Add in garlic and continue to cook another minute. add in broth and let reduce by 1/4 and in vegetables and cream, salt and pepper,parsley and cheeses, bring back up to a simmer and continue to cook until slightly thickened.
In a small bowl mix together butter and flour, then wish the butter four mixture into vegetables. Continue to simmer until you have reached desired thickness. Place cooked pasta in vegetables and stir to combined. Serve. Enjoy!
Black Bean Soup
Drizzle Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion-Diced
1 Carrot-Diced
1 Celery Stalk-Diced
3 Cloves Garlic-Diced
2 Tablespoons Cumin
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
3 Dashes of Hot Sauce
1-15 Ounce Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
3-15 Ounce Cans Black Beans-Drained
1-49.5 Ounce Can Chicken Broth
In a soup pot with a drizzle of oil on medium heat cook Onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add in garlic, cumin, chili powder, parsley salt, pepper, hot sauce and tomatoes. Cook until the tomato juice had almost all cooked off. Then add two cans of the black beans and broth, let simmer for 10 minutes.
Emulsify or blend the soup until chunky. Add in the last can of beans and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream if desired. Enjoy!
