Sicilian Cheesecake
1 sponge cake
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
4 ounces bitter chocolate, grated
2 teaspoons glaced fruit, chopped
1/2 cup Vanilla Sugar
Cut sponge cake into 3 layers. Beat cheeses together and rub through a fine sieve. Add sugar, chocolate, maraschino cherry juice and 1 teaspoon fruit. Mix well until creamy. Spread filling between layers. Decorate top with Vanilla Sugar and remaining fruit.
Vanilla Sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Mix well.
Sausages and Peppers
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages
1/2 cup water
2 green bell peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large skillet, bring the sausages and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sausages are no longer pink.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Drain off the water and sausage fat. Add bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes and seasonings to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 8 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Serve right away.
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.
Roasted Pepper Salad (Pimentos Assados)
6 large green, red or yellow peppers (or combination)
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F.
Arrange peppers on rack in broiler pan. Broil with tops about 5 inches from heat, turning frequently, until blistered on al sides, about 20 minutes. Place peppers in plastic bag; seal bag. Let stand until peppers can be peeled easily, about 20 minutes.
Remove skin, stems and seeds from peppers. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch wide strips, and place in nonreactive bowl. Shake remaining ingredients in tightly covered jar; pour over peppers. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Yields 6 servings.
Roasted Onions
4 large yellow onions, unpeeled
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, or
1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
Trim both ends from onion; prick each onion several times with fork. Brush with oil. Place onions in greased 10 x 6-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
Carefully remove skin from onions; place onions upright in serving dish. Cut each onion about halfway through into fourths; separate slightly. Heat butter and rosemary until butter is hot. Pour over onions.
Yields 4 servings.
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Ricotta Lasagna Swirls
8 lasagna noodles
2 pounds fresh spinach
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 pound ricotta cheese
Salt
Pepper
Cook and drain 8 lasagna noodles.
Steam 2 pounds fresh spinach for 7 minutes, then chop. Mix spinach with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 pound ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Coat each noodle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of mixture along the entire length of the noodle. Roll up. Stand on end in a baking dish.
Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Saute garlic and onion. Add tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Pour sauce over noodles and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Rice, Milan Style (Risotto alla Milanese)
1 cup uncooked regular rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped beef marrow (optional)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups water
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon slat
Dash of ground saffron
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook and stir rice, onion and beef marrow (if used) in butter in 2-quart saucepan until rice is golden, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese. Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 14 minutes without lifting cover or stirring.
Remove from heat. Gently stir in cheese with fork; cover and let steam 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve rice with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Yields 6 servings.
Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Soup)
Ribollita literally means "re-boiled." It usually consists of leftovers that are reheated with the addition of beans. In Tuscany, olive oil is served as a condiment to be poured into the soup at the table.
1/2 cup dried cannellini beans
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 cups diced zucchini
1/4 pound green beans, topped and tailed
and cut into short pieces
6 slices white bread
1 pound green cabbage, sliced
Olive oil
Water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Begin preparation the day before you plan to serve the soup. Put dried beans in a pan with 1 1/2 pints of cold water and bring to boil. Turn off heat and leave beans to soak for 1 hour. Heat some olive oil in a large pan and add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and leek and saute gently for 5 minutes. Add drained beans, tomatoes and 3 pints cold water. Simmer gently for 1 hour or until beans are tender. Halfway through cooking beans, add zucchini and green beans. Refrigerate the soup overnight.
The next day cook cabbage in boiling water and re-heat soup. Put a slice of bread in the bottom of individual, warmed soup dishes. Drain cabbage and pile onto the bread. Adjust seasoning of the soup to taste and ladle into soup dishes. Serve with a jug of olive oil so that each person can pour some into their soup.