Pizzelle

My family who came over from Torricella-Peligna Italy have been making these cookies for well over 100 years.  Unless you have inherited a iron stove top pizzelle griddle, you will need an electric Pizzelle Press  to make these.  Enjoy!

This recipe makes about 8 dozen if you don't eat a bunch as you are making them.

Ingredients:

12 eggs
1 cup of oil
1 cup of melted butter (cooled)
1 capful of Anise Oil
1 TBS crushed anise seed (crushed in mortar and pestal)
5 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar

Directions

1. Crack all the eggs in the mixer bowl of your Kitchenaid mixer
2. Add oil & butter
3. Add sugar
4. Add one capful of anise oil and crushed seeds
5. Mix gently on low speed
6. Add flour one cup at a time. 
7. Mix well 
8. Place batter in refrigerator overnight or at least a few hours until it thickens.
9. Set the Pizzelle Press to 3 or 3.5 
10. Scoop a small 1 inch size ball of batter on each griddle. 
11. Close the latch and wait for the green light. Remove pizzelle gently. 
12. Dust warm pizzelle with powdered sugar
13. Watch them disapppear

Grandma's Sughi

There are times when you just need to get back to your roots. This meat based sauce was something my grandmother Josephine made often. We don't make this now that we eat heavy on fruits and vegetables but it is still the best meat based pasta sauce in the world. It was also a great dish to share with my cooking club ladies. :)

Sughi 

Makes a big 8 quart pot

Sauce
olive oil, salt & pepper
1 TBS Italian seasoning
2 pounds pork shoulder, ham hock(not smoked),spare ribs, etc. (Your choice)
1 pounds mild Italian Sausage w/fennel
3 Garlic Cloves
1 can of tomato paste
2 28 oz can of tomato sauce or puree
1 28 oz can of whole peeled plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3-4 whole eggs.
1 small container of sliced mushroom.

Meatballs: (large recipe - half if you want less)
1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of  ground pork
4 eggs
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Parsley (fresh or dry)

Directions: 

1.  Brown sausage, ham hocks, country ribs, etc. in pot. 
2.  Drain off extra oil if there is a lot and remove meat. 
3.  Grate 3 garlic cloves into pot. 
4.  Stir in tomato paste. Use a flat spoon or spatula to scrape up all the browned meat and garlic. It should blend into the tomato paste 
5. Add tomato puree and whole tomatoes - crush/squeeze with hands 
6. Add the water – use it is rinse out tomato jars/bottles 
7. Add mushrooms 
8. Add all spices: bay leaves, Italian seasoning. 
9. Cut up the meat and add it back in. It will be undercooked but will continue to cook in the sauce. 
10. Make meatballs. Mix all the dry ingredients, herbs, and spices and then mix in the meat mixture and eggs – don’t overwork. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees until slightly browned. Add these to the pot to continue to cook. 
11. Let sughi simmer for at least 3 hours. When the meat is cooked – Crack 2-4 eggs in and let them sink into the sauce. Don’t stir. Let them cook. It is ready to serve when the eggs are firm. 
12. Take out all the meat and eggs and serve separate from the sauce. If you used meat with bones be sure to pick out the bones before serving. Also, pick out and discard the bay leaves.
13. Serve sauce on linguine, gnocchi, ravioli, etc. Pass around the meat and eggs on a platter so your guests can choose what they like.
14. Enjoy!

Choco-Nana Date Nut Muffins

Here a yummy and healthy muffin to satisfy your sweet tooth. The sugar comes from dates, bananas, and a little chocolate - no white sugar, oils, or eggs.  These muffins are gluten free and vegan.

4 small very ripe bananas - I wait till they are almost entirely black. 
2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Oat Flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
1 package of Ziyad All Natural Baking Dates (about 1 cup pureed)
1/2 cup of chocolate chips (vegan)
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tbs Cacao Powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt.

Directions:

1. In a food processor - add all of ingredients and blend well.  I use my Ninja food processing bowl. Easy, right?

2. Scoop into muffin tins. I use an ice cream scoop. This makes exactly one dozen muffins.

3. Bake at 350 until browned on top - approximately 30 minutes.
 
4. Let cool and enjoy!

Three Lentil Soup (Corner Bakery Style)

I love lentil soup - it is rich, hearty, and plant based! I loved the version they make at the local Corner Bakery but If I am correct - Gasp- it looks like it has been replaced by a Tuscan bean soup. With this in mind I set off to make my own quick and easy version and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Ingredients

2 boxes of Trader Joe's Hearty Vegetable broth (4 cups each)
1 container of Trader Joe's Mirepoix (or 1 cup each onion, celery, and carrot diced)
2 garlic cloves grated on a microplane
2 cups of button mushrooms diced
6 oz bag of Trader Joe's baby spinach
2 cups of pureed tomato
1/4 cup green lentils
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup brown lentils (I found these dry in the bulk section at Whole Foods) but you can also find them steamed in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe's)
1 tsp cumin
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 bay leaf
1 good shake of Goya Adobo w/ pepper seasoning. Taste and add more if you need more salt.
1 TBS of olive oil and a little more for later. 
Cayenne to taste. I leave mine out of the pot to avoid the inevitable kiddo complaint "It is too spicy".  I just add a dash to my bowl before eating.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot sautee Mirepoix and garlic in a tablespoon of oil. 
2. Add the chopped mushrooms to the mirepoix. 
3. Roughly chop spinach and add it to the veggies once the mushrooms reduce a little.
4. Add both containers of veggie broth
5. Add the rest of the ingredients except Cayenne. 
6. Let simmer until lentils are cooked and broth loses it's raw tomato taste. I let it come to a very brief boil and then put it on the lowest heat setting until the flavors meld.  I often add an extra drizzle of olive oil to the pot at the end just before serving. 
7. Sprinkle cayenne to taste for those of you who want spice. It really does make it taste fabulous but kids are not always keen on the extra heat. 

Enjoy!

Marinated Mushrooms

I love marinated mushrooms. They are great for snacking on and for adding to salads. At Whole Foods, these bad boys are 7.99 a pound. You can make your own for much less with very few ingredients and just a short amount of time.

Ingredients:

2 16oz packages of whole white mushrooms (1 Quart)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 cubes of Dorot Garlic  or 2 cloves of fresh
1 cube of Dorot Parsley
1 cube of Dorot Basil
1 TBS Penzey's Greek or Italian Seasoning
1-2 TBS of olive oil.

Clean and pull off stems from mushrooms.
Add a little oil and the garlic to a deep round high edge skillet ( I use a wok)
Add the mushrooms and the vinegar.
Let simmer until the mushrooms give off their juices 
Remove from heat and pour the mushrooms and the liquid into a class container
Let cool and then refrigerate. Use them as needed. They won't last long :)

Enjoy!

Party Size Vegetarian Antipasto Pasta Salad

The summer months include many chances to get together with friends and family. If you are looking for a monster size vegetarian pasta salad recipe that has everything but the kitchen sink thrown in - here is the recipe for you.

Ingredients:

2 boxes of Cellentani pasta cooked, drained, and cooled. 
1 7.5 oz jar of Reese Brand Grilled Artichoke Hearts chopped (do not drain)
12 oz Dell'Alpe Marinated Roasted Red Peppers (do not drain)
1 cup Bella San Luci julienned sun dried tomatoes
8 oz Bel Gioioso pearl size fresh mozzarella (drained)
8 oz of smoked mozzarella cubed. 
1 cup of marinated mushrooms
2 cups of sliced Israeli cucumbers
2 cups of diced fresh tomato
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup green olives
1/4 cup black olives 
1 large fresh green pepper diced
1 medium onion diced
2 Tbs Penzey's Italian Seasoning Base
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh parsley
6 medium size basil leaves julienned
1 TBS oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Once your pasta is cooked and cooled - set it aside. Start chopping and mixing remaining ingredients and add everything together in a large bowl. The liquid from the artichokes and peppers will help to make the "sauce".  I used a 32 cup Tupperware plastic bowl. Once veggies are all in and seasoned to taste - mix in your pasta and serve.

 

Amaretto Sours with Homemade Sour Mix & Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake

Last summer I scored a huge mess of sour cherries at the farmer's market and went crazy making all things cherry. I was also in the midst of reading  Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan and fell in love with her recipe for sour cherry upside down cake.  Sour cherries are late this year due to the Chiberian deep freeze we suffered through this winter. I had to make my batch this year from bottled but when they arrive at the market, you can bet I will be at it again with round two. Below you will find my drink recipe and Donia Bijan's cake recipe which she kindly granted me permission to reprint :) Enjoy!

Amaretto Sours with Homemade Sour Mix:

Ingredients:

Sour cherries ( if you cannot find fresh used the kind that are jarred in sugar water) 24 oz bottle or approx 2 cups of pitted cherries. There is no need to be exact.
1 bottle of Amaretto
clean and remove stones from cherries. If using jarred - dump out the liquid and rinse the fruit. 
Place the cherries in a glass jar and add the amaretto. Place a lid on the mix and place in fridge.

Sour Mix:

1 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 cup of fresh lime juice
1 cup of sugar - mix well and keep in fridge.

When you are ready for a tasty drink:
Mix about 1/4 cup of the amaretto mix and 1/8 cup of sour mix. Top with Sprite or 7-up. Of course - adjust the measurements to taste. You can either go light or boozy. The cherries pack a yummy amaretto kick.

  Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake (reprinted by permission from Donia Bijan)

   Cherry Compote

   5 tablespoons unsalted butter
   1 cup packed brown sugar
   2 cups pitted sour cherries (drained if bottled)
  
   Cardamom Cake
   4 tablespoons unsalted butter
   1 cup brown sugar
   1 1/2 cups flour
   2 tsp baking powder
   1/2 tsp ground cardamom
   1/2 tsp salt
   1/2 cup of half-and-half
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   2 large eggs

  1. Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.  I have also used a cast iron skillet.
  2. To make the compote: melt the butter in a sauce pan with brown sugar. Fold in
      cherries and then poor in the bottom of your cake pan or skillet. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 350
  4. To make the cake: cream together butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy.
  5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add to the creamed
      butter alternately with the half-and-half and mix until smooth.
  6. Add the vanilla extract and eggs one by one.  Mix until combined.
  7. Pour the batter over the cherry compote. Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake
      for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Run a  knife along the edge of the
      pan and invert onto a platter. Scoop any remaining cherries onto the top. Serve with pistachio
      ice-cream!