Seven meats ragu

Seven Meats Ragu

The meats:

1/2 cup of chopped Speck or Parma ham
1/2 cup of Mortadella in cubes
1/2 cup of spicy salami
1/2 cup of smoked bacon
1 cup of minced veal
1 cup of minced cow
1 cup of minced pork

For the sauce:

1 chopped onion
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 chopped carrot
3 cups of fresh tomato sauce
Herbs of the season (oregano/ parsley/ thyme/ basil/ rosemary)
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 cup of red wine.

Making in it!

In a big pot, add the bacon and let get crispy, then add the speck, salami and the mortadella to cock in the bacon fat.  After the meats are brown add the olive oil and brown the garlic, onions and carrots, when the vegetables are brown add the veal, pork and the cow. Cook in a slow temperature for about 20 minutes.  When the meat are all very brown, turn the heating on high and add the red wine.  Let to reduce in almost no wine and add the tomato sauce and the herbs... Cook for a long time in a slow temperature, cook for as long as you have patience and add water if reduces to much.  I cook my ragu for about three hours, but is ok if you don't have this time.  Is always better to eat after a day or two!

Classic Greek Salad

Classic Greek Salad

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice1 garlic clove, crushed2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves250g cherry tomatoes, halved1 large Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, chopped1 small red onion, chopped1 small red capsicum, chopped1/2 cup kalamata olives100g Greek feta cheese
  Place oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano in a screw-top jar. Season with salt and pepper. Secure lid. Shake to combine.Combine tomato, cucumber, onion, capsicum and olives in a large bowl. Top with feta. Drizzle with oil mixture. Serve.

Spanakopita

Spanakopita

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, greens and whites
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds baby spinach, trimmed, rough chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 12 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic for 3 minutes until soft. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until the spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, remove from heat and place in a colander, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside to cool. The filling needs to be cool and dry to prevent the phyllo from becoming soggy. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with feta, coriander, and nutmeg. Season, then fold in the cooled spinach mixture until well blended. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 2 baking sheets with some melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay a sheet flat on a work surface. Take care to keep the phyllo covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out and becoming brittle. Brush the sheet with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with some oregano and chives. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, stacking on top of each other. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds to form 2-1/2-inch strips. Do this with all the sheets of dough. 

Place a heaping teaspoon of filling near 1 corner of the layered phyllo strip. Fold the end at an angle over the filling to form a triangle. Continue to fold the triangle along the strip until you reach the end, like folding up a flag. Brush the top with butter and dust with Parmesan, place on prepared baking sheet, and cover while preparing the remaining pastries. Repeat until all the filling and phyllo strips are used up. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the triangles are crisp and golden. Serve hot, warm or cold. 

Skordalia (Greek Garlic dip)

Skordalia (Greek Garlic dip)

1/2 cup mash potatoes
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup walnuts
extra-virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper, to serve

Using a mortar or a food processor, crush the walnuts and garlic.  In a bowl add the mash potato, the garlic and the walnuts. Beat for 10 minutes or until smooth. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice and the vinegar. Mix all the ingredients until is a paste.

Serving:
Spoon skordalia into bowls. Drizzle with oil and season with cracked black pepper. You can also use as a side dish for meats, sea food and vegetables.

Whole Grain Bigoli dough

Whole Grain Bigoli dough

Ingredients for 6 servings

500g of whole grain flour
200g of warm water
a pinch of salt

Make a small 'volcano' with the flour, add the salt and the water in the middle. Mix gently until the dough do not stick in your hands. Put the dough at the Bigoli machine and be careful to the pasta do not stick.

Basil and white truffle dough for Bigoli

Basil and white truffle dough for Bigoli

8 cups Semolina
1 cup flour
2 tbsp of white truffle oil
A hand full of basil leafs
4 eggs
100ml of water
100ml of Prosecco
1 tbsp of fine salt
1 tbsp of ground pepper  

Polpette al sugo (Meatballs)


-350g (12oz) of minced veal or pork

-350g (12 oz) of minced beef

-1/2 cup of bread crumbs

-50g (2oz) of pecorino

-1 egg

-1/4 cup olive oil


-1 tea spoon nutmeg

-1 lemon (zest)

-3 minced cloves of garlic

-2 tbsp of chopped parsley

-Salt

-Pepper

-Peanut Oil (for frying)

-Flour to roll the meat balls

-A big pan of tomato sauce




1 - In a big bowl mix all the ingredients (except the peanut oil and flour), and let rest for one hour in a refrigerator;



2 - Make the meat balls in a size of a golf ball and roll it around the flour;



3 - Fry the meat balls in hot oil until golden brown, if you would like a lighter version you can bake it in a 220C / 420F for 15 minutes;



4 - Add the meat balls to finish cooking into the tomato sauce pan. 



5 - Simmer for one hour.

Quail with fresh peas

Quail with fresh peas

8 Quails

1 clove of garlic cut in half
1/2 pound of fresh peas
2 table spoons of butter
3 table spoons of chopped Parma ham
1 cup of beef stock
4 sage leafs
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup of Marsala
1 table spoon of flour
Salt & Pepper

In a big pan where you can accommodate all the quails fry the ham, the sage, the garlic and the bay leaf with the butter.  When the ingredients are almost brown add the quails and the peas.  Turn the heat on high and add the salt and pepper, turn the quails once in a while.  When the quail is brown, add the Marsala and a cup of beef stock mixed with flour.  Cook in low heat for at list 20 minutes or until the sauce reduce in more than a half and get thick.

Rabbit in Apple Vinegar with Fennel

Rabbit in Apple Vinegar with Fennel
1 rabbit

1 pound of cherry tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup of fresh fennel
1 stick of rosemary
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of apple vinegar
8 spoons of olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Recipe:
To start, cut the rabbit in pieces.
In a mixing bowl, add rabbit pieces and all the ingredients (except the tomatoes and olive oil) and marinate the rabbit for at least six hours in a refrigerator.  Take the rabbit and the onion out of the marinate.  Do not discard the liquid.
In a big pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sautè the rabbit.   Add the liquid from the marinade.  Turn the heat on low and cook for 30 minutes with the pan covered completely.  The rabbit will be ready to be served!

Recommendations for serving:
This savory rabbit dish goes well with steamed carrots and mashed potatoes.

Beer Bread with Sausage and Sauerkraut

Beer Bread filled with Sausage and Sauerkraut

1 cup of white beer
1 table spoon of fresh bread yeast
1 table spoon of sugar
1 table spoon of salt
3 to 4 cups of flour
1/4 cup olive oil
200g cooked Italian sausage (without case)
1 cup sauerkraut

Step 1:
In a big bowl add the yeast and sugar. Let the sugar to dissolve the fresh yeast.  
Add the beer, the flour and the salt.


Step 2: 
Mix with spoon until it's stodgy, add olive oil in your hands and mix all the ingredients.

Step 3: Divide the dough in 12 balls and fill then with the cooked sausage and krauti.

Step 4: 
Raise for at list one hour.

Step 5: 
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. You can tell if it's cooked by tapping its bottom – if it sounds hollow it's done, if it doesn't then pop it back in for a little longer. Once cooked, place on a rack and allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Sausage and Radicchio Risotto

Sausage and Radicchio Risotto 

1 cup of Arborio or Carnaroli rice
1 chopped onion
2 sliced cloves of garlic
10 Oz of Radicchio
1/2 pound of sausage or salami
2 tbsp of butter or mascarpone
1 1/2 cup of dry red wine
Olive oil
About 2 1/2 cups of vegetable or meat stock
Fresh parsley or tarragon


Brown the onion and garlic with olive oil in low heat for 10/15 minutes. Add the sausage and let to cook for a while, then add the radicchio and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice, and cook for 3 minutes, add the wine and then when the wine is evaporated add a cup of stock and let cook. Stir occasionally, and keep adding stock until the rice is al dente. When the rice is al dente, add the wine and turn the heat  on hight, let the wine reduce, turn the heat off. Add the butter/mascarpone, herbs and the cheese. Serve in 5 minutes.

Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese 'alla Lucas'

1 3/4 cups uncooked Carnaroli rice


1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided


1 1/2 quarts beef stock


3 tablespoons beef (the beef of the bones of the home made stock)


1 onion, thinly sliced


1 teaspoon saffron 


3/4 cup dry white wine


salt to taste


1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley to decorate

 Simmer the onion in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, saute the rice in the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn, add the meat from the stock 'bones'. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron after the rice is almost cooked add the remaining butter, chopped parsley and cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

2.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

3.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

4.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.