12.12.2022

Main courses



Fish in a bag
                                

Piccata di Pollo
                                          

Orange Fragrant Goulash



Ossobuco


 

- 6 Thick Slices of Beef or Veal Osso Buco

- 2 Tablespoons Flour

- Sea Salt and Pepper

- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

- 1 Onion, peeled and chopped

- 2 Carrots, chopped

- 2 Celery Stalks, chopped

- 14 Ounces (Just under 2 Cups) Mushrooms, chopped

- 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

- 2 Heaping Tablespoons Tomato Paste

- 1 Cup Red Wine (Super Tuscan)

- 2 Cups Good Quality Beef Stock

- 2 1⁄2 Cups Tomato Passata

-Risotto, Polenta or Mashed Potatoes for serving.

1. Place the osso buco onto a plate, season with sea salt and pepper and dust with flour

to coat. Place an cast iron oven (or heavy based saucepan) over high heat and add 2

tablespoons olive oil. Carefully add the meat in a single layer and brown on both sides

(approximately 5 minutes). Transfer to plate and set aside.


2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the onion, carrot, celery, mushroom

and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the

tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, continuously stirring. Add the red wine and

deglaze. Continue cooking until the wine is almost completely reduced.


3. Return the osso buco to the pan. Add the beef stock and tomato passata and bring to

a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and

cook for 2 1/2 – 4 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.


4. To thicken the sauce, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking. (You can add a zest of one lemon when the dish is finished, it is an optional ingredient).


5. Serve with a light risotto, polenta or mashed potatoes.







Baked Pasta

 Dill Cannelloni stuffed with sausages and leeks, served with parmigiano sauce

Dill Cannelloni stuffed with sausages and leeks with parmigiano sauce

 



For the Dough:

- 4 Eggs

- 4 Cups Flour

- 2 Tbsp. Dried Dill Weed

For the Filling:

- 4 Italian Sausages (Spicy or Sweet), no casings. Or, ground Italian Sausage.

Note: If you want to make it vegetarian, substitute 2 cups of cooked and squeezed

spinach and add an extra cup of provolone!

- 4 Cups Chopped Leeks

- 2 Cups Ricotta

- 1 Cup Smoked Provolone, Grated

- 1 Cup Parmigiano Cheese, Grated

- 1 Cup White Wine (either InVINtions Chardonnay or InVINtions Sauvignon Blanc)

- 5 Fresh Sage Leaves

- Salt and Pepper


For the Sauce:

- 1/2 Cup Butter

- 6 Cups Milk

- 1⁄2 Cup Flour

- Pinch of Nutmeg

- 1⁄2 Cup Walnuts

- 1⁄2 Cup Parmigiano Cheese

- Salt and Pepper

Making the pasta dough:

1. Pour the flour into a bowl, add the eggs, dill and salt to the middle and mix with a fork to blend

the ingredients together.

2. Knead the pasta dough with your hands until it is completely smooth and consistent. If the

dough is too dry, add some water. If it is too sticky, add some flour.

3. Lightly dust a table with flour. Remove the pasta dough from the bowl and place it on the table.

You will now be making pasta pieces (about 6 inches long with a thickness setting of no. 4.):

-Break pasta dough up into little pieces to feed through machine.

-Dough should never stick to your fingers.

-Set the adjustment knob to 1, and pass the pasta sheet through just once.

-Set the adjustment knob to 2, and pass the pasta sheet through once more, and so on until you

reach the desired thickness of no. 4.

-Cut the pasta sheet crosswise, into pieces about 6 inches long and dust them with flour. Let it

rest on the top of a clean table cloth.


Making the filling:

1. In a big frying pan, sauté the sage and sausages (without casing or comparable) until very well

cooked.

2. Add wine and let it reduce until evaporated.

3. Add leeks.

4. Let this mixture cool down before adding other ingredients.


Making the Sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon

and stir until golden.

2. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to just under a boil. Cook, whisking

constantly, until the mixture thickens for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and

nutmeg.

3. Remove from the heat, and combine the cheese and walnuts. If not using it immediately, let it

cool. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Putting it all together!

1. Place 3 Tbsp of the filling on the pasta sheet.

2. Roll it.

3. Place the rolled pasta in a baking dish with sauce.

4. Add extra sauce on the top.

5. Bake for about 1 hour at 380 degrees.



11.28.2022

Chicken stuffed with pears wrapped in black forest ham served with cheese sauce

 Ingredients for the chicken:

700gr / 1.5 pounds chicken breast in fillet
1 pear
200g/ 0,4 pounds Parma ham or black forest ham sliced
Olive oil or butter
Fresh sage (optional)

Ingredients for the sauce:
2 tbsp flour
1 cup wine
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups parmigiano cheese, grated
Crushed black pepper

 1. First step is cut the pears in wedges, in a plate add one slice of Parma ham then put the chicken breast on the top. With the pear in the middle roll it.

2.  Bake the involtini in a cast iron skillet or copper pan with a little bit of olive oil or butter for about 30 minutes in 180C / 360F.

3. When the involtini is cooked take them out of the pan. On the same pan you cooked the chicken combine white wine with flour and cook for about five minutes in medium heat or until the alcohol of the wine evaporates. Then, mix the cream and the cheese. Let cook in low heat for five minutes. The sauce will get thicker.

4. After the sauce is thick, add the chicken and serve.

11.18.2022

Duck Sauce





Duck Sauce 

500g Bigoli 
400 duck meat minced
4 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

2tbsp
 Olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 carrot
1 cup red wine
thyme to taste
marjoram to taste
1 bay leaf
Parmiggiano to taste
Parsley to taste


In a pan containing one tablespoon of butter butter and one of olive oil, brown the onions, garlic and carrots. Combine the duck meat and the bayleaf. Mix thoroughly.
Pour the red wine over the duck, allow to evaporate in low heat. Pour the stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the herbs. In the meantime, cook the pasta in abundant boiling and salted water.

When the pasta is cooked, when it is still “al dente”, drain it, put it in the pan with the sauce and toss it with the remaining butter. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with grated cheese, finely chopped parsley and arrange on the serving dish.







11.16.2022

Arrosto Misto




Very simple, delicious and healthy meal. The origins of this dish come from the peasants farmers, they would hunt and gather what they could for their meals combining different meats, to make a complete dish.

· 700 grams (1.50lbs) of Chicken (or Rabbit)
· 300 grams (0.6 lbs) of Italian Sausage
· 2 onions, quartered
· 5 cloves of Garlic, whole and unpeeled
· 1 Red Pepper, quartered
· 3 Carrots, peeled and cut in half
· 1 cup of your favorite Olives
· 1/4 cup Capers
· 2 Bay Leaves
· Fresh herbs of the season (Basil/Rosemary/Oregano/Parsley/Time)
· 1/3 cup Olive oil
· 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
· Salt and freshly ground pepper and crushed red peppers if you like a little spice. (optional)

1. In a bowl combine the chicken, the sausages, the balsamic, olive oil and herbs and let rest for a few hours.
  
2. Pre-heat oven to 220˚C/420˚F.
 
 
3. On a big baking tray combine together all the other ingredients and mix well. (All the ingredients should to be cut in similar sizes pieces).

4. Use your hands and mix in the chicken and sausage, mix well. (All the chicken skins should face up for a better result).

5. Bake for about 40 minutes (moving the meat occasionally if starts to get to brown). 




Guinness, Chedar and Bacon risotto



10 slices of smoked bacon, thinly chopped 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 celery stick, chopped
1 large onion, finely diced 
4 garlic cloves, minced 
1 cup Guinness  
2 cups Risotto rice
8 cups beef stock 
3 tablespoons butter 
1 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated on a microplane  
¼ cup finely diced parsley
Sea salt and cracked black pepper 

  1. Pour the stock in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. 
  2. Meanwhile, in a large high-sided skillet fry the bacon until crispy and golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, then remove half of the bacon fat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the onion and celery, and season with a pinch of sea salt. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies have softened (about 5 – 7 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 
  3. Stir in the risotto rice and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
  4. Pour in the Guinness Draught and continue stirring as the rice quickly absorbs the liquid. Begin adding the stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring sometimes if your pan is a stick one.
  5. Continue stirring in the stock until the risotto is tender and super creamy. It will take about 20 minutes.
  6. Stir in the butter, cheese, and parsley, the reserved crispy bacon, then hit the risotto with a generous pinch of cracked black pepper. Serve immediately. Delicious! 

Brioches (Italian style)






















70ml warm milk 350g melted butter
80g sugar
13g fresh yeast or 1/2 tbsp dried yeast (works better with the fresh)
6 eggs
550g bread flour
15g salt

1. Dissolve the yeast with the warm milk, in a big bowl start mixing the flour, sugar, salt and the milk with the yeast.

2. Add the eggs and mix for about 7 minutes using a big spoon or using a mixer. Add slowly the butter. Let this dough rest for about four hours inside the oven with the lights on.

3. After the four hour rest, mix again with a big spoon about 10 times. Put the dough on the refrigerator for about 12 hours, covered with a plastic wrap.

4. On a table, open the dough and make triangles. Roll the triangles to make the brioche. You can also just make balls.

5.  Brush egg yolk with sugar if you want them to be brown.
Bake for 13-15 minutes in a 350F-180C.

11.12.2022

Risotto with Porcini and Mascarpone



Classic and delicious!

     
  • 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 6 cups of beef/chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice (I prefer Vialone Nano for this dish)
  • 3/4 cup chopped shallots
  • garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) mascarpone cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh thyme leaves or rosemar
  • Balsamic reduction to decorate
  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • 1. Combine one cup wine and mushrooms; let stand 5 minutes or until soft;

    2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat saute the shallots and garlic for 5 minutes. Add wine with the porcini, and cook until liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes);

    3. Combine the rice;

    4. Add 3 cups of the broth to the rice; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

    5. Add one cup of wine, then if needs to cook more the rice 1/2 cup of stock at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth mixture is absorbed before adding the next (about 17 minutes total). When the rice is cooked, take out of heat and let rest for five minutes;

    6. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone, parsley, salt, and pepper; stir gently just until the cheese melts.

    Top each serving with 1 tea spoon of mascarpone and parsley leaves, if desired.


  • Frying the shallots and garlic





  • Drinking the left over wine!



    When the rice starts to turn white, be careful with adding to much stock!

    Adding the Mascarpone!



    Buon Appetito!


11.10.2022

Rosemary and oregano focaccia


Focaccia with Rosemary


·      3 cups 0 Flour (in the USA this would be Bread flour), divided
·      1 cup Warm water
·      ¼ cup Olive oil
·      1 tablespoon Sugar
·      1 tablespoon Fine salt
·      ½ tablespoon Rock salt
·      1 cube Fresh yeast (or 1 Satchel of dry yeast)
·      Rosemary, to taste
·      Oregano, to taste
·      Pepper, to taste



 
1.     1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F.
2.     2. In a big bowl, dissolve the fresh yeast with the sugar.  Simply by moving it around with a fork and mixing a bit, the fresh yeast will turn to liquid.  If you're using dry yeast, it will dissolve in the water... 3. Combine the warm water.



3.     4. Sift 1½ cups of flour into the bowl. Mix the water into the flour with a strong wooden spoon. Add the salt and mix with the spoon for about 1-2 minutes.
4.     Add the other 1½ cups of flour and kneed the focaccia dough for about 3 minutes, mixing very well.

      5. Add the dough into the bowl and add olive oil.  Using your hands, squeeze the olive oil into the dough for about a minute.  Simply mixing with your hands, do this for about one minute...there will be extra oil a the bottom of the bowl (this will be poured on top of the dough later).
5.     
      6. Make a ball with the dough, and put the dough in a pan with a sheet of baking paper.  Press the dough into the pan with your hands.  Then make dimples in the dough with your fingers.  Add the rest of the olive oil on the top of dough, the oil will pool and fill the small holes.  Sprinkle the dough with the rock salt, the rosemary, the oregano, and the pepper.
6.     
          7. Let the focaccia rise for approximately two hours.
7.     Bake at 350F/180C for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.