Monthly Archives: February 2017

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Health Friendly, Holiday Specialties, Italian, Main Course, Pasta and Rice Dishes

Stuffed Ricotta Shells

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This  recipe for Stuffed Ricotta Shells is rich and creamy.

stuffed Ricotta shells
stuffed Ricotta shells

The recipe originates from the Lazio (Rome)region of Italy. It’s easy to make with a little patience and freezes well for a quick work night meal. There are many ways to stuff these; ricotta, meat sauce, sausage with herbs and bread crumb w/ bechamel sauce, etc…

Make my recipe for Marinara sauce

Ingredients;
12oz box Jumbo Shells (I like Barilla)
2 LB container of whole milk ricotta
Two 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBLS minced fresh parsley
ground pepper to taste

Directions;
Cook the jumbo shells for 9 minutes or according to the box for boiling and then baking. Drain and rinse in a colander with cool water. Be sure all the water is out of the inside of the shell. In a mixing bowl combine all the other ingredients, leaving out half the mozzarella. Put a heavy layer of marinara sauce in a covered baking dish. Open the shell with two fingers and spoon the cheese mixture into the shell until nearly full, about two tablespoons. Fold it closed. Place the stuffed shells next to each other and fill the baking dish. Pour a generous layer of sauce over the top of the shells and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

**use low or non fat cheese to make this more health friendly

Tips & Tricks & Gadgets

Table Setting

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Setting your table for a special dinner can be ALMOST as enticing as the food. Pictured is an Italian dinner table setting I did recently and a Spring/Easter flower arrangement. Setting colorful napkins on a solid table cloth, adding flowers or candles. Use a printed or contrasting table runner to create the style you want.

Table setting
Table setting
Table setting
Table setting
Flowers Table setting
Flowers Table setting
Baking, Desserts & Sweets

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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This chocolate strawberry recipe is so easy to put together and makes a great presentation to any event. Get artistic and sprinkle whatever you want on the Chocolate covered strawberries. Pictured is coconut, mini semi sweet chips and just plain milk chocolate dipped.

Chocolate covered strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries

Ingredients:
16oz package fresh strawberries, washed and dried
7oz container of Baker’s dipping chocolate, milk or dark
Baking pan lined with waxed paper
Whatever other topping you want to add

Directions;
Have the strawberries at room temperature. Melt the chocolate according to the container directions. Dip the strawberries and hold them over the container a few seconds to drain off the excess chocolate. Place them on the waxed paper pan. Let them sit a few minutes before adding other toppings so they don’t slide off. Once complete leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes and then refrigerate them.

Chicken/Poultry, Health Friendly, Soups & Stews

Matzo Ball Soup

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This Matzo ball soup is a Jewish classic dish. So good if you make the matzo balls, which are a dumpling, light and fluffy.
Start out with making my Chicken Soup recipe.
Serve with the chicken shredded, some of the veggies and fine egg noodles if you like, poured over the cooked matzo balls.

matzo ball soup
matzo ball soup

Ingredients;
Matzo Ball mixture;
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup Matzo meal
1/4 cup chicken fat called “schmaltz” or vegetable oil
3 TBLS club soda
11/4 TSP kosher salt

Directions;
Mix eggs, matzo meal, schmaltz or vegetable oil, club soda, and salt in a medium bowl (mixture will resemble wet sand; it will firm up as it rests). Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Scoop out 2-tablespoonful portions of the matzo ball mixture and, using wet hands, gently roll into balls.
Add matzo balls to water and reduce heat so water is at a gentle simmer (too much bouncing around will break them up). COVER the pot and cook matzo balls until cooked through and starting to sink, 20–25 minutes. Covering the pot makes them more tender.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to bowls. Ladle chicken soup over the Matzo balls, top with dill, and season with pepper

** variation** you can add cooked thin egg noodles to the soup stock if you like too.

**use vegetable oil to make this health friendly.

Baking, Desserts & Sweets, German, Holiday Specialties

Valentine Butter Cookies

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Make my Spritz (German Butter Cookie) recipe and use the press disk for a heart. Press them onto a baking sheet and gently press the tops to flatten them a little. Sprinkle the Valentine Butter Cookies with red sugar and bake. Once cooled leave them as is or make a sandwich cookie with heated raspberry jam in the middle or melted chocolate.
So yummy and buttery !!

Valentines German butter cookies
Valentines butter cookies
Baking, Desserts & Sweets, Holiday Specialties

Linzer Tart Cookies

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The Linzer Tart Cookies origin is Austrian. This cookie is derived from the tart recipe.  The cut out filled with raspberry jam is colorful and shines through like a rich pastry window. I’m cutting them into heart shapes for a Valentines treat, but any round or square shape will do. You will need two cookie cutters (as pictured). One for the base and one smaller for the cut out window.

Linzer tart cookies
Linzer tart cookies

Ingredients;
2 1/3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1/8 TSP salt
1/2 TSP lemon zest
a dash of cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup confectioner’s sugar + 1 cup for coating
2  X-large egg yolks at room temp
1 TSP vanilla
1 cup seedless raspberry jam is traditional, use strawberry or apricot if you like
Parchment paper

heart shaped cookie cutters
heart shaped cookie cutters

Directions;
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl combine flour, nuts, salt, cinnamon and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the egg yolk, vanilla, lemon and mix another minute. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Divide the dough in half and flatten like a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325. On a lightly floured surface roll out one disk to about 1/8″ thick. Dip your cookie cutter into flour and cut you shapes using a smaller cutter for the middle window cut out on half of them. Place on parchment liner baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes, this helps firm up the shape for baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until firm but still pale in color. Cool on a cookie rack. Slightly heat the jam and brush a TSP size onto each cookie bottom. Then place the cookie with the cut out on top and press gently. Coat with confectioner’s sugar and then fill the assembled cookie window with a little more jam.
Let them set for 1.5-2 hours before storing them in an air tight container with waxed paper in between layers, refrigerated.

 

 

 

Chicken/Poultry, Latino-Spanish-Cuban, Pasta and Rice Dishes, Seafood

Spanish Saffron Rice

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This Spanish Saffron Rice is classic Spanish. It’s so full of flavor it will quickly become your preferred rice in many dishes. I first saw this many years ago on a PBS station cooking with chef “Ef”.
If you can get it, use the Spanish Calasparra rice for the true flavor intended for this dish.

Spanish saffron rice
Spanish saffron rice

Make this rice with my Spanish Garlic Shrimp recipe as pictured

Ingredients;
3 TBLS olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, mashed
3 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
1/2 TSP crumbled saffron threads, you can use Turmeric, but saffron gives the best flavor
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, if you can use the Spanish rice I suggested above

Directions;
Heat the oil in a 4 QT sauce pot and add the garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes and add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Stir and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir again and cover. Cook on low for about 20 minutes, until the rice is just tender.

Tips & Tricks & Gadgets

European butter vs American style butter

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So many people like the European style butters. However, for baking I’ve never been able to taste a difference. European and American style butters both have about 80-82% butter fat. Some American butter has annatto or carotene for a pale yellow color but both are natural ingredients. Personally I’d save the extra money and buy better flavoring for baking then spend it on a more expensive butter.