Author Archives: Kimberly Crocker

Michelangleo Sauce

This creamy sauce is easy to do and delicious served over Tortellini (prosciutto filled). The sauce can also be paired with Penne, Fusilli, Fettucine or Ravioli.

Totellini Michelangelo

2Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot diced into small pieces
1 celery diced into small pieces
1 onion diced
2 cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine or Marsala (dry)
*2 tbsp flour
*2 cup heavy cream or Milk. (Using 1/4 cup of cream first, then adding 1 3/4 cup cream after)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sage
Prosciutto
Topping and Presentation
Slices of prosciutto cut into thin small strips and placed on top of each serving of pasta.
Parmesan cheese to top off pasta.

Sofritto. Onion, Carrot, Celery, Olive Oil

Over medium heat using a frying pan add; oil carrots, celery, onion and pancetta or bacon cubes.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Add diced cherry tomatoes.
Allow to soften in pan with other cooked veggie trio about 3 minutes.
Add wine. Cover and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
In a bowl add flour. Then slowly add 1/4 cup cream or Milk. It will be thick, resembling cake mix.
Whisk together with fork.

Slowly add milk to flour to make cream base. Then add rest of milk stirring constantly

Slowly add rest of cream continue whisking so that flour does not clump.
Add cream mixture to frying pan.
Add salt and sage allow to simmer about 5 minutes.

*flour and heavy cream can be substituted with Panna if available. Add 3/4 cup water and slowly stir in until consistency is creamy.

Use over preferred cooked pasta and top off with thinly cut strips of prosciutto and parmesan cheese.

Cannelloni with Beef, Pork or Poultry

Tasty Tomato Basil Sauce
1 medium onion
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
2 28 oz tomato sauce
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
10 Basil leaves

In a medium size pan, sauté onion in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium low.
Add tomato sauce, salt, milk (helps to reduce acidity of sauce which comes from the processed seeds.)
Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Add basil leaves to sauce at end of simmering time.

For cannelloni
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion diced
1 garlic close minced
1 pound (450 grams) of ground meat of choice: beef, pork or poultry
1 tsp dried or 2 tsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 pound (225 grams) diced into small pieces mozzarella
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 box Cannelloni or Pasta Shells

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
200 grams Mozzeralla cut into clices

In a frying pan over medium heat add oil, garlic and onion; saute for 4 minutes. Add ground meat and with a wooden spoon break to pieces so that there are no large clumps and meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and drain meat in colander, allow to sit over a bowl or pan so that meat pieces are not lost though colander holes.
In a large bowl slightly beat two eggs with fork. Add mozzarella cheese, meat, salt parsley. Mix together with large spoon or hands.

In a large cake pan (9×11) spread 1 cup of sauce.

Take uncooked cannelloni shells and fill with meat and cheese mixture. Place stuffed shells on sauce in the pan. Fill first layer with the rest of stuffed uncooked pasta shells slightly space apart. Ladle rest of sauce over the shells. Top off with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and slices of mozerrala. Cover dish with tin foil and allow to bake on 350F or 180 C for about 35 minutes. Remove foil and allow to bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Stuffed Clams or Mussels

Stuffed mussels or clams, open-faced or absorbed in tomato sauce makes for great finger foods.

A favorite seafood lovers dish.  You will serve this as an appetizer or part of the main course
using the sauce over fettucine or linguine pasta.  Have more fun with this dish by preparing it with a friend, child or spouse.

2 pounds (1 kilo) Mussels or Clams (bathe in a bowl of cold water for 1-2 hours in order for sand to be expelled from inside shells.)
1/2 cup water
Stuffing. Needed supply: 4 inch (10 cm) cut string for cooking string (cotton butchers twine). Will need about 20 pre-cut strings.
2 1/2 cups cubed bread (for stuffing)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 tsp salt

Sauce
1 medium onion diced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 28 ounces cans of unseasoned tomato sauce

Directions for expelling sand from shellfish.

Pre-soak clams or mussels for 2 hours in cold water so that they expel the sand from their shells.

Directions for making stuffed shellfish
Scrub the shells with a kitchen brush or metal scrubber (no soaps or detergent). It’s okay for some algae to still be attached to the shell.
Over medium heat, place a large pan and add 1/2 cup water with all the cleaned mussels or clams, cover pan and allow shells to open. About 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl add bread crumbs, egg, salt, garlic and parsley. Using a fork or your hands mix all ingredients together.

Turn off heat on the stove and reserve water in the pan by taking the opened mussels or clams one at a time from the pan. If some have not opened leave them in pan and cover with lid. They will continue to open.
Place one tablespoon of stuffing into each mussel or clam. With one hand close shell with seafood and stuffing inside. While with the other hand the string is wrapped two times around the closed shell and knotted, or bow-tied.

In a large pan over medium heat, add onion and oil allow to saute for 4 minutes.
Slowly pass about 3/4 of the reserved water from the musssels into a bowl.  Stop the filtering process as any debris (sand) starts to float toward the sieve.  The debris will naturally be the last to float to the top. Discard the last bit of water.  Add the 3/4 filtered, reserved mussel/clam water to the pan with the sauteed onions and mussles.
Add all of the stuffed and tied clams or mussels with tomato sauce. Add 1/2 tsp salt to taste and allow to simmer in sauce for 20 minutes. Mussels will be served in a bowl, use fingers or fork and knife to remove string. The sauce may be added to cooked linguine or fettucine pasta. Top off with chopped parsley for presentation!

Fried or Boiled Plaintains

PAN-FRIED PLANTAINS
Makes 6 servings. Cooking time 5-10 minutes.
2 ripe plantains
1/3 cup light olive or vegetable oil and 1 Tbsp butter for frying
Salt to taste

Choose plantains with some yellow color on the skin.
Peel. Thinly slice diagonal pieces. Set aside.
Warm skillet over low-heat with oil and butter for 3 minutes. When oil is hot (about 350 degrees) add plantain slices and cook over medium heat until lightly brown on first side.
Turn and cook until lightly brown on second side. Watch carefully. Do not overcook. Remove from pan when lightly brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels before serving. Sprinkle with salt.

PLAINTAINS
2 Plaintains
4 tsp butter
salt
2 tsp parmesan cheese

Choose plantains with some yellow color on the skin.
Peel. Slice diagonally, into about 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place into boiling water on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain water and place plaintains into bowl. Garnish wiht 4 tsp of butter, salt and cheese.

Creamy Zucchini Soup

Zucchini Soup

Serves 4. Makes a great appetizer!
Preparation time 15 minutes.  Cooking time 30 minutes.

Zucchini and squash may be used together for a tastier soup!

  • 4 medium size potatoes washed, peeled and quartered
  • 2 garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 pat of butter
  • 2 onions peeled and thinly sliced (May substitute with leeks. Thinly slice and soak in water to remove dirt.)
  • 6 zucchini sliced into thin circles (peeled optional)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt (to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Garnish with parsley, cilantro, or pesto
DIRECTIONS
  1. Wash, peel and quarter potatoes. In a medium size pan add 5 cups of water to potatoes, cover, allow to boil over medium heat for 20 minutes. Potato should permit a fork to pierce it with just a slight  resistance.
  2. Meanwhile, over medium heat place a large sauce pan and add olive oil, butter, garlic, onion (or leeks). Allow to saute for 3 minutes.

    saute garlic, onion in oil then add sliced zucchini

  3. Add zucchini slices, and sautee` for another 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off burner, remove potatoes from heat. Carefully drain water into sink. Place potatoes into blender.
  5. Remove zucchini and onions from heat and turn off stove top.
  6. Place zucchini and leek (or onion) into a food processor. Cover food processor and blend vegetables for about 30 seconds.
  7. Turn on stove to medium heat, place large sauce pan and return blended vegetables to sauce pan.
  8. Add milk and water.
  9. Season with salt and pepper.
  10. Stir in parmesan cheese
  11. Allow to warm on stove top on medium heat for 10 minutes.
  12. Place into individual soup bowls. Garnish with drizzled olive oil, chopped cilantro / parsley or a dab of pesto!