Tag Archives: Recipes

Pesche al Vino (Peaches and Wine)

Peaches and Wine! Simply delicious!

Applying simple pairing principles, you may wish for an inspired dessert. Feel free to vary quantities, proportions and ingredients; all you really need is your peaches and vino.

 Ingredients

  • 4 Nectarines or Peaches
  • 2 cups Lambrusco
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • A cinnamon stick
  • Mint Leaves

Preparation

4 peaches each cut with a small crosswise incision where the stem is. Place into boiling water, blanch for 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon remove each peach and place into a bowl of ice water. After 10 minutes, remove the peach and place cross wise cut down into a bowl and set aside.

In a saucepan over a medium heat, pour two glasses of Lambrusco, 1/4 cup of sugar, a stick of cinnamon.

Simmer together for 3 minutes over medium heat, and then pour the hot liquid over the peaches in the bowl.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to stand for at least 2 hours to overnight. Can be served warmed from the oven (bake 20 minutes 170 F) or placed into a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Mussels in Creamy Wine Sauce

Mussels enjoyed in a white wine sauce will leaving your guests wanting for more!

Italians enjoy seafood!  This plate full of mussels can be served with or without cream. Mussels can be prepared as an appetizer or as an entrée with pasta. Enjoy the sauce and dip into it with grilled italian bread or ciabatta.  Recommended wine is a Pinot Grigio. Use the wine finder to choose a wine at the following link,  wine

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Onion minced
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 4 Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 pound Mussels
  • 1 cup Pinot Grigio white wine. (optional)
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Garlic Clove ( minced and set aside)
  • 2 Tbsp Parsley ( chopped and set aside)
  • Pepper to taste (cracked black pepper of red pepper flakes)

Directions

Place oil, onion and salt into a large skillet and allow to sauté  over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add tomatoes, allow to cook for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, place clams and mussels in a colander, wash and scrub shells with cold water and place into skillet. (Only for fresh mussels.)  Frozen mussels have been pre-washed and can be added directly into the heated skillet. Add wine and cream to mussels , stir for 30 seconds. Add garlic. parsley and pepper allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Can be served over pasta or with toasted Italian bread.

Second large pan: Healt 1/2 cup Olive oil on Medium heat with two garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Braided Easter Bread

A Delicious Filled Brioche! Thank you to Zenzero e Limone   for allowing me to translate and post your recipe into English.

Braided Stuffed Brioche

2 packages of Rapid Rise Yeast
2 tsps sugar
1 cup milk (250 ml) + 3 tablespoons milk
4 cups  flour (550 g)
3/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tablespoons  of vegetable oil (50 ml)
1 egg slightly beaten
1/8 tsp salt
Cubed Pancetta or Ham (found in Deli)
Fontina cheese (diced into small pieces)

In a mixing bowl combine room temperature yeast, sugar, milk and 1/4 c flour. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast mixture has bubbled. Add in the rest of flour, egg, oil and lastly, the salt. (Do not allow the salt the come in contact directly with the risen yeast mixture because it will kill the rise that the brioche needs.)

Mix all ingredients well until the dough is soft. Place into a large bowl, cover and allow to rise for one hour.

On a clean flat surface, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. With a pizza roller or knife cut the width into 3 equal parts.

Roll out dough onto rectangular shape and cut into 3 equal parts. Then scatter the pancetta/ham and fontina cheese onto each strip.

Scatter the Pancetta/Ham and fontina onto the dough strips. Close each strip, making them cylinder like. Create a braid with the 3 parts.

Cover the inside of the Angel Food Cake Pan with wax paper. Carefully place the braid into a round Angel Food Cake Pan. Or you may cover a cookie tray with the wax paper and place the length of the braid directly onto the tray. Add additional pieces of pancetta/ham and fontina, lightly brush on 1 Tablespoon of milk.

Carefully place the braided dough into the pre covered pan and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.

Set aside and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Place into preheated 400F (200 C) oven for 25-30 minutes.

References

(http://blog.giallozafferano.it/paola67/ )

Involtini Siciliani

Savory Stuffed Sicilian Chicken with a Rosemary Wine Sauce is fast favorite! Your guests will experience a delightful meal. Serve on a bed of arugula  to accentuate this flavorful dish.

Ingredients

4 Fillets of chicken sliced thin
1 cup finely grated bread crumbs
1 cup cubed bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped Fontina cheese
1/4 cup Pine nuts
1 Tbsp Orange zest
chopped rosemary
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup water or Pinot Grigio
bay leaves (optional)
Arugula Salad

Preheat oven at 350 F
Add oil into an oven proof pan. Place chicken rolls into pan and then into preheated oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes.

Chicken should be cut thin into fillets. Easy fillet slicing can be accomplished if chicken is placed in freezer for about 30-45 minutes. Remove from freezer, place chicken onto cutting board and with a sharp knife begin to fillet chicken.

Fillet a chicken breast by placing a cut into the top of breast. With the opposite hand pull back the top of fillet, continue to move knife through fillet producing 2-3 fillets from 1 thick chicken breast.

On a plate place finely grated bread crumbs, place the chicken into the crumb one at a time and then onto a cutting board. In a bowl mix cubed bread crumbs, milk, fontina cheese, pine nuts, orange zest, and rosemary.

Spread stuffing onto the full chicken fillet.

Mix well together. Spread 1-2 Tbsp of stuffing onto open fillet covering the entire fillet.

Roll fillet, and insert a toothpick once rolled to secure the stuffed chicken.

Roll fillet and secure with a toothpick or cooking twine, place into oven proof pan. Dust rolled chicken with remaining bread crumbs. Place pan with chicken rolls into preheated oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Fillets are done when bread crumbs turn slightly golden.
Serve on a bed of arugula salad and top off with the Rosemary Wine Sauce!

Involtini Siciliani

Rosemary Wine Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
minced roseemary
pinch of salt
cracked pepper
3/4-1 cup of Pinot Grigio white wine

Make a paste of melted butter, flour, salt, pepper and rosemary. Slowly add in wine, continuously stirring for about 5 minutes.

In a sauce pan add 1 tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour, pinch of salt, cracked pepper, stir until butter is melted. Add in slowly 3/4 cup white wine while continuously stirring over low heat for 5 minutes allow the sauce to thicken and serve over chicken rolls.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash is a perfect winter dish!

Butternut squash is a perfect winter dish!

Pick it up! It’s not that hard to work with and one bowl of soup will leave you asking for, “More Please!” Butternut Squash is an ideal winter food, although, by exchanging herbs can bring out a spring flavors as well.  Butternut squash is loaded with Vitamin A & C, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium.

Serves 6
Preparation time 30 minutes. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Saute` vegetables for 20 minutes.

Saute` vegetables for 20 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
1 /4 cup olive oil
1 celery (quartered)
1 carrot (quartered
1 onion (sliced)
1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 potato peeled, quartered & boiled.
2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp  Rosemary OR Cilantro to taste

DSC01403

Slicing squash is simple. Loaded with vitamins & minerals, it's the perfect winter food.

Slicing squash is simple. Loaded with vitamins & minerals, it’s the perfect winter food.

DIRECTIONS
In large sauce pan, add olive oil, celery, carrot onion and butternut squash (peeled, seeds scooped out and cubed.) On medium heat allow to saute` for 20 minutes, stirring periodically. In a seperate pan, boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place into pan with saute` vegetables.  Remove from heat. add milk. Puree vegetables with method of choice, i.e. hand blender. Return pan to low-heat and allow to warm for 5 minutes. Serve into bowls, top with chopped herb of choice.