Gnocchi alla Romana

Quite different from the well known potato gnocchi we serve with pasta sauce, these gnocchi are made from semolina and cut in circles then baked.

Gnocchi-
3 Tbsp Unsalted butter, melted
1/3 C Grated Parmesan
3 Egg Yolks
4 C Milk
Pinch Nutmeg
1 2/3 C Semolina flour

Prepare Gnocchi
Line a 12 X 10 inch cookie sheet with baking paper or parchment
In a small bowl beat together butter, egg yolks and grated parmesan
Season Lightly with salt and pepper and set aside
In a large saucepan heat milk, add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
When milk is just beginning to boil lower heat and add semolina in a steady stream stirring as you pour.
Over low heat continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until all milk has been absorbed and mixture pulls away from side of pan in one mass.

Remove pan from heat
Beat in egg yolk mixture till smooth.
Spoon mixture quickly onto lined cookie sheet
Smooth with knive dipped in cold water to achieve
an even thickness.
Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 f and grease a 7 X 10 shallow baking pan (lasagne pan)

After cooled enough to handle lift semolina slab from cookie sheet
Peel off parchment and cut into circles using a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter dipped in cold water.
Arrange Circles slightly overlapping in lasagne pan.

Topping:
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
1/3 C Heavy Cream
1/3 C Parmesan, grated

Blend butter and heavy cream.
Pour over Gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmesan

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown

Serves 4
Can be prepared up to 2 days previous and stored in refrigerator in either slab form or ready cut circles.

Chicken Cacciatora

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Lg onion, chopped fine
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Stick Celery, chopped fine
1/4 Lb Pancetta (or Bacon) chopped
1/4 Lb Mushrooms,sliced. (or one small can)
1 Fryer, cut up
1/3 cup Dry white wine, or dry vermouth
1 28oz can Tomatoes, Diced
1 pinch Brown sugar
1 sprig Rosemary
5 sprigs Oregano, 1 for cooking 4 for garnish
1 Bay leaf
1/3 cup Cold water

Preparation:
Heat half the oil in a med to large stock pot.
Add onion, garlic and celery and cook 6-8 minutes over medium low heat stirring occasionally till onion is golden.
Add Pancetta (or bacon) and mushrooms.
Increase heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring from time to time.
Spoon pancetta mixture onto a plate and set aside.
Add remaining oil and to pot
A few pieces at a time lightly brown chicken pieces season them as they brown and remove from pot till all chicken is browned
Skim off any excess fat and return all the chicken to pot.
Add wine and increase heat
Cook till almost all liquid has been evaporated.
Add tomatoes, sugar, rosemary, one of the oregano sprigs, bay leaf and 1/3 cup cold water.
Bring to boil then stir in pancetta mixture.
Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender but not falling off bone.
Uncover and remove oregano and rosemary sprigs.
Taste for Salt and pepper, add accordingly to taste.
Toss in oregano sprigs and serve.

Spicy pumpkin bread

After trying many recipes and doing a LOT of experimenting, this is the most MOIST and delicious pumpkin bread recipe around! At the end of the recipe, add whatever you like most (chopped walnuts, dried cherries, miniature chocolate chips, chopped dates...) - the trick is to use sour cream and BABY FOOD (or even applesauce) instead of OIL. Oil usually makes the breads greasy-tasting and fat-laden.

Spray loaf pans with nonstick spray. I even line mine with parchment, but it's not necessary.

Prehead the oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you're using glass pans of dark-colored teflon pans)

Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl:

2 cups canned (cooked, packed) pumpkin (NOT pie filling!)

4 Tblsp. melted butter

3/4 cup BABY food (I used a mixture of carrots and banana-applesauce!)

3/4 cup light sour cream

2-1/2 cups white sugar

4 lightly beaten eggs

2 teasp. vanilla

Stir in:

3 cups white flour

2 teasp. baking soda

1 teasp. baking powder

2 teasp. ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teasp. ground ginger

1/4 teasp. ground cloves

1/8 teasp. ground/grated nutmeg

Mix WELL - at this point, add whatever you like to the batter. You don't have to add ANYthing if you prefer it plain. I added dried cranberries (Craisins) and chopped walnuts to mine.

Divide the batter equally and spoon into greased pans. You can use standard 8X5 loaf pans or smaller mini-loaf pans. Make sure if you use smaller pans to adjust the baking time and check them after 30 or so minutes. The larger loaves take 45 minutes or more.

Bake the loaves - test the center with a toothpick to make sure it's baked thoroughly. Remove from oven and then remove from pans after 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. If you can wait that long. :-)

Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is made for a diabetic diet (no crust, no sugar & VERY low carbs!). You can EASILY adapt it and make a regular pumpkin pie by preparing your favorite (unbaked) crust. Make the filling exactly the same but use regular sugar instead of Splenda. Then bake it @400* degrees the first 15 minutes - lower the oven temp to 350* and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes, until the center is cooked.

Spray a 9" pie plate with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350* degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine and mix together well:

1 15 oz. can of solid packed, cooked pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie FILLING)

3 lightly beaten eggs

1 cup Splenda (OR sugar)

1 teasp. ground ginger

2 teasp. ground cinnamon

1/8 teasp. ground cloves

1/8 teasp. ground/grated nutmeg

1 teasp. vanilla extract

1- 12 oz. can evaporated milk

Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

* IF YOU USE A GLASS or DARK- COLORED Nonstick PIE PAN, REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE 20 DEGREES - otherwise it'll overcook and burn!

Chargrilled Radicchio

2 heads Radicchio
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Shredded Asiago if desired

coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper

Trim radicchio discarding outer leaves
Slice lengthwise into quarters

Preheat Grilling Pan or Griddle to hot

Drizzle Radicchio with about half of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper
Place Radicchio on pan and cook till inner leaves darken, about 2 minutes
Turn and cook other side for another 2 minutes.

Remove to serving plate and drizzle with Oil and Vinegar.
Sprinkle with Asiago
Serve as an appetizer or vegetable side dish.

Steak Pizzaiola

4 Rib or rump steaks
4 Tbsp Olive oil
4 C Tomatoes, coarsely diced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
3-4 Basil leaves, torn to pieces
1 tsp Parsley chopped fine
Seasonings to taste

Brush steaks with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and season well. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in saucepan, add garlic and cook till softened but not brown.
Add Tomato and seasoning increase heat and bring to boil, cook for five minutes stirring occasionally.
Stir in basil and lower heat.

Heat remaining oil in large skillet with tight fitting lid.
Brown Steaks over med-high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
Place Steaks in a slightly overlapping row down center of skillet.
Spoon sauce over top of steaks and lower heat
Cover, and simmer for about five minutes

Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately

joann;s zazza

I made these pizza's today and this is one of the 10 i made today

Pasta Fagioli Soup

2 Tsps. Olive Oil
5 oz. Chopped Onion
5 oz. Diced Celery
5 oz. Slivered Carrots
1 can (16 oz.) Diced Tomatoes
1 can Red Kidney Beans
1 can White Beans (any)
29 oz. Beef Stock
3/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco Sauce
1/2 to 2/3 box of Ditalini Pasta
2/3 lb. Ground Beef
16 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 2/3 tsp. Chopped Parsley

Saute' ground beef in the olive oil until browned. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes; simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans then add to pot. Add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco sauce and spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes or until the celery and carrots begin to get tender. Add the Ditalini and cook according to directions on box.

Yields 3 quarts.

NOTE: For more heat add 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Tiramisu

Ingredients:
3 Lg Eggs
1 C Espresso (brewed)
1/2 C Sugar
2 Tbsp Cognac or Brandy
8 oz. Mascarpone (Italian Cream Cheese)
1/8 C Cocoa
20 Ladyfingers, toasted

Combine 3 egg yolks, 1 Tbsp. Espresso, sugar and Cognac in large mixing bowl. Beat 2-3 minutes.
Add Mascarpone and beat 3-5 minutes until smooth.
(I have found that this step is best when mixed in a non metallic bowl)

In another bowl, combine 3 egg whites and a pinch of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into Mascarpone mixture.

Dip one side of each Ladyfinger into remaining Espresso and layer on bottom and sides of serving dish. Spread 1/2 of Mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with cocoa. Layer Ladyfingers and finish with a Mascarpone layer.
Dust top with Cocoa
Refrigerate for at least two hours.
A true key to success in serving Tiramisu is to serve it very very cold. But don't let it freeze.

Makes six servings.

Osso Buco (Italian Veal Shanks)

Ingredients:
3 lbs Veal shanks

3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 lg stalk celery, coarsely chopped
5 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 c dry sherry)
1/3 c brandy
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 sprig rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley and lemon juice to sprinkle over servings

Prep:
In a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, add 2 T olive oil over medium high heat. Season shanks with salt and pepper on both sides, then brown them on all sides. When browning is done, remove the shanks to a bowl to be added back in later.

In the same pan, reduce heat to low and add 2 T olive oil and butter.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir well to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. (This will allow the vegetables to release their juices.

Add the Marsala or sherry and the brandy, also the balsamic vinegar. Stir in well, cover again, and let simmer on low for about 6-8 minutes.

Add rosemary, thyme and bay leaves to the simmering vegetables, along with the tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and add the shanks and chicken stock. Stir both in well to mix with vegetables.

When broth is boiling, reduce heat to low again and cover. Cook for about 1-1 ½ hours. Veal should be “falling off the bone” tender after an hour or less.
Sprinkle individual servings with parsley and lemon juice

Serve with pasta, mashed potatoes or risotto (rice)