Italian Appetizers

When we are entertaining, I like to have as much as I can done the day before.  That includes cleaning the house, grocery shopping, setting the table and prepping as much food as I can.  That way when we have friends over, I am not tired and I can relax and enjoy my time with them.  So if you are looking for a menu that allows you to do most of the prepping the day before and about 15 minutes the day of here it is...

Procuttio crisps (I made the crisps the night before and assembled the next day )

Salami bites (I made the cream cheese and herbs the night before and assembled the next day)

Roasted Olives  (Also, made the night before) (All these recipes are listed under the appetizer heading.)

Almonds (from a can, which couldn't be simpler!)

Tortellini Salad (Again made the night before)

And keeping with the theme, I served homemade Italian Sodas (Cherry and Peach) as a non-alcohol drink.

    

Tortellini Salad

 Originally I was going to make skewers of marinated cheese tortellini (cook according to package), grape tomatoes and cubed mozzarella cheese, but when I assembled them I didn't like how they looked.  The cheese and the tortellini just looked too white/plain next to each other and seem redundant (cheese and cheese).  So I dumped them in this over size martini glass.  Still something was missing, it was still too white/plain looking, so I threw in some black olives to give it some color.  Perfect!  I then just made a simple vinaigrette with fresh herbs from my container garden. 

Since, I didn't have any skewer assembly, this made the prep time even easier and the presentation even prettier!

Pasta Puttanesca

According to Italian folklore, the prostitutes would lure their men in by the smell of this Italian dish.....

The smell of this dish IS alluring, but the spicy, tangy and somewhat salty sauce will have you making this again.

A very simple Italian dish to serve....and to enjoy....

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 5 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
  
• 3 anchovies, chopped
  
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice (preferably Italian)
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
• 1/4 t garlic salt
• 1/4 crushed red pepper flake
• 1/4 oregano
  

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with puree, olives, anchovies, capers, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat until thickened, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in a large pot to desired tenderness. Drain pasta and add sauce.

TIP: The sauce tastes even better the next day. If you have leftovers, it is good served on top of fish.

Fresh Tomato, Sausage and Pecorino Pasta

I typically make this pasta with tomato sauce, but tonight I decided to make it with fresh tomatoes. Both ways are good.


Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked penne
1 pound mild Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup sliced onions
2 large cloves garlic
1 1/4 pound of vine- ripened tomatoes, chopped
freshly grated perconio romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon basil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Cook sausage and onion in a large skillet with oil until sausage is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper. basil and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Add pasta. Sprinkle with more cheese.

Parmesan Crisps with Proscuitto

I love anything with prosciutto in it! And this recipe with 3 ingredients couldn't be easier to make. Plus, it looks like more effort then what it is!

To make the crisps:

Spread 1 1/2 Tablespoon freshly grated parmesan into a 3 inch circle on a parchment paper.
Bake 5 minutes at 35o degree until golden and melted. Let cool.

Top with 1/2 slice of prosciutto de parma.

Garnish with basil or spinach.

MY TIP: The crisps can be made the day before and kept in an airtight container with wax paper separating them.

MY OTHER TIP: There is a big difference in the taste of imported versus domestic prosciutto. So always use imported.

Orzo with Garlic-Basil Shrimp

2 Tablespoon olive oil
18 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 garlic cloves
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or more to your taste
3/4 cup dried white wine
1 1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
salt and ground pepper to taste
3 cups cooked orzo

Heat the oil until hot and cook the shrimp (turning once) approximately 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp.
Add the red pepper and garlic and cook for 30 seconds on low heat .
Add the wine and cook on high heat for 3 minutes to deglaze the pan.
Stir in the tomatoes and basil.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Add the shrimp and serve over the cooked orzo.

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to prepare so it is good for those nights when you don't have a lot of time in the kitchen and are looking for something fast, fresh and full of flavor.

MY TIP: Although some recipes you can easily substitute dried herbs for fresh, this is one that I would definitely recommend using fresh basil.

GO COLTS!

We were invited to our friends Jim and Cheryl's house to watch the Colts and Jets game. When we arrived Cheryl had the dining room set with her Aunt's good china and the meal to follow was definitely not your typical football fare! We sat down with a nice glass of Chardonnay to a wonderful pear salad with dried cranberries on baby spinach leaves with a sweet vinaigrette dressing. Followed by baked Russian whitefish caught in the Baltic Sea, with mixed roasted vegetables seasoned with garlic salt, lemon pepper and fresh parsley. In her mixed vegetables were tomatoes, red peppers, broccoli, carrots and green onions. I love the idea of roasting green onions. I have only roasted yellow, white, and vadillia onions and now I will try green onions! But my favorite part of the meal was her pasta side dish! This simple dish was amazing in taste!

9 ounce package of fresh Bertolli's chicken and prosciutto raviolis
9 ounce package of fresh Bertolli's spinach and cheese tortellini
cook in one box of chicken broth
Put in a bowl and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and freshly grated parmesan.

For dessert, she served homemade peppermint ice cream sandwiches. She found the cookie part of the dessert in a store in Shipsawana, which is in Amish country.

The only thing better than the meal was the company! And the fact that the Colts are going to the Superbowl made the day even sweeter! GO COLTS!!

Grilled Pear Salad with Proscuitto

Ingredients:

1 Pear
4 slices of Prosciutto de Parma
1 small head of Boston lettuce or mixed greens
10 grape or cherry tomatoes
Italian vinaigrette

Directions:

Peel pear and cut into 4 pieces. Wrap each piece around a slice of pear. Grill or cook in a pan for 5 minutes. Clean the lettuce and tomatoes and put on a plate. Top with grilled pear and vinaigrette.

MY TIP: This salad is great with the addition of toasted walnuts, almonds or pine nuts or parmesan or blue cheese.

Toscana Soup

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, but I do like Olive Garden for their Zuppa Toscana. If you like their sausage soup you will like this recipe. This is easy to make because there are so few ingredients. So if you are looking for a quick winter meal this is it, just add some crusty bread!

Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2 russet potatoes, slice very thin (the skin can be left on if you prefer)
4 cups of chopped bite size kale
1 pound mild Italian Sausage
4 minced cloves of garlic
1 cup heavy cream
6 cups of chicken broth

Prep the vegetables. In a pan cook the sausage until it is no longer pink. Add the garlic and onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and potatoes and cook until soft. Add the kale and heavy cream and cook for 10 more minutes until the kale is soft. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

MY TIP: If you prefer a more spicy soup you can use hot sausage instead of mild.

Tortellini and Spinach Soup

Move over Rachel Ray--this soup can be thrown together in 20 minutes! Although it has store bought ingredients, it has a home-style flavor. This served with crusty bread was a quick and hearty meal after a long day skiing!


Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry wine
1 quart chicken broth
1 9 ounce package of fresh tortellini stuffed with chicken and prosciutto
1 bunch baby spinach
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 sprigs fresh oregano or basil-(optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and cook until golden (1-2 minutes). Pour in wine, heat to a boil. Cook until the wine is slightly syrupy, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, heat until boil. Add the tortellini, cook for 8 minutes. Add the baby spinach and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle cheese and garnish with fresh oregano or basil.

MY TIP: Make sure you carefully cook the garlic for 1-2 minutes on low heat until golden, if it turns brown it will taste bitter.

Cherry and Walnut Biscotti

Most everyone makes New Year's resolutions and I am no (well, maybe a little) exception! My plan for sticking with resolutions is to make lots of them! That way by the end of the year I can say I stuck with my resolutions (omitting the fact that I had so many, some were bound to stick!). So I have the typical ones--eat healthy, exercise more, etc. Then I have the not so traditional ones like make biscotti, master puff pastry (okay... I know I will never MASTER puff pastry, just make something... anything that turns out!!!), and make a recipe that uses yeast! (another stupid ingredient that fails me!) So here's to 2010!!!

Who would have thought that exercising would be the easy resolution?!?

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup light olive oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts nuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in dried cherries and nuts by hand.
3. Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.
5. Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 minutes, or until dry; cool.
6. Drizzle with white chocolate.

These turned out delicious! I did use Mexican Vanilla, (which a friend gave me for Christmas) which may have added to the flavor of this cookie.

MY TIP: The base of this biscotti was very flavorful. Any combination of dried fruit and nut would work well with this: raisins/almond, cranberry/pistachio, etc.

Red Pepper Crostini

7 ounces of red peppers from jar, sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, clopped finely
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon capers (optional) to garnish
1 halve a loaf of french bread, sliced

Mix the toppings, except for the capers and spread on to the bread slices and bake for 5-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven until edges of bread are golden brown.

MY TIP: These are great served as a festive appetizers in December and especially on Christmas because of the red peppers and the green parsley. These are also a nice alternative to bruschetta when serving Italian.

Mini Frittatas

I made these as part of our Christmas breakfast and these tiny frittatas just disappeared. This recipe can be doubled.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/2 tomato
• 5 mushrooms, sauteed and chopped
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 1 mini muffin tins (with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 10 minutes. Using a butter knife, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately. This made 16 frittatas.

MY TIP: You can substitute the meat, vegetables and cheese to your liking, just keep the meat and vegetable to about 6 ounces.

MY OTHER TIP: If you don't have enough egg mixture to fill all the tins, fill them with water, so you don't burn your pan!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

My husband and I recently returned home from one of my favorite cities-- Chicago. While we were there we ate at the Italian Village, which is downtown in the Loop. I have wanted to try this restaurant for awhile. The Italian Village is not just one restaurant, but three restaurants in one location. The top floor is traditional style Italian, the main floor is contemporary Italian and the Cellar is more seafood oriented. After perusing the menus that were hanging in the lobby numerous times and my starving husband saying "just pick one", I finally did! The seafood restaurant was the winner and a great choice! I choose the "tortellini con frutta del Mare". This dish was so flavorful and wonderful. I tried to figure out what the ingredients were in it and came up with this recipe. I think it's pretty close.

Ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato pasta sauce (I prefer Dei Fratelli, which is found in some groceries and Italian specialty markets)
  
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta
• 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• handful of raw shrimp
• handful of raw baby scallops
  

Directions

1. In a large saucepan combine pasta sauce, half and half, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer over low heat for 45 to 50 minutes; do not boil.
2. Right before serving, toss the shrimp and scallops and cook until they turn opaque--this only takes a couple of minutes, so watch carefully so you don't overcook the seafood.
   
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or to your taste, drain.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Although my dinner at La Cantina had freshly made tortellini (yum!), I opted for (Barelli's) angel hair, because it is my husband's favorite and to be honest I have never made homemade pasta. This could be used with any pasta, but I thought the angel hair had better presentation with seafood than say spiral or penne.

MY TIP: My husband is not a huge seafood lover like me, so you can make the sauce to the point of adding the seafood. And if you love seafood like me, you can quickly add it at the end since it only takes a few extra minutes to cook the seafood. Like most sauces, this is even better the next day.

Olive Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
  
• 8 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 tomatoes)

Directions

Cook the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until thick, syrupy, and measuring 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine the olives, parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl and toss to combine.

To serve, slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place, slightly overlapping, on a serving plate. Spoon the olive and parsley mixture over the tomatoes. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the salad and serve.

Tomato salads are best in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak, but because of the intensity of the other ingredients, this salad is good anytime.

MY TIP: You must use a good quality balsamic vinegar or the vinegar will not reduce to a sweet syrup. Balsamic vinegar from Modena, found in an Italian specialty shoppe is recommended.