Monday, November 30, 2009

Chicken Parmesan

Simple comfort food. Cut the chicken breasts into scallopines and dipped them in egg and then panko bread crumb seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and Parmesan cheese. Heated olive oil and browned breasts on both sides. Place breasts in baking pan and top with marinara sauce and a slice of fresh mozz cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Puff Pastry Tart with Sweet Potato, Pancetta and Scamorza

Again visited food52.com. When I made the Tuscan Onion Confit I noticed a comment left by someone saying they used the confit with puff pastry. I had all the ingredients for that recipe except for the Scamorza.

As it turned out we were not fans of the Confit so I made the Pastry Tart with Sweet Potato, Pancetta and Scamorza. Now I had never used Scamorza before. What it is is a dried mozzarella cheese. It tasted just like the kind of mozz cheese they sell in the dairy case. It actually was creamier than the dairy case cheese, just a lot drier than the fresh mozz.

Anyway, this was quite a good dish. There are no leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

I also made a soup of just chicken broth and the Roasted Chicken Purses I had in the freezer. It reminded me of the cupalets (not sure of the spelling on that) that my sister Lenore makes for Christmas dinner. That is my favorite Christmas dish.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Cider Sauce

I found a new foodie site, Food52.com. Once there I found a recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Cider Sauce. The recipe was easy to follow and the results were great.

Here is the recipe but I suggest you visit Food52.com.
This recipe serves 4.

1.5 pounds pork tenderloin (2 tenderloins)
1 inch knob of ginger, grated
1 to 1-1/2 cup apple cider
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degreess. Remove the silver skin from the pork and sprinkle on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil over high heat. Add the pork tenderloins and brown on both sides.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, transfer the pork to a baking dish. Don't wash out the skillet though, you will need it later for the sauce.)
4. Bake the pork until a meat thermometer registers 140 F. (For me this is about 12-15 minutes normally.) Take the pork out of the oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest.
5. Pour off any of the juice from the skillet (or baking dish) into a measuring cup. Add enough apple cider to make 1-1/2 cups of liquid.
6. Set the skillet over medium heat. Add a few drops of oil, then the ginger. Scrape the browned bits from the pan.
7. When the ginger becomes fragrant, pour in the liquid and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue scraping the browned bits and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue simmering to reduce the liquid by half.
8. When the liquid has thickened, add salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice. Remove from heat and swirl in 2 tablespoons of butter.
9. Slice the pork and transfer to a serving dish. Pour the sauce over it.

With the pork I served Roasted Butternut Squash and Couscous. We had that Onion Confit as a side dish... We were not nuts about the Onion Confit. I think it may have been the raisins. Not sure but there was something about it that neither of us were crazy about.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Pearl Onions & Vodka Cream Sauce with Penne

So I had some of the Pearl Onions left over from the Tuscan Onion Confit that did not make it to the Thanksgiving table. The bag of onions came with this recipe.

2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 pkg. of Pearl Onion (10 oz.)
1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup Cream (or half and half)
1 pound Penne Pasta
Salt and Pepper to taste

Peel and chop the onions. Heat olive oil and saute onion over low heat. When onions are translucent, add tomatoes and cook to reduce liquid, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add vodka and stir, then add cream. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, then mix in cooked pasta and serve.

Quite tasty!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009

Event - Thanksgiving Dinner
Place - My sister's house

First Course - Antipasto




This last photo was a dish my brother-in-law made. It had Goat Cheese and pimentos in it. We really liked this.The recipe has been requested and will be posted when it is received.


Second course - Italian Wedding Soup

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes. My sister makes the best chicken soup in the world.


Third Course - Stuffed Artichokes

This is my favorite Thanksgiving dish, Stuffed Artichokes. My brother-in-law's sister, Mary, makes these. They were delicious. She makes them with a light bread stuffing that is very close to how her mother made them. I have said a number of times what a great cook my mother was but in second place would be my brother-law's mother. Thanksgivings at her house were amazing with the amount of delicious food she would put on the table.



Main Course - Imagine photo of Turkey and Stuffing here.

It was a picture perfect bird... if I had just taken the photo. It was cooked perfectly, nice and moist. The stuffing was a bread stuffing that my sister makes. I think it was her mother-in-law's recipe. Gravy and two kinds of Cranberry Sauce, canned and homemade, were also served.


My contribution to the meal were a couple of sides dishes. Fortunately I took photos yesterday when I made them. One was Oven Baked Mixed Vegetables - Verdure Miste Al Forno from
Biba's Italian Kitchen cookbook.

I also made the Primavera Risotto Cake. When making the Risotto I used Vegetable Stock instead of Chicken stock. I made the vegetable stock instead of using the canned stuff. I never liked canned vegetable stock but this homemade stock is good. And I certainly have enough left over to freeze.

And I brought the Candied Yams... no photo.


Dessert -
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes


Tonya, brought dessert. Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes. They are now on my list of favorite Thanksgiving dishes. There was graham cracker crust on the bottom and the center was the texture of pumpkin pie while the outside was like a cupcake. Amazing. I have always liked pumpkin pie but the cupcake just made it seem less filling.


The dish that was left behind -
Tuscan Onion Confit


On the way home I realized that I had forgot to bring a dish that I had made. It was a new recipe that I found online for an onion relish that would have been served along with the main course. Well I guess I will find a use for it... Here is a link for the recipe.


All the food was delicious. A nice selection of wines were served, we even had some of my dad's homemade Grenache.

Another perfect Thanksgiving meal at my sister's house!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Beans, Eggs, Hot Dogs and Sauce

Busy day in the kitchen preparing some dishes to bring to my sister's tomorrow. I made Chocolate Chip Cookies. I heard that they are someones favorite Thanksgiving food. Also made a couple other things but they can wait until tomorrow's post.

For dinner we had one of my favorite things - Beans, Eggs, Hot Dogs and Sauce. I made marinara sauce and had beans in the freezer from my dad's garden. Added those to the sauce along with 2 hot dogs cut up into slices and let everything get heated. Then I broke 4 eggs into the pan and covered the pan to poach the eggs. Some Italian bread and a glass of wine and that was dinner.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Chcken Pot Pie with Phyllo Dough Crust


Tonight we had Chicken Pot Pie but I used Phyllo dough instead of a regular crust. Chris enjoyed it. For the filling I used the recipe from RealSimple.com that I posted back in September.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Happy 93rd Birthday Dad!

Actually Dad's birthday is tomorrow but we celebrated it today with dinner at Brazzi's Restaurant. We along with my sister, her husband, my brother and his wife took him out to dinner. Brazzi's has been in New Haven for years and has always had consistently good Italian food. The atmosphere is fun and it is the perfect place for a party. We skipped the appetizers and went straight for dinner. (We wanted to leave room for dessert!)


I had Cavatelli Con Broccoli, hold the garlic. There was so much on the plate I was only able to put a small dent in it. So guess what is for lunch tomorrow!

The restaurant supplied the cake. It was an Italian Cream Cake. Dad enjoyed it!



Seeing cats aren't allowed in the restaurant, Kramer wanted to wish Poppa Frank a very Happy Birthday!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Chicken with Leeks and Bacon and Rissoto Primavera Cake

When Chris and I met we were both working at a restaurant named Nancy Lee's. It was an American Bistro. One of the items on the menu was Chicken with Leeks and Bacon. Nancy finished her recipe with cream but 17 years later I decided to omit the cream.

Start by cleaning leeks and slicing them. Leeks can be a pain to clean, so much dirt... What I do is slice them and then soak them in a bowl of water. Stir them around and let them sit. Drain them and repeat this a number of times. You will see little bits of dirt in the bottom of the bowl after each cleaning. I am sure there are other way to clean leeks but this works for me.


Cut the Chicken breast into thin cutlets. Dredge them in flour. Heat oil and a knob of butter in a skillet and add leeks. Saute until tender. Add the bacon. Cook until crisp. Place cutlets in pan and saute until cooked through about 4 min. per side. I cover the pan and let the chicken cook for about 3 - 4 minutes.

For a side dish I did a test run on a recipe I will be bringing to my sister's on Thanksgiving. Risotto Primavera Cake. I saw this recipe on the Proud Italian blog and the photo looked so pretty. I made a small version just to be sure it would taste as good as it looked in the photo. Wow. This was good. This was very good.

For dessert my neighbor Kim brought over some No Bake Cheesecake for me to try. It is very light and I could have eaten more but... Here is her recipe -

No Bake Cheesecake... to die for! 10 oz. cream cheese 1/2 cup powder sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1 cup heavy cream pre-baked pie crust of your choice (Kim made a shortbread crust) Stir first 4 ingredients until creamed. Lightly whip heavy cream until thick. Fold cream with other ingredients, put in shell and chill for up to 3 hours or over night...DIG IN!!!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

I found this recipe in one of those holiday recipe books that you can pick up for free as you leave the grocery store. This one was called A Taste of the Season and I picked it up at Big Y. Here is a link to the recipe at the Big Y site. There is also a recipe on their site for a Turkey Spinach Lasagna which sounds good.

Below is the recipe with my added comments, just a couple of random thoughts. The hardest part to this recipe was chopping the parsley. This recipe makes enough for six people so I cut it in half.


Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 garlic clove, minced
(I did not have garlic and it was not missed. I think 4 cloves are a bit much, it would drown out the other flavors... but that is just my opinion)
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped

4 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
(I used dried)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 14 1/2 oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

28 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, cubed

3 cups cooked rice
(I made Israeli couscous)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450˚F.


In skillet over medium heat, add oil. Add garlic, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute for 3 minutes or until garlic is softened.


In a large bowl, combine garlic/red pepper mixture, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to baking dish.
(Here is were an extra dish to wash is added. Just mix everything in the baking dish!) Spoon shrimp, grape tomatoes and feta over mixture and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and serve over rice.

Makes 6 (approximately 2- cup) servings.


Tip: To serve this recipe in snap, you can make the soup base up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, add shrimp, tomatoes and feta and bake according to the recipe directions.


I am not sure who wrote this recipe but it was delicious. We had some Italian bread because the sauce as so good.


And we did eat dinner this past week, just did not have blogging time... Tuesday we had Barber Chicken Cordon Bleu and Wednesday we had pasta with meat sauce. Last night, Thursday, was my husband's birthday! We ate at Friends and Company. I had Tuna with a sauce that I wrote down what was in it but there is a cat sitting comfortably on my lap making it impossible to get up and find my notes...

Monday, November 16, 2009

Italian Roasted Vegetable and Bulgar Wheat

First of all it should have been Italian Roasted Vegetable and Farro Salad. I was so sure I had Farro in the cabinet. I found this recipe on the Jamie Oliver site and it said if you do not have Farro you can substitute Bulgar Wheat.

The dressing was good. Olive oil and lemon juice is my favorite salad dressing. We did add some Parmesan cheese and a bit of crushed red pepper.

We also finished up the leftovers from last night's dinner. I had to stop and get Italian bread to go with it, of course. I went to Pasta Avesti and they were taking the bread out of the oven as I walked in the store. Wow. Perfect ending to a Monday.

Here is the recipe from the Jamie Oliver site. I cut the recipe in half and there was plenty for both of us with enough for lunch for a couple of days.

400g farro or Bulgar wheat
3 yellow and 2 green courgettes, halved length ways and deseeded (or use 5 green in total if you can’t find yellow)
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thickly sliced, leafy tops reserved to garnish
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 aubergines, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
a splash of herb or white wine vinegar
a good bunch of fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, mint and oregano
a squeeze of lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Soak the farro or Bulgar wheat in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, slice the courgettes cross ways into chunky crescents and put into a large roasting tray. Add the remaining vegetables and garlic cloves and toss together with a good splash of olive oil. Season well.

Spread the vegetables out in one layer if you can, as they’ll roast better this way – use 2 trays if you have to. Roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, removing the trays from the oven and carefully shaking them every now and then, until the vegetables are cooked through and crisp around the edges. Sprinkle the vinegar over the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool. When cool, tip on to a large chopping board, add the fresh herbs and chop it all finely.

Place the farro or Bulgar wheat in a large saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain well. Dress the farro or Bulgar wheat with a good splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and toss with the chopped vegetables. Scatter the reserved fennel tops over the mix and serve.

Also had some of the Pine Nut Cake. Light and lemony. It was a hit!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Tuscan Pot Roast, Peanut Butter & Nutella Cookies and Pinolata

Busy day in the kitchen! Started off with some cookies. I did not feel like making chocolate chip cookies so I went to Joy of Baking.com and used a peanut butter cookie recipe as a starting point. Instead of using 3/4 cup peanut butter I used 1/2 cup and added 1/4 Nutella. Also added dark chocolate chips and rice crispies so they would be a little lighter. Yum.

I found a recipe for Pinolata, Pine Nut Cake. It was a nice recipe and the results look great. And the recipe make 3 cakes! Click here to see the recipe on the Italian Dish blog.

For dinner I made a Tuscan Pot Roast. I don't usually do pot roasts. I always overcook them... But this one was not bad. I am sure it was the wine in the recipe that helped. And there is enough left over for tomorrow night.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Beef Bourguignon

Again we got food from La Rosticceria. We had a new refrigerator delivered today and the kitchen was not ready to be used. So off to La Rosticceria I went. Twice in less than 3 days... that tells you how good the food is. Tonight we had Beef Bourguignon with a sides of roasted root vegetables and roasted cauliflower. Chris declared the meal "delicious!' The meat melted in your mouth. The sauce was rich but not heavy. It was truly comfort food.I also picked up a slice of Pane Cotta. We had plenty of food but it looked so good I had to try it. And yes it was fantastic! Also picked up a bottle of Fat Cat Pinot Noir. Same wine we had last night. This could be our new house wine.Also picked up 2 cupcakes. The chocolate with Nutella filling and a special pumpkin cup cake. They were amazingly light. And the Nutella filing was perfect. Oops I forgot to take a photo. But if you click here you can see their cupcake gallery!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Shrimp and Spinach and Proscuitto and Polenta

Dinner at Friends and Company tonight. And I had 4 of my favorite things in one dish. Shrimp and Spinach and Proscuitto and Polenta. It was shrimp and pesto wrapped in prosciutto, sauteed and served over sauteed spinach and a piece of polenta. There was a little garlic vinaigrette drizzled around the plate. What sold me on the dish was the proscuitto and the polenta. It was so good. Sorry no photos...

Chris had medallions of Filet Mignon with a demi glace over rigatoni. We started with Coconut Shrimp and Cod Fritters, which were made with cod, capers and potatoes. We had a bottle of Fat Cat Pinot Noir with our meal.

Nice ending to the work week.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Chicken Puglia and Chicken Balsamico

New to go place! La Rosticceria is our new find. Not far from home it is perfect for a dinner to go stop.

The food in the showcase was breath-taking, for me anyway. For dinner tonight I had the Chicken Puglia which was made with chicken, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, olive and sun-dried tomatoes. The chicken was so tender and the peppers and artichoke hearts were so tasty. And the portion was large for me.
Chris had the Chicken Balsamico which was made with Chicken, hot cherry peppers, tomatoes, scallions and balsamic vinegar. I tasted the meal Chris had and it was spicy and good. Both meals came with green beans.

Finished off the meal a chocolate cookie. Why didn't I buy cupcakes at La Rosticceria? Next time.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Baked Pasta with Salami


I am pretty tired tonight so I will get to the point. This was a delicious meal. I love baked macaroni. Salami, Mortadella and the Béchamel sauce brought it together nicely. I found this recipe on lacucinaitalianamagazine.com. I will be revisiting this site quite often.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Curried Potato and Spinach Soup

A nod is a good as a wink to a blind horse... is a blog I recently started following. I like the writer's style. The recipe for this soup interested me. We do not use curry powder a lot. Reading the health note at the end of the blog entry caught my attention.
Chris loved it. He went back for seconds and I think he had a little more. I was not really counting (past the 2nd bowl) because I was enjoying the soup myself. The recipe calls for 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder. I used just one. Didn't want to over do it the first time I made the recipe. Here is the recipe as it appears on A nod is a good as a wink to a blind horse...

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely grated
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder *
⅛ teaspoon thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup fresh baby spinach

* This depends on how much you like curry

Melt the butter in a large pot then add the onion, carrot, garlic, curry powder and thyme. Stir while cooking for 4 to 7 minutes. Add the potatoes and seasoning. Then stir in the stock.

Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are falling apart. Add the spinach, stir through then turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls and serve with the garlic toast.

I would recommend reading A nod is a good as a wink to a blind horse... It is like visiting with a old friend.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

BBQ Roast Beef with Cheddar Sandwiches

On of the blogs I follow, Closet Cooking, had this recipe posted. As soon as I read it I knew Chris would enjoy it. First I had never thought to make my own BBQ sauce. The result was very good.

I picked up Roast Beef at the deli counter (it was on sale this week). Shredded the meat and mixed it with the sauce. Placed the beef on half of a sliced roll and put the cheddar cheese slices on top of that. Popped in under the broiler, yes I almost burned them but luckily did not. It was very good. A perfect Sunday night meal. Go Saints!

Another one of the blogs I follow, Proud Italian had a soup posted that I had to try - Beans, Greens and Broken Spaghetti Soup. It used Swiss Chard. I found out that Swiss Chard is packed with Vitamins K, A and C to name a few. The recipe was super easy and the result was very tasty. The flavor reminded me of something my mom made. And there is no meat in it, except for the chicken broth. I was planning on serving this later in the week but I called my dad who 92 years young, seriously he has more energy than I do, and he has an awful cold. So tomorrow I will be making a soup delivery.

The only change I made in the original recipe was using egg noodles instead of the spaghetti, which I was sure was in the pantry.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Sogliola Fresca Fiorentina

Sole Florentine in English. We ate at Bellini's with my sister and her husband. I had the camera but we were so busy talking I forgot to take photos.

We started off with Crab Cakes and Fried Calamari. They serve these garlic knots in their bread basket which are fantastic. For dinner I had the Sogliola Fresca Fiorentina. Sole Florentine in English. Chris had a special which was a Porterhouse steak with cherry peppers and onions. My sister had the Eggplant Parmesan and her husband had the Sogliola Fresca Almondine. The food was very good. But we were too stuffed for dessert.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Roasted Cod with Olives

I receive a newsletter from RealSimple.com for recipes. A couple of days ago I received an email with the subject line of - A Deliciously Easy One-Pot Fish Recipe. One Pot... I am in. I visited a local fish market and was happy to have walked in the store. The proprietor was very helpful and the fish was a nice quality. The recipe called for Pacific Cod. He only had a small piece left but suggested Cod which was brought in today from Cape Cod. It was very easy to make and delicious. Chris and I both enjoyed it. The recipe is for 4 serving.


Ingredients
2 pounds Pacific cod or some other white fish fillets (such as halibut)

3/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup mixed olives zest from 1 lemon, cut into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Directions
Heat oven to 400° F.
Place the fish in a small roasting pan. Add enough wine (about 3/4 cup) to reach halfway up the sides of the fish. Scatter the olives and lemon zest around the fish. Drizzle with the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the red pepper. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the parsley. Divide the fish among individual plates and spoon the olives and wine sauce over the top.

I made steamed snow peas and picked up some fantastic wheat and potato bread to go with dinner. I used a 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, from Cupcake Vineyards. So between the wine and the crushed red pepper this was not a dish for a kitty, no matter how cute. Sorry Archie.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Drunken Cheesy Bread and Vegetable Stew

Drunken Cheesy Bread. Just the name sounds good. We had a vegetable stew so I knew some sort of meat should appear on the table. This was a great side dish. It was just delicious.

Ingredients
butter for the pan

1/2 baguette, cut into 2-inch slices

1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/8 pound thinly sliced cooked ham

3/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere


Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Place the bread in a buttered ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch square baking dish, or a casserole. Scatter the onion and ham over the bread. Pour the wine over the onion and ham and sprinkle with the pepper and Gruyère.
Bake until the cheese has melted and begun to brown at the edges, about 20 minutes. Spoon onto individual plates.

Vegetable Stew. This was a good stew. The broth was spicy from the cumin and crushed red pepper. The next time I make this I will cut the veggies smaller that what the recipe says.

Ingredients

4 large carrots, diagonally sliced into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained


Directions
Combine all the ingredients except the zucchini and chickpeas in a heavy, covered saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Add the zucchini and beans during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Shells Stuffed with Sweet Potato and Spinach

I found this recipe on the Proud Italian blog. I did not have enough Butternut Squash, used it for last night's soup but I did have a sweet potato. So I roasted the potato and used that in place of the squash. Also had marinara sauce left from Saturday night's dinner so used that instead of the sage butter. Oh it was so good. Had some of the bread I made yesterday, the No Knead Bread. It is the perfect bread recipe.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Butternut Squash Soup and Pizza Sfogliatella

I was checking out the Gourmet site and noticed the Diary of a Foodie. I remember the show had been on a season ago and did some investigating and came upon Pizza Sfogliatella. It looked fascinating. Last week when I made the pizza dough I made extra so I pulled some out of the freezer. I rolled it out nice and thin and the result was delicious. The layers were nice and crispy and the anchovies added just the right taste. The soup was the same recipe I made on September 28th.

For the Pizza Sfogliatella you can use your favorite crust recipe or buy the dough from a pizza shop or grocery store. I used the recipe from Cook-Italian.com.
Once you have your dough this is what you do next -

For Seasoned Oil
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 (3 1/3-oz) jar flat anchovy fillets, drained, patted dry, and finely chopped (1/4 cup)

Make seasoned oil:
Whisk together all oil ingredients in a small bowl until combined well.

Form and bake pizza:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 15- by 10- by 1-inch shallow baking pan.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out dough into a roughly 25-inch square, turning and lightly dusting dough with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. (Dough will be very thin.)
Reserve 1 tablespoon seasoned oil and brush remaining oil over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge. Tightly roll up dough jelly-roll-style and pinch seam to seal (some seasoned oil will seep out as you roll). Arrange roll, seam side down, in baking pan and form into a ring, then press ring with your fingertips until it covers bottom of pan. (It will be about 1/2 inch thick.)
Brush top of dough with reserved oil and bake until golden and top and underside are crusty, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then lift pizza from pan using a metal spatula and transfer to a rack to cool to warm or room temperature, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into squares.