Some of the things we grew up on..................
Italian Beef
Serves 6-8
1 - 3 to 4 lb. boneless rump or round roast
6 cloves of garlic cut into slivers
1 Cup water
1 Tblsp. salt
1 Tblsp. coarsley ground pepper
1 Tblsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tblsp. oregano
Heat oven to 250° . Make slits all over roast with the tip of a knife and insert garlic slivers. Place in a deep pan not much larger than roast with water at the bottom, add seasonings; cover tightly and bake 2 hours basting occasionally. Remove from oven and let rest. Slice very thin slices. Add a little water to the pan and stir getting the cooked juices and seasonings mixed. Put the sliced beef back into the pan and reheat. Serve on Italian bread
Chicago Style Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches Serves 6
2-21/2 lbs. hot or mild Italian sausage
2 green bell peppers cut into 2" strips
1-14 can Italian peeled tomatoes,
drained and chopped
1/4 Cup water
1 teasp. garlic salt
1/4 teasp. pepper
6 Italian long rolls
Heat large sauce pan over medium heat, place sausages into pan with 1/4 Cup of water and cooked covered. Cook thoroughly, turn the sausage occasionally to brown evenly.
Remove the sausage from the frying pan and drain of excess grease, return the sausage to the pan and add the green peppers, tomatoes, garlic salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Spoon sausage with peppers and sauce on to the Italian roll which have been split
Hot GIARDINIERA
Serves Six
1 lb. green Italian olives
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, sliced thin
2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1 celery stalk, sliced diagonally
2 cups cauliflower, cut into small chunks
1/2 red pepper, quartered and sliced
1/4 Cup sport peppers or less to taste (little green finger peppers)
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 teasp. pepper
Wash and drain the olives and dry on paper towels. Crack each olive with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy cup. Combine the olives with all the other ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate in a closed jar for two days.
Italian Ice (Lemon)
5 Cups water
2/3 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup lemon juice
1 teasp. grated lemon zest
Bring water, sugar and the lemon zest to a boil in s medium saucepan, boil over high heat for 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; then stir lemon juice into the sugar water. Pour into a freezer tray and freeze 1/2 hours, or until icy. Stir and break up icy crystals with a fork. Freeze again until firm, about 2-1/2 hours longer. Serve in chilled wine glasses. A little Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur poured on top or each serving will dress this dessert up.
Baked Ziti Serves 4 - 6
1 lb. Ziti or Rigatoni
12 oz. Ricotta cheese
3/4 C grated Romano cheese
1/2 teasp. salt
1/4 teasp. freshly ground pepper
2 Tblsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 C. marinara sauce, homemade below or jarred.
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
Preheat the oven to 350° . Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ziti until a firm al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further. Drain well
Combine ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Romano cheese and parsley in a medium bowl, blend well.
Toss the cooked pasta with 2 Cups marinara sauce. Place half the pasta in a 11 x 7 baking dish. Smooth 1/2 the Ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta and top with 1/2 the mozzarella cheese cubes. Add the remaining pasta, remaining sauce, mozzarella and top with Romano cheese.
Bake until heated thoroughly and the cheese is melted and the top is browned on top. About 30-35 minutes.
Marinara Sauce
1 28 oz. can tomatoes or 12 fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1 large clove garlic minced
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/3 tsp. Basil or 3 fresh leaves, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tblsp Romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Heat large skillet, add olive oil when the oil is heated, add crushed garlic let the garlic sauté briefly then add the onion. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and all seasonings and cook until thick enough for pasta. A can of mushrooms can be added 5-10 minutes before the sauce is served.
* For a thicker heartier sauce, add 1 can of tomato paste.
Garlic Bread
Serves 4
1 large loaf of Italian bread
2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1 teasp. basil
1/2 Cup virgin olive oil
Garlic salt to taste
Romano Cheese freshly ground
Cut the bread into half, lengthwise, brush with olive oil. sprinkle the crushed garlic, basil, garlic salt and Romano Cheese. Place the bread halves on a cookie sheet seasoned side up. Bake in a 350° oven until lightly brown, (the middle will be soft). Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and cut into thick slices.
Rice Balls with Cheese
4 Tblsp. butter
1/2 C minced onion finely
2 Cups rice
8 C hot Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth
3/4 C grated Romano cheese
2 eggs, beaten
dash of garlic salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
2 C dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 vegetable oil, for frying
3 C tomato sauce, heated
Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes 16-18 and place into the freezer until ready to assemble the rice balls. (This will prevent the cheese from melting too quickly when frying the rice balls). Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add rice and stir to coat with butter. Cook, stirring, 1-2 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken stock (bullion may be substituted) and cook, stir until broth is almost absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Add 1 more cup of the broth and cook until almost absorbed. Continue to add broth gradually and cook, stirring, until rice is tender but still firm and liquid forms a thick sauce, 18-20 minutes total. Remove from heat. Stir Romano cheese and eggs into the hot rice and mix until blended thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper and a little garlic salt. Spread the rice out evenly on a baking sheet to cool enough to handle. Slice the rice mixture into 16-18 portions. Place a slice of the rice mixture in the palm of your hand and one cube of mozzarella in center, form into a ball. Bring the edges together to enclose cheese, forming a ball squeezing firmly making sure the cheese is covered. Roll each ball in bread crumbs and fry in a large saucepan or deep-fat fryer in vegetable oil over medium heat, a few at a time and cook, turning, until an even golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Serve hot, with tomato sauce.
Bracioline (beef rolls)
8 boneless beef cut thin (flank steak, boneless sirloin or flank steak)
8 very thin pieces of savory baked ham or pancetta for the soffritto
1/3 Cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic clove, minced with the Italian parsley
1 heaping tablespoon rinsed and drained capers
3 oz. Romano cheese
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic clove, chopped with the onion (more or less can be used depending on taste)
Freshly ground Pepper to taste (we prefer A LOT of black pepper)
capers (optional)
Finely chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Pound the beef cutlets and stretch them and makevery thin. Lay a slice of ham or pancetta on each piece, sprinkle with a teaspoon of the garlic-parsley combination, a few capers, and a a portion of the Romano cheese. Roll each cutlet up over the filling and secure with a toothpick or tie with thread.
In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef rolls on all sides in the olive oil. Remove as they brown and set aside.
Sauce:
1 28 oz. can tomatoes or 12 fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1 large clove garlic minced
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/3 tsp. Basil or 3 fresh leaves, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tblsp Romano cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Heat large skillet, add olive oil when the oil is heated, add crushed garlic let the garlic sauté briefly then add the onion. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and all seasonings and cook until thick enough for pasta. A can of mushrooms can be added 5-10 minutes before the sauce is served.
* For a thicker heartier sauce, add 1 can of tomato paste.
The recipe may be prepared ahead to this point.
When ready to continue, heat olive oil in a fry pan, add finely chopped onion and beef rolls. Cook beef rolls in the until browned on all sides.
Heat the sauce over medium until it is simmering. Place the beef rolls in the pan, spooning the sauce over them to cover well. Add salt and pepper. Cover the pan lower the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for 25 minutes, or until the beef rolls are thoroughly impregnated with the flavors of the sauce.
Serve the beef rolls with the sauce; or, if you prefer, serve the sauce with pasta as a first course, reserving just a few spoonfuls to garnish the beef rolls. Which are served as the main course. Garnish with minced herbs if you wish.
Mmmmmm mmmm
Recipes From the Neighborhood......
