Recipes

The Italian Kitchen (Part 1)

Italian cooking is one of the most popular types of cooking around. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like some kind of Italian food. I love pasta in any shape or form. Ravioli has to be my favorite though. From the sauces to cheeses to herbs to wines to olive oil it seems  almost too much to comprehend at times. Everyone knows the basics like spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, baked ziti, ravioli, chicken parmigiana, veal parmigiana, eggplant parmigiana. And the desserts! My favorite of all time is tiramisu. It’s very hard to find authentic tiramisu. Most restaurants try but don’t come close. The best tiramisu I’ve ever had was actually in Montreal, Canada of all places. Go figure. And of course everyone loves cannolis! I’m getting hungry just thinking about them!

Ok, to start our little journey today I am going to start with a glossary of Italian cheeses. I love cheese. Growing up we always had ‘stinky’ cheese or really sharp provolone. Really sharp provolone is hard to find these days. Another staple in our house growing up was Locatelli Romano cheese. No green can that you keep in the cabinet in my house! On to the cheese! Remember this is just a basic list. There are actually hundreds of different Italian cheeses! But for us Americans this is a good start!

COOKING CHEESES

You can find low-fat versions of these cheeses at your local supermarket or Italian specialty store as well.

Ricotta: Ricotta cheese is usually made from cow’s milk, though it can also be made from sheep’s milk, which has more flavor. The one made from sheep’s milk is not readily available in the United States so you’ll probably always be buying the cow’s milk version. Ricotta is usually a bit grainy in texture with a mild sweet flavor. Depending on whether the milk used in making the cheese was whole or skim, the fat content of ½ cup (4 ounces) ranges from 0-15 grams. FYI: When fresh Ricotta goes through its natural aging process, a hard, pungent cheese, suitable for eating or grating results. This is called Ricotta Salata and is almost white in color.

Whole milk Ricotta (1 oz.): 50 calories/4 grams fat

Part-skim Ricotta (1 oz.): 40 calories/2 grams fat

Fat-Free Ricotta (1 oz.): 20 calories/0 grams fat

Mozzarella: Mozzarella is best known as a pizza topper. It is made from either cow’s milk or in Italy, from water buffalo’s milk. It is milk in flavor and can be found in low-fat varieties as well! Fresh mozzarella is a real treat. It’s made from whole milk and has a softer texture and sweeter, more delicate flavor than regular, factory made mozzarella. It has 4-7 grams of fat per ounce, depending on the fat content of the milk used to make it.

Whole Milk Mozzarella (1 oz.): 80 calories/6 grams fat

Part-skim Mozzarella (1 oz.): 72 calories/5 grams fat

GRATING CHEESES

No Italian meal is complete without freshly grated cheese. Or in my house it’s any meal, not just Italian meals. We like it to snow on our food!

Pecorino: This is made from sheep’s milk and the flavor of pecorino will depend on the area where it was made in Italy. It ranges from a firm, sharp, salty cheese to a milder, semi-firm variety. It has about 110 calories and 7-8 grams of fat per ounce. Locatelli is a pecorino romano cheese and the choice at my house. Has been since forever!

Pecorino Romano: Pecorino Romano is made from sheep’s milk. It is straw-white in color and has a sharper flavor than the other cheeses listed here. Although it is sometimes called “Locatelli” Locatelli is a brand name of Pecorino Romano. Pecora in Italian means sheep and Pecorino Romano is one of Italy’s oldest cheeses. Legend has it that a shepherd filled his flask with sheep’s milk before a long trip and the motion during the trip caused the milk to naturally ferment. The idea for a new cheese was born. Today most Pecorino is made in Sardina Italy. With its fine flavor Pecorino’s popularity as a grating cheese has grown significantly in the U.S. Since sheep only give milk for 6-7 months a year all production must satisfy the public’s demand for the entire year.

Parmesan Cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is the Ritz of parmesan cheeses! It is an aged hard cheese made from cow’s milk and is strictly regulated in Italy. This is to control the quality. In the U.S., this cheese is often limited, but the results are different from the Italian cheese. Older, aged varieties from Italy have a stronger flavor and are drier. Stick to freshly grated aged varieties for the most flavor. You’ll be able to use less due to the more intense flavor. It has about 110 calories and 7 grams of fat per ounce. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also very expensive. I have found excellent varieties at a few places, such as BJ’s. The price is still high but a little less painful. Same goes for the Pecorino cheese. In Italy it is so valuable that trucks carrying a load of Parmigiano have been hijacked at gunpoint!

TABLE CHEESES

Asiago Cheese: Asiago is made from cow’s milk. It’s a semi-hard to hard cheese. (My cat Gus loves it! Really!) It is full of many time holes and has a rich flavor and creamy texture when it hasn’t been aged for very long. As it ages, the cheese becomes firmer and can be grated easily. It can also be eaten by itself. It’s similar in fat content to Parmesan cheese. Asiago is from the Veneto region.

Fontina: This is a delicious delicate, sweet, semi-soft cheese with a nutty flavor. It’s also made from cow’s milk and melts easily and smoothly. The more aged the cheese, the richer the flavor. One ounce has about 110 calories and 9 grams of fat.

Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola is a blue-veined cheese made from cow’s milk and has a creamy texture with a slightly pungent, rich flavor. When aged for more than six months, the flavor can become very strong. It’s a great match with fruit, such as apples or pears. It also can be melted into sauces or crumbled over salads. For a milder variety, look for torta di Gorgonzola. This layers Gorgonzola with sweet marscapone. Gorgonzola has about 100 calories and 8 grams of fat per ounce.

Marscapone: Marscapone is super-rich and  tastes like a cross between cream cheese and whipped butter. It’s usually used in desserts but it’s also great as a spread for delicate crackers or fresh fruit, such as strawberries and pear slices. It’s a soft cheese made from cow’s milk and has about 124 calories and 13 grams of fat per ounce. Not exactly a cheese for diets!

Provolone: Provolone is another cow’s milk cheese. It is delicate and creamy when aged for up to two months. When it’s aged longer it begins to take on a spicy, sharp flavor. Most people use provolone as a table cheese with crackers, pepperoni, apples etc. but it’s also an excellent cooking cheese. Aged provolone can be used for grating. One ounce has about 100 calories and 8 grams of fat.


Liverwurst Pate

Stop wrinkling your noses! It’s good! It’s actually really really good! I used to make this quite a bit and end up eating most of it myself. Not good! I’ve made this for many kinds of parties and it always raises eyebrows until you try it. One year I made it in the shape of a football for our Superbowl party and used olives slivers as the lacing on the football. It is usually served best with crackers but it works well with celery and carrots as well. It is NOT a low-calorie dish either. (Though it is low carb actually) I do use the light cream cheese and light sour cream to help a little bit. I’m getting a craving for it right now just thinking about it! Our friend Kevin Dery loved it when he had it at one of our parties.

Liverwurst Pate

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces liverwurst (I use the tubes of Jones liverwurst)

1 package (80z) light cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2-3 tablespoons light sour cream

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Stuffed green olives for garnish, if desired


DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the liverwurst, half  of the cream cheese, onion, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce, combining well. (I do this in a food processor)

2. Place pâté mixture onto a serving dish or in a serving container of choice. Place dish or container in the freezer for about 15 minutes until firmed up.

3. Remove dish from freezer and ‘frost’ with remaining softened cream cheese. (I microwave the cream cheese till it’s spreadable like frosting. Microwave at 10 second intervals to get it soft enough to spread easily.)

4. Slice olives and decorate on pâté as you wish. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

Makes 16 servings

Mojito

This refreshing cocktail has been quite the popular drink over the last few years. It’s not one of my favorites but I know a lot of people who love them. They can be many flavors now also but this recipe is for a basic mojito. The recipe is for one drink so adjust if you want to make several. You’ll need a muddler or some other kind of tool to muddle or crush the mint and sugar. This should be done in a tall glass also.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces light rum

1 ounce fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sugar

5-7 mint leaves

club soda


DIRECTIONS:

In a large glass place the mint and sugar and muddle until you smell the mint. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir and fill glass with some ice, top off with club soda.

Pignoli Cookies (Biscotti di Pinoli)

Of all the Italian cookies this is by far one of my favorites. It is my Dad’s favorite too. Anybody who’s bought these at the Italian bakery knows how expensive they can be!  But the best thing is that you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost and it’s easy! The most expensive ingredient is of course, pignoli nuts. But keep an eye open when you’re in the grocery store, Walmart, warehouse club of choice, even the dollar stores! You can usually find a package of pignoli nuts for a reasonable price. I always buy as much as I can when I find them on sale too, because you can store them in the freezer or refrigerator to keep them fresh. Plus they’re always good in salads or with other dishes as well! These cookies are so moist and yummy you can’t eat just one!

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup sugar

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1/8 cup teaspoon salt

1 8-ounce can/tube almond paste

2 egg whites, slightly beaten

2 cups pignoli nuts (Pine nuts)

Confectioners’ sugar


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets. Sift sugars with flour and salt, set aside.

2. In medium bowl, break up almond paste with wooden spoon. Add egg whites and beat until well-blended and fairly smooth. Stir in flour mixture until well blended.

3. Take a spoonful of the dough and dip it into a bowl of pine nuts. Slide the dough onto the prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies to rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 30 tasty and delicious cookies. Can be stored in an airtight container or in the freezer up to a month. (Like there would be any left over!!)

Cucuzzille

I know some of you are saying, huh? I am not sure if I even have it spelled right or not. The name is pronounced “cook it seal”. Or as I used to call it “Crooked Seals”. My dad makes this recipe alot though it is not one of my favorites. The rest of the family likes it though. The base of the recipe is Italian Squash, or cucuzza or cucuzzi. It’s sort of a stew type dish. My dad doesn’t add any seasonings to it either. But I think if you added parsley or basil or garlic it wouldn’t hurt. It is a pretty easy recipe to make but it does take time. It is a dish that cooks slow so don’t rush it. And it is better to let it sit for a little before serving. You can make it the day before and then just reheat when you are ready to eat it. It’s a great vegetarian dish as well.

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 medium green or yellow Italian squash, trimmed and sliced round. (about ¼” thick)

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1″ chunks

2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced round (about ¼” thick)

1 large yellow onion, sliced

1-2 red bell peppers, sliced in 1″ wide slices and cut in half

2- 8oz. cans tomato sauce

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cucuzzi Squash

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a large saucepan with 1-2 inches of water. Place all ingredients into pot and steam on medium heat until vegetables are tender. This should be about 45 minutes to an hour-long. Add a little more water if needed to keep it from drying out.

2. When vegetables are just about ready stir in the tomato sauce gently. Try not to break up the vegetables but it’s ok if they do. Let sit about 15-30 minutes or serve next day. The more it sits the better the flavors will be.

Swedish Meatballs

This is definitely a recipe I do not make enough. Swedish meatballs are one of my favorite dishes. This recipe was given to my sister Michele at her bridal shower by Barbara Cavallo, who is her husband’s aunt. She was born an Olson, so yes there is Swedish blood in her. I think the recipe came from another relative, either grandmother or mother. Either way they are delicious. Serve over egg noodles or rice or just eat them by themselves. Remember when making swedish meatballs you need to make them smaller than regular Italian meatballs. They do take some time to make but they are worth it. It’s a nice hearty meal for any time of year.

Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups bread crumbs

2/3 cups  milk

½ cup chopped onion

2 pounds ground beef of your choice (You can mix ground pork and beef also)

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons flour

2 cups hot water

1 cup milk

1 cup light cream

2 cubes MBT beef broth

Gravy Master

Fresh Parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl soak bread crumbs in the milk. Add the onion, beef/pork, salt, pepper and eggs and mix together with hands. Be careful not to overmix.

2. Roll meat into walnut size meatballs and brown in large skillet in the butter. Cook until brown on all sides. When browned remove meatballs from pan and set aside.

3. In the same skillet put a little hot water with the flour. Stir until smooth. Add rest of hot water, light cream, beef broth, nutmeg and milk. Stir until smooth.

4. Place meatballs back into skillet and mix well. Cover skillet and simmer for 15 minutes. Brown with Gravy Master to color. Garnish with parsley.

Serve with egg noodles, rice or pasta of choice.

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

My husband loves Thousand Island dressing. But if anyone has ever looked at a bottle on the shelf in the supermarket you’ve seen how high the calories and sugar content are in it!  And when you add all the preservatives and other stuff they throw in there it is pretty scary. So I’ve found a couple of recipes that have worked for us that are simple to make and taste good! You make it yourself so you know exactly what is in it. Homemade dressing may not last as long as store-bought but they are so simple to make it won’t matter. The first recipe I found in the Albany Times Union when I still had a job. I like the first one a great deal and I am not usually a fan of Thousand Island dressing so I was impressed. The second recipe John prefers and it’s from George Stella’s “Livin’ Low Carb” cookbook. He used to have a show on the Food Network years ago. I have changed a couple of the items in his recipe and it still came out awesome according to my husband. So try them both and see which is your favorite!

RECIPE #1

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1½ tablespoons Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup

1 hard-cooked egg, finely chopped

1 tablespoon No Sugar Added Sweet Relish (Mt. Olive brand is best)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine mayonnaise and ketchup. Stir in egg and relish.

Makes about 1 cup (2 tablespoons per serving)

Weight Watchers Points: About 2 points per serving.


RECIPE #2

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Heinz Reduced Sugar Ketchup

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or you can use regular white vinegar which is what the recipe originally called for, I was out of it)

1 tablespoon sugar substitute (Splenda or other sucralose)

1 tablespoon No Sugar Added Sweet Relish (Mt. Olive brand is best)

1 teaspoon minced red onion

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (regular is fine too)

DIRECTIONS:

Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a bowl. This dressing keeps for 1 week when refrigerated.

Makes 6 servings

Weight Watchers Points: About 2 per serving

Pina Colada JELL-O Shots

Yes you read that correctly! I like to think I came up with this recipe since I did think of it on my own. Now if someone else thought of it at some point, more power to them! But as far as I know, nobody else has ever made them, that I know of anyway! I love to make JELL-O shots and if it weren’t for all the sugar in the jello I’d make them more often. I would gladly use the sugar-free JELL-O but I am allergic to the aspartame most of them have in it as a sweetener. And all the good flavors of JELL-O aren’t sugar-free. Then again if you’re doing JELL-O shots you are NOT thinking of counting calories. Like they used to say, “There’s always room for JELL-O!” At any of the parties I’ve served them everyone laughs. But then they have one, two, three…and they are hooked. I also have whipped cream available for topping them! I think I will make them for my next party! When I made them in the past I have used small plastic shot glasses, paper shot glasses or some other type of small cup. But the plastic is tough to get the shots out of and the paper cups tend to leak before they “jell”. Plus they take up a ton of space in the fridge. So from now on I am going to make them in a flat container and just cut cubes or scoop it out into small cups. Easier for everyone!

Pina Colada JELL-O Shots

INGREDIENTS:

1 package pineapple flavored JELL-O

1 cup boiling water

1 cup coconut flavored rum

DIRECTIONS:

Add boiling water to JELL-O and stir to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature. Add the rum and stir. Pour into a pan or tray and freeze or chill until firm. Have fun!

Makes about 20 shots

Rose’s Molten Lava Cookies

I got this recipe from my bff Rose. I actually have not made them yet but I do plan on it! She had many requests for them and if you love or even like chocolate they will be amazing. I have known Rose since 1981 when we were both at SUNY Oneonta. She rocks! So try these cookies out and remember they come from an amazing person! If you ever go to Pindar out east on the north fork of Long Island stop in and say hi! Buy some wine! Anyway…Bake some cookies!

Rose's Molten Lava Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup dark or semisweet chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), roughly chopped

Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla; mix until combined.

3. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture.

4. Shape dough into 1″ balls. Using your thumb, press a thumbprint into the center; fill with a piece of chocolate and fold dough over to cover chocolate.

5. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are firm and tops are soft. Remove cookies to a cooling rack; dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

6. Serve warm, if possible. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

7. To reheat cookies, place cookie on microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 5 seconds, or until cookie is slightly warm.

**Tips From Rose: She used Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips. At first she used 2 chips but suggested adding 3-4 if you really love chocolate!

Another tip is to roll the cookies in powdered sugar before baking; this creates a crust of sugar!

Salmon in Scallion and Ginger Sauce

This recipe I originally got from the South Beach Diet book, though the recipe called for Orange Roughy. Orange Roughy is not always easy to get so I swapped the salmon for it. You can also use cod, sole or flounder as well. It’s quick, simple and full of all those good Omega fats. I serve it with any of my favorite veggies or a stir-fry or asian side dish. The recipe calls for fresh grated ginger but if you don’t have any use ground ginger. It also calls for sesame oil but I never have that in the house so I use olive oil. The sauce that the salmon cooks in is also a great topping for the veggies or side.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup dry sherry or vermouth

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

¼ cup finely chopped green onion (green and white parts)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

2 salmon fillets (4-8 oz. each)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Mix the sherry or vermouth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.

2. Place the fish fillets in an ovenproof casserole dish. Drizzle the marinade over the fish and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Serves 2

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