Have a sweet day

Here are a couple more tasty treats that I made from Dolce Italiano, Gina de Palma’s dessert book that is simply extraordinary. Each recipe has been unique and awesome so far, and I look forward to exploring all of them.

Here is her Grappa Soaked Sponge Cake. I had no grappa, so I used brandy, and of course, margarine instead of butter. It was fabulous!

And here are her lemony semolina cookies - this recipe made about 5 dozen, and talk about the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee…..

Both of these recipes say “spring” to me, and were not complicated to make. We enjoy one recipe a week here from her book - I can’t wait for this week’s.

I have been awarded!

                                                     

With my humble appreciation to Giz at Equal Opportunity Kitchen for bestowing this award upon me. I will display the image with pride (as soon as I figure out how to put it in my sidebar)! Thanks to all who read my blog. This has been a lot of fun for me, and I really love to cook.

In keeping with the Blogging with a Purpose tradition, I will also pass this award on to a few of my favs:

Ruth, at Once Upon A Feast, for her healthful and tasty recipes and cooking ideas, plus her wonderful Presto Pasta Nights Roundup held weekly on Fridays. She is a tireless and enthusiastic food blogger, and always an inspiration.

Chef John, at Food Wishes. Between his step-by-step videos, relaxed and amusing demeanor, and FANTASTIC recipe ideas, he makes cooking and learning about cooking fun and easy.

Little Bits blog and author LisaRene, for her absolutely delcious-looking and creative recipes, that always leave me drooling and wanting more.

Confessions of a Food Nazi, a fellow dairy-free blogger, who always searches for more healthy and yummy ways of preparing and eating.

 

Presto! It’s another PPN!

Presto Pasta Nights is in full swing again at Once Upon a Feast, and even though it’s after dinner right now, I’m hungry all over again. Dee-licious recipes. Go take a look!

Asparagus and chicken noodle casserole

Chef John has done it again - another great little recipe that is a real pleaser. He makes great use of a seasonal vegetable that’s in all the markets right now, and one that I love - asparagus. Coupled with chicken, noodles and a tasty sauce, this dish makes a pretty presentation, feeds a gangful, and second helpings are mandatory.

I altered a few ingredients to make this dairy-free friendly: instead of 3 cups of milk and a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, I used 2 cups of soy milk plus 1 1/2 cups of Imagine Creamy Portobello Mushroom Soup, which is conveniently dairy-free. Margarine was substituted for butter, and soy cheddar cheese used in place of real cheddar. Here’s the ingredients below, or you can see Chef John’s on his site:

Asparagus and chicken noodle casserole:

2 tablespoons margarine

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups soy milk

1 1/2 cups Imagine Creamy Portobello soup

cayenne and salt to taste

8 ounces dry wide egg noodles

2 bunches asparagus

4 cooked chicken breasts

6 ounces soy cheddar cheese

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Here’s a helpful little video to guide you through the preparation (I LOVE these videos, and Chef John’s little comments, too)

And here’s my finished product. Enjoy!

Kebabs, hummus, & Israeli salad, oh my!

Middle Eastern cuisine is a big favorite around here, and what could be tastier than some ground meat kabobs. I like to use either chicken or turkey, but traditionally beef or lamb is called for. Whichever meat you choose, you will find that the spices and herbs inside these kabobs create the kind of pleasing combination of flavors on your palette that make you feel glad to be alive. (can you tell how much we love them?) I like to serve this with my Israeli salad and some homemade hummus (recipe to follow). Coupled with warm, freshly baked pita, this meal is not only a food habit you won’t want to break, but it’s healthy, too. Make a lot - it disappears fast! Enjoy!

Ground meat kabobs

2 pounds ground meat (you choose - turkey, chicken, beef, lamb)

1 onion, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced

2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ginger

2 eggs, beaten

Preheat your oven to broil, and place the oven rack 6″ from the heat source.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, until uniformly mingled. Form into oblong patties, a healthy handful for each patty. Place patties on your sprayed broil pan, and place in oven.

Broil for approximately 10 minutes, until the patties start to nicely brown, then flip them all over and broil about another 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes about 8 patties.

Note: these also work out fabulously on the grill!

Hummus

2 cloves of garlic

1 scallion, cut into 2″ pieces

2 15-ounce cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

5 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons tahini

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Place the garlic, and scallion in your food processor, and process until minced. Next add the rest of the ingredients and process until pureed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 3 cups.

Chicken parmesan bake

My hat’s off to Chef John at Food Wishes for a perfectly fabulous and easy recipe that gets 5 stars from me (and the family). John, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? Simple ingredients, preparation a snap. Folks, this dish is really high on flavor and deliciousness. You have got to try it to believe it - I’m a believer!

Of course, I added the usual adaptations for a dairy-free experience, and it worked wonderfully with this recipe - I used soy mozzarella and soy parmesan cheeses, and took extra care to make sure that my croutons had no dairy in them, either (make sure, all you lactose-intolerants out there, that you read the labels carefully!) I also used my own marinara sauce, because I love it so much.

You can see the list of ingredients for this recipe on Chef John’s website, or I’ll just list them below:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

red pepper flakes

5 - 6 boneless chicken breasts

2 cups bottled (or your own) marinara sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

8 ounces soy mozzarella, shredded

4 ounces soy parmesan

1 package seasoned croutons

Now check out his video below.

 

You can tell he loves what he’s doing. I love what he’s doing. Try this recipe - everyone will thank you. Enjoy!

Babbo’s breadsticks

I love my new Dolce Italiano cookbook by Gina DePalma. She is the dessert chef at Babbo’s restaurant in NYC, owned and operated by Iron Chef Mario Batali. I’ve already made 3 of her recipes, and they are all sensational. I belong to a Sunday cook club on a travel forum, and this was what we made last week. I tweaked the recipe to keep it dairy-free, and the results are just fantastic. Try these, you’ll like them. Enjoy!

Babbo’s breadsticks

1/3 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

pinch of granulated sugar

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plust more for kneading

1 cup “oo” flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup cold water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pans and brushing the breadsticks

1/2 cup grated soy parmigiano cheese (my adaptation - the recipe calls for the real stuff!)

1 tablespoon margarine (again, recipe calls for butter)

kosher salt for garnish

Place the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Add the pinch of sugar and stir the yeast to dissolve it. Let it proof for 5 - 7 minutes.

Place the two flours in the bowl of your electric mixer with the salt and cayenne and stir to combine. When the yeast has proofed (foamy, with bubbles forming on surface), pour yeast mixture and the cold water into the dry ingredients. Attach the dough hook and knead the ingredients together for two minutes at medium speed until the dough becomes smooth. Stop the machine, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cheese, and the margarine. Continue kneading for an additional 2 - 3 minutes. The dough will be relatively smooth now, and will begin pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by hand until very smooth and elastic, about a minute. Then place the dough in a clean mixing bowl greased with olive oil, turn it once to coat, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. (If you want it to rise overnight, place in a large airtight container, also greased with olive oil. Next day, allow the dough to come to room temperature before using it).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place racks in center and lower positions in oven. Prepare 3 baking sheets by brushing them lightly with olive oil, lining them with parchment paper, and then brushing the paper lightly with oil.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 pieces. Return 3 pieces to the bowl and cover, to prevent drying out while you work with your fourth piece. Cut the dough into ten pieces, and, using your hands, roll each piece into a long strand, anywhere from 12-14″ in length. Use your fingers, spread apart, to help stretch the dough while rolling. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

Place the breadsticks on the baking sheet, 1/2″ apart. Brush each breadstick lightly with olive oil, and then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt (or leftover grated cheese, or your favorite herbs).

Bake the breadsticks for 12 - 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure even baking. They are done when they are golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before cooling completely on a rack. Makes about 30 breadsticks.

Passover pistachio sandies

 

I forgot to post this during Passover, but it’s a keeper for next year! I adapted this recipe from its original, created by Gina de Palma in her fabulous dessert cookbook, Dolce Italiano, which called for 2 cups of all-purpose flour; instead I used 1 cup of matzah cakemeal and 3/4 cup of potato starch. I also substituted margarine for the butter that the original called for. The results were fabulous - these tasty bites were gobbled up quickly. These sandies taste great with a cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy, even if it’s not Passover (just use 2 cups of flour instead)!

Passover pistachio sandies

1 cup matzah cakemeal

3/4 cup potato starch

1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios

1 cup margarine, softened

1 1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

freshly grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 x 18 pan, line it with parchment, then lightly grease the paper, with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, starch, and salt. Set aside. Place 1/2 cup pistachios in your food processor and process for 30 seconds until coarsely ground. Stir the ground pistachios into the flour mixture.

Cream the margarine with 1 1/4 cups sugar in your electric mixer, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest.

Then, on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients, making a soft dough. Spread the dough evenly in the pan and smooth the surface. Coarsely chop the remaining pistachios in your food processor and sprinkle them over the surface of the dough. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar evenly over the nuts.

Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until the dough is firm and turning golden brown at the edges. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before cutting the sandies into rectangular bars. Store the cookies in an airtight container. Makes 24 - 36 bars.

Mildly curried rice with chicken

Sometimes curry dishes can overpower - this one is quite mild. Really just a hint of curry flavor. This is another easy after-work dish that works great with leftover chicken. It comes together in the time it takes to cook your rice. The recipe easily doubles for a larger crowd, and is always a pleaser. Enjoy!

Mildly curried rice with chicken

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (either white or brown - you choose)

3 cups frozen green peas (not thawed)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced

4 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon thyme

freshly ground pepper, to taste

a couple pinches of red pepper flakes

1/3 cup chopped nuts (eg - pecans, walnuts, pine nuts)

In a large saucepan, prepare your rice (note - on average, white rice prepares in about 15 - 20 minutes, brown rice in about 45 minutes).

Place the frozen peas in a large bowl, and add the scallions, chicken and raisins. Mix in the hot rice, and toss the ingredients and combine well.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, curry powder, parsley, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour this over the rice mixture, and toss well until everything is nicely mingled. May be served warm, room temperature, or after chilled for an hour. Sprinkle on the nuts just before serving. Serves 4 to 6

Too much matzah?

Here is your answer for what to do with all that matzah.