MIXED BRUSCHETTE

Appetizer - Mostly vegetarian (don't use anchovies)

-With tomatoes and mozzarella

4 ripe tomatoes
8 oz mozzarella
fresh basil, julienne cut
1 garlic clove
Extra virgin olive oil, salt
12 slices of ciabatta bread

Wash, pat dry and slice the tomatoes; place slices in a colander to allow them to lose excess water. Slice mozzarella.

Toast bread in oven (or toaster or oven toaster or barbeque, if you use it) then rub it with garlic and drizzle with olive oil.

Top with tomatoes and mozzarella, sprinkle with basil and a little salt and drizle with extra virgin olive oil.

Serve immediately


- With ricotta, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts

1 15-oz cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup roughly chopped sunderied tomatoes, packed in oil and drained
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 pinch oregano (if you find it fresh it's better)
1 garlic clove
Extra virgin olive oil, salt
12 slices of ciabatta bread

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for oil, garlic and bread, until well combined. Set aside.

Toast bread in oven (or toaster or oven toaster or barbeque, if you use it) then rub it with garlic and drizzle with olive oil.

Spread with the ricotta mixture and serve immediately.


- With eggplant and anchovies

1 Eggplant, peeled and diced
12 anchovy fillets, packed in oil and drained
2 roasted red bell pepper (you can use the ones in olive oil)
2 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil, salt
12 slices of ciabatta bread

Sautee the eggplant in a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, with 1 garlic clove and a 1 tbsp olive oil, until done.

Transfer the eggplant in the blender along with the galric you sauteed it with and 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil and blend until you obtain a smooth cream.

Toast bread in oven (or toaster or oven toaster or barbeque, if you use it) then rub it with garlic and drizzle with olive oil.

Spread with the eggplant cream, top with a few strips of roasted peppers and anchovy fillets.

Serve immediately.


- With bell peppers and green Italian olives

1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper, both thinly sliced
2-3 Italian San Marzano peeled tomatoes, crushed (or 1/4 cup of already crushed Italian san Marzano tomatoes)
24 Italian green olives, in brine, halved
1 garlic clove
Extra virgin olive oil, salt
12 slices of ciabatta bread

Sautee bell peppers in a non-stick skillet, over medium heat, with 1 tbsp olive oil. After a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, olives and season with salt. Cover with lid and cook until peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.

Toast bread in oven (or toaster or oven toaster or barbeque, if you use it) then rub it with garlic and drizzle with olive oil. If you like, you can sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Top with lukewarm peppers and serve immediately.


- These recipes are set to prepare 48 bruschette that can be a part of a mixed appetizer (you'll find more ideas in previous posts of our blog).

MUSHROOM GNOCCHI WITH "BRICIOLE" (breadcrumbs) AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES

First course - Entree - Vegertarian - Lactose intolerants safe


2 packages of Italian Mushroom gnocchi
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sage leaves, chopped
4 Italian sundried tomatoes in olive oil, julienne cut
1/3 cup briciole (plain REAL Italian breadcrumbs)
1/8 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
Salt


Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and sautee garlic until golden, then add breadcrumbs, salt and sage, sauteeing until breadcrumbs are toasted. Add sundried tomatoes, mix well to combine and continue cooking until breadcrumbs are toasted again (adding sundried tomatoes will moisten them), then remove from heat.

When water boils, add salt and gnocchi. Keep in mind that gnocchi cook in 2-3 minutes, so always have the sauce ready when you make gnocchi. When gnocchi rise to surface, take them out with a slotted spoon and arrange them in the skillet with the sauce. Bring the skillet back to heat and sautee until breadcrumbs are toasted again.


Serve immediately.


This recipe serves 4


- You can use soaked Italian porcini mushrooms instead of sundried tomatoes, if you like.

- Having just a few ingredients, their high quality is necessary in order to obtain a good dish.

- You can add a pinch of hot pepper flakes, if you like a spicier taste (I would not use pepper)

- If you want to remove garlic, just halve the cloves and sautee them until golden, then remove them.

QUICK BEEF WITH ONIONS AND POTATOES

Meat entree - celiac safe (see note below)

1 lb beef, in one single piece (sirloin, tenderloin, other tender cuts that don't need to be marinated)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

3 medium potatoes

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

Rosemary and sage

Salt (and pepper, optional)

Flour

Poke potatoes with a fork or a toothpick and pre-cook them in the microwave for 7 minutes at power 8 (turn them upside-down at half time). Let them cool down a little, then peel and slice them about 1/4" thick.

Warm half of the olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sautee onions; when they start becoming translucent, add potatoes, rosemary and sage. Season with salt and pepper (optional) and sautee until potatoes are golden. If needed, add a few tbsp of water or broth.

When potatoes and onions are almost ready, warm up the remaining olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium high heat, dredge meat pieces in flour and sautee them for a couple of minutes on both sides. Pour wine and let alcohol evaporate. If meat pieces are thicker and is needed, add a few tbsp of water or broth.

Serve immediately, with a nice green salad.

This recipe serves 4.

- You can also boil potatoes, skin on, without poking them; keep in mind that this recipe is a quick cooking time one, good for these hot days, and boiling potatoes would extend cooking time and raise your home temperature.

- If you're gluten intolerant you can use corn starch instead of flour.

BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH RICOTTA, TUNA AND ANCHOVIES

Entree - Celiac-safe - Complete meal

6 red or yellow bell peppers

1 cup ricotta

7 oz tuna, packed in olive oil, drained

1/5 cup anchovy fillets in olive oil, roughly chopped

3 tbsp Grana or Parmigiano, grated

2 eggs

2 tbsp capers

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1 clove garlic, chopped

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup oil cored black olives, pits removed and roughly chopped

1/2 cup vegetable stock

1 cup crushed Italian San Marzano

Salt

Put a big pot of water to a boil, then add salt.

In the meantime, halve peppers lengthwise, included the stem, remove seeds and inner white ribbings; wash them in cold water then arrange peppers in the pot with boiling salted water. Push peppers below water level and boil them for about 5 minutes, drain with a slotted spoon and line them on towels, cut side down, in order to lose all water.

In a bowl arrange tuna, ricotta, capers, parsley, garlic, anchovies, eggs and Parmigiano (or Grana) and mix well to combine all ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375

Line a baking dish with parchment paper, pour the vegetable stock on its bottom. Brush peppers with olive oil, stuff them and arrange them on the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and seal it along the borders and bake for about 20 minutes.

At that point, remove foil, sprinkle with Grana or Parmigiano and broil until golden on top.

In the meantime, prepare a light tomato sauce. In a saucepan, warm the crushed tomatoes, add chopped olives and basil and season with salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve, warm or cold, with the tomato sauce and a salad.

This recipe serves 6.

- If you want, you can use the sauce to season penne (or other short cut), in order to serve a complete meal.

- You can use 2 tbsp of anchovy paste, if you don't like pieces of anchovies.

- You can mix Parmigiano with breadcrumbs (plain, REAL Italian-style) to sprinkle, if you want a crispier top. Since this is a gluten-free dish, DON'T add breadcrumbs or serve with pasta.

ARTICHOKE AND RICOTTA "CAKE"

Entree - appetizer - celiacs-safe - vegetarian

4 artichokes

6 oz ricotta cheese

2 oz asiago (or pecorino), diced

2 slices prosciutto, julienne cut

3 tbsp parmigiano, grated

1 egg

Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Slice artichokes in thin wedges and sautee them in a non-stick skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil; add a few tbsp of water, cover with lid, lower to simmer and stew until tender (10-15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 375.

In the meantime, arrange ricotta in a bowl and add asiago, prosciutto and egg, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper; mix well to combine all ingredients.

Lightly grease a 8" baking pan with olive oil; pour half of the ricotta mixture, half of the artichoke and repeat.

Sprinkle with parmigiano and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serve warm, or at room temperature, with a mixed salad.

This recipe serves 2

- You can use marinated artichoke hearts, well drained and sliced as recipe requests.

- You can use vegetable broth (or chicken broth) to stew artichokes.

- You can have a vegetarian dish if you don't use prosciutto and chicken broth.

- You can add a couple of tbsp of breadcrumbs (the REAL Italian style: fine and without seasonings) to the parmigiano, in order to obtain a crispier top.

- You can cook it in the microwave (6 minutes at power 8), so you don't have to raise the temperature in your home. It will not be crispy on top, unless you put it for 3-4 minutes under the broiler.

- It's celiacs-safe

- It can be served as an entree or in a mixed appetizer.

FARRO AND EGGPLANT

Entree - Vegetarian

1 cup farro

1 medium eggplant

5 oz Asiago or pecorino, diced

6 cups vegetable stock

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt

Bring a pot of water to a boil; when ready, add salt and farro and cook for about 20 minutes. Arrange stock in a separate pot and bring to a boil as well, then lower heat to simmer.

In the meantime, peel and dice eggplant; in a non-stick skillet warm 2 tbsp of olive oil and sautee eggplant with half of the parsley for about 10 minutes; season with salt and set aside.

Drain the farro.

In another non-stick skillet warm the remaining olive oil and sautee onion until translucent, then add farro, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour wine and let alcohol evaporate, always stirring. Now, cook risotto-style adding boiling stock one ladle at a time, only when the previous has been absorbed.

After 8-10 minutes, add the sauteed eggplant, stir and cook risotto-style for the remaining 8-10 minutes (or until desired doneness).

Just before removing from heat, add the cheese, stir and serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

This recipe serves 4

- You can avoid precooking farro but this will bring your risotto-style cooking time to 40 minutes at least.

- This recipe can be made with carnaroli rice (no pre-cooking and 18-20 minutes total) or barley

ORECCHIETTE WITH SWORDFISH

Pasta entree - fish

1 lb orecchiette

1/2 lb swordfish, diced

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup capers, packed in salt and rinsed

1 14-oz Italian peeled San Marzano, roughly chopped with their sauce

4 tbps extra virgin olive oil

Fresh chopped parsley and basil, separated

Sal, hot pepper flakes

In a large sucepan with lid over medium high heat, warm 2 tbsp of olive oil. When it's ready, sautee onions until lightly golden; then add swordfish and sautee for 3-4 minutes, stirring in order to golden it on all sides. Pour in wine and let alcohol evaporate.

Now add tomatoes with their sauce, capers and basil, season with salt and pepper flakes, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes.

If it thickens too much, you can thin it with water or, better, vegetable stock.

In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil, add salt, the remaining olive oil and add orecchiette, stirring constantly for the first couple of minutes.

Cook pasta for about 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness; drain it and sautee in the skillet with the sauce.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley.

- You can crushed Italian tomatoes.