Saturday, February 25, 2012

Chocolate-Hazelnut Icebox Cake


Growing up, one of my favorite desserts was icebox cake. This no-bake dessert is easy and versatile. My mother used chocolate instant pudding instead of the hazelnut-chocolate spread used in this recipe. You can use any flavor of pudding or graham cracker—let your imagination run wild. Be warned—the chocolate and hazelnut flavors in this recipe combine to produce a very rich intense flavor. A little piece goes a long way.

Makes 12 serving

1 ½ C Nutella Chocolate Hazelnut Spread *
1/3 C Frangelico Hazelnut-flavored Liquor *
2 C Heavy Whipping Cream
18 Whole Chocolate Graham Crackers
2 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (optional)

8 inch Square Baking Pan

Combine the chocolate hazelnut spread and the hazelnut-flavored liquor in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add about ½ C of the heavy cream and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides frequently since the hazelnut spread will stick. Add the remaining heavy cream, increasing the speed to medium high. Continue to beat until very soft peaks form. Do not overbeat or it will deflate. It will not have the consistency of whipped cream.

To build the cake place 4 ½ chocolate graham crackers on the bottom of the baking pan. Pour 1 C of the hazelnut filling over the crackers. Spread out the filling to the edges. Add three additional layers of gram crackers and hazelnut filling ending will all of the remaining filling. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours in advance.

Before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder. Cut into 2” by 2” squares. This cake is very rich, you do not want to serve too large a piece. You can top with an optional dollop of whipped cream or toasted hazelnuts.

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTE

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread – You can find this in the peanut butter section of the grocery store. The most common brand is Nutella®.

Hazelnut-flavored Liquor – You can use Frangelico® or any generic brand you can find in the liquor store. You can also substitute 1 tsp of vanilla extract in place of the hazelnut-flavored liquor.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Chocolate-Hazelnut Icebox Cake.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Homemade Tomato Sauce “Gravy”


What in the world tastes better than homemade tomato sauce and family gathered together? Sundays, at my house always meant pasta and gravy for dinner (Italians call tomato sauce "gravy"—I think it's a Brooklyn thing).  We would usually start dinner at 2:00 and eat and talk for hours with lots of Italian bread, meatballs, and sausage.  While my family no longer eats dinner at 2PM on Sundays, we still eat dinner together as a family almost every night. Family dinners are not an obligation, they are a chance to catch up on the day’s events and we look forward to them.  They have always been a time of sharing and bonding, a tradition that I have continued with my own family.

The tradition of making your own sauce is quickly disappearing with the advent of jarred tomato sauce, but one that should be cherished. Every Italian family has their own recipe for gravy. God forbid I try to change it; I’d have a revolt in my house. But of course our family’s recipe is the best—or so my family tells me.

Makes 8-10 serving with 2 pounds of dried pasta

Ingredients
1 TBS Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
½ lb Ground Beef (93% Lean) *
1 28oz Can Hunts Tomato Puree plus ½ can of water
1 28oz Can Hunts Crushed Tomatoes
2 TBS HuntsTomato Paste
2 TBS Grated Italian Cheese
1 tsp Dried Parsley
2 Bay Leaves
½ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1 tsp Table Salt

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Overcooking the garlic can make the sauce bitter. Add the meat and break it up into small pieces with your spoon.  When the meat is completely cooked (no more pink), add all the other ingredients (tomato puree through salt) and stir until it comes to a boil.  Turn down the heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour (I will sometime cook it for up to 2 hours) uncovered, stirring frequently.  Do not rush this or your sauce will burn and will not thicken properly.

Vegetarian Version for Lent: Omit the meat for a meatless marinara. 

Freezing:  Tomato sauce freezes very well.  In fact, in our house we preferred the taste of the tomato sauce after it has been frozen.  Just put it in a freezer container for up to two months.  We will usually make a very large pot of tomato sauces (see photo) and freeze it in separate containers to last us for up to two months.

Italian Sausage: We frequently add Italian Sausage to the sauce.  Precook the sausage (Italian Turkey Sausage is also good and a lot more healthy) in the microwave on high for 5 minutes in a microwave safe container.  Brown the sausage in a large pot before you start the sauce.  Remove the sausage and pour off any excess fat from the pot.  Add your olive oil and garlic and continue as above. Add the sausage back to the pot once all of the other ingredients have been added.


To print a copy of this recipe go to Tomato Sauce.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Steamed Antipasto Buns


The steamed antipasto bun appetizer was inspired by my recent trip to China. I had a lot of great food on my trip but one of my favorites were the steamed buns filled with everything from barbecued pork to vegetables. My east meets west appetizer is a light and fluffy bun encasing a salty, sweet antipasto filling. This would make a great first course or it can be served as finger food for a party. The unexpected taste of the antipasto filling will surprise your guests who are expecting a Chinese filling.

Makes 24 Buns
Buns
3 ½ C All Purpose Flour + more for dusting
1 TBS Sugar
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
½ C Milk (120°F-130°F)
¾ C Water (120°F-130°F)
24 Pieces Wax Paper (4” x 4”)

Antipasto Filling *
2 12 oz. Jar Roasted Red Peppers (drained)
8 oz. Proscuitto (thinly sliced) 
12 oz. Fine Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella
2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped)

4 Bamboo Steamers

Buns
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and yeast. Heat the water and milk to between 120°F and 130°F — use a thermometer to verify temperature. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Scrape the sides until it comes together into a ball. If it does not come together, add water 1 tablespoon at a time (120°F-130°F) until it forms a ball and starts to climb the dough hook. Continue to knead the dough on low for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes then knead for 1 minute. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray covered with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

Antipasto Filling
Drain the jars of roasted red pepper then slice them into ¼” strips, then into ¼” squares. Cut up the proscuitto into ¼” squares. Chop the parsley. In a large bowl mix together the diced peppers, proscuitto, parsley, mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil. Cut 24 4 inch squares of wax paper.






Filling the Buns

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and transfer it to a floured cutting board. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 inch wide log. Cut the log into 6 equal pieces. Using your fingers, flatten each piece of dough into a 3.5” – 4” circle. Place 1 tablespoon of antipasto filling into the center of the bun by picking up opposing sides and pinching them together. Once you have pinched all the sides together give the middle a little twist. Place the bun on a piece of waxed paper pinched side up and place it in a bamboo steamer. Let the filled steamer racks sit for 15 minutes. Place the filled steamer racks in a wok or frying pan that has water in it. The water should reach up to one inch below the bottom steamer level. Steam for 20 minutes. If the water level drops add more hot water. Let them sit for 5 minutes before you try to take them out—they will be hot!

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTE
Filling – You can easily change the ingredients in this filling. You can add olives, substitute salami for the proscuitto, and change the cheese. The choice is only limited by your imagination.

Left Over Buns
You can easily prepare the buns in advance. Leave the buns in the steamer basket and resteam them for 10 minutes or until warmed. If you have any leftover buns they can be frozen in zipper bags. Thaw them out in the plastic bag and re-steam them for 10 minutes.


To print a copy of this recipe go to Steamed Antipasto Buns.