Chili Dogs

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 medium garlic cloves (minced)
8 ounces soy crumbles
1 cup hunts tomato sauce
2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander


4 meatless hotdogs
4 hot dog buns

Heat oil and add onion and garlic and saute 8 minutes or until tender. Add soy crumbles and cook about 8 minutes or more.  Slowly stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, mustard, sugar, and coriander.  Simmer until thick about 7-10 minutes.

Cook hotdogs as directed, place cooked dogs in buns and top with warm chili hotdog mixture.

Bean mix summer salad

1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon  granulated sugar
2 medium minced garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon  dried basil
1 15 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 15 ounce can pinto beans or black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper chopped finely
1 2 ounce can diced green chiles with liquid
1 small Bermuda onion finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Whisk together vinegar, oil and sugar, garlic and oregano, and basil in a large bowl. Stir in beans, corn, bell pepper, onions, and chiles and cilantro,

Season with salt and pepper.  Chill 1 hour before packing.

Serve with Melba rounds or toasted Italian bread

Bruschetta Cream Cheese Bites

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 plum tomatoes chopped finely and seeded
6 black olives
1/2 cup Bermuda onions chopped finely
2 tablespoons of mince basil
1 8 ounces spreadable chive and onion cream cheese
24 slices (1/4 in cuts) french bread
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven 425

In a small bowl mix together olive oil,lemon juice, pepper and garlic.  Blend well. Stir in tomatoes, onions, black olives and 2 tablespoons of basil.

Spread the cream cheese over french bread slices and place on greased baking sheet, now top bread with tomatoes mix.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese  Bake 10 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.

You can add anything to this mix.  I have also added prosciutto thinly sliced to these.

Italian Mango Salsa

2 mango, peeled and pitted and diced  (Make to cups)
1 large yellow bell pepper chopped fine (make 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped Bermuda onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika


Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.  Season with salt and more paprika as desired.


Serve with corn chips, Melba rounds, over grilled deli hamburgers, or Quesadillas.

Sicilian Stuffed Eggplant

3 medium eggplants (about 3 pounds each)
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced (makes about 3 cups)
1 1/2 pt grape tomatoes (halved, 3 cups)
2 teaspoons of oregano
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Wash and halve eggplants lengthwise and scoop out flesh and seeds leaving 1/2  inch thick edges in eggplant shells.  Cut scooped out flesh of eggplant in 1/2 inch pieces, lightly salt and set in a colander.

Sprinkle the inside of eggplant shells with salt, and set to one side for about 20 minutes.  Rinse shells and pieces in cold water


                                  (Salting the eggplant will cut out  eggplant bitterness.

Bring a large pot water to a boil and drop in shells for about 10 minutes, making sure not to make too tender.  Drain in colander and cool and dry.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet on medium heat.  Saute the onions for about 3 minutes, add eggplant pieces, tomato halves and oregano and a 1/4 cup of water, season with salt and pepper.  Cook 10 minutes or until soften and brown, stirring occasionally.

Preheat broiler.

Toss breadcrumbs with 4 tablespoons of oil in bowl.  Brush each eggplant shell with 1/2 teaspoons oil and place cut side up one baking sheet.

Broil for 5 minutes or until tender and starting to brown.  Set oven to 375 f.

Divide filling among eggplant shells, sprinkle each stuffed eggplant with breadcrumb mixture and top with feta cheese.  Bake 35 minutes, or until heated through and browned on top.

Serve stuffed eggplant.




 

Tomatoes Stuffed with Ricotta

8 large beefsteak tomatoes
2 large eggs
1cup ricotta  (regular or low fat)
1 medium size finely chopped red Bermuda onion
1/4 chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons of grated parmesan
1 garlic minced (1 teaspoon)
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
24 thin sliced zucchini


Preheat oven to 350

slice tops off of tomatoes and scoop pulp out of centers in order to stuff them. Set to one side. Throw away half of pulp.

Whisk together eggs, and ricotta in medium bowl until smooth, add red onion, basil, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, garlic, corn,diced zucchini and chopped tomato pulp, stir well until combined.  Fill each tomato just to top with 1/2 cup ricotta mixture.  Then sprinkle with 1/2 Parmesan, then 3 zucchini slices and tomato top.  Place in large baking dish.

Bake 45 minutes or until filling is puffed up and tops are browned.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

These can be frozen.  

Red Beet Salad

4 medium beets
2 medium oranges
3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil


Preheat oven to 400

Trim and scrub beets, but do not peel
wrap each in foil, and place beets on baking sheet, and roast for 50 minutes or until tender to piece with fork. Cool until able to handle.

Grate 1/2 teaspoon of zest from one orange, set zest aside.

Trim ends of both oranges, and peel and cut with knife.  Hold fruit over bowl catching the juice, and cut into segments.  Cut each segment in half and and place in another bowl.

Whisk together 2 tablespoons, orange juice reserved from bowl. sherry vinegar, orange zest, lemon juice and salt, slowly add in oil.

Peel beets, rub off the skin under cold water, cut beets into 1 inch pieces and add to bowl with orange segments.  Top with orange lemon vinaigrette, and toss like any salad.

Chill several hours and refrigerate for 2 days.

Summer Italian Potato Salad

Pesto

3/4 cup baby spinach
3/4 cup fresh basil
1 1/2 cups of baby arugula
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Puree 1 cup of baby arugula, 1/2 of baby spinach, basil, garlic, and toasted walnut pieces in processor until smooth, pour in lemon and oil and blend until well mixed.  Season with Salt and pepper.

Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds of red potatoes (halved)
3/4 pounds fresh green beans (washed cut and trimmed)
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 fennel bulb sliced thinly (2 cups)
1 large shallot sliced thinly (1/3 cup)
3 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
3/4 cup of cherry tomatoes quartered
1 cup flavored croutons (optional)

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water.  Cook for 10 minutes, add green beans and cook another 5 minutes, drain and transfer to a large deep bowl.  Put to the side covered and kept warm.

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat, saute fennel and shallot in oil until golden brown, add sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and saute for another 5 minutes.  Once cooked combine together pesto and fennel mixture.  Incorporate into  the potatoes and green beans.  Add the quartered tomatoes.

Golden Buttermilk Pancakes

1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose
 1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


In a medium bowl, beat egg until fluffy, add remaining ingredients in order and beat until smooth, with no lumps.

Heat a griddle of pan that has been lightly greased over low-medium heat.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Cook pancakes until the surface is covered with bubbles and seems cooked around the edges, then turn and cook other side until they are a nice golden color

Makes 9

Mom's Italian Breakfast asparagus Frittata

 3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears or use a package frozen cut asparagus 10 ounces
 6large eggs
 3/4 cup cottage cheese or ricotta
 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
 1 teaspoon of pepper
 1 teaspoon salt optional
 1 cup washed and sliced fresh mushrooms
 1 small tomato chopped about 1/4 cups



Cook  asparagus spears in a 1/3 cup of  water for 15 minutes, until tender, once cooked drain.  If you use the frozen just cook according to package.

Also cook your mushrooms on medium heat until tender as well.

In a medium bowl beat eggs until foamy, add the cottage cheese or ricotta, add mustard and pepper, if you want to add some salt it is optional,

Using a 10 inch pan, spray nonstick coating, add asparagus and mushrooms, pour egg mix over the mushrooms/asparagus.

Bake Frattata uncovered in a 400 oven for 15 minutes or until set, then top with the fresh tomato.  Serves 4-6
 Copyright@ Maria A. Piccirillo

Scallops Italian

16 scallops
1/4 teaspoon  pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parley
2 medium garlic cloves minced

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat  (nonstick pan). Saute 8 scallops at a time for 2to 2 1/2 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Set to one aside the cook remaining 8 as directed above  setting to one side along with other 8.

Towel paper pan clean, reduce the heat, add butter to pan cooking until butter melts, add parsley and garlic and cook another 18 seconds, add scallops to pan and mix well coating the scallops.

Parmesan Cheese Edamame

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup white wine 
1 pound edamame, frozen
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat olive oil at low to medium heat, add garlic and dried oregano and saute until soft, make sure not to burn garlic.  Pour in the wine and bring to a boil reduce to low heat and simmer.

Allow wine to reduce slightly add Edamame and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cooked and pour into a large bowl.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve warm.

Grandma's Piccirillo's Old fashion Banana Bread

2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of unsalted butter soften
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of ripe mashed banana (usually 3 medium size)
1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt (makes it moist)
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer medium until well blended,  add the eggs, 1 at a time and beat well after each one is added.  Slowly add banana, yogurt, and vanilla, beat until well mixed.

Add flour mixture, and  beat at low speed until well blended.

Pour  batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan that you have coated with cooking spray.

 Bake at 350 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

 Cool 15 minutes in pan.  Once cooled remove from pan, and continue to cool completely on wire rack.  You can serve it warm or cooled, as is or with a dab of cream or powdered sugar.