Diva Bolognese baked in the oven

I love Bolognese sauce, it is my favourite sauce to have on my pasta. Unfortunately I am experiencing issues with my camera, therefore all the steps are not in this post, but a picture of the end result is.

Please bare with me on the pics, they will be up soon!

 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of garlic

1 cup minced celery

2/3 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced onion
1 lb ground lean ground beef

1lb of pork sausages
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup milk

1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned San Marzano plum tomatoes, chopped with liquid
fresh parsley and basil( I chop up about 1/3 cup) 

1 teaspoon of dried Oregano

freshly grated Parmesan cheese-optional garnish

1 lb pasta penne or rigatoni

 

In a pot, add the oil and butter and heat for about 2 minutes until the butter is almost browned.

Then add carrots, celery, and onions and saute for 3 minutes. Now add the beef, salt and pepper to taste and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Add the milk and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the milk is completely evaporated. Add wine and simmer until evaporated.

Finally, add the tomatoes and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours partially covered. It’s important to reduce as slowly as possible. If sauce becomes dry, add 1/2 cup water whenever necessary. When almost ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is tender but still firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, pat dry and return to the pot. Add your sauce to the pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a lasagna pan, or a aluminium pan add the mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve immediately. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Espresso Perfecto!

Want to learn how to make the perfect Italian espresso? Here are the directions by another great blog called, The Tasteful Life by Carrie Pacini.

I just made my perfect cup, I will post my own pics soon!

 

Thanks so much to Carrie at The Tasteful Life.

Now here’s what you will need:

- Bialetti Espresso Maker
- Espresso Coffee Grinds (I like Lavazza)
- Sugar
- A handheld milk frother (If you decide to make a cappuccino)
- Milk (If you decide to make a macchiato, latte, or cappuccino)

Preparation

1. First you will break down the moka pot into it’s 3 parts. Fill the bottom part with very cold water to the rim.

2. Fill the filter with ground coffee to the top of the rim (do not pack it in).

3. Next float the filter with the ground coffee on top of the water (see pic below).

4. Next screw the top part on tightly and put it on the stove with medium to low heat.

NOTE. While you are waiting on it to percolate take a regular coffee cup and fill with about 4 teaspoons of sugar. You will add about 2 teaspoons of the espresso to this sugar.

5. When it starts to percolate pour about 3 teaspoons of it into the cup of sugar and with a spoon stir fast to break it down.

Note: put the moka pot back onto the stovetop until it is finished and then you take it off the heat.

6. Stir fast until you have a light caramel color like this

7. Now you add about a teaspoon of it to the espresso cup.

8. Pour the espresso over the sugar and stir and you will have a beautiful coffee to drink!

 

Now remember if you want to turn this espresso into:

- Caffe Macchiato, you add a spot of hot milk
- Caffe Latte, you add about 1/2 cup of hot milk
- Cappuccino, you add a layer of hot milk, and a layer of foamed milk (1/3 each)

That’s It! Now you are can be your own personal Barista at home!

Chicken with fava beans

One of my mom’s delicious recipes….thanks mom!

Recipe:

In a pot, add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive, 2 cloves of minced garlic, a teaspoon of capers, 2 bay leaves (remove when serving dish) a rosemary sprig (remove when serving) handful of chopped parsley. Add 4-6 chicken thighs (or as much as your pot will hold (double up on ingredients if need be) and let the chicken cook for about 20 minutes. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes (I love San Marzano) and fresh basil leaves, pre-boiled fava beans and stir all the ingredients and let cook for another 20 minutes, salt and pepper to taste and garnish with extra basil leaves.

Panella recipe

I found this Panella recipe from Lydia’s Italy, I am a big fan of Lydia’s and I follow her religiously.

Panella is a sicilian flat fried cake made from the finely ground flour of ceci (chickpeas), known in Spanish as garbanzos. Palermo, Sicily where my parents are from, you will find a variety of fried vegetables called Frigitterie and the food is absolutely to die for.

I added my own personal touches to this Panella recipe by adding some minced garlic, onions, chopped parsley and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, but the ingredients is endless when you add your own personal touch.

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 cup of fresh parsley

1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano

In a separate pot add olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped parsley. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano later into the pot with the panella flour. When all ingredients is cooked add it to the panella flour recipe below.

(add my ingredients to the recipe below)

Fried Chickpea Polenta (Panelle)

• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet and for frying

• 1/2 pound chickpea (garbanzo) flour

 

Recommended Equipment:

A heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan or deep sauté pan, about 10-inch diameter; a stiff wire whisk; a rimmed baking sheet, 9 by 13 inches (a quarter-sheet), or a shallow baking pan of the same size, bottom and sides lightly brushed with olive oil; a stiff metal spatula

 

 

 

Pour 4 cups water, the salt, and the olive oil into the saucepan, and gradually whisk in the chickpea flour until smooth.

Set over medium heat, and whisk constantly as the batter slowly heats.

 

Fried Chickpea Polenta (Panelle) (continued)

It will thicken and eventually steam but does not need to boil. Cook and keep whisking, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan frequently, until the mixture is quite stiff and starts to pull away from the sides as you stir it, 15 to 20 minutes.Turn the batter into the oiled pan, and spread it quickly with the spatula, before it cools and sets, so it fills the pan in an even layer.Wet the spatula with water, and smooth the top of the batter. Let cool for an hour or longer, until completely firm.

Cut pieces with a sharp knife, in whatever size or shape you like and in the amount you need.

I cut 1 1/2-inch squares for appetizers and Sicilian-style sandwiches; 2-by-3-inch bars—at least two per person—to accompany a main course. Lift the cut pieces from the pan with a spatula (seal the remainder with plastic wrap and refrigerate for longer keeping).

 

Fried Chickpea Polenta (Panelle) (continued)

To fry the panelle, pour enough extra-virgin olive oil into the heavy skillet to cover the bottom with 1/8 inch of oil, and set over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, lay in the panelle, leaving plenty of space between them. Fry about 3 minutes, until the underside is crisp and golden, then flip them over and brown the second side, about 2 minutes more. Set the panelle on paper towels to drain and cool for a minute, but serve while they are still warm (though they taste good at room temperature too!).

 

 

 

Italian Meatball Recipe

1 lb of ground lean pork

1 lb of ground lean ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style) or Italian style breadcrumbs (if you are using Italian style breadcrumbs you may omit the fresh basil and parsley, but I wouldn’t, fresh really makes a difference in flavour)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 handful of fresh basil, parsley finely chopped

1 tablespoon of spanish paprika

1 tablespoon of Steak spice

salt and pepper to taste

Place the ground meat in a bowl and add the eggs, mix the ingredients together and slowly add Panko, or the breadcrumb mixture. Add the garlic and all of the spices and mix all the ingredients until you reach a moist, but a little dry mixture. The meatballs will stay in tact when forming them into a ball and won’t break when cooking them in a red sauce or gravy.

You may choose to fry them with some extra light olive oil, or you may bake them in the oven;

Frying: Fry the meatballs until the ball is completely browned and then place in your sauce or gravy for some more cooking. My mother used to cook the raw meatballs into the sauce (to avoid the added fat of frying), but I am not certain if most would agree with that method of cooking, although I am fine and my family too!

In the oven: Bake the meatballs in a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes at 350F.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Live, love and pray and be happy!

Divainthakitchen

Baked Spring Frittata

Asparagus, zucchini, artichokes and fresh green beans for a rich pancake is cooked in the oven

Ingredients for 4 people:

a pack of Breadcrumbs

a shallot

a handful of beans

a cup of whole milk

an artichoke

a pinch of dried herbs de Provence

Salt

Pepper

half a lemon

4 eggs

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 zucchini

Preparation

Pour the still frozen asparagus tips in boiling salted water. Cook by boiling for 5 minutes, drain and leave aside. Prepare the artichoke, using a pair of rubber gloves to avoid damaging the hands removed the stem and leaves, the outer ones and hard.

Then, with a sharp knife, cut the remaining leaves to one-third of their height, eliminating the tips. Cut the artichokes lengthwise and, with the help of the tip of a sharp knife, with a circular motion eliminated the “hay” (the fibrous part) inside.

Soaking them in a bowl with warm water and lemon juice. Trim ends of zucchini, roughly with a knife, scrape, rinse, dry and cut lengthwise. Remove the white part with the seeds and cut into lunettes.

Trim the green beans by cutting off the ends and removing the wire then rinse, dry and cut into small pieces. Peel the shallots, rinse and chop finely. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Retrieve the artichokes and cut into small pieces. In a non-stick pan heat the olive oil, fry the shallots over low heat for one minute, then add the other

vegetables and cook, over low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off and let cool. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt, milk, Parmesan cheese and a handful of bread crumbs until mixture is smooth. Transfer everything into a baking dish lined with baking paper after you have added salt and pepper and a pinch of dried herbs from Provence. Bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes, checking the gilding.

Serve piping hot.

Whole Roasted Chicken a la Mr. Diva!!! Yee haw!

My husband is a typical meat and potatoes kind of guy, but give him a roasted chicken with wine, butter and bacon and he is a proud man! Gotta love him!

Here is how we roast chicken at the De Bartolo household:

Preheat the oven  to about 400F.

1 Whole organic chicken ( I try to use organic, so much healthier for us and better for the chickens too)

4 slices of bacon (to add on top of the chicken)

1/2 cup of dry white wine (we like to use Hochtaler, which is a German inspired wine made in Canada)

1 stick of unsalted butter

6 sprigs of fresh parsley

1 Onion, chopped in quarters to put into chicken cavity

4 garlic cloves, chopped and to put into chicken cavity

1/2 tablespoon of dried sage

1/2 cup of dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon of montreal steak spice (more if you like)

1/2 tablespoon of spanish paprika (you can use Hungarian too), spanish just has a little more kick to it!

Salt and pepper to taste (not to much because we have used Montreal Steak spice)

Wash the chicken, yes I said wash it! Always wash your meat…too many people handling it! And God knows what else is going on! Well, I do, but I am not going to get into that.

After you have washed the chicken, place it on a cutting board that is specifically for poultry only, you don’t want to be chopping up your veggies and fruits on this board and I don’t care if it has been cleaned a thousand times…NO!!!

Chop up the parsley, onions, garlic and place inside the bird’s cavity…yes, it is a bird!

Then add the above spices all over the chicken, add some olive oil, the butter and rub all the ingredients until the chicken is completely covered with the spices. The paprika gives it a nice orange look

Lastly, add the white wine and allow the chicken to cook for about 2 hours on medium heat. I like to cook the chicken covered for the first 11/2 hours and the last 1/2 hour I cook it uncovered to give it that nice crispy top.

Save the chicken broth and make some gravy.

I like to serve this dish with Rapini (broccoli rabe) and sweet potatoes mashed, or for the hubbie yukon gold it is!

You can also substitute Rapini for a delicious asian vegetable called Choy Sum, here is a great recipe I found  for it:

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20305/chilli+and+garlic+stir+fried+asian+greens

I hope you enjoy our roasted chicken recipe, any questions please feel free to contact me.

Ciao!

Divainthakitchen

Whole Wheat Linguine with Shrimp and Asparagus

I served this yummy seafood pasta dish on Good Friday and the family was very pleased.
You may add peas, red peppers and more seafood to this dish as well, either way you prepare this dish, it will be a hit with your dinner crowd.

Buona Appetito!

Serves 4

2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup of half and half cream ( I used skim milk in order to have a low fat version and I added 3 tablespoons of flour to the recipe)
1 bag of shrimp, de-veined and remove shells
1 Asparagus bunch, chopped (to know how much of the Asparagus you need, hold both ends and snap it in half…voila!)
1 box of Catelli Whole Wheat pasta or your favourite brand
1 lemon
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/4 cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tablespoon of dry sage
salt and pepper to taste

In a pan, sauté butter and garlic until golden. Add the sage and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are are almost cooked (which is when they are peach in colour).

Add the white wine and asparagus and cook until you can pierce the asparagus with a fork (usually 5 minutes).
Boil the pasta for about 9-12 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan that has the shrimp and asparagus and squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon, than shred some of the lemon peel to the pasta (gives it an even bigger kick!).

Finally, add the cream or like my low fat tip above to the pasta and mix it altogether.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Lemon Chiffon cake

My brother’s birthday/Easter cake.

This was such a refreshing cake to eat and it was a hit with all our guests.

Ingredients

Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
White Chocolate Lemon Cream Frosting
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1 eggs, beaten
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons whipping cream
4 (4 ounce) bars premier white chocolate ( for garnish)

Directions

Cake:.

Cream butter and cream cheese; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and beat just until blended.
Add flour to creamed mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in vanilla.
Page 2 of 2 White Chocolate Lemon-Cream Cake (cont.)

Directions

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9-inch round cake pan. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack. Place in freezer until frosting.

Frosting:.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and lemon rind in a heavy saucepan; stir well. Stir in juice and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Boil 1 minutes stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about half of the hot mixture into the beaten egg. Stir into the remaining hot mixture. Cook stirring constantly over medium heat for 2 minutes, until thick and bubbly.
Transfer mixture to a small bowl and chill completely.

Beat whipping cream at high speed of mixer (freeze bowl, cream, and whisk before whipping) until stiff peaks form. Stir in 1/2 cup whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Fold in the lemon mixture into the whipped cream.
Spread over the top and sides of cake.

Using a vegetable peeler, make chocolate curls from the bars of white chocolate. If you want to get “fancy”, melt the chocolate in a sandwich bag one at a time. Pipe in fancy shapes, such as hearts, scrolls, lace, etc. onto waxed or parchment paper. Let harden completely and apply to cake.

Easter Egg Bread (Calabrese style)

Ingredients

1 quart whole milk, scalded and room temp

12 large eggs

2 oranges, juice and zest of

2 lemons, juice and zest of

4 cups granulated sugar

2 cups room temp. butter

3/4 tablespoon salt

1/4 lb fresh bakery yeast
flour, enough to make a soft but not sticky dough

Directions

Scald whole milk and let cool, add in the yeast.
Beat eggs, and juice, and zest.

Beat sugar and butter until fluffy continue to beat well.

Add the beaten egg mixture into the beaten sugar butter mixture.

Combine with the cooled scaled milk , and yeast mixture.

Combine well, add sifted flour, continue adding flour until a soft dough comes together.

Turn out onto a table and knead until soft, not too sticky, 5 to 10 minutes.

Let double in a greased bowl, covered.

Punch down and let rise again.

Form into braids after second rising, or put into loaf pans.

Let rise until almost doubled Bake 350 degrees, until golden, 20 minutes approximately.

Note; the amount of flour can be anything from 8 to 12 cups, or more. but add gradually until you have a soft slightly sticky dough — where when touched your finger comes away tacky but not sticking to the bread board.Keep your dough soft not firm –.

Directions

All depends on flour and humidity and how much juice from your oranges and lemons.
Can braid and place under braiding but showing raw eggs white or already coloured, eggs will cook while baking, for an Easter morning delight.

Directions on making the dough, can vary, as I have done the procedure in different ways, and now we can’t get fresh compressed yeast in our stores, so I use active dry yeast, usually 2 tablespoons.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 (42 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 80
Calories 104.9 Calories from Fat 50%

Adapted by Food.com/Grandma Rose recipe