PANZEROTTI FRITTI (fried small pizza pockets)

Pizza - appetizer 

For the pizza dough:
1 cup Italian 00 flour
1 cup Italian Semola rimacinata di grano duro (durum wheat semolina, milled twice)
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

For the stuffing:
14 oz chopped or strained Italian San Marzano
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil, julienned
10 oz mozzarella, shredded
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Italian anchovy fillets, packed in oil and drained
2 sliced Ham, cut in strips
1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
1 tbsp freshly chopped oregano

Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half

Put yeast and sugar in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of warm water (don't exceed 110 degrees), mix and set aside for about 10 minutes: when the content is doubled, your yeast is active.

In a larger bowl, combine flour and salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining warm water and knead, on a lightly floured surface, until you obtain a smooth dough; if dough is "sticky", dust your hands and the working surface with flour.

Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a towel and set aside for at least 1 hour, until it doubles in volume. During wintertime it might take longer, during summertime less.

In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce for your panzerotti.

In a small saucepan, warm up 1 tbsp olive oil and sautee garlic until golden. Add San Marzano tomatoes and season with salt; cook for about 10 minutes, stir in basil and oregano and cook for 5-10 more minutes, until it thickens; discard garlic.

Roll out the dough about 1/8"-1/4" and cut it in rounds with a cokie cutter.

Lightly spread rounds with tomato sauce (half of the surface), leaving about 1" all around without. Top with sun dried tomatoes, anchovies and mozzarella; artichokes, hams and mozzarella; mozzarella only.

Fold pockets and seal tightly!!

Deep fry them until golden and serve immediately.

The number of panzerotti depends on their size.

- You can bake them at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden. Remember to drizzle with olive oil, if you bake them.
- If you use fast rising yeast, you can mix it to the flours before adding salt (they should not "touch" each other).
- You can also use Italian olives, but remove the pits!
- The choice of good quality ingredients is necessary in order to obtain a good dish!!
- It can be vegetarian, provided that you don't use anchovies or ham

ITALIAN POLENTA DISCS WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Entree or appetizer - Vegetarian - Gluten free

For Polenta:
1 1/2 cups Italian polenta flour
6 cups of water
2 yolks
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

For the sauce:
2 oz Italian dried porcini
8 oz white mushrooms
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp hot pepper flakes (if you like it)
Mozzarella, diced
Parmigiano reggiano, grated
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Prepare polenta: Bring a large saucepan (with heavy bottom) to a boil. When boiling add salt (like you would do for pasta) and slowly pour corn flour into the boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat to simmer, stir with a wooden spoon for another couple of minutes, then cover with lid and cook for 45-50 minutes, stir occasionally.

In the mean time, soak dried porcini in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes. slice the white mushrooms.

Remove porcini and squeeze excess water, cut bigger pieces into a desired size, carefully filter soaking water in order to remove dirt and reserve it.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and sautee garlic and onions until garlic is golden, then stir in porcini and white mushrooms. Sautee for about 4-5 minutes, then add a few tbsp of the soaking water you reserved, season with salt, hot pepper flakes and parsley and cook until desired doneness. Remove from heat.

When polenta is cooked stir in yolks and parmigiano, spread it in a baking dish about 1" thikness and wait until it cools down to room temperature.

Cut it in disks and arrange them in a lightly greased baking dish, cover with mushroom sauce, sprinkle with diced mozzarella and/or Parmigiano, and broil until cheese melts.

Serve immediately.

This recipe should serve 4 to 10, dending on disks size and if served as appetizer or entree

- You can add crumbled sausages or bratwurst to the mushrooms or on top of them, before the cheese.
- You can use our Italian mix (dried garlic, hot pepper flakes and parsley), if you'd like, instead of the fresh ones, 2 tbsp would be enough.
- We do sell both Italian polenta flour and REAL dried Italian porcini (which are way more flavorful than their competitors).
- It's gluten free and vegetarian.

ITALIAN LENTIL SOUP WITH RICE

Soup - Vegetarian - Lactose and Gluten free

1 14-oz can Italian lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup Italian Carnaroli rice
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage and rosemary
8 cups vegetable stock, hot
Freshly chopped parsley

In a saucepan (with lid) warm olive oil over medium heat and sautee garlic until golden, then add San Marzano tomatoes and herbs and cokk for about 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Stir in rice and add 4 cups of the simmering vegetable stock; season with salt (and pepper if desired). Cook about 10 minutes, then add lentils and cook 10 more minutes, until rice is al dente.

If the soups thickens too much, add vegetable stock in small batches, until you reach desired consistency.

Serve in individual bowls sprinkled with fresh, chopped parsley and drizzled with Italian extra virgin olive oil.

This recipe serves 4-6

- You can use Italian farro, instead of rice
- Carnaroli is the best rice for risotto and soups because it holds the "al dente" very well
- San Marzano tomatoes are the best peeled tomatoes (and the ones we carry have no salt - no "nothing" added!!!)
- If you don't want to use chopped garlic, you can use Italian extra virgin garlic infused olive oil
- This soup is great also at room temperature. It can also be frozen, in order to have a good quick AND HEALTHY dinner
- It's vegetarian, lactose and gluten free!!!

GRILLED VEGETABLES DISH

Side dish or appetizer - lactose and gluten free - vegetarian (read bottom notes) - light

1 Red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 eggplant
2 zucchina (zucchini is a masculine plural, but zucchina is feminine - zucchine for plural)

For the green "sauce"
1 bunch fresh parsley, leave only
1/5 cup Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
3 Italian anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil
2 cloves garlic, cut in 3-4 parts
High quality Italian extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Over the open flame, sear the bell pepper; remove stem, seeds, skin and inner white ribbing. Halve them and cut each half in 4-6 slices (lengthwise) and set aside.

Slice eggplant and zucchine in 1/4" slices lengthwise, brush all vegetables with olive oil and grill them to desired doneness.

Prepare the green "sauce".

Arrange capers, garlic, anchovy fillets and parsley in a blender (or an immersion blender tall glass); pour olive oil in a thin stream and start blending until you obtain a "pesto"-like consistency.

Spread on grilled vegetables.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

- You can use it also as a pasta sauce
- I wouldn't use green bell peppers: the other colors (yellow, orange and red) are sweeter.
- You can add some dried Italian black olives to your green "sauce"
- It's lactose and gluten free, light and vegetarian (if you don't use anchovies)

MASTER CHEF'S BAKED PENNE

Entree - complete meal - vegetarian and gluten free (READ NOTES AT BOTTOM)

This recipe has been gently provided by our friend Fabio.

1 lb Italian penne pasta
3 big eggplant
8 oz mozzarella, diced
2 1/2 cups true Italian San Marzano peeled tomatoes with their juice, crushed
5 oz smoked salmon
4 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp feshly chopped basil
Salt, pepper, ginger

Preheat oven to 400F

Bring to a boil a large pot of water, when it boils, add salt and cook pasta.

In the meantime, wash eggplant, trim the extremities and cut them lengthwise; scoop out pulp, reserving it leaving about 1/2" all around, creating a
"boat". Sprinkle inside with a pinch of salt, place them, cutside down, in a lightly oiled baking pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

Dice the reserved eggplant pulp. In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, warm up half of the olive oil and sautee 1 garlic clove until golden,
then add eggplant pulp and sautee for about 10 minutes, stirring; add a few tbsp of hot water if necessary. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook
for 10 more minutes, then season with salt, pepper, basil and ginger.

In the same time, in another skillet, warm the remaining olive oil, sautee the other garlic clove, add salmon and season with salt and pepper; stir in wine and let
evaporate, then transfer to the skillet with the eggplant sauce.

Drain pasta al dente and transfer to the skillet with the sauce, toss to coat evenly.

stuff the eggplant boats with the pasta and sprinkle with mozzarella, return to the baking dish and broil for 3-4 minutes, until mozzarella is melted.

Serve immediately!

This recipe serves 6

- You can have a vegetarian dish, if you avoid salmon; and it can be gluten free it you use Italian corn penne (or other cut).
- You can use crushed Italian tomatoes, if desired. Italian tomatoes are the best (Italian STYLE does not mean Italian).
- A fresh mixed salad complements this meal perfectly!
- You can find the photo (and the original recipe in Italian) here: http://fabiomasterchef.cucinare.meglio.it/pennette-dei-fans-di-master-chef-di-fabio-del-buono/

SWEET CREPES WITH SPREADS

Dessert - vegetarian

For the crepes:
2 eggs
1 cup 00 Italian flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter, melted
Salt

For the stuffing:
orange & onion sauce
fig spread
Nocciolata hazelnut spread

To finish:
Confectioners' sugar
fresh fruit


Prepare crepes: in a bowl beat eggs with all ingredients, until you obtain a smoothe batter. Warm a 7" non-stick skillet and grease it with a little olive oil. When warm, pour a ladle of the batter and tilt the skillet until all bottom is covered. When top side begins getting firm, flip it over and cook the other side. It usually doesn't take more than 2 minutes per side. Arrange it on a dish and repeat until you finish the batter.

Spread 1-2 tbsp of spread on your crepes and fold as you prefer (make enough for each spread to satisfy all "eaters").

Lightly grease a baking pan, arrange the folded crepes sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and broil for about 5-10 minutes.

Serve with some fresh fruit.


- If you have plain crepes left you can freeze them with parchment paper between them.
- You can add 2 tbsp of sugar in your crepe batter, if you want a sweeter taste.

TURKEY BREAST ROLL

Meat entree - Lactose and gluten free - light (dietetic)

1 1/2 lb turkey breast, in a single slice about 1" thick
3-4 slices prosciutto di Parma (if slices are small, consider enough to cover the meat)
1/4 cup Italian dried black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped almonds
10 oz spinach, cooked and squeezed
2 oz smoked pancetta, diced
5 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1/8 cup Marsala
Warm vegetable broth
1 clove garlic, crushed
Rosemary and sage
Salt and pepper

Pound meat in order to obtain an evenly thick slice.

Mix together olives, almonds and 2 tbsp olive oil, spread on the meat and line it with prosciutto slices.

Sautee spinach, in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, with 1 tbsp olive oil and garlic, then transfer over prosciutto; roll meat and tie with butcher's string.

In a deep saucepan with lid, warm the remaining olive oil and brown the roll until golden on all sides. Remove it from the saucepan and sautee pancetta until golden, then return the roll into the pan and and Marsala. Let evaporate and repeat with wine.

Add rosemary ad sage; cook the roll on medium-low heat, covered with lid, for about 1 hour, adding warm vegetable broth (from time to time, as needed), turning the roll occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

When cooked, wrap your roll in foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.

In the meantime, reduce the sauce, if to thin, or add some broth, if too thick.

Unwrap the roll, untie and slice it, serve with it's cooking juice and fresh salad.

This recipe serves 6-8


- This is a light preparation: only 274 calories per serving (if calculated on 8 servings).
- You can add some cheese, on top of the spinach, but this will raise your calories count.
- It's gluten and lactose free.
- It's great at room temperature, also!
- It becomes a complete meal if served with some bread, breadsticks or taralli.