CHICKEN SCALOPPINE WITH SAUTEED MUSHROOMS

Entree - meat - gluten free (READ notes at bottom)

For scaloppine:
1 lb sliced chicken breast, 1/8" thick
2 cups milk
1 rosemary sprig and 4 sage leaves, tied together
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
00 flour to dredge

For mushrooms:
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, cut in wedges
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped with 2-3 mint leaves
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil

Dredge your chicken breast slices in flour and shake away any excess. Warm up the olive oil, in a non-stick skillet, over high heat.

Sautee meat slices until lighty golden on both sides. Season with salt, add herbs and milk. Lower to medium heat and cook until done through.

While meat cooks, prepare mushrooms. In a diferent non stick skillet, over high heat, warm up the olive oil; sautee onions until translucents, then add mushrooms.

Season with salt and cook until desired doneness. Sprinkle with chopped parsley/mint mix, cook another couple of minutes, and set aside.

Serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4

- Most of the times I deglaze scaloppine with brandy (wine doesn't react well with milk: it breaks down milk!).
- Milk is necessary in order to keep your chicken breast moist and tender. Also, given the flour, your milk will thicken nicely.
- If you're gluten intolerant or allergic, use corn starch, instead of flour.
- Serve this dish with salad, fruit and bread to have a complete meal.
- If you have leftover meat (I always prepare more than I need), you can freeze it in portions, so you'll have a quick meal ready in the freezer.
- With the sauce, you can prepare a great risotto!!!

Bella Italia Basket of the week "pasta e fagioli"

Our new feature: the basket of the week! This week it's "pasta e fagioli", all you need to add is broth and a little salt and you'll have dinner for 4 pepole!!! (and some products that won't be completely used ). For a thicker soup, add 1 potato and, when soup id ready, blend it! Comes with a recipe!!!!

Click here to watch the video!
http://www.youtube.com/v/pPm3HXKV6uQ?version=3&autohide=1&attribution_tag=HTbMpe3y0vCWwItWP5fJVw&showinfo=1&autohide=1&autoplay=1&feature=share

Risotto with butternut squash, mushrooms and sausage

Here is another video recipe. How to prepare the perfect risotto!!! please forgive my mistakes!!

http://www.youtube.com/v/_DOg8s-DdTs?autohide=1&version=3&showinfo=1&attribution_tag=VMf3S4WATlMOCu5ClhIEVA&autoplay=1&autohide=1&feature=share

RISOTTO WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH. MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE

Entree - Gluten free - Vegetarian (read notes below)

This recipe has been created during a chat with our Italian friend Renata, who lives in Wisconsin. Since we could not decide if making a butternut squash or a mushroom risotto, she offered to test a risotto with both (and pancetta) and texted me during the preparation!! I couldn't find a decent pancetta, so I used sausage.



3/4 cup Carnaroli rice
1 sausages, casing removed and crumbled
8 oz white mushrooms, diced
21/2 cup butternut squash, diced
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
8 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio)
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Bring broth to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.

In a large saucepan, warm the extra virgin olive oil and sautee onions and sausages until onions are translucent and sausages are lightly browned; now add mushrooms and butternut squash and sautee for 2 more minutes.

Stir in rice and, when translucent, deglaze pan with wine; when it's evaporated, start adding broth.

Cook for about 17-20 minutes (depending on your taste), adding simmering broth one ladle at a time and stirring frequently.

When risotto is almost ready, "smash" some butternut squash pieces with a fork and add cream cheese, stir until it's completely incorporated.

Remove from heat, stir in parmigiano and butter and serve immediately, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

This recipe serves 2 (or so I tought: if you use 1 cup rice it will easily serve 3 people!).

- I prefer to use sausage without fennel seeds (bratwurst) because they are overwhelming flavor.
- As said at the beginning, you can use pancetta instead of sausage, probably even prosciutto (next experiment)
- Carnaroli is the best rice for risotto, less starchy than arborio but easier to cook: it doesn't overcook too easily.
- I used fat free cream cheese, to give a creamier texture.
- You can deglaze your pan with 1/4 cup brandy, instead of wine, if you like it.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and avoid sausage.
- COMING SOON: the video to prepare this recipe!!

Focaccia recipe

Here is our first video recipe: pardon the technical problems... next time will be better!!!

WHITE PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE AND MOZZARELLA

Pizza - Vegetarian and lactose ree options included
(thank you to Vittorio of Viva La Focaccia for this recipe)

240 gr. lukewarm water (1 cup), in winter water should be warm, but not too much (you should be able to keep your hand in it without discomfort).
30 gr. Italian extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tbsp)
7 gr. dry active yeast (1 envelope or 1 tsp)
7 gr. salt (1 tsp scant)
345 gr. Italian 00 flour (2 1/2 cup, quantity estimated)
2 sausage, case removed and crumbled
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

In a bowl, where you'll prepare your dough, put the entire amount of water and dissolve the yeast, then add oil and half of the of the flour. It is very important that salt doesn't touch yeast. Start mixing until you obtain a smooth cream, then add salt and almost all the remaing flour (keep some of it for next phase). Mix and knead for about 4-5 minutes until your dough doesn't stick to the bowl anymore.

Sprinkle remaining flour onto your work surface and transfer your dough onto it, dust your hands with flour and knead for a few more minutes (if dough sticks too much, wait 3-5 minutes, then start again).

When you have a smooth dough, oil your pizza baking dish (mine was 16"). We like pizza a little thiner so we used 3/4 of the dough for pizza and the remaining dough for a small focaccia with onions.

Transfer your dough in the center, then turn upside down. This way, the dough surface will be covered with oil and won't dry out while leavening.

Let it rise for 45-60 minutes, at that point your dough should have doubled.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

With oiled hands, flatten pizza dough carefully without stretching it.

Arrange sausage on top and cover with mozzarella (for the onion focaccia, this is the time to spread raw onions on top).

Bake for 12-15 minutes and serve immediately

- With the exact same dough, last Sunday, I prepared a herb focaccia (that we like thick).

- You can make it with San Marzano Italian tomatoes and whichever toppings you may prefer.
- You can freeze it, before cooking it (I haven't tried that, I cooked ours right away): Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. When you want to cook it, pre-heat oven and, when ready, remove pizza form freezer and transfer in the oven immediately (no plastic wrap, obviously ;-) ). It will take a little longer to cook (about 15-17 minutes)

Chatting about Italian tomatoes

In this video you'll find some info about Italian tomatoes.