Monthly Recipes that are easy to do in your own home “To Impress your Friends, Impress your family, But Most of all Impress Yourself".

Christmas 2007 Recipes...........

Marinated Calamari SALAD: A very easy CALAMARI recipe we ate every Christmas Eve without fail as a kid….

Makes: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• sea salt
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp fresh chopped oregano
• 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb squid, cleaned and sliced into thin rings (including tentacles)

1.       In a medium sized glass bowl, combine the vinegar and 1 tbl of the lemon juice. Add salt to taste and stir to dissolve it. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil, the tomato, parsley, oregano, pepper flakes, thyme and scallions, and stir to blend. Set aside.

2.      Put 3 quarts of water into a large saucepan. When the water reaches a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt. Add the squid rings and tentacles. Cook just until the squid becomes opaque, not more than 1 minute (the water may not return to boil). When they are cooked, turn the squid out into a large colander; drain well, but do not rinse.

3.      Immediately add the drained squid to the marinade and toss to blend. Stir in the remaining olive oil and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Taste the mixture and add salt to taste as necessary. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

4.      Arrange onto a nice platter and serve.

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PENNE PASTA WITH TAPANDE AND PESTO

1 tbl olive oil

3 tbl tapande

1 pound penne pasta

½ cup sun dried tomatoes (dry if possible)

1/3 cup pesto

1/8 cup free range chicken stock

salt and pepper as needed

basil leaves for garnish

parmesan garnish

1. Heat oil in pan and add mushrooms and sauté until done.
2. Add in stock, pesto, tapande, cooked pasta, sun dried tomato and mix well.
3. Season to taste and add hot pasta in and toss well.
4. Garnish with a fresh basil and a great parmesan and serve.

Pesto:

10 garlic cloves

12 basil leaves

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup olive oil

1 cup pine nuts

1. Place all ingredients into food processor and puree.
2. Slowly add in oil and than season with black pepper.
3. Hold in refrigerator.

Tapande

½ pound kalamta olive pitted
2 anchovy fillets
3 tablespoons capers
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
extra virgin olive oil as needed

black pepper as needed

1. Remove pits from olives and place in a food processor with anchovies, capers, and garlic. Process to a coarse paste. Add olive oil and blend briefly, then add lemon juice and mix well.

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JOHNNYS SAUSAGE BREAD

As a kid we fought over these delicate small sausage rolls. Only made on Christmas by special Aunts and Uncles this was a very secret thing the family did and today I share it for the first time.

Min-u-la-ta

Bread Dough:

1 pkg. yeast (active)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil
1 cup. warm water (105 degree)
4-5 cups. flour (

1. Combine first five ingredients and let yeast dissolve.

2. Mix in 1 cup of flour with a whisk until creamy.

3. Mix in 1 more cup flour and whisk for 2 minutes with wooden spoon.

4. Stir in enough additional flour to cause the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Turn out on floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes). Put in greased bowl and turn to coat, top with grease.

6. Let rise until doubled. Punch dough down.

1 pound cooked Italian sausage chilled and drained

8 ounces gaeta olives

2 eggs beat

1. Roll out dough
2. Place down sausage and olives spreading out throughout dough.
3. Roll bread then egg wash end and seal.
4. Cut across into 2” rolls and place onto cooking sheet.
5. Brush with egg wash and bake in 325 degree oven until golden brown.
6. Serve warm.

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Braised Veal Shanks

  8 veal shanks, about 12-oz. each, cut 1 1/2 -in. thick

  1/2 c. all-purpose flour

  salt

  freshly ground white pepper

  1/4 c. olive oil

  1/2 c. finely diced onion

  1/2 c. finely diced carrot

  1/2 c. finely diced celery

               2 tsp garlic sliced

  3 thyme sprigs

  2 cups red wine

  2 to 4 cups beef stock

1. Dust the shanks with flour.

2. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a large oven-proof roasting pan, heat the olive oil. Brown the shanks on both sides.
   3. Add the vegetables, garlic, thyme, and sauté well.

4.  Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil. Turn the flame to medium and reduce the sauce by half.
5. Pour in enough stock to cover the shanks and bring to a boil.
6. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven, and cook until the shanks are tender about 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
7. Remove the shanks and keep warm. Reduce the sauce just until it thickens as this will be your natural jus and Chianti splash.
8. Serve with polenta and sautéed escarole.

Sautéed Escarole

3 cups escarole

2tsp roasted elephant garlic minced

2 tbl extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper as needed

1. Heat pan 30 seconds and add in oil and garlic.
2. Quickly sauté garlic and than add in greens and sauté until soft but not over cooked.
3. Season and serve immediately.

cookingwithcarino.com

Gorgonzola Polenta

4 cups chicken stock
1 cup medium-grain yellow polenta
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup gorgonzola cheese

1 In thick sauce pan place stock on stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Whisk in the polenta until fully incorporated.

2 Lower the heat to a low simmer, add the butter and allow the polenta to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3 Finish by stirring in the gorgonzola and salt to taste.

Roasted Garlic:

Simply add a bulb of elephant garlic and a sprig of thyme with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil into a foil pouch. Tightly seal foil and bake at 350 degrees and then remove and allow to cool about 5 minutes then garlic is ready to be used. Squeeze garlic out of skin and use as desired.

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Grandma Carino’s Cannoli:

Growing up the first 5 years of my life in my grandma’s Brooklyn home allowed for many child hood memories. As I grew older and understood things more we would walk the neighborhood buying bread from one bakery and Cannoli shells from another. Grandma would allow me to stand by her and help so these have great child hood memories for me and I hope you to start your own memories.

1 pound Ricotta cheese

1 pound Cream Cheese
6 ounce Confectioner's Sugar
2 teaspoon Vanilla
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 cup candy fruit chopped

⅛ cup Chocolate Chips

1 tablespoon Cognac or Brandy

6 Cannoli shells

1. In a mixer bowl add cream cheese, ricotta, cognac, candy fruit, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and chips and mix well with a mixer.
2. Spoon filling into a pastry bag with no tip. Pipe filling into each ice cream cone all the way being careful to fill middle and sides.
3. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with mint leaves. Serve.

            Note: This is best eaten by hand due to the firmness of the cone.

FIVE SPICE QUAIL WITH GINGER FRUIT CHUTNEY AND JALAPENO BEURRE BLANC:

                                    Served with Sautéed Corn Cake

4 Boneless Quail

2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

2-tbl olive oil

salt and pepper as needed

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

4-tbl vegetable oil

1.      Rub each quail with some oil. Season with five spice, salt, pepper, garlic and ginger.

2.      Add vegetable oil to pan and heat 30 seconds

3.      Sear quail until golden brown on all sides and place into baking pan. Heat at 350 degree about 10-12 minutes.

CHUTNEY:

2 each mango

2 each green apples

2 each pears

2 tbl minced ginger

1 tbl-minced jalapeno

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 each diced red bell pepper 1/4:”

1 each diced green bell pepper ¼”

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Cornstarch/cold water mix to thicken as needed

1. Place diced fruit into saucepan and add all ingredients except cornstarch mixture. Simmer and reduce about 35 minutes. Mixture will be syrupy.
2. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water and whip well to form a smooth paste. Slowly add to hot fruit mixture until you have desired thickness. Don’t add too much and allow what you add to be stirred to make sure correct thickness is obtained.
3. Refrigerate and hold. Serve cold

JALAPENO BEURRE BLANC:

½ quart heavy cream

½ cup sweet butter

¼ cup roasted almonds

½ jalapeno diced fine and seeded

¼ cup white wine

2 tbl-minced shallots

1 tbl black peppercorn

Salt as needed.

1. Into saucepan add wine, shallots, jalapeno and almonds. Reduce until wine is almost evaporated.
2. Add in cream reduce until thick and slowly whip in butter. Simmer and reduce while adding butter until sauce is thick.
3. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a fine sieve. Use immediately with quail however you may hold a few hours in a simmering water bath.

TO ASSEMBLE DISH:

1. Coat bottom of plate with sauce
2. Palce corn cake in middle of plate
3. Place quail atop corn cake
4. Place chutney close to quail but not touching it.
5. Ladle sauce around quail
6. Garnish with fresh chive or cilantro

CORN CAKES:

1-pound sweet corn (frozen)

1 egg

1 diced green bell pepper ¼”

1 diced green bell pepper ¼”

¼ cup heavy cream

Japanese bread crumb as needed

1 tsp minced garlic

1 bunch green onions sliced thin (green part only)

3 tbl extra virgin olive oil (to sauté vegetable)

vegetable oil as needed (to sauté cakes)

salt and pepper as needed

1.      Add olive oil to pan and heat 30 seconds.

2.      Add in garlic, peppers, and green onion and sauté until translucent. Allow to cool.

3.      Place corn into bowl and add cream, cold vegetables, and mix well. Season as needed with salt and pepper.

4.      Add crumbs little by little and only add enough to hold. Don’t add to much as the cakes will be dry.

5.      Heat vegetable oil 30 seconds and sauté cakes until golden brown on both sides and hold for service.

Beef Stuffed With Gorgonzola

4 prime sirloins (buy thick cuts 8 oz each)

¼ cup gorgonzola cheese

4 slices roasted red bell peppers

Salt and cracked black pepper as needed

1 tbl roasted garlic

4 tbl sweet butter

1 tsp lemon juice fresh

4 tbl extra virgin olive oil

4 pieces fresh chives

1. Season steak on all sides
2. Poke a hole in center of beef but don’t poke the hole all the way through.
3. Add in cheese and press in and than add in roasted red bell pepper slices
4. Heat pan for 30 seconds and than add filet to pan and cook on both sides to desired temperature. If you want you can sear to golden brown and finish in 350 degree oven for another 10 minutes.
5. Combine roasted garlic, sweet butter and lemon juice together and mix well. This will be the topping for the steak.
6. Place sliced potatoes onto plate and top with beef and than top beef with roasted garlic compound butter.
7. Garnish with fresh herb of choice.