Pasta with Artichokes and Pancetta

In this pasta, the sweet taste of the artichokes combines with the sharp flavor of the Parmesan cheese, and the spicy aroma of the pancetta

Today I want to show you how to prepare this pasta with artichokes and pancetta. This is one of my favorite recipes: easy and tasty, and as usual, ready in no more than 30 minutes.
As you probably have noticed, I like to buy and use fresh vegetables in my recipes.
Artichoke though is one exception. Cleaning fresh artichokes is quite an elaborate job. It involves peeling off leaves, trimming stems and, I know!!, removing "hair". And after all the hard work, what I find most annoying is ending up with a tiny artichoke heart, as small as a walnut, when I started off with a big, fist-sized artichoke! All reasons why, I generally opt to buy frozen artichoke hearts. They are tender and juicy, and ready to use!
In this pasta, you will find the sweet taste of the artichokes, together with the sharp and nutty flavor of the Parmesan cheese, and the spicy aroma of the pancetta. What can I say? Pancetta, like bacon, makes everything taste delicious!
Here is the recipe for you:
Ingredients serving 4 people:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 6 oz artichoke hearts (I used Trader Joe's frozen artichoke hearts)
• 3 oz (one package) of thinly sliced pancetta
• half cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 12 oz of short pasta, I used Barilla gemelli pasta, but you could also use other shapes like penne or fusilli.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. And start cooking the pasta when it boils.
Saute' the chopped onion in about three tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat, for a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Run the artichoke hearts under running water, if frozen. Cut in thin slices, and add to the onion. Saute' for a couple of minutes. Lower the flame to medium low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Please note: the pancetta is relatively salty, so don't overdo with salt at this point.

Step 3: Cut the pancetta in small strips, add to the artichokes and saute' for another couple of minutes.

Step 4: Add the cream to the skillet and let cook for one minute.

Step 5: Drain the pasta when ready, and toss in the skillet, together with the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

FRUIT JUICE JIGGLERS

“Fruit Juice Jigglers” are a fun treat to serve your children and grandchildren when the weather turns warm because they are cool and refreshing. Better yet, they require NO cups/spoons/napkins; they don’t melt in those hot little hands AND they are nutritious!!

Jigglers are super quick and easy to mix up and after a 3 hour chill in the fridge, they are ready to snack on or take to a potluck (adults love them too!!)

 

2 cups your favorite fruit juice (divided)
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin powder

You will find it on  

the regular Jello aisle

 

Measure 1/2 cup COLD fruit juice into a bowl. Sprinkle TWO envelopes of UNFLAVORED gelatin over the juice and stir it a little. Set aside for about a minute or until it becomes fairly solid.

 

Once it becomes solid, pour 1 1/2 cups BOILING fruit juice over it and stir until everything is completely dissolved.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and stir it again.

 

Pour this mixture into an ungreased 9x9 dish and let it chill for three hours.  Cut into squares and serve.

 

NOTE:  The dish size is not crucial: smaller dishes will give you thicker jigglers, larger dishes will give you thinner jigglers.

 

NOTE: I have only ever done this with clear (no pulp) juices, so I don't know how it would turn out with a heavy pulp juice.

 

NOTE: I use a sharp knife to cut the squares, then I use a 2" (narrow) spatula to help release them from the pan.

NOTE: You can use any flavor fruit juice or fruit juice blend.

 

 

ENJOY THE SUMMER FUN !!

Butter-Free Apple Cake with Ricotta Cheese

Wholesome, moist, soft and delicious apple cake with ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of almonds!

I can't imagine a morning at the beach without a nutritious, healthy and delicious snack for the kids.
That's why on Thursday night I prepared this apple cake with ricotta for Friday morning. It was the first day of vacation for my kids, and I organized a little gathering with some of our friends at the near by beach. I was so much fun! The perfect way to kick off the summer.
My only mistake: I should have made at least two of these butter-free, moist and yummy apple cakes! About a third of it was gone on Thursday night, right after dinner... well, maybe this was another mistake! But my kids, and I :-) really wanted a taste. It's so hard to say no to a just baked, still warm and incredibly fragrant dessert! And I had to make sure it was actually as delicious as it looked, right?!?
Anyways, the rest of the cake disappeared on Friday in less than 60 seconds. I guess I should have figured that out: playing in the water and running around the sand can sure make you hungry. Now I learned my lesson, and I will be better equipped next time!
As I promised my friends, here is the recipe.

Ingredients: to make one doughnut shape cake, 10 inch in diameter

• 3 apples, I used pink lady, about 1.25 lb total
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 7.5 oz of whole milk ricotta cheese (half of my package)
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil (I used olive oil, because I didn't have any other oil available!)
• 1 tablespoon (16 gr) of baking powder :-)
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sliced almond, unsalted dry toasted
• powder sugar to decorate

Preparation time: about 20 minutes to prepare, plus 60 minutes to bake

Directions:

Step 1: Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Place in a bowl with lemon juice (half lemon juice should be plenty).

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix well the eggs with the sugar.

Step 3: Add the ricotta cheese, and mix well again.

Step 4: Stir in the oil ... pretty simple, right?

Step 5: Add the lemon zest, the baking powder and the flour. Mix some more until nice and smooth.

Step 6: Last, add the apples and mix with a spoon.

Step 7:  Grease the bottom of your baking pan if necessary, and sprinkle the bottom of your mold or pan (which will be the top of my cake) with the sliced almonds.

                                              

Step 8: Pour the batter, and place in the middle of the oven.

Step 9: Cook for about 1 hours. Check with a toothpick if the cake is ready. The toothpick should come out clean, no streaks of batter.

 Let the cake cool down a bit, flip it over, and sprinkle with powder sugar. Yummy!!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla Carbonara: rich and creamy sauce and sinfully crispy pancetta. You will love it!

From my list of traditional Italian pasta recipes cannot miss the Spaghetti alla Carbonara.
With its simple and tasty ingredients, the carbonara is a favorite pasta for many. How can you not love this delightful dish, with its rich and creamy sauce and sinfully crispy pancetta? And did I forget to mention it only takes 20 minutes to cook? I know, perfetto!
The traditional method to prepare this pasta requires to pour the raw egg mixture over the spaghetti, off the stove, letting only the heat of the pasta partially cook the eggs. I don't particularly like runny and uncooked eggs. So when I make carbonara, I let the pan sit over medium heat  and very quickly mix the spaghetti with the egg mixture. You need to be really quick, thou. And don't let it cook for too long! The sauce coats completely the spaghetti, while the eggs stay soft and moist, mostly cooked but not runny ... just perfect :)
Easy, right?? Here is the whole recipe:


Ingredients: serving 4 people

• 2.5 oz of pancetta or bacon in thick slices, cut in cubes or strips
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream (optional)
• olive oil
• salt
• 12 oz spaghetti

Preparation time: about 20 minutes

Directions:


Step 1: Bring to boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the spaghetti when it boils.
In a large saucepan, heat a little bit of olive oil with the pancetta. Let cook, stirring occasionally until it's nice and crispy. Turn off the heat when ready.

Step 2: In a bowl, break the eggs, add a little bit of salt and pepper (not too much, because the bacon is salty), half of the Parmesan cheese and the cream if you like to use it. Whisk until well blended.

Step 3: When the spaghetti are cooked al dente, drain and toss in the saucepan with the pancetta. Turn the heat back on to medium. Add the egg mixture, and quickly mix the spaghetti with two forks until the eggs thicken and cook slightly, but are still soft.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.
Let me know what you think. And please, share your pictures! I'm always very excited to see your work!

Enjoy!

OLD FASHIONED BANANA SPLITS

It is finally barbecue season!! So, why not finish off your cookout with a good old-fashioned classic banana split, complete with home made toppings? Your family will love them!!

Below you will find the recipes for three excellent ice cream toppings. They last up to a week in the fridge, so go ahead and make them ahead of time.



FUDGE TOPPING

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 2/3 cups white sugar
1 and 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the cocoa, sugar and milk. Bring it to a boil (stirring) and let it boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Tastes good warm or cold.
STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TOPPING

1 pound ripe strawberries (washed and hulled)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop the strawberries into medium size pieces (I use the food processor) and cook them in a heavy bottomed sauce pan with the water and sugar until it gets nice and thick. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and chill.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR


PRALINE TOPPING (this one is sinfully delicious!!)

1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, marshmallows, syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for one minute. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, nuts and vanilla, mix well. This is good warm or cold.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

ENJOY !!

HOME MADE PEPPERONI

A blogging friend, over at Hey, What's For Dinner Mom? posted a recipe for home made pepperoni. It started me thinking and, after searching the Internet, I found at least  a dozen more recipes that convinced me I needed to give this a try; I'm so glad I did.

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a package of commercial pepperoni or looked closely at a slice of it and wondered what all those "bits" were? Exactly!! Pretty gross thought wasn't it?? Well, now I have pepperoni and I know EXACTLY what is in it.

The recipe I decided to try is very simple because it does not involve sausage casings or a smoke house or any weird preservatives. It's just meat and spices baked in the oven at a super low temperature for 8 hours ............ and it was really good (even picky-picky husband love it!!)

 

 

First of all, when it's all cooked, it's NOT going to be bright red/orange like commercial pepperoni, and it's not going to be shaped perfectly round, but that certainly didn't bother us. At least I know exactly what is in my sausage!!

1 pound of ground pork (see note below)
1 pound of ground beef (very lean, I used 96%)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (see notes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 slightly heaping teaspoons salt (see notes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water

Grind the dry spices together (I used my mortar and pestle) until they are roughly ground (it doesn't have to be super fine).

Mix the two ground meats together (I used my stand mixer). Then mix in the spices, the liquid smoke and 1/4 cup water. After it's well mixed. Cover it well, and chill it for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, mix again and roll the mixture into 2 logs and place them on a foil lined baking sheet (make sure the baking sheet has a lip).

Bake in a pre-heated 200° oven for 8 hours. Most of the recipes tell you to keep turning the "logs" every two hours, as they bake, but I didn't turn them at all, and they were fine. Your house is going to smell wonderful!! 

After 8 hours, they will look like this:

The "pepperoni" logs will be quite firm to the touch when they come out of the oven. Since I used very lean mean, I didn't have much grease in the bottom of my pan, but, if you use a fattier grade of meat, you might have to wipe off any obvious grease on the outside of the baked sausages before you chill them.

CHILL  BEFORE  YOU   SLICE !!

Let the baked logs cool a little, then wrap them in plastic wrap and chill them until they are very cold before you slice them.  Use a sharp knife and slice the sausages very thin.

We were very pleasantly surprised how easy this was to make and what a nice flavor it had. We will definitely be making this recipe again!!

NOTES:  For the ground pork, a small pork butt roast works great because it has the right amount of fat, but you can also just buy a pound of ground pork (UNseasoned....not sausage).

UPDATE: Since posting this recipe, I've tried the same spice mixture with ALL ground pork and I think we like the texture even better. If you use ALL pork, just reduce the cooking time to 6 hours.

NOTES: I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes and it was just the right amount of heat for us, but then we are pretty timid when it comes to food heat tolerance. If you like spicy pepperoni, just add more flakes.

NOTES: Several of the recipe I found online called for Morton's Tender Quick which has salt, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite and propylene glycol in it.  The only advantage to using that product (that I can see) is to give your sausage that bright pink color.  Since that is not important to me (and I tend to keep my pepperoni in the freezer)I just used plain old table salt and it worked fine.

BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

Every once in a while, rather than going to McDonalds and buying a "maybe hot...maybe not"  Big Mac (with only 3 ounces of beef) , we make a full size version at home. Here's another idea: Ever thought of Big Mac sliders for a kids party?  

This recipe tastes EXACTLY LIKE the secret sauce on the Big Mac, trust me, it really does.  It's quick to put together and lasts in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.  Surprise your family with home made Big Mac's for dinner.

BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 heaping tablespoons French dressing  (salad dressing)
1/2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 heaping tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
1 teaspoon ketchup
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix everything and chill for several hours or overnight.  Makes 1 cup.

 

 

ENJOY !!