Spinach Artichoke Stromboli

My weekly menu rotation was getting uninspired. I almost always have a pizza night, mostly with homemade dough. My go to dough recipe is here. Recently I wanted to change pizza night up and I remembered my mom had made this Rachael Ray Spinach Artichoke Stromboli recipe when my girls were small and they actually ate it! Neither of them would say they like spinach or artichokes but they crush theses yummy pinwheels.

Stromboli is basically a big log of pizza. You could fill it with any toppings you like, but the ricotta, egg and cheese combo is key for the creamy cheesy layers. I think next time we make it we will add chicken to make it even yummier. By the way this time I used store bought pizza dough (gasp!) from the deli at Raley’s. I just wanted to make a quick dinner after work so the pre-made frozen dough at the store saves a step. I thawed it outside on a glass table in the sun and it was thawed in no time, if you don’t have time to pre-thaw.

Most grocery store delis have pre-made dough, in case you didn’t know, you just have to ask. Otherwise if I make my pizza on a weekend I make my dough from scratch. My master baker daughter just made a batch of home made dough the other day, a great culinary skill to have. So if you are looking for a tasty substitute for your weekly pizza night rut, check this recipe out!

Spinach Artichoke Stromboli

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
• About 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Zest of 1 lemon (I didn’t use)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, defrosted (I used 1 bag fresh spinach and I sautéed really quick with garlic and olive oil)
• 1 14-ounce jar artichoke hearts, chopped(I used marinated ones)
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used Pecorino Romano and Asiago)
• 1 lb pizza dough
• 1 package, about 2 cups, shredded provolone (I used 5 cheese Italian blend)
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
• Garlic flakes, for sprinkling
• Onion flakes, for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F

Beat 1 egg in a large bowl with the ricotta, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix in garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts and Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with a splash of water to make an egg wash; set aside. 

On a floured surface, roll out pizza dough into a rectangle about 9 X 13. Spread filling evenly out onto the entire dough, making sure not to get too close the any of the edges. Top with provolone.

Roll the stromboli, starting at one of the long sides, tucking in both ends firmly, and turn over about 4 times until you are left with just the one edge. Brush the edge with egg and gently press to seal.

Turn the stromboli over so the seam is facing down on the sheet tray and lightly brush egg wash over the top of the stromboli, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, garlic flakes and onion flakes. Cut slits about 1 1/2 inches apart down the top of the stromboli, so the steam can escape while baking. Bake until golden brown, about 35- 40 minutes. Feeds 6-8 as a snack, it fed 4 of us as a dinner with a salad

Pancakes of perfection

A sexy man making pancakes? What’s not to like? I recently saw Peter Hermann (from the TV series Younger, Mariska Hargitay’s hubby) making his famous fluffy pancakes on Instagram. The steps looked intimidating but I couldn’t resist when he said they were the best pancakes he ever ate. Ok so after eating these I have to say we all agreed, they were the best pancakes we’ve ever eaten. They were so fluffy and light (due to the gently folded in egg whites) and amazing. We made plain, blueberry and chocolate chip -using Sees candy chocolate chips, because why not. So if you have some time and love pancakes, give these a shot. BTW it made enough to feed an army, if i made them again I would make a quarter or third of the recipe. But this time of year with the holidays and having company this could be a great recipe to feed a lot of people. Campy only had one-ish 😂

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

3.5 cups all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

4 cups buttermilk

2 ounces butter (half a stick)

Confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and let it cool.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. Wisk the egg whites to soft peaks.

4. Combine egg yolks, buttermilk and butter.

5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

6. Fold in the egg whites.

And that’s your pancake batter! Place on buttered griddle heated to 350 degrees. Flip over once you see bubbles on the surface of the pancake.

A few tips from Peter: melt the butter in advance as it takes a little while to cool. Use regular salt, not coarse grain, coarse grain is harder to sift. Regular buttermilk- not low-fat is hard to find but better than the low-fat version. Soft peaks are when you pull the mixer out and the egg white peak is bent over the tip just a little like an elf hat. When you heat your griddle, put butter on it and then put the pancake batter using a scoop or ladle. If you want to add blueberries or raspberries or chocolate chips don’t mix it into the batter place them into the pancake once you pour the batter on the griddle. You want to fold the egg whites in delicately, that’s what makes the pancakes fluffier. There are videos on YouTube showing you how to fold in egg whites if you’ve never done it before. Once they’re cooked you can dust the pancakes with confectioners sugar, then they will look even prettier in photos! #younger #peterhermann



My big fat Italian wedding

Italian wedding soup has been always one of my favorite soups. I’ve never really made it before (that I recall, haha) but tonight my daughter asked me to make it and I looked up a good recipe. Of course I found one by Giada that was healthy with no pasta, which defeats the whole purpose. So I used her recipe but then I did add the pasta. The pasta is what really made the dish you could use any small pasta but this specific pasta – Acini de Pepe is really good. Once it cooks the size of the pasta is like little small pearls and it makes the soup creamy and delicious. It was a quick and easy dinner to make and the meatballs were also delicious with the grated onion and garlic – something I don’t usually put in my meatballs. So if you’ve always loved Italian Wedding Soup don’t get a can of it, make your own and you’ll be happy you did!

Italian Wedding Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 large egg
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano grated
• 8 oz lean ground beef (I just used 1lb beef only)
• 8 oz ground pork
• 12 cups chicken broth (use low sodium if you prefer)
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach (I used a bag of fresh)
• approx 6-8 oz of Acini de Pepe or other tiny pasta (I used half a small 1lb box of De Cecco Acini de Pepe)
• Grated Pecorino Romano and crusty bread for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Then add the meat. Shape the meat mixture into meatballs, and place on a baking sheet. I make my meatballs small so there are more of them, but it’s up to you.
2. To make the soup: Bring the broth and spinach to a boil in a large pot. Add the meatballs (uncooked) and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick. Add the pasta and continue cooking at a low boil until both the pasta and meatballs are cooked (approx 20 minutes, seems a bit long but the pasta will expand and get tender). Season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with cheese before serving, if you wish.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

After a yummy Valentines tasting dinner with my favorite Valentine, Campy requested some short ribs for dinner. I have never made short ribs before but they seem to be similar to pot roast so I thought I’d give it a try. Pretty much anything with wine in the title is going to be good.

I loved this recipe from Bon Appetit magazine. They are often a good resource for great recipes. This was a bit time consuming to prep but once I had it in the oven it was smooth sailing. I found some gorgeous short ribs at Costco of all places. I didn’t have all the fresh herbs and used dried, other than the rosemary. The ribs came out so tender they fell right off the bone. We served them with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots and it was delicious. So if you are looking for a 5 star restaurant quality dish to make at home, try this satisfying dish. Sorry there is no pic, we ate it all!

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 medium onions, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 750 ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon) (I only used 2 cups)

10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

8 sprigs thyme (I was all out, used basil, yum!)

4 sprigs oregano

2 sprigs rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

4 cups low-salt beef stock

RECIPE PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2½ hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/red-wine-braised-short-ribs

Mamma Mia Minestrone

As the temps start to chill I look forward to the belly and home warming recipes. I’ve always loved making soups as a hearty, healthy and filling dinner. I’ve always loved all of the yummy Italian soup staples – Italian Wedding Soup, Lentil Soup, Zuppa Toscana and of course Minestrone.

As my readers know, I often go to FoodNetwork Magazine for new weeknight recipes. I recently saw a different twist on Minestrone in their mag and decided to try it. It came out amazing, it was simple and flavorful, due to the fresh Italian sausage I used. My family is not a fan of kale so I used spinach instead and used pork, not turkey sausage. Other than that I stuck to the recipe. We made it with this moist and sweet corn bread I had had recently at a Halloween event, it was a great pairing. So if you need an easy weeknight dinner that will soothe the soul, check this out!

Also here is the recipe for the cornbread:

Sweet Cornbread

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 2/3 cup granulated sugar
3. 1/2 cup Albers® White or Yellow Corn Meal
4. 1 Tbsp baking powder
5. 1/2 tsp salt
6. 1 1/4 cups milk
7. 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
8. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
9. 3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Instructions

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.
2. COMBINE flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.
3. BAKE for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Meatballs Marsala

A new busy job has taken some of my free cooking time but not my appetite. I have made this new recipe a few times and I have been meaning to share. It is another wonderful dinner suggestion from Food Network Magazine’s weeknight dinners – my go to for new dinner ideas to get us out of the dinner rut. My family loves the flavors of Marsala when we have it with the typical chicken recipe. But this Meatball Marsala adds a new twist. I really liked how the meatballs have beef and sausage, which adds great flavor. I am a mushroom junkie so I loved the large slice of mushroom – the more the merrier! Also, serving it over mashed potatoes was a delicious twist. The potatoes absorbed all of the yummy marsala gravy like sauce and gave us a break from our usual pasta or rice. I think it would also be good over store bought (gasp! did I say that? ;)) gnocchi too. Anyhow, if you need a quick and easy dinner that takes a meat and potatoes dish up a notch, you and your family will love this! What hubby and kids don’t love meatballs or mashed potatoes? BTW the marsala wine is key to the flavor, don’t take a shortcut there. Most stores have a cheap version by the vinegars but I “splurge” on a $10 bottle from Italy from the wine section and it lasts for many recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces ground beef chuck
• 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage meat
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 12 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch; season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cook until tender, 20 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Combine the beef, sausage, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl; mix with your hands until combined. Form into 12 meatballs (about 2 inches) and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until browned, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup chicken broth and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium high and add the meatballs. Simmer, stirring occasionally, while you mash the potatoes.

Add the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup chicken broth to the potatoes and mash. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the parsley into the meatball mixture. Serve with the potatoes.

Manga!

Nutella Cake

So for Christmas Day I needed the perfect desert. I wracked my brain for all my favorite treats, should I make cheesecake, pie, cobbler, or brownies? Then it dawned on me, and I heard the Nutella angels sing. I had gotten a couple jars of Nutella as gifts and so I knew that was a sign. I looked online for the perfect recipe -perfect being one that I had all the ingredients for, since it was Christmas Day and I did not want to go out. I settled upon this Nutella cake recipe made by two hot twin Italian chefs, you can’t go wrong with that. Plus this recipe had cream cheese/Nutella frosting which meant it would make Campy happy as well as he loves cream cheese frosting. This cake came out amazing. It was very fudgy and rich but it only used 1/3 cup of flour so it didn’t seem so heavy. Also it had a ground up hazelnuts in the cake so that kind of gave it a nice texture. The cream cheese frosting mixed with Nutella had a little bit of tartness which I really liked. It was such a big hit I even had a slice today for breakfast with my coffee!

Din-spiration

So with working full time my dinner mojo is often missing. It seems our weekly menu consist of the same types of items – burger night, pasta night, protein night, taco night, pizza night and more of the same. I wanted to freshen things up and keep my passion for cooking alive, so I found a remedy. I look at my Food Network magazine’s “weeknight dinners” every week to add a new recipe to the mix. I am really enjoying this inspiration. I look forward to a new issue each month. In the past I have struck out with new recipes but lately I have been on a roll. I have made four new dinners, one each week, that have been home runs. It spices up our weeks as it adds something new to the mix. Each of these four recipes were a huge hit with my family. They were all easy to make and quick after a long day. I hope you try them and make your families tummies happy!

Chicken with gnocchi

This recipe was so delectable and using store bought gnocchi on a work night made my life easy. It had the perfect balance of protein and veggies. I made this with the perfect side -homemade Olive Garden breadsticks which were so fluffy and better than the real thing.

Tortellini Stroganoff

All the great flavors of stroganoff were there and this was simple to make. I added some stir fry beef for protein.

Orzo with mushroom

My family was skeptical with the spinach and leeks, but they tore it up, due to the creamy sauce and the chicken breast I added. Campy said: “it was on point!”

Flank and mac

As you can see a theme here, protein, carb, and veggie. I try not to make carb heavy dinners but this trifecta pleases the little people. Flank steak was too pricey so I used another affordable cut. The idea here is the flavors, add your own twists.

That’s what I love about these Food Network recipes, you can add your own ideas. Also if the magazine subscription is too much, get your issues from the library like me, and then google the recipe name and they come up on their website. Also these are all great vegetarian recipes too. Manga!

Tara-misu

Everyone knows I love anything Italian. One of my favorite desserts to order at an Italian restaurant is Tiramisu. If you have never had it, it is a delicious combination of sponge cake soaked with coffee liqueur and a creamy custard like filling, sprinkled with shaved chocolate. It has bitter notes of coffee with sweet notes of chocolate and sugar and it is the perfect marriage of flavors that tingles your tastebuds. It represents Italy in dessert form and there are many versions of it, not all of which succeed. I have always wanted to make it but I was intimidated by it. My mom makes an amazing version and I have her recipe but I decided to use Gabriele Corcos’ version. I have been enjoying lots of his recipes for their simple and authentic Italian flavor. I have a great post about his eggplant incaciata I am going to post soon. So if you are a tiramisu lover and have never attempted it at home I recommend you try his version. It is simple and with impress your guests with its sophistication.

TIPS: I found the lady fingers in the refrigerated section of my grocery store bakery, but you can also use the ones in the cookie aisle. Also I used Marsala wine as he suggested for the liqueur, which surprisingly tasted great, I assumed you had to use something like Kahlua. I used one part Marsala and one part licor 43, a new liquor i found that has over 43 different flavors blended into it, like vanilla and citrus, among other things. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and choose something you like since it is such a small amount, it won’t hurt the flavor. I think even rum would be tasty, like a rum cake.

Tiramisu

Ingredients

• 3 cups brewed coffee, cooled
• 2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone
• 5 eggs, separated
• 14 ounces savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers)
• 4 ounces sugar, plus 2 tablespoons or more, for the coffee
• 2 shots rum or Italian Marsala, optional
• Pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate, to garnish’

Directions

First brew about 3 cups of coffee and pour it in a bowl and allow to cool off, add 2 tablespoons sugar or sweeten to taste. (I used espresso and watered it down a bit to make it three cups).

Mix the egg yolks with 2 ounces sugar, and mix until you obtain a creamy light mixture. Work the mascarpone in a bowl using a wooden spoon, making sure you eliminate any lumps, then add the mascarpone to the sugar-egg mixture and continue to mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites, pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 ounces sugar, until they reach a somewhat firm, but fluffy consistency, then add them to the mascarpone mixture. Stir in the rum, if using.

Dip the savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers) in the coffee, and one by one lay them flat into a 7 by 11 pyrex tray (I used 9×13), making sure you do not soak the cookies, as you want to make sure they maintain their firmness (refrigerated ones from bakery got soggy fast, so I might not use those again). Once the first layer of cookies has been laid out, spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

Now, again, prepare another layer of coffee-dipped cookies, cream and cocoa powder. Garnish the top of the cake with the shaved dark chocolate.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours so the flavors can marry and the tiramisu can settle.

then Manga!

My Quest for Nutella Brownies

Everyone who knows me, knows my love of Nutella Brownies. I have posted recipes before but I was not 100% satisfied with the results. The last one I posted had too much sugar and too much cocoa as well as chocolate chips – which were unnecessary. First of all, Nutella contains sugar and cocoa, so I wanted that to be the ingredient that provided those. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t discriminate when it comes to brownies and I happily eat any result, but the last batch was too rich for me.

So I tried another recipe on my quest. I think this is a valiant and noble quest for a woman of my generation. On my journey I looked for a recipe with less sugar, less or no cocoa, and mainly Nutella to satisfy the chocolate/sugar ingredient. I am thinking maybe in the future I will just experiment and make up my own. But for now, I made the following recipe for a pizza night for friends about a month ago. I was very pleased with the results, the brownies were moist and Nutella-rific, not too much sugar or chocolate tasting and the salt was an extra treat. I think that having less flour made them like a rich piece of fudge. I also liked the salt, as I did in my chocolate chip blondie recipe, it adds a nice mix f sweet and salty. So if you are a Nutella junky like me, check out this recipe for a special treat!

Nutella Brownies

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups Nutella, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
optional: sea salt
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the brownies out of the pan when cool. (If using a 9-inch pan, the bake time will be a few minutes less.) Set aside.
With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in 1 cup Nutella and salt. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella on top. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella into the batter. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Bake the brownies for 30-36 minutes. Keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick to determine doneness. If the toothpick comes out with only a couple moist crumbs, the brownies are done. The brownies may take a few minutes longer; all ovens vary. Mine took 28-30 minutes, I always cook brownies less because I like them a bit less done, plus I used a 9-inch pan.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.