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Sunday Gravy
This tomato sauce with meat is called gravy, because the meat drippings become the base for the sauce
1 pound of the following: pork, beef,
sausage
3 cans crushed tomatoes
2 cans plum tomatoes (torn into bite size pieces)
1 medium onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
5 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Clean and trim
fat off of the pork and beef. In a large sauce pan, warm olive oil
on medium heat. Add pork, beef
and sausage and brown on all sides. Once browned,
remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to low, and allow oil to cool down (about 5 minutes). Add
onion, and saute for about 5 minutes or until it begins to turn translucent.
Add garlic
and saute an additional 2 minutes, as not to burn. Add all tomatoes and
water, stir well, Then add basil, parsley, salt and pepper and sugar
(the sugar helps
to reduce any acidity from the tomatoes). Cook at a light boil for about
20 minutes. Return meats to pan and allow to simmer on low heat for 2
1/2 to 3 hours, stirring
occasionally. Serve hot over your favorite pasta.
If you are one who does not prefer a chunkier sauce, you can substitute
the 2 cans of plum tomatoes for 2 cans of puree.
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Eggplant Rollatini
This is a wonderful first course that can at times even be served as a meal; the filling is deliciously rich, creamy and satisfying. This filling has prosciutto, however, it can be substituted with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes or sausage
2
large eggplant
1 1/2 pounds part-skim Ricotta cheese
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 12 ounce package Mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound Prosciutto (sliced very thin)
3 cups Marinara sauce
Peel and slice
eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds. Layer eggplant in a strainer and lightly
salt each layer, cover, and allow
to sit about 1 hour. Salting
the eggplant
helps to both reduce some of the bitterness, as well as release excess
liquid and make the eggplant easier to roll. Once the hour is up, drain
excess liquid
that accumulates from the eggplant and pat dry on a paper towel.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. In a small bowl,
beat 3 eggs and season with a little salt and pepper. In another bowl,
place flour.
Dip each
eggplant slice in egg, then in flour. Fry until golden brown on both
sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel to remove excess oil.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Next, in a large bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, milk, 2 eggs, parsley, pepper
and 1/2 package of Mozzarella cheese. Blend well. Take each piece of
cooked eggplant
and place a piece of Prosciutto on top (trim Prosciutto to fit eggplant,
if needed). Then place 1 tablespoon of mixture on top of Prosciutto
in center of each eggplant
and roll to close.
In a large baking dish, place 1 cup of Marinara sauce on bottom and
spread. Place each eggplant 'seam' down on sauce. Drizzle the rest
of the sauce over
the top,
then the remainder of the Mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Cover
and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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Italian Cream Pie
This traditional Italian dessert is served mostly on special occasions, with of course Sunday dinner being one of them. This is my grandmother Immaculata's secret recipe. This recipe is enough to make 2 pies
Crust:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
5 heaping tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
Filling:
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons flour
4 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg (slightly beaten)
In a large
bowl, add all crust ingredients. Seperate the dough in half. Knead
and roll out one half (on a floured
surface) to be a
thin layer
about 1/8" -
1/4" thick. Cut layer in half and line the bottom of 2 pastry
dishes with the dough, with some dough hanging over the sides.
In a medium bowl, beat 6 egg yolks, sugar, flour and salt. Beat
for about 5 minutes. Place this mixture in a medium saucepan and
heat
on low. Add
milk 1 cup at a
time, stirring throughout. Continue to stir until mixture has thickened.
Add vanilla and chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted, then
remove from heat.
Allow the chocolate mixture to cool somewhat (about 15 minutes).
Then ladle the mixture into each of the pastry dishes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Take the remaining half of the dough and roll out to a thin layer,
just as the bottom half. Again, cut this dough in half, and cover
the top of
the
pastry dishes.
Pinch the edges of the pie with a fork so it seals, and trim any
remaining dough off the sides. Poke some holes in the top of the
pie to allow steam
to release.
Bake for 30 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate. When ready to serve,
sift with confectioners sugar, and if you wish serve with whipped
topping.
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Baked Stuffed Shrimp
With Italy being surrounded by water on three sides, all types of fish are an integrel part of the Italian diet. This succulent seafood dish is one of the more modernized ones
2 pounds fresh Jumbo Shrimp (cleaned and
deviened)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 sleeve buttered crackers
2 tablespoons parsley
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Monteray Jack cheese
1 6 ounce can lump crab meat
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 lemon
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees.
Take a sleeve of buttered crackers and crumble them to a fine texture.
In a large bowl, add crackers, bread crumbs, parsley and Parmesan
cheese and
blend well.
Next add crab meat, Monteray Jack cheese, olive oil and lemon
juice and mix. Add 1/4 cup of water to make the mixture cling well
together.
Place the shrimp in a large baking dish. Make a slit down the
center of each one. Place stuffing mixture into the center of
each shrimp. Drizzle
the butter
over the top and bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve immediately
with lemon wedges on the side.
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Antipasti Squares
This is a great picking food when having friends over for snacks and drinks. The meats and cheeses in this appetizer meld wonderfully together to pack a whole lotta flavor
2 packages (8 ounce) crescent rolls
1/4 pound Provolone cheese
1/4 pound Genoa Salami
1/4 pound Swiss cheese
1/4 pound slicing Pepperoni
1/4 pound Cheddar cheese
1 8 ounce jar roasted peppers
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Place one package of
crescent rolls in dish, pinching together the seams. Layer
cheeses and meats in
the above order.
Drain and pat dry roasted peppers. Cut them into strips, then
place them as the last layer. Cover top with second package of crescent
rolls. Lightly
beat one
egg, and brush it over the top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for approximately
10 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Espresso Brownies
Espresso, a strong black coffee is one of the signature drinks among Italians. The addition of this finely ground coffee to a delicious brownie mix makes this dessert unable to resist
1 package fudge brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1/2 tablespoon instant espresso
Cool Whip
Preheat oven
to 350 degrees.
Place 40 foil cupcake liners on a cookie sheet. Combine brownie
mix, eggs, water, oil, coffees and cinnamon. Stir until well
blended. Fill each cupcake
liner with
about 2 tablespoons of batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Insert
a toothpick,
until it comes out clean. Cool Completely. Garnish with whipped
topping and add a dash
of cinnamon. Refrigerate until serving.
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