AwesomeBites

Category: Italian Restaurant

Bottle of red, Bottle of white…My Italian Restaurant.

  • Cannoli

    Six friends went to Italy and we came back excited to eat and drink the happiness we felt there. We had a reunion 1 year later at my house and we made Cannoli, Linquini, and Oso Bucco.
    Wonderful friends. This was our first time making Cannoli and we will definitely do it again.

    This recipe is from Alex Guarnaschelli and makes approximately 24 cannoli.

    Shells
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 Tbsp granulated sugar
    1/4 tsp kosher salt
    1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
    1 egg yolk
    1/2 cup of dry white wine

    Filling
    2 cups of ricotta cheese, preferable whole milk. (Buy the creamiest you can. Look at Italian Deli’s)
    3/4 cup powdered sugar
    1 tsp ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp allspice
    1/4 cup heavy cream
    1/4 cup small semisweet chocolate chips
    1 lemon
    1 quart of canola oil, for frying shells
    Flour for rolling shells
    1 egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
    Powdered sugar for dusting
    Cannoli Baking forms

    For the shell dough, in a medium bowl, sift together flour sugar and salt. Work the butter pieces into the flour with your fingers until the mixture becomes a smooth dough. If it is too dry, add more wine. If you wonder where to find good wine, check the link for this wine box nz club to get some info.
    Wrap in plastic wrap and press the dough down to be 3/4 of a inch thick. It will be easier to roll later. Let is rest in the fridge for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

    For the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, powdered sugar, cinnamon and allspice.
    In a separate electric mixer bowl, whip the heavy cream until fairly stiff. Using a rubber spatula gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Still in the chocolate chips. Lightly zest the exterior of the lemon and stir into the ricorra. Refrigerate for a half hour to an hour.

    To roll and fry the shells, heat the canola oil to 360-365 degrees F. Using your Kitchenaid pasta roller, roll out the dough starting at 0 and working your way step by step to a 6.
    Place the thin dough on your work surface and cut with a pasty cutter 4 to 5 inch rounds. Use flour to keep from sticking on your work surface.

    Oil the cannoli mold, and wrap each round usig the egg wash on the edge of each to seal it shut so it doesn’t slide off the mold.

    Fry the shell for 2-3 minutes each. I found I could fry 2 at a time in my small fryer.
    Set aside and allow to cool, and then reoil mold, wrap another two and fry them off.

    Just before serving, fill a pastry bag or ziplock plastic bag with pastry cream. Cut off the corner, or you can use a tip holder. (Choose a large tip so the chocolate chips don’t get stuck in it.)
    Do not fill the shells until you are ready to eat as they will become soggy. Store the extra shells in a ziplock bag and seal. They will stay crispy for several days.
    Everyone love these Italian delights!

  • Fettuccini with Cilantro Lime Shrimp in Ginger Cream Sauce

    Fettuccini with Cilantro Lime Shrimp in Ginger Cream Sauce

    Fettuccini with Cilantro Lime Shrimp in Ginger Cream Sauce
    16 oz heavy cream serves 4
    2 T powdered ginger 30-45 minutes to prepare
    2 eggplant – 1 cut in batonetts using the outside aubergine edges.
    1 eggplant cut diagonally into ¼ inch diagonal slices (To be used as garnish).
    2 zucchini cut in batonettes using the outside peel edges.
    4 T Olive Oil
    Salt and Pepper
    1 pound of fettuccini noodles
    1 ½ pounds of shrimp Approximately 24 Shrimp shelled and de-veined, with tails on.
    2 T butter
    2 T Olive Oil
    2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    ¼ cup finely chopped sweet onion
    ¼ cup cilantro chopped and 10 whole leaves for garnish
    1 Can – 12 ounces of Canada Dry Ginger Ale
    4 limes – juice 3 and serve the last as garnish on each plate.

    Add 6 quarts of water and salt to stock pot and bring to boil. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just al dente.
    In heavy small sauce pan, add cream and ginger. To attain the delicious creamy texture, you can use cream chargers delivery Melbourne. They have the best collection of equipments. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer and allow to reduce to 1/3.
    Lightly coat eggplant and zucchini with oil and salt and pepper, bake eggplant and zucchini batonetts for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Top eggplant slices with cilantro leaf using oil to stick the two together. Bake until just slightly browned. Set aside.
    Your pasta should be in the pot cooking before this next step of cooking the shrimp.
    Heat a sauté pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the garlic. Sauté for a minute and add onion and sauté for another couple of minutes. Add Shrimp. Then add ginger ale and stir to combine and coat the shrimp with the butter. Spread shrimp in even layer in the pan. As soon as the shrimp are almost all pink, add ginger cream sauce and lime juice and cilantro. Add fettuccini to pan, stir allowing to absorb the cream sauce.
    Add zucchini and eggplant batonetts: plate pasta, divide shrimp equally among 4 plates, garnish zucchini and eggplant batonetts, cilantro, lime, and zucchini and eggplant slices.
    Variations: Serve with linguini, rice or crusty bread. If you want to heat it up, you can add diced jalapenos while sautéing the onions for the shrimp.

    Cilantro Lime Shrimp, Ginger Cream Sauce - Aubergines and Zucchinis

  • Spaghetti Carbonara

    Spaghetti Carbonara

    Your family is going to lick their plates clean! This is so very good and rich that after eating it I racked my brain on ways to make it healthier.
    My big decisions? Add vegetables to it! I am thinking one of my favorites like peas, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, mushrooms, or califlower!

    In a pot of hot salted water boil your spaghetti. Get it started, then dice your ham or bacon, I like ham for this dish. Set it aside. Finely dice garlic or if you have roasted garlic like I do in my refrigerator, use that. Set it aside. If you are going to use vegetables that are fresh, then you should blanch them or steam in the microwave until fork tender. Careful not to turn them into mush. Then grate the cheese. I used 1/2 parmesan and 1/2 white cheddar.

    When you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, get your frying pan out and through in the diced ham. You want it to look like it has been fried and it will release some of its water. Remove from the heat and wait for the spaghetti to be ready.

    Wisk the eggs, grated cheese and sour cream together with the spice you have choosen.
    Drain the spaghetti when it is al dente and pour into a large enough pan that you can stir additional ingredients into. I use a casserole pan.
    Add ham, and your while the spaghetti is still hot, pour the eggs and cheese mixture into the spaghetti. You want it hot because it will cook the eggs in your sauce. You need to stir it to avoid scrambling the eggs – not what you want! Add a little of the hot water from the cooked spaghetti if you need more moisture. Stir and then add your veggies.
    If dinner time is a few minutes away, put the casserole pan in the oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
    You can easily double this recipe for a large gathering!

    2 eggs
    1 cup cheese
    1 cup sour cream

    1 pkg spaghetti
    1 cup diced ham fried
    2 tsp fresh basil or oregano
    Salt and pepper
    Roasted garlic or 4 cloves diced
    Optional: Veggies
    My favorite combinations: peas and carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli and califlower, mushrooms and green beans
    If you want to spice this dish up, you can either add a tsp of red pepper flakes, or sliced jalapeno peppers!

    Serve with freshly grated cheese.

  • Ground Beef or Lamb and Parmesan Ravioli

    Ingredients:

    ½ lb Ground Beef or Lamb
    3 oz Parmesan Cheese
    ¼ Onion finely minced
    2 – 3 cloves Garlic minced
    1 Egg
    Fresh Oregano
    Fresh Parsley
    Fresh Mint (great if you are using lamb)
    Fresh grated ginger
    Chop and mince garlic and onion.
    Grate parmesan cheese finely
    Brown ground meat.
    Add in chopped garlic and onion and finish browning meat.
    Drain browned ground meat, garlic and onion in colander.
    Chop or process fresh oregano and parsley, mint and ginger.
    Add oregano and parsley to browned ground meat, garlic and onion.
    Beat or whisk an egg and stir into mixture.

  • Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread

    Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread


    •2 containers (7.5 Oz. Container) Pillsbury Country Style Biscuits (20 Biscuits)
    •5 Tablespoons Johnny’s Great Caesar Garlic Spread And Seasoning
    •½ cups Italian Cheese Blend, Finely Shredded
    •5 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

    Preparation Instructions
    Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a pan with a light coating of cooking spray.

    Take individual biscuits and slice each in half, making half disks. In a small bowl, add garlic seasoning. Roll biscuit pieces in garlic seasoning until evenly coated.

    Place coated biscuits into the baking pan to form a bottom layer. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, working the cheese in between the biscuits. Repeat for the 2nd layer of biscuits, using half of the remaining cheese.

    In a microwave safe bowl or cup, melt butter for 20-30 seconds on high. Top monkey bread with remaining cheese. Pour butter over all of the biscuits, being sure to cover each one.

    Place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes (depending on your oven). The biscuits should be firm when they have finished baking. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish.

    Pull apart to enjoy!

  • Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage

    Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage

    Recipe (Modified from a recipe in Gourmet, 1997)

    Filling:
    2 c. roasted butternut squash
    1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
    1 T. fresh chopped
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    1 garlic clove, minced
    3 ounces aged goat cheese, grated or you can use parmesan

    Sauce:
    1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
    1/3 cup hazelnuts,toasted lightly and skinned and chopped coarse
    1 T. chopped fresh sage

    Make filling:
    Put squash halves, flesh sides down, an baking sheet and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until flesh is very tender. When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh into a bowl and discard skin. Mash squash with a fork until smooth.

    While squash is roasting, in a skillet cook onion and sage in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes, or until onion is golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Cool onion mixture slightly and add to squash. Add goat cheese and stir to combine well.

    Sauce:
    In skillet cook butter with hazelnuts over moderate heat until butter begins to brown, about 3 minutes, and immediately remove from heat (nuts will continue to cook). Season hazelnut butter with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.

    Cook ravioli in 3 batches in gently boiling either 6 minutes, or until they rise to surface and are tender (do not let water boil vigorously once ravioli have been added). Carefully transfer ravioli as cooked with a slotted spoon to a large shallow baking pan and add enough cooking water to reach 1/2 inch up side of pan. Keep ravioli warm, covered.
    Transfer ravioli with a slotted spoon ) letting excess cooking liquid drip off) to 6 plates and top with hazelnut brown-butter sauce.

    Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-Sage-and-Goat-Cheese-Ravioli-with-Hazelnut-Brown-Butter-Sauce-14287#ixzz1020wDfGW

    Pasta (Tyler Florence):
    2 c. flour
    1 t. salt
    3 eggs
    2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    To make the pasta dough: In an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook*, combine the flour and salt. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix. Drizzle in 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax

  • Brushetta – Old Fashion Garlic Bread

    Brushetta – Old Fashion Garlic Bread

    Garlic Toast – Bruschetta

    Toasted  bread with garlic and olive oil.

    12 slices of good rustic bread, baguette preferred  – cut 1/2 inch thick

    1-2 garlic cloves – cut in half

    1/3 to 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, a fruity olive oil is best

    Toast the bread in the broiler or over hot coals until golden brown, quckly rub the bread with the garlic haves – place the slices on a platter ina single layer.

    Drizzle olive oil over the bread. You don’t need to drown the bread – but drizzle enough so you can taste it. Serve immediately.

  • Bruschetta with White Beans

    Bruschetta with White Beans

    Tuscan White Bean Bruschetta
    White Bean Bruschetta

     

    1 cup canned cannelinni white beans

    1/4 tsp ground sage

    2 T olive oil

    12 slices of bruschetta

    24 arugula leeaves, washed and shredded

    24 roasted red pepper slices

    virgin olive oil – if desired

    freshly ground black pepper

    Puree beans in food processor  or with hand held blender with sage and olive oil, salt to taste. Smooth a spoonful of bean puree on the bruschetta. Top with shredded arugula and roasted red peppers. Grind a bit of black pepper on top and serve immediately.

    If you keep a jar of red pimentos in the pantry along with can of cannellini beans – all you need is a loaf of good bread for a quick and easy appetizer.

  • Tomato and Basil Topping for Bruschetta

    Tomato and Basil Topping for Bruschetta

    Take one!

     
    2 Diced tomatoes (Some recipes would have you peel the tomatoes, not happening in my kitchen. Who has that kinda time?)

    5-10 Finely chopped or shredded basil leaves

    Finely chopped garlic (at least one clove)

    Splash with Champagne Vinegarette

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1/2 tsp dijon mustard or worcestershire sauce to give it more kick (optional)

    1 tsp balsalmic vinegar (optional)

    Allow to mingle for the flavors to marinade for 15 minutes. 1 hour is even better.

    Serve on top of hot bruschetta and along side White Cheddar Cheese Spread, or shaved parmesan

    Tomato Bruschetta
  • Salsa Cruda and Spaghetti

    Salsa Cruda and Spaghetti

     The combination of hot pasta and fresh, cool, ripe tomatoes, basil and garlic is fabulous.  Do not serve cheese with this sauce.

    Awesome Salsa Cruda

    3-4 large, ripe eating tomatoes

    1/2 cup shredded basil leaves

    1 clove garlic, minced

    1/2 cup good olive oil

    salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1 pound spaghetti

    Dice tomatoes and mix ingredients together. Chill for 1 hour. Cook pasta  “al dente”. Drain and pout into pasta bowl. Pour Salsa Cruda over, toss and serve immediately. You can also do pineapple salsa the same way with a slight replacement of ingredients.   Marvelous summer meal.  Serves 4

    Spaghetti and Salsa Cruda
    Linguini with Shrimp and Salsa Cruda
    Grilled Salmon, Black Beans and Salsa Fresca