Best Braciole Ever!

March 15, 2019April 11, 2016 by Michel

Best Braciole Ever!

Making Braciole for dinner or the holidays is one of those authentic comfort foods that’s so delicious it could easily become a tradition for you and your family, even if you are not Italian. Some of you may be asking yourself what is braciole? Well, it’s thinly sliced flank steak that’s rolled up and stuffed with Reggiano Parmigiano, Asiago, and fresh herbs. The braciole is sautéed in olive oil and garlic cloves and then simmered in a tomato-basil sauce for a couple of hours until tender and juicy. And I tell you it’s even better when re-heated the next day!

The Italians aren’t the only ones who have come up with this fun and creative idea of rolling up and stuffing thinly sliced beef then simmering or braising in a gravy until tender. There’s a German dish that I absolutely love that’s just as flavorful as braciole called beef rouladen. German beef rouladen is made up of thinly sliced top or bottom round stuffed with mustard, onions, bacon and pickles, then sautéed and braised in the oven with veggies in a beef and wine gravy until tender. It’s serve with sautéed red cabbage and spaetzle or potatoes and ooh is that scrumptious too! That will have to be another show I will put together for you!

Now that I have you in the mood for some creativity in the kitchen …get to work! lol You will be very happy to expand that recipe repertoire of yours after making this wonderful Italian braciole for dinner. Make sure to serve up your sliced braciole with a dollop of ricotta cheese on top of the pasta to give it that unexpected extra flavor and creaminess. I will get working on the German beef rouladen show for you:)

If you are going for the Italian theme you might as well treat yourself to some of my appetizer’s like baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, or crab cakes with a homemade remoulade sauce. Then you can really go for it with my SECRET manicotti recipe or homemade spaghetti that’s totally fun for the whole family and easy to make! Then end it all with some chocolate eclairs with the BEST vanilla custard you have ever had …enjoy! 🙂

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Ingredients:

2 lb flank steak sliced horizontally into 3 layers
1 cup grated Reggiano Parmigiano
1 cup grated Asiago
1 tbsp dried ground Italian seasonings
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 recipe tomato-basil sauce but simmered for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
1 cup ricotta
1 cup red wine or white (I actually prefer to deglaze here with red)
1 lb rigatoni

Directions:

Start sautéing the veggies for the tomato-basil sauce and use the same pan for sautéing the braciole logs
Slice or have your butcher slice the 2 lb piece of flank steak into 3 horizontal layers
Then cut those pieces in half so you now have 6 semi-equal pieces
Sprinkle 1 tbsp each of Reggiano and Asiago on each piece
Lay whole basil leaves or chop basil and parsley and sprinkle onto flank slices
Roll up starting at the small end
Cut approx 40″ of cotton string and tie a knot at one of the ends
Then keep wrapping string all around the length of the rolled up flank til you are at the other end
Now come back tucking under each row of string going across like shown in the video til you get to the end and tie off a knot with the original piece of string you started with
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil a large pan and a few large cloves of garlic kept whole for extra flavor and sauté 3 rolled up pieces of braciole at a time
Brown on all sides on medium/high heat about 3-4 minutes each side (remove the garlic coves when golden and smear on a baguette and dip into the tomato-basil sauce when you start to simmer with braciole…YUM!)
After browning the second batch of (3) braciole add back in the first 3 and de-glaze with red wine (I used white in the show but prefer to use red here)
Add in puréed tomatoes and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
Take braciole rolls out and slice 3/8″-1/2″ thick
Serve with pasta (rigatoni) and a dollop of ricotta on top with a few slices of braciole and grated Reggiano…mangia, mangia.
PS- It’s even better re-heated the 2nd day! 🙂

BEST Manicotti Ever Recipe

March 14, 2019March 29, 2015 by Michel

BEST Manicotti Ever Recipe

Yes, I am giving up the good’s on this one and I know you will appreciate it because this is one of my very favorite secret recipes that has been in our family for generations! My mother Maria taught me how to make these homemade gourmet manicotti when I was young and now I am thrilled to pass this very special dish on to you.

These are the BEST homemade manicotti I have EVER tasted and I know you will love them too. They are a poured pasta, a crêpe so to speak and are light and fluffy. I’m partial to Liuzzi’s homemade whole milk ricotta, and I user a mix of mozzarella’s from Scamorza, which is a slightly salted/dryer mozzarella to whole milk and skim milk mozzarella. I start off with either my tomato-basil pasta sauce or my pasta sauce 101 for the homemade manicotti. These are an especially festive and a special dish to make for the holidays.

This manicotti batter is poured like a crêpe. It’s light and airy like a crepe but definitely different in texture. The texture of the crêpe is a pasta texture, creamy and soft. These manicotti shells (crêpes) are truly gourmet and you’ll will appreciate how delicate a dish this really is when you make them for your own family and friends. My turkey meatballs would go great with this holiday dish also. A spread of spiral ham or roasted lamb with gourmet manicotti and turkey meatballs …who’s better than you?!

It’s nice to serve a refreshing salad with pasta like my Caesar Salad then maybe an appetizer like crab cakes and sides like Roasted Beet Salad with Mint and Feta or Yogurt Chicken Kabobs. A light pavlova dessert with fresh pineapple and berries would make the perfect end for this manicotti dinner.

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Ingredients:

- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 Tsp salt
- 4 extra large eggs
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs. Liuzzi whole milk or “fina style” (a finer ricotta), or your favorite
- 5 0z. shredded whole milk, 5 oz. park skim and 5 oz. Scamorza mozzarella mixed together
- (you can also do 8 oz. whole milk and 8 oz. part skim shedded and mixed)
- 5″ cast iron pan or 5″ non-stick pan
- Baking pan approx. 11″ x 16″
  - Recipe for Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce Recipe starting the sauce off by sautéing pork chops with or with out the bone…bone adds more flavor. (Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce recipe is a 20-30 minute simmer but for manicotti simmer sauce for 1-2 hours if possible)
  - You could also use my slow cooked Pasta Sauce 101 recipe instead

Directions:

In a large bowl whisk 1 cup flour, 1/4 Tsp salt with 1 cup water (approx. 20 whisks)
Add in 1 egg at a time and whisk about 5 whisks per egg
Put cast iron pan on stove on medium/high heat (a 7 out of an 11)
Put a couple of Tbsp of olive oil in a bowl with a paper towel
Rub pan with olive oil-saturated paper towel in between cooking poured pasta batter
Pour in a ladle of batter into hot pan, approx. a little less than 1/4 cup laddle
Pick up pan and swirl around 3 times and place back down onto stove
Wait about 25 seconds and flip pasta crepe over, you can use a flexible pastry knife to help you get under it…it will be easy to flip and will not ever be stuck
You never want the pasta crepe to be golden on the edges-that would be over cooking them…they should look like the photo above light in color
Immediately flip over onto floured board and flip a couple of times to cool a little
Repeat dredging saturated paper towel into pan to coat and then pour another 1/4 cup ladle of batter into pan.
Repeat this over and over until you run out of batter…this amount will make 16 manicotti
When you are done lay out a work board to roll manicotti’s on
Put ricotta in a bowl so it’s easy to work with
Pour about 2 cup of tomato sauce into the baking pan
Lay out manicotti crepe and scoop 1/4 cup ricotta going across the center of the circle as shown in the photo
Lay a piece of mozzarella in the center and roll up manicotti
Place rolled manicotti on top of sauce in pan and continue on until all the pasta crepes are done
Pour another 2-2 1/2 cups of sauce on top of roll manicotti’s, sprinkle with parmesan and cover with foil
Place in frig until you are ready to bake
Or cover with saran and then foil and put into the freezer until your event is near and then pull out two nights before and put into the frig to thaw
When you are ready to bake your manicotti put into a 350º oven and bake for 45 minutes
The manicotti will be bubbly when you take it out of the oven and need to rest for 5 minutes before serving

Homemade Turkey Meatballs Recipe/VIDEO

March 16, 2019March 22, 2015 by Michel

Homemade Turkey Meatballs Recipe/VIDEO

OK, I know you are probably saying “where’s the beef” but just give these light and flavorful turkey meatballs a chance. They are meaty, garlicky, cheesy, moist and melt in your mouth after simmering in my tomato-basil pasta sauce for 2 hrs. Wait until you try these gourmet turkey meatballs in tomato basil sauce on a crusty sub that’s baked with oozing mozzarella and a julienne of fresh basil …do I have your attention now? That’s what I’m talking about 🙂

Good ole meatball subs are just one of those all american comfort foods that I have always adored. Although, I think the word “sub” referring to a “sandwich” is represented differently through parts of the US. It threw me a little when I first moved to California because when I would asked for a “sub” they had no idea what I was talking about because they use the term “hoagie” there. Another little play on words which would totally crack me up when I living in California was asking for the location of their nearest package store and they would send me to a mailing facility!

Anyhow, I am excited for you to make these homemade turkey meatballs because even though they are made exactly like my 100% Angus meatballs these aren’t as heavy. I have been substituting out a lot of ground beef for turkey and it’s has really given me a new lease on cooking, a new avenue so to speak on the whole meat situation. To enjoy a meaty meal with the same herbs and spices but making it a lighter meal in the end.

I actually started making my lasagna with ground turkey instead of ground beef and it’s amazing! Once again using the turkey makes the lasagna a lighter dish then if it were made with beef. I brown the ground turkey and de-glaze it twice with a nice Cab (Cabernet) and by the time I’m done the color even looks like beef lol. My very picky daughter Bella, who loves my lasagna didn’t even know I had switched some time ago to turkey until I recently told her. She loves the taste of the lasagna so much that she’s totally OK with this…I call that a home run!

Enjoy watching my “how to ” video on making these homemade gourmet turkey meatballs in an Italian meatball sub. And if you need something sweet and refreshing, easy to make and out of this world check out my Pavlova recipe!

INGREDIENTS for Homemade Turkey Meatballs In An Italian Meatball Sub – (Makes 21 Small Meatballs):

1 lb. ground turkey
1 extra-large egg (rule of thumb …1 egg per 1 lb. of meat)
1/2-3/4 cup after soaked in milk – (1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread soaked in 1 cup milk)
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
1 lg. garlic clove put thru garlic press
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 recipe Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce
1 bunch fresh basil
10 oz part skim mozzarella
fresh baguettes

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 425º
Break up a 1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread and place into a large bowl as shown in photo
Pour 1 cup milk over bread and let it absorb for 10 minutes
Wash, spin, dry and finely chop parsley, set aside
Discard outer crusts from soaking Italian bread
Begin to break soaking bread pieces apart with your fingers…if you feel any gooey pieces throw those away (if it sat out for a couple of days it won’t get gooey)…the bread should just fall apart easily
Take 1/2-3/4’s cup of this soaking bread and add to a large mixing bowl
NOTE: with turkey being as moist as it is you should squeeze a little more of the milk out (you don’t do this with beef because it’s drier)
To this bowl add in Parmesan, chopped parsley, garlic clove thru garlic press, salt and pepper and 1 egg
Whisk til just combined
Add in 1 lb. of ground turkey and begin to mix gently with your hands…DON’T over work the meatballs you don’t want it to look fully combined like a meatloaf
Using a cookie scooper begin to shape and roll mixture with your hands – they will be small about 1 1/2″…have a small bowl of water to the side to keep hands damp not wet (this makes it easier to rolls meatballs)
Spray cookie tray with Pam canola oil and give a drizzle of olive oil for flavor
Place 21 shaped meatballs onto the cookie tray and spray the tops of the meatballs
Place them into the oven for 17 minutes
Take out the turkey meatballs and set aside in a bowl, meanwhile add 1/2 cup red wine the cookie sheet (as long as the cookie sheet has 1″ sides) and scrape browned left over turkey meatball bits and pour this along with meatballs into tomato basil sauce
Add turkey meatballs and wine with bits to my Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hrs.
Spoon tomato sauce onto baguette(s), then add turkey meatballs and top with mozzarella
Bake in a 400º oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted, then add a julienne of fresh basil and slice up for several servings or keep whole…good luck and make sure to have plenty of napkins!
Mangia mangia 🙂

Arancini Reuben Balls

March 29, 2020March 14, 2015 by Michel

Arancini Reuben Balls

My homemade Arancini Reuben Balls are absolutely gourmet. Arancini balls, also called risotto balls, are an Italian appetizer made with left over risotto, stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, then breaded and deep fried! Oh boy, they are out of this world. They are crispy on the outside, and creamy and cheesy on the the inside. You can eat them plain or serve them with a tomato sauce.

My homemade Arancini Reuben Balls are made with risotto, diced corned beef, Swiss cheese, cream cheese and sautéed jalapeño’s to incorporate that “popper” flavor! I serve them with my gourmet thousand island dressing which I make with Greek yogurt and a creamy horseradish to compliment the corned beef. The flavors of the risotto balls paired up with the thousand island dressing are outstanding!

Do you remember having poppers? You know, those deep fried jalapeno’s stuffed with cream cheese? Wow, I used to love those little morsels and I haven’t had them in ages so that’s why I thought it would be fun to put a twist on my Risotto Reuben Balls. It was a great idea too because the cream cheese lightens up the risotto balls and the jalapeno’s give it that something extra special!

You’ll be so happy when you make these homemade gourmet Arancini Reuben Balls with your left over St. Patrick’s Day corned beef. They freeze up really well too which will make for a nice little treat at a later date although I highly doubt you’ll have any left behind.

My thousand island dressing is fantastic as a dip for my baked sweet potato fries too. You might want some other appetizer’s to go along with the Risotto Reuben Balls like my crab cakes, or bloody Mary shrimp. You could even serve them as an appetizer to a homemade pasta dinner served with a Caesar Salad and some chocolate pecan pie for dessert! Hope you enjoy the show 🙂

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Risotto Ingredients and Directions – Total time to make approx. 30 minutes:

I halved my recipe specifically for the Arancini Reuben Balls but I usually make full a full recipe, double the amount below

1 cup Arborio Rice
3/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
4 cups hot chicken broth – homemade or store bought
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesano

Directions:

In small pot heat 4 cups chicken stock til simmering
Add onion to medium size pot to 1 tbsp. butter & sauté on low til soft
Stir in 1 cup Arborio rice and sauté til the rice looks chalky
Add in 1/3 cup white wineat a time, keep stirring, when wine is absorbed begin to add in 4 cups of simmering chicken stock ONLY 1/2 cup at a time-it will be approx 4 minutes for each addition
ONLY add in chicken stock when previously addition is completely absorbed while STIRRING all the time
Stir in 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 cup Reggiano Parmesano after the last of the chicken stock is absorbed, then let cool to make Arancini Reuben Balls.

Ingredients- Makes 20 – 1 1/2″ Arancini Balls:

1 1/4 cup diced into 1/4″ pieces of corned beef
2 cups cooked risotto (see below for recipe my recipe for risotto)
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup grated and packed Jarlsberg swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated and packed mozzarella cheese
2 jalapeno’s finely diced and sauteed just til barely softened 2 minutes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lg eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions for Arancini Reuben Balls:

Put all of the above ingredients into a large bowl and stir with spatula til mixed
Use cookie scoop and from balls, roll in hands after scooping to get nice and round
Whisk eggs in a med. bowl
Add bread crumbs to another and begin the dip formed risotto balls into egg and them into bread crumbs and place on dish
Put breaded risotto Reuben balls in frig for 20-30 minutes
When the Reuben balls are chilled heat 1/2″ vegetable oil in medium size pan and begin to heat on low for 5 minutes and then turn up to med/high to 350º
Add in Arancini Reuben Balls in 2 batches into hot oil
Fry for about 2 minutes and then turn over for another 2 minutes til golden
Remove to cookie rack covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil
Plate up Arancini Reuben Balls with my homemade gourmet thousand island recipe below 🙂

This Thousand Island Dressing is great on Reuben Wraps also

INGREDIENTS FOR THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Heaping tbsp finely chopped cornichons
1/3 cup sweet relish
1 Heaping tbsp grated sweet onion
1 Heaping tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp creamy horseradish
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp “seasoned” rice wine vinegar
1-3 dashes of Siracha

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk til combined

Caesar Salad

March 16, 2019May 6, 2014 by Michel

Caesar Salad

Caesar salads are probably my favorite of all time. So many wonderful flavors and textures in this combination from crunchy and garlicky with the Italian garlic croutons, to a sharpness from the shaved Reggiano Parmesano sprinkled on the top of the romaine and a creaminess with the grated Parmesan in the actual dressing itself. Then there is a tang from the lemon and Dijon, and an extra savory flavor in the undertones that you just can’t put your finger on but tastes delicious from the anchovie paste and Worcestershire sauce!

Wow, you will really like the simplicity of this recipe and you can make the croutons a day or more ahead of time and make the dressing the morning of your lunch or dinner. It makes for such a nice presentation if you can use a large shallow dish like the one in the photos. When I have friends over for dinner I often serve the Caesar salad in that large shallow bowl and then add slices of grilled or sautéed chicken breasts, or grilled salmon pieces going all around the outer edges and everyone loves it. Have fun with this and enjoy!

CAESAR SALAD DRESSING RECIPE:

1 large/2 medium cloves of garlic put thru garlic press
1 egg yolk farm fresh or organic brown eggs ONLY – EGG YOLK OPTIONAL
1 Tbsp Dijon – Grey Poupon or Maille
1 Tsp anchovie paste
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fine blk pepper
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar “seasoned” (this comes original or seasoned …I prefer seasoned)
between 1/3 – 1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
2 good dashes of your favorite hot sauce (I use Siracha in this recipe)

DIRECTIONS for the CAESAR DRESSING:

In a medium bowl add garlic thru press, anchovie paste, salt, pepper and Dijon
Mash these items together with the back of a spoon to combine and form a paste in a wooden bowl
Transfer paste to a large glass bowl
Add in 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, dash of Siracha and rice wine vinegar/ lemon juice mixture
Separate egg yolk from white and add to glass bowl and whisk immediately
Then very slowly whisk in olive oil so it emulsifies JUST DRIZZLE IN DROPS AT A TIME or IT WILL NOT EMULSIFY and you will have to start over
Lastly, whisk in 1/3 grated Reggiano Parmesan
Put the dressing into a canning jar for ease and pop it into the frig til you are ready to use
Be sure to take out 30 minutes before you use the dressing so it can come to room temperature
Will be good for a few days in the frig

Directions for Caesar Salad:

Cut ends off of romaine hearts then cut them in half length wise
Wash and spin leaves
Lay the leaves down on paper towels to catch any additional moisture
Put 3 or 4 pieces at a time layered on top of one another and slice into 1/2″ strips
Here you can put the cut romaine pieces into large freezer Ziploc baggies and into the frig til you are ready to assemble the Caesar salad OR
Put into a large shallow bowl, add dressing, and toss
Top with shredded Parmesan and Italian garlic croutons and mangia!

Bok Choy and Cannellini Beans

March 17, 2019April 9, 2014 by Michel

Bok Choy and Cannellini Beans

Bok choy and cannellini beans are a great duo. Add in sauteed chopped garlic, sweet onion, white wine, chicken broth and Reggiano Parmesano and you have a symphany. This is such a flavorful dish with the freshness of the leafy greens and the creaminess of the cannelini beans. Not to mention, it makes top tier for healthy dishes and goes with everything like grilled Asian salmon, stuffed roulades of chicken, sauteed chicken breasts, sea bass and green goddess sauce, or as a side dish to mama Maria’s secret manicotti, or to a slow cooked pasta sauce 101 dish.

Ingredients- Serves 6 people:

See reicpe for GRILLED ASIAN SALMON (optional)
12 oz. fresh bok choy (I buy my amazing bok choy from Hong Kong Grocery on the corner of Whitney Ave. and Trumbull St. in New Haven)
1 can cannellini beans
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 lg spanish onion or Vidalia onion finely chopped
6 lg garlic cloves finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Reiggiano Parmesan
1/2 Tsp salt (1/4 Tsp when you are sauteing the onion and garlic and 1/4 Tsp when you add in the bok choy)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Dash of blk pepper

Directions:

Drain and rinse cannellini beans
Cut off the end stems of Bok choy freeing up the leaves
Rinse and spin bok choy in salad spinner, and pat dry with paper towel
Finely chop 1/2 Spanish onion and 6 cloves of garlic
Sauté onion, garlic and pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and 1/4 Tsp salt in 1 Tbsp olive oil in lg pan on medium/low for about 10 minutes til lightly golden
Splash in 1/2 cup white wine to de-glaze pan turning heat up to medium/high
Bring to simmer 1 minute and add in cannellini beans, simmer 2 minutes more
Add in bok choy, 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 Tsp salt, dash of pepper and cover for 3 minutes
Uncover and turn bok choy leaves with tongs every minute while sauteing for another 3-5 minutes til tender but not mushy
Turn heat off Add in 1/4 cup Reggiano Parmesan and gently mix through and serve

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