Antipasto Platter

One of my family's favorite foods that I make, or shall I say "put-together or create" is an Antipasto Platter.  I've been doing it for years, it's a dish I first learned about while dining at an Italian Restaurant, when living in England long ago.  If you have never heard of nor seen one of these, I must tell you about it.  And, also say that "I think you have been missing out on something wonderful and delicious!"

An Antipasto Platter consists of Italian meats and cheeses and they're quite common at most Italian restaurants these days.  A combination of cured meats, cheeses, olives, peppers, etc.   The Antipasto Platter is a dish that we all truly enjoy and love to eat!  I most especially like to serve a large Antipasto Platter for special occasions. 

["Antipasto (plural antipasti) means "before the meal" (from Latin ante, meaning "before", and pastus, meaning "meal, pasture"), and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.  . Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar."]

Source - wiki/Antipasto

For my family the main "must-have" is there always has to be some Prosciutto on the platter.  I do like finding different cured meats or Salami to add also, but the proscriutto can easily stand-alone as the only meat and "star" of the show!  Although, prosciutto can definitely be a bit price-y and expensive, but we find it worth the cost.  It's that good, and it's special!

To prepare an Antipasto Platter I simply cut-up or slice some cheeses, roll-up or fold the meats, add olives, peppers, etc, and then arrange on a large plate or platter.  It's just that easy!  I find that most everyone likes and enjoys it, and with a variety of items there is something for everyone.

Serve with some fresh slices of bread, and I also prepare some Olive Oil with added fresh minced Garlic and Herbs-(Basil and Oregano) for dipping the bread into. All of this makes a delicious appetizer and before dinner treat.

Items Used: Meats-Prosciutto, Sopressata, Capocollo. Cheeses-Parmigiano Reggiano, Fresh Mozzarella, Asiago, Black Pepper Bellavitano.  Vegetables/Extras-Kalamata Olives, Pimento Stuffed Green Olives, Pepperoncini Peppers.  

Along with the other items meats, cheeses, olives and peppers, I also like to use marinated artichokes, roasted red bell peppers and/or sun dried tomatoes, too.(these items are usually in a jar and can be found in the same area of the grocery, or on the same aisle.)

And, for the times when it's just the Hubs and I, when we have an Antipasto Platter we can easily make a meal of it served along with some glasses of good wine, and be quite satisfied! 

I hope you'll make an Antipasto Platter for your family and will enjoy it as much as we do.  Buon Appetito!

Bruschetta - Tomato, Basil and Garlic

Bruschetta

However you choose to say it...

bru·schet·ta [broo-sket-uh,  -shet-uh;  Italian broo-sket-tah] = an Italian appetizer consisting of toasted bread slices drizzled with olive oil and usually topped with tomatoes and basil.

...is an Italian favorite of mine.

It's very easy to prepare and tastes delicious.  I make Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic, along with some good extra virgin olive oil, finished off with a dusting of freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese, because I think it's the best and it is a preferred favorite!...but you can use other freshly grated parmesan cheese if you prefer.

I happen to love anything garlic, and this is one food where I do like to taste the garlic.  I also love tomatoes, especially fresh, ripe and juicy tomatoes!  It's great having fresh tomatoes during the warmer months.  If you have some fresh, or home grown tomatoes this is a great way to make use of them.

What I really enjoy about this dish is the fresh ingredients.  I have made Bruschetta using fresh tomatoes and I've also made it using canned tomatoes.  I do prefer making Bruschetta using fresh tomatoes, but it's not always possible to get really fresh or home grown tomatoes, so if you use good canned tomatoes that will work well, just drain most of the liquid.  Bruschetta can be served as an appetizer or a side dish, and it will compliment most dishes, and goes very well with Italian foods.

Bruschetta - Tomato, Basil and Garlic

Ingredients:
3 medium or 2 large tomatoes-diced (or 1 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
extra-virgin olive oil
1 fresh head of garlic, separated into cloves, peeled
1 bread baguette to make 8-10 1/2 inch slices
Fresh grated parmesan cheese or parmigiana reggiano cheese


Directions:
Start by slicing baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices, then toast lightly on both sides.  Cut two garlic cloves in half, then rub cut side of garlic onto one surface of the toasted baguette slices, this will be the top side(this step can be omitted if preferred).  Chop 1-2 garlic cloves finely-(use garlic more-or-less to your liking).  In medium bowl mix tomatoes, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh basil(and/or fresh basil can be sprinkled on top as a garnish at the end).  Using a pastry brush, lightly brush a little olive oil on the top side of each slice(this step can be omitted if preferred). Spoon mixture onto toasted bread slices.  (Olive oil can be drizzled over the tops at this point if desired).  Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh grated, or thin slices of parmigiana reggiano cheese/parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!...

Italian Pasta Salad

It's Summer and the heat is on.  Perfect for lots of time cooking outdoors on our grills, having picnics and just spending less time in the kitchen. With all of the grilling going on it's nice to have something on the ready, a make ahead dish that is quick to get to the table and enjoy along side those grilled goodies.  

It's a good time for foods that are cool and refreshing too.  Here's a pasta salad that is easy to make and easy to love!  I enjoy many different types of pasta, and there are certainly many to choose from.  This pasta salad brings two pastas together, penne and cheese tortellini for a nice blend. 

You can make this salad ahead of time, it can be served right away or served later after chilling in the refrigerator.  A great take along dish to parties and picnics too.  I like to enjoy it over the next couple of days after I make it for a quick lunch or an afternoon snack as well.    

Italian Pasta Salad 

Ingredients:
1- 1lb box penne pasta
1 - 8oz pkg tri-color tortellini
1 med can pitted black olives, drained, cut olives in half
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup red onion, chopped (optional)
1 cup fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated


For the Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp italian seasoning or 1/2 tbsp each- dried basil, oregano
1 tbsp Mrs Dash Tomato Basil and Garlic seasoning
1 clove fresh garlic minced or 1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste
balsamic vinegar can be added for addition flavor, to taste


Directions:
Cook the penne and tortellini according to the package directions. Drain the penne and tortellini and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.
Place both pastas in a large bowl.  Add tomatoes, olives, red onion, and cheese.
In small bowl ,whisk together olive oil, seasonings, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pour over the salad and stir until well coated.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy...

Asparagus - Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Asparagus is one of those foods, you either love it or you hate it.  I happen to love it and find that it goes well with most dishes, plus it's easy to prepare. I have shown my grilled asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on a previous post,  I was asked "how I make it" so I wanted to share how I prepare and cook it.  This is a fancied version of asparagus.  We love asparagus, we also love prosciutto, so putting them together seemed a no brain-er to me.

Prosciutto is an Italian style cured ham, it is usually sliced paper thin.  It has a mild taste and is slightly salty.  My first experience with prosciutto was while dining at an Italian restaurant where it was served as an appetizer on a antipasto platter, along with other meats such as salami, also various cheeses and olives.  It was a nice beginning to the meal!  I have been making different versions of the antipasto platter since then using a variety of ingredients, but I always include prosciutto when I prepare one.  Prosciutto can be found at most deli counters these days and also in package form too, the thin slices are usually separated by layers of paper.  It costs more than most sliced meats, but I believe it is worth every penny!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

fresh asparagus - 16 stalks=3-4 stalks per wrapped bundle, one to two bundles per person to serve 2 or 4

prosciutto - slices

1/2 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove crushed, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

black pepper

Tools Need:

toothpicks to secure bundles

large pot of boiling water 

large bowl of ice water 

hot grill

Directions:

Prepare asparagus by cutting hard stalk ends and making them even in length.  Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes until it turns bright green in color.  Immediately remove from boiling water and place in ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain asparagus.  Gather 3 or 4 pieces of asparagus, wrap them carefully with one slice of prosciutto, secure with a toothpick.  Continue making bundles of wrapped asparagus, then set aside until all bundles are completed.  Add garlic to olive oil  Coat each bundle with garlic-olive oil using a basting brush.  Sprinkle with black pepper-(I don't add any salt since the prosciutto already has a salty taste).  Cook on hot grill for about 10 minutes until prosciutto is crisp, flip once to brown both sides.  Serve.

A simple side dish that adds great color and flavor to almost any meal!  

If you like asparagus, give this a try!

Enjoy!...

Italian Sausage Hoagies

Since it's still cold outside, and also since we are into watching football around here, this seemed like a great time for some Italian sausage hoagies.  OK, this is in no way health food, but I do call it comfort food!  Our love of Italian sausage is enjoyed greatly when we put it on a big ol' hoagie roll.  The hubs likes his plain with a little mustard.  I prefer mine with some sliced, sauteed sweet onions and bell peppers mostly, and sometimes along with some added cooked mushrooms and maybe some provolone cheese too!  Mmmm, mmmm good!

Yeah it's what's for dinner when we start thinking Italian sausage, and it's quick, easy and just minutes away from comfort food happiness.  I'm all about that, and when time is short what could be better than these served up with some of your favorite chips on the side(mine are jalapeno kettle chips).  I add some hot Chinese style mustard to my hoagie roll first to spice mine up a bit, then add a sausage and pile on the peppers and onions!  I think this makes a good on-the-ready dish for the football watching crowd over the weekend.  Never mind those hot dogs!  Get your game on with an Italian sausage hoagie instead!

Italian Sausage Hoagies

Ingredients:

Italian Sausages-(sweet or hot) most packages come with 5 per pack-(or use turkey italian sausage)

Hoagie Rolls/Hot Dog Buns

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

1 or 2 Bell Peppers-(sliced into strips)

1/2 or 1 Sweet Onion-(sliced)

Mushrooms-(canned, sliced)

Provolone Cheese-(slices)

Directions:

Cook sausages in 1 tbsp of olive oil in pan/skillet over medium high heat, turning often until browned and thoroughly cooked, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  Lower heat and cover.  (These can also be cooked on the BBQ grill.)  While sausages cook, slice onions and peppers.  Heat remaining olive oil in medium to large pan over medium heat, add onions and garlic powder.  Saute for about 5 minutes then add peppers, continue to cook over medium heat stirring periodically. Mushrooms can be added at this time.  Cook until vegetables are slightly softened or desired doneness.  Serve sausages on hoagie rolls, with cooked vegs and cheese-optional. 

Tortellini Soup

Soup's on!

As the cooler weather is upon us, it's a great time for thinking about cooking up some soups.  Soup to me is one of those true comfort foods.  It warms you from the inside like a big warm hug.  I enjoy all of the traditional soups, stews and also chili-(I love my chili, the recipe can be found here), but I was wanting something a little different.  Something out of the ordinary.  I made my tortellini soup with three cheese tortellini, and I really enjoyed it, and it got the approval of the Hubster too!(he's really not a soup dude!)  This soup is definitely something different and it's quick, easy, and oh so satisfying.  Perfect for serving up with a big hunk of fresh bread, or some toasty garlic bread.  Yum!  It even looks festive and fits in nicely at the holidays with the beautiful colors. 

Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

9 oz. cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen, any variety)

2  14 oz. cans chicken broth or vegetable broth (low sodium) approx-4 cups

2 cups fresh spinach leaves or kale leaves-ribs cut off

1 14 oz. can white beans, cannellini/white kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (plus the juice)

1/2 cup diced onion, or 1 tsp onion powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp italian seasoning or 1/2 tbsp basil, and 1/2 tbsp oregano

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes (optional) 

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook/stir for a few minutes until softened slightly and transparent, not browned.  Add the garlic and stir for about another minute, next add the italian seasoning, broth, tomatoes and beans to the pot.  Stir gently to combine.  Bring mixture to a boil.  Add the tortellini and cook according to the package directions, then add the spinach or kale at the last minute of cooking.  Gently stir in about 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese at the end.  Remove from heat.  Serve with fresh grated parmesan garnish, also salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes can be added to individual servings to their taste.  

A nice hearty soup, with loads of cheese tortellini, along with cannellini beans, spinach and tomato goodness!

A nice finish with the addition of fresh grated parmesan cheese stirred in at the end too!

 Serve it up with a garnish of fresh grated parmesan cheese, and I like to add red pepper flakes to mine for an added punch of heat!

I think the next time I make this, I'm going to make it using mushroom tortellini and maybe even throw in a few fresh sliced mushrooms too!

Soup is on!...

Patsy's Sauce

One of our favorite home-cooked meals is pasta, topped with sauce.  I usually serve it along with grilled chicken breast and a salad, and that wouldn't be complete without a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with it.  A while back we discovered a delicious sauce for our pasta that has become a staple in our cupboard ever since we tried it for the first time.

~ Patsy's Sauce ~

Patsy's sauce is delicious!  There are several different flavors of their sauce to choose from, our favorite is Patsy's Fra Diavolo sauce, with ingredients of tomatoes, fresh garlic, parsley, onions, crushed red pepper and fresh basil, it has a bit of heat to it, which we really like.  The Tomato Basil is a second favorite and is rich in flavor without the heat of the Fra Diavolo.  

These sauces are from the famous Patsy's of Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York, a family owned and operated business, founded in 1944 by Pasquale "Patsy" Scognamillo.  True you get what you pay for, and although Patsy's sauce costs a little more than the other popular brands on the self, I find it better than any other sauces out there!  We often get two nights worth of dinners, for the two of us, from one jar, so in the long run it doesn't seem to be over priced.  Plus with all natural ingredients, I don't mind paying a little extra, especially because it is so delicious!  

We found Patsy's for the first time at our local grocery store, and it has been, like I said, "a staple in our cupboard ever since!"  We love Patsy's, and usually have it at least once a week!  It's a quick and easy meal to prepare, can be a simple dinner or special evening for two, or it's even worthy of a 'wow' from your guests! 

My recipe for a perfect meal using Patsy's Sauce

Pasta with Patsy's Sauce

Ingredients: - Serving for Two

1/2 jar of Patsy's Sauce (of choice)

4 to 6 oz. Pasta (of choice), cooked (will be divided for two)

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese - grated, for garnish

Directions:

Fill a large pan 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil, add pasta and cook until 'al dente' according to package directions.  Heat Patsy's Sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat, until thoroughly heated.  Drain cooked pasta and place in serving dishes, pour heated pasta sauce over pasta.  Garnish with parmigiano reggiano cheese and serve.
*Serve with Grilled Chicken Breast or top with cooked Shrimp. And a Salad.

It's what's for dinner at our place!

More about Patsy's

Patsy's website - Patsys.com has much to see and learn about Patsy's, and also offers products sales of their Sauces, Pasta, Oils and Vinegars, Patsy's Cookbook and there are many Recipes there too.  Many photos of famous people and celebrities who have dined at Patsy's are shared there also, and Patsy's is known as Frank Sinatra's favorite restaurant, and his family members dine there often.  An interesting fact from the 'Our Story' link: "In over 65 years of existence, Patsy's Restaurant has had only three chefs- the late Patsy himself, his son Joe Scognamillo, who has been at the establishment since the tender age of seven, and Joe's son Sal Scognamillo, who has been manning the kitchen for the past twenty five years."  Maybe one day I'll get to dine at Patsy's Restaurant and also meet Joe and Sal Scognamillo, oh and get a photo too!  Until then I shall continue to enjoy some delicious Patsy's right here in my own home!

Guess what's for dinner tonight?...

~Tammy~