Potato Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup milk, warm

2 TBSP sugar (or honey)

1 envelope active dry yeast

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 TBSP + 2 TBSP butter, melted

3-4 cups flour

Pinch of salt

Oil

Combine milk, sugar,and yeast in mixing bowl. Let stand ten minutes until frothy (this ensures your yeast has "activated" and will cause your dough to rise; no froth, dump and start over).

Next add mashed potatoes (I usually do this with leftovers or quickly prepare an instant variety), pinch of salt, and 1 TBSP melted butter.

Mix in flour, 1/3 cup at a time to form a soft dough. It may only take three cups. You don't want it to be sticky BUT you want it to not keep form. If you make bread, you don't want a stiff dough. 

Scrape bottom of bowl and mix five minutes. Put into oiled bowl and let rise for an hour until doubled.

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly dust your surface and hands in flour and fold out dough. Knead just enough to get air out of the dough, about a minute.

Using a dough cutter, cut dough in half, and each half into 8-10 pieces. Gently knead each piece into a ball pinch ends underneath. Place each ball of dough into a greased pie pan and gently butter the sides of each ball using the remaining 2 TBSP melted butter as you add it to the pan. I spaced mine out about 1/4 of an inch. Repeat with second half of dough.

Cover and let rise about 15 minutes. Butter the tops of the rolls and bake thirty minutes until golden. Remove from oven and immediate butter the tops*.

*Instead of using this dough strictly for rolls, I used the second half of my dough to make a bread loaf. Simply put it in the loaf pan and allow it to rise 15-30 minutes until about an inch about the loaf pan at its highest peak, then bake 30-45 minutes.

Hummus

I love hummus, but it is so pricey, and here in Italy it is hard to find at my grocer. We have a few brands of each product on the shelf. Most "ethnic" foods are few and far between. So in order to indulge, you have to make your own.

In order to make this hummus recipes, I used the homemade tahini I made here. You don't have to use tahini, but it gives it the underlying nutty and more authentic flavor or hummus that I crave. I made roasted red bell pepper hummus BUT hummus is like a blank canvas, if you know how to make the plain version, adding to it has limitless possibilities.

Basic Hummus Ingredients

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approx one large lemon)

2 cloves garlic, minced

15-16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed (or you can use dried*)

2-3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Paprika

Black pepper

Salt

Add lemon juice. Tahini, garlic, and chickpeas to food processor. Drizzle in olive oil, one TBSP at a time until smooth. Season to taste with sale and pepper. Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with a bit of olive oil to serve.

For the roasted red bell pepper hummus, the only thing that changed was the fact that I added ingredients, upped my garlic, included paprika in my mixture, and used a bit more olive oil, salt, and pepper to season.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus Ingredients

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approx one large lemon)

1/2 bulb garlic, minced

6oz roasted red bell pepper (or 1 small roasted red bell pepper)

2 TBSP jalapeño slices (or 1 jalapeño, diced, seeds removed)

1 TBSP celery green pesto (or 1 handful parsley or cilantro**, chopped)

15-16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed (or you can use dried*)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1/2 TBSP Paprika, plus more for serving

Black pepper

Salt

Combine tahini, lemon juice, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño slices, pesto, chickpeas, and paprika in food processor. Drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika and a drizzle of olive oil.

*if using dried garbanzo beans! be sure to soak overnight, boil until tender, and then add to food processor.

**celery greens resemble parsley. If you prefer cilantro to parsley you can substitute.

Tahini

Tahini is used in hummus recipes, but if you're like me and prefer a more natural nut butter, no added sugars, etc., this is for you! 

Ingredients:

1 cup sesame seeds

3-4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt to taste (optional)

Heat oven to 350. On a parchment lined baking sheet, spread seeds out and bake 4-6 minutes until seeds are fragrant. Remove from oven, stir, and place back in the oven 6-8 minutes until golden.

I bought pre-roasted sesame seeds so I skipped this step:

Crush sesame seeds in food processor (or blender) approx. one minute.

Drizzle in olive oil while processor is on to form a paste. 

Add in salt (I personally don't, I add salt when I use it to my liking).

Store in fridge up to three months.

Sausage rolls

If you made the homemade "better than bisquik" copycat recipe I posted here, you've got a basic ingredient in several delicious recipes, including this one. If you haven't made it, no worries, it takes only a few minutes. You can also use the Bisquik mix in your pantry.

Ingredients

1lb ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean, regular)

1 cup copycat bisquik mix

1 cup grated cheese

2 TBSP milk

2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly.

Make 1 to 1-1/2 inch sausage meatballs and place them on a greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for thirty minutes until cooked through.

I serve this with a creamy side, like fettuccine Alfredo or, my husband's favorite, cheesy broccoli casserole.

Stuffed zucchini blossom

If you're growing an edible garden this year or frequent farmer's markets, tap into something a little more exotic & keep an eye out for Zucchini blossoms. They're edible delights with a mild aromatic charm. 

If you're growing your own zucchini, be sure to harvest your male blossoms. They open just one time in the early morning so that bees can help to pollinate your female blooms for fruiting. If you're like me and don't have many bees in your area, you may have to self-pollinate early in the morning when they're still open, which is the perfect time to harvest! 

So after I'm done self-pollinating any open female blossoms I snip off the males and store them on a paper towl covered plate in my fridge, away from any vents, this keeps them from getting too cold before I'm ready to eat them. 

There are several ways to eat them. Frequently they're thrown in quesadillas with cheese or in soups. These little flowers pack an interestingly delicious fragrant flavor. Once you've had them for the first time, you'll be craving them every harvest season.

I personally LOVE anything fried. I know, some people think ANY fried food is cheating as almost any fried food is delicious, but the juxtaposition of the thinly crisp outside with the tender gooey filling inside is phenomenal! Zucchini blossoms are delicate so the fried exterior is surprisingly light.

Now, I don't do measurements when I'm making these, but I'll guess that for each blossom I use about 1/2 TBSP of filling. My go to is cheese PLUS herbs. For a bit of a kick, try grated pepper jack. Maybe for something more subtle try a grated provolone or to keep it traditional try Oaxaca. So measure your cheese at about 1/2 TBSP per blossom and generously add some of your fresh herbs to them.

Before you stuff, make sure you gently rinse your blossoms. Don't dry them though, the water will help when we bread them for frying. Side note: when I clip the blossoms I leave part of the stem intact, this helps me handle them while stuffing so I'm not damaging the blossom.

Now, this time around I used cream cheese. If you use shredded cheese, simply hold your blossom upright, spoon it in just below where the petals begin to separate, gather your petals up around your stuffing and gently twist the ends closed.

Once you've got them all stuffed, trim the stems and sepal.

Now bread them lightly in flour and fry in hot oil for a few minutes on both sides until lightly golden and crisp.

Remove them from the oil and place on paper towels, sprinkling with a pinch of salt immediately. Eat as is or serve with a dipping sauce. My husband loves them with marinara.

Better than Bisquik copycat

My husband LOVES pancakes. But you know what, boxed pancake mix is expensive, especially when I can go through an entire box for two breakfasts. Look, even with coupons, to me pancake mix is pricey. When it comes down to it, shopping smart (especially during the Fall season when baked goods are at their lowest) can keep you hopped up on homemade pancake mix that is better than what comes in the box. FOUR simple ingredients and you're on your way to fluffy pancakes.

Ingredients:

6 cups flour

4 TBSP baking powder

1 TBSP salt

1 cup vegetable shortening (or solid coconut oil or frozen butter)

Now, you can do this in a stand mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid), you can use a large bowl with a hand mixer, you can even use a pastry cutter or the back of a fork. 

Now, combine flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly. Next, cut in the vegetable shortening. How I do this is I cut my shortening into small chunks and on medium speed I slowly add them, one at a time, to incorporate them into the dry ingredients. This gives the flour a clumpy sand-like texture. You can do the same with the hand mixer. Or simply smash the shortening into the flour mixture with your pastry cutter or fork to do the same. 

If you're using coconut oil, you'll want it in its solid form. If you're using butter, grate it and stir in. It is easier than hoping it won't melt while you're trying to form your mixture.

Now store it in an airtight container in the fridge and you're golden! Any time you want to make pancakes or have any recipes that call for bisquik (like my Sausage Balls) you can just use this homemade mix.

Now. To make pancakes I use 1 egg and 1 cup of milk for every cup of mix. So it looks like this:

2 cups mix

2 eggs

2 cups milk

Approx. yield: 10-12 fluffy pancakes when using approx. 1/3 cup mix per cake.

Enjoy! 

Cheesy vegetable orzo & chicken

Orzo. Seems very exotic and difficult, but it is simply pasta that resembles a long-grain rice. You can find it at your grocer with the pasta (go figure) but if you're like me and kind of have blinders on in the store and can't see what isn't typically on your grocery list.... You mat have to look a little.

Ingredients:

2lbs chicken thighs (bone-in)

1lb orzo (uncooked)

2 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup celery, thinly chopped

1 cup fresh green beans, chopped

1 cup carrots, grated

4 cups homemade chicken stock (or store bought, low sodium)

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 TBSP adobo seasoning

Black pepper

Salt

Olive oil 

Heat your oven to 450.

Heat an oven safe sautée pan (I used a cast iron skillet). Toss chicken with black pepper and adobo seasoning. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in your pan (I didn't with my cast iron skillet) and put chicken in skin side down. Crisp 5-6 minutes. Flip and pop into the oven for thirty minutes.

While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in pan. Add shallots and sautée until tender. Add garlic, celery, and green beans. Sautée until you can smell the garlic through your kitchen (about two minutes).

Add the stock and bring to. A boil. Add orzo and boil 10-15 minutes until orzo is tender and stock is fully incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in carrots and cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove chicken from oven and serve.

Homemade cannelloni "shells"

 

So, as many of you have realized. I'm FRUGAL, in the sense that, I'll make something from scratch, even if it takes a bit of work, to make it happen before I'll spend the extra penny. Literally. I do a lot of baking, so I'm always buying flour, and quite honestly I go through about five pounds of flour per week (holy carb central). This is because I can buy one five pound bag of flour for 2.25 (after coupons) and make about 6 loaves of bread from it... One loaf costs nearly $3 here in Italy. So, I go cheap and bake it myself.

I got a lump of fresh cow's milk ricotta at an organic farmer's market they hold annually for THE CHEAP. I'm talking, €2 for just blissfully indulgent fresh ricotta. I don't want to drop $5 for the tub stuff here at the commissary. Well, I love ricotta in so many dishes, but my favorite is manicotti. But alas, then I'd have to pay for pasta tubes.

Well, obviously I decided to look up all these recipes from all these Nonnas (Italian grandmothers) who do it from scratch. I decided I could do it too. Simple enough, in my opinion. Some may say that they aren't really "pasta", they're bread. But what is pasta made out of? Flour. As are these. And let me tell you, they're way easier to stuff because you roll them. They're also more tender and you can add fresh herbs to the batter if you're so inclined.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

3 cups water

3 cups flour

3 tsp salt 

Chopped fresh herbs (optional) 

I whisked these ingredients (minus the herbs) together like my life depended on it to keep it from lumping. Take the easy way out and just throw it in your blender. Easy peasy. 

Next we cook! They're essentially like making crêpes but slightly thicker.

Now heat a small skillet on low. Do a light spritz of non stick cooking spray (I didn't use any, I have a nonstick Rachael Ray set that MEANS nonstick. Thanks Rachael. I love you.). Add about 1/4 cup of the mixture to the center of the pan and quickly rotate it (off the flame) to cover the bottom. Cook about one minute until top looks dry and flip. Cook an additional thirty seconds and remove from pan. 

You'll start to notice the edges will separate from the pan when it is time to flip so feel it out.

Repeat for the rest of your batter. Yield: 24-30 "shells". 

When you're done, place your fillings down the center, roll, and put in your dish seam down to bake. You can make them a day ahead, just cover and refrigerate, or they can be frozen, simply divide each shell with wax paper and freeze. 

Strawberry Syrup

If you've got overly ripe strawberries and are trying to figure out how to use them, here is an option.

Ingredients:

2 pounds strawberries, hulled & quartered

1 quart (4 cups) water

2 cups sugar

Add strawberries to large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll notice the color leaving your berries.

Strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer and return to pot. Stir in sugar and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Cool. Store in fridge for a few weeks

You can also can the syrup for longer storage.

I add this to various meals and recipes, even lemonade. Or you can return it to the stove and allow it to simmer and thicken for pancakes or waffles.

Braised Pork Ribs

Pork is actually one of the leanest cuts of red meat you can buy. Currently, most pig farmers breed their pigs to be more lean. This is why cooking pork can be a little tough, literally. Cook it too long and you risk a dry, tough piece of meat. Fat content helps give a bit of room for error when cooking because the fat keeps the meat juicy. 

Because of this, unless I have time to babysit pork during cooking, a lot of the recipes I prefer include either brining or, in this case, braising to help maintain moisture and keep the meat tender. Now for those of you who have ever eaten collard or mustard greens, braising also helps soften these hearty leafy vegetables, which is why I cooked my radish greens with my pork. Please keep in mind, when you braise, almost any liquid can be used. I've used beer, wine, and even broth or stock. The only thing that you'll probably change (based on liquid) is your marinade or accompanying produce. I usually do an apple sautée to accompany my pork but I decided to give apple juice a try.

Ingredients (require no specific measurements)

Apple juice (braising liquid)

Pork ribs

Salt & pepper

Olive oil 

Marinade (optional)

Couple sprigs of fresh herbs (I used sage & rosemary)

Radish greens, stems removed

1 medium onion, sliced

Two cloves garlic, chopped

Barbecue sauce

Directions:

Generously salt and pepper your ribs. If also marinating, do so now. Marinate overnight if desired. I used a dry marinade so I mixed it with a bit of olive oil to form a paste and slathered it on the ribs.

Heat a heavy sautée pan on medium with a generous drizzle of olive oil in it. When the pan is nice and hot (if you're unsure, add a few drops of water. If they sizzle and dissapate within a few seconds, you're ready, be sure not to smoke the pan).

Heat oven to 350.

Sear your ribs on both sides, for about two minutes on each side to brown. Then put the ribs in an oven safe dish. I used my deep roasting pan, usually for turkey. 

Toss your greens with the garlic and onion and add in a corner of the roasting pan.

Pour in your apple juice until the tops of your ribs are just barely submerged. Toss in your fresh herbs and cover with foil. Bake 2 hours. 

Carefully remove pan from oven. Uncover, place ribs on foil lined baking sheet. Strain liquid and place your greens on your serving dish. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Baste ribs in barbecue sauce and bake fifteen to twenty minutes (you can disregard this step and serve the ribs as is). 

You can also make a quick gravy using the braising liquid. 

Ingredients:

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

2 cups braising liquid

Directions:

Melt butter in sauce pan over low heat.

Whisk in one TBSP of flour at time vigorously to create a smooth paste. 

Whisk in 1/3 cup braising liquid until smooth. Whisk in an additional third cup until smooth. Whisk in about 2/3 cups braising liquid until smooth and then whisk in the remaining 2/3 cup. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and serve.