Italian Bread

Ingredients

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
2 to 3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Combine yeast, sugar, and 1 cup warm water in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, oil, and salt to bowl, and beat at low speed, using dough hook attachment, 1 minute. Gradually add additional flour until dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl and pull together. (Note: The dough will take on a “shaggy” appearance as the flour is being added. When enough flour has been added, the dough will look soft and smooth, not wet and sticky or overly dry with a rough surface.)

Increase speed to medium, and beat 5 minutes. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down, and let stand 10 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape dough into a 12-inch loaf, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut 3 (1/4-inch deep) slits across top of dough with a sharp paring knife. (The slits release interior steam and prevent the loaf from blowing apart at the side.)

Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Herbed Focaccia: Proceed with recipe as directed, shaping dough into a ball instead of a loaf. Roll dough into an 11- x 14-inch rectangle on a lightly greased baking sheet. Press handle of a wooden spoon into dough to make indentations at 1-inch intervals. Drizzle dough evenly with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning. Bake at 475° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Crust: Proceed with recipe as directed, shaping dough into a ball instead of a loaf. Roll dough into an 11- x 14-inch rectangle on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, or spread with pesto or pizza sauce, and sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake at 475° for 20 to 25 minutes.

Chicken Eggplant Stackers

Adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

olive oil

Salt

Pepper

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half

2-3 cups of marinara or spaghetti sauce

8-16 oz fresh mozzarella

grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil leaves

Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplant on baking sheet in single layer, brush with olive oil. Broil, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Cool. Turn off broiler and heat oven to 425 degrees Faherenheit.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Partially cook the chicken for 2 minutes per side and remove from the pan. When cool enough to handle, cut the chicken crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.

Oil a baking dish. Match up your eggplant rounds. You want 3 good rounds for each stack, with the largest rounds on the bottom and smaller rounds on the top. For each stack, layer eggplant, chicken, a little sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and a basil leaf. The goal is even layers. Repeat layers, and top with eggplant. Repeat until you’ve used all your ingredients. You may have some left over. If you can place your stacks close together on the pan, this will help them stay together as they bake. If any slide over or collapse, you can reassemble them when serving.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Panzanella Salad

Knocked off from a local restaurant at the request of my husband.

Ingredients

Bread cubes:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 loaf ciabatta or similar bread, cubed

Salad:

The idea with all salad ingredients, including bread, is to cut into pieces of similar size.

1 avocado, diced

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For serving:

3-4 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bread cubes on baking sheet in single layer, brush with olive oil. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or so. Bread should be dry and crunchy but not overly brown. Cool.

Combine salad ingredients, tossing well. Combine dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Toss salad and dressing. You may not need all the dressing. Serve over arugula. Alternately you can plate these individually (without tossing) and serve dressing on the side. The bread will not get as soft.

Chopped Italian Salad

1 head romaine lettuce (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch squares (about 3 quarts)
2-3 ounces sliced pepperoni, chopped
1/3 cup drained sliced pimientos (one 4-ounce jar)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup pepperoncini
1 1/2 cups drained, rinsed, and chopped canned artichoke hearts (one 15-ounce can)
3 tablespoons red- or white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Mix together all ingredients except lettuce.  Top lettuce just before serving.

Confetti Giardiniera

3 jalapeño peppers, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 small cauliflower, cut into 1/4-inch florets

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon minced oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a bowl, toss the jalapeños, bell peppers, onion, celery, carrot and cauliflower with the salt. Add cold water to cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Drain the vegetables and rinse well; pat dry. Transfer the vegetables to a 2-quart jar.

In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar with all of the remaining ingredients. Add the vinegar mixture to the jar and stir well. Cover and refrigerate the giardiniera for 1 to 2 weeks before serving.

Roasted Cherry-Tomato Sauce

1 pound, 6 ounces cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a nonreactive 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle over tomato mixture.

Bake until tomatoes are softened and caramelized, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to 5 days; let cool before storing.

Makes 2 cups

Turkey and Mushroom Bolognese

Cooking spray

1 cup prechopped onion

1 cup diced zucchini

4 ounces presliced mushrooms

5 garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces 93% lean ground turkey

1 cup unsalted chicken stock

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 (14-ounce) box chopped tomatoes (such as Pomì)

2 tablespoons light whipping cream

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6 ounces uncooked multigrain spaghetti

1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Push vegetables to sides of pan; coat center with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add stock, 1/4 cup basil, sugar, and tomatoes to pan, stirring to combine with turkey and vegetables. Simmer 3 minutes. Stir in cream, butter, salt, and red pepper; simmer 1 minute.

While sauce cooks, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Divide noodles evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top evenly with sauce; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup basil and cheese.

Serves 4 (serving size: about 3/4 cup pasta, 3/4 cup sauce, and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Calories 414 Fat 15.1g Satfat 5.8g Monofat 4.2g Polyfat 2.5g Protein 30g Carbohydrate 41g Fiber 6g Cholesterol 83mg Iron 13mg Sodium 594mg Calcium 140mg

White Bean and Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Kale, and Zucchini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 (4-ounce) links chicken sausage, cut into (1/2-inch) slices

1 zucchini, quartered and cut into (1/2-inch) slices (about 2 cups)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

6 cups chopped trimmed kale (about 1/2 pound)

1/2 cup water

2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and sausage 4 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add zucchini and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add kale and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Calories 467 Caloriesfromfat 20% Fat 10.2g Satfat 2.3g Monofat 4.6g Polyfat 2.5g Protein 28.5g Carbohydrate 71.8g Fiber 15.4g Cholesterol 42mg Iron 8.8mg Sodium 764mg Calcium 370mg

Shrimp Arrabbiata

6 ounces pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt; add shrimp to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Transfer shrimp to a bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onion, minced garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or just until sauce begins to thicken. Add pasta and return shrimp to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Add parsley to the pan, stirring well to combine.

Serves 4

Calories 343

Caloriesfromfat 26%

Fat 10g

Satfat 1.4g

Monofat 6g

Polyfat 1.7g

Protein 29.4g

Carbohydrate 33.1g

Fiber 3.7g

Cholesterol 172mg

Iron 4.6mg

Sodium 594mg

Calcium 91mg

Shrimp Arrabbiata

4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup shrimp mixture and 1 cup pasta)

6 ounces fresh linguine

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup prechopped onion

2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt; add shrimp to pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done.

Transfer shrimp to a bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan. Add onion, minced garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato paste and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes or just until sauce begins to thicken. Return shrimp to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Add parsley to the pan, stirring well to combine. Serve over pasta.