Recipes: Homestyle Italian Cooking Class

Ingredients:
1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup Asiago cheese 
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup red grape tomatoes halved
½ cup yellow grape tomatoes halved
¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade
¼ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a stand mixer add all the ingredients except the cream and salt and pepper. Turn the mixer on high speed and mix until creamy consistency. On medium low speed add cream gradually. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Pour mixture into an oven safe dish and bake at 350 degrees for 10 -15 min until the cheese is bubbling and browned.

For the flatbread chips, cut the flatbread into desired shape you want. Layout on sheet tray add some Parmesan on top and bake until golden brown. Let them cool and serve with the dip.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup olive oil
1 pound of eggplant peeled and cut into 1/3 in dice
1 medium onion finely diced
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon pine nuts
1 small bunch Italian parsley chopped
1 tablespoon grated Asiago cheese

Method:

In a small bowl, cover the capers with water and soak for 15 min and then drain.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the eggplant and cook over medium high heat until the eggplant is browned and caramelized (about 10 min). Transfer to a bowl.

In the same skillet, put olive oil in the pan and add the celery and onion cook for 3 min then cover until soft. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 min. 

In a saucepan, simmer the vinegar and sugar to dissolve the sugar. Add the pine nuts and capers cook for 1 min. 

Add the eggplant back to the skillet with the other veggies and add the vinegar mixture. Cook for 3 min while gently stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for 10 min. Sprinkle with parsley and cheese and ready to serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs flank steak
4 tbsp olive oil divided
½ cup soft breadcrumbs
½ cup minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
12 pc prosciutto ham
1 medium onion chopped
2 cans tomato puree
½ cup water
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon sugar

Method:

Using a meat mallet pound out the flank steak to ½ in thickness. Rub with olive oil. 

In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. 

Lay the prosciutto ham evenly over the beef. Spread mixture over the prosciutto layer, leaving 1” on the edges. Roll the beef like a jelly roll and tie with butcher twine.

In a heavy bottom pan add oil and brown the beef on all sides. Pull beef from pan. 

Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender.  Stir in tomato puree, water, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Put the meat back into the sauce, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 90 min until beef is tender. 

Remove meat from sauce, cut the string off. Cut the beef into slices and serve with pasta or mashed potatoes. Pour sauce over the beef and garnish with parsley and cheese.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
6 russet potatoes
3 cloves garlic 
3 tablespoons butter
¾ heavy cream
s&p to taste

Method:

Fill a large pot with water to cover the potatoes and cook until tender. In a second pot melt the butter, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cream and bring to a simmer for about 5 min. Add the potatoes to the cream mixture and cook for 10 min. Pour mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
8 large egg yolks at room temperature
¾ cup dry Marsala
½ cup sugar
1 pint strawberries sliced

Method:

Put the egg yolks, Marsala, and sugar in a stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Using a whisk, beat the egg mixture until its hot and form ribbons when the whisk is lifted about 5-8 min. Don’t cook too long or the egg will curdle.  

Put the strawberries in a stemmed glass (wine glass, martini glass or snifter) pour the hot zabaglione over the berries and serve immediately or hold in the refrigerator for up to an hour.

Yield: 4-6 servings