Boo! I’m not trying to scare you…I’m just booing a repeat recipe.

I just love the month of October and Halloween is the perfect ending to such a fabulous month.   I had all these new recipe ideas for a cutesy Halloween themed treat for the blog, but I was told by my boss that my job was on the line if I didn’t bring in Oreo Truffles ASAP…and I really like my job, so I’ve got nothing new for you today.   I did manage to get a little creative with them, and I made some creepy bloodshot eyeballs and orange colored truffles with the help of oil based food coloring.  When coloring chocolate, the stuff that you use to dye Easter eggs and comes in the little squirt-bottles won’t work, so just spend the extra $4 on the good stuff.  The Oreo Truffles are delicious, but only make them if you are comfortable receiving job threats on a weekly basis. 

 

 

 

And just for kicks, now it’s time for the who carved which pumpkin game, Danielle or Gus?!  I’ll give you a hint…mine is the pretty one.    Apparently the squirrels liked Gus’ pumpkin better though because after just 12 hours on our porch, I found the lid on the bottom of the steps, covered in teeth marks.  I guess our squirrels think that monogrammed pumpkins aren’t very tasty. 

 

My throw-some-spices-together-and-don’t-make-a-mess-in-the-kitchen Shrimp.

Remember when I told you about that great deal I got on shrimp at the seafood counter?  Well, our freezer was getting a little crowded, so I decided it was time to have another shrimp feast for dinner.  Blackened Grilled Shrimp is another ”Daniella-ified” healthy recipe, but I use the word “recipe” lightly as I just throw some seasoning together and that’s about it.  The seasoning really makes the dish though.  I used to love to order blackened seafood when we went out to eat, until I realized that the traditional cooking method of blackened fish is frying it in a pool of butter…well, no wonder I liked it.  This version uses the same spices, but with just a light coating of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a hot grill to do the trick.  I typically serve these Blackened Grilled Shrimp with grilled asparagus on the side and grilled pineapple for dessert…lots of grilling outside = less mess in the kitchen for Gus to clean up, so obviously he’s a big fan of this meal.  “I cook, you clean” is pretty much my favorite marriage mantra. 

 

 

 

Blackened Grilled Shrimp

• 1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp. Old Bay Blackened Seasoning (You can’t go wrong with Old Bay.)
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Powder
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for coating

 

1. Heat your grill to high.  Rinse the shrimp and remove the tails.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the spices together. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the spices.  Thoroughly coat each shrimp in the seasoning.
4. Skewer shrimp on kebabs and lightly brush each kebab with a thin coating of olive oil.
5. Turn heat on grill down to medium and place shrimp on the hot grill.
6. Grill shrimp for about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side.  Shrimp is done when they appear opaque and slightly pink.  (Don’t overcook these beauties.  I’ve warned you before.)

2 little monkey’s jumping on the bed…or eating all the bananas.

You know how people usually bake Banana Bread when they have leftover bananas going bad on the counter?  Yeah, well that never happens in my house.   I think we’re part monkey because we never have leftover bananas.  So what’s a monkey to do???  Hide a secret stash of bananas in the back of the pantry and try to forget about them until they’re all tan and ready for baking.   I am of the opinion that Banana Bread should be really banana-ey, so this recipe definitely does not skimp on the banana flavor.  The extra helping of bananas also helps to keep the bread very moist.  And the chocolate chips AND chunks (2 types of chocolate are always better than one, except in The.Best.Chocolate.Chip.Cookies.Ever.)…well, those are optional, but only if you want the option of making a less than stellar baked good.  It’s a no brainer.  Bananas+Chocolate might not be the new Brangelina like Pumpkin+Cream Cheese Frosting, but it’s up there…it’s at least the new TomKat.  Minus the creepy Scientology part, of course. 

 

 

Banana Chocolate Chip AND Chunk Bread

• 6 large overripe Bananas, mashed (should be about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 4 oz. Semisweet Chocolate, chopped into chunks

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan. (I like Baker’s Joy or Pam with Flour)
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  Stir in the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla until well blended.
4. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and chunks with a dusting of flour.  (Do you like your chocolate to sink to the bottom of your bread?  I didn’t think so. ) Put a handful of chips/chunks aside to use as topping.
5. Add the banana mixture and chocolate chips/chunks to the dry ingredients and fold in gently, just to moisten.  Just like my muffin advice, do not over mix.  
6. Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with the reserved chips/chunks. 
7. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes.  Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to continue cooling. 

A little Italian lesson. And no, I’m not teaching you how to curse in Italian.

Today’s post is part Italian lesson, part recipe.  You can’t make this recipe if you can’t pronounce it properly.  I won’t allow it.  Now, what is the name for a delicious, toasted, garlic bread covered with a savory topping?  If you answered “Bru-shet-a”, I’m ashamed of you.  Go away and just come back in a couple days when there is a recipe that you can pronounce.  If you answered “Brus-ket-a”, you may proceed.  And stay tuned because in a few weeks, we’ll go through the same lesson, but this time with Gnocchi…and I’m warning you right now that if anyone says “Yonky”, I’m just going cry. 

Now that we can all pronounce it the correct way, we can move on.  Bruschetta is a simple Italian appetizer that is the perfect party food, as it’s easy to make and looks oh so pretty on a platter.  It’s also very easy to prepare the toppings ahead of time and then just toast the bread and assemble as your guests arrive.  Traditional Bruschetta is made with a tomato, onion, basil topping, but any savory topping will work, so feel free to express your culinary creativity with this dish.  For a recent dinner party, I prepared the traditional topping, as well as an Artichoke topping.  I also added different types of cheeses to mix it up a bit.  There are no rules when it comes to Brushetta, except when it comes to how you pronounce it.  And I’m a stickler, but you’ll thank me later. 

 

 

 

Traditional Bruschetta

• 1 Baguette, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
• 3 Plum Tomatoes, seeded
• 1 small Onion
• 20 fresh Basil Leaves
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling
• Coarse Salt
• Optional to sprinkle on top: Crumbled Goat Cheese, Grated Pecorino Cheese, etc.

 

1. Preheat broiler to high.  Assemble bread on a cookie sheet.  Rub the garlic cloves over each slice and brush lightly with olive oil.  Char bread on each side under the hot broiler, but watch it carefully.
2. Dice the seeded tomatoes and place in a small bowl.
3. Dice the onion and add to bowl.
4. Chop the basil very finely and add to the bowl.
5. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of coarse salt.  Gently toss to coat.
6. Spoon topping on toasts and add cheese if you like. 

 

Artichoke Bruschetta

• 1 Baguette, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
• 2 jars of Marinated Artichoke Hearts
• 1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh Basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (Please don’t use the stuff in the green can.  You will hurt my feelings.)
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1. See above on how to prepare the garlic toasts.  I don’t want to type it twice and I’m too lazy to copy and paste.
2. Drain the artichokes, reserving about 2 tbsp. of the liquid they were packed in and place them in the food processor.  Add the reserved liquid, olive oil, parsley, basil, cheese and salt/pepper.  Process until mixture is a coarse puree. 
3. Spoon the mixture on the toasts and sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese.

No new recipe…but the dress still fits! It’s time to celebrate!

I will be out of the kitchen and neglecting the blog for a few days, but for a darn good reason…it’s time for our newlywed status to come to a close, as we are off to celebrate our first anniversary!  We made it!  What can I say…we are just pretty good at this whole marriage thing.    The past year has been such a blessing though and I look forward to many many many more.  So then in 50 years, we can have a big ole party and I can wear my wedding dress again.  Speaking of, I am living proof that you can spend lots of time in your kitchen and still fit into your wedding dress a whole year later…sure, it’s a bit snug, but the point is that it still zips, darnit!  It’s just been hanging in the back of our closet for the past year and as our anniversary approached, I got all nostaglic and decided that I needed to remember what it felt like to prance around in that beautiful gown again.  I’m happy to report that it feels darn good.  And to all those wondering…yes, once I got it on, I pranced around our home for a couple hours, vacuumed, did a load of laundry, and even checked the mail in my whole ensemble.  It was a fabulous day.  And yes, Gus thinks I am a little bit crazy, but he loves me anyways.  I promise that next week I’ll get back to actually posting recipes and I’ll keep the wedding dress pics to a minimum…unless of course, I happen to be cooking a new recipe in my wedding dress…now there’s an idea!    Have a great weekend!

Pumpkin + Cream Cheese Frosting = My new favorite couple.

If it were up to me, I would make pumpkin baked goods all year long.  I’ll eat pumpkin anything.  I don’t discriminate.  I’ll even throw a little scoop of pumpkin puree in my oatmeal in the mornings.  Even in the middle of July, but don’t tell anyone.  Major seasonal faux pas.  So you can imagine that as soon as Fall hits, I will come up with any excuse to bake with my favorite orange friend.  And this next recipe goes beyond my typical pumpkin baking and literally is the icing on the cake.  No, really I mean literally.  Cream Cheese Frosting and Pumpkin couldn’t be a better combination and they are soulmates as far as I’m concerned.  I really love them for finding each other.  These bars are definitely more cake-like than cookie-like, but they are very moist and dense.  Be sure to store them in the fridge if you have leftovers, but let them come to room temp before serving.  Yes, it will require a lot of patience to let them warm up a bit, but you will regret it if you don’t resist temptation.  I’ve been there and trust me, cold cream cheese frosting is not your friend.  I am only looking out for you.

 

 

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting (aka, the new Brangelina)

Bars

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 (15 oz.) cans of Pumpkin Puree (now I said Puree, not Pumpkin Pie Filling. Don’t come back here and leave me nasty comments about my recipe because you bought the wrong thing.)
• 1 2/3 cup White Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 tsp. Salt

Frosting

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp. Vanilla

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Stir into the pumpkin mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour into an ungreased Jelly Roll pan (11×17).  Bake for 25-30 minutes. 
5. Cool the bars completely before frosting. 
6. To make the frosting, cream together the butter and the cream cheese with an electric mixer.  Once smooth, stir in vanilla.  Slowly add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time.  Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.  Spread evenly on top of cooled bars and cut into squares. 

The key to great salsa is marrying my husband.

Marriage definitely has a lot of perks…but I didn’t realize one of them included a really delicious salsa recipe, until I met Gus’ Aunt Carol.  The past couple summers, we have enjoyed spending a day at their beautiful lakehouse and lucky for us, each year Aunt Carol makes the tastiest Black Bean Salsa for us to enjoy.  If you know my husband at all, you know that he could live off of chips and salsa, so he was quite thrilled this year when Aunt Carol was generous enough to share her famous salsa recipe with me.  I have made it for several parties already and it’s always quite the hit…so much so that now Gus makes me hide a bowl of it in the back of the fridge for him, so that he has his own stash after the party has ended!  It’s a really fresh tasting dip, yet heartier than regular salsa and it has a nice kick to it.  If you are a wimp and can’t handle the heat, then just leave the jalapeno out.  Or if you are a rockstar, then double it.  We are always rockstars in my house. 

 

 

Aunt Carol’s Famous Black Bean Salsa (that’s the official name…and don’t let me catch you trying to take credit for Aunt Carol’s masterpiece.)

• 15 oz. can of Bush’s Black Beans (Don’t try to save a few cents and buy the generic brand.  Bush’s beans are firmer and hold up better in the dip.)
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 2 Green Onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup Corn (Fresh is always best, but barely steamed frozen corn will work too.)
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced with seeds and membrane removed
• 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed Lime Juice
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Pepper
• 2 tsp. Olive Oil

 

1. Rinse the black beans under cold water.  
2. Combine all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  
3. Serve with “scoop” chips, as it makes it easier to pick up the mixture and enjoy in large quantities.
4. If you have leftovers or are just trying to hide some for your salsa loving hubby, then store in Tupperware for up to 3 days. 

What is more exciting than a new recipe blog post? A foodie celebrity sighting!

I had the pleasure of meeting one of my fellow Italian’s yesterday…Giada de Laurentiis!  Her new cookbook, Giada’s Kitchen, just came out and she was at my local Crate and Barrel for a book signing.  I had to stand in line for 2 hours with 450 other Giada fans, but it was well worth it once I walked up to her table and shook hands with my “Everyday Italian” idol.   She was very sweet and even prettier in person.  I told her how much Gus and I love her Balsamic Chicken and Arancini di Riso (mmmm…think fried risotto with melted mozzarella in the middle…it’s a fancy, Italian version of a Fried Cheese Stick.).  She was sure to warn me though that her friends request those Risotto Balls every time they are at her house now, so that I should be aware what I’m getting into when I make them for large groups!  I’ve already bookmarked some recipes in her new cookbook, so stay tuned for some Giada blog posts in the near future.  Now, I’ve just gotta track down my girl, Paula Dean, and then my Food Network celebrity sightings will be complete!

 

p.s. – Apparently there are lots of rules at book signings and I wasn’t allowed to get a picture with her, so here are some pictures of her as she signed a book for the guy behind me in line…I could tell that she liked me better though. 

 

 

A fancy restaurant dessert enjoyed in the comfort of your own home.

Gus and I don’t go out to dinner very often, but when we do, I always try and make it a point to order dessert.  If I am eating healthy Mexican Lasagna, Chicken Marsala, and Turkey Chili all month long, then you can bet that during our one dinner out, I am going to order the most unhealthy dessert on the menu.  I’m always on the hunt for something chocolately and the ever popular Molten Lava Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is always a reliable choice.  I was surprised during a little shopping trip through Crate and Barrel when I saw that they were selling a packaged cake mix for these little chocolately gems…ridiculously priced at over $15 for 4 servings!  I just knew there had to be a more cost effective, homemade approach.  Lo and behold, my dear friend, Ms. Paula Dean came through with exactly the recipe I was looking for!  This dessert is perfect for entertaining, as it presents so well and looks oh so pretty with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.  It’s also a great recipe to make ahead of time, as you can chill the cakes for up to 3 days…just make sure you allow them to come to room temperature before baking.  These cakes are very rich, so I usually serve them with sugared raspberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Now that I know how to make these, I guess we really don’t have a reason to go out for dinner anymore!

 

 

 

 

Molten Lava Cakes

• 6 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate
• 2 oz. Semisweet Chocolate
• 10 tbsp. Butter
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tsp Vanilla

 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and grease 6 ramekins. 
2. Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler or in the microwave. 
3. Once melted, add the flour and sugar.
4. Stir in the eggs and vanilla until the batter is smooth. 
5. Divide evenly among the 6 ramekins and bake for 14 minutes.  The edges of the cake should be firm, but the center will be runny.  Run a knife around the edge of the cakes and invert onto a dessert plate. 
6. Garnish with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and serve with sugared raspberries and vanilla ice cream. 

The original Cucina…Cucina di Nonna.

There is just nothing more comforting than my Grandma’s sauce and meatballs (well, technically they are turkeyballs, but turkey is still a meat so meatballs it is).  A couple of years ago, I actually spent the whole day with Grandma to watch her make sauce and meatballs, so I could take copious notes and make them myself.  If your Grandma is anything like my Grandma, then you know what I mean when I say copious…Grandma doesn’t exactly follow a recipe.  It’s all in her head and everything is “as much’a you like”.  That cooking lesson at Grandma’s was priceless and I’m so happy that I’ll be able to pass on the recipes to my children one day.  Notice that I said my children…so that would exclude all of you loyal blog readers.  I love you, but I love my Grandma more so the sauce and meatball recipes are staying in la famiglia. 

Since I am a sweet Italian woman, I won’t leave you totally empty handed.  What else do you need if you are having sauce and meatballs???  PASTA!  Making your own pasta is not really that difficult, it just takes a lot of time and patience.  The end result is well worth the aching back and the flour covered kitchen.  The ingredients are simple, and with just a bag of flour and a carton of eggs, you can go from this…

 

To this…

 

To make pasta, I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer to help with the mixing, and the Pasta Attachment to do the rolling and cutting, but don’t let that fool you…you will still be standing over the machine, covered in flour for a couple hours.  If you don’t have a Pasta Machine, then forget it.  Crazy old Italian Nonna’s might roll and cut pasta by hand, without any help from a machine, but that is just nuts.  Either splurge on a Pasta Machine to help with the work or go buy some Buitoni in the refrigerator section of the market.  I won’t tell anyone. 

On this particular night, I was serving Pasta for 9 people, so I tripled this recipe and in typical Daniella fashion, had enough leftover for another dinner party for 9.  The good news is that while making fresh pasta is a lot of work, it freezes very well so make more than you need, and you can enjoy it for weeks to come. 

 

Fresh Semolina Pasta

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups Semolina Flour
• 6 extra large eggs
• 1 tsp. Olive Oil
• Pinch of Salt

 

1. In your mixer, sift together all the flour and salt. 
2. Create a deep well in your flour and add the eggs and olive oil.
3. Set the mixer on the slowest speed and using the paddle attachment, mix for 30 seconds.
4. Add the dough hook attachment and mix on medium low speed for 2 minutes. 
5. Remove the dough and knead by hand for 5 minutes on a well floured surface.
6. Divide the dough into grapefruit size balls and wrap each ball in plastic wrap.  Set aside for 30 minutes. 
7. Once the dough has rested, remove the plastic wrap from each ball, cut into four slices, and flatten each slice to 3/4″ thick. 
8. Roll each slice through the #1 setting and fold in half.  Repeat several times. 
9. Switch to #2 setting and send the dough through. 
10. Switch to #3 setting and send the dough through. 
11. For fettuccine, send the dough through the #4 setting and then lay the dough flat on a floured surface.  For thinner noodles, such as spaghetti or capellini, send the dough through till the #7 or #8 setting. 
12. Repeat process for each slice until you have all the dough rolled out into long sheets of pasta. 
13. Attach the fettuccine cutter and send each sheet through to cut the noodles.  Hang on a laundry drying rack, flour sacks, a shower rod, a broom stick between two chairs, or any other household item that will dry pasta. 
14. Allow the pasta to dry for at least one hour and then either store in the refrigerator if you will be cooking it within 2 days or freeze it for long term storage. 
15. When you are ready to cook the fresh pasta, boil 6 quarts of water and add 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. olive oil.  Cook the noodles al-dente or for about 6 minutes.