Oretiko – Chilled Cheese Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 1 C  Feta Cheese
• .5 C  Lucini Organic Stravecchio Pamigiano Reggiano (grated)
• 12   Kalamata olives (sliced, pitted)
• .5 C  Onion (rinsed well in cold water)
• .25 C Lucini Extra Virgin olive Oil
• 1      Green Pepper (chopped small)
• .5 tsp Black Pepper (fresh, ground)
• .25 tsp Paprika (optional)

Preparation:

In electric mixer, beat the olive oil and cheese until they reach the consistency of whipped cream.  Remove from mixer and add black pepper, paprika, olives, onion and green pepper. Taste for salt, paprika and pepper.  Pack mixture solidly in small bowl or oiled mold. Refrigerate until firm.  Serve sliced.

New Potatoes with Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients:

• 12 New Potatoes (small, unpeeled)
• 1 TB  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TB  Flour
• .5 C   Milk
• .5 tsp Salt
• .13 tsp  Nutmeg (optional; fresh, ground)
• .25 C  Lucini Organic Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)

Preparation:

Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer until tender, about 8-12 minutes.  Drain and keep warm.

In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the flour into the olive oil.  Whisk in milk, stirring constantly until thickened.  Season the sauce with salt and nutmeg.  Stir in cheese.  Pour sauce over potatoes and stir to coat.

Campari Glaze for Ham.

Ingredients:

• .25 C  Lucini Pinot Grigio Vinegar
• .5 C    Campari
• .5 C    Apricot Preserves (Peach Preserves and Orange Marmalade will also work)
• 1 TB   Brown Sugar

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Cook on low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Taste for preserves, sugar and salt.  Spread glaze on ham during the last 30 minutes of baking. Tent ham with foil to avoid scorching the glaze. Apply glaze again, if desired, during the last 15 minutes of baking.  Serve extra glaze as an additional topping for the ham.

Cacciucco Livornese – Fish Stew (Feast of the Seven Fishes)

The idea here is to use 2 pounds total of a variety of fish, so if you cannot find (or don’t like) one of the fishes below, just replace it with something that works for you.  When preparing a variety of dishes, a great time/effort/stress saver, is to include a stew.

Ingredients:

• 1             Onion (medium, peeled, chopped coarsely, about 3/4 C)
• 3 TB      Garlic (peeled, chopped coarsely)
• 1/4 C    Parsley (remove most of the stems)
• 3 TB      Basil leaves
• 1/2 C    Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 C    dry white wine
• 2 C         Lucini Organic Tuscan Plum Tomatoes (chopped coarsely)
• 2 C         Stock (fish or seafood stock would be optimal, but vegetable and poultry will work as well)
• 2 TB      Lucini Pinot Noir Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Salt (sea)
• 1/2 LB  Squid (cleaned very well, cut into 1-inch rings, octopus or even shucked clams can substitute)
• 1/2 LB  Swordfish (skin removed, cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 LB  Shrimp  (shelled – I use U/20)
• 1/4 LB  Scallops
• 1/4 L B Sole (or another firm white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 2 TB  Lucini Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 TB  Lucini Chili-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8        slices of Bread (1-inch tick, toasted)

Preparation:

Mince the onion, garlic, parsley and basil together.  Heat the oil in a heavy-duty pot and stir in the minced vegetable mixture.  Cook over low heat until the ingredients soften (about 5 minutes).  Raise the heat to high, pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half.  Lower heat and stir in the tomatoes, stock and salt.  When bubbles just begin to appear on the sides of the pot, add the fish and then cook just until the fish turns opaque or whitish looking and flakes easily with a fork, and the shrimp have turned pink.  Meanwhile, toast several slices of bread and rub them with a garlic-infused oil.

Stir in the chili and lemon oils and correct the salt, pepper and vinegar, if necessary.  Once the fish is done, line the bottoms of your bowls with the toasted bread, ladle the cacciucco over them, and serve.

Sicilian Shrimp (Gamberoni Siciliana) – Feast of the Seven Fishes

This dish is often served as of the attractions in the Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 LB    Shrimp (peeled, de-veined, large shrimp – 20count – are best)
• 1/4 C  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1           Red Onion (medium, diced)
• 1           Bell Pepper (medium, diced)
• 1/2 jar  Lucini Organic Diced Tomatoes (12-14 ounces)
• 1 TB     Pine Nuts
• 1 TB     Raisins (golden are preferrable)
• 1 TB     Capers (rinsed well)
• 1/2 C   White Wine (your favorite Sicilian white or Pinot Grigio)
• 1 tsp    Orange Juice (fresh)
• 1/4 tsp Cumin (fresh, ground)
• 2            Bay Leaves
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper (dried)
• Salt
• Black Pepper (freshly ground)

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened.  Add the tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins, capers, wine, juice, cumin, bay leaf and red pepper and bring to a boil.  Turn down to simmer and add the shrimp.  Cover and cook the shrimp for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from the heat and season with orange juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from Anna Tosca Lanza

Broccoli Rabe – Broccoli Rapa Strascinati

This Broccoli Rabe preparation is a traditional Italian Christmas side dish.  It is quick & easy to prepare, tasty and colorful.

Ingredients:

• 1 LB    Broccoli Rabe (wash well, trim roots and coarsely chopped)
• 1/4 C  Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1          Garlic clove (chopped fine)
• 1/4 tsp  Salt
• 1 TB   Lemon Juice (fresh – orange juice can substitute)
• 2 TB   Lucini Chili-Infuse Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2         Anchovies  (rinsed well, dried and chopped fine)

Preparation:

Blanch the rabe in lightly salted boiling water for five minutes.  Drain well and squeeze lightly to dry.   Sauté the garlic in the oil for 1 minute then add the rabe and salt to cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes.  Season with the lemon juice, chili-infused oil and anchovies (if you are using them) for the final 2 minutes.  Add lemon juice, chili-infused oil, salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Fig Marmalade (Marmellata di Fichi)

Ingredients:

• 1 LB       fresh Figs (chopped coarsely)
• 1/4 LB  Sugar
• 2 TB       Lucini Lemon-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 TB       Lucini Fig-Infused Balsamic Vinegar
  

Preparation:

Wash the figs well then chop them and combine with the sugar in a bowl.  Cover them and let them rest overnight.  The next morning transfer them to a pot and cook over medium heat them over a moderate flame, stirring often until they come to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, skimming away the foam occasionally, until thick (a drop of liquid on an inclined plate doesn’t run).  Add the olive oil and vinegar and simmer for 5 more minutes.  Transfer the marmalade to sterile jars, seal them, sterilize them, and when they have cooled transfer them to your pantry.

Caramelized Pears with Parmigiano

Ingredients:

• 2           Pears (ripe, peeled, cored,  Bosc or Anjou)
• 1/4 C  Sugar
• 2 TB    Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 C  Lucini Cherry-Infused Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp   Orange Zest (fresh, grated fine)
• 1/8 tsp  Salt
• 1/4 C  Lucini Organic Parmigiano Reggiano (cut into thin slices or 1/4 inch chunks)
• 1 TB     Mint (fresh leaves, chopped fine, optional)

Preparation:

Cut each pear into 8 equal pieces.  Toss the pears and sugar together gently in a bowl.

Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the pears and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar just begins to caramelize (turns to an amber color). Do not let the sugar turn brown.  Add the cherry balsamic, salt and orange zest.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until the sauce starts to reduce.

Transfer the pears to serving dishes and top with the sauce, parmigiano and chopped mint.

Roasted Beets

Ingredients:

• 4             Beets  (unpeeled, medium-sized – about the size of a tennis ball)
• 2 TB       Lucini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tsp      Lucini Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tsp      Orange Juice (optional)
• 1/2 tsp  Salt

Preparation:

Peel the beets, chop the tops off and remove the tail-like root end of the beet and discard.  Cut each beet into eight sections (or halve small beets), as you would cut an apple for pie.  Put the beets on a baking sheet.

Emulsify the vinegar and orange juice in the olive oil.  Add the salt and stir.  Drizzle one half of this mixture over the beets to coat well.  Roast until they are soft and well caramelized (40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets).

Toss the beets gently with the remainder of the olive oil mixture before serving.  Season to taste with vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Garnish with fresh herbs and/or onion for color, if so desired (i use mint parsley, thyme, chives, scallions, red onion or chervil – whatever I have on hand).

Turkey Brine

I’ve found (5 years experience) this brine to impart more flavor than the simple, sal-only brines.

Ingredients:

• 2 gallons cold water
• 2 C      Kosher Salt
• 2         Lemons (halved)
• 2 TB   Lucini Balsamic Vinegar
• 5 TB   Brown Sugar (optional)
• 2 TB   Peppercorns
• 2 TB   Coriander seeds
• 4         Chilis (dried, optional)
• 6         Bay Leaves
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 1 sprig    Rosemary

Preparation:

Fully dissolve the salt in the cold water.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir.  Submerge your turkey and refrigerate or keep in a cool (40 degree) spot 5-8 hours.