New Year’s Eve-Day Lentil Soup
In Italy Lentils are served on New Year’s Eve after midnight. The lentils, with their coin like shape, represent luck and prosperity. The dish is often served with cotechino, a spicy pork sausage, and zampone. Pork signifies the fat or bounty of the land.
Nonna’s Lentil Soup… the “Must Make” recipe on New Year’s Eve or Day… and any other day of the year!
Recipe at Link 👇
https://cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/new-years-eveday-lentil-soup.html
Prosciutto Cheese Bread
Ingredients:
1 Package (2 1/2 Teaspoons) Active Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Both Salt And Black Pepper
4 Ounces Prosciutto, Cut Into Small Dice
2 Ounces Provolone, Cut Into Small Dice
3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Warm Water
Directions:
Sprinkle the yeast over one cup of warm water and let sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Add the oil, flour, salt and pepper, and just enough additional water as needed, mixing with a wooden spoon until a workable dough has been formed. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until you have created a smooth dough. If the dough seems sticky as you are kneading it, add a little more flour. Oil a large bowl twice the size of the bread, and place the dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Oil a baking sheet, and place the dough in the center. Flatten the dough with your hands, and spread the meat and cheese over the top. Fold the dough over to cover the meat and cheese, and then flatten and fold the dough over a few times with your hands to distribute the ingredients throughout the bread.
To shape, either form the dough into a large oval shape, or roll into a 24 inch rope, and loosely twist the ends together, sealing the ends together so you have one large ring. Cover with plastic wrap once more, and let sit to rise until doubled once more, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the bread for 30 minutes, or until it is a nice golden brown in color. Cool on a wire rack, and then slice when still slightly warm. Enjoy!
You can brush the bread with a glaze of 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon of water to give the bread a shiny surface if you desire. Vegans just skip prosciutto add own variation, green onions, more cheese, etc.
Fennel, Prosciutto and Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients:2 cups very thinly sliced fennel bulb
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 cups arugula (about 4 ounces)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into strips
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Toss fennel and 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Combine arugula, green onions, mint, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in large bowl; toss. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide greens among plates. Top with fennel, then drape with prosciutto. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over.
Ciambella Bolognese
Description:Northern weather is turned cold now, so now is good time to bake lol … is great almond cake, hope you enjoy !
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 lbs. Confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 sachet baking soda
1 tbs. granulated sugar
2-3 tbs. milk
6 tbs. butter
3 eggs, separated
2 tbs. Sassolino or Maraschino liqueur
1 oz. almonds, shelled
Directions:
Reserving 1 tbs. flour, mix the flour with the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, grated lemon rind and a pinch of salt. Dissolve the baking soda and cream of tartar in 2-3 tbs. of milk. Melt 5 oz. butter in a saucepan. Add 2 egg yolks, 1 egg white, the liqueur, baking soda and cream of tartar to the flour. Add the butter and knead till smooth. Roll the dough into the shape of a large sausage to fit a 12-in. ring mold.
Butter a ring mold and dust with the flour. Shape the dough into the ring and pinch the two ends together. Brush the top with the remaining egg yolk, dust with granulated sugar, and place almonds on top. Bake at 350°F for about 30 mins, let cool and remove ciambella from mold.
Torta di Mele
Description:
Golden Delicious apples, sliced paper thin, baked in almost crepe batter until caramelized … is heaven served warm with vanilla ice cream … enjoy !
Ingredients:
5 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and sliced paper thin
2 eggs, extra large
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
7 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
Powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and lightly flour two round pizza pans or a 9×13 lasagne pan.
Beat the eggs and sugar together and add the flour, baking powder, milk, butter and vanilla. Mix well. Add the apple slices and pour into the prepared pan. Place the pan on the bottom of the oven for 10 minutes, then place in the center of the oven to cook until golden, about 1 hour. Is a very thin, rich cake that will bake down to about one-half inch. Let cool and sprinkle powder sugar on top . (Cuts easier if you let it cool before serving, but you want to warm it before serving with ice cream trust me !)
Panini di Melanzane
Description:
one of my fave dishes is eggplant parmesan but not sometimes when i want am not patient enough so this is my cheat lol
you can add what ever you desire in between eggplant slices, i.e. prosciutto, tomato, and so on
is best to drain the eggplant slices before cooking to eliminate bitterness
Ingredients:
* 2 eggplants
* 2 cups flour
* Mozzarella
* 2 cups lukewarm water
* Oil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried yeast
* Salt and pepper
* Fresh basil
Directions:
Sift flour and yeast into a bowl. Add the lukewarm water and mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour. Slice the eggplants, slice the mozzarella and chop the fresh basil. Fry the slices of eggplants until brown. Once they are browned you can let them drain on a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Place one slice of mozzarella between two slices of eggplant and press together. Dip each “sandwich” into batter and fry in hot oil a few at a time until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and “Buon appetito!”
L'amore e forte come la morte 