Golden Buttermilk Pancakes

1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose
 1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda


In a medium bowl, beat egg until fluffy, add remaining ingredients in order and beat until smooth, with no lumps.

Heat a griddle of pan that has been lightly greased over low-medium heat.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Cook pancakes until the surface is covered with bubbles and seems cooked around the edges, then turn and cook other side until they are a nice golden color

Makes 9

Mom's Italian Breakfast asparagus Frittata

 3/4 pound fresh asparagus spears or use a package frozen cut asparagus 10 ounces
 6large eggs
 3/4 cup cottage cheese or ricotta
 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
 1 teaspoon of pepper
 1 teaspoon salt optional
 1 cup washed and sliced fresh mushrooms
 1 small tomato chopped about 1/4 cups



Cook  asparagus spears in a 1/3 cup of  water for 15 minutes, until tender, once cooked drain.  If you use the frozen just cook according to package.

Also cook your mushrooms on medium heat until tender as well.

In a medium bowl beat eggs until foamy, add the cottage cheese or ricotta, add mustard and pepper, if you want to add some salt it is optional,

Using a 10 inch pan, spray nonstick coating, add asparagus and mushrooms, pour egg mix over the mushrooms/asparagus.

Bake Frattata uncovered in a 400 oven for 15 minutes or until set, then top with the fresh tomato.  Serves 4-6
 Copyright@ Maria A. Piccirillo

Scallops Italian

16 scallops
1/4 teaspoon  pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parley
2 medium garlic cloves minced

Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat  (nonstick pan). Saute 8 scallops at a time for 2to 2 1/2 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Set to one aside the cook remaining 8 as directed above  setting to one side along with other 8.

Towel paper pan clean, reduce the heat, add butter to pan cooking until butter melts, add parsley and garlic and cook another 18 seconds, add scallops to pan and mix well coating the scallops.

Parmesan Cheese Edamame

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup white wine 
1 pound edamame, frozen
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat olive oil at low to medium heat, add garlic and dried oregano and saute until soft, make sure not to burn garlic.  Pour in the wine and bring to a boil reduce to low heat and simmer.

Allow wine to reduce slightly add Edamame and simmer for 5 minutes. Once cooked and pour into a large bowl.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve warm.

Grandma's Piccirillo's Old fashion Banana Bread

2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of unsalted butter soften
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of ripe mashed banana (usually 3 medium size)
1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt (makes it moist)
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer medium until well blended,  add the eggs, 1 at a time and beat well after each one is added.  Slowly add banana, yogurt, and vanilla, beat until well mixed.

Add flour mixture, and  beat at low speed until well blended.

Pour  batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan that you have coated with cooking spray.

 Bake at 350 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

 Cool 15 minutes in pan.  Once cooled remove from pan, and continue to cool completely on wire rack.  You can serve it warm or cooled, as is or with a dab of cream or powdered sugar.

Veal Scaloppini

8 veal sliced cutlets (2 per person)

1 teaspoon salt
1 pepper
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra olive oil
8  ounces mushrooms sliced thin and washed
1/2 cup  Marsala

Pound the slices of veal to about 1/4 inch thick.  On a plate, mix the salt and pepper into the flour and set to one side.

Heat a large skillet with 1/2 of the butter and  1/2 teaspoon of  oil, add in sliced mushrooms if using and cook about 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden brown,  transfer to plate and put to aside.

Add in the remaining tablespoon of butter and oil in the pan and return to medium high heat.

Dip the veal into the flour on both sides and place in skillet.

Saute 2 minutes on each side until just lightly browned,  remove to plate with mushroom.

Pour in the Marsala wine allowing it to simmer into a rich sauce, add in  mushrooms and veal simmering low heat.  If  you do not like your sauce too thick add more Marsala. Serve warm.

Italian Style Macaroni & Cheese

8 ounces Ziti or Shell Pasta  (cooked & Drain)

2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whipping cream
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 can drained (28 ounces)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 Preheat oven at 400

Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium heat.  Saute garlic for about 1 minute, add flour and cook for about 1 minute, add the cream and cream cheese and whisk mixture. Simmer and whisk until thick and not lumpy, nice and smooth.

Add Fontina cheese and the diced tomatoes in tomato juice and keep stirring again keeping mixture smooth.  Add the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture  and coat the pasta with the cheese mixture, season with pepper, and transfer coated pasta to a buttered casserole dish.

In a small bowl mix Italian bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and parsley, and sprinkle over  the top of the macaroni, drizzle olive oil over it. 


Bake for 25 minutes until the top of the cheese is a golden in color.  Serves 6

Artichoke Pizza

1  pizza crust 

1 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 can Italian style plum tomatoes (drained and cut into pieces  (28 ounces)
1 can artichoke hearts  (drained and quartered  8.5 ounce)
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

 Preheat oven 425

grease lightly 9x13 inch baking pan   Press dough into pan, sprinkle olive oil over crust add garlic and basil, cover over tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onion, and mushrooms, sprinkle rosemary and feta.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crest is golden in color. 
Serves 8

Tortellini Salad

1  package cheese tortellini (9 ounces)
1  bag  mixed greens (16 ounces)
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained  (28 ounce)
1/2 cup garlic onion vinaigrette
2/3 cup seasoned croutons

Cook tortellini as directed, drain and rinse with cold water, In a large bowl mix tortellini, greens, mushrooms and diced tomatoes.  Pour dressing over tortellini and mix well, add croutons and serve.  Great healthy summer dish.

Serves 4

Pasta Fagioli

2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
 black pepper to taste
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1/4 cup sweet red wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 Crushed tomato with basil (28 ounce)
1  can beef broth (14.5 ounce)
1 cup Ditalini, cooked and drained
1  can Cannellini beans (15 ounce)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Heat oil at medium heat, add the ground beef and saute until browned, season with pepper, add garlic, onion celery. Cook until soft, add wine and mix well.  Add crushed tomatoes with basil and pour in beef broth.

Simmer for 35 minutes and stir, add pasta and beans add cheese and mix well.  Season as you like, serve with garlic bread or Italian bread and a glass of red wine.  Enjoy!   Serves 4

You can make this in a slow cooker as well.  Enjoy with a loaf of Italian Bread.

Veggie Frittata

2 cups sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)

Puree:
12 eggs
1/2 heavy cream ( do not use fat free)
1/2 teaspoon of salt



Heat:
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Slice 9 ounces of sausage
1/2 cup of diced red or green pepper
1 bunch of scallions sliced and separate the greens and the whites
1/2 teaspoons of thyme
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of minced fresh garlic

Preheat the oven to 375

In a pot of hot boiling salted water, cook the sweet potatoes until tender  10 minutes.  Once cooked, drain and run cold water over potatoes and then drain again.

Puree eggs, and cream in a blender until nice and smooth.

Heat olive oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium until it shimmers, add the sausage until brown about 12 minutes, once cooked transfer to a paper towel lined bowl.

Lower the heat and add the peppers and  scallion whites, thyme, and pepper, cook until veggies are soften about 4 minutes, stir in garlic and cook another minute, add sweet potatoes, sausage, and scallion greens.  Pour egg mixture slowly and evenly over entire veggie mix.  Cook until about 6 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven, bake the veggie Frittata until the middle appears set.

15-20 minutes, once cooked golden in color.  Remove Frittata from oven and let stand about 10 minutes.  Loosen the edges with a knife and a spatula and bottom of Frittata.  Place a large flat plate over the entire skillet and flip the plate to invert the frittata.

Makes enough to serve 6
 





 

Irish Soda Bread

2 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of caraways seeds
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoons of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cups of raisins



1 pint sour cream
1 stick of unsalted butter  (melted and cooled)
1 medium egg  (lightly beat)

Preheat oven 375

Coat a 9 inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flour, sugar, caraway seeds, baking powder,baking soda, salt in a medium size bowl.  stir in raisins.  Slowing mix in sour cream, butter and egg in small bowl, then stir into flour mixture.  Mix well until smooth.

Transfer the batter into coated pan and put an x in the center of the mixture.

Bake the Soda Bread bread half way though and then rotate the pan.  Bake until golden 45-50 minutes.  When you insert a toothpick into the center of the bread it should come out clean.

Cook bread with the pan  for about 15 minutes.

 The history if soda bread is that it comes from Southern Ireland, and the cross on it legend claims is to scare  away the devil. 


My Mother-in-law would serve this with butter and a cup of tea.  My mother-in-law had 3 different versions of this soda bread.  I remember this one most often being used.

Calamari

2 Pounds Cleaned Squid
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Cornmeal
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Canola Oil




Slice the cleaned tube into 1 inch rings.


Pour about  inches of oil into a deep fry pan and heat oil

Mix the flour, cornmeal and spices together into a plastic bag drop the calamari and shake, making sure to cover it well forming a nice coating.

Drop the calamari into the hot oil, and cook for about a minute or until golden brown, then drain into dish lined with paper towels.


Serve with dipping sauce, serves 4

Baked Mussels in Garlic Sauce

2 Pounds Fresh, Cleaned Mussels
4 medium Garlic cloves (minced)
1 Cup Fresh Parsley washed and Chopped
3/4 Stick Butter room temp (Unsalted Butter)  
Salt & Pepper



Mix together butter, garlic, parsley mixing together well.

Preheat oven  450 degrees

Arrange the mussels in a large baking dish,  spoon the butter  mixture over the top of mussels.

Cover the dish with foil nice and tight, baking  for about 20 minutes, or until the mussels open.


Discard mussels that do not open.

Shrimp In orange Sauce

20 Large Shrimp


2 Large Cloves Garlic (Chopped fine)
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 tablespoons of orange juice
1/4 Cup Fresh  Parsley chopped
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half

Marinate the shrimp in mixture for one hour before cooking.

Heat a frying pan with oil on medium heat, add shrimp from marinade mixture.


Cook for 5 minutes  until the shrimp becomes slightly golden brown.

Add the cherry tomatoes and serve hot.


Serve over rice if desired.