Welcome to Street Prophets Sunday Coffee Hour. This is an open thread so grab something to drink and sit a spell and let us know what is new with you. Last week I did Greek inspired recipes so I thought I would share some of my Italian inspired recipes this week. I have enough Italian inspired recipes for 2 diaries.
Caprese Salad
4 whole Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
3/4 ounces fresh basil leaves torn
Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and place in a bowl. Tear the basil leaves and add to the tomatoes and mozzarella.
In a small bowl put the vinegar, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk to form an emulsion.
Dress the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil with the dressing or have the dressing on the side and people can dress their own.
Makes 8 servings
Italian Seasoning
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Mix everything together and store in a jar with a lid.
Makes 24 servings
Pasta Margherita
8 ounces angel hair Pasta cooked and drained
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves minced
2 cloves garlic minced
16 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese diced
Make pasta according to package instructions.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes.
Mix pasta, basil, mozzarella and tomato mixture together.
Makes 4 servings
Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich
3 pounds rump roast trimmed
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup low sodium beef broth
2 whole bay leaves
2 large green bell peppers seeded and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup giardiniera vegetables
6 Hoagie or other sturdy rolls
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, paprika and crushed red pepper together and rub all over the roast.
Place roast in large Ziplock bag and add onion, garlic, wine, broth and bay leaves. Marinate the meat for 2 to 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F.
Place roast on a rack and add marinade to roasting pan. Cook for 3 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 135°F.
Remove roast from pan and let cool. Slice very thin.
Cool marinade and skim off the fat.
While beef is resting heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and fry the green peppers.
Dip the meat in the marinade and place on the rolls topping with green peppers and giardiniera.
Makes 6 servings
Note: you can purchase the giardiniera off the Internet.
Italian Meatloaf
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 small onion diced small
1 clove garlic minced
14 1/2 ounces no salt added diced tomatoes drained
1 whole egg
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup panko
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated
Sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix all the meatloaf ingredients together except for the ground beef and mix well. Add the ground beef and mix until just incorporated.
Line a rack with foil and place over a foil lined baking sheet. Poke several holes in the foil. Free form the meat into a loaf shape.
Mix sauce ingredients together and spread over the meatloaf.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours.
Makes 8 servings
Italian Stuffed Flank Steak
2 pounds Flank Steak fat removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot minced
1 large clove garlic minced
1/2 cup panko
2 ounces black olives diced
2 ounces mushroom caps diced
6 ounces roasted red peppers sliced
3 ounces prosciutto sliced
4 ounces provolone cheese sliced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oven to 350°F.
In a small skillet over medium heat melt the butter. Add the shallots, garlic, panko, olives and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have given up their water and the panko is golden. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Butterfly the Steak by cutting in half starting at the short end. You cut through the center and fold the meat out like a book. Keep cutting until you are about a 1/2 inch from the edge. Fold the meat out and push on seam until you have a flat piece.
Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.
Spread the mushroom mixture leaving a 1/2 inch border all around.
Top the mushrooms with the prosciutto.
Top the prosciutto with the provolone.
With the short end facing you roll the meat up into a cylinder. Tie the steak every inch and 1/2 with kitchen twine.
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the meat on all sides.
Remove the meat to the oven and cook until the way you like it. Medium rare would be 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the pan to a rack and cover with aluminum foil for 5 minutes. Remove string and slice to serve.
Makes 6 servings
Italian Sausage Spaghetti
8 ounces Spaghetti
1 cup Italian five cheese
1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
8 ounces crimini mushroom caps
29 ounces no salt added diced tomatoes drained
16 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
6 ounces no salt added tomato paste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red pepper seeded and diced
2 1/4 ounces black olives sliced
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage, onion, garlic, red pepper and mushrooms. Cook until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, olives, salt, pepper, mustard, wine and Worcestershire sauce. Heat to boiling.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Make the spaghetti accordingly to package instructions. Drain.
Serve sauce over the spaghetti and top with the cheese.
Makes 8 servings
Italian Barbecue Pork Chops
24 ounces pork center loin chops 1/2 inch thickness and trimmed of excess fat
8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
1 whole roasted red pepper diced
1 small onion diced fine
1 clove garlic minced fine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
In a small saucepan over medium high heat put everything except the pork chops. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat the broiler.
Place the meat on a broiling rack and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 5 minutes.
Turn the chops over and broil for another 5 minutes.
Turn chops again and spoon sauce over them and broil for 3 to 5 minutes more or until chops are no longer pink.
Makes 6 servings
Chicken Cacciatore
3 slices bacon cut into thin strips
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
3 pounds skinless chicken breasts halves
4 tablespoons olive oil
14 1/2 ounces no salt added whole tomatoes drained and chopped
16 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
8 ounces mushrooms sliced
1 small green bell pepper seeded and diced
1/4 cup red wine
2 1/4 ounces black olives sliced
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 whole bay leaf
8 ounces cooked spaghetti
Mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper together. Coat chicken with the flour mixture.
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Drain fat from the skillet.
Add the wine to the pan and scrape up the brown bits.
Add the tomatoes, green pepper, tomato sauce, mushrooms, olives, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the bay leaf. Heat to boiling.
Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until chicken is done about 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and serve over the spaghetti.
Makes 6 servings