CHRISTMAS BROCCOLI RABE PIE

  Ingredients

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 garlic clove, diced 
• 1/2  pound sausage, no casing 
• 3/4  pound ricotta cheese (whole milk) 
• 1/2  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3  tablespoons grated cheese 
• 1 egg
• 2 pie crusts for bottom and top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tsp olive oil 

Sauté garlic and oil until lightly browned and add broccoli rabe; sauté until tender. Strain the broccoli rabe and garlic mixture to remove the excess liquid. Chop the mixture finely, and set aside for later use. Cook the sausage meat and the diced onions until the mixture is fully cooked.  Drain the sausage mixture of any excess liquid.  Make sure the sausage and onion mixture is chopped, without any large pieces of meat. Add sausage mixture to the broccoli rabe mixture.  Blend well.  Next, add the ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese and egg.   Stir until mixed well.  Add broccoli rabe and sausage mixture to the pie crust, and distribute evenly.  Add pie crust over the top.  Cut a vent hole in the center of the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Brush the top of the pie and the edges with a beaten egg yolk.    Place pie on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving  

Navel Orange Pound Cake

Ingredients

 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter (softened

 3 cups all-purpose flour

 3 cups sugar

 1 cup sour cream

 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 6 eggs

 3 tablespoons navel orange juice

 1 navel orange rind – grated

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter and flour a tube pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together and then add sour cream. Sift flour and

baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with eggs, one at a time, mix

together after each addition. Add fresh navel orange juice and rind. Mix until well blended. Pour into

prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool cake in pan for about 20 minutes and then

unmold and cool completely on a wire rack. 

Icing

 1 ½ cups confection sugar

 2 tablespoons of fresh navel orange juice

 2 tablespoons navel orange rind, grated

Mix together with a whisk until it has a thick liquid consistency. (You may have to add a

little more juice or confection sugar for consistency) Drizzle icing over cake.

Artichokes

 4 medium-sized artichokes

 2 cups breadcrumbs

 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

 1 tablespoon garlic powder

 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

 ¼ cup water

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley flakes  

Rinse the artichokes well, remove the small outer leaves from the bottom row around artichoke, cut off the stem and slice about 1 inch off of the top

. In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and pepper.

 Add the melted butter, water and oil and mix well.

  If needed, add more water or oil to make stuffing very moist

Turn the artichokes upside down and press firmly to spread the leaves

. Turn right side up and stand the artichokes in a large pot with about 1 ½ inches of water in the bottom. Cover and steam over medium-high heat about 20-25 minutes or until the artichokes are tender, checking the water level occasionally and adding more water as needed.

  Stuff the breadcrumb mixture into the center and inside surrounding layers of leaves

.  Put onto microwavable plate and microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes or before serving put into pan covered tightly with foil and place in 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes 

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup orange juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon grated orange peel (optional)

1 egg, well beaten

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange juice, oil, orange peel and egg. Mix until well blended.  Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely 

Ingredients

 2 heads broccoli

 1/4 cup butter, melted

 1 pound Velveeta cheese, melted

 1/2 cup milk

 1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers, crumbled

 2 tablespoons chopped onions

 3 tablespoons butter or margarine

Preparing

In a large saucepan, steam broccoli until fork tender. In small saucepan, melt the

Velveeta cheese on low heat and add milk and onions. Stir until well blended.

Preheat oven to 375°. Layer the ingredients in a large casserole, beginning with

the melted cheese, then adding the broccoli and sprinkling with the cracker

crumbs. Dot the crumb layer with butter and repeat. Sprinkle the final layer with

additional cracker crumbs. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and let stand

in oven for an additional 5 minutes.

Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole

1 large head cauliflower

1 pound Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers crumbled

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375ᵒ. Rinse cauliflower and break into florets.

In a large saucepan, steam cauliflower until fork tender (do not overcook). In a small

sauce pan melt the Velveeta cheese, over low heat, then add the milk and onions and

stir until well blended.

In a large casserole dish, place some of the melted cheese on the bottom and layer with

cauliflower. Sprinkle cracker crumbs over the cauliflower then dot with butter and

repeat. Crumble additional crackers on top. Cover and bake for 20 mintes.

MAMA LOUISE'S POTATO AND STRING BEAN SALAD

2 LBS OF POTATOES PEELED AND CUBED

1 POUND OF STRING BEANS

1/2 CUP OF CORN OR OTHER LIGHT OIL

1/4 CUP WINE VINEGAR

PINCH OF GARLIC POWDER

1/2 TEASPOON OF SALT

1/2 TEASPOON OF FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN OF WATER, BOIL THE POTATOES UNTIL FORK TENDER. DRAIN AND SET ASIDE TO COOL

 IN A MEDIUM SIZE SAUCEPAN

STEAM THE STRINGBEANS UNTIL BARELY TENDER.  DRAIN AND RUN QUICKLY UNDER COLD WATER TO SET THEIR COLOR.

.SET ASIDE TO COOL.

IN A LARGE BOWL 

COMBINE POTATOES, BEANS, OIL, VINEGAR, GARLIC POWDER, SALT AND PEPPER. MIX WELL,

 ADD MORE OIL AND VINEGAR IF NEEDED.

 SERVE CHILLED OR AT ROOM 

Chef Bob’s Iron Skillet Eggplant Bucatini Amatriciana with Mushrooms

Dr. Robert Doidge

Yield: 6-8 hungry people

8oz Pancetta

1 medium red onion (chopped)

1 cup shitake mushrooms

1 cup button mushrooms

1 cup oyster mushrooms

1/2 cup dry white wine

Put pancetta in skillet and brown in pan and remove, cook red onion and cook mushrooms in pan with

pinch red pepper flakes to taste -some like it hot! and after cooked remove and deglaze with dry white

wine. Add marinara to this base (whatever your favorite one is!). I make my own with San Marzano

tomatoes, oil and garlic sautéed lightly and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Cut ends off eggplant and peel every other row (skin adds fiber and texture) slice and put on rack and

salt for 25 minutes and wipe salt off and press down with cloth towel to remove excess water.

Canola Oil

EVO Olive Oil

Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs

4 Eggs & water = egg wash

All-purpose flour

5 Large eggplants (I like to mix purple and white-whatever is available at your local green grocer)

Heat Canola oil and EVO olive oil in frying pan

Eggs wash -4 eggs and splash of cold water

Panko breadcrumbs (seasoned)

Take eggplant slice, dip in flour, egg wash and then press seasoned Panko breadcrumbs onto eggplant

(make sure they are coated evenly and well).

Fry eggplant slices until golden brown

Let settle on paper towels in layers to drain any excess oil

In a large Iron skillet – coat pan with thin film of oil and light layer of sauce followed by freshly grated

parmesan cheese to give pseudo crust , layer the eggplant followed by sauce, parmesan and mozzarella –

either grated or thin slices if using fresh mozzarella, continue to do another layer with same 3

ingredients.

Put in oven at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly!

Serve to friends and family with loaf of fresh Italian bread and good wine, good music and laughter!

Iachetti’s Kitchen

John Iachetti

Owner and Chef

Roast Sweet Corn and Vegetable Salad

Serves Four

4 ea Ears of Corn- silk removed and husk pulled back

2 oz. olive oil

2 oz. pilsner beer( can be replaced with water and or white wine)

1 oz curly parsley-chopped

1 oz onion powder

1 ea whole lemon( cut in half, pitted) squeeze juice and reserve

Pinch salt and black pepper 

2 oz- red pepper-diced

2 oz –green onion- chopped use green ends only

1oz- white onion- chopped and lightly sauteed

1 ea beefsteak tomato-small dice

2 oz- olive oil

1 oz-lemon or lime juice

¼ T salt

1 t cracked black pepper

Method

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes- LEAVE OVEN ON-

Herb Oil Marinade

In small bowl combine Olive oil, pilsner beer, parsley, onion powder, lemon juice and salt/pepper- Whisk with small whip being certain to incorporate all ingredients

Pull back corn from husk being careful to leave husk intact at the end. Remove all the silk – Generously brush ears of corn with herb marinade and then pull husk back over the ears covering all the kernels

On baking sheet line up ears of corn-Place baking sheet in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until corn husks are  brown and kernels soft- 

Remove and Cool- 

Once cool, pull back husks. Using sharp knife slice and MILK the corn kernels off the cob into large bowl- Repeat process for all the ears of corn-Once complete add the red peppers, green & white onions and tomatoes. 

Being careful not to over mix stir corn mixture quickly- Next add olive oil, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper-

Let stand at room temperature for thirty minutes before enjoying

This salad can be made night before and brought out  to room temperature 30 minutes before being served 

Iachetti’s Kitchen

John Iachetti

Owner and Chef

Roast Cauliflower and Verry Veggie Flatbread- serves one

For this recipe you can use pizza dough or pizza shells

1 ea.  6 ounce pizza doughs- floured and rolled out to ¼ thickness

or 1 ea - 8 inch pizza shell-(store bought)

¼ . Head Cauliflower (-hard and white)-Un wrapped-

2 oz. olive oil

1 oz Italian parsley-chopped

1 oz garlic- chopped fine

1 ea whole lemon( cut in half, pitted) squeeze juice and reserve

 Pinch salt and black pepper

2 oz- roasted cauliflower

2 oz –pizza sauce- use tomato sauce as well

1oz-   broccoli raab- sautéed until soft (can also use spinach )

1 oz- artichokes- quartered – seasoned touch salt and pepper

1 oz- carrots-diced - sautéed until soft

5 ea pear or cherry tomatoes- cut in half

2  oz- Fresh Mozzarella- cut into 3 slices-approximately  1/8 inch thick

Method

Pre heat oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes-LEAVE OVEN ON-

Olive Oil Slurry

In small bowl combine Olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and salt/pepper- Whisk with small whip being certain to incorporate all ingredients

On baking sheet place cauliflower head up- Brush cauliflower generously with olive oil marinade- Once covered place in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until cauliflower is brown and soft- Remove and Cool- Once cool – Remove core and break cauliflower apart –RESERVE  REMAINING OLIVE OIL SLURRY

Flatbread

Place pizza crust on pizza paddle or on  pizza pan-

 Spread pizza sauce evenly on crust-

 Simply place Broccoli Raab, carrots and artichokes around flatbread shell

 Next place Roasted cauliflower throughout the shell covering other vegetables

Add mozzarella - Finish the flatbread  with the sliced tomatoes

Place in 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until crust is crispy and cheese melts

Remove flatbread and place on cutting board- Brush flatbreads crust with olive oil slurry

Let cool for 2-3 minutes -With pizza cutter or sharp knife cut flatbread into 8 even pieces and ENJOY!!

• 2 heads broccoli, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup golden raisins 
• 1/2 small onion, red or white diced
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup of cashew nuts

• 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise 
• 3-4 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar 

In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients; then stir into the salad until well coated with dressing.  Chill and serve.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound broccoli rabe 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 garlic clove, diced 
• 1/2  pound sausage, no casing 
• 3/4  pound ricotta cheese (whole milk) 
• 1/2  cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3  tablespoons grated cheese 
• 1 egg
• 2 pie crusts for bottom and top
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tsp olive oil 
• 
  

Sauté garlic and oil until lightly browned and add broccoli rabe; sauté until tender. Strain the broccoli rabe and garlic mixture to remove the excess liquid. Chop the mixture finely, and set aside for later use. Cook the sausage meat and the diced onions until the mixture is fully cooked.  Drain the sausage mixture of any excess liquid.  Make sure the sausage and onion mixture is chopped, without any large pieces of meat. Add sausage mixture to the broccoli rabe mixture.  Blend well.  Next, add the ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese and egg.   Stir until mixed well.  Add broccoli rabe and sausage mixture to the pie crust, and distribute evenly.  Add pie crust over the top.  Cut a vent hole in the center of the pie. Pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Brush the top of the pie and the edges with a beaten egg yolk.    Place pie on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving