Chicken Scarpariello

Ingredients

4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp butter or non-hydrogenated margarine
1/4 medium white onion, minced (about 3 tbsp)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup water
1/2 cup white wine (or unsweetened apple juice)*
3/4 cup chicken boullion (1 OXO pouch prepared in boiling water)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
pinch ground black pepper

Direction

Cut chicken breasts into 1" wide strips and then roll in flour.

Heat butter and oil in skillet. Add chicken. Cook until lightly browned all over and cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet, and keep it warm.

Add onions and garlic yo same skillet and sautee just until softened.

In a small bowl, stir together water, wine, boullion mix, and seasonings. Pour over onions and garlic. Simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced by half.

Return chicken to skillet and cook until sauce is thick and chicken is heated through.


Suggestion
Serve over pasta

Perfect desert: Tiramisu

Tiramisu is the most heavenly desert. Its name means "pull-me-up" (Tirami su in Italian), a reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso, and can be translated figuratively as "pick-me-up".

Different stories report the creation of the cake to have been born in the city of Siena. Some confectioners were said to have created it in honour of Cosimo III on the occasion of his visit to the city. Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 to 1723 and the husband of Marguerite Louise d'Orléans.

Ingredients
4 servings

12 Lady finger biscuits or savoiardi (Genoa)sponge fingers
50 cl of strong black coffee
3 eggs
150 g sugar
250 g Mascarpone cheese
10 cl Marsala or brandy liquor
20 g of bitter cocoa

Drection

Pour the cold coffee and liquor into a shallow dish. The biscuits are briefly soaked in espresso (with the optional addition of liquor and sugar). Book in the refrigerator.

Clarify the eggs. Remove the yolks in a bowl and whites in another.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with electric beaters until pale and thick. Add mascarpone and mix well with an electric beater. Then add whipped cream. Using a wooden spoon, mix gently until just combined. Refrigerate the mascarpone mixture.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with electric beaters until soft peaks form. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Dip enough biscuits into the coffee mixture to cover the base of a ceramic dish.

Cover the Lady Fingers with 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture. Repeat layers 2 times, ending with the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Dust generously with cocoa just before serving, decorate with chocolate flakes and serve.

NOTES
It is possible to replace Mascarpone cheese with a thick cream.
The Tiramisu fragrance may be modified if soak up biscuits into milk chocolate, tea or syrup flavored with orange.

Enjoy

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
6 servings,
1 cup each

Ingredients

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Direction

HEAT oven to 400°F. Stir tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with basil. Top with cheese and stuffing mixture.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Serving Suggestion
Serve with cooked green beans and a bagged green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Light Reduced Fat Dressing.

Substitute
Prepare omitting the garlic and using STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix Italian Style with Roasted Garlic.

Tossed Italian Garden Salad

Prep Time: 10 min

6 servings

Ingredients

10 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup KRAFT Light House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing

Direction

TOSS greens, vegetables and basil with dressing

Easy Cheesy Frittata

Ingredients
6 serves

4 eggs
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp.
water 1/2 cup
chopped seeded tomatoes 1 cup
KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese,
divided 2 slices
OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs, egg whites and water in medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended.

2. Stir in tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the bacon and basil. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.
3. Bake 25 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 pounds store-bought ravioli
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.

3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Slow Cooker Rosemary and Red Pepper Chicken

Prep Time 20 min.
Cook Time 7 hrs.
Serves 8

Calories: 200 kcal
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Fat: 4 g
Protein: 31 g
Sugars: 1 g

Ingredients

1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces turkey Italian sausages, casings removed
8 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Nutrition InfoPer Serving


2. Cooking Directions
In a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker, combine onion, bell pepper, garlic, rosemary, and oregano. Crumble sausages over onion mixture. Rinse chicken and pat dry; arrange in a single layer over sausage. Sprinkle with pepper. Pour in vermouth. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 5 to 7 hours, or until chicken is tender and cooked through when pierced.
Transfer chicken to a warm, deep platter, and cover to keep warm.
In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water. Stir into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Increase heat to High, and cover. Cook, stirring 2 to3 times, until sauce is thickened (about 10 more minutes). Season to taste with salt. Spoon sauce over chicken, and sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 8 servings

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

A 'back to basics' version of the classic Chicken Cacciatore. Chicken meat simmered with garlic, onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, beans and oregano. This recipe can easily be doubled. Serve over cooked noodles or rice, if desired

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 pound chicken meat, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup green beans
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano


DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Add chicken, then stir in tomatoes, beans and oregano.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Chicken Cacciatore in the Crockpot

Ingredients

Starting from the bottom up in a crockpot:

4 lg. boneless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning
onion powder (use amount that you like)
garlic powder (use amount that you like)
1 lg. green pepper, diced into small chunks
1 sm. pack of button mushrooms, chunked into pieces

Pour over everything:

2 cans Rotel or similiar tomatoes
1 C. chicken broth

Direction

DO NOT STIR -- It will cook down together.

Cook on High for 4 hrs. Remove chicken to a plate and shred with 2 forks. Add the chicken back into the crockpot mixture.

At this point, you could thicken the mixture if you like a more "gravy"-like sauce. I didn't thicken it.

Serve over rice.

Pasta e fagioli con sausage

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
6 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 3/4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tubetti or other small macaroni
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, halve the sausages lengthwise and then cut crosswise into slices.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
3. Puree 4 cups of the beans with 1 1/4 cups of the broth in a blender or food processor. Add the puree to the pot along with the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth, the whole beans, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the pasta. Cook the soup over moderate heat, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the sausage and the pepper. Cook until the sausage is warmed through, about 1 minute.

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Italian Chicken

This Italian chicken dish is easy to prepare and to cook. The marinade transforms this basic chicken dish into a great, fast dinner.

Serving: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless breasts of chicken
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can of French cut green beans
approximately 1 1/2 cups Italian salad dressing

Direction:

1. Put some of the dressing on the bottom of a glass casserole dish.

2. Add the chicken and cover it with the rest of the dressing.

3. Drain the beans and tomatoes and add them to the dish. Cover with lid.

4. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes on 325 degrees, until the chicken is tender. It will be marinated with the dressing which makes a delicious, quick and easy meal.

Based on individual serving.
Calories: 340
Total Fat: 23 g
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Protein: 28 g

Italian Basic Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions or thinly sliced leeks (whites only)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, lima beans, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (cut larger vegetables into smaller pieces)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing.
4. Pour remaining soup in small batches into bowl of a food processor; carefully puree until smooth, and return to saucepan. Stir in cream; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the reserved mushrooms, and serve hot.

Yield: 8 servings

NOTE:
This basic soup can be made with any combination of fresh or frozen vegetables, so it will taste a little different each time.

Italian dessert - Iced soft chestnut cream with persimmon sauce

Iced soft chestnut cream with persimmon sauce
(Semifreddo di marroni con crema di cachi)

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Semifreddo:
9 oz. chestnut cream in a jar
1 pint whipping cream
2 egg whites
1-1/2 oz. sugar
1/2 oz. gelatin in sheets, or equivalent (not essential)
zucchero

Direction

Soften the gelatin in cold water for 20 minutes, then melt it into 2-3 heated tablespoons of the chestnut cream. Beat the chilled whipping cream into stiff peaks then fold into the chestnut/gelatin mixture. Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and mix with the sugar dissolved in a bit of water. Add gently to the chestnut mixture. Pour into individual molds which have been dipped in cold water. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours.

Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 ripe persimmons (replaceable with cherry syrup)
lemon juice
1 T. sugar

Direction

While the cream is chilling, peel and seed the persimmons. Puree the pulp together with the lemon juice and sugar and chill. Tip the cream cups out on individual dessert plates and drizzle with the persimmon sauce.

Italian New Year Recipe - Parmesan Chicken

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.


Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings

Italian New Year Recipe: Roast Beef with Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce

Beef Roast:
1 (2 to 2 1/2-pound) sirloin tip or chuck beef roast
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 Roma tomatoes, cut in 1/2 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil


To make the beef roast, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Season the tomatoes with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.

Place a medium, heavy roasting pan or Dutch oven over high heat. Heat the olive oil. Sear the beef over high heat on all sides. Turn off heat. Place the seasoned tomatoes around the seared beef and place the pan in the oven. Roast until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees F. for medium rare, 135 for medium, about 30 to 40 minutes. Take the roast out of the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should rise 5 degrees F more and the juices will redistribute into the roast.

To make the sauce, place the parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the parsley is finely chopped. Add the red pepper flakes, salt, red wine vinegar and the roasted tomatoes from the beef pan and process until pureed. Add the olive oil in a steady stream with the machine running.

To serve, slice the roast and place on a serving platter. Drizzle a little sauce over the meat. Serve the remaining sauce in a small bowl alongside.

Italian Christmas recipe: Spaghetti with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

450g spaghetti
l 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Freshly grated Romano cheese or Parmesan to serve

Meatball:

1 thick slice of white bread
4 tbsp milk
340g lean minced beef
3 tbsp chopped parsley

Sauce:

3 cloves of garlic crushed
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten
3 tbsp olive oil
l 1/2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
1/2l tsp sugar
1 glass of red wine or water
1 tsp dried oregano


Directions:

First make the sauce.

1. Add all the remaining ingredients including the rest of the parsley and garlic. Stir gently to mix without breaking up the meatballs.
2. Cook until simmering then reduce heat to low and cover.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning adding a hint more sugar if the sauce seems on the sharp side.
5. Reheat when needed adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.

Meatballs:

1. Remove crust from the bread and tear into small pieces. Soak in the milk for 10 minutes then add the minced beef half the parsley and half the garlic salt and pepper.

2. Mix well kneading with your hands to break up the bread. Add just enough egg to bind. Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into small balls.

3. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a frying pan large enough to take the meatballs in a single layer. Fry the meatballs briskly until browned all over.

4. Cook in sauce for at least 10 minutes



Spaghetti:

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti.
2. Boil until al dente then drain. Return to the pan and toss with a tablespoonful of olive oil.
3. Divide between four large bowls or plates and top with meatballs in their sauce.

Serves 4

Frittata - Italian omelet

Frittata is an Italian omelet variation. You can add any of the fillings you like in a traditional omelet and use this procedure. Since it bakes rather than fries, the frittata does not need the tending of an omelet and can be made for a large number of people at one time.

If using leftover baked and glazed ham for a recipe like this one, trim off the sweet glaze or it may clash with the seasonings.


Ingredients

2 eggs
2 teaspoons breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon milk
1 teaspoon parsley

Instructions

1. Mix all indredients together and beat well.
2. Heat skillet and spray with cooking spray.
3. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook until almost set; fold omelet in half and cook about 30 seconds longer.