An Italian Dinner

An Italian Dinner

A wonderful Italian dinner starting from homemade noodles complements of Karen Hancock- the Eclectic Epicurean.

Basic Pasta
 2-4 serving                            5-6 servings                       7-8 Servings
1-1/2 C flour                          2-1/4 C flour                      3  C flour
2 eggs                                    3 eggs                                 4 eggs

Note: Because of Utah's dry climate, a few tsp of milk are usually necessary. Never add water, oil, or salt to Italian pasta dough. When making stuffed pasta, add 1 additional tsp milk for every egg.

Hand Method: Mound the flour on the work surface. Make a well in the center. Place the eggs (and the milk if adding) in the mound and beat them with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour into the mixture. When enough glour is incorporated, knead the mixture, pressing against it with the heel of your palm folding it over and turning it again and again. After 8-10 minutes, it should be a smooth, compact, and elastic ball of dough. Pat it into a flattish bunlike shape.

Food Processor Method: Place the eggs and flour in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the mixture looks like cornmeal; if it is very dry and does not hold together when pinched with your fingers, add milk. Dump the mixture on a clean, dry countertop and form it into a ball.

Both Methods: Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest 15-30 minutes before rolling out.

Rolling out: Cut the ball of pasta into two pieces. Keeping one piece covered, flatten one half by patting between your fingers and palms. When it is about 1/2 inch thick, put it through the pasta machine at the thickest setting (#1); fold in half crosswise, and put it through at the thickest setting again. Run it through the second to thickest setting: fold the irregular side in  and roll through again. Continue rolling on thinner settings until the dough is the thickness you need for the type of pasta you are making.

Canneloni
Basic dough (2-4 servings)
 Bechamel Sauce
Spinach and Cheese Filling
3-4 cups Homemade or jarred (if you must) Italian Tomato Sauce
1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 C Butter

Roll the pasta dough as thin as possible and cut into rectangles 3"x4". Drop into boiling water; let each one cook about 2 minutes then plunge them in cold water and spread them on a dry non-terry towel. When all are cooked, pat dry with another towel.

Butter a 9X13 glass casserole dish. Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish and drizzle 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bechamel. Spread each of the pasta rectanles with a thin layer of bechamel, top with about a tablepoonful of filling, leaving a 1/2" border. Roll up tightly, jelly roll style, and place side by side in the prepared dish. Pour enough of the tomato sauce over to completely cover., then cover with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the cheese, and dot with the butter. kBake at 400* for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then serve.

Spinach and Cheese Filling
 10 oz. pckg. frozen spinach, thawed
1 tsp butter
1/4 C onion, finely chopped
1 beaten egg
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 C ricotta cheese (not fat-free)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Can add Italian sausage/ground turkey or beef - cooked

Squeeze out all of the liquid out of the spinach and chop fine. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the onion, ksaute over medium heat until soft. Mix the onion and the spinach. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
 Variation: Remove the casing from 4 hot Italian sausges brown in a skillet, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain well and stir in the spinach and cheese filling.

Bechamel Sauce
1/4 c butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan; add the flour and salt and whick until smooth. Add the milk, whisking constantly until the sauce is thick.

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms
2 lbs. large mushrooms
2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
4 finely chopped green onions

1 lb. kItalian sausage
1 pkge (5 oz.) stick pepperoni, coarsely chopped
1/2 C ricotta cheese
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and remove the stem, set the mushroom caps aside and finely chop the stems. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the chopped mushroom stems and green onions. Saute until soft, set aside.  Cook the sausage breakin it up until it is cooked through. Pour off all of the grease and add mlusroom onion mixture, cream cheese, salt and Italian Seasoning. Stirring over low heat until the cream cheese is soft, kStir in the mozzarella and Parmessan
Scoop the filling into the mushroom caps. Bake at *350 for 45 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through.

Italian Chopped Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 heads romaine
1/2 C cooked and crumbled bacon (can use prosciutto - bake at 400* for 10 minutes until crumbly)
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1-1/2 C crumbled Gorgonaola or blue cheese
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 avocados, chopped

1/2 batch Restaurant Style Italian Dressing

Chop the lettuce in small pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Stir in all but dressing and avocados. Mix a little of the dressing with the avocados then add with all the dressing into the lettuce.

Restaurant Style Italian Salad Dressing
1-1/2 C white wine vinegar
1 C water
1 C vegetable oil
3/4 cup corn syrup
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (cheap stuff is okay for this)
1 pdg (2 oz) dry pectin
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes   
                            
 

High Altitude Baking Tips

Here are some baking tips from the Salt Lake Tribune

To prevent your cake from rising up too high and then exploding and falling.
There is a cookbook just for it - Pie in the Sky:Successful Baking at High Altitude by Susan Purdy.
Here are some of her hints:

Cakes:
These are the most challenging to make at high altitudes, here there is less air pressure. Less pressure means cakes will rise higher - and fall quicker. One of the best things to do is strengthen the batter using one of several ways: reducing the sugar or other sweetener; adding a whole egg or an extra yolk; adding and additional Tbsp or two of flour or other starch; or decreasing the amount of leavening by 1/8-1/4 tsp.

Cookies:
Cookies are not affected by altitude as much as cakes, but the batter can spread too much at certain elevations making these treats thin, tough and crisp. Purdy suggests raising the oven temp15-25 degrees and cutting the baking time if spreading occurs. Cooks can also add a little flour or reduce the sugar to slow the spread. Another option is to reduce the leavening.

Muffins:
For best results fill muffins full instead of 2/3 full. Above 3,000 feet you might need to increase temp and cooking time slightly but do not overbake and make them too dry.

Other Quick Breads:
As altitude increases, baking power or soda should be reduced slighlty. To compensate for dryness that comes at high altitudes, add extra liquid. Using buttermilk or yogurt not only adds flavor and moisture it adds a bit of acidity wyich can help the batter set up more quickly and prevent sunken centers.

Yeast Breads:
With less air pressure pushing down, rising can get a little too enthusiastic, affecting texture and flavor.The remedy is to punch down the dough more often, at least 3 times, and avoid instant yeast which only exacerbates the problem. Refrigerating the dough overnight also helps slow the rising. As elevation rises decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe as it can contribute to the collapse.  Add more salt to improve flavor and slow the growth of yeast.

Egg Whites:
Many recipes call for betaing egg whites until stiff peaks form But Purdy found this to be detrimental at elevations higher than 2,500 feet. She says to stop beating when the whites have soft droopy peaks, when there is still room in the air cells to expand. If whites are beaten to stiff peaks, the air cells have no more room to expand and the cake will collapse when it cools.

Candies:
Altitude adjustments are absolutely necessary when making toffee, peanut brittle and caramels. At sea level, liquid boils at 212 degrees, but it boils at a lower temp the higher the altitude. Test your candy thermometers to determine at what temp liquid boild and adjust the recipe accordingly.

Other tips:
*All-purpose flour is oftenbetter than cake flour because it has a slightly higher protein content.
*Increase salt, extracts  or other flavoring agents, expecially over 7,000 feet, where flavors and aromas are less sharp.
*Have all of the ingredients at room temp before mixing so they blend smoothly
*Most mountain locations have extra-dry air that sucks moisture from baked goods. Cakes and cookies should be stored in airtight containers or covered with plastic as soon as they cool.
*Reducing the sugar by 2 Tbsp for every 1 C called for can help strengthen a cookie or cake batter.
*At elevations higher than 2,500 feet, do not beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
*Avoid quick or rapid-rise yeast. It can make dough rise too quickly affecting flaovr and texture.
*In quick breads use buttermilk or yogut, which can add flavor, moisture and a bit of acidity, which can add can help the batter set up more quickly and prevent sunken centers.