Tiramisu

A cool, creamy, lightly coffee flavored Italian dessert.

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
2 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules mixed with 1/2 cup of warm water OR 1/2 cup strong coffee/espresso
30 Ladyfingers (enough to make two layers in the dish of your choosing)*
15 Amaretti cookies (or any crisp cookie with hazelnuts, almonds, etc.)
fine chocolate of your choice for garnish OR cocoa powder

Place about 1.5 inches of water in a sauce pan over medium heat.  On top of this place a microwaveable glass bowl.  The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water in the pan.  To this, add your egg yolks and sugar and slowly whisk.  Once the bowl heats up and starts steaming you will need to continually whisk the eggs to keep them from scrambling.  Whisk for about 15 minutes - the eggs will triple in volume, and form a thick yellow custard.  You will know the eggs are done when it becomes difficult to whisk.   Immediately remove the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool.

When it becomes cool, beat in the soft (room temperature) cream cheese using a hand held mixer.  The mixture should be smooth and free of lumps.  Place in the refrigerator.

Place the whipping cream in a stainless steel metal bowl, and using a hand held mixer, beat on high until the whipping cream becomes light and frothy.  And in a tablespoon of sugar and continue beating for a couple minutes.  Add 1 more tablespoon of sugar and beat for 2 minutes.  Add the last tablespoon of sugar and beat until the whipped cream forms stiff peaks. 

Remove the egg/cream cheese mixture from the refrigerator and gently fold in the whipped cream just until combined.**

Set out your desired serving dish (i.e. I used my 11 cup oblong Pyrex, an 8inch by 10inch - but you can use any glass dish, trifle dish, etc.  Adjust your the layers in your dessert accordingly.).  Well coat the amarettti cookies in the coffee, then place on the bottom of the dish - repeat until there is a complete layer on the bottom.  Add a third of your cream mixture to the top of this and spread evenly. Dip ladyfingers in coffee and then layer across the cream mixture.  Add the next third of the cream mixture in an even layer across the ladyfingers.  Add another layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, and the last of your cream mixture.  Last, grate the chocolate over the top of the cream OR lightly dust with cocoa powder.

Chill for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. 

*I found ladyfingers in the Asian grocery store, of all places

**To make a delicious Italian custard/pudding, zabaglione, make the egg yolks as stated above.  SKIP the cream cheese step, and pour the warm custard over fresh berries, sliced peaches, etc.  Or for another variation, cool the custard in the refrigerator.  When it is cold, fold in the whipped cream.  Serve with assorted fresh berries, fresh sliced peaches, etc.

Lasagna

1 lb hot Italian sausage (ground)
1/2 lb ground beef
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, rough chopped
1 carrot, rough chopped
6 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1- 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1- 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon each of basil, oregano, parsley (any combination)
pinch of red chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 - 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 egg
3 cups mozarella cheese





1.  Bring a pot of water to boil.  Drop in lasagna noodles and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until almost cooked.

2.  In a saute pan, brown the ground beef and sausage.  Drain excess fat.

3.  In a pot heat oil, then add chopped onions, carrot and garlic.  Saute until carrots are soft.  Add canned tomatoes and tomato sauce along with seasonings.  Simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Blend the mixture in thoroughly in a blender. Return to pot and stir in ground beef and sausage. 

4.  Stir together ricotta, parmesan, egg, seasonings.

5.  In a 9x13 pan ladle some of the sauce.  Lay 3 noodles side by side.  Spoon half of ricotta mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese.  Ladle sauce.  Continue with noodles, remaining ricotta, mozzarella and sauce.  Lay last 3 noodles across, ladle sauce, and sprinkle with remaining ricotta.

6.  Bake at 400, covered for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles - cook according to instructions and keep in cold water until ready to use
1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
2 cans italian-style diced tomatoes
1 lb hot italian sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
salt to taste
14 oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 cups or 10 oz mozzarella cheese - shredded/grated

Cook sausage until browned, drain fat. Saute onion then add to sausage. Add spices and tomato sauce and tomatoes. Simmer for about a 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix ricotta, parmesan and oregano together, set aside.

Put enough sauce to fill bottom of 9x13 pan then a layer of noodles. On top of that spread or drop lumps of cheese filling. On top of that sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers: sauce, noodles, cheeses. 3rd layer: noodles, sauce then mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for about 30 minutes. Take off foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Marsala

2 large chicken breasts
Flour
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Old Bay seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil
2 pieces of bacon, chopped
16 oz mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup marsala
1 1/2 cup water
1 chicken bouillion cube (about 1 teaspoon of granules)
2 tablespoons butter

Slice chicken breasts in half. (Mine are always large and thick, but I like them to be serving size.) Flatten between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out with a rolling pin until 1/4 to 1/2" thick.

Mix together about a 1/2 cup of flour, a teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning (to taste), oregano and the salt and pepper.

While heating the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, toss the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. When oil is hot, add the floured chicken breasts. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. (Chicken should be fully cooked. If both sides are browned and chicken is not fully cooked, can place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to complete the cooking process.)

Remove the chicken breasts and lower heat. Add bacon and saute until browned. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add marsala and cook for about 7 minutes. Add hot water and chicken bouillion, and simmer until desired consistency is reached. Add butter. Add chicken breasts, heat.

Serve over pasta or with a side of yummy garlic mashed potatoes . . .

Chicken Parmesan

One of the few pasta dishes my husband will eat . . .

Notes. 1) We sometimes marinate the chicken for 6 hours (or overnight), just using a simple italian dressing marinade. 2) The sauce may have a little more 'tick' to it than your used to. Cut back on pepper accordingly.

Ingredients

1 can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste (depending on acid level of tomatoes)
~ ~ ~
2 slices of bread, slightly stale
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, whisked
olive oil
3 chicken breasts

Method

To prepare the sauce, first saute onion in olive oil until tender, add garlic. Meanwhile, puree tomatoes in a blender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to the onion. Add all remaining ingredients, simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

To prepare the coating. Pulse the slices of bread in a blender until finely crumbled. Mix in a bowl with the parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper. To prepare the chicken, layer a chicken breast between sheets of wax paper and use a rolling pin to flatten to about 1/3-1/2 inch thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Dip in egg, shaking extra egg off before dipping in bread crumb coating. Again, shake excess crumbs off. Repeat with remaining chicken breast. Mean while, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, place chicken in the pan. After 3 minutes, check. If golden brown turn to the other side. Watch carefully, it will cook faster on this side. When golden brown, remove from pan, place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Last 5 minutes, can put a slice of mozzarella on top of each chicken breast. Serve over your favorite pasta with the tomato sauce.