Sicilian Rice Balls (Arancini)

FILLING:

½ lb ground meat
½ cup peas
½ small onions
2 Tbsp. Tomato paste
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

PREFERED FILLING
Make or buy an Italian meat sauce.
Get about a pound of top sirloin stake (or something like that)

Lightly brown meat. Then add to the Italian sauce. It needs to be completely submerged in the sauce. Cook in the sauce until the meat flakes with a fork. If necessary you can then cut through the shredded meet to make sure there are no long shreds of meat.

Put aside for the rice ball assembly.


RICE:

2 cups of dry rice (Uncle Bens long grain rice)
2 cubes / ½ lb. of butter
1 large or 2 medium eggs
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
¼ Cup Gruyere cheese
½ gal. Vegetable oil
Bread crumbs
4 ½ cups of water
4 tbsp. of butter
Small green peas

Cook rice in water and 4 tbsp. of butter for about 25 minutes, until water is gone and rice is just a little gummy. Bring to a boil then simmer.

Then add the 2 cubes of butter to hot rice and let cool.

Separate yoke from whites. (Save egg white to roll rice ball in later.)

After rice has cooled to Luke warm, add egg yoke and mix well into the rice.

Add cheese and mix well.

Use a ¼ cup ice-cream scoop, scoop rice and set on wax paper. Make a well in ball and add ½ tsp. of meat mixture with 3 peas, pick up rice and form ball around the center mixture. Roll in your hands until a butter seal forms on the ball. Then place back on wax paper for next step.

Then take the egg white with a hand whisk beat until it becomes more liquid.

Take the rice balls and roll in the egg whites and then in the bread crumbs. Then set aside in a clean pan.

Deep fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. (about 350 degrees) Do not get oil to hot. When rice ball is placed in the oil it should look like a light boil. If it cooks to fast, lower the temperature.

SERVE HOT AS A SIDE DISH WITH MEAT OR FOWL.


Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Italian Desert ( Cannoli)

Filling
2 lbs. Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tsp. vanilla
½ cup finely chopped candied citron
¼ semi sweet mini chocolate chips (as much as desired)
Pistachio nuts (finely chopped)

Shells
3 cups of flour (sifted)
¼ cup of sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. shortening
2 eggs well beaten
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. Sweet red wine
2 tbsp. water

Place ricotta cheese in a strainer to drain some of the excess water from the ricotta. Whip ricotta in electric mixer until smooth and light. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue mixing until the mixture is smooth. Remove from mixer and fold in fruits and chocolate. This filling recipe is enough for about 2 dozen shells.

Sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Add shortening, 2 eggs (well beaten). Cut in with blender until pieces are size of small peas. Then blend in white vinegar, red wine, and water.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in refrigerator for 30 min.

Set out deep saucepan or automatic deep fryer to approximately 360 F.

Roll chilled dough 1/8 inch thick on floured surface. From cardboard, cut an oval pattern (6 x 4 ½.) Cut ovals from dough.

Wrap dough loosely around tubes just lapping over opposite edges. Seal edges with egg white slightly beaten. Press edges together to seal.

Fry only as many shells as will float un-crowded one layer deep in the oil. Fry about 8 minutes or until golden brown turning occasionally during frying time. Drain on paper towel. Cool slightly and remove tubes. Cool completely.

When ready to serve, fill with ricotta filling. Dip ends of cannoli in finely ground pistachio nuts, add half cherry on ends. Dust shells with confectioner’s sugar.

Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Green Bean Casserole with Cheese

¾ cup of milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 -10 ¾ oz can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 – 16 oz of green beans frozen or fresh
1 1/3 cups of crunchy fried onions
1 cup of cheddar cheese


Cook or steam beans until tender.

When bean are cool mix in 1 ½ qt. casserole, mix all ingredients, except 2/3 cup fried onions and 2/3 cup of cheese.

Place the balance of cheese on top of casserole with remaining fried onions. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 30 min. until cheese has melted and casserole is hot and bubbly.

Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Italian Tomatoe Salad

4 medium tomatoes - halved and each half cut into thirds

1 tbsp.shallot onions

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbsp.feta cheese

2 tbsp. pine nuts- lightly roasted

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

( If using feta, go easy on the salt)

In a bowl, mix in all the ingredients except nuts.

Chill for an hour or so. Garnish with toasted nuts just before serving.

serving suggestion

Spoon this salad between two slices of italian bread for a light, cold sandwich.

Can also be a salad side dish for your main course. Um good!

Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Italian Spedini

½ lb. lean ground beef
½ lb. ground pork.
1 tsp. finely chopped parsley.
½ clove of garlic
1 loaf white bread
3 large eggs
2 cups of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs
8 ounces Precious Mozzarella Whole Piece
½ cup of olive oil
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
One small package of 9" size wooden skewers

Stack 4 slices of bread at a time on a cutting board and cut the bread crusts off. Take the bread crusts and tear into small pieces, enough to make one cup. Cut the bread without the crust into 1” squares and set aside for later use. You will need to cut more 1” squares as you assemble the spedini. Eventually you may slice up most of the loaf of bread for this recipe.

In a medium size bowl mix the ground beef and ground pork, 1 egg, bread pieces (take 1 cup of bread pieces and soak in water and squeeze dry), 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, ½ clove of garlic, 1 tsp of finely chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. This is easier if mixed with your hands. Shape the meat mixture into 1" inch size meatballs. At this stage you may want to fry a small piece of the meatball mixture to taste and adjust seasonings.

Cut the block of mozzarella cheese in to 1”x 1” x ¼” size cubes.

Set all the ingredients on the counter or table in assembly line fashion.

Put 2 eggs a flat bowl. Using a fork or whisk, blend together until evenly mixed. You can add some milk to the eggs to ensure sufficient egg wash for the spedini.

Pour 2 cups dry breadcrumbs in a separate pan and add 2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese.

Using the 9” skewers, start with the meatball, then bread, then cheese. Alternate until skewer is filled and set aside. End the skewer with a meatball. Cut additional squares of bread and cheese until all the meatballs are used up.

Dredge each spedini in the egg mixture and immediately dip into the bread crumbs. Set the breaded spedini’s on another plate. After all the Spedini”s are dipped and breadcrumb coated, place them on a flat cookie sheet or pan. Drizzle them with olive oil.

Bake at 375 until brown and the meatball is cooked, remove from pan and place on a plate.

Enjoy this delightful recipe as an appetizer. You can put them on toothpicks, putting one meatball, one bread square and one cheese square. Otherwise, these are great for a dinner with a nice salad and your favorite dressing.

Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Italian Skillet Potatoes

1 lb. potatoes (4 small)
1 cup of onions (chopped)
¼ cup of chicken broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. butter
1 small clove of garlic
¼ tsp of sugar
½ teaspoon parsley
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
½ tsp. sweet basil
½ tsp. oregano

Sauté onions in oil, butter and water. Cover and simmer until onions are lightly brown and caramelized. Add garlic when onions are almost done. You can add ¼ tsp. of sugar to sweeten onions. (Optional) Put aside until ready to assemble.

Prepare a mix of seasoning consisting of parsley, sweet basil and oregano.

Thinly slice potatoes. In a 9” oven proof skillet put 1 tbsp. of olive oil.

Start layering potatoes in oven proof skillet. First layer top with onions, parmesan cheese, lightly sprinkle with seasoning mixture and salt and pepper sparingly. Proceed with next layer repeating above ingredients. End with layer of potatoes and seasoning.

Cook covered on medium high heat approximately 10 min. (or until lightly brown). Then flip and brown other side of potatoes another 10 min. adding a ¼ cup of chicken broth (keep a little in reserve) and keep covered (this steams the potatoes) another few minutes until almost all liquid has steamed off..

Put in oven at 375 degrees approximately 20 minutes making sure the liquid has dried out. Test potatoes with a skewer to make sure they are cooked.

Sprinkle remaining seasoning and parmesan cheese on top. Also, gruyere cheese could be sprinkled on top. (optional)


Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter

Italian Stuffed Mushrooms

1 14oz. package of mushrooms (about 18 mushrooms with 2 inch cap
1 Small to medium onion (approx. 1 ½ cup diced)
2/3 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine
1 clove of garlic
1 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste


Remove stem and fringe from caps of mushrooms, dice stems and put aside.

Sauté onions in pan with olive oil until onions are clear and lightly brown. Add wine, garlic and diced mushroom stems. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from stove.

Add the Italian bread crumbs and stir to allow the bread crumbs to absorb the olive oil. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Then add 2 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

After all stuffing is mixed together well, let it sit for a few minutes. Check to make sure the mixture is not too dry or it will not stay together when cooked. You should be able to make a ball of the mixture and it will stick together. If too dry add some olive oil, if it is too wet, add more bread crumbs.

Stuff the mushroom caps with the stuffing mix and place on a oiled flat baking pan. Sprinkle tops with some additional Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

These can be prepared a day in advance. Just place the mushroom caps in a zip lock bag with some olive oil. Close bag and turn until all the caps are covered with the oil.

Put the prepared stuffing in a bag and refrigerate.

When ready just stuff the caps, put cheese and a little olive oil on top and your family is ready for the greatest Italian side dish ever.

Buon Appetito!

Salvatore and Pauline Libutti
Buon Appetito Secret Recipe Newsletter