ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLE QUICHE

ROASTED  WINTER VEGETABLE QUICHE

This is something that I would make at least once a week in Italy during the damp rainy months from November – February.  It’s a great dish to put together at the last minute and makes any table look pretty darn impressive.  You can dress it up with a beautiful table setting or dress it down in a rustic context.  Give it a try, promise you will love it !

YOU’LL NEED:

(serves 6-8 per sei a otto persone

VEGETABLES

-          1 oven proof pie or flan try 8-10” in diameter

-          1 medium mixing bowl

-          1 large mixing bowl

-          1 medium size baking sheet

-          1 sheet of frozen pastry dough (I like Pepperidge Farm). Put in the fridge over night.

-          1 lb circa butternut squash, peeled and cubed

-          1 eggplant, halved lengthwise then cut into wedges 1/8” thick

-          2 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin slices lengthwise

-          1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into thin slices lengthwise

-          1 red onion halved and sliced thin

-          12 cherry tomatoes (halved)

-          1 tablespoon minced rosemary

-          1 tablespoon minced garlic

-          2 tablespoons brown sugar

-          3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

-          1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-          2 teaspoon kosher salt

-          1 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium size mixing bowl, place all the mixing bowl, add the olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper, brown sugar, spices and mix well with your hands.  Place on a baking sheet and into the oven at 400 degrees for approx. 25 minutes or until you have a nice glaze on the veggies. Remove and set aside.

QUICHE PREPARATION

-          5 egges

-          1 cup whole milk

-          ¼ cup heavy cream

-          1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

-          ¼ cup grated gruyere cheese

-          1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

-          1 teaspoon kosher salt

-          ½ teaspoon black pepper

            Remove the pastry dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface (cutting board), place the pastry sheet flat and flour the top surface lightly.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough so that it will cover your pie or flan pan (at least 12” if you are using an 8” pan). Gently press the pastry on your pie pan (bottom and sides), trim to fit and prick the bottom with a fork so that you don’t get bubbles. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.  Remove from freezer and line with tin foil (press the foil along the bottom) then place in your oven at 350 degrees and bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl,  whisk together the eggs with the milk and cream, stir in the cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper.

Transfer the cooled roasted veggies together with the egg mixture, then gently pour onto your pastry lined pie pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 350 or until set and lightly golden.

Serve warm or room temperature with a simple salad.

ENJOY !

A Discussion on Olive Oils

This is not a recipe but rather something food related and more important something involving the general health of my followers.

Firstly, note that there are FOUR principle categories of olive oils:

1. EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Characterized by the fact that it is of the first press (cold-pressed), has an acidity of less thanb .8%, the olives are picked from the tress, are milled within 48 hours of the harvest.  The olives are rinsed in cool water, twigs and leaves are not part of the milling process and the olives are stored briefly in containers which allow air flow so as to avoid molding. The color of the oil will range from greenish-golden to bright green and in general the deeper the color (green) the more intense the flavor and the aroma.
2. VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Similar to the EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) however slightly higher in acidity (less than 2% and cannot have any refined oil.
3. OLIVE OIL "FINO" OR FINE: Characterized by being a blend of both Virgin and the Extra Virgin thus not refined and an acidity of less than 2%.
4. LIGHT OLIVE OIL: Do not take the category literally as this oil is not light in fat but rather light in color and in aroma. This oil does contain monounsaturated fats as do the other categories but may be refined to reduce the acidity level and consequently will have virtually no flavor and very light in color. It will have a very low degree of antioxidants and other beneficial health characteristics.  Good for cooking, low in price !

Olive oil is unique among oils in that it is able to be consumed in its crude state without any refining which gives it powerful effects on our immune system, specifically the vitamins and fatty acids (antioxidants that protect us from Free Radical Oxidation).

HISTORY
Olive oil has been part of our diet for more than 5000 years dating back to the Greeks and the Romans. In ancient times, consumption of good olive oils resulted in a healthy existence, notably due to the so call Mediterranean diet as we all know is so important to longevity.

The problem today is that the ancient methods of hand picking the olives and being pressed immediately with no blending of poor quality or contaminated oils is very costly. The refining process allows the producers to increase their quantities to make production worth the buck but this results in the destruction of the antioxidants characteristic of the good oils.

WHAT THE GOOD OIL DOES TO KEEP US HEALTHY
Pure extra virgin olive oils contain nutrients such as vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants that protect us from cell damage by Free Radical Oxidation. Our cell membranes contain fatty acids which are very susceptible to free radical damage which in turn produces LIPID PEROXIDES which can harm and kill the cell.
Good quality extra virgin olive oil will protect our cell membranes from this oxidation as it contains Polyphenols and Vitamin E along with other natural antioxidants which is seen to protect our cell membrans from free radical damage or in other words will reduce the oxidation of cholesterol which also protects the good olive oil (for prolonged shelf life up to 3 years if store correctly).
Olive oils contain fatty acids, notably Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) which are healthy dietary fat. These fats may lower the total cholesterol, help blood clotting and may also benefit insulin levels. Olive oils are high in calories, but if used in moderation they will contribute to a stronger and healthier immune system. If consumed in the crude form, the essential fatty acids will be conserved and will protect us from free radical oxidation.
By eliminating the bad Saturated Oils from our diet and substituting them with the monounsaturated fatty acids we can help our body's immune system by:
- Lowering our cholesterol
- Lowering our blood pressure
- Lowering the risk of heart disease
- Lowering the risk of some cancers

TODAY
Because of the fast food and packaged food industries, we are consuming large quantities of Hydrogenated Oils which have been implicated in cancer and heart disease. Basically the modern processed oils are very bad to human health !
The likelyhood of going to the supermarket and finding a good olive oil is very low.  In the United States, there is an abundance of lower quality olive oils which are refined to much in order to be labelled as Extra Virgin (the refining process lowers the acidity) but the Department of Agriculture in the the USA is not a member of the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) which has set very strict guuidelines on an international level for the production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Virgin Olive Oils.  The only guideline in this country which isn't even a legal parameter is the level of acidity but this alone DOES NOT INSURE QUALITY OLIVE OIL. So help protect your body from the bad stuff, eliminate refined oils/foods. Eat fresh produce and use Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the real stuff).
Select the olive oil that will protect your immune system. Store the oil in a cool and dark place and it can last up to two years.  It has been suggested that by purchasing the oil in small quantities and consuming it within a year you will be able to obtain the best flavor and conserve the maximum amount of nutrients and antioxidants that your body needs.

So there you have it.... a good start for a healthy life !

TACCHINO TONNATO - Turkey slices with a creamy tuna sauce !

People look at me oddly when I propose this dish.... can't figure out why because its delicious ! This is a Florentine classic which I would eat on the hot summer days with friends and family. My wife's cousin made this dish for me on several occasions, they live in Fiesole and have a wonderful garden where we would sit in the evening and enjoy this dish with a dry white chilled wine !

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 6)

- Turkey breast cut into thin slices (number two on the deli meat cutter) you will need about 2.5 lbs or you can boil the turkey breast yourself, see prep. instructions.  I tend to buy the breast sliced, its easier.
- 3 white onions (for the boiling of the turkey breast)
- 1 Tablespoon salt (for boiling of turkey breast)
- 5 pepper corns (for boiling of turkey breast)
- 2 celery stalks cut up well (for boiling of turkey breast)
----------------
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 egg yoks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (do not use Frenches please)
- 1.5 cups olive oil
- 3/4 lb tuna packed in water
- 1 small can of anchovy fillet (drain and rinse)
- 2 small sour pickles
- 1 teaspoon drianed capers

PREPARATION:
This is for the turkey breast if you should decide to cook it yourself: fill 3/4 with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the onions, celery,peppercorns and the turkey breast. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until cooked completely.
Now, get out your food processor and add the egg yolk, mustard and salt and blend in the oil then the vinegar and blend.
In the above mixture, add in the (while processor on)  tuna, anchovy, pickles, may and capers. Blend until the mixture is smooth in texture. Place in a bowl and chill.
Your turkey should be sliced thin (setting two on the deli meat cutter as mentioned above) and you will want to figure on 2-3 slices of turkey per person. Place on a large platter and pour your creamy sauce over the top so that it is completely covered. Now place the platter in your fridge (covered with wrap) for about 20-30 minutes so that the sauce can penetrate the turkey. Remove and garnish with fresh basil and serve !

ENJOY !!

A TUSCAN PICNIC - LA PANZANELLA !

There are two schools of thought regarding this Tuscan classic, the Panzanella bread salad, first is use bread with no crust and moisten it in crumbled pieces then mix all the bread together with your hands then squeeze out the moisture.  The other is my preferred in which one uses 1 inch pieces of Italian bread or ciabatta bread.

LA PANZANELLA BREAD SALAD
(serves 6-8)

YOU'LL NEED:
- 1/4 cup drained and rinced capers
- 2 loafs of ciabatta bread (1 or 2 days old)
- 1/4 cvup of red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ripe tomatoes cored
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup julienned fresh basil
- 1 red onion cut into thin slices (soak the slices in cold water for about 15 minutes prior to adding to salad)
- 1 cup roasted red bell peppers cut into strips (see note below)
- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives halved
- salt and pepper to taste

(roasted red bell peppers: wash your peppers, cut in halve and remove the core. Cut into thin slices and place in bowl. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt & pepper. Mix well then place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes on 400. Set aside to cool)

PREPARATION:
Soak the capers in 2 tablespoons red vinegar for about 15 minutes, then drain. Cut the crusts off the ciabatta (i cut only the end crusts) then cut in halve then again into 1 inch piecees. Place the bread in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the bread then mix with your hands so the bread is thinly coated with the oil. Place on a baking sheet and grill until the bread is lightly golden in color, set aside to cool.
Blanche the tomatoes (score the bottoms of the tomatoes and place in boiling water for about 30-40 seconds until the skin starts to come back. Remove from the water and place in ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel tomatoes then cut in half then again so they are cut in about 3/4 inch pieces. If they are seedy then remove the seeds prior to cutting into quarters.

In a good size bowl, wisk 1 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup of vinegar, add the minced garlic and one lemon juice. Add the bread pieces into the vinegarette along with the tomatoes, basil and combine well.  Add in the capers, the peppers, red onions to the mixture and get your hands into the mixture and combine. Taste of proper seasoning. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes prior to serving.

EASY AS 1-2-3 !
ENJOY...

BAKED RICOTTA........ who ever thought?

Ok, now this is something sooo darn simple, my grandmother used to make this for us all and if served in the proper context it will knock your socks off !

YOU'LL NEED:
- 3 cups ricotta (dont go with the diet stuff people !)
- 3 sprigs of rosemary (chopped fine)
- 1 lemon zested
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

PREPARATION:
Preheat your oven to 375.  Combine the ricotta, rosemary, zested lemon, olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, minced garlic in a bowl and mix well together until uniform.  Transfer your ricotta mixture to an oven proof dish and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until the top is golden in color.  Remove from the oven and drizzle olive oil over the top and serve with fresh bread (my garlic bread is suggested or better yet, my gorgonzola and walnut crackers !)

Easy as 1-2-3

ENJOY !