lunaticsinge.com - Italian Cuisine Sides & Vegetables

Smothered Escarole - (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb. (2 heads) escarole

6 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Ground black pepper

1. To prepare the escarole, cut out the core, wash the leaves twice in abundant cold water, drain, and discard any damaged or discolored leaves. Saute the garlic in oil in a large pot until golden, but not brown. Add the leaves and seasonings, cover, and cook over moderate heat 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the garlic; serve immediately.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes - (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Idaho or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed & unpeeled

Salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ground pepper. preferable white

1. Pour enough cold water over the potatoes in a large saucepan to cover them by a few inches. Season the water with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. Peel the potatoes, and pass them through a ricer or a food mill with a fine disc. Gently stir in the olive oil, and season them to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Brussels Sprouts Braised with Vinegar - (serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts

1/4 cup extra-virgin oil. plus more for drizzling

6 cloves garlic, peeled

Salt

1 cup water, or as needed

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Ground black pepper

1. Trim the core of the sprouts. Remove the discolored outer leaves, and cut each sprout vertically in half. Wash them thoroughly, and drain well.

2. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a 3 to 4-quart braising pot or wide, deep skillet. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, and toss them into the oil, shaking the pan until they turn golden, about 2 minutes. Stir the sprouts into the oil, season them lightly with salt, and stir until they turn bright green, about 3 minutes. Pour in 1 cup water and the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the liquid is simmering. Cook, uncovered, until the sprouts are tender and almost falling apart and the liquid is almost completely evaporated, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. If the liquid is evaporated before the sprouts are tender, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time, as necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spoon the sprouts into a serving bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, and serve.

Eggplant Parmigiana - (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplants, or 5 to 6 smaller ones (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.)

1 tablespoon sea or kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

All-purpose flour, for dredging

2 cups plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup vegetable oil, or as needed

1/2 cup olive oil, or as needed

4 cups tomato sauce

2 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

12 fresh basil leaves

1 lb. mozzarella or Italian Fontina cheese, sliced 1/3 inch thick

1. Trim the stems and ends from the eggplants. Remove strips of peel about 1-inch wide from the eggplants, leaving about half the peel intact. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/2 inch-thick slices, and place them in a colander. Sprinkle with the coarse salt, and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse the eggplant under cool running water, drain thoroughly, and pat dry.

2. Whisk the eggs and 1 teaspoon fine salt together in a baking pan or wide, shallow bowl. Spread the flour and breadcrumbs in an even layer in two separate wide, shallow bowls or on sheets of wax paper. Dredge the eggplant slices in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the floured eggplant into the egg mixture, turning well to coat both sides evenly. Let excess egg drip back into the pan, then lay the eggplant in the bowl of breadcrumbs. Turn to coat both sides well with breadcrumbs, pressing with your hands until breadcrumbs adhere.

3. Pour 1/2 cup each of the vegetable and olive oils into a medium skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until a corner of one of the eggplant slices gives off a lively sizzle when dipped into the oil.

4. Add as many of the eggplant slices as will fit without touching, and cook, turning once, until well browned on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the eggplant to a baking pan lined with paper towels, and repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. Adjust the heat as the eggplant cooks to prevent the bits of coating that fall off the eggplant slices from burning. Add oil to the pan during cooking, as necessary to keep the level the same.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat the tomato sauce to simmering, if cold or frozen, in a small saucepan over medium heat.

6. Ladle enough sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with an even layer of grated cheese, and top with a layer of fried eggplant, pressing it down gently. Tear a few leaves of basil over the eggplant, and ladle about 3/4 cup of the sauce to coat the top evenly. Sprinkle an even layer of grated cheese over the sauce and top with a layer of mozzarella or Fontina, using one-third of the cheeses. Repeat the layering as described above two more times. Drizzle remaining sauce around the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

7. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil, and poke several holes in the foil with the tip of a knife. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

8. Uncover, and continue baking until the top layer of cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Let rest 10 to 20 minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

Stuffed Tomatoes - (serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 dried bay leaves

3/4 cup Arborio rice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 firm-ripe tomatoes

3/4 cup mozzarella cut into small cubes

2 oz. piece of ham, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

10 large basil leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Prepare the rice: In a small pot, bring 2 water with 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil with the bay leaves. Stir in the rice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until rice is al dente and liquid is almost all gone, about 10 minutes. Scrape into a bowl to cool.

3. Slice the tops off the tomatoes, reserving for later. Scoop out the inner flesh of the tomatoes with a spoon, leaving a thick shell. As you work, put the flesh in a strainer set over a bowl to collect the juices. Once all of the tomatoes are scooped out, season the insides of the tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

4. Chop the tomato flesh, and put it the bowl with the rice. Add the mozzarella, ham,1/2 cup grated cheese, the basil, the oregano, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine.

5. Pour the reserved tomato juices into the bottom of a large baking dish. Evenly divide the stuffing between the tomatoes. Arrange the cut-off tops in the baking dish, cut side down, and place the a stuffed tomato on each top. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, you may have a little leftover stuffing. If so, roll it into "meatballs" and place in the spaces between tomatoes in the baking dish.

6. Drizzle tomatoes with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle tops with the remaining grated cheese. Bake until the tomatoes are soft and juicy, and the stuffing is browned on top, about 20 to 25 minutes.