Chicken Cacciatore

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

1 family package of Skinless boneless Chicken Thighs cut in 1/2. 

 (Serving size: approx. 2 pcs per person.) 
1 large can of Chopped Tomatoes in puree

1 large onion. Sliced (not chopped)
1 container of Portobello mushrooms or 2 x-large ones

1 Red, yellow and/or green bell pepper

1/2 bag of red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
Olive Oil - enough to cover onions 

1 Large Onion: 

Sliced (not chopped) Leave in long strips.  Place in a Deep Large Frying Pan with Olive oil enough to cover bottom of pan and Saute until golden brown. 

 Place Chopped tomatoes in puree in frying pan.

Add: 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, garlic powder.

1 tsp of sugar, 2 leaves basil chopped and a pinch of oregano.

 Cook on Med. High approx. 7 minutes. Stirring frequently.

   
While sauce is cooking.  Sear Chicken and Potatoes. 

Chicken Thighs:
Place Chicken in skillet with little bit of olive oil. Sear both sides until golden brown. (chicken will still be raw) Chicken will cook fully once in baking pan in oven. 

Place seared chicken in 2"-3" roasting pan. 

Pour 3/4 of Sauce on top of chicken.

 

Potatoes: 

Peel and cut into chunks.  Lay potatoes flat in large frying pan and Sear potatoes on both sides to make them crispy They will not be completely cooked.  Add a pinch of Salt and Pepper. 

Then spread them out on top of the chicken in the baking pan

Red Potatoes or Yellow Golden Potatoes

Mushrooms: Thickly Sliced.
Red Bell Pepper: Sliced into strips.

Place on top of potatoes. 

Add the rest of the sauce to baking pan. 
Cover with Aluminum foil

         

Bake Covered on 450 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes / until chicken is done.

Can be served with rice or wide Egg noodles.

EGG NOODLES: 

Place Egg Noodles in boiling salted water.  Noodles cook faster than Pasta.  Cook Aldente. 

Strain out and place noodles back in pot.  Add 4 Tbs salted butter, black pepper and 

cook until butter is melted about 1 min.  Then add grated cheese approx. 1/4 cup. it's ready to serve.

Serve with side on Egg Noodles 

White or Red Clam Sauce, Baked Clams, Mussels, Seafood Marinara

                      White Clam Sauce 

White Clam Sauce w/ Shrimp 

White Clam Sauce 

   

         Clams - Use Top Necks

Don’t forget to look below. I will have other variations or added ingredients to enhance the taste to the basic recipe.

To easily open clams. Buy Clams in advance. Put them in a bowl/pot and wash the shell. (Rub the clam shells with your hands to make sure all sand is off of them.) Once outside shell is cleaned put them into the freezer for at least 1 day. Once frozen, fill the pot with very hot water and leave the clams in there for a few minutes. This forces them to open up a little and then it is much easier to slide the clam knife in and spread them open. (Clams can also stay frozen for many months.)

Very important!!

When you open the clams and it smells bad, throw that one out! Clams should not have a bad stinky smell to them.

• Use 2 bowls. read below. 

·  While opening them place your hand over an empty bowl so any juice from the clams can drop into their first. You don’t want any bad clam or clam juice to mix with the good ones. It will ruin the whole meal.

·  If clam is good then place that juice into another bowl. I use a small sauce pot with a small pasta strainer on top. This way when I open the clam and it smells good, I then place it in the strainer. The clam stays on top and the juice of the clam drips to the into the sauce pan.

Basic Recipe: 4 people

6 clams per person. Best size is Top necks. Using the clam knife to scrape clams out of shell into a bowl. As suggested above. If defrosted you can squeeze the yucky part out. (The black part) Or if frozen cut it out with a knife. Or you can leave it because that has flavor too. But, some people like to clean it out. (If clams are still frozen, keep the juice. It looks like a chunk of crushed ice) that will become the clam broth.

1/4 cup Olive Oil

 4 gloves of Garlic, sliced thin 
Large Pinch of: Basil, Oregano, Parsley (fresh whenever possible)
1 tsp Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

 2 TBS salted butter and 3 Tbs of White Wine Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio 

Optional: Shrimp 

Do NOT add SALT. Clams are already salty.

1. Chop Clams in chunks. Not too small. The scallop piece (the clams piece that is stuck to the shell) must be sliced opposite the grain and small. It is a tougher piece. Set aside.

2. In sauce pan [Med/ High heat] Sautee olive Oil and sliced Garlic to lightly golden brown.

3. Add Clams juice and spices. [Med high heat] Stir.

4.  Bring juice to a full boil. (You can count to 10 but BE CAREFUL the juice in the pot will overflow so watch it closely.)
Optional: You can also add whole shelled baby clams in step 4. If Clams don't open by end of cooking this dish, don't use them.  Clams must open up so, that they are not raw. 

5. Pour Clams, 2 TBS butter and 3 Tbs white wine in the pot with the boiled juice.

Turn onto Medium heat - bring again to a boil, count about 10 seconds and remove pot from heat. (You don’t want them to boil/cook to long otherwise the clams will become tough.

Optional:  Add Shrimp to Clam Sauces. in Step 5.

Shrimps (peeled, cleaned and cut in 1/2)

          

That’s it. Now, Place over cooked Linquine or Banza/Chickpea Pasta for no gluten pasta

For the whole clams in shells: Once clams shell opens it is cooked.   
  Don’t eat unopened clams.

 

• 
  

RED CLAM SAUCE:  

Even easier. Look under my recipes for Marinara or Whole plum tomato.

1. Cook sauce.

2. Add just Cleaned chopped clams, ½ amount of the juice and cover. No spices, since they are already in the sauce. (If you like it spicy add a spec of hot pepper flakes.)

3. Bring Covered Clams to first boil, remove lid, count about 10 seconds and remove pot from heat. (You don’t want them to boil/cook to long otherwise they will become hard.}

Done. Put over pasta.

 Baked Clams  2 dozen. 


Ingredients:
Same recipe as for White Clams Sauce. Plus below:
2 dozen Clams
Breadcrumbs with seasonings (grated cheese, black pepper, granulated Garlic powder, chopped parsley, chopped Basil, onion powder.
Paprika
1/4 cup finely chopped celery.
1/4 cup finely Chopped Red Pepper (vegetable)
1/2 cup sour Cream
5 Bacon strips. Cooked, crispy and chopped.

• Make clams as stated above for white Clams Steps 1 - 5.                                       but don't chop clams to small.   
• Once cooked then next step is to:  Separate Clams from Clam juice:

• With Bowl underneath to collect clam juice: Place cooked pot of Clams  through strainer.                                                                                                                 
• Need In 3 separate bowls :

• 1 for Clams, 1 for clam juice and 1 for breadcrumb mix

• In the Clam bowl: Add in ¼ cup Sour cream. Stir. 

• In breadcrumb bowl:  Pour in little bit of clam juice. Enough just to moisten bread crumb, fluffy up, Don't pat down, otherwise it will be a hard mess.

IN CLAM SHELLS:

• Add 1 - 2 TBS of chopped clams mix,(filling clam 1/2 way.) 
• 1 tsp of clam juice, 

Add a few pieces of :   Finely Chopped Red Pepper (vegetable) and                       finely chopped Celery 

•  Add the moisten bread crumbs
• Add chopped bacon bits. 
• Add: Sprinkle paprika on top of each stuffed clams. 
• Place in preheated oven on 425 for 10 minutes (until breadcrumb is lightly golden).
•  Then broil 1-2 minutes (until crispy) 

NOTE: You don't have to worry about clams being raw because they are already cooked. 

                    

Steamed Clams or Mussels.
Clams – shell washed

 

Place baby shelled clams in pot with butter, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little bit of water. (1/4 cup water enough so the butter doesn’t fry the clams. Cover and cook. When all the shells are opened it is done. The juice is from the butter, water and juices inside the clams.

For Mussels use Green kiwi mussels (farmed raised) they are large and clean. No bad ones. Most fish markets sell them in boxes. They come opened. Just rinse and clean outside of shell before you cook them. Can be Steamed or cooked with Marinara Sauce/ Whole Chopped Tomato Sauce. Same as above instructions.

Seafood Marinara:

Marinara Sauce Recipe. Cook sauce for 5 minutes then add ingredients below and cook for 10 more minutes or until cooked. A pinch of dry red pepper flakes. Cook over Medium heat. Sauce has a small boil to it.

Clams – shell washed (COOKED WHEN SHELL OPENS UP)
Also if you don’t want clams in shell then just put some whole clams in there.  I like to cut them up into 4 pcs.

Shrimp –peeled and cleaned (COOKED WHEN SHRIMP TURN PINK)

Kiwi mussels – rinse shell ( COOKS IN MINUTES )

Calamari – cleaned and sliced (COOKED WHEN WHITE AND FIRM)

Baked Ziti w/ Ricotta & Meatballs

Recipe for cooking sauce & meatballs are on this blog.

2 lbs of Ziti per large catering tray.
In deep pan.
Put sauce on bottom of trays. About an inch.
Put 1/2 the cooked Ziti in the tin. Cooled off Ziti if you will be baking it tomorrow.

On top of the Ziti over the whole pan: In this order>
1. Sprinkle grated cheese.
2. Tsp of Ricotta (make like a checker board)
3. Sliced Meatballs or mashed Meatballs
4. Mozzarella (shouldn't be able to see ziti)
5. Drizzle cooking sauce. (not to much: you should still be able to see the cheese)
6. Add the rest of the Ziti. Make sure you leave enough room to add ingredients again.
7. Again add: Grated Cheese, Ricotta, sliced Meatballs,
But, now add the Cooking Sauce (more than you did on # 5) then add the mozzarella cheese.

8. Cover with Aluminium foil or better yet with aluminium lid.
Don't Push Down on Top or Double Stack in fridge if baking it the next day.

When ready to bake:
Oven on 450- 500 degrees. with cover on.
(if you put in fridge for the next day. take off cover and reapply. making sure cover is not touching cheese otherwise all the cheese will be stuck to the lid/foil.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes.
When cheese is melted the Baked Ziti should be done.
If you like it crispy (as my family does) then take off the cover and cook for another few minutes but watch it closely. at 500 degrees the cheese will crispy quickly.
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Even Bunny Fu Fu likes pasta and sauce!

Sauces, Cooking Sauce, Marinara, Nonna Fina Fresh Sauce

Nonna Fina Fresh Sauce

Last Recipe and step by step video

Cooking Sauce

                                                                           

Cooking Sauce = Puree, thick sauce, can be eaten with plain pasta or with meat added to pasta. Never cook "cooking sauce" and add fish or veggies. It just doesn't taste well at all.

Hint: on Puree, Before cooking your puree it should look red and taste good (but of course, it has no great flavor yet). If you open the can and your puree looks dark brownish red, then I personally don't like the flavor. It taste to strong, like burnt. Ex. I don't like Pope Puree.

I useTutta Rosso, Contadina or Progresso. Commerically bought product that is great is Suzy Bell. It is bright red and fresh looking.

Marinara Sauce or Whole, Chopped Tomato Marinara Sauce: Can be eaten with plain pasta or with veggies or fish added to pasta. It is a light tomato sauce.

Marinara Sauce = crushed tomato

Whole tomato sauce = whole Plum tomatoes that you will sliced up. More chunky slices of tomato. It just depends it you like chunky pieces of tomatoes in your sauce or not. Can even be mixed with marinara sauce.

Cooking Sauce (as my family calls it):

Yields 6  -  32 oz containers

Ingredients:

• 5  (28oz) large cans of Tomato Tutto Russo  or  1 Suzy Bell 6 Lbs & 11oz can.

• Hot water. Use the can from the sauce containers.  I fill up 1/2 can of hot water of each puree can and stir it up so the puree that was left in the can will be used.
• (Rule of thumb. Water measurement is 1/2 the amount of cans used.) Sauce needs to be not to thick or not to loose either. It depends on how thick the puree is.
• 1 large Onion chopped (yeilds 2 cups chopped)
• 8 Cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 Tbs Sugar
• 1 Tbs Salt
• 1Tbs garlic powder
• 1 Tsp pepper
• 2 tsp dry Basil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Basil leaves.
• 12 oz cup Olive Oil.  enough to cover the onions and garlic.
• 4-6 sausage links (Optional)

===============

1. In a large pot over med High heat. Sautee Onions and Garlic w/ Olive Oil to lightly golden brown.
2. While onions are sauteeing open the cans of puree and Add all the spices listed above on top of the puree.
3. When the onions are lightly golden, Take the pot off the electric heated burner or if gas shut flame off.  I do this so, when I add the other ingredients the sauce doesn't pop up and burn me.
4. Add all the puree cans with all the spices and stir.
5. Add the hot water and stir.
6. Put back on the burner or turn on the gas stove and Cook on medium high heat and cover. (optional add Sausage links if you like. Gives sauce more flavor. 
7. Once it comes to a full boil.                                                                                                                        A. Cook over  medium heat. (sauce should boil but not too rapidly)                                                  B. Cover. leaving the lid slightly opened. (Hint: slightly opened side facing back of stove.                    so, you won't get sauce popping out at you.)
8. Stir every 4-5 minutes.  Cook for around 25 - 30 minutes.

Done. It's that easy. Hard part is not to get burned with the popping sauce.

Great with my Meatball Recipe. Freeze any sauce you are not using. Great for a fast Pasta dinner.
============================
Marinara or Whole Plum Tomato Sauce.

2 Cans of sauce - Crushed Tomato or Whole Plum Tomato (sliced) Tutto Russo or Conte San Marzano Tomatoes.

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

3 Cloves Chopped Garlic

4 leaves of fresh Basil Chopped

1 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 Tbs Sugar

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

==================

1. In Pot sautee Garlic and Olive Oil. (NO Onions.) until Golden Brown.
2. Stir in all ingredients. No extra water. unless 2 oz to rinse out cans.
3. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Boiling but not to rapidly.
4. Done. 

Can add Shrimp, Calamari, mussels, Eggplant, etc.

Will Post recipes that you need Marinara Sauce for shortly. Look under Seafood Marinara, Penne alla Stefana w/ Shrimp- (Which I use the whole Plum Tomatoes for.)

A FAMILY AFFAIR!!

Giuseppe has no choice but to help. As you can see he is so HAPPY!!

Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce. A September Ritual. Us Italians just like to do more work!
        4 Bushels = 7 hours of prep/cooking = 60 - 32oz plastic containers to freeze! Yes that's right. I have a freezer Just for my sauce.  Now that's Italian or I'm just crazy.  Maybe a little of both.

1st Step: Plum Tomatoes.   Wash w/ dish soap and warm water. Place plum tomatoes on a large towel so they can dry.  

2.   Cut them up into 4 pieces.  In large deep cooking pot put a little bit of olive oil just enough to coat the bottom and then put in the chopped up tomatoes. Only fill the pot 3/4 the way full.  

Add 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp garlic,  4 pieces chopped basil.  Boil and stir until tomatoes become soft and you see the skin on them peeling off.  If you pinch one the sink peels off easy.                                                                  

3.  Take the tomatoes and pour them into a tomato mill machine (shown below).  As you turn the handle you will see the pulp and juices come out on one side and the skin of the tomato on the other side.

Put the skins of the tomato through the mill atleast 3 - 4 times.  You will get a lot of pulp from the skins.

4.  Next throw out the skins and place all the tomato sauce into a deep cooking pot. 

Add 1/4 cup Olive Oil

2  tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper, granulated garlic powder

6 gloves of garlic. sliced in half only

8 chopped up pieces of basil.

Cook for about 30 - 45 minutes.  Stirring frequently.  the sauce will become thick by boiling out the water from the tomatoes.

5.  Place in 32 oz or 16 oz plastic containers and freeze.  Last for over a year.  to defrost. Lift cover and place on top on container place in microwave for 7 minutes and then cook in sauce pot until hot.

6.  Repeat all steps until all tomatoes are done.

Here are step by step video clips.

       

                                                 

Chicken Ginuzza

For Bariatric Friendly. Do not flour Chicken. 

Created by Mama G and named after my daughter Gina, for she always helped me with the cooking and catering orders @ Pizza Palace.

Chicken Ginuzza became an all time favorite for my family and customers. It was #1 for our catering orders. So, enjoy!!

6 Servings:

6 Lg pieces Chicken Cutlet - cut into 2 x 3 inch pieces
pinches of Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder.
2 cups Flour (whatever needed to prep Chicken)
3 Eggs (whatever needed to prep chicken)
8oz Spinach Chopped (can buy frozen chopped spinach)
10 Mushrooms sliced
4 Sausage Links
2 gloves Garlic
1 small can - Chicken Broth
Olive Oil
3 tbs Butter
2 tbs Grated Cheese Romano
1/4 cup White Wine (Chardonnay)
****************
PREP FOOD:

Prep the ingredients separately -(Sausages, spinach, Mushroom, and Chicken)and then put it all together @ the end.)

(IMPORTANT YOU MUST STIR OR FLIP INGREDIENTS WHILE COOKING STEPS 1 - 5. BELOW)

1. Take Sausages out of skin and sautee in a little oil. Strain. Leave in strainer for now. Once cooled off then Chop into small pieces (not too small) and leave on side.

In frying pan:

1. Sautee olive oil and garlic (enough oil to sautee) to lightly brown .
2. Add Spinach pinch of salt, blk pepper, garlic and sautee approx. 2 minute. If dry add little bit more olive oil so not to burn.
3. Sprinkle in 2 tbs Grated Cheese. (now stir or flip rapidly for 10 sec. just to enough to mix the cheese. and remove from stove. set aside.

In frying pan.  Add Mushrooms,  1 Tbs  Butter, dash of blk pepper and Sautee for 2 minute or until 1/2 way done.  Set aside. (You will be baking this recipe so you don't have to cook the mushrooms too much.  It's just to get some flavor to them.)

To Prep Chicken:










2 bowls - one for Eggs and one for Flour. 1 large flat pan to put prepared chicken into until ready to fry. 
Put flour in bowl: add pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix.

1. Cut Chicken into approx. 2"x 3" cubes. Set aside in bowl.
2. Put eggs in bowl: add pinch of garlic powder, salt and pepper and beat.
3. Dip Chicken pieces into eggs first, then flour pressing down. (both sides). Place in pan. flat. don't double stack.
4. In frying pan. Put enough olive oil to fry chicken. approx. less than half way up the sides of the chicken. don't deep fry. cook chicken pieces flipping to have both sides lightly golden brown. (pictures will be included) Place in large pan.
5. Depends on your taste. you can add on top or the frying chicken pieces a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic for more flavor. otherwise the chicken can taste bland.

ALL MOST DONE. HOW TO MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER. NOTE: don't over stack you need to do these same steps until all ingredients are mixed properly together. This is where you get the best flavor.




                                   




                                                                     
                A large frying pan, (preferably a deep one) medium heat.
               Enough chicken to cover the bottom of the frying pan.

1. Add White wine, (enough to sprinkle on top) and Tbs Butter. Flip ingredients to mix and glaze the chicken for about 30 secs or until butter is melted.
2. Add Sausages, Spinach/Mushroom. Flip again. for about 1minute and add little bit of chicken broth just enough so it won't burn and you can simmer on same heat for about 1 minute.
3. Put this mix in a flat Pan.
4. Add a little bit of mozzarella on top. This way it will be layered with cheese.

Follow steps 1 - 5 until all ingredients are mixed together.
In long baking pan.

1. Add chicken broth to pan. about 1/4 way up.
2. Add mozzarella sparingly on top.
3. Bake in oven on 450 degrees, uncovered until mozzarella is golden brown.

This recipe is good for a party tray. Can be prepared a day before and place in fridge until ready to bake. But, one change.
1. Bake COVERED @ 350 degrees until everything is very warm then remove the cover and bake @ 450 degrees until golden brown.