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Pizza Bianca with Mortadella

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Pizza Bianca with Mortadella

A Roman specialty sandwich made with white pizza and mortadella,
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Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 recipe Focaccia no rosemary
  • 2-3 TBL Semolina
  • 1 head Garlic Roasted
  • 1 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 5 oz Arugula
  • 1/2 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • AN Kosher Salt as needed
  • AN Ground Black Pepper as needed
  • 1/2 Mortadella thinly sliced

Equipment

  • Pizza Stone

Method
 

  1. Make Focaccia recipe, omitting the rosemary.
  2. Take head of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven to roast for 45 minutes to 1 hr.
  3. Remove garlic from oven and let cool. Remove garlic paper until roasted garlic slides out. Place roasted garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
  4. Cut baked Focaccia into squares then slice each square in half horizontally to make sandwich bread.
  5. Dress the Arugula with olive oil, salt and pepper.
  6. Make the sandwich. Spread the roasted garlic on one side of focaccia bread. Top it with arugula then mortadella. Top with the other side of focaccia.

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Focaccia

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Focaccia

Focaccia is a flat bread topped with olive oil, spices and salt and is a type of pizza.
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Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Water warm about 110 degrees
  • 1 TBL Honey
  • 1 packet Dry Activated Yeast
  • 2 1/2 cup Bread Flour
  • 3/4 TBL Kosher Salt
  • 3 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Topping
  • 3 TBL Water
  • 3 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • AN Rosemary crushed
  • AN Sea Salt Flakes

Equipment

  • jelly roll pan or sheet tray

Method
 

  1. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer add the honey and warm water, stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast on top.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Then add flour mixture to the yeast mixture and add 2 TBL of olive oil. Turn stand mixer on medium speed using a dough hook until mixture is smooth and elastic about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Place dough into a lightly olive oiled and swirl the dough so that it is lightly covered with the oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise 1 hour in a warm area.
  4. Pre-heat oven to 400° and lightly oil a jelly roll pan or 1/4 sheet pan.
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it down a few times.  Place dough in a lightly oiled jelly roll pan and spread the dough out to fit the pan. Cover it and let it rest for approximately 15 minutes.  Spread the dough again if needed.  Using your finger tips or knuckles make indentations in the dough.
Topping
  1. Combine the water and olive oil and lightly brush the top of dough. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Notes

Cut and eat warm or slice it to make sandwich bread!

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Brasato al Barolo with Polenta

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Brasato al Barolo

Brasato al Barolo

A braised beef roast in Barolo red wine
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Brasato al Barolo
  • 2 lb Chuck Roast
  • 1 each Sweet Yellow Onion 1/4" diced
  • 1 each Carrot 1/4" diced
  • 1 each Celery Stalk 1/4" diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 each Bay Leaf
  • 1 sprig Rosemary
  • 4 sprigs Thyme
  • 5 each Juniper Berries
  • 3/4 bottle Barolo Wine
  • 4 TBL Unsalted Butter
  • 1 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Cognac
  • 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
Polenta
  • 2 cups Water
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1 cup Polenta
  • 2 TBL Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
  • AN Kosher Salt as needed

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, in a Dutch oven or other heavy pot large enough for the meat. Brown the meat on all sides, then remove.
  2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme and juniper berries. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft.
  3. Add cognac to deglaze the pan. Add butter then flour over vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Add wine and bring to a simmer.
  4. Return the meat to the pan and cover the pot. Simmer, covered, turning the meat occasionally with tongs, until the meat is tender, about 3 hours. Before serving remove bay leaf and herbs.
Polenta
  1. While beef is braising make polenta
  2. Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
  3. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often until polenta starts to thicken. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes.
  4. Turn off heat and stir butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Let rest for mixture to thicken again.

Notes

Place polenta onto plate and serve the braised meat over the polenta.

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Bagna Cauda Dip with Crudite

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Bagna Cauda

A garlic dip served perfectly with vegetable crudite
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Notes

Ingredients
  

Bagna Cauda
  • 6 heads Garlic peeled
  • 2 1/2 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 oz Anchovies
Crudite
  • 4 each Celery cut in sticks
  • 1 bunch Radishes cut in quarters
  • 8 oz Green Beans blanched
  • 1 head Cauliflower
  • 8 oz Cherry Tomato

Equipment

  • Vitamix, Blender or Food Processor

Notes

Use any vegetables that are in season and that you like!

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Minestrone with Pesto

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Minestrone with Pesto

A hearty vegetable soup from the northern regions of Italy
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 each Yellow Onion 1/4" diced
  • 1 each Carrot cut in rounds
  • 1 each Celery Stalk cut on bias
  • 32 oz Vegetable Stock
  • 6 oz Borlotti beans or Pinto Beans cooked, drained
  • 1 each Zucchini cut in rounds
  • 2 each Roma Tomatoes seeded, diced
  • 1/2 each Savoy Cabbage shredded
  • 1 bunch Swiss Chard Stems removed and chopped
  • 10 oz Ditalini pasta
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 each Pecorino Romano Rind
  • 1 TBL Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • AN Kosher Salt as needed
  • AN Ground Black Pepper as needed
Pesto
  • 2 bunches Basil
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1 oz Pine Nuts
  • 2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1/2 oz Pecorino Romano
  • AN Kosher Salt as needed
  • AN Extra Virgin Olive Oil as needed

Method
 

  1. Place a large pot over med-low heat and add olive oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and garlic, cook until softened.
  2. Add vegetable stock, beans, zucchini, tomato and pasta, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add Pecorino rind and continue to simmer another 10 minutes.
  3. Add cabbage, swiss chard and simmer another 10-15 minutes to develop flavor. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pesto
  1. While soup is simmering make pesto.
  2. In a blender combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheeses. Drizzle in olive oil until it becomes a paste. Season with salt as needed.
  3. Serve soup in individual bowl and place a dollop of pesto on top of soup to serve.

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Osso Buco

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Osso Buco

Osso Buco is a meat dish that originated in the Lombardy region of Italy
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 each Veal Shank Tied
  • 1 each Yellow Onion 1/2 " diced
  • 1/2 cup Carrot 1/2 " diced
  • 1/2 cup Celery 1/2 " diced
  • 1 each Red Bell Pepper 1/2 " diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 TBL Butter
  • 2 cups Chicken or Veal Stock
  • 2 cups Dry Red Wine
  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 1 each Bay Leaf
  • 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 each Fresh Rosemary
  • AN Kosher Salt as needed
  • AN Ground Black Pepper as needed

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven, Blender

Method
 

  1. Rinse veal shanks and pat dry. Tie each shank individually with twine. Sprinkle generously each shank with salt and black pepper.
  2. In your Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter and brown the veal shanks on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. In the same pan sauté onions and garlic until softened.  Add carrots, celery and red pepper and sauté 3 minutes. 
  4. Stir in stock and wine to deglaze. Stir in Tomato Paste.
  5. Add veal shank to liquid, make sure shanks are covered by liquid.
    Add bay leaf, thyme and rosemary to pan.
    Cover the pan and let cook on medium-low heat for 4-6 hours, until meat is tender.
  6. Remove veal from sauce, reserving liquid and vegetables. Strain liquid from vegetables and remove herb twigs. Add vegetables back into sauce and blend in a blender until smooth. (If sauce is too runny you can put it on the stove on medium heat to reduce it and thicken)
  7. Serve veal shank with sauce.

Notes

You can also use a pressure cooker to cook the veal shanks in 30 minutes.  Follow the instructions for your pressure cooker. 

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Signature Bolognese

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Jennifer Bajsel

Signature Bolognese Sauce

A hearty meat sauce!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 each Medium Yellow Bell Pepper Diced 1/4 inch
  • 1/2 each Green Bell Pepper Diced, 1/4 inch
  • 1 lbs Ground Chuck
  • 1/4 lbs Ground Veal
  • 1/4 lbs Ground Pork
  • 28 oz San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes Pureed
  • 13.8 oz Chopped Tomatoes I prefer Pomi
  • 1 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Basil dried
  • 1/2 tsp Oregano dried
  • 1/4 cup Italian Parsley Fresh, chopped
  • AN Kosher salt add to taste
  • AN Ground Black Pepper add to taste

Equipment

  • medium sauce pot
  • large stock post
  • colander

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over med-high heat. When oil is hot add onion and bell pepper and reduce heat. Sweat onions until translucent and peppers are softened.
  2. Add ground beef, veal and pork, sauté until browned. Drain beef, onion and pepper mixture.
  3. Place beef mixture in medium sauce pot and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Puree San Marzano tomatoes. Add tomato puree to the beef mixture and bring to a simmer over med-low heat. Add the Pomi chopped tomatoes to the beef mixture.
  5. Add the garlic, basil and oregano. Stir to combine.
  6. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer 2-4 hours.
  7. Add fresh parsley t the sauce 30 minutes before serving.
  8. When ready, serve with your favorite pasta!

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Corn Organic vs GMO

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When I think of corn I think of the pilgram days.  What I’ve learned about corn is completely different.  If you think you know corn I’m about to blow your mind. 

So basically, corn is in everything!  If you’ve ever read the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan you’ll notice he devotes a third of the book to it, a whole seven chapters.  It’s in animal feed which in turn ends up in out meat, fish, eggs milk.  It is also pervasive in processed foods in the form of sugar.  There are approximately over 12,000 items that contain some form of corn in the supermarket.  To me that’s alarming!  What’s even worse is the fact that almost 90% of the corn grown in American is GMO (genetically modified).  Most corn is what is called BT corn, which is a genetically engineered corn using BT toxin.  Below is more descriptive information on BT corn.  Corn was modified in an attempt to control pests on crops that BT toxic would break down but by genetically modifying the toxin into the plant it was believed to help.  Here’s the problem, now we ingest the toxin and to make is worse they still have to use pesticides on the corn crops and those pesticides (banned in Europe) are known endocrine disruptors.

Whew!  I don’t know about you but this makes me want to avoid corn at all costs.  There is some good news though.  If you can find a local organic farmer who doesn’t grow a GMO corn crop you may still be able to enjoy corn in a healthy non-toxic way.  Fresh, whole, organic, heirloom corn does contain vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our bodies. Corn also contains soluble and insoluble fiber which our gut bacteria like!  When buying corn you should look for 

So, my advice would be to avoid processed foods and enjoy fresh heirloom organic corn only.

When I think of corn I think of the pilgram days.  What I’ve learned about corn is completely different.  If you think you know corn I’m about to blow your mind.  

So basically, corn is in everything!  If you’ve ever read the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan you’ll notice he devotes a third of the book to it, a whole seven chapters.  It’s in animal feed which in turn ends up in out meat, fish, eggs milk.  It is also pervasive in processed foods in the form of sugar.  There are approximately over 12,000 items that contain some form of corn in the supermarket.  To me that’s alarming!  What’s even worse is the fact that almost 90% of the corn grown in American is GMO (genetically modified).  Most corn is what is called BT corn, which is a genetically engineered corn using BT toxin.  Below is more descriptive information on BT corn.  Corn was modified in an attempt to control pests on crops but by genetically modifying the toxin into the plant it was believed to help.  Here’s the problem, now we ingest the toxin and to make is worse they still have to use pesticides on the corn crops and those pesticides are banned in Europe as known endocrine disruptors.

Whew!  I don’t know about you but this makes me want to avoid corn at all costs.  There is some good news though.  If you can find a local organic farmer who doesn’t grow a GMO corn crop you may still be able to enjoy corn.  Fresh, whole, organic, heirloom corn does contain vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our bodies. Corn also contains soluble and insoluble fiber which our gut bacteria like!  To pick the best corn look for husks that are evenly green and are tight without holes.  The husks should not be dry and a little bit of brown silk that is moist is good.

So, my advice would be to avoid processed foods and enjoy fresh heirloom organic corn only.

Resources:

https://fas.org/biosecurity/education/dualuse-agriculture/2.-agricultural-biotechnology/bt-corn.html

https://michaelpollan.com/tag/corn/

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/corn-health-benefits/

Jennifer Bajsel

Summer Corn Salad

Fresh Organic Corn Salad
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
5 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings: 6 guests
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 cups Fresh, Organic Corn blanched, kernals only
  • 2-3 med Tomatoes small diced
  • 1 each Orange Bell Pepper small diced, seeds removed
  • 1-2 each Jalapeno Pepper small diced, seeds removed
  • 1 cup Black Beans cooked, drained
  • 1/2 each Red Onion small diced
  • 1 TBL Paprika
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 each Lime juiced
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped

Equipment

  • Stock Pot
  • Cutting Board
  • Mixing Bowl

Method
 

Corn
  1. Remove Husks from corn and place in a stock pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Let cool and cut corn kernals off the cob into a mixing bowl.
Salad
  1. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, beans, onion, spices, juice and cilantro to corn kernals. Chill and serve

Corn Organic vs GMO Read More »

Potatoes and Resistant Starches

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Potatoes and Resistant Starches

If you are anything like me you can’t resist potatoes.  I can eat them any which way.  I think my favorite would be mashed though.  My family purposely made sure I was the last to get them at the dinner table because of my heaping portion I would take.  There would definitely NOT be leftovers.

Unfortunately when potatoes go through the digestion process they convert to mostly glucose which is sugar.  Sugar is the culprit that has made me gain weight, continue to overeat and causes an addiction to guess what??? MORE SUGAR.

I’ve learned a lot about sugar and all it’s consequences as I became more educated by my physician and then as a chef and food advocate.  I’ll reserve all the bad news about sugar for another time.  What I really wanted to know was could I ever allow potatoes back in my diet without having the addiction and weight gain come back.   Then I learned about resistant starches, but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s talk potato first!

What is a potato and what is the nutritional take away if any?  The potato is actually part of the nightshade family (for those of you with inflammatory conditions).  It is grown for its starchy tuber that grows underground.  Potatoes range in shapes and sizes as well as colors.  My favorite are the purple ones.  Potatoes offer nutrients such as vitamin C, Potassium (found in the skin), and folate.  However it is mostly carbs which converts to sugar as you digest it.  I think it is well known that sugar contributes to a number of health issues including weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and depression to name a few.  So we should all avoid potatoes, right?  Well there may be another answer.  

 

I recently learned about resistant starches.  What are those, right?  Well in foods like pasta, rice, beans and of course potatoes there are resistant starches.  Resistant starch resists digestion which is how they got their name.  The trick, it seems, is to eat foods with resistant starch either in it’s raw form or cooled after cooking.  According to Dr. Steven R. Gundry who wrote in The Plant Paradox when a resistant starch passes your small intestine they get eaten up by your gut microbes converting them to short chain fatty acids instead of glucose, like a ferment-able fiber.  To learn more visit the links below.

.  

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/resistant-starch-101

  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar

The Starch that Makes You Lean and Healthy

https://gundrymd.com/food-pyramid/

Jennifer Bajsel

Summer Potato Salad

This recipe is a cold potato salad that is lightly dressed. It's got flavor, cruch and the best part is resistant starches from the potatoes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
cooling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 guests
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs baby red potatoes skin on
  • 3 strips pasture raised bacon cooked, chopped
  • 2 ribs celery small diced
  • 1/2 each red onion small diced
  • 3 TBL avocado Oil adjust to taste
  • 2 TBL red wine vinegar adjust to taste
  • 2 TBL Grainy Mustard adjust to taste
  • 2 TBL fresh dill chopped
  • 2 TBL fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 TBL fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt + more for boiling potato adjust to taste
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste

Method
 

boiling potatoes
  1. Fill a large sauce pot with cold water and add enough salt for the water to be salty. Place whole baby red potatoes in the pot on the stove-top and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender without over cooking. Remove potatoes from water and let cool. Once cool, dice the potatoes into bite size pieces.
To cook bacon
  1. Place bacon strips on a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven until desired crispiness is reached (10-20 minutes). Drain on a paper towel, then chop in to small pieces.
To make the potato salad
  1. Place the cold potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve cold.

Potatoes and Resistant Starches Read More »

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