Skinny Italian: Eat It and Enjoy It (21 page)

B
RUSCHETTA
C
LASSICA

1 loaf wide, crusty Italian bread
(not one with too many holes in the crumb),
cut diagonally into twelve ½-inch slices

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.
Arrange the sliced bread on a large baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Bake just until the bread starts to toast, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

3.
Mix the tomatoes, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl, taking care not to crush the tomatoes.
Let stand at room temperature for about an hour for the flavors to blend.

4.
Arrange the bread slices on a platter with the oiled side up. Top each slice with some of the tomato mixture and serve immediately. (If you prefer, serve the tomato mixture in a fancy bowl with a spoon, and allow your guests to top their own slices.)

B
RUSCHETTA E
P
ROSCIUTTO

1 loaf wide, crusty Italian bread
(not one with too many holes in the crumb),
cut diagonally into twelve ½-inch slices

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

2.
Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet. Mix the oil, garlic, and pepper together in a small bowl. Spoon the garlic oil over the bread. Bake just until the bread starts to toast around the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3.
Arrange the prosciutto over the bread slices, then sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Return to the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and begins to turn golden brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot.

C
APONATA
B
RUSCHETTA

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large eggplant, trimmed and cut into strips about 3 inches long and ½ inch wide

3 ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

½ cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 loaf wide, crusty Italian bread
(not one with too many holes in the crumb),
cut diagonally into twelve ½-inch slices

1.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, oregano, salt, and hot pepper and stir. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the olives, capers, and vinegar.

2.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot or cooled, with the bread, allowing each guest to slather their bread with the eggplant mixture.

B
ALSAMIC
G
ARLIC
B
ITES

Even though they sound strong, boiled garlic bites do not have the same pungent taste as raw or fried garlic. The bites will come out smooth and creamy; you can spoon them over appetizers, smash them into a butter-like sauce for bread, serve them as part of an antipasti platter, or just eat them with a fork.

24 plump, firm garlic cloves, peeled so they remain intact

1 cup balsamic vinegar, as needed

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1.
Place the garlic in a small saucepan, and add enough vinegar to cover. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the garlic is tender, about 15 minutes.

2.
Drain the garlic cloves (they will have dark purple spots on them from the vinegar), and let cool. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and serve.

S
ALERNO
S
TUFFED
M
USHROOMS

This recipe is straight from my mamma. She taught me how to make the best stuffed mushrooms. And now I’m teaching you.

20 large white mushrooms (at least 2 inches in diameter)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

¾ cup dried plain bread crumbs

½ cup grated Pecorino Romano

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

2.
Carefully wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel. Remove the stems, and set aside. With a small spoon, scoop out each mushroom cap so it looks like a little bowl, reserving the trimmings. Finely chop the stems and reserved trimmings.

3.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the chopped mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.

4.
Add the bread crumbs, cheese, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the salt, and the pepper, and mix well. It should look like stuffing (because that’s really what it is!).

5.
Arrange the mushroom caps, cavity side up, on the baking sheet. Using a dinner spoon, fill each cap with the stuffing, using the spoon to shape the stuffing into a smooth mound. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over the mushrooms.

6.
Bake until the stuffing begins to brown, about 15 minutes. The mushrooms will shrink a little during baking. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve hot.

O
NE
-P
AN
O
VEN
-R
OASTED
C
HICKEN
F
EAST

FOR CHICKEN:

Six 6-ounce boneless and skinless chicken breasts

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

FOR VEGETABLES:

9 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in quarters

3 large carrots, cut into ½-inch-long rounds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds

2 medium onions, sliced into ¼-inch-thick half-moons

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1.
For the chicken, position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer.

2.
Lightly pound each chicken breast with the flat side of a meat pounder until it is about ½ inch thick. Whisk the wine, oil, oregano, garlic, salt, and hot pepper in a 13 × 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate and marinate for about 1 ¼ hours (but no longer than 1 ½ hours), turning occasionally, while roasting the potatoes and carrots.

3.
Toss the potatoes and carrots with the oil in a large bowl. Place them in the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

4.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Scatter the tomatoes and onions over the vegetables in the pan, add the salt and pepper, and toss together. Remove the chicken breasts from their marinade, and arrange them in the pan. Pour the marinade over all. Return to the oven, and bake until the chicken is opaque when pierced in the center with the tip of a knife, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot.