Category:  Vegetables

Easter Brunch Menu

-Pecorino Asparagus Frittata
-Cherry Tomatoes with Oregano
-Hearts of Palm & Olives
-Italian Sweetbread (la Colomba)
-Easter Chocolates

You’ll love this – of the five food items listed in this menu, you only need to prepare three of them (the sweetbread and chocolates are ready-made). Total prep time is approximately 50 minutes. Imagine spoiling your family and friends with these easy and exquisite foods for brunch next Sunday – Happy Easter!

My Easter foods always include Francesca Sciscente’s (my mom) Pecorino Asparagus Frittata. With sweet ham bits, this traditional Easter morn frittata was usually paired with tomatoes. But I’ve discovered that cherry tomatoes are sweeter and look cuter next to this gourmet egg dish. Prep time for both recipes combined – only 35 minutes! [see recipes below]

Hearts of Palm & Olives, tossed with olive oil, red onion, bell pepper, celery and lemon is a refreshing side to the frittata (found in our Recipes, under “Salads” ).

The easy grand finale: slice a premade Colomba sweetbread, arranged on a platter and surrounded by your favorite chocolates. Serve with coffee, tea or cappuccino. After the grind, this brunch menu is ideal. I can relax now … and so can you!

Prep time: 25 to 30 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8

For the Pecorino Asparagus Frittata:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 ounces sharp, imported Pecorino Romano cheese*
4 ounces (about 5 slices) boiled ham (optional)
4 large eggs
6 large egg whites
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin or vegetable oil

1. Prepare the asparagus – trim 3 to 4-inch stems (white parts) from asparagus bottoms and discard. Cut asparagus into 1/2-inch thick rounds and place them in a 2-quart saucepot.

2. Add enough cold water to cover the asparagus.

3. Place saucepot on burner set on high heat. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Add the salt and boil 2 minutes, uncovered, or until asparagus is crunchy-tender when pierced with a fork.

5. Drain asparagus and transfer it to a glass or porcelain bowl to cool, 4 to 6 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, prepare frittata ingredients – finely grate the Pecorino Romano Cheese to yield 1/3 cup; set aside.

7. On a flat surface, cut ham into 1/4-inch wide strips and then into 1/4-inch pieces; set aside.

8. In a large bowl and with a fork or whisk, beat the eggs and egg whites with the grated cheese and black pepper until well-blended; set aside.

9. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the asparagus and ham pieces.

10. Stir fry with a cooking spatula on medium-high heat until the ham begins to turn light golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.

11. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the skillet ingredients, swirling the skillet around so that the mixture covers entire diameter of the skillet.

12. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 7 to 8 minutes, occasionally lifting frittata sides and swirling skillet to let raw egg escape to bottom. Check bottom of frittata by lifting sides with the spatula. When bottom is golden, it is time to flip the frittata over.

13. To flip the frittata, put a large platter over skillet, making sure the platter is large enough to overlap skillet edges by 2 inches.

14. With one hand on platter and the other firmly gripping the skillet handle, make a quick flip. Slide the frittata back into skillet and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on low. Transfer frittata to a serving platter and divide into 8 equal wedges.

15. Alternate flipping method: Divide the frittata into four equal pieces and, with the spatula, flip each piece over in skillet.

16. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on low. Transfer to a serving platter and cut each wedge in half (there will be a total of 8 pieces)

*Note: Imported Pecorino Romano cheese can be purchased at Italian grocery stores or international gourmet food stores, such as Trader Joe’s™ and Wholefoods™.

Text & Photographs © Nancy Real 2011 (the Balocco™ Colomba is a brand name – the packaged product was photographed by Nancy Real).

A few years ago, while standing in the canned vegetables aisle of a supermarket, I picked up a can of hearts of palm, looked at it and thought, “I know I ate these somewhere, but they looked boring and tasted bland. Maybe tonight I can turn these ‘palmitos’ into an exciting dish”. Later that day, as I prepared dinner for my friends, I cut the hearts of palm into bite-size pieces and tossed them with olives, lemon, and other ingredients I had on hand.

My novelty appetizer-salad not only looked fresh and inviting, but my guests were amazed at how hearts of palm could become such a colorful and exquisite appetizer. That night, the Hearts of Palm & Olives must have been an instant hit because I never had a chance to put any on my plate.

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
One 14-ounce can Roland’s® Hearts of Palm, drained and rinsed
½ cup Spanish olives
2 tablespoons chopped red onion, rinsed in cold water (excess water squeezed out of onion)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh, Italian flat-leaf parsley and 1 sprig (for garnish)
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
Juice of ½ lime
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients (except the sprig of parsley) and gently toss together.

2. Taste and adjust oil and/or seasonings.

3. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley sprig.

Serve immediately as an appetizer, accompanied by cheese, bread, your favorite wine, friends and music.

Note: “Palmitos” is Spanish for “hearts of palm”. The country with the largest production of palmitos is Costa Rica.

Text & Photograph ©2011 Nancy DeLucia Real

While growing up in Southern Italy, I became an apprentice to my “Nonna” or grandmother, aka the “maestra” or master chef of the town. Although I learned how to prepare the peninsula’s finest cuisine, my focus was on the bounty from the “orto” or garden. I never liked some of the seafood delicacies that the cooks in the Campania region are so famous for. Among these are fried calamari.

Because my Nonna knew I didn’t like those rubbery circles that pretended to be crispy, she would go to her orto, pick fresh cauliflower and turn it into golden nuggets. She would then smile at me and say, “Ecco i tuoi calamaretti vegetariani” or “Here are your vegetarian fried calamari” – made exclusively for me!

This appetizer is fun to eat with a sweet pepper spread*.

Prep time: 25 to 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 fresh cauliflower (about 1-½ to 1-¾ pounds), leaves discarded and florets cut into 2-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, for coating cauliflower florets
2 to 3 large eggs
¾ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

1. Rinse the cauliflower florets and put them in a 4-quart saucepot. Cover florets with cold water. Set saucepot on a stove burner and bring to a boil.

2. Add ½ teaspoon salt, and boil, uncovered, on medium heat until cauliflower florets are crunchy-tender when pierced with a fork, about 4 minutes.

3. Gently drain the cauliflower florets and set them aside in a glass or porcelain bowl to cool, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put flour in a shallow, 8 or 10-inch bowl and set aside.

5. In another shallow, 8 or 10-inch bowl, beat 2 eggs with ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper; set aside.

6. When cauliflower florets are cool, coat them first with flour, shaking off excess, and then roll them with two forks in the beaten egg (heat the oil as you do this).

7. In an 8 or 10-inch skillet or a deep fryer of the same circumference, heat the oil on high setting. Test by dropping a tiny amount of beaten egg – if it sizzles and rises, the oil is ready.

8. Immediately lower heat to medium and fry the cauliflower in batches. This is a quick process (after a few seconds of frying, gently lift bottom of a floret to check if it is golden); turn once and fry other side until golden.

9. Drain fried cauliflower (Vegetarian Calamari) on a dinner plate lined with paper towels.

Serve immediately with sweet pepper spread.

Note: Vegetarian Calamari can be made early in the day and stored in a baking dish and covered with aluminum foil. Set on a counter until ready to serve.

At serving time, heat oven to 350˚F. Warm the Vegetarian Calamari, covered, about 20 to 25 minutes and serve warm.

*Suggested spreads: Peloponnese Sweet Pepper Spread®, found in gourmet supermarkets; and Zergüt Mild Ajvar® (made with sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, garlic and onions), found in Middle Eastern or International gourmet food stores. Both brands are reddish-orange in color.

Text & Photograph ©2011 Nancy DeLucia Real

It’s February and we should start thinking about summer – the sun, the beach and – wait a minute – the bathing suits, too? Whether we’re happy with last year’s G-string size or not, now is definitely a good time to stop eating and get moving.

Accordingly, I brainwashed myself into believing that sweets can be replaced by salads and vegetables. One of my fav’s is a carrot and green bean dish that I grew up with in Italy. All you need for this is a little salt, pepper, garlic and extra virgin olive oil to boost the natural sweetness of these two veggies.

Should I get caught in a restaurant in the next few weeks, rest assured that you’ll hear me ask my server for fish or chicken, “a side of carrots, green beans – and bring the olive oil, please”.

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh green beans, tips discarded
3 large carrots, peeled and julienned
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Cream*, for drizzling (optional)

1. Place green beans in a 2-quart saucepot; cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

2. Cook 2 minutes or until beans are crunchy-tender.

3. Drain and place beans in a large glass or porcelain bowl. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, place carrots in same 2-quart saucepot; cover with cold water and bring to a boil.

5. Cook for 1 minute or until carrots are crunchy-tender.

6. Drain carrots and add to the beans in bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve immediately as a side to fish, chicken or steak. Drizzle with a little balsamic cream (optional).

*Balsamic cream is a thick, glazed reduction of dark balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is from Modena, Italy. It is made from the Trebbiano grape and is aged in wooden barrels for several years. There are two varieties of balsamic vinegar: the dark and light variety. Both the cream and the vinegar can be found online at Amazon.com®.

Text and Photographs ©2011 Nancy DeLucia Real

Lasting eight days, Chanukah, also known as the “Festival of Lights”, is a Jewish holiday  which commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple (Second Temple) in Jerusalem. At Chanukah, one of the traditions occurring in Jewish homes is the lighting of a candle on a Menorah – a candelabrum – in a prayer at dinnertime. Over the years, I have been invited to my Jewish friends’ homes in order to participate in such a joyous celebration.

A popular side dish served at Chanukah dinners consists of potato pancakes called “latkes”. Latkes are crunchy on the outside and deliciously sweet inside. I finally learned how to make them with an added accent of chives. Serve these latkes as tradition has it – with applesauce and sour cream. Enjoy.

Active prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Inactive prep time: 4 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Makes: 6 to 7 latkes

Ingredients:
1 pound Russet potatoes (approx. one large)
1 small white or brown onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Dash ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup olive oil
8 ounces (1 cup) ready-made applesauce
8 ounces (1 cup) sour cream

1. Peel and grate potato into a large bowl with cold water. Peel and grate the onion into the same bowl; stir in ½ teaspoon of the salt. Let mixture soak 1 to 3 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 4-quart mixing bowl, beat together the egg, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, black pepper, flour and chives. Set aside.

3. Drain the potato-onion mixture in a colander, pressing down to remove excess water.

4. Transfer the drained potato-onion mixture to a cheesecloth or clean white kitchen towel; roll up and squeeze out excess water.

5. Stir the potato and chives into the egg mixture and blend with a fork until uniform.

6. Heat both oils in a 12-inch, nonstick skillet until oil is hot but not smoking.

7. Measure ¼-cup potato mixture into hands and form a round, flattish shape.

8. Place the flattened potato mixture in hot oil, pressing down with a spatula to form a 4-inch pancake (latke).

9. Measure and prepare 2 more flattened potato mixtures in skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, on medium-high heat, until latkes are golden brown.

10. Drain on paper towels on a platter.

11. Serve latkes hot, accompanied by applesauce and sour cream. Latkes usually accompany beef brisket or other roasted meats.

Note: If oil is not hot enough, the latkes will be oily.

Text and Photographs ©2010 Nancy DeLucia Real