Stromboli

If you’ve ever been a guest in our house, either for a party or just to hang out, chances are that at some point you’ve eaten our home-made stromboli. For those of you that may not be familiar with stromboli, it’s similar to a calzone. Instead of being in a pocket-shape, a stromboli is rolled into a long loaf, baked, then sliced into 1″ – 2″ pieces. It’s a popular, often requested dish that we not only serve at our house, but also bring along to parties that we’re invited to as guests. We’ve made strombolis for big vacations with family and friends, for our family’s New Years Eve parties and even for grill-outs (more on that later). It’s our way of breaking bread with friends….only this bread is stuffed with cheese and usually either pepperoni, ham, steak, meatball or spinach. It works well as either an appetizer or as a meal, and it’s not nearly as greasy as one that you may get from a corner pizza shop. They taste best when rolled and cooked fresh, but you can pre-roll them and freeze them for future use. If you are freezing them, be sure to spray them with cooking spray before wrapping them in aluminum foil. This will help avoid the dough from sticking to the foil.

Not to brag, but our home-made stromboli has always been a big hit. The first thing my best buddy John said to me when he first saw my blog was “Almond Asparagus? Post the recipe for the meatball stromboli.” And not a time has gone by when his wife, Manuela, hasn’t berated me for not selling our stromboli. Now, you might be saying, “Yo, Dom…what’s the big deal? You roll out your dough, slap down some meat and cheese, fold it up, bake it and bada-bing…stromboli!”. While the actual steps are about as involved as making a sandwich, the key to ANY good dish is the ingredients. So, what I’ve decided to do for this recipe is to give you step-by-step tips and tricks on what has helped me make good, and even occasionally not-so-good stromboli.

STEP 1: The Dough
The best type of dough to use is pizza dough. You want the dough to bake to a nice, crispy finish and not be too bready. If you don’t make your own pizza dough, your best bet is to find a bakery that sells their own pizza dough. Trader Joe’s sells a great garlic herb pizza dough that works great for a spinach stromboli. If you can’t find fresh pizza dough, you can get frozen pizza dough at the super market. I prefer not to use regular bread dough, as the taste and texture just doesn’t seem to work as well for me.

Prepare 1lb. dough as you would for pizza or bread, letting it rise in a bowl covered with a towel (instructions are usually on the pre-made pizza dough packets). This makes for easy rolling and shaping. Roll out the dough into the shape of a large rectangle. Roll it thin, but not to the point where it breaks apart.

STEP 2: The Fillings
The standard fillings that I use are either pepperoni, ham, thin steak, meatball, sausage or spinach. If you are using a lunchmeat filling, be sure to get it sliced fresh from the deli. You’ll use about 1/4 pound per ‘boli.
Pepperoni – use the large deli-sliced pepperoni as opposed to the small, snack sized pepperoni. It’s easier to work with and you’ll use less.
Ham – any ham of your choice would work, although I prefer tavern ham. Prosciutto would be fantastic, but hey, we’re in a recession!
Steak – when making steak ‘boli, I simply use cooked Minute Steak and season it with salt, pepper and onion powder (you get the onion flavor, but without actual pieces of onion).
Meatball – I like to crush up the cooked meatball and spread it on the dough. I try not to use too much sauce, because it makes the dough soggy and hard to work with. You can always serve with a bowl of sauce on the side for dipping.
Sausage – I’ve only made this once, but it was a big hit. I used ground sausage out of it’s casing, spread it on a pan and baked it until slightly crispy, then mixed it with roasted red peppers. Nice!
Spinach – this one goes over well with those that don’t eat red meat. I use a box of frozen spinach, defrosted and strained (strain it by using a kitchen towel – you lose the water without losing any of the spinach). Spread it evenly over the dough and top with garlic and onion powder.
I’ve tried using jarred mixed vegetables in a tomato sauce once, but had bad results. The sauce turned the dough into a pile of mush. Not good.
Another filling that I’m thinking of using down the line is thin sliced turkey with bacon bits.

STEP 3: The Cheese
I always use two cheeses, mozzarella and provolone. They both melt nicely, and the provolone adds a bit of a bite. Deli sliced is the best way to go, but you can also buy a bag of mixed shredded provolone and mozzarella, which works well. I might go with Swiss if/when I make the turkey and bacon ‘boli.

STEP 4: Assembly
After you’ve rolled out your dough, spread your filling on top, then add your cheese. Gently roll from left to right, then tuck the ends under to seal off. Spray the top with a cooking spray, or brush with an egg wash. Sprinkle the top with oregano. Cut a few slits across on the top to avoid massive air bubbles.

STEP 5: Cooking
The traditional method is to bake. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray, place the ‘bolis on the pan and bake at 400º for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve
Grilled – yes, I have tried grilling stromboli last year at my in-law’s Labor Day BBQ Block Party, and yes it was damn good! The crispy crunch of the crust was out of this world. I grilled both pepperoni and ham ‘bolis. The pep was the better of the two, but I think that had to do with timing on the grill. I simply placed the ‘boli on a sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, and cooked them over medium-high indirect heat (if you have a 3-burner grill, fire up the left and right burners, and place the ‘boli over the center burner). I plan on experimenting with grilled ‘bolis a lot more this summer.

SAUCES
Like I mentioned above, I don’t prefer adding sauces to the ‘bolis because they tend to make the dough soggy. I prefer serving a side dish of sauce for dipping. Ketchup works well with the steak ‘boli. And if I ever decide to do the turkey/bacon/swiss cheese ‘boli, I’m thinking a side of ranch or blue cheese will do the trick.

So there you have it…’boli 101. Give it a try, experiment with the filling, crack open a beer and enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

Here’s a nice dish that has become a Sunday staple for us. Nice and filling, goes great by itself or with a side of pasta (and, of course, some red wine). One of my favorite dishes to end a long weekend!

There are a number of stuffing recipes to use for Stuffed Peppers. This recipe originally called for ground beef, but we like to use ground turkey. Ground sausage removed from it’s casing would also work well and add a nice punch (hmmm..think I’ll try that next time). I’ve only used rice as my base, but am interested in trying other stuffings (breadcrumbs, etc.). Do YOU have a good Stuffed Pepper recipe? If so, please pass along! Ciao!

STUFFED PEPPERS

1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef if you prefer)
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
6 large or 8 small green bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350º.
Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground turkey until evenly browned.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
In a bowl, mix the browned ground turkey, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Egg White Lobster Omelette

Another get-together for my wife and her friends…another chance for me to have some fun in the kitchen! Since Julianna had just come off of an exceptionally good week, she was treated to a Happy Meal and a Shamrock shake. I know, blasphemy to umpteenth level for an Italian American parent who loves to cook. But the door was wide open for me to get creative with my dinner.

I was in the mood for some sort of jacked-up omelette. I’m a big breakfast fan, and can eat a breakfast meal any time of the day. Plus, Italians can mix just about anything with an egg to make a great meal (potatoes, peppers, asparagus, ham, hot dogs…you name it). I had just bought a pack of lobster meat earlier in the week. Although it wasn’t 100% pure lobster meat, but rather pollock mixed with lobster, the taste and texture isn’t bad at all. Plus, I’m sure it’s much better than the Loobster that was served at the Hungry Heifer (Norm’s favorite restaurant on Cheers). Obviously, I would prefer real lobster meat, but hey, we’re in a recession!

I decided to try an egg white lobster omelette. With just a few spices and a chopped up green bell pepper, I had a very tasty and filling meal in a matter of minutes. I’m sure I’ll experiment more with the spices the next time I make this dish. However, it was quite tasty as is. If you’re a fan of omelettes and seafood — or if you can’t make it to the Hungry Heifer for it’s Roast Biff and Loobster surf & turf meal — I’m sure you’ll like this.

Egg White Lobster Omelette

1 package imitation lobster meat (or real lobster meat if you prefer), chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon milk
Spices to taste: salt, pepper, paprika, Old Bay seasoning

Drizzle vegetable oil to coat bottom of a medium size skillet; heat on medium. Add chopped peppers; saute until crisp-tender. Add chopped lobster meat plus dash of salt, pepper and paprika; stir until heated. Remove from skillet, set aside.
Mix egg whites, parmesan cheese, milk, dash of salt, pepper and Old Bay. Pour mixture into a heated non-stick or greased pan. Flip egg once, then immediately top with lobster mix and fold egg into a half circle. Remove from pan and enjoy!

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

A cold and dreary Sunday afternoon, with the potential of a major snowstorm on it’s way…what better excuse than to stay in and cook a hearty meal! Today, I decided to make a a rustic chicken, sausage and potato dish. Our friends Lorena and Mike made a similar dish for our group’s annual holiday dinner that they hosted this past year. It’s a filling and tasty dish, with lots of delicious and juicy chunks of meat and potatoes. Goes perfect with a nice glass of red wine or a good, dark winter beer.

Rustic-style Chicken, Sausage and Potato Bake

6 potatoes, cut into chunks
4 lg. onions, halved
6 chicken thighs
1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 handfuls baby carrots
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
4 tbsp. olive oil

Combine olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Coat potatoes, chicken, carrots and onions with oil and spices. Add sausage, stir together, and spread out in a medium-size roasting pan. Bake high heat, 425 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, lower heat to 375 degrees for 45 minutes.