A Little of This and Some of That: Resolutions

We’re kicking off our first podcast of 2015 with suggestions on how to make fun and interesting food-related New Year resolutions. We’re also talking about our idea on how to keep track of our resolutions…we’re calling it 15 in ’15, and you can click on the PDF link below to download your own 15 in ’15 tracker form!

Our show-notes word of the week is Cassia. Cassia typically refers to cassia bark, the spice made from the bark of East Asian trees related to the “true cinnamon” (Cinnamomum verum) of Sri Lanka. Cassia is the typical “cinnamon” marketed in North America but is distinguished from it in Europe.

Be sure to contact us at info@domskitchen.com or in the Comments section below to let us know about your 15 in ’15 ideas, and to let us know what you thought about this episode of A Little of This and Some of That.

Show-related links

Honey Balsamic Brussel Sprouts Recipe

Untapped

Alton Brown’s website

Click the following link for your personal 15 in 15 Tracker Sheet: 15in15_Tracker

Mini Giambotta Biscuits

This dish was inspired by a recipe that I recently saw for a store-bought can of biscuit dough, placed in muffin pans and filled with chicken, veggies and creamy soup to make mini chicken pot pies. The personal-sized version of popular dishes are a trendy item these days, especially for dinner parties and group get togethers. This recipe caught my attention because not only am I a fan of the personal-sized portions, but I also enjoy a warm and hearty dish this time of year. Being that we’re just coming off of the holidays, I thought a vegetable pot pie would be tasty and healthy choice. I decided to make giambotta for the filling, which is an Italian vegetable stew. Bread is always a must-have for dipping when you have giambotta, so to use it as a biscuit filling was a no-brainer.

I also chose to make my own flaky biscuits for this dish. I found a very simple and quick recipe online that calls for just a few basic ingredients and about 10 minutes or so of prep time…no electric mixer necessary! Of course, canned biscuits will work, but if you have a few extra minutes, give the home made biscuits a try. It will make the dish seem that much more impressive.

Mini Giambotta Biscuits

For the Giambotta
2 tbspn olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 zucchini, cut into 1″ pieces
1 8oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 tspn Italian seasoning

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the zucchini, stir together and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the can of tomato sauce, season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning  to taste.

Stir together, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens up. Set aside.

For the Biscuits
courtesy of Taste of Home
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tspn baking powder
3 tspn sugar
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup 2% milk

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Lightly spray a muffin tray (12 muffins). Gently place each biscuit piece into the individual muffin cups (no paper liners needed!), and gently press the dough to fill out the bottom and sides of the cups. Fill up each cup with the giambotta, making sure none spills over the side.

Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

The 2014 Appetizer Wrap-Up!

Another year has come and gone, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support and interest in my food blog. It’s a really pleasure to be able to share my passion with you, and I look forward to sharing many more fun and exciting recipes in the upcoming year. I am also very excited to roll out new episodes of ‘A Little of This and Some of That’, the new podcast that I will be co-hosting with my friend, Carl Bussler. You can check out the podcast episodes right here on domskitchen.com. Also be sure to check out my food updates on Facebook (CucinaDomenico) and Twitter (@domskitchen).

To help wrap up 2014, I thought I would share with you some of my top appetizer dishes, which are all perfect for your New Years Eve parties. You can click on the links below to take you to the recipe. Cheers to 2015!

Mini Meatball Roll-Ups

Eggplant and White Bean Meatballs

Caprese Garlic Bread

Mini Inside-out Pizza

Cheesesteak Eggrolls

Crostini

Macaroni and Cheese Muffins

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Warm Italian Crab Salad

Stuffed Olives

Sausage and Escarole Bites

Toasted Panettone with Amaretto-Mascarpone Whipped Cream

The Christmas season in an Italian household would not be complete without having a loaf of panettone on hand. Whether it was given as a gift or purchased as a personal holiday indulgence, the cylindrical loaf of sweet Italian bread, loaded with dried fruits and raisins, is a seasonal treat that is as unique and enjoyable as its decorative cardboard packaging. There are a number of ways to enjoy panettone. Sliced fresh out of the box or lightly toasted with a pat of butter are both favorites of mine. There are also a number of trendy recipes popping up these days, such as panettone bread pudding and panettone French toast… and each one makes my mouth water just thinking about them.

Just last week, after putting up our Christmas tree, I had planned to serve up a panettone-inspired dessert. Not having enough time to assemble a bread pudding, I decided to go a simple yet elegant route. Knowing that the sweet taste of the bread would work well with the creaminess of mascarpone cheese, I decided to put together a quick mascarpone whipped cream. To add a little extra flavor to the cream, I simmered some amaretto to cook off the alcohol (to keep it kid-friendly), and folded the amaretto syrup into the whipped cream. I served it with slightly toasted panettone, and the combination was spectacular. The sweet, flavorful whipped cream served along side the toasted sweet bread made for a terrific, quick and easy holiday-inspired dessert. Be sure to keep this one in mind for your holiday get-togethers….and you can look forward to left-overs for breakfast the following day!

Toasted Panettone with Amaretto-Mascarpone Whipped Cream

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbspn sugar
1 tspn vanilla
1/4 cup amaretto
1 loaf panettone bread, sliced and lightly toasted
(using a toaster oven is preferred…if you don’t have a toaster oven, you can place the slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350˚)

Simmer the amaretto over medium heat in a sauce pan for about 5-7 minutes, making sure that the liquid doesn’t evaporate. You will be able to smell the alcohol burning off (be careful when doing this, the smell of the simmering alcohol will be very strong). Once the alcohol is cooked off, set aside to cool. The liquid will thicken a bit to a light syrupy consistency.

Place the mascarpone cheese, cream, sugar, vanilla and amaretto into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the cream thickens and is smooth.

When the panettone is toasted, place a slice on a plate and add a dollop of the whipped cream on the side. Lightly sprinkle the whipped cream with cinnamon. Serve and enjoy!