Baked Arancini Casserole

Last summer, I had a wonderfully unique opportunity handed to me, when I was asked to make a dish for the Philadelphia Phillies. I put together Whole Grain Baked Arancini Rice Balls, which went over very well with the team. Ever since, arancini has been on my regular ‘craving’ list, but it’s tough to find the time needed to roll and prepare them. To satisfy my urge, and to save prep time, I put together a baked casserole version that no doubt holds up to the original!

Arancini, the popular stuffed and fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, are no doubt a well-loved Italian treat. This updated version of the classic dish incorporates all of the ingredients and flavors into a convenient and easy to make baked casserole. You can use any form of ground meat in this recipe (I went with ground turkey, along with peas and diced tomatoes), or you can get creative with other fillings, such as cheese, chicken, shrimp or asparagus (next time I will be trying a shrimp, asparagus and lemon version). Baking this dish is not only a healthier option, but it also frees up some time that you would normally spend rolling and frying, if you were making the traditional arancini balls.

BAKED ARANCINI CASSEROLE

Ingredients
1lb ground meat (beef, sausage or turkey would all work well)
1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup frozen peas
1lb part skim ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked long grain white rice or multi grain brown rice
breadcrumbs
spices (onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper)

Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground meat. Use spices to season meat to your liking and taste. Add the peas and tomatoes, stir until heated. Drain excess liquid, then set meat filling aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan and cooked rice. Add the meat mixture, mix well.

Lightly spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the mixture to the dish. Lightly coat the top of the mixture with breadcrumbs, then lightly spray the breadcrumbs with cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 350º for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes. Slice and serve!

You can add additional tomato sauce to each serving for extra flavor.

Baked Flounder Roll-Ups with Lemon, Butter and White Wine Sauce

The May 2013 edition of La Cucina Italiana magazine has an interesting recipe which immediately caught my eye. Braciole di pesce (sole braciole with almond biscuit crumbs), is their creative play on traditional braciole. For those of you that are not familiar with traditional braciole, it is a thin slice of meat (usually beef) that is rolled with a bread-based stuffing and is pan fried and often added to a Sunday gravy. La Cucina’s version is using fillet of sole (which is a thin-cut fillet) stuffed with crushed butter biscuits, almonds and parsley. A very interesting – although odd – combination to say the least.

This dish inspired me to try my own version, instead using flounder and a more traditional stuffing of crabmeat, fresh parsley and breadcrumbs. Now, before I go any further, you are probably wondering what the difference is between my roll-up recipe, and the classic stuffed flounder. The answer: nothing, really. The presentation may be different (the stuffing is contained in the roll-up as opposed to being stuffed in a cut pocket), but the delicious combination works the same for either version.

Just like traditional meat braciole, you can adjust the stuffing ingredients to your liking. Scallops, shrimp and spinach all work well as stuffing ingredients for fish. However, unlike traditional braciole, a fish roll-up, particularly one using a flaky fish such as flounder, is best prepared baked instead of fried. While a flaky fish can be flipped once in a frying pan, its delicate texture would make it difficult to successfully cook on all four sides without falling apart.

To add some depth and flavor, I made a quick lemon, butter and white wine sauce on the stove top and drizzled it on top of the roll-ups after they were done. It was the perfect compliment to the fish, marrying all of the flavors and tastes together with each bite.

BAKED FLOUNDER ROLL-UPS WITH LEMON, BUTTER  AND WHITE WINE SAUCE

4 pieces flounder
salt and pepper
1 6-oz can white crab meat, drained
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1tbspn fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tspn butter, plus 1 tbspn butter
1 tbspn olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup white wine

Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs and parsley. Lightly season the flounder fillets with salt and pepper (if the flounder pieces are large, you can cut them in half, length-wise). Lay the flounder out flat and evenly spread the crabmeat mixture on all four pieces. Roll up the fillets and secure tight with a toothpick. Lightly brush the flounder fillets with 1 tspn melted butter.

Place the fillets, seam side down, on a lightly sprayed baking dish. Bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the fillets become flaky.

About midway through the baking time, you will start to prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add 1 tbspn butter. When butter is melted, add the chopped shallots, stir in and cook until translucent. Add the lemon juice and the wine, heat until wine starts to reduce.

When the fish is done, remove from the baking tray and place onto a serving dish. Evenly drizzle the sauce over the fillet roll-ups, then sprinkle with additional fresh chopped parsley.

This dish serves well with steamed greens and a crisp white wine.

The flounder fillets with the crabmeat filling spread evenly on each piece (top photo),
then rolled and secured with toothpicks (bottom photo).

The Food Table

When you visit an Italian household, whether you are a new friend or a close family member, conversation will at some point take place around the table, where good food will be served to you, regardless if you are hungry or not. Today I welcome a new friend to my virtual kitchen table. Tony Morinelli, a fellow South Philadelphia native who shares the same passion as I to preserve the rich Italian American culture, reached out to me last week, asking if I would like to share web links with him. His web site, The Food Table, is a wonderful collection of Italian American recipes, history, and personal memories. From classic recipes such as Panzetta (stuffed breast of veal), Osso Bucco and Caponata, to his memories of growing up as a fourth generation Italian in the mid 1950’s, Tony’s website is very inspiring and educational. Be sure to check his website, The Food Table, by clicking here. You can also find his website listed under the Recommended Website section of this blog.

Cucina Domenico is Going HOME!

I am very proud and excited to announce that two recipes from my food blog (the Baked Pepper Shooters and Kendra Thornton’s D.I.Y. Pomegranate Mojitos) will be appearing in the Spring 2013 issue of Philadelphia RowHome Magazine. Led by the dynamic duo sister team of Dorette Rota Jackson and Dawn Rhoades, Rowhome has been featuring the lifestyles and unique interests of South Philadelphia in their acclaimed magazine since 2004. I had the pleasure of working with their team in the past as a freelance graphic designer, and both Dorette and Dawn have been two of my biggest supporters and followers of this food blog since day one. Having my recipes appear in their magazine is a very exciting opportunity for me, knowing that I now have a new outlet to reach out to the families, friends and neighbors who I grew up with…the very same people who are the readers of Rowhome.

You can check out the Rowhome website, including their new Spring 2013 edition, by clicking on the links below. The link to Rowhome can also be found under the Recommended Websites section of this blog. Please be sure to drop Dorette and Dawn a message!

Click here for the Rowhome Magazine website.

Click here for the Spring 2013 issue, featuring two recipes from Cucina Domenico.

Thank you again, Dorette and Dawn, for all of your support and encouragement!