Timballo and Serrano Ham

Timballo is an Italian dish consisting of baked pasta with one or more other ingredients (cheese, meat, vegetables and even fruit).  The name comes from the French word for kettledrum (timbale).  Varieties of Timballo differ from region to region and it is sometimes known as a bomba, torino, sartu or pasticcio. It is similar to a casserole and is sometimes referred to in England as a pie or savory cake.

The following is our family favorite:

Timballo and Serrano Ham

(serves 6)

1 box of your favorite pasta (we use homemade)

1 pound of your favorite meatballs

Sauce

¼ pound Satori’s Balsamic BellaVitano  (flake or crumble some and grate remaining)

1 pound sliced Serrano Ham

 

Directions

If you are making this totally from scratch start with your sauce, then your pasta so it can be drying while you make the meatballs.

Once everything is assembled pre-cook the pasta to al dente.

Line the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish with the Serrano Ham, mix the sauce, pasta and the crumbled half of the BellaVitano together and pour ½ into casserole dish on top of ham. Add a layer of meat balls and more sauce, cover with remaining pasta. Pack it down and fold ham over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Serve by  tipping upside down onto a platter, top with sauce and meatballs and grated BellaVitano Cheese.

Pasta Roses with Serrano Ham for Valentines Day

By Chef Lippe

Hand Made Roses for all the loves of my life!

The Recipe 

Freshly made pasta in wide rectangles as for lasagne

About 1 cup bechamel sauce (1 ounce flour, 1 ounce butter, 1 cup milk, salt, optional nutmeg ,  1 and a half ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano)

10 ounces Serrano Ham

10 ounces Fontinalla cheese in thinnest possible slices

2 tbsp. butter

optional: ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano to sprinkle on top

Directions

To make the Besciamella with Zucchini Puree:

• Trim ends off washed zucchini then chop or slice roughly.
• Bring a small pan of cold water to the boil, salt when the water is boiling and then tip in the zucchini and cook till tender
• Strain out and immediately refresh in very cold water. Drain, place in a deep beaker and whizz till smooth using an immersion blender. Set aside.
• Place the milk to heat in a small sauce pan while in another pan you cook the butter and flour, whisking them together to make the base.
• When the milk comes to the boil take both pans off the heat and pour all the milk at once onto the base, whisking hard with a large whisk to blend the two into a smooth and lump free white sauce. Should lump forms don’t worry, just strain the white sauce through a sieve.
• Season with salt or if you prefer with plenty of freshly grated nutmeg and about ¼ cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

To pre-cook the Pasta:

• Prepare a wide shallow pan into which you place cold milk to come about an inch high.
• Cook just 2 or 3 pasta pieces at a time in salted boiling water to which you have added a little oil, for 2/3 minutes if the pasta is freshly made. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the pan with the milk to stop the cooking. Then take out, let the milk drip off and place to dry on clean tea towels on your work surface. Turn them over to dry both sides

To fill and assemble the Rosette:

• Prepare a buttered baking dish and pre-heat the oven to 90 °.
• Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the pasta pieces, then sprinkle with grated P-R. cheese and place ham and cheese slices on top
• Roll up each in piece into a cylinder and cut into two or three even sized rolls between 1 inch and 2 inches high.
• Place them close together cut side up in the buttered baking dish continuing the process till it is full – if you have space left use crumpled balls of cooking foil to fill in the space and keep the rolls upright.
• I like to use kitchen scissors to nick the rolls in a few places and pulls out pasta “petals” turning them down a little so they stay “open” during baking.
• Melt 2 tbsp butter and drizzle this over the top of the roses, or to save calories, simply brush the tops with milk using a pastry brush or a couple of rolled up sheets of strong kitchen paper. You can also sprinkle with extra just-grated Reggiano if you like.
• Bake at 90° for about 30 minutes or till the top of the roses is crisp and golden then serve placing vertically or horizontally on individual plates as you prefer.

Variations: Leave the vegetables out altogether for the traditional recipe or use alternative vegetables, in a puree as above or simply placed on top of the ham.  According to what is in season, cooked mushrooms, asparagus, leeks, fennel, artichokes, blanched Swiss Chard leaves all work well..

Parmigiano Reggiano Canapés with Hot Smoked Salmon

By Chef Lippe

There is nothing better than a good cheese crisp, baked cheese, or what ever you choose to call them, you know the cheese that leaks out onto the baking pan when you make a grilled cheese. You can eat them plain, you can mix them with spices or you can even dip them in chocolate. They make a wonderful base for many canapes and tapas.  This one is one of my favorites.

 

Ingredients

 2 teaspoons crème fraiche

(To make your own get a mail-order a creme fraiche culture from The New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, P.O. Box 85, Ashfield, MA 01330, (413) 628-3808 and follow their directions. To make your own that is close to the original see end of blog.

Finely grated zest of one lemon

Fennel seeds, chopped

Grated and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, to serve

1/2 small fennel bulb

1/3 cup hot smoked salmon, flaked

Salt and black pepper

For the Crisps:

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated (do extra because you will eat half as they come out of the oven)

1 tbsp plain flour (optional)

Directions

How to make Parmigiano Reggiano Canapés with Hot Smoked Salmon

1. Grease and line a large baking sheet with grease proof paper.

2. Mix Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and plain flour, along with a good pinch of black pepper.

3. Spoon teaspoon-sized rounds of this mixture onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon. The mixture should give ten crisps, make sure there is plenty of space between each one, as the mixture will spread a little.

4. Place the rounds under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted to make a golden brown crisp. Remove each crisp carefully using a pallet knife and leave to cool on greaseproof paper. You can also bake them for 10 minutes at 350.

5. Mix crème fraiche together with lemon zest and season to taste. To assemble, spoon a small amount of lemon crème fraiche on top of each crisp. Then sprinkle with a few fennel seeds, grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and finely chopped fennel, before topping with flakes of hot smoked salmon and black pepper.

6. Finally, garnish with sprigs of fresh fennel and serve.

Crème Fraiche

Ingredients

1 to 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

2 cups heavy cream (pasteurized, not ultra pasteurized or sterilized, and with no additives)

Instructions

Combine the buttermilk and cream in a saucepan and heat only to tepid (not more than 85 degrees on an instant reading thermometer). Pour into a clean glass jar. Partially cover and let stand at room temperature (between 65 and 75 degrees) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened. Stir and refrigerate at least 24 hours before using. The cream will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Lobster and Tetilla Cheese Melts

Lobster and Tetilla Cheese Melts

By Chef  Lippe

If you love lobster and cheese this one is VERY addictive! Tellia Cheese is made in Galicia Spain with fresh cow’s milk that is semi-cured. It has the taste of fresh milk and butter with a touch of vanilla and walnuts and is wonderful with grapes or as you will see melted over lobster.

Ingredients:

1 boiled lobster cleaned and cut into pieces

2 cloves of garlic chopped fine

1/3 cup of white wine

Olive oil

1 Tetilla Cheese cut into pieces

Tomato (fresh from garden) chopped

Directions:

• Add olive oil to pan and brown minced garlic
• Add wine and chopped lobster and stir to gently warm lobster
• Stir in Tetilla cheese and let simmer until melted
• Add a few spoons of chopped fresh tomato
• Pour over toasted roll

ENJOY

Squid Ink Pasta with Pumpkin, Sage and Browned Butter Recipe

Squid ink pasta typically comes as either spaghetti or linguine; we made ours in casarecce which will work fine also.  Dust the insides of the pumpkin with a little sugar, just to accentuate the sweetness of the pumpkin. You can use either brown or white sugar, or skip it all together.

INGREDIENTS

4 small sugar pumpkins, each about 1 pound to 1 1/2 pound

Salt

2 to 4 teaspoons of white sugar, or 2 to 4 Tbsp of brown sugar (to taste)

1 pound squid ink pasta

6 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh sage leaves (with a few small whole leaves for garnish)

A splash of apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice off the top quarter of each pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Using a strong metal spoon or a small sharp knife, scrape all the fibrous insides out of the pumpkins. Sprinkle the insides of the pumpkins with salt and sugar. Set the pumpkins on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until a fork easily pierces the flesh and the edges are lightly browned.

Prepare the pasta water while the pumpkins are cooking. Bring a large pot of well salted water (it should taste like the sea) to a boil. When the pumpkins have about 10 minutes to go before they’re done, add the pasta to the boiling water. When the pumpkins are cooked remove from the oven to a serving dish or plates.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the browned butter sauce. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until browned bits begin to form in the butter and there is a lovely nutty aroma. Remove any whole sage leaves you are using for garnish. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the browned butter into a large serving bowl (this will stop the butter from cooking further). Browned butter can easily turn to blackened butter, which is not the flavor you want for this recipe.

When the pasta is ready (al dente, slightly firm, but cooked through), use tongs to remove the pasta from the pot to the large bowl with the browned butter. Allow some of the water from the pasta to drip into the bowl, it will help with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the browned butter. Splash a little cider vinegar over it. Taste for salt, it will likely need a bit more, especially if you’ve used unsalted butter. Add more if needed. Serve the pasta in the baked pumpkin shells. Garnish with reserved whole sage leaves that you had cooked with the sliced sage in the butter.

Yield: Serves 4.

Pasta for Dinner or Dessert???

By Chef Lippe

Yes I know, that I am crazy (mash potato fudge and chocolate pasta with chilli sauce) but this was a big hit for desert the other night! Now that I make and sell pasta 24/7 (at least it feels that way) I always have fresh pasta around the house and thought a desert might be good with some of the lemon fettuccini I made last week. Besides, pasta is made from flour and eggs, the basis of Western pastries, so there is no reason why it shouldn’t work. I decided to give it a try.  I have also included a second recipe where I cooked the pasta into a cake. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pint half-and-half

1 lemon, zested

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoons honey

1 pinch kosher salt

12 ounces linguine, fresh (or fettuccini)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/4 cup hazelnuts (chopped and toasted) (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a large heavy skillet heat the cream, zests, honey and salt over medium heat, being careful not to boil the cream. Stir occasionally for about 4 minutes.

While this is cooking add fresh pasta to boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain pasta and add to skillet.

Add lemon juice and stir to combine. Place on severing dishes, add shaved chocolate and hazelnuts.

 

Sweet Pasta Cake

Ingredients

10 ounces fresh linguine
Olive oil for greasing
4 tablespoons of Amaretto liquor
½ cup raisins
4 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ cup almonds, chopped
Zest of 1 orange
4 granny smith apples
Juice of ½ lemon
4 tablespoons of sugar
Salt

Directions

Place the raisins in a small bowl and pour over the Amaretto liquor. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

Peel, core and coarsely grate the apples. Place in a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice (so that they do not turn brown).

Line a 8 x 8 cake pan with baking parchment and lightly brush with oil.

In a large saucepan, cook the linguine in the salted boiling water. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl lightly beat the eggs with the sugar. Add in the almonds, the orange zest and the raisins with the Amaretto liquor. At last fold in the pasta and the grated apples.

Pour the mixture in the cake pan, cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Once the 40 minutes are up, remove the foil, sprinkle with sugar and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes until lightly browned and crispy on top.

Let cake rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

 

Broccoli and Pasta Sicilian Style

By Chef Lippe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

10 ounce bag of fresh pasta

1 head of broccoli florets, rough chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup red bell peppers minced

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ cup bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Gently sauté garlic, red bell peppers, breadcrumbs and walnuts in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, just until toasted, add lemon zest.

In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli. When water comes back to a boil add pasta. Cook for 3 minutes. Ladle cup of pasta water into bowl with raisins.

Drain pasta and broccoli and toss everything together

Broccoli Soufflé

By Chef Lippe

I know that I have been on a Broccoli kick for a while now, but the Florida Broccoli is just coming into season and when picked and cooked all in the same day it is the best! The taste is not the only reason to eat it, just think of all the health benefits you get with it. See my post  Did-you-know-broccoli from a few days ago to see some of the other reasons to eat it. Soufflés are a classic French dessert, but most Americans are unaware that savory soufflés made with vegetables and cheese are also common and easy to make. This delicious broccoli version is well-suited for a any holiday meal and the kids will love it.

 

Ingredients

2 ounces soft butter

2 ounces grated parmesan cheese

10 ounces broccoli peeled and trimmed

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

1 ounce Gruyere cheese diced

2 egg yolks

4 egg whites

Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat the inside of a ramekin with softened butter and dust with Parmesan cheese.

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water until just tender and drain well. Purée in a food processor.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the purée. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the Gruyère cheese. Add the egg yolks.

Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in the vegetable mixture. Pour into prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and add hot water to about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 10 minutes until risen and browned on top.

Stuffed, Baked Lemons

By Chef Lippe

For to nights Farmers Market in Orlando I am making my favorite! Baked Stuffed Lemons. If your in the area come and get a taste!

• 3 nice yellow juicy lemons
• 4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 12 oven-roasted or soft sun-dried tomatoes
• 12 black olives
• 12 large or 24 small Basil leaves
• 6 slivers of anchovies
• 1 – 2 dried red chilies, crumbled (optional)
• French bread to make crostini
• Olive oil

1.  Line an oven tray with grease proof paper and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry lemons and slice pointy ends off the top and base, being careful not to slice right through – you want the lemons to collect the cooking juices and not leak away.
2. Slice each lemon in the middle to give two halves. Using a knife, cut round the edge of the lemon and try your best to scoop out the inside being careful not to pierce the base (Keep the excised innards for other lemony delights)
3. In each lemon half, place a slice of mozzarella in. Add 2 large or 4 small basil leaves on top. Follow that with 2 pieces of oven-roasted tomatoes and stud with 2 olives. Add a sliver of the anchovies, a sprinkling of crumbled dried chilies and finish off with another layer of mozzarella.
4. Set all the lemon halves on the tray and place in the center of your oven.
5. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes till the cheese melts………eat with some delicious French bread drizzled with olive oil and toasted.

Did you know… Broccoli

By Chef Lippe

• The word broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium and the Italian word braccio, which means “arm”.

• Broccoli is a part of the cabbage family.

• Eating broccoli reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and death in postmenopausal women.

• A compound found in broccoli appears to have more effect than modern antibiotics against the creation of peptic ulcer causing bacteria.

• Broccoli is a cool-weather crop and grows poorly in the summer.

• Broccoli is high in Vitamin C and also soluble fiber. A cup of broccoli contains twice the minimum daily requirement of Vitamin C. Imagine that! The Vitamin C in broccoli promotes healthy skin and helps combat cold and flu symptoms

• Eating Broccoli Regularly Reduces the Risk of Cancer. Research has shown that eating broccoli regularly can reduce the risk of prostate, colon, breast, bladder and ovarian cancer. Broccoli’s dark green color contributes to its cancer-fighting properties.

• Broccoli Combats Eye Disease. Broccoli contains a high concentration of lutein, a valuable antioxidant that promotes eye health, prevents cataracts and protects against macular degeneration and other chronic eye diseases.

• Broccoli Promotes Bone Health. Broccoli is a potent source of calcium, and as such helps promote strong bones and teeth. You can eat as much broccoli as you like and not gain weight because it has only 3 calories from fat per cup, unlike other sources of calcium.
•  Broccoli Lowers the Risk of Birth Defects. The risk of birth defects can be significantly reduced by including broccoli in a pregnant or nursing woman’s daily diet. Broccoli contains folate, a vitamin B supplement that helps the baby develop strong bones.

Okay now that we have the healthy reasons to eat broccoli here are my favorite recipes.

Broccoli Timbales

“Drinking cup” is the English translation of the French word “timbale”. Traditional dessert timbales are simply brioche pastry cups filled with a fruity mixture. This version of the timbale, a cup-shaped custard with minced vegetables, is a lovely side dish for elegant meals. This recipe allows for about 12 timbales as guests rarely enjoy just one.

1/4 cup butter
1 large brown onion, minced
3 cups cooked broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus Parmesan shavings for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cups heavy cream
6 large eggs

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add onions to broccoli in a bowl, and stir until combined. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line 12 cups of a muffin pan with foil cups. Spray cups with nonstick cooking spray. Beat cream and eggs in a large bowl until just blended. Pour egg mixture into broccoli, and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared foil cups. Fill a large baking pan halfway with hot water. Set the muffin pan inside the pan of water and place on lower rack of oven. Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted off-center of timbale comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Remove timbales from muffin pan and gently peel away foil cups. Place upside down on a serving platter or individual plates and garnish with a shaving of Parmesan. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes about 12 timbales

Note

These timbales can be made 1 day in advance and reheated when ready to serve. After timbales have fully cooled, remove them from pan, keeping timbales in their foil cups. Place timbales on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, gently peel foil cups away from timbales and place upside down on a baking sheet. Warm timbales in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. Or, place timbales upside down on a plate and microwave until warm. Place timbales upside down on serving plate, garnish, and serve.

Or

Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 bunches broccoli
• 1 pound fresh pasta
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup ricotta or Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Meanwhile, separate broccoli florets from the stalks (or peel the broccoli stems and cut into small cubes.) Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove broccoli with slotted spoon.

Add pasta and cook to desired doneness.  Drain reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and hot pepper flakes. Saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained broccoli. Mix in ricotta cheese and pasta, until sauce is creamy. If sauce is too dry, add as much pasta water as desired to get a creamy consistency.