Recipe: Stuffing to beat all stuffings...

So for Thanksgiving, there are generally only a few things that I'm in charge of (although when I'm here in Italy I'm pretty much in charge of everything lol) one of which is stuffing.  But usually we use premade... Stovetop or one of those things and I just add in other things.  My favorite things to mix in are apple, sausage, onion, carrot and celery (sometimes mushrooms) all cooked down in some butter... mmmm yummy... seriously my mouth just started watering thinking about all of the delicious flavors...

And then yesterday for the first time I decided to make stuffing from scratch!  I was a little stressed out so I needed something time consuming to make.  So of course my brain still semi being on thanksgiving decided that stuffing was the way to go.  So how do you make stuffing in Italy when no one has sent you a package of stuffing? 
Tis a very good question.  One that I shall answer.

STUFFING FROM SCRATCH
1 very large round loaf of Italian bread
olive oil
butter
4-5 carrots
1/2 a whole stalk of celery
1/2 a large onion
1-2 apples or pears (a combo of both would also be great)
around 200-250 grams of sausage
1 boullion cube
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, garlic flakes, and nutmeg

Remove the crust of the bread and cut into fairly even cubes.   Put into a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and oregano.  Bake for a half an hour to an hour and check periodically (don't let the bread burn!!). 
In the meantime, dice the carrots, onion, celery and apples into small cubes.  Keep the onion in a separate dish. 
Heat some olive oil in a pan and sautee the onions.  Add garlic flakes (or fresh garlic finely diced).  When they begin to turn clear add in the other diced vegetable and fruit.  Simmer and stir for about 10-15 minutes.  When the vegetables start to lose their crispness add in the sausage and stir rapidly so it spreads evenly through the mixture.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and a good dose of nutmeg.  When the sausage is almost cooked all the way through add in butter to taste (the more the better). 
In a small pan boil water and a boullion cube.
Remove the bread from the oven and place into a large bowl.  Pour in the sauteed mixture and stir well. Very slowly add in the broth making sure that the bread does not become too soft.  When the bread has absorbed enough water and the vegetables are mixed well, put the mixture into a large baking tin. 
Cover with alumnum foil and bake at a moderate temperature for 1-2 hours.  Check periodically to make sure that it hasn't dried out.

mmmm goodness right there :D

You can't really see the stuffing clearly, but that's my first version from Thanksgiving.
Yummo!!

~Raspberry Truffle

Recipe: Penne with cream, peas and pancetta

Wow, I haven't posted anything up here in ages!  I assure you, I've been cooking and making delicious things as per usual, I just haven't taken too many pictures... And I haven't been nearly as creative, I think I'm getting a little boring and repetitive, even if it does taste delicious.
That being said, I'll post up one of my favorite meals, that I make way too often for my own good!

Penne in a cream sauce with peas and pancetta
serves about 4 (although I often cook it for one lol)


penne (around 400-500 gramsish)
frozen peas (1/2 bag normal bag being around 1000grams)
pancetta dolce (container 250 grams... if you're in the states, use a package of regular bacon, and dice it into small pieces)
1 container of panna (states, heavy cream, you need about a cup and a half)
rosemary
pepper
hot pepper flakes

Start boiling water, add pasta to water as usual.
In the meantime place your pancetta in a hot pan, when it's about half way cooked add in frozen peas and about a tablespoon of rosemary, and pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste.
When the pasta is almost al dente and when the peas are no longer frozen, add the cream to the peas and pancetta.  Do not allow the cream to boil (i.e. lower the heat).
When the pasta is done drain, and add to cream mixture.  Mix well and serve :)

I've done other variations on this as well.  I've added onions which adds a nice little sweetness.  Instead of peas I've added potatoes diced into tiny cubes (which is a little heavier, but still delicious).

Get creative!
~Raspberry Truffle

Recipe: Braised pork chops in a wine apple sauce

Oh yeah, it came out just as good as it sounds :) 

5 or 6 pork chops the thicker the better
1 apple thinly sliced
1 or 2 large potatoes also thinly sliced
1/4 bottle white sparkling wine
2 tbs honey
sage
pepperoncini
oregano
salt
pepper to taste


place chops in baking pan, cover with wine (put however much you want, the more more you put, the juicier they will come).  Drizzle the pork with honey, and all other spices to taste.  layer the apples and the potatoes on top and sprinkle with salt.  
Place in 350* oven (not celcius!)  let bake approximately 10 minutes and check.  If steaming carefully flip meat, if not, wait another 5 minutes and then turn.  If they are thin, turn sooner.  Let them cook another 5 minutes, 10 max.  Don't let all of the wine cook off.  And feel free to add more, if it's waning. 
And done!
Simple!

~Raspberry Truffle

Recipe: chocolate chip cookies

well, I'm still perfecting the recipe, but they came out pretty good anyway :)  I apologize for the lack of precision, i don't have any measuring utensils and i'm translating everything from Italian...

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed (I accidently overpacked mine)
1 egg (although i think 2 would be better)

1 stick of butter (approximate, because here they go by grams, and i used less i think)

1 small package vanilla (in the states 1 tbs vanilla extract) 

1/2 package baking soda equivalent lol  (prolly 2tbs) 
1/2 200 gram br of chocolate chopped up

Preheat oven to 170*c

Take all dry ingredients and mix into a bowl

Add egg and butter and mix together until cookie dough consistrncys achieved.  If the dough gets too sticky add a little bit more flour. 

Place aluminum foil in pan for easy cleanup, roll dough into 1/2 inch to inch balls and space carefully in pan. Bake until slightly golden.  Remove from pan and place on paper towel in sealable tuperware to maintain soft baked quality :) 

I'll still be editing this recipe though.  It's kind of necessary :)

~Raspberry Truffle

Recipe: Honey Turkey fingers...

like chicken fingers, but a little sweeter and actually leaner :) I'm going for cooking cheaper and leaner, so turkey breast is a great replacement to chicken...

So basic recipe 1 turkey breast cut into slices or if available you can just buy prepackaged cutlets... However, unfortunately, presliced was not available, so I had to do it myself which I don't mind except I only just realized how not well-stocked my kitchen is. There's no butcher knife, just the serrated kind. I don't know if you've ever tried to cleanly slice raw turkey breast, but let me tell you, it doesn't actually work out overly too well, just well enough to do what I was doing, but with added cursing lol.

Alright I've gotten off track, here's the recipe list:

1 turkey breast sliced, or cubed, however big you like your turkey fingers :D

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons honey

app. 1 cup bread crumbs (I kind of eyeballed it like usual lol...)

pepperoncino (otherwise known as red pepper flakes) as desired

a pinch pepper

a pinch salt

oregano as desired

basil as desired

Olive oil for pan

So quite simply, crack your egg, add your honey and salt and stir. In another bowl or plate add bread crumbs and all other spices, mix throughougly (I may have spelled that wrong... but spell check I don't think is functioning lol). Take your turkey, dip in egg mixture and then completely cover in breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in pan, add turkey, cook on each side until browned, and until center is white. When done place onto paper towel (to drain any excess oil) and serve while still warm, although they're pretty fantastic cold too ;)

Simple and yummy and for your reading pleasure, or I suppose looking pleasure, I'm adding pictures, just to make you a little bit hungrier...

all set up and ready to go assembly line style :)

there's my fresh honey that I bought in the market place, soo yummy, just sweet enough...

my peperoncino, and breadcrumb mix

starting the frying process :)

now doesn't that look yummy

and these finished ones look even tastier :D

and for final serving purposes, eat with a bed of lettuce, some tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, with some fresh Italian bread on the side

^.^ sooo happy with my food making tonight!!

And that's the update, happily making food in Italy!

~Raspberry Truffle

p.s. and it made a really great lunch the next day as a sandwich, with lettuce, mozzarella and balsamic vinegar :)

Brownies, mmm mmm good

oh yes there will be brownies today... I need to bake so I can work... strange right?? lol it functions though
post yummy brownie pics later though!....
soo forgot to take brownie pix... these are red velvet cupcakes!! even better lol!!


~raspberry truffle