Asparagus Pesto

Barbecue season is rapidly approaching and while meat is the main event, we can quickly tire of the same old thing. The perfect foil to the star attraction of course are the vegetables. How perfect then is the timing that this is our main local produce season as well ! The Arthur Avenue market is teeming with the largest and freshest variety found anywhere on a consistent basis. Those readers who have previously visited Bellarturo blog and/or Facebook page already know how we love vegetables.
I have experimented with various Pesto combinations. One of my new favorites is a really simple asparagus pesto. It is so delicious on toasted bread, pizza, salad, pasta, potatoes, grilled shrimp and our favorite: grilled chicken breast. We also love this on homemade gnocchi ! Just keep the leftovers, if any, in ajar in the fridge. As always, keep a little olive oil covering the top to keep freshness in and bacteria out. Recipe can easily be doubled.

1 lb asparagus, stems trimmed
5 cloves of garlic
Italian olive oil as needed
4 tablespoons grated parmegiano
Coarse black pepper, ground fresh
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon(or more if you like), finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon of capers, optional
3 tablespoons each of fresh basil and parsley, optional

Place asparagus in roasting pan. Coat them with oil and sprinkle very lightly with salt. When soft, cool and place on processor. Add all ingredients, except lemon peel and optional ingredients, and 3 tablespoons of oil. Pulse until fairly smooth , but not runny. Add oil as needed to keep consistency thick but not runny. It should be the texture of a topping. You can always add more oil if you want to use it on pasta. At this point, if you are using the options, add them and pulse again. Then stir in rind and capers and it's ready to serve or mellow in the fridge.

Yellow Squash Stuffed With Sausage And Brown Rice

This dish can be made year round. Any squash works well. We have used zucchini, yellow, and even green Mexican and all are fine for this recipe. You must pick firm squash though because softer squash can break while you are scooping out the flesh. We use spicy hot Italian sausage as a little goes a long way in flavor. Arthur Ave has many stores selling very good sausage, not at all like supermarkets. It's made fresh and w/o extenders or chemicals, and the variety is endless. You can use a leaner pork product or beef, if you desire. This can be prepared in advance or even cooked and reheated.2-3 squash per serving depending on size and additional menu items

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of sausage or lean ground pork for about 18 squash)
1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice ; you can substitute white rice, cous-cous, or quinoa with success.
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
5 cloves of pressed garlic
1/2 cup grated Romano or your preference. If using plain meat instead of sausage, you will need to increase the cheese or add salt.
Olive oil
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts; substitute almonds if you prefer
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoons of oregano
1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper
1 large can of Italian crushed tomatoes

Method
Wash the squash well in salt water, rinsing well. Dry them off . Working over a bowl , hold firmly and core each one using the blossom end as a guide. Grasp firmly or it will split. Core one side and then the other. Do not attempt to go straight through to the end.They should look like the photo.

Refrigerate while you prepare the stuffing.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the sausage ,which has been removed from it's casing to the pan. breaking up any clumps. When the meat is no longer pink looking, add the chopped onion and cored squash flesh and continue to cook until the meat is nice and brown. Remove from the heat and press the garlic right into the pan . Add the rice , parsley, cheese and oregano mixing well. Lastly, add the nuts and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Place the finely chopped garlic in a baking pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the crushed tomatoes and a small bunch of chopped basil, or 1 teaspoon of dried and stir well. Using your fingers, gently stuff the squash and lay them in the baking dish. Spoon some tomatoes over the top. Cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes or until the squash pierces easily with a fork.

Serve with a simple green salad and some great bread from Arthur Avenue.

Chicken and Gnocchi with Creamy sauce

This is a really delicious and unusual  dish that is low calorie, and is a complete meal. It is something between a stew and a chunky soup. The gnocchi have a light dumpling texture.

4 boneless skinless thick style chicken breast

2 cups snipped fresh green beans

4 cups raw snipped dark greens (we like red dandelion or spinach)

1 cup peas  (frozen or fresh)

2 sliced carrots

Sauce for 4 portions

1 small minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup of reserved cooking liquid

1 cup chicken broth

4 tablespoons of crumbled Bleu cheese

2 ounces of smoked Gouda or other smoked cheese

Dash of nutmeg

1 cup of Greek low/no fat yogurt

Gnocchi for 4

4 medium potatoes

12 tablespoons flour

1 large egg

Dash of allspice

Dash of salt

Peel and cut potatoes. Cover with water, cover  and  cook until done. Reserve water. Mash and cool. Incorporate flour into potatoes making sure mixture is smooth. Add egg, salt,  and allspice. Mixture should be fairly firm, if not add a little more flour. Press mixture onto a grease cookie sheet , cover and chill.

Cut chicken into chunky bites and saute in olive oil until lightly colored Set aside.

Cover green beans and carrots with reserved potato water water and cook until just done. Reserve liquid.

In a dutch oven or large deep skillet.

Heat chicken broth and reserved liquid to low boil. Depending on the moisture level of your potatoes, either cut gnocchi dough into strips and cut bite sized pieces into the broth, or if you prefer, you can drop then from a teaspoon. When they float, remove with a slotted spoon to drain.

Reserve broth from gnocchi. In the same pan, saute onion until softened. Add garlic and cook until light gold. Return the broth to the pot and and add green beans and chicken. Cook on low for about 5 minutes. Add peas and cook a until done. Add the cheese stirring until melted. Sauce will thicken in seconds. Add yogurt, greens and nutmeg. Cook down to desired consistency , if necessary. Mixture should be stew like. Coarse ground black pepper is a good addition .

Tuna Antipasto Salad

This antipasto salad is a great alternative to traditional fatty , salty appetizers. You will love it and use it as a go-to for light meals. The ingredients are available year round, though it is a fantastic summer meal.
It can also be lunch or light supper by adding some bread and maybe a light soup. Or, you can just serve a larger portion with some garlic toast for a meal. Ricotta salata is a cheese similar to feta, but less salty and more solid. If you can locate balsamic fig vinegar,use it. We prepare these in individual bowls. If you must use a chain grocer, these products are available at Shoprite and Fairway. Recipe follows for Bellarturo’s version of tomato jam.


Romaine lettuce or other crisp leaf salad, 2 cups per person
Tomato jam or sun-dried tomato, 4 tablespoons per person
Roasted peppers ½ pepper per person
Red onion ⅛ of an onion per person
Imported cured olives 4 -5 per person
Ricotta Salata 1-2 ounces per person
Imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil ½ can per person
Italian parsley leaves, chopped fine 1-2 tablespoons per person
Chick peas , drained ¼ can per person
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil as needed
Red crushed pepper or black if you prefer less heat


Using salad scissors, snip the salad into short slender ribbons. Cut the onion into thin slices and place in 2 tablespoons of balsamic fig vinegar set aside. Chopped the olives and roasted peppers and mix with the parsley. Add the crushed pepper to the canned tuna and set aside. Cut the cheese into small cubes.
To assemble: Place salad in bowl and gently mix in onion, olives, tomato , and peppers.
Next add tuna, dividing the canning oil equally among the individual salads. Add chick peas and toss. Top with parsley and cheese. Pass extra oil and vinegar at the table.Serve with garlic toast.

Homemade Sicilian Manicotti

These are delicious and easy to prepare; nowhere near the work involved with rolling pasta dough. And, for my taste, they create a superior dish that is authentic. There are a few things necessary for success. The batter must be the right consistency, although a little thicker will not kill the finished product, but make them thinner and they won't set right. The pan must be hot and brushed with olive oil for each crepe. You must prepare a platter for cooling and wax paper squares to place in between each crepe. After the first one or two, it becomes really easy. Once the batter is all cooked, refrigerate or use immediately. They can also be frozen once cooled. You can use any tomato sauce you like, but I have included a Sicilian styled sauce we frequently use ` with these.

For the crepes

4 eggs

1 cup flour

salt ( I use about 1/4 tsp  as  the finished dish contains salt)
olive oil

Blend egg and water in a processor or by hand. Add flour and salt .
Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Batter should be thickened and of pouring consistency.
Bring the batter  to room temperature. You will need a shallow skillet. Many use crepe pan, but it's not necessary at all. When these recipes were originally created , no one in knew what a crepe pan was ! Plus, I personally like to do things in the tried, true, and authentic way. Begin by brushing the pan with olive oil. Heat the pan very well and drop a teaspoon of batter to see if it's ready. Here's how to test :  The batter must be thin enough to spread  evenly and quickly before it cooks. Use a scant 1/4 cup per crepe. Once you get the wrist movement to quickly tilt the pan and let the batter cover the surface, they practically make themselves. They take less than a minute to cook. You will see the edges dry and starting to color. Do not brown. When cooked on one side, grab an edge, I use fingers, but it's not for the faint of heart, and turn it over for about 30 seconds. Remove the crepe to the prepared dish. You don't want this side to cook too much as it will bake in the oven once stuffed. Once you have completed cooling the crepes , either refrigerate or freeze for later use.

For the filling

2 pounds of ricotta cheese, any kind works 

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano or 3/4 cup Parmiggiano

1 bunch of parsley leaves, chopped fine

1 tsp of black pepper, we like coarse

1 egg

1 cups mozzarella, shredded

A couple of dashes of nutmeg 

Mix all ingredients very well and keep chilled until ready to fill crepes.

Sicilian Sauce

1 large can of Italian style tomatoes ; we prefer diced packed in puree if possible

1 medium onion , chopped  fine

6 cloves of garlic , minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup of chopped Italian or Greek olives, pitted. We use Kalamata.

1/4  chopped  basil

Heat oil and add onion, stirring until golden in color. Add garlic and continue stirring until golden. Do not allow to burn. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Cook for 30-35 minutes on low heat, covered. Add basil and olives . Cook 5 minutes more. 

 

Assembly

Place one crepe on a board or plate. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling across , about 2 inches from the edge nearest you. Fold crepe to cover filling . Continue folding and place seam side down . Manicotti should be about 2 inches in width, though you can make them larger or smaller. Place 1 1/2 cups of sauce in a baking dish, covering the bottom of the pan completely . Place the manicotti in the pan and cover with sauce. Sprinkle additional grated cheese on top and bakes in a slow oven for about 20  minutes covered. Add shredded mozzarella and bake 20 minutes more uncovered.