Ham and Cheese Stromboli

If you are wondering what to do with your left over Easter Ham, here is a great way to serve it without a lot of work. The taste of the ham and Swiss cheese is very similar to the taste of Chicken Cordon Blue, but this dish travels a bit better.

Like our other Italian Dishes, this dish is a great crowd pleaser. You can serve it as an appetizer to company, or take it to work for lunch.
This also makes great game time munchies when you are watching your beloved Celtics or Patriots.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 slices of ham
  
• 1 ball of pizza dough, I got mine at a local pizza joint. Allow the dough to rise before using.
  
• 6-8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 handful of corn meal
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  

Directions:

1. Place the ham in a frying pan over medium heat.
   
2. Cook for at least 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly seared. This helps get rid of some of the water, which prevents your stromboli from exploding in the oven. It also concentrates the flavor and makes it smokier.
   
3. Roll out the dough, using the corn meal to prevent sticking to your board.
4. Lay out the dough on a cookie sheet.
5. Cut the ham into strips and spread evenly over the dough.
6. Spread the shredded cheese over the ham.
7. Roll up the dough around the ingredients.
8. Press down the ends with a fork to seal, this is important so that you do not lose your cheese.
9. Poke holes with a tooth pick all along the top. The holes should be spaced at least 1 inch apart. This is important so that your pie does not explode in the oven.
10. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil.
11. Bake at 375^o for 30 minutes.
12. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
    

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Pizza Arabiata

I had a pizza like this at a brick oven pizzeria in New England. I am not sure if all the ingredients are the same, but the taste really captured the spirit of the original pie. Combine this pie with other pizzas in our Italian Food Page to make a great pizza smorgasbord dinner. This is a great way to feed a large number of guests with good variety.

If you see some steps and pictures from other recipes, it is because I usually make more than one food at once and share the steps. For example I made this pizza at the same time that I made the Pizza Bianca Verdi, and Pizza Quattro Carnita. That night each person in the family got to have their favorite and I had lots of good leftovers for lunch.

This pizza is also great for outdoor grilling, especially if you have an outdoor stone oven like the Stone Pony. If you do cook it on a grill you will need to experiment with temperatures and cooking times. As a general guide line, keep the heat low, cook it covered, and cut the time in half.

The gap in the middle of the pizza helps to make the crust crispier. This is especially important if you grill it outdoors because the bottom is so much hotter than the top. In Europe they often break a raw egg in the middle toward the end of the cooking and put the pizza back in the oven. In this case the pizza should be cooked until the egg whites are opaque, but the yoke is still runny. One time in Grenoble I sent the pizza back because the egg whites were still runny.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ball of pizza dough. I bought mine at a local pizza parlor.
  
• 2 Links fresh Italian sausage, grilled
  
• 1-2 fresh tomatoes, diced
  
• 1 fresh Italian pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1-2 Portabello mushrooms, grilled
• 2 Oz. smoked salami. Use your favorite salami.
• 6 black dry cured Moroccan or French olives
• 6 Martini olives
• 2 slices of ham, diced
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 oz Romano Cheese, grated
  

Directions:

1. Dice the tomatoes and place in a colander over a bowl.
2. Lightly salt the tomatoes and mix in some dry oregano. Leave to drain. Reserve the juice of the tomato, you can use it in sauce, but I just drink it! Unbelievable taste.
   
3. Roll out the dough and brush with olive oil and garlic. Set aside.
   
4. Grill the sausage over low heat for about 30 minutes.
   
5. Rub the mushrooms with garlic and brush with olive oil.
   
6. Grill the mushrooms, fin side down first. Flip after 5 minutes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Grill the peppers and onions individually.
8. Slice the sausage.
9. spread the tomatoes on the dough, cover with the Romano and some of the Mozzarella.
10. Add the rest of the goodies, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
    
11. Bake at 425^o F for 30 minutes.
12. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
    
13. If desired, sprinkle with crushed red peppers

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Nutty Butter-Cream Frosted Cake

This is my fast and quick version of a cake that was only served on special occasions when I was growing up. The original was store bought from a local company and its no longer readily available. So I came up with my own version of this cake. It is less than 30 minutes of work and you can have a cake nice enough to serve to company. The hard part is letting the cake sit overnight or for a few hours so that it reaches its maximum flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1 can of butter-cream frosting
• 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Use two 8 inch round pans. Spray with nonstick spray.
2. Prepare and bake the cakes according to the package directions.
3. Finely chopped the pecans. If you use a food processor, careful chop using the pulse mode or you might end up with pecan butter. The pecans should be small like bread crumbs.
4. Cut 2 pieces of wax paper a little wider than 1/2 of the size of the serving dish you are using and overlap at the center of the dish. This will help keep the dish neat and presentable.
5. Using a spatula, thoroughly mix the frosting in the can.
6. (OPTIONAL) reserve about a 1/3 cup of the frosting for decorating.
7. Place the first cake on the top of the wax paper and frost the center.
8. Sprinkle some of the pecans on to the frosting making sure you have covered the entire frosted area.
9. Place the second cake on top of the first and frost the top and sides. You don't need a lot for the sides.
10. Using your hands press the pecans onto the side of the cake. It will get a little messy, but its worth the effort. Make sure the sides are thoroughly covered with the nuts.
11. Using a wide flat spatula, carefully lift one side of the cake off the wax paper and slide the wax paper out. Turn the cake and repeat the process to remove the other piece of wax paper. If necessary you can use a silicone brush to brush away any leftover nuts off the dish.
12. To give the cake a nice eye appeal, take a small Ziploc bag and snip a small opening in one of the corners off and attach a decorating tip if you have it. Otherwise, you will be able to pipe the frosting through the small opening in the bag. Place the reserved frosting in the bag and decorate around the top edge of the cake. Be creative and use up all the frosting.
13. Now this is this the hard part, the cake tastes best if left to sit overnight. I believe that all the nuts and frosting get a chance to mingle and it really brings out the flavor of the the two. Otherwise, its ready to serve. Enjoy it with a nice cup of green tea or a tall glass of ice cold milk.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved