Kale Caesar Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing

6 Comments | Written on March 20, 2013 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Kale is a super food…

Greek Yogurt is super trendy…

Why not combine them both into one super trendy, super food salad?

If you love the tangy zing of a classic Caesar Salad, but not the added fat and calories from the heavy dressing, then this recipe is for you!

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Pasta alla Norma – Sicilian Pasta Sauce Recipe

1 Comment | Written on March 1, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

“Pasta alla Norma” is a classic Italian recipe from the city of Catania on the island of Sicily.  It is a vegetarian dish made with eggplant and often tossed with penne pasta.

It is served with ricotta salata, which is a varation of ricotta that has been pressed, salted and dried.  Some like to shave or grate it into dishes, but I have always preferred it cubed.   It looks beautiful for presentation, and it makes me look forward to each bite!  If you can’t find ricotta salata at your local grocery store, you can subsitute smoked mozzarella.

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Best Italian Recipe Ever – Italian Chicken with Pine Nut Gremolata

3 Comments | Written on January 24, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Last week, Better Recipes put out the call for the “Best Italian Recipe Ever” and once again, our readers did not disappoint!  I traveled to Italy back in October and I fell in love with the cuisine all over again.  Especially the rustic, family style dishes made with simple, beautiful ingredients.  The winning recipe from our Italian contest showcases olives, lemons, tomatoes and basil.

 Keep reading for the winning recipe!  

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Italian Stuffed Peppers

14 Comments | Written on January 16, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Cooking on a budget means finding new and creative ways to transform leftovers.   One of my favorite ways to use up extra vegetables, rice or herbs is to make stuffed peppers.  This recipe has an Italian twist, but you can always give it your own spin to use up what you find in the fridge!

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Italian Breakfast Crostada

No Comments | Written on January 4, 2013 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Can you believe this is the final weekly winner from our 2012 contests?  It has been such a great year filled with amazing recipes and 2013 is going to be even bigger and better!  Our final weekly category was “Breakfast and Brunch” and the winning recipe is this delectable “Italian Breakfast Crostada” from PamelaS.!

Imagine everything you love for breakfast:  ham, eggs, vegetables, and cheese…all in an elegant crostada.  It looks fancy and impressive, but is a snap to make!

Keep reading for the winning recipe! 

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

1 Comment | Written on December 6, 2012 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

At any Italian restaurant, my eyes immediately gravitate to the gnocchi dishes on the menu.  I just love these delectable little potato dumplings and the delicious sauces cradled in the grooves.  This recipe is a bit of a twist on the Italian classic, using sweet potatoes and tossed with a seasonal sage and brown butter sauce.

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How to Make Fresh Ricotta and Homemade Cannoli

10 Comments | Written on November 30, 2012 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

You are in for a treat today!

First I am going to show you how easy it is to make your own fresh ricotta cheese at home.   Then, demonstrate how you can take that ricotta and use it in a simple and authentic cannoli.  Finally, in the Italian spirit of not letting anything go to waste, I am even going to show you a fun trick for leftover vanilla bean pods.

Is your mouth watering yet?!

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Sicilian Swordfish Steaks

4 Comments | Written on November 29, 2012 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

It’s hard to believe that only a month ago I was whisked away to the island of Sicily, half a world away from my life in Los Angeles.  I had no idea what to expect, but I quickly found Sicily to be overflowing with old-world charm, warmth, and a genuine feeling of family.

Keep reading for a trip back in time to old-world Sicilia…

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Panzanella and Sausage Casserole Bake

2 Comments | Written on October 9, 2012 at 12:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Panzanella is a traditional Italian dish from Florence that uses day old bread in a salad.   Our latest recipe contest winner took this classic dish one step further and turned it into a a savory bread pudding casserole!  It includes cubes of stale or toasted ciabatta bread, tomatoes, onions, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, just like the salad, but she also adds Italian sausage to really make it a meal.

 Keep reading to find out how this recipe for Panzanella and Sausage Casserole Bake won our latest contest!  

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One Pumpkin, Two Great Recipes!

4 Comments | Written on October 14, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni

Did you see the “How to Make Pumpkin Puree” article yesterday?  Today, I am going to show you how to make two delicious dishes from your homemade fresh pumpkin puree.  With one pumpkin, you can create an entire family meal!  It is cost effective and delicious.

Yesterday I demonstrated How to Make Pumpkin Puree on DaytimeTV and tomorrow I will be talking about these recipes on the radio!  Check out http://letsdineoutshow.com/ and you can listen in to a live stream from your computer.  It will air Saturday 10/15 at 4 PM on 590 KTIE in San Bernardino, CA.

For dinner whip up this unique and easy Pumpkin Chorizo Pizza.  If you are a fan of pepperoni pizza, give this version a try.  You won’t believe the flavorful pumpkin sauce instead of the traditional tomato-based pizza sauce!

Pumpkin-Chorizo Pizza  (click here to view and print recipe)

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

12 ounce purchased pizza crust

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup cubed fontina cheese

1/4 pound thinly sliced Spanish chorizo

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions:

Additional olive oil and chopped sage for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over crust; set aside.  Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes to hot pan.  Sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in pumpkin puree, smoked paprika, and salt.

Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened and hot.  Spread sauce evenly over pizza crust; scatter with cubed fontina. Arrange sliced chorizo evenly over top and sprinkle with chopped sage.

Place pizza on a cookie sheet or directly on oven rack, if preferred.  Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  If desired, drizzle a little olive oil over pizza and sprinkle with additional chopped sage.

Traditional Italian cannoli is given a seasonal twist in this recipe.  Pumpkin puree is incorporated in the filling and pumpkin seeds garnish the ends. 

Pumpkin Cannoli  (click here to view and print recipe) 

8 ounce container mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds (pepitas), divided

2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

12 purchased cannoli shells (two 4-ounce boxes)

Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, ricotta, and pumpkin pie spice until blended.

Fold in 1/4 cup of the pumpkin seeds and the mini chocolate chips; set aside.  In a chilled mixing bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold into pumpkin mixture.

Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.  Right before serving, pipe pumpkin filling into cannoli shells, going all the way to the ends.  Sprinkle the ends with remaining 1/4 cup chopped pumpkin seeds.  Sprinkle shell with powdered sugar and serve.