ESCAROLE AND BEANS WITH A CRUST OF ITALIAN BREAD

MY DRIER VERSION OF ESCAROLE AND BEANS

SAUTE GARLIC IN EVOO AND ADD SALT, PEPPER, RED PEPPER SEEDS & OREGANO(YOU CAN ALSO ADD A CHOPPED ONION). INCORPORATE ONE 15OZ CAN OF CANNELLINI BEANS.

DROP ESCAROLE INTO A DUTCH OVEN OF BOILING WATER. WHEN WATER RETURNS TO A BOIL TAKE ESCAROLE OUT AND PUT IN HOT EVOO WITH SEASONINGS AND SAUTE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TURN TO INCORPORATE ALL OF THE FLAVORS.

SERVE WITH BROWNED CIOBOTTA ROLLS OR HARD CRUST ITALIAN BREAD.

ZUPPA DI SCAROLA E CANNELLINE....

-->

ZUPPA DI SCAROLA E CANNELLINE

ESCAROLE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• 1 15OZ CAN OF CANNELLINE BEANS
• 2 quarts water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling over the finished soup
• Salt
• 6 cups coarsely shredded escarole leaves (preferably the tough outer leaves), washed and drained.
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
• RED PEPPER SEEDS TO TASTE
• Pan-Fried garlic bread, optional

DIRECTIONS

Drain and transfer CANNELLINE BEANS to a 5- or 6-quart pot. Pour in 2 CANS of water, toss in the bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to simmering, pour in ¼ CUP of the EVOLIVE OIL, and cook until the beans are HEATED THROUGH ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE BEANS should be covered by about 1 inch of cooking liquid. Season the beans to taste with salt.

Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, SALT AND PEPPER, OREGANO, AND RED PEPPERSEEDS and cook, shaking the pan, until GARLIC IS lightly browned. Stir in the escarole and cook, stirring occasionally, until the escarole is quite tender, about 15 minutes. ADD ESCAROLE TO POT OF BEANS AND FOLD IN.

Remove the pot from the heat AND LET REST FOR 15 MINUTES.

Serve, with CJOBOTTA garlic bread if you like.

RABE AND CHICK PEAS: ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD

YUMLICIOUS! Just sauted an onion and 2 cloves of smashed garlic in EVOO with salt, pepper, red pepper seeds, oregano, until tender and added a can of chick peas. Then added some leftover cooked rabe and heated to temperature. Served with toasted hard crust Italian bread. To die for!

HALLOWEEN EVE OF ALL SOULS.....

It is believed that on Halloween, the eve of All Souls Day, Nov. 1^st, the souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them home. The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures throughout the world.

ESCAROLE SAUTED IN OLIVE OIL: ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD

 ITALIAN COMFORT FOOD

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
• 3 anchovy fillets(OPTIONAL)
• 1 large bunch escarole, about 1 pound, leaves trimmed, separated, and washed
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• Red pepper seeds
• ¼ cup pitted oil-cured black olives (optional)

Cookbook

Lidia’s Italy in America

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies, and cook, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve, about 2 minutes.

Add the whole escarole leaves to the skillet, with a little water from washing still clinging to them, and season with the salt. Stir in the olives. Once the escarole begins to wilt, cover the skillet and cook until the leaves are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure the pan is not dry; if it is, add a few tablespoons of water and re-cover.

Once the escarole is wilted and tender, uncover and cook for another minute or two to evaporate any excess liquid.

Season with salt (keeping in mind that the anchovies and olives contain salt), and serve warm.

CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS CAKE: EASY AND YUMLICIOUS!

Cranberry Christmas Cake
Yield: 16 servings
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour *
12 oz fresh cranberries or

(I MADE IT WITH STRAWBERRIES AND APPLES)

* Gluten Free Substitution:
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.

Spread in a buttered 9x13 pan. (This pan is my favorite!) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1"x2", so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!

LOVE THOSE MINIONS