For our "In the Kitchen" segment we send our cooks out to shop - to create a dish that they love! Today's theme - Italian Holiday Dishes!!!
We're "In the Kitchen" with author and home cook from Italy Little By Little Deborah Hernandez-Pascolla!
We followed Deborah as she shopped at the Tony's Fresh Market in Prospect Heights to see what ingredients she wanted to use for her holiday dishes.
Visit the Alessi website for all the Alessi products.
Alessi and Tony's Fresh Market have a surprise for our viewing audience. Until 2 a.m. tomorrow, click here to enter the WCL Grocery Instant Win contest for your chance at winning one of these great prizes:
$25 gift certificate to Tony's Fresh Market
$90 Alessi gift box
And you can opt in for a free package of Alessi Avocado Toast Seasoning Grinder.
Visit the Tony's Fresh Market website for a location near you.
Deborah's recipes:
Eggplant Appetizer
Ingredients:
Pinch of Alessi Tuscan Seasoning
1 jar Alessi Eggplant Appetizer, pureed
can Alessi Whole Italian Peeled Tomatoes, pureed
Instructions:
Bring to a boil and then simmer pureed seasoning, eggplant and tomatoes for 10 minutes. Pour in bowl and serve with Alessi breadsticks and bruschette.
Tomato with Goat Cheese & Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 small Onion - minced
Salt
Pepper
3 cloves Garlic - minced
1-28 oz. San Mariano Whole Peeled Tomatoes - pureed
2 tsp. Pesto
log of Goat Cheese
6-8 mushrooms sliced
Instructions:
Add Olive oil, salt, black pepper, onion to medium saucepan saute for 8-10 minutes to soften onion
Add garlic to saucepan after 9 minutes
Add sliced mushrooms, saute for 3 minutes
Add pureed San Marzano tomatoes & Pesto
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
Reduce heat for 10 minutes
Remove from heat
Pour into bowl
Add log of goat cheese in center of bowl of tomato mixture and serve with Italian Organic Bruchette Toasts, Thin Breadsticks and Garlic Breadsticks.
Sun Dried Tomato Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
cup of heavy cream
cup of cashew or almond milk
cup of Reggiano Parmesan - shaved or grated
3 Tsp Alessi Pesto
4 Alessi Sun Dried Tomatoes - minced
1 Tbs Alessi Pine Nuts - crushed
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Add liquids, Reggiano Parmesan cheese, Pesto, salt & black pepper to small saucepan. Melt cheese in liquid for 8-10 minutes.
Add crushed pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes to saucepan after 5 minutes to thicken.
Remove from heat and pour into bowl.
Serve with Italian Organic Bruschette Toasts, Thin Breadsticks and Garlic Breadsticks
Pesto Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
cup of heavy cream
cup of cashew or almond milk
cup of Reggiano Parmesan - shaved or grated
3 tsp Alessi Pesto
1 Tbs Alessi Pine Nuts - crushed
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Add liquids, Reggiano Parmesan cheese, Pesto, salt & black pepper to small saucepan. Melt cheese in liquid for 8-10 minutes.
Add crushed pine nuts to saucepan after 9 minutes to thicken.
Remove from heat.
Pour into bowl.
Serve with Italian Organic Bruschette Toasts, Thin Breadsticks and Garlic Breadsticks.
Blood Orange and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
2 splashes of Alessi Raspberry Blush
Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Alessi Olive Oil
3-4 Tomatoes on the vine sliced
3-4 Blood & Cara Cara Oranges, sliced and halved
2 tangerine / clementines
1 handful Medley of grape or cherry sized heirloom tomatoes
1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds
10-15 Basil Leaves fresh
1 / 4 tsp Alessi Natural Sea Salt
1 small handful of Fresh Berries (optional)
Instructions:
Drizzle vinegars and olive oils over platter. Alternate and layer tomato and orange slices. Add smaller sliced heirloom tomatoes, basil leaves and pomegranate seeds on top. Tangerine and clementine slices can be arranged on the outer edge of salad. If you like, add fresh berries on hand. Drizzle vinegars, olive oil and sea salt over the top and serve.
Chickpea & Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Alessi Salt
Alessi Black Pepper
Alessi Tuscan Seasoning
3 Cloves Garlic - minced
8-10 Alessi Sun Dried Tomatoes - minced
2-3 Alessi Italian Style Red Peppers, chopped
Alessi Capers - whole
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley - minced
1 small onion chopped
16 oz of Chickpeas cooked
1 can Alessi Artichoke Hearts Quartered
1 tbsp Alessi Pine Nuts - whole (toasted optional)
1 Lemon - Juice and 1 tsp Zest
Alessi Organic Penne Pasta
Instructions:
Heat olive oil sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, capers, parsley, salt, pepper, Tuscan Seasoning in pan. In 3 minutes add onions and saute for 10 minutes to soften. Add chickpeas and artichokes. Boil Water in stockpot add salt to flavor water- add and cook pasta for 8-10 minutes al dente to the taste. Drain pasta and place in bowl. Top with mixture from sauce pan and fresh lemon juice, zest and pine nuts.
Ricotta Dulce
Ingredients:
1 lb. Macuso Ricotta (drier version)
2 tbsp Honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4-6 Alessi cookies - crushed
1 tbsp Lemon or Orange Zest
Instructions:
In a bowl mix ricotta, vanilla and honey. Spoon mixture into desserts bowls, top with crushed cookies and sprinkle lemon zest on top.