Easy Whole Wheat Bagels

I made bagels in the kitchen with nonna Emilia years ago, but for Italians they were Fresine. Easy Whole Wheat Bagels brings together some traditional and non-traditional methods. Baking in the kitchen calls people to the table, and the smell of bread is hypnotizing.

Like nonna, I try to make as many products as I can in the kitchen. I always look for shortcuts to the original products. We love bagels, but I don’t want all the extra ingredients and I like to control the type of flour. Today I use half all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat. I use yogurt to help the leavening process; you see more and more recipes with yogurt. Traditional bagels use yeast, but the yogurt cuts our prep time. I also skip the boiling part. If you like a chewier bagel then set a pot of water to boil. Drop in the bagels for 30 seconds and then wash and season them.

When we made Fresine with nonna she twice baked them. She would cut them in half and put them back in the oven. You can also make Fresine with this recipe. I will put the instructions in the recipe notes. Remember, that these Fresine are also non-traditional, but follow the same process.

Easy ingredients produce good results.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Make a well in the centre and put in the yogurt.

Let the mixer do the work and this is the dough before kneading.

I knead the dough and then get my spices out.

The egg wash ready for brushing onto the bagels.

I make 4 ropes approximately the same length.

The rings come together and the spices adorn them and it all glistens.

On the pan with parchment paper they sit ready for the oven.

Out of the oven and cooling a bit.

Which one do I choose??

Sliced and ready for butter,jam or your favourites.

Easy Whole Wheat Bagel:Recipes at My Table

Easy way to bring whole goodness to the table.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Easy Whole Wheat Bagels

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup plus 1 tbsp greek yogurt
1 tbsp everything bagel blend sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc
1 egg beaten

Instructions

Set oven to 400 F.
In a large mixer bowl place the flours, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
Whisk together.
Make a well and place in the yogurt.
Attach the bowl to the mixer or you can mix by hand using a wooden spoon.
When the dough comes together sprinkle a little flour on your counter.
Turn the dough onto the counter and knead a few times.
Divide the dough into four pieces. This makes 4 large bagels. If you want smaller bagels, divide the dough into six.
Roll out the cords so that they are all approximately the same size.
Connect the cords at the ends and hold up the ring with your hand and twist and turn. It's like working with pizza dough.
Place the rings on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Brush with the beaten egg.
Sprinkle with your choice of topping.
Place in a 400 F oven for 20 minutes.
Remove, slice, and toast if you like a crispier bagel.
Spread with jam, cream cheese or just butter.

April 16, 2019April 16, 2019

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

A Sunday favourite at our house, lasagna’s deep dish flavours make it a winning dish. It doesn’t matter who you are, chances are you eat lasagna. It takes on many faces for many cultures and everyone puts a spin on it. Traditionally Napoletanos claim that they invented this dish, but when in Italy the best comes from Emilia-Romania. Of course, no one could beat my nonna Emilia stuffed rows of tiny meatballs, cubes of cheese, dried sausage and salami, eggs and endless parmesan cheese.

Every Italian kitchen has a version of this casserole of layered pasta, sauce and a variety of other ingredients. My absolute favourite is a simple one made with layers of a meat sauce, cheese, egg noodles. Then, I top it with a thick cheesey béchamel. I make a good sauce using lamb as a base to flavour it. The ground beef starts by sauteing onions, celery and carrots; this flavour base provides layers with richness. At the top of this lasagna the béchamel keeps the dish moist and flavourful. This is a crowd-pleaser.

Pulse the onions and then follow with the celery.

Next the carrots go in for a fine shredding.

Add the soffritto to the browned meat and let it cook for a while.

You can see how the soffritto melts into the meat.

Next I hit it with some good red wine.

Cube the mozzarella and the asiago.

The first layer of meat and cheese.

The second layer is ricotta.

The second layer of meat and cheese and the pan is almost full.

The last layer is the bechamel..

After 50 minutes it comes out of the oven and you add more sauce before putting it back in the oven.

When you let it sit, it cuts perfectly.

5 from 1 vote

Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

A one dish crowd pleaser.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Bolognese/Béchamel Stacked lasagna

Servings 10

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef lamb, chicken, pork, your choice
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 clove minced garlic
2 stalks celery
2 large carrots
1 large onion
1 cup good red wine
2 cups cubed mozzarella cheese
250 grams ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced parsley
2 eggs
1 cup cubed asiago cheese
6 cups marinara sauce
1 package oven ready lasagna egg noodles I use Molisana

The Bechamel Sauce

2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Instructions

The Lasagna Prep

Start by cooking your marinara sauce. See recipe notes for link to sauce making.
I added chunks of lamb to the sauce for extra flavours.
Take the olive oil and put it in a pan. Add the ground beef and start to brown it. Add in the garlic, salt and pepper this and add the Italian seasoning.
Meanwhile, peel the carrots and onion.
Add the onion to a food processor and pulse.
Follow with the celery and carrots.
You want this fine. It is our soffritto and you want it to melt into the meat and sauce.
Once the beef has browned, add the soffritto and cook until all the water is absorbed.
Now add the wine and let it simmer.
You want this meat mixture thick.
In a small bowl mix the ricotta, eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan and parsley. Combine this well.

The Bechamel Sauce

Place the butter in a sauce pan,
When it melts add the flour and let it cook a minute.
Whisk continuously.
Slowly add the milk and continue whisking.
Put in the parmesan and parsley.
Whisk until it comes to a boil.
Continue whisking until it thickens.

The Assembly

Take 1 a cup of marinara sauce and put it on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. It's the sauce that cooks the noodles and keeps the lasagna moist.
Next put a layer of lasagna noodles on the pan. Nestle them together and ensure that there are no gaps.
Put 1/2 a cup of marinara over the noodles and then spread 1/2 the meat mixture over this.
Spread 1/2 your cubes of both cheeses over this.
Now, put a second layer of lasagna noodles alternating the direction of the last layer. ( If you laid them horizontally, now lay them vertically)
No sauce over this layer. Spread the ricotta mixture and even it out.
Place the third layer of lasagna noodles, once again altering the direction.
Pour another 1/2 cup of marinara over this layer and spread the remainder of the meat and cheese cubes.
Place the last layer of noodles, once again altering the direction of the noodles.
Now it's time to pour the bechamel sauce over the lasagna. Spread it out.
I take a butter knife and run it all around the perimeter of the pan.
Place a piece of parchment over the pan and then tightly seal with aluminum foil.
This goes into a 350 F oven for 50 minutes.
Take the foil and parchment off and add 1/2 a cup of marinara over the bechamel.
Take a butter knife and poke a few holes over the surface, inserting the knife almost to the bottom.
Place back in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, cover with parchment and tin foil and let it sit one hour before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Marinara sauce: https://recipesatmytable.com/marinara-sauce-passata-making/

A good read on this dish: https://www.dailyprogress.com/lasagna-from-italy-to-america/article_ff967fe8-f951-5bfe-b669-154371e44f5c.html

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

2 Comments

Nonna’s Easter Ginetti

The famous Italian cookie, the ginetti appears all year round. Nonna’s Easter Ginetti are crunchy and sweet. You know it’s Easter when you see them on the table. I remember making these with nonna and also with my mom. I worked out the recipe and it took me a while because of the measurements. Nonna made 40 of these at a time. She would put a pile of flour on the table and make a well. Then in went about a dozen eggs and a little salt. You can double or triple this recipe.

The kneading was the fun part. I would help her mix and turn. The dough was sticky, but pliable. We always let it sit for a bit. Then we made little ropes and pulled on them. They would go into a pot of boiling water and when they came out, we cut around the ropes lengthwise. It was an all day thing. The best part was the icing and to this day I like to add a little bit of anise flavour to the icing.

To eat these just break them off into chunks. They are also good with a little Vin Santo or Marsala at the end of a meal.

Sometimes I use the food processor. First beat the eggs and the salt.

Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time. This dough is very sticky.

I turn it onto a floured counter and knead it.

Roll it into a ball and let it sit covered with a tea towel for about 10 minutes.

Cut into 4 equal pieces.

Make a ring and stretch it.

Ready for a quick boil.

Stretch them again before putting into the boiling water.

They come to the top and are ready.

Strain them and don’t worry if they look lumpy.

Place them on a tray. Do not oil the tray. Slice the ginetti lengthwise all around, but not all the way through.

See how they puff.

Cooling and waiting for the icing.

I like red and blue food colouring. My mom leaves it white.

All sprinkled in red.

All sprinkled in blue.

Bunny loves these treats so much he fell over. LOL

4 from 1 vote

Nonna's Easter Ginetti

A little Italian treat for Easter.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Nonna's Easter Ginetti

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Ginetti

4 eggs
2 cups flour reserve 1/4 cup
1/8 tsp salt

The icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp Sambuca Optional
food colouring
sprinkles

Instructions

Use a food processor or mixer.
Froth the eggs with the salt.
Add the flour a 1/4 cup at a time. I used 1 and 3/4 cups
The dough should be sticky, but come away from the blades.
Sprinkle some flour on your counter and some over the dough.
Knead and bring it together.
It should be soft, pliable, but not stick to the counter.
Let it rest for 10 minutes. I cover it with a kitchen towel.
Put a large pot of water on to boil.
Meanwhile, divide the dough into 4 pieces.
Make a rope our of each piece and pinch ends together.
Pull on the rope and drop into the boiling water.
Do not crowd the ropes.
When they come to the top or start floating remove.
Place on a baking sheet. No need to grease or anything.
Cut a lengthwise slit around each rope.
Place in a 450 F oven for 20 minutes.
Remove and let cool.
Ice and decorate.

April 6, 2019

4 Comments

Nonna’s Oven Baked Ribs with Potatoes

Nonna’s oven baked ribs with potatoes

There is one thing that is called finger-licking good at our house: Nonna’s Oven Baked Ribs with Potatoes. Slowly baked in the oven these ribs begin by marinading in some simple ingredients. We then brown them and set them in a pan to slowly roast at a low temperature. Nonna’s oven baked ribs with potatoes will bring them and keep them at the table.

If you lived in little Italy the aroma’s of these ribs drifted throughout the neighbourhood. I remember neighbours coming by to see what nonna was cooking. She gladly welcomed them, and we all sat together for afternoon coffee and sponge cake. Those days were informal; everyone just dropped by. No one called and no one was turned away.

If nonno Salvatore was at home, the homemade wine came out. Even as kids, we got a little with our supper each night. Now there is always the question: what wine will go with what??? Barbecue season is almost here and this is a good resource for wines : https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/summer-living/what-are-the-best-wines-for-barbecue/article12038443/

The secret to this recipe is the browning of the ribs and then the baking at a low temperature. It leaves them succulent and juicy. They fall off the bone. Nonna didn’t add the tomato paste, but that is my contribution to the recipe along with the paprika. You can also use a dry rub on these ribs : https://recipesatmytable.com/dry-rub-barbecued-pork-loin/

The ribs cut and ready for the spices.

They sizzle when they hit the pan. It is very important to brown them and seal in the juices.

Each one is succulent.

The colour jumps out as you turn them.

Up close to look at the spices.

Its also important to put a nice crust on the potatoes.

Put the ribs in the bottom to begin the cooking process.

Next layer the potatoes over top.

Everything goes on a platter and straight to the table.

Nonna's oven baked ribs

A finger licking good recipe from our kitchen.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Nonna's oven baked ribs

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
3 lbs baby back pork ribs
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
6 large potatoes cut in quarters
2 tbsp Italian seasoning potatoes
1/2 tsp paprika potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil potatoes
salt and pepper potatoes

Instructions

Make a marinade from the tomato paste, canola oil, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Rub all over the pork and put in the refrigerator to marinade for at least 4 hours.
When ready brown the ribs in a large pan. Do not overcrowd.
Wash and dry the potatoes.
Quarter the potatoes and rub with the seasoning and olive oil.
When the ribs are done put the potatoes in the same pan to brown.
Place the ribs in a large baking pan and put the potatoes on top of the ribs.
Cover with foil or a lid.
Bake everything in a 250 F oven for one hour.
Uncover and raise oven temperature to 350 F and cook for 30 minutes.

March 28, 2019