Tag: Comfort Food

Polpette di Patate

Polpette di Patate

We use the name polpette for many dishes; it translates to meatball, but there is no meat in these.  Both sets of grandparents could not afford meat every day of the week during the depression and war years; and so, they found a way to substitute hearty ingredients.  Mom recounts how they had 12 chickens and a rooster.  The chickens laid eggs which are the binding block behind these recipes, but they are also high in protein.  The other ingredients in this recipe: the potato provided the vitamin C.

Mom says you must never think that you will always have eggs

One day when she was a little girl, the chickens got sick and died.  They couldn’t afford to go out and buy them again.  My nonno Salvatore would go out and buy one chicken every time he got paid.  It was a long time before they had eggs every day.  Chickens were an important part of the diet as the meat helped the sick, young mothers, and the broth helped cure stomach ailments.  They were very expensive to buy.

The Recipe that keeps on giving

These Polpette di patate are warm, smooth and comforting.  Growing up, we usually ate them as a second course.  Of course, we always would steal a few piping hot. I watched my mother make them over the Christmas holidays and this was a special treat.  As I listened to her stories, I realized that I bring Polpette di Patate to my table as generations before me did with pride.

The ingredients are simple.

Her hands work quickly and she forms a solid dough.

She takes a couple of tablespoons of the dough, puts it in her hands and flattens it.

Next she nestles a large piece of mozzarella in the dough.

She pinches it together and rolls them in long oblong shapes.

Assembled on a plate, they begin to take shape.

The frying gives them that dark golden crust.

YUM!! I couldn’t wait to take them to the table.

 

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Polpette di Patate

A hearty potato croquette.  

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 5 medium potatoes Yukon Gold are the best
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic ( put it through a press)
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 20 pieces of mozzarella cut long
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Boil the potatoes in their skins. 

    Cool them and peel.

    Put the potatoes through a ricer.

    Add the eggs, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

    Mix with your hands.

    Take about 2 tablespoons of mixture, form an oblong shape and put mozzarella in the middle.

    Pinch together and roll.

    Continue until you finish all the dough.  You should get about 20.

    Put an inch of oil into a frying pan.

    Make sure oil is nice and hot.

    Fry to golden brown.  

 

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Fried Peppers, Eggplants and Mushrooms

 

Fried Peppers, EGGPLANTS and mushrooms a vegetarian comfort dish

If there is a vegetarian comfort dish from my childhood that stands out, it is fried peppers, eggplants and mushrooms.  The aroma of this dish leaked out into the neighbourhood and called me home to the table.  After school, if this was on the stove, I would eat it over fresh bread.  My nonna Emilia’s version slow cooked in the oven.  Now, I through everything in a non stick very large pan.  It carmelizes and smells heavenly.  You can serve this as an appetizer over crostini, as a main to your vegetarian guests or as a side.

With all the holiday food, this is a nice one to serve as an appetizer, side or a main.  Many of my readers look forward to vegetarian dishes and this is a keeper. Fried peepers, eggplants and mushrooms will serve as a side, main or appetizer. I plan to use it as an appetizer for New Year’s Eve.

Whatever you decide, beware.  This is addictive.

All the ingredients for fried peppers, eggplants and MUSHROOMS today came from local markets.

A bunch of colour in the pan.

Fried peppers, eggplants and mushrooms.

Everything Italian is about the cheese.  Sprinkled with breadcrumbs and cheese this dish is a little piece of heaven.

Fried peppers, eggplants and mushrooms.

 

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Fried eggplants, peppers andmushrooms

A vegetarian comfort dish that is addictive.  

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 10
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 3 Chinese eggplants
  • 4 assorted peppers red, yellow, orange
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3 cups cremini mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Take off the ends of the eggplants and slice lengthwise. Now slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

    Clean peppers and slice in half and then into slices lengthwise.

    Take a damp cloth and wipe down mushrooms. Never wash mushrooms.  Slice lengthwise.  

    Thinly slice the onions.

    Put olive oil in pan and saute onions. 

    Next add eggplants and brown for a few minutes.

    Follow with the peppers and onions.

    Make a hot spot in the middle of the pan by moving the vegetables to the side and add the tomato paste.  Allow it to toast for a few seconds.

    Mix everything.

    Add diced tomatoes.

    Cook uncovered on medium heat for 30 minutes or until all the liquid absorbs.

    Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

    Cook another few minutes.  





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Sunday Peasant Gnocchi

 Sunday Peasant Gnocchi

This recipe, Sunday Peasant gnocchi gets its name from the idea that you can eat whatever during the week, but on Sunday you have meat.  There was a lack of money during the depression and the war years for my nonni in Calabria.  On Sunday, my nonna would take cured sausage, remove the casings, soak the meat, finely chop it and make meatballs.  For my version, I take fresh sausage meat and turn it into little balls of goodness.

Some mornings are for remembering and reflecting.  After visiting my hometown of Figline Vegliaturo again this summer, I am humbled by my roots.  It was a hard life for my nonna. Today, there is an abandoned local shop that belonged to my aunt Lina.  She sold meat and cheese, but my nonna could not afford to shop there.

Our family raised a pig each year. They slaughtered it and processed it into sausages, salami, prosciutto, etc.  The cured meat had to last all year.  My nonno Salvatore was an easy-going man.  All week he would eat vegetables, pasta, bread and all he could produce on his land. On Sundays, he wanted a meal with meat; and so, one day a week, they would use the preserved pig meat.

I have not experienced such hard times, but these stories live through some of the recipes I create today. I make Peasant Gnocchi on Sunday. Use a variety of sausages to make this gnocchi.  I have never tried soaking cured sausage, because I am lucky enough to be able to go to the store and buy fresh sausage.  In this recipe I used a spiced turkey sausage; a spiced sausage complements the blandness of the gnocchi.

Remove the sausage from the casing and roll into tiny balls.  I am using a spiced turkey sausage today.

Put the sausage balls into a non- stick pan.  The shallot is already in the pan.

When sausage is nice and brown, deglaze the pan with the white wine.
The last item to hit the pan before the gnocchi are the green peas.
 WHEN THE GNOCCHI ARE READY, PUT THEM directly into the pan.  Use a large slotted spoon to take out of the water.  A little pot water is good and help to make a sauce.

Finish with some ground black pepper, parmesan cheese and some grated lemon zest.

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Sunday Peasant Gnocchi

This recipe is a keeper.  

Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 cups frozen Green Giant sweetlet peas
  • 400 gr spicy turkey sausage
  • 1 medium shallot
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 454 gr package gnocchi
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • freshly grated parmesan to taste
  • grated lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Put a 6 quart pot to boil.

    Set a non- stick pan on the stove and add 2 tbsp of olive oil and shallot.  

    Pull the turkey sausage meat out of the casings and roll into small balls.

    Add the turkey sausage balls to the pan with the shallots.

    Let the tiny balls of sausage brown.

    Deglaze pan with white wine.  

    Add the frozen peas.  

    Take the gnocchi out of the hot pot and toss into the pan.

    Grate some freshly ground pepper, some parmesan and some lemon zest over the gnocchi.  


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Comfort Food Meatloaf Italiano

Comfort food Meatloaf Italiano

When I look for a comfort recipe I think of meatloaf:  my comfort food meatloaf Italiano is good as a main and great in sandwiches when left over.  The problem is, they will lick the plates with this recipe.

In Italian we call it porpetone, but any way you look at it Meatloaf is comfort food.  Porpetone in our Calabrese dialect refers to a large meatball stuffed with mozzarella and fried.   Sometimes nonna would pour some hot piping marinara sauce over them.  My mom makes them now and she has tweaked her recipe and they are to die for. ( I will share her recipe in another post.)

I am always looking for healthier versions of these foods; and so, I developed this carmelized meatloaf.  The yummy is in the sauce that goes over it.  To make it easier, I make one large meatloaf and add spinach for that added touch of colour, and of course to make it healthy.

the process

Combine the beef, pork, salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, eggs and water in a bowl.  You have to get your hands in there.

Take 2 pieces of wax paper and put the meat mixture on one and pat it down into a rectangle to fit my pan.  Align the pan by the meat so that the shape will fit.  Put the second piece of wax paper over the meat and smooth it out into an even rectangle. 

Put the fresh spinach and mozzarella cheese down the centre and leave an inch border.  

Use the wax paper to help roll the meat into a log.  As I roll, I use the wax paper to help close up the seam at the top.  

When is rolled I place it seam side up in the pan. I use the wax paper to move it over.

I use my hands to square it off and ensure that all the seams are pinched.  

 

After 50 minutes, I take it out of the oven and pour the sauce over top. 

My secret ingredient for the sauce.  

It is ready to go back into the oven for another 30 minutes.

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Comfort Food Meatloaf

This meatloaf will be your go-to recipe for comfort.  

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 10
Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

  • 1 lb beef
  • 1 lb pork
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Italina seasoning
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 cups baby spinach raw and remove stems
  • 9 pieces of  in mozzarella cut in 1/2 inch strips

Instructions

  1. Mix all the ingredients except the spinach and the mozzarella strips.

    Form a rectangle from your meat using the wax paper method. Use your hands to mould and pinch seams.  The wax paper is excellent for this method.

    Place your spinach and mozzarella on the meat.

    Ensure that you have a 9 inch by 13 inch pan greased and ready.

    Use the wax paper to help you place the loaf in the pan.

    Square off the edges and pinch any open seams.

    Put into a 350 degrees F oven for 50 minutes.

    Mix your sauce.

    Remove meatloaf and dribble sauce ensuring to cover the loaf.

    Put into the oven for another 30 minutes.

    Use two sturdy steel spatulas to put on a platter.

  2. SAUCE

    2 tbsp strawberry and balsamic  vinegar jam

    1 tbsp brown sugar

    1 cup marinara sauce

    2 tbsp ketchup

If you can find this Italian seasoning, it is the best.  I buy it at a local Butcher Shop.

Enjoy this sticky mess of meat with its pocket of spinach and cheese. 

 

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