August, 2015
Anita’s Quick and Easy Apple Tart
Easy and delicious dessert to make in no time. Made with the complex sweet and tart flavors from the Fuji apples. My son’s favorite.
Ingredients
1 Package frozen puff pastry, defrosted
5 Fuji apples, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoon apple juice
2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Do not peel apples ( all vitamins are in the skin). Slice the apples as thinly as you can.
3. Pour lemon juice all over the apples so they won’t oxidize(change color) .
4. Place apples into a cast-iron pan and let them release their natural juices for about 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon, brown sugar and granulated sugar . Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Stir all together and add apple juice. Reduce heat and let them cook until soft and tender.
7. Turn off heat and set aside.
8. Lay 1 1/2 puff pastry sheet into approximately 9 x 3 inch round pan covering all around to the top. Poke the puff pastry dough as shown in picture down below.
9. Lay apples on top of puffed pastry overlapping them all around until you get to the center.
10. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 to 25 minutes until is puffy all around and golden brown.
11. Remove tart from oven. You can serve it warm, next to an ice cream scoop if you like. Enjoy!
Note: Another way on displaying your Apple Tart: In a rectangular way or on a very fun lollipop stick. As shown down in the picture, first poke some holes in one complete sheet of puff pastry with a fork to prevent air bubbles while baking. 
Place cooked apple in a straight line on top. Sprinkle dough all around with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Place into a preheated 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm or cold. Great for any celebration.
On a stick! square, round shapes…guests will be surprised and delighted..
Anita’s best tender Osso Buco
Tender beef shanks and marrow that melt in your mouth. You won’t miss the veal chunk that this dish is usually made with. Cooked low and slow. It’s gone by my husband in no time. A delicious dish to enjoy with family and friends.
Ingredients
5 bone-in beef shanks (cross-cut)
1 cup flour
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves, dried
2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cups homemade or store-bought chicken stock
2 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon thyme
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 of a lemon juice
1 cup of mixed colors cherry tomatoes
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 cup water, if needed
1 teaspoon Lea & Perris sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation
1. Using a paper towel, pat your beef shanks dry.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking any excess.
3. Heat olive oil and butter in a big pot over medium-high heat. Add meat and browned for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
3. Add chopped carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and onions. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and cinnamon.
4. Stir constantly until vegetables are almost tender. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 7 to 8 minutes.
5. Add wine, Lea & Perris sauce and pomegranate molasses. Let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Keep turning shanks and add chicken stock till top, covering beef shanks.
6. Add tomato paste dissolved into a cup of water and lemon juice. Lower heat and simmer covered for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until beef shanks are fork tender and vegetables are completely cooked.
7. Remove bay leaves. Transfer Osso Buco to a serving dish and pour over and around all juices and vegetables.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest. Serve next to mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or rice.
Anita’s Egg-in-a-Hole
A great, fast and easy to make breakfast for the kids. My daughter almost has it everyday before school .
Ingredients
1 egg
1 slice of whole wheat bread or (white, brioche)
2 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
Preparation
1. Cut a hole in the center of the bread about 2 1/2 inch round with a cookie cutter or pressing the top of a glass cup into the slice of bread.
2. Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a cast- iron pan on medium heat. Add the bread and toast for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Flip the bread and crack an egg into the hole; season with salt and pepper. Lower heat and let egg cook for 2 minutes. Flip it and continue to cook until the yolk is set depending on your taste.
Anita’s Quinoa with Grilled Carrots and Zucchini
A quick and flavorful grain salad. Also, a great gluten-free side dish filled with fiber and good source of protein.
Ingredients
1 cup Quinoa
3 large zucchini, chopped into small chunks
1 medium red onion, small diced
2 cups baby carrots, small diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 juice of lemon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
1. Rinse well quinoa before cooking to reduce its natural bitter flavor.
2. Cook quinoa according to package and set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven at 400 grades Fahrenheit and roast zucchini, carrots and onions.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Toss all together.
4. In a small bowl mix together olive oil, turmeric, cumin, paprika, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.
5. Add quinoa to the zucchini, carrots and onions. Combine.
6. Mix in dressing adding salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
8. Mix in golden raisins and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Anita’s Fruit Tart with Fresh Berries
Fresh fruit or Berry Tart. A flaky and thin made from scratch pastry shell filled with a delicious tart-sweet cream, pile with fresh berries. A very festive, fresh and delicious dessert for anytime !
Ingredients
Tart Dough:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoon cold water
Pastry Cream:
1 1/2 whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon butter, for greasing pan
1/2 cup apricot or strawberry jam
1 pint strawberry
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blackberries
Preparation for the Dough
1. Place the almond flour, all purpose flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt into a food processor. Pulse three to five times until all mixed and dough has a coarse, sandy consistency.
2. Remove dough from the processor, flatten dough into a disk form over a plastic wrap. Wrap dough and place it for 1 hour in the fridge.
3. Preheat oven to 300 Fahrenheit degree oven.
4. Roll out dough over a floured surface.
6. Line dough into a greased 12 x 8 1/2 inch rectangular pan with a removable bottom.
7. Gently press with your fingers into the bottom and up the sides of pan.
8. Place a rectangular parchment paper over crust. Set beans or rice on top of paper for crust not to puff up.
9. Bake tart shell for 20 minutes. Remove beans or rice and parchment paper. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
10. Cool tart shell at room temperature. Set aside.
Preparation for Pastry Cream
1. Beat the egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until is all well blended. Set aside.
2. Pour milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Scrape inside of vanilla bean with the tip of a knife and add it to the milk.
4. Incorporate egg mixture into the warm milk whisking continuously. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest slowly. When mixture bubbles, lower heat and bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes.
5. Transfer pastry cream to a glass bowl. Cover cream with plastic wrapping paper touching the cream’s surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling.
Glaze
Heat apricot jam with 1 teaspoon of water to loosen it up for just couple minutes. Set aside.
To assemble:
Brush all bottom of tart with glaze to prevent falling apart crust .
Filled baked tart crust with pastry cream just a little below the top. Arrange fresh fruits as you desired. Brush fruits top with glaze for a lasting and shiny finish. Chill tart until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Also can be made in individually removable pans as shown below or as I made it at Culinary school in a round beautiful shape as the featured image posted. Enjoy!
Note: Making your design ahead by placing your fruits on a plate the way you wanted to be then assembled on the tart shell will tell how much fruits you need and how nice it will look later.
Transfer your design over your tart shell.
Anita’s Delicious Seafood Pasta in Red Wine Tomato Sauce
Elegant and pleasant delicious combination of shellfish cooked in a reach red tomato sauce. Our most wanted Sunday family meal.
Ingredients
3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoon butter
1 Large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 Large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 Pound mixed seafood(baby scallops, shrimps, calamari, and mussels)
1 12 Ounce can tomato sauce
5 Roma tomatoes, cut in large chunks
1/2 Cup red wine
5 to 6 Fresh basil leaves
1/2 Teaspoon oregano, dried
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon red crushed pepper
1 Pound fettuccini pasta
1/2 Cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Prepare Pasta
Empty 1 pound fettuccini package into a 4 quarts boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta for 6 to 8 minutes (stir occasionally) until is tender. Drain and set aside.
Preparation
1. In a large pan at medium high heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil and butter, till melted.
2. Add onions thinly sliced. Sate onions until translucent and soft.
3. Add garlic thinly sliced. Add all mixed seafood and stir together.
4. Seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper and some chopped fresh basil.
5. Add tomato sauce. Let it simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Lower heat. Add red wine and let it reduce, simmer until seafood is cooked thoroughly and wine has evaporated for about 15 minutes.
6. Add chunk of tomatoes and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Sprinkle sauce with 1/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese. Stir and your sauce is reach and creamy.
To thin sauce up, add some water from your cooked pasta.
8. Add drain pasta and mix with sauce. Cook for another two minutes to absorbed all flavors.
Ready to serve. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil.
Anita’s Crispy and Delicious Zucchini Organic Pizza
Crispy, perfect thin crust, organic dough topped with fresh grilled organic zucchini, onions, organic yellow cherry tomatoes and basil. Best Pizza ever whether using charcoal or gas grills. The grill will give your pizza the greatest smoky flavor that you cannot get from your regular oven and you will be able to taste a variety of pizzas with different topping instead of over filling yourself with an extra thick one.
Ingredients
4 Cups Organic Unbleached Flour
3/4 Cup of your starter(organic yeast created)
2 1/2 Cup filtered water, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Please see our Organic Yeast creation (Recipe under A Healthy Meal plan page).
Preparation
If your looking for a crispy and extra thin crust, we recommend you to use a pizza stone. For a thicker crust you can place your pizza directly on the grill.
For the Dough:
1. Combine water and organic fresh yeast in a bowl. Let it sit for 10 to 12 minutes, until bubbly.
2. In another bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast and extra virgin olive oil. Mix until flour is well incorporated with rest of the ingredients.
3. Transfer your dough to a floured surface. Knead it for 4 to 5 minutes and shape into balls.
4. Place the dough into a well greased bowl with olive oil.
5. Cover with a clean towel and place dough into a warm spot in your kitchen to rise for about 2 to 3 hours.
6. Preheat gas grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and locate pizza stone over the grill raised up about 3 to 4 inches above.
7. Meanwhile, place dough into a well floured surface and roll out.
8. Transfer dough to a well floured pizza spatula.
9. Place pizza crust over pizza stone. Assemble with topping.
10. Cover the grill and cook pizza for 5 to 6 minutes until edges are crispy and golden brown.
11. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and ready to share.
Enjoy!
Anita’s Organic Yeast-Our Family Creation
We never thought we could make our own organic yeast, so rewarding when you are able to create with your hands a rustic and delicious bread. Our children can not wait until is out of the oven to enjoy with an Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as we never miss our bread on the table next to all our warm dishes and best Panini Sandwiches.
To create a mother dough(yeast) from scratch, we need to have the living mixture of yeast and good bacteria. This good bacteria will give the flavor to your bread or pizza crust, while the yeast will provide and maintain a long lasting life for your creation of bread and pizzas. It’s like feeding a baby since born ,which you want to see grow. While you keep on feeding your mother dough or starter with organic unbleached flour, the yeast will brake down the sugar from the flour and the water from the fruit used will create the natural process of Fermentation .
Our technique on creating our Sour Dough Yeast from scratch using Organic Champagne White Grapes:
Recipe
1 Pound Organic Champagne white grapes, seedless, unwashed
Filtered Water
Organic Unbleached wheat bread flour(could be white flour, rye, whole wheat “preferably organic”)
Mode of Preparation
1. In a clean plastic medium size bowl, put white organic grapes.
2. Crush grapes using your hands, to release the natural sugar juice from the grapes skin.
3. Cover bowl with a clean towel and placed bowl in a dark spot, not exposed to direct sun light at room temperature.
4. Leave grapes without moving the bowl for 3 to 4 days.
5. On the fifth day, stir grapes all around with a wooden spoon and let them sit for another 9 to 10 days covered.
6. Mildew and bubbles have created, grapes looked deflated. The smell of a strong vinegar has developed.
7. Squeeze grapes, strain and you will end having more or less a cup of pure grape juice.
8. Add one cup of unbleached flour to grapes juice. Stir it up thoroughly and transfer to a new covered clean container.
9. Place mother dough in refrigerator for about 2 days.
More bubbles will appear and a slightly fruity odor to experienced. Every day for a period of one week feed your mother dough by adding 1 cup of unbleached organic flour and 1/4 cup room temperature filtered water. Continue with same process alternating every 2 to 3 days, same procedure until you have reached the quantity and consistency of the yeast needed.
Remember this, the more you feed it, the most fresh mother dough(starter, yeast) you will have. It will last for many years to come.
Keep it always in refrigerator and place it outside at room temperature for at least two hours before ready to use for making your own rustic and organic sour dough or best pizza crust. Our secret is now shared with you. Enjoy!
Anita’s Fig Prosciutto with Cream Cheese
Fresh, simple and delicious bite. Go well with a glass of wine for your next gathering.
Ingredients
6 to 8 Fresh figs, sliced in halves
1/2 Cup cream cheese
1/4 Pound Prosciutto di Parma, thinly sliced
8 Crackers of your choice or toasted bread sliced
1 teaspoon organic honey
Preparation
1. Smear about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese over each cracker. The cream cheese will act as a glue for the fig to stay in place.
2. Place sliced in halves figs over cracker. Arrange Prosciutto on top of fig.
3. Drizzle with honey.
Enjoy!
Anita’s Game Day Chicken Drumettes with Honey and Spicy Glaze
Sweet and a little fiery. Very crunchy, baked chicken drumetts. You won’t miss the fried ones. Great appetizer for a crowd . My daughter’s favorite.
Ingredients
3 Pound chicken drumettes
1 Cup Organic honey
3 Tablespoon Ketchup
2 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Orange juice or Pineapple juice
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Pomegranate Molasses
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Teaspoon sea salt
1 Teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon sweet ginger garlic seasoning
Make ahead
1. Preheat oven at 425 grade Fahrenheit .
2. Marinate drumetts in a sealed bag mixing 1/2 cup orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and minced garlic.
3. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. Place into the oven for 35 minutes until completely cooked and top is crispy.
Glaze
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, ketchup, pomegranate molasses, Worcestershire sauce, rice vinegar and rest 1/2 cup of orange juice. Stir until smooth and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Reduce heat and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes till sauce thickened.
3. Remove drumetts from oven and brush them with glaze. Sprinkle with sweet ginger garlic seasoning and some chopped parsley.
4. Place them back into the oven for another 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Ready to serve. Brush them again before serving so they will be shiny and more tasty. Delicious next to sweet potatoes baked fries and regular fries.
“Buen Apetito”
