Covid-19 Social Distancing YEAST FREE PIZZA DOUGH

While speaking with my PRIMA niece yesterday she said she was unable during these trying social distancing times to find any yeast.  She wanted to make pizza dough and bread.  I explained that she could make the pizza dough without yeast, so I thought I would share the method:

Ingredients

•  1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Add all ingredients to list

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; stir in milk and olive oil until a soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times. Shape dough into a ball. Cover dough with an inverted bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

Roll out to whatever shape you like - 

• For dry dough, add a little more milk.
• Bake crust bake in an oven at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 8 minutes. 
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• Top crust with your favorite toppings and bake until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For MINE above I added:
• sliced thin (parboiled potatoes)
• black olives, rosemary and goat cheese and carmelized onions 
•  (topped it with green onions)

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My all time fav ZUCCHINE FRITTE....or FRIED ZUCCHINI....LITTLE ITALY style

Slice your zucchini as thin as possible, like thin matchsticks is a good guide...don't peel them either. Salt them and let them drain on paper towels...Pat dry. Dust well with seasoned flour, then into a batter of 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper...and slowly add enough milk or water to make a fairly thin batter...whisk till smooth, no lump. Dip the zucchini into the batter, let the excess run off..and then into a hot pan of oil, about 325 degrees F...they are done when they are golden...DON'T CROWD THE PAN!!!!!!! this is a labor of love and somewhat laborious.. the pay off is immense!!! Drain on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with lemon wedges.

Sicilian Orange Salad

Ingredients

• 6 large navel oranges, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Directions

On a serving platter, alternately arrange orange and onion slices, with the slices slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with basil. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with pepper.

Spagetti Pie 

Leftovers spaghetti with olive oil & garlic. 

Refrigerator over night and in the morning bring to room temperature.

In a non-stick trying pan with glass lid add butter -  melt and then add Spaghetti 

On medium heat mixing & turning, once hot add scrambled eggs & push with fork to make sure it is mixed throughout & cover. 

Keep looking  at the bottom and once bottom is browned slide on plate then turn frying pan upside down over it & carefully turn upside down back into the frying pan return back to stove cover - low heat until done. 

Slide it on plate and enjoy

You can also add ricotta if you want - I do because I LOVE IT  -  Healthy version add spinach YUM YUM

Boiled Salt Cod

Boiled Salt Cod ala Nonna Maria D'Agositno My daughter's fav

INGREDIENTS

2 to 2-3/4 lbs salted codfish, soaked for 24 hours (see Notes)

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced, or more

A few sprigs of parsley, finely minced

Olive oil (THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD)

The juice of 1 lemon- (I like alot)

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

PRESOAK:

To prepare it, rinse the salt off and soak it in cold water for 12 or more hours, depending upon its thickness (refrigerate it during soaking in hot weather), changing the water 2 to 3 times. Once it has soaked, skin it, pick out the bones, and it's ready for use. You could add lemons & sprigs of parsley during soaking.

Simmer the pre-soaked salt cod in enough water to cover for 15 minutes. As the salt cod is already salty, this is one case where you don't need or want to salt the water.

Gently remove the cod from its poaching liquid onto a cutting board. Pat dry with paper towels and remove any bones you may find, then divide it into small pieces, discarding the skin if any. Do not cut with knife. It is delicate, using hands is best.

Prepare dish for fish combining lots of SLICED garlic, chopped parsley and squeezed lemons.

Dress the fish with olive oil, gently toss & return to serving bowl. Taste a bit of the fish to see how salty it is, you may need to add a pinch of salt.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Penne ala Vodka

Penne ala Vodka 

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil 
1/2 of a yellow onion 
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes 
2-3 tablespoons of Vodka
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream.
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons of Fresh chopped basil and the same amount for chopped fresh parsley.
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice

(you can add pancetta which is amazing separately for a non vegetarian dish) just fry up and then add at the end or make two separate sauces - easy peasy 

Add olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add tomato paste, don't burn just cook out bitterness

Add the onion and cook until the onion softens and is translucent.

Stir in your tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce your heat and put it down to a simmer until the sauce has thickened..I would say about 30 minutes.

For the last five minutes put in the cream, vodka, butter and red pepper.

While you are making the sauce you should be bringing a large pot of water to boil. Add your pasta when boiling and add salt to your water.

Drain the pasta when ready. Bring your pasta back to the pot and add your sauce.
Serve hot, and add some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top. Basil from my Garden :) love love love this dish 

Pasta Fazool

(Pasta e Fagioli)

This recipe is for a thick and hardy soup. Right bowl is slightly blended with Immersion Blender before you add pasta.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 6 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 Large Carrot, Finely Chopped
• 2 Celery Stalks, Finely Chopped
• 1 bunch of Finely Chopped Dandelion
• 1 large Onion, Finely Chopped
• 1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Pancetta (take this step our for vegetarian)
• 2 can - 32 oz San Marzano whole tomatoes (hand crushed)
• 1 Quart Chicken Broth (use vegetable base for vegetarian)
• 4-6 (14 Ounce) cans of cannellini Beans (or Equivalent, Prepared From Dried)
• 1 1/4 Cup Small Pasta (Tubettini or Ditalini)
• Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt & Pepper
• Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot, then cook the onion, carrot, pancetta and celery until soft.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Pour in the broth, beans, bay leaves.

Hand squeeze tomatoes, and add Dandelion and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove a few scoops of the bean mixture and puree or mash, then return to the pot.

Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup Parmesan

PASTA:

Prepare pasta according to directions. Cool and set aside.

Soup must be cold before adding pasta. Or at the very least, rinse pasta in cold water before adding to the soup.

NOTE: Serve in large soup bowls topped with a drizzle of olive oil, the shaved cheese and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

makes about 4 -5 quarts