R2R: A little summer taste of Italy!

I had the honor of hosting this month's Recipes to Rival cooking challenge. I wanted to use a couple of the recipes I have acquired while living in Italy! The bruschetta recipe was shared with me by a dear friend who owns a restaurant in Naples. The limoncello recipe is from my Italian neighbor! I hope that you will give them a try... you will have a little summer taste of Italy!

On the menu: a delicious and simple antipasta (appetizer), Bruschetta and a digestivo (after-dinner drink),Limoncello.

Bruschetta, having its origination in Italy, is served as an antipasta. It is one of the simplest and easiest things to make and will gratify your taste buds. It is one of my most loved recipes and it is greatly enjoyed when paired with red wine. In Italian, Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketta’, where ‘bruscare’ means ‘to roast over coals’. The trick is to roast or grill the bread... NOT bake it as we do in America. Once you have tried this recipe you will have a hard time ordering it at a restaurant!

Bruschetta
(4 servings)

4 slices Rustic Bread
2 cups chopped Roma Tomatoes
1 clove Garlic
4 to 8 leaves Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt

-Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat
-Slice THICK pieces of bread
-Place bread on grill until each side has a nice golden color

-Rub garlic on top side of each bread piece
-Pile tomatoes on
-sprinkle one big pinch of salt per piece on top of the tomatoes
-generously drizzle oilve oil on top of tomatoes (about 2 to 3 tablespoons per piece)
-add basil to the top

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that originated in Southern Italy around the Bay of Naples. The liqueur derives its flavor from the peels, rather than the juice of the fruit, resulting in a pleasant, sweet, lemony taste. I tastes so good when chilled and served in the summer months. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple and few, and making a batch doesn't require much work, but you'll need some time.

This recipe will yield a couple of bottles. I usually double the recipe and then find fun bottles or containers to store the liqueur in... they make great hosting gifts!

Limoncello

1 liter grain alcohol
5 1/2 cups water
5 large lemons (or 10 small lemons)
2 1/2 cups sugar

-Gently wash lemons in cool water to remove any dirt
-Peel away zest from lemon leaving as little pith (the white stiff) as possible.
-Put peels in a large sealed jar or container (I reused the alcohol bottle)
-Pour alcohol over peels and place container in a cool place.
-Leave the mixture for 7 days.
-Every day give the container a little swirl. You will see the alcohol become darker and darker every day.

-After 7 days, strain the alcohol by using a coffee filter.
-Prepare the simple syrup. Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar to dissolve.
-Mix the syrup with the alcohol. BE CAREFUL... DO NOT DO THIS NEAR A FLAME!!!
-Pour the limoncello into bottles or containers. Let cool completely. Store in the freezer until ready to serve!
*Date your limoncello. After a year it will no longer be delicious.

Miniature Sausage Crepe-Quiches

I am currently in Lisbon, Portugal. What a fantastic place! This is my second visit. We stay in a little town 20 minutes North of the city called Cascais. SO pretty!!!!

Do you ever want to order room service but are afraid the prices will break you? Or that the food will be so/so? When you are staying in a nice(r) hotel, you can probably be certain that the food will be great... but is it worth several $ per bite? Usually I say no. I mean, there are plenty of cute bistros within walking distance. Today, I said yes... I think I want to do nothing but sit here, look at the ocean and eat my room-service-meal on the balcony! Every now and then it is totally worth it to splurge and get that uber expensive and delicious turkey and cheese sandwich on crunchy baked rustic bread with an 6 euro coke. Totally worth it. You should do it the next time you are on vacation!

Speaking of food...:) This recipe comes from my friend Tara. Everyone loved these at a party last week. The little bite-sized snack is so tasty and will leave you wanting several!! How cute are they?? Enjoy :)

MINIATURE SAUSAGE CREPE-QUICHES

(makes about 48 quiches)

Crepe Ingredients:

3 eggs

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups sifted flour

2 cups milk

¼ cup melted butter

Filling Ingredients:

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 tbls. Butter

5 sweet Italian sausages

½ cup shredded swiss cheese

2 eggs lightly beaten

½ cup milk

¼ cup light cream or ½ & ½

2 tbls. Grated Parmesan

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Crepe Instructions:

Beat eggs with salt in small bowl until foamy. Gradually add flour alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Beat in melted butter. Cover and refridge for 1 hour or more.

Using a 6-7 inch (lightly buttered) skillet, add 1 tablespoon of crepe batter to medium-low heat. Cook one side of crepe until golden brown. Flip and lightly cook the underside. Keep crepes warm between sheets of wax paper (crepes may also be frozen and kept for 2 weeks).

Filling Instructions:

Sauté shredded zucchini in butter using a large skillet until tender. Remove to a large bowl. Remove casing from sausages. Cook sausages over low heat in the same skillet, breaking them up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain on paper towel. Add sausage, swiss, parmesan, eggs, milk, cream, salt & pepper to zucchini. Mix well.

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Press crepes into well-greased mini-muffin pan. Spoon sausage/zucchini filling into crepe cups.

Bake at 425 for 5 minutes then lower heat to 350. Bake an additional 15 minutes at 350, or until tops are golden brown. Serve warm.