WHITE PIZZA WITH RICOTTA & SPINACH

Twice a month we have pizza night. Tonight I made this white pizza with four different kinds of cheese and also a Margherita pizza.

We always have enough left over for lunch a couple of days.

1 recipe for pizza dough

Olive oil

Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 cloves garlic, minced

Freeze-dried or dried oregano

Torn or freshly shredded provolone cheese

Torn or freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

1 bunch sautéed spinach, seasoned with sea salt and pepper

Mounds of pureed and drained ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack.

Drizzle some olive oil all over the plain pizza dough.

Add some grated Pecorino Romano Cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Scatter on the minced garlic and oregano.

Add the provolone and mozzarella cheeses.

Add the spinach and finally the ricotta cheese.

Bake pizza on the middle rack for 5 minutes, then slide onto the pizza stone and bake another 10 minutes.

BROOKLYN PIZZAIOLA STEAK SANDWICH

Philadelphia has its Philly cheese steak sandwich and Brooklyn has its pizzaiola steak sandwich.
They are similar but the pizzaiola has three kinds of cheese and one extra ingredient—tomato sauce “gravy.” This sandwich is truly a meal in itself. Panino Grande!

2 (6 oz) boneless New York strip steaks or any steaks of your choice

1 T unsalted butter

2 T extra-light olive oil

1 (14 oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pushed through a garlic press or finely minced

½ t red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce

1 T tomato paste

1 t  freeze-dried or chopped fresh basil

1 cup water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced, any color you prefer

1 large loaf crusty Italian bread, cut into four (8-inch) pieces

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

4 slices provolone cheese

4 slices mozzarella cheese

Slice both steaks in half lengthwise to make 4 thin pieces.

Place one of the pieces between layers of plastic wrap and pound it until it is about

¼-inch thick. Repeat with the other 3 pieces.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the oil and brown each piece of beef about 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in a bowl and hand-crush them. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to coarsely chop the tomatoes

Add the onion to the large pan and sauté for 10 minutes.


Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, and water; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 15 minutes.


Add the beef to the pan and cover completely with sauce. 

Simmer on very low heat, covered, for
 2 hours. The sauce will be thick.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add a little oil and sauté the sliced onion and bell peppers until soft, about 15 minutes; set aside.

To make the sandwiches:


Slice bread in half lengthwise and brush with some olive oil.


Place under a broiler for a couple of minutes, until lightly golden.


Place steak slices on bottom halves of the rolls, spoon on some gravy, add some of the

onions and bell peppers, and sprinkle with some Parmigiano cheese.


Top with the provolone.


Place the mozzarella cheese on the top half of the bread.

Keep sandwich open and place under the broiler again, broiling until the cheeses are

melted but not browned, about 1 to 2 minutes.


Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Serves 4

MARGHERITA FOCACCIA

Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread. This is similar to a Margherita Pizza but instead of a thin pizza crust, it is made with focaccia bread. Serve this with soup or a salad and you have a complete meal. The ingredients used are my Uncooked Tomato Sauce along with Asiago and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses.

1 recipe for pizza dough

½ cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

½ small red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

4 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

Casa Uncooked Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
Fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Lightly oil an 8 to 9-inch square pan and let the dough rise in a warm spot, covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 45 minutes to an hour.

Lightly make dimples with your fingertip on the surface of the dough.

Sprinkle with the cheeses, red onion, and tomato slices.

Bake in a 425-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Then place pizza directly on a pizza stone and bake another 5 minutes.

Add dollops of the Casa Uncooked Tomato Sauce, add a few torn basil leaves and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and cut into 9 squares.

Casa Uncooked Tomato Sauce
1 (28-oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
1 T extra-light olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 t sea salt
½ t freshly ground black pepper
1 t freeze dried or chopped fresh oregano
2 t chopped fresh basil
½ t red pepper flakes

Pour tomatoes into a bowl and hand-crush them.
Pour into a fine mesh strainer, set over a bowl and let drain for 30 minutes. 
Discard the liquid and pour the drained tomatoes back into the bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients.

Stir and let sit on the counter, covered, for 1 hour, for flavors to develop.

ROASTED LEMON-HERB CHICKEN

A butterflied chicken roasts faster than a regular whole chicken. If you don't want to cut the backbone out and flatten the breast, ask your butcher to do this for you. I use very sharp 'kitchen-only' shears to remove the backbone. Then I take a knife and cut through the breastbone, also known as keel bone, and then turn it over and flatten the chicken slightly. If you don't have fresh herbs, use freeze-dried or dried. What's not to like about roasting a chicken with herbs, lemon juice, and wine!

Lee's Kitchen Tips:

There is a difference between a butterflied chicken and a spatchcock chicken. There is one more step in preparing a spatchcock chicken...you make two slits at the bottom of each breast and tuck the ends of the drumsticks through the slits. This holds the chicken together in one nice package, perfect for grilling on both sides.

1 t fresh thyme leaves

1 t fresh oregano leaves

1 t fresh basil leaves

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 t sea salt

1 t freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 whole butterflied chicken

½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

Juice of 1 lemon

Place the thyme, oregano, and basil on a cutting board and mince.

Transfer to a small bowl and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. 

Whisk in the oil and set aside. 

In a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or baking pan, add the onion, and lemon slices in one layer in the center.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken on top of the onion, lemon mixture.

Brush the herb-oil mixture all over the chicken.

Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

Add the wine to the pan and roast another 15 minutes.

Add the lemon juice to the top of the chicken, cut into pieces, and serve.

Serve with roasted potatoes and carrots and a green vegetable or salad.

Serves 4

LEMON MASCARPONE GELATO WITH STRAWBERRY SWIRL

Ice cream is made with cream and must have at least a 10% fat content.

Gelato is made with mostly milk. Ice cream calls for egg yolks and gelato uses few if any at all.

Ice cream is churned fast to let in air and pump up the volume.

Gelato is churned slow, which makes a denser, creamier texture.

Ice cream is served around 10 degrees F.

Gelato is served about 10 to 15 degrees warmer.

1 cup diced strawberries

1 T granulated sugar

3 cups whole milk (or 2 cups whole milk & 1 cup half-and-half)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Grated zest and juice of 1 medium organic or carefully washed lemon

Pinch of sea salt

Place strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan.

Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate until completely cold.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, mascarpone, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, until well combined.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker or gelato maker and freeze according to directions.

Transfer gelato to a large covered container and using a teaspoon, swirl the strawberry mixture into the gelato. Don’t swirl too much, just enough to marbleize the gelato.

Freeze gelato for 4 to 6 hours.

Take out of freezer 15 minutes before serving to soften slightly.