ITALIAN TUNA MELT PANINI

I posted a recipe for a Tuna Melt in Izetta's Southern Cooking blog, so I decided to make an Italian Tuna Melt. If you use Kalamata olives and Greek kasseri cheese, it would be a Greek tuna melt. Serve this with a bowl of soup and you have a delicious meal. Did you know that one Italian sandwich is a Panino and two or more are Panini?

2 Italian rolls or Italian bread cut into 6 to 8 inches in length.

Lemon Aioli

½ cup mayonnaise

Zest and juice of a ½ medium lemon 

1 t Dijon mustard

1 small clove garlic, pushed through a garlic press

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon zest, juice, mustard, and garlic.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to prepare sandwiches.

Black Olive Tapenade

1 cup black Italian Gaeta olives, pitted and chopped

¼ cup  chopped Italian parsley

¼ cup chopped red onion

3 anchovies, smashed (optional)

Zest and juice of a ½ medium lemon

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix all together in a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to prepare sandwiches.

Tuna Salad

1 5-oz can solid white tuna, in oil or water, drained

¼ cup diced roasted red bell peppers 

¼ cup drained capers

2 T chopped Italian parsley

Juice of ½ medium lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

Mix all together in a medium bowl and set aside.

4 slices Provolone cheese

Arugula

Shaved or thinly sliced fennel

Cut bread in half, lengthwise and spread top and bottom of each sandwich with Lemon Aioli.

Add some Tuna Salad to the bottom half.

Layer on 2 slices of Provolone cheese and place under the broiler for about 1 minute, to just melt the cheese but do not brown.

Spread some Black Olive Tapenade on top.

Add a little arugula and shaved fennel on top of tapenade and top with the other slice of bread.

Cut in half and serve.

Serves 2 to 4

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OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS & CREMINI MUSHROOMS

This is an easy way to make a delicious and healthy vegetable dish. It's on the table in less than 30 minutes, from start to finish.

1 lb asparagus, trimmed

10 to 12 cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and thickly sliced
1 shallot, diced
1 T extra-light olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t fresh or freeze-dried thyme leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T unsalted butter, melted
Zest and juice of ½ lemon

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the asparagus, mushrooms, and shallot on a baking sheet,

Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle on the garlic and thyme leaves. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Place in oven and roast for 15 to 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the lemon zest and juice.

Transfer asparagus and mushrooms to a warm serving platter and drizzle with the melted butter mixture.
Add 4 lemon wedges and serve.

Serves 4

ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS

This cocktail was first served at Greyhound's restaurant chain that was located in their bus terminals, called "Post House". This cocktail is the Italian version because of the addition of Campari and rosemary. It's a refreshing spring and summer drink.

2 t granulated sugar

1 T grated grapefruit zest

4 oz vodka                             

8 oz grapefruit juice

1 oz Campari

Grapefruit wedges, for garnish

Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Pour sugar into a little shallow bowl. 

Grate grapefruit with a zester and set aside on a cutting board to dry out briefly.

In a pitcher, add the vodka, grapefruit juice, and Campari and mix to combine.

Make a slit in a grapefruit wedge with a knife and run it around the rim of two cocktail glasses.

Add grapefruit zest to the sugar and mix to combine.

Dip glass rims into the sugar mixture then fill with ice cubes.

Pour in the cocktail mixture and garnish with a grapefruit wedge and a sprig of rosemary.

Makes 2 drinks

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.