Bellini Cocktail

Ingredients

½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 16 oz. bag frozen peaches, defrosted
1 bottle prosecco or sparking wine , chilled

1.    In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the water and sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Chill until ready to use.

2.    In your food processor or blender, blend the peaches and ¼ cup sugar syrup. Blend until smooth.

3.    Pass the pureed peaches though a strainer. If not sweet enough add more of the sugar syrup. Chill the puree until ready to serve

4.    Pour 1 or 2 tablespoons of peach puree into a champagne flute. Tilt the glass and slowly add sparking wine. 

5.    Stir and serve immediately.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    I make the simple sugar syrup and peach puree ahead of time and store them in glass jars for easy serving.
•    Traditionally, this cocktail is made with Prosecco, which I feel can tend to be on the sweeter side. I used a very good quality sparkling wine that was a little more brut, or dry. I thought that the brut flavor profile paired very nicely with the meal. 
•    This cocktail can also be made in a pitcher for easy serving

Asparagus, Artichokes, & Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1T Dijon mustard
3T red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

2 bunches (2pounds) asparagus, ends trimmed off
1 12-oz bag frozen artichokes heart, thawed
¼ cup lightly chopped toasted hazelnuts
salt & pepper

1.    In a small bowl, whisk the mustard and vinegar until combined.

2.    Slowly add the olive oil drop by drop until it starts to emulsify. Once the sauce has thickened, you can increase adding the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3.    In large sauté pan with a lid over medium heat, add the asparagus and artichokes. Cover with ½ cup of water. Place the lid on and cook for 4-7 minutes until the vegetable are cooked, but still have a crunch to them.

4.    Remove from the heat, drain off the water. Return to the pan toss with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

5.     Place on a platter. Sprinkle on chopped hazelnuts.

6.    Serve immediately with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can use other vinegars: champagne, apple cider or lemon juice.
•    I like to use medium-size asparagus (similar is size to a pen), but you can use pencil thin or thicker, if you prefer. Cooking time will vary.
•    You may serve this dish cold, like a salad, or warm. Just toss with the dressing at the last moment since the vinaigrette will change the color of the vegetables. 

Torta Pasqualina

Ingredients

2 leeks
2 bunches Swiss chard
3T olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 cups spinach
1 pound ricotta
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
black pepper
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
6 eggs

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.    Using only the white and light green part, cut the leeks in half. Place under running water to rinse off any grit/dirt. Then, chop into medium dices. Place is small bowl set aside

3.    Wash the Swiss chard, remove the stems from the leaves, and chop into a fine dice; adds to leeks.

4.    Remove any large veins from the leaves and chop into bite-size pieces, set aside.

5.    In a large sauté pan with a lid over medium heat, add the olive oil; when warm add the onion, leeks and Swiss chard stems. Sauté 2-3 minutes.

6.    Add the garlic and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and Swiss chard leaves; cover with the lid.  Cook until all the greens are wilted, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

7.    Line a colander with a clean dishtowel. Dump the cooked greens into the colander and let cool.  Close the towel around the greens, and then squeeze out all the liquid.  The mixture should be very dry.

8.    In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Pecorino-Romano cheeses, nutmeg, salt, and 5 twists of pepper. Mix until well blended. 

9.    Add in the greens; mix until combined, set aside.

10.    Unroll one sheet of the puff pastry on a floured flat surface. Roll out into a 14x14-inch.

11.    Place the sheet in a 10-inch spring form pan, covering the bottom of the pans and the side of the pan. There will be extra dough hanging over the edges.

12.    Place the cheese-chard mixture inside the pastry-lined pan. Smooth out until it is even.

13.    With a spoon, make 5 egg size holes in the mixture. Crack an egg into each hole.

14.    Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry into an 11-inch. Place on top of the torta, pressing the pastry down on top of the filling.

15.    Press the top pastry into the sides and to top edges of the pan. Trim off any excess pastry. You can use this excess for little pastry decorations for the top or discard.

16.    Fold over the edges to making a little seal, pressing down to secure the top and bottom pastries together.

17.    Whisk together the remaining egg; brush the top of the torta.

18.    Bake for 40-45 minutes until is it lightly brown and the center is hot.
19.    Cool for 25-30 minutes before serving.

20.    Cut into slices and serve warm or room temperature. 

TIPS & TRICKS

•    You can use any color of Swiss chard. They all taste the same. I prefer the golden or green, as it blends in with the filling. 
•    You can use any puff pastry you like. Some brand’s sheets are round, other are square. What’s important is that you roll it out 14x14-inches so that it covers the bottom and sides of the pan. Also so that the top pastry covers the top and seals nicely.
•    This torta makes the most fantastic addition to breakfast or lunch. It’s a great snack and picnic food.
•    You can add cooked bacon, sausages or chopped ham to the filling 

Very Berry Crumble Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Crumble:
¾ cups brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cups almonds, pecans or walnuts, rough chopped
3T unsalted butter, room temperature 

Cake:
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2½ cups cake flour
1½ stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1¼ cup unflavored Greek yogurt
3 cups berries (strawberries, blackberries blue berries or raspberries), 
 fresh washed and hulled or frozen thawed

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F.

2.    Crumble: using your fingers or a spoon and in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, nuts and butter until it comes together into a crumbly mixture.

3.    Cake: in another small bowl, sift the, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cake flour. Set aside.

4.    In a bowl of your mixer, with the paddle over medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the side of the bowl.

5.    Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl after each egg.

6.    Add in the vanilla and yogurt and mix until incorporated.

7.    Slowly add the flour mixture mix until combined. Batter will be very dense.

8.    Spoon half the batter into a 9x13-inch baking pan and spread it out evenly. 

9.    Sprinkle the berries all over the batter.

10.    Then, sprinkle half the crumble over the berries

11.    Then top with remaining batter, carefully spreading the batter over the berries to cover it. Top with remaining crumble topping.

12.    Bake at 350° F for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown.

13.    Cool the cake for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or room temperature.

TIPS & TRICKS

•    I prefer to use frozen berries when fresh berries aren’t in season or     don’t look that good.
•    You can also prepare this cake in an angel food pan for a totally different look. Follow the above instruction, except increase the baking time to 50-55 minutes.