Featuring the Recipes of WVNCC's Chef Marian Grubor
Eggplant Caponata
Ingredients:
3 cups olive oil
2 lbs. eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 rib celery, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. tomato paste, thinned with 1/4 cup water
1 cup crushed canned tomatoes
6 oz. green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. finely grated unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup finely shredded basil
2 tbsp. pine nuts
Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and fry, tossing occasionally, until browned, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant to a large bowl; set aside. Pour off all but 1/4 cup oil, and reserve for another use. Return skillet to heat, add onions and celery, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized and almost evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stir in olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, and chocolate, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl with eggplant, along with basil and pine nuts, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, and let cool to room temperature before serving.
Italian Bow Tie Cookies Recipe (Cenci alla Fiorentina)
Ingredients:
2 Eggs 2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Cups Flour 2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 Teaspoon grated lemon rind
Vegetable oil for frying
Confection Sugar
Beat together eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until mixture is light and fluffy.
Stir in 1-1/2 cups of flour, vanilla and lemon rind until blended. Shape into a ball.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and
Elastic, about 8 minutes; add as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent sticking
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Roll ¼ of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. (Use pasta machine and
Make strips thin as paper). Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap while working with ¼ at a time.
Cut into 5”x1-1/2” strips with pastry wheel or pizza cutter. Make a lengthwise slit about 1” long in the center of each strip. Pull one end through the slit to make a bow tie. As you work keep bow ties covered. Repeat with remaining dough.
Pour vegetable oil into large saucepan or Dutch oven to a depth of 4”. Heat oil until registers 375 degrees or until a 1” cube of bread turns golden brown in about 50 seconds. Transfer 3 or 4 cookies to the hot oil with metal spatula. Fry cookies for a total of 3 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towel (I found that if you drained on paper shopping bags is better) cool. Sprinkle with confection sugar. Store the cookies in tightly covered container.
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients:
2 lb broccoli rabe
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt), or to taste
Cut off and discard 1 inch from stem ends of broccoli rabe. Cook broccoli rabe, uncovered, in 2 batches in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes, transferring with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain well in a colander.
Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook, tossing to coat with oil, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Toss broccoli rabe with salt.
Sauteed Greens with Cannellini Beans and Garlic
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 large bunch greens (such as spinach, swiss chard, mustard greens, kale, or broccoli rabe; about 1 pound), thick stems removed, spinach left whole, other greens cut into 1-inch strips (about 10 cups packed)
1 cup (or more) vegetable broth or low-salt chicken broth
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
1 teaspoon (or more) Sherry wine vinegar
1 can chopped tomatoes
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and dried crushed pepper; stir until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add greens by large handfuls; stir just until beginning to wilt before adding more, tossing with tongs to coat with oil.
Add 1 cup broth, cover, and simmer until greens are just tender, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dry, 1 to 10 minutes, depending on type of greens. Add beans; simmer uncovered until beans are heated through and liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired; drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and serve.
Potatoes Prima Vera
Ingredients:
2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
2 red peppers
1 large onion
1 cup carrot
½ cup olive oil
Fresh basil
¼ teaspoon Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, shredded basil, garlic and Italian seasonings toss. Place in an oven proof pan and top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked thru. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
