Valentine's Day Eve: Breakfast in Bed, Ricotta Pancakes

Well, it’s Valentine’s Day Eve and you’ll need something to prepare for breakfast in bed, right? Look no further…Ricotta Pancakes!! These ricotta pancakes are moist, light, fluffy and delicious. Imagine the most amazing Italian cheesecake in pancake form…this is what you’ll get. Serve with a pat of butter, a little maple syrup and a cappuccino and you’re sure to start Valentine’s Day right!!

Ricotta Pancakes

2 large eggs, separated

½ cup flour (for a paleo version, use almond flour)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tbsp. buttermilk powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup ricotta

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

Start off my beating your egg whites until there are stiff, but not dry. In a serperate bowl, whisk your flour, baking powder, buttermilk powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolk, ricotta, brown sugar and vanilla. You will want to whisk for a few minutes so everything is smooth and creamy. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Next, very gently fold in the egg whites. Do so carefully!!

Prepare a griddle over medium heat with 2 tbsp. of butter. Spoon the mixture out into whatever size you like. The batter is pretty dense, do not be alarmed! It is not a loose batter. Cook on each side for at least 2-4 minutes. I like my pancakes pretty golden. Serve and enjoy your Valentine’s Day morning. Come back tomorrow for your Valentine’s Day evening treat…Death by Nutella Cake! Buon Appetito! Xoxo 

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Parmigiana and Hazelnuts

Ciao a tutti!! Okay, so I know I may be alone here, but I LOVE Brussels sprouts. I mean, I really love them. I have a dear family friend to thank for that. A few years back we went to her house for Thanksgiving and one of the sides she served was sprouts with garlic. My first thought was “Brussels sprouts? For Thanksgiving? Uhhh.” But, I am never one to be rude and insult someones effort in the kitchen, so I gave them a try. Wow. She made them so crispy and delicious, I was shocked. Since then, I've been hooked and I look for anyway to have some fun with them.

Now, if you were like me and thought you hated Brussels sprouts, that’s probably because you've had plain steamed or boiled ones. I promise you that this recipe will definitely change your mind. I shave my sprouts using a mandoline so they get really browned and crispy. It is more time consuming, but it is worth it. I also fry them in bacon fat. I know, I know, not the healthiest thing, but hey, why not?!? I also add hazelnuts, parmigiana and bacon. Yes, bacon. I mean, crispy Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, parmigiana and bacon. Who wouldn't love that? So, please give them I try. You won’t regret it.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Parmigiana and Hazelnuts

1 pound of bacon (I like applewood smoked, but you pick whatever you prefer)

1 clove of garlic

1 pound of Brussels sprouts

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. black pepper

½ cup of roasted hazelnuts

½ cup of grated parmigiana (good quality!!)

Start off by cooking your bacon in a large pan over medium heat. Let it cook long enough to get really, really crispy, for around 15-20 minutes. Take the bacon out of the pan and put on a paper towel to soak up any of the excess oil. Allow to dry. You will be using the same pan you cooked your bacon in to prepare the sprouts.

Mince your one clove of garlic and add to the pan, allow to roast slightly.

Trim all of the sprouts, removing any bruised leaves and cutting off some of the hard root end. Using a mandoline, shave your Brussels sprouts one at a time. Add the sprouts to the pan, along with salt and pepper. Toss the sprouts and make sure they are completely coated in the bacon fat. Cook for 30-45 minutes depending on how crispy you like it. I like my Brussels sprouts VERY crispy. When they are done cooking, move them to a bowl.

Chop your bacon in 1 inch pieces and add to the spouts. Add ½ cup of roasted hazelnuts and ½ cup of grated parmigiana and toss. Buon Appetito!! 

The Dark Side of Nutella - Nutella Zeppoles

It happened again. I woke up this morning, my hair a mess, half off the bed, memory blurred and my hand clutching a spoon like it was a teddy bear. What happened? What had I done? And then it all hit me. The familiar scent of hazelnut, the rich taste of chocolate in my mouth, the sticky fingers. I hit the nutella….again. Real bad too. How could I keep doing this? It was so unlike me. There was just something about the way nutella smelled and tasted, the smooth and creamy texture, all the versatility, the things I could do with it.

Never mind that now, I had to figure out exactly what got me here. I looked to the right side of the bed and saw a few half opened jars of the stuff, to the left there was a plate full of crumbs. Crumbs. Okay, I didn’t just eat out of the jar then. They texture of the crumbs didn’t make sense. They weren’t brownies or cookies, they were too crispy for that. I needed to investigate further. I got up and walked into the kitchen searching for more clues. A large mixing bowl sat on the counter, whisk still in it next to a used container of ricotta. A frying pan with a fresh layer of oil on the stove. Frying pan? Ricotta cheese? I clearly wasn’t making cheesecake, so what could I have possibly done with a frying pan, ricotta and nutella?  Oh no. I remembered. It all came back to me. I made my great aunt Carmella’s Nutella Ricotta Zeppoles. But how? My mother kept the secret recipe hidden, I didn’t even know where it was. I checked my phone, seeing that I had called her four times last night, she must have spilled. Obviously, what else could explain the zeppoles? I certainly didn’t know how to make them. Only my mother held the key.

I went back to the bedroom searching desperately for more clues and there it was. Placed neatly on my desk. The recipe. The recipe for the most amazing, crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, Nutella Ricotta Zeppoles. Glancing over the recipe, it wasn’t hard to see why I had ended up like this.

Nutella Ricotta Zepploes

1 ½ pounds ricotta

½ cup of nutella

2 cups of flour

¼ tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. sugar

4 eggs

1 cup of neutral oil for frying

First, mix together your ricotta and nutella. Then add your eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the nutella ricotta mix. Let the batter sit for around 20 minutes.

Prepare a deep pot for frying over high heat and add your oil. Drop batter by large tablespoons into the oil. Each zeppole should take roughly 4-6 minutes to fry, so please stand by and watch them. They should also float to the top!! Don’t get nervous if when they are done frying they look dark, the nutella makes the batter a mocha color! When they are done, take them out and put on a wire rack so any excess oil drips off. I like to serve these the traditional way with a light dusting on powdered sugar! Boun Appetito!! 

For more intense Nutella cravings and recipes, be sure to take a look at Ms. Adventures in Italy, Bleeding Espresso and World Nutella Day!!

Insalata Caprese

Ciao a tutti!! When I’m in Italy, something that I really look forward to eating is a beautiful, fresh Insalata Caprese. It’s just a perfect meal. Milky and creamy mozzarella, plump, juicy tomatoes and sweet fragrant basil  with a drizzle of beautiful olive oil and sprinkle of salt. 

I certainly eat Insalata Caprese in America, but……they’re just not the same. The big thing for me…the tomatoes. Tomatoes in Italy are just amazing. The oil, air, water and sun in Italy all contribute to the extraordinary quality and taste of the tomatoes. When I was first in Ischia the summer of 2011, we brought some tomatoes at the local market, took them home and cut them in half and ate them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bliss. We had never had such good tomatoes. Honestly, they just taste different then what we have back home.

So..one day while wandering around Rome, literally, just wandering and seeing what we found, we weren’t looking for anything specific, just taking in all of the beauty, we came across a little trattoria and decided to give it a try. I ordered the Insalata Caprese and did not regret it. Another key to making a fantastic insalata is getting REAL mozzarella. Not the kind packaged in the supermarket. You need to find a place that sells fresh, milky mozzarella.

I know this may sound like the most, simple, easiest recipe ever and it is…but that’s one of the reasons I love it so much. You’ll be amazed at how something so simple, can taste so incredible. Buon Appetito!!

Insalata Caprese

3 vine ripe tomatoes (cut into ¼ inch thick slices)

1 pound fresh mozzarella (cut into ¼ inch thick slices)

1 bunch fresh basil

Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)

Salt and Pepper

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding some basil between. Drizzle the top of the salad with the olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper (quanto basta!). Enjoy!!

"Breakfast in Bed: The Valentine's Day Edition...so the second you wake up, you know your sweetheart remembered!!"

Okay guys...I want you to decide what I'll be making for "Breakfast in Bed: The Valentine's Day Edition...so the second you wake up, you know your sweetheart remembered!!" Head over to my La Cucina Prima Donna Facebook page and cast your vote today!! It's between Tiramisu Pancakes and Cannoli Pancakes...who will win in this epic battle? You decide. The poll will be pinned to the top of the page!! May the best pancake win!!

Cappuccino

Ciao a tutti!! My Cioccolata Calda post was such a success, I figured we were due for another delicious Italian drink! So, what better than a cappuccino? Cappuccino is an Italian coffee prepared with espresso, hot milk and steamed milk foam. Mmmmmm….foam.  If you’re feeling adventurous you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon or cocoa, like I often do!

In Italy, Cappuccino is traditionally consumed early in the day as part of breakfast. So, if you are traveling to Italy and you don’t want to stand out as an obvious tourist, drink your cappuccino before noon!! You’ve been warned.

I loved starting my mornings with a nice, hot and foamy cappuccino. Our hotel prepared fresh cappuccinos to order which was a real treat; I really looked forward to them.  Now that I’m home, I prepare cappuccinos as well. It’s not the same as drinking them in Italy, but until I return at the end of the year, it will just have to do! I've prepared two versions for you. Neither is prepared with a cappuccino machine, because while I have a cappuccino machine, I understand that most people don’t because they’re not as food obsessed!! One is traditional cappuccino and one is a paleo cappuccino. Buon Appetito!!

Traditional Cappuccino

1 cup of milk

1 tsp. sugar

1 ½ cups of strong brewed Italian coffee (I like illy)

Add milk and sugar to a microwave safe mug and heat slowly until nice and hot. Take it out of the microwave and using an electric whisk, whisk until it is frothy.

Pour heated coffee into a separate mug and top with the foamy milk.

Paleo Cappuccino

1 cup of almond milk

1 ½ cups of strong brewed Italian coffee (I like illy)

Cinnamon

Add milk to a microwave safe mug and heat slowly until nice and hot. Take it out of the microwave and using an electric whisk, whisk until it is frothy.

Pour heated coffee into a separate mug and top with the foamy milk. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like!! 

The Lighter Side of Italy

When you think of Italian food, visions of gelato, pizza, cheese and pastries dance in your head, right? Well, maybe that’s just me. Seriously, when people think of this food, they think of heavy, cheesy and calorie laden meals. But I have always wanted to change that idea. Italian food can be very healthy; you just have to know how to eat it and how much of it to eat.

When I was in Italy, I didn’t really eat all that differently than I do when I’m at home. My lunches and dinners started with a grilled vegetable plate with zucchini, eggplants and peppers or a beautiful salad with arugula and tomatoes. My mother and I usually shared one pasta, pizza or meat entrée. 

The thing in Italy is, pasta is not a main course. It is an appetizer. So when it comes to the table, don’t expect a huge bowl filled, if you order ravioli, you’ll probably get four. Pizza is made with a very thin crust, as opposed to all those thick crusts with the extra calories. Plus, all the food that I eat is prepared with natural, wholesome ingredients. Yes, there is cheese, chocolate and bread. But cheese in its purest form, bread, made with ingredients that you can actually pronounce. 

So, I want to share a few of the dishes that I enjoyed while in Italy and I hope it will inspire you to get on board with Healthy Italian La Dolce Vita Lifestyle!!

Spinach with Lemon

1 pound of baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. chopped garlic

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. lemon zest, grated

Start off by rinsing the spinach in cold water. Spin it in a salad clean to ensure that it is mostly dry. In a deep pot, heat olive oil and chopped garlic over medium heat, for around two minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and toss. Cook for around 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Use a slotted spoon to serve spinach and top with freshly grated lemon zest. Buon Appetito!!

Grilled Vegetable Antipasto

3 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into sticks

2 zucchini, cut into sticks

1 large eggplant, cut into sticks

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1 clove of garlic, minced

Prepare a grill pan over medium heat. Add your sliced vegetables into a bowl and brush with the olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Begin grilling the vegetables in batches, depending on how big your pan is. All together, it should take around 30 minutes to grill.

Chicory with Lemon

2 heads of chicory (outer ribs discarded and the remainder cut into 2 inch pieces)

¼ cup of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. red pepper

1 tsp. salt

Lemon juice(quanto basta!)

Wash the chicory. Cook in boiling salted water. Stir, until tender for around 5 minutes. Drain.

In another pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook garlic with red pepper, but don’t let it burn! Add the chicory, stirring until most of the liquid had evaporated, for around 4 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of salt and a little lemon juice!!