Pin-Wheel Style Beef Brasciole

By: The Food Hunter
Italian braciole is pieces of rolled and tied beef which are filled with various ingredients. Braciole is often cooked in "gravy" (Italian red pasta sauce) but can also be grilled like Mario Batali's recipe below.

The filling ingredients vary depending on who you ask. Though most include the basic mix of cheese, meat and herbs.


 

Pin-Wheel Style Beef Brasciole

(adapted from Mario Batali)

2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 ounces thinly sliced salami, cut into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks
8 ounces Italian Fontina, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Cheese
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 10-inch-long beef tenderloin roast cut from the
tenderloin (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), butterflied

salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, add the garlic, parsley, salami, fontina, Parmigiano, breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of olive oil, and mix well to combine. Set aside. 

Cut six 15-inch-long pieces of kitchen twine. Open out the beef, season on both sides with salt and pepper, and place it on a work so a long side is toward you. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the beef, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the side farthest from you; press and gently pack the stuffing mixture onto the beef to keep it in place. 

 

Starting from the side nearest you, roll up the meat like a jelly roll, pressing any stuffing that falls out of the ends back into the roll, and tie tightly with the twine, spacing the ties evenly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to make a compact roll, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight. 

Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Carefully unwrap the beef roll and, using a very sharp knife, cut it between the ties into six thick pinwheels. Brush gently on both sides with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently lay the pinwheels on the hottest part of the grill and cook, unmoved, for 5 to 7 minutes. Using a thick spatula, carefully turn each pinwheel over and cook for about 4 minutes longer for medium-rare. 

 

Smoked Gouda & Celery Root Pizza

By: The Food Hunter

Pizza fans everywhere, this extremely unique pizza is worthy of your time and taste buds. Warning....don't let the idea of a tomato-less pizza turn you away. The combination of smoked cheese and delicate luscious celery root is so amazing you may just abandon tomato sauced pie forever!

Smoked Gouda & Celery Root Pizza 
(adapted from epicurious.com)

1/4 bulb celery root (celeriac), peeled, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the baking sheet
salt & freshly ground pepper
8 ounces of your favorite pizza dough, room temperature
6 ounces your favorite smoked cheese, thinly sliced (I used smoked Gouda)
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon rinsed & drained capers, chopped
Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 500°F. Toss celery root and 1 tablespoon oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Gently stretch dough into a 16x12" oval and transfer to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. (If dough springs back, cover and let rest 10 minutes, then stretch again, resting as needed.) Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bake until dry and golden, about 5 minutes (this prevents dough from getting soggy once the toppings are added). Remove from oven; top with cheese, celery root, onion, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon oregano.

Bake pizza, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until cheese is melted, celery root is tender, and crust is golden brown, 12–15 minutes.

Top with capers and more oregano; season with sea salt and black pepper.

Roasted Fennel with Charred Tomatoes, Olives, and Pecorino

By: The Food Hunter

Browsing the internet for a side dish, I ran across this fantastic recipe for Roasted Fennel with Charred Tomatoes, Olives, and Pecorino. The traditional Mediterranean flavors, of this easy-to-make dish, pair extremely well with most meats and fish. Try it...you won't be disappointed.

Roasted Fennel with Charred Tomatoes, Olives, and Pecorino
(The Food Network)

2 large bulbs fennel, quartered
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounce piece pecorino cheese
4 plum tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Nestle the fennel into a skillet, baking dish, or sheet pan so that it fits in one layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, turning to coat all sides. Season with salt and pepper, then finely grate half the pecorino cheese over the top. Roast until the fennel is fork-tender, about 45 minutes.

Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on top of the fennel. Turn the oven to broil. Broil the tomatoes until slightly charred and warmed through, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the olives and crumble the remaining pecorino cheese over the top before serving. Garnish with the parsley.

Haystack Cookies for #Choctoberfest

By: The Food Hunter

It is near the end of the 2018 Choctoberfest with Imperial Sugar, but I still have one more recipe to share. If you are looking for a unique sweet option, Forte Chocolate offers truly beautiful bars of chocolate that are unlike any other. I used both the Forte Aztec Soul and the Gusto Lemon & Pepper in the recipe below. Both varieties had a unique hint of spice from the different peppers that paired perfectly with the chocolate they are infused in.

Our friends at Forte Chocolate have this motto I could easily live by: "Celebrate Life Through Chocolate." Master Chocolatier, Karen Neugebauer is a true Artisan, creating stunning flavor combinations by blending chocolates with the finest ingredients available.

***If you want to try a few bars, Forte is offering Choctoberfest fans a cool discount here. ***

Haystack Cookies

1 bar of Forte Aztec Soul or Gusto Lemon & Pepper, melted
1/2 cup of toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spread the coconut in an even layer onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Allow to cool

Melt chocolate bar in a double broiler. Mix cooled toasted coconut into the melted chocolate.
Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let cool.

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Delicious Chocolate Almond Bars for #Choctoberfest2018

By: The Food Hunter

Welcome to Choctoberfest2018 with Imperial Sugar! Today I am sharing the recipe for Delicious Chocolate Almond Bars. These rich chocolate dessert bars are made with Divine 70% Bitter Sweet Chocolate. Divine is Fair Trade chocolate that is co-owned by an 85,000 farmer cooperative in Ghana.



When it comes to chocolate desserts one of my favorite combinations is chocolate mixed with almond. In the bars below I used almond flour, along with almond extract to give the bars more than just a hint of almond flavor.




Delicious Divine Chocolate Almond Bars

8 oz bittersweet Divine chocolate
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 cups almond flour

Coat a 9 inch square baking pan with butter and preheat the oven 325ºF.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add he vanilla, almond extract and sugar, and stir. Allow to cool slightly in pan.

Add the eggs and almond flour to the saucepan and stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

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