Cappelletti: Our Family Tradition/ updated video

 I decided that today was the day I was starting to make the Cappelletti for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.. 

Today’s Cappelletti 12/8/2024 sampling a few.  Yummy!

Growing up they were a wonderful addition to our Turkey dinner.  Mom spent hours making them and usually made anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 of those little pasta filled caps..

 I remember my grandmother making them and how it was expected that this tradition would be continued on Thanksgiving.

Fortunately Mom, until recently, she's 88, had kept it up.. 

She had learned that making them and freezing them would be the answer to the exhaustion that was felt trying to make enough to make everyone happy.. 

Today I am happily carrying on the tradition with my daughter (Susan)at my side helping.. 

We serve them in homemade chicken soup and I  make that ahead of time as well to ease the stress of the day so I can enjoy the holiday as well..  

I Hope you enjoy this recipe.. I know I had promised it and I hold true to a promise made... Happy Cooking!

My Italian handy Food Companion explains them as:

Cappelletti:  small pasta hats (ka-pel-ett-ee) similar to tortellini( stuffed with a variety of fillings)

We chose the below recipe:  Some use cooked chicken chopped in place of ground meat

Filling:

1 ½ lb. Ground chuck(or beef and pork)

1 can tomato paste (optional)it was in grandma’s traditional recipe)

1 can water

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

½ cup Pecorino cheese grated

1 egg beaten

By adding the tomato paste it gives your filling a slight red color

In a medium pan sauté chuck (beef) in small amount of oil..

 Season with salt and pepper. 

Add 1 can tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 can water while cooking slowly..

 Remove from heat, add breadcrumbs, cheese and egg.  Mix thoroughly..

Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pasta Dough ( double or triple recipe)

2 ½ cups flour

3 eggs @ room temperature

dash salt

shot glass water or less

shot glass oil or less

In your upright stand mixer add eggs, pinch of salt and water.  Mix.  Using dough hook slowly add flour until a ball forms.  Remove place on a slightly floured cutting board and work dough with hands until a soft ball is formed.

Cut dough in sections and press down to be able to slide into your pasta Machine.  Set on 2 than 3 then 4..

After dough is mixed take from mixer and put on floured cutting board. (I use an acrylic board)

Mix together with hands into it forms into a ball

Slice in sections and press slightly so it will go into pasta machine easily

I start with #2 and proceed to 3(my pasta machine reading) on side of machine

Easily goes through

Cut into small sections.  I had doubled the recipe and I made 300 cappelletti's.. I bagged the rest of the filling in small bags and froze..(approx 5 bags)I will make them between now and Thanksgiving..

Fold in half and then , twist the pasta between index and forefinger, crossing hands and pressing pasta ends together..

I place cappelletti on cookie sheet and freeze until set .

Place cappelletti after frozen in bag and put in freezer until ready to use..Bon appetite!

Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours,


M.j.

10/26/11

Chocolate layer Cake with bananas

This cake was my Dads favorite.

 Chocolate layer cake with bananas.I fudged it using a one box Devils food cake mix.( mom would make her scratch cake).  I’m good to myself taking less steps if I can and truly it’s always delicious..

2 - 9”round cake pans. Spray bottom generously .Follow recipe on box for cake.

Make a small amount of butter cream icing to separate the layers and hold the banana. Powered sugar , tablespoon or two of milk and a little softened butter.  Best well.  Make it on the thick side. 

Use one thinly sliced banana .  If you use too many bananas it may tip the cake so be careful of placement of bananas.

Whipped cream topping 1pint heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract and 4 tablespoons powdered sugar. Best until

Thick and not watery. Spread evenly on cake and garnish with baking cocoa if desired.

Refrigerate until ready to serve and refrigerate leftovers(if there are any) DELICIOUS!

While hubby was watching Penn State football.  I was busy making fresh Sunday sauce and a chocolate layer cake with sliced bananas in the center.  ( I put a little vanilla cream icing on the cake before I add the bananas)Nothing but the best on top freshly whipped cream.  

Our son is coming over tomorrow to help us a bit so his reward is this meal with a super nice summer salad.

Hope you are all

enjoying the day!

Baked Sausage and Peppers

If you are looking for a really good holiday recipe that involves your oven or your grill you have come to the right place.  I either make sausage in the oven or on the grill.  Since you can't predict the weather sometimes it's best to play it safe with some baked yummy sausage, peppers and onions....YUMMY!

A family favorite any time of the year is baked sausage and peppers.  I grew up eating either my mom's homemade sausage or Uncle John's.  Uncle John  had a fresh meat market when hubby and I were growing up.

I met Uncle John when hubby and I were first dating; a perky, feisty Italian who was a master of seasoning meat for sausage.  People came from all over for his sausage and I am totally serious.  They'd even bring coolers if they lived far away.

Unfortunately Uncle John passed away many years ago and so did his recipe.  Today I still buy the freshest and best quality sausage I can find and below is how I make it easily in the oven.  Enjoy!

Baked Sausage, peppers and onions.
1lb.+ mild or hot Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
1 large red and green pepper, sliced thin

In a medium to large baking dish place several Tablespoons oil.   Place sausage (I remove casing) in dish along with onions and peppers. Add salt, pepper and slight amount of onion and garlic powder. Cover and place in 350 degree oven approx. 3/4 hour or more.

Remove cover toss and place in oven and bake until peppers and onions are soft but crispy about another ten minutes or so.

 Serve with fresh bread or rolls. YUM

7/27/14

2/24/16

11/12/14

9/2016

Meat sauce with Polenta

Fresh sauce with fine ground beef, pork and veal meat.

6/24/24

10/22/23

This is the Polenta I used.

Our family knows polenta as a traditional Italian meal. It's been around for generations..

Today I'm making it and although it's hot outside we don't care because I (we)are craving it.
 It's going to be awesome! 

I know I've said this many times and I am aware that family budgets are tight but check for sales and try hard to buy the best quality of meat that you can afford.  I truly believe quality meat for this sauce makes a remarkable difference it the taste.

Here is today's recipe:

1 lb. ground beef (85%)
1 lb. ground pork (90%)
2 cubes of basil, garlic and olive oil pesto or several cloves minced garlic and about 1 tsp.dried basil

Note:  I make my own blend with my garlic, basil and olive oil and freeze it by tablespoons in ice cube trays but feel free to either buy a good pesto blend(I do not have any nuts in mine) and use a little of it when you cook your meat.

Salt and pepper according to your taste
1 large can Hunts crushed tomatoes
1 large can Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can organic tomato paste
1 small can water
1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce
1 carrot cleaned and cut into 3 pieces



In a Dutch place a little olive oil on medium heat.  Add ground meats and cook while breaking meat apart into small to medium pieces.  Once meat has started to brown slightly and there is no longer any pink add garlic/basil pesto , salt and pepper.  Keep stirring until incorporated.  Add small can tomato paste and small can water.  Cook and stir until all starts to bubble slightly.  Add mixture to crockpot that is set on high that you have placed crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and carrot. Stir well, cover and cook two hours on high and then lower heat to low and cook for an additional two hours. Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instant Polenta..........It's really good and cooks in 3 minutes.  Polenta is an acquired taste...Most Italians love it. All it is is thickened corn meal.

You can find a box of Polenta at most grocery stores.  The brand I used was was DeLallo
The box has instructions on it and it serves 3  similar to the portion below comfortably.

FYI:  Just a little note from me.  This was the first year I had so much fresh basil so I decided to try using my food processor(you can use a blender too) and using the basil, fresh garlic and olive oil and after blending it all I froze individual tablespoons in ice cube containers.  I had done this before but varied using pine nuts and cheese.  This year with basil so abundant I am good thru next summer.

You may want to next year grow your own basil.  Containers do well and make your own pesto that have so many uses.  You can add more olive oil when making pasta along with a few of these pesto cubes and top with a little grated cheese and you have an easy meal.

From my kitchen to yours,

Original April 2016

Mama's Chicken Parmesean!

Today chicken Parmigian. 8/28/2023

Same recipe just new photos.  Will top with some mozzarella.

I will serve tonight with scalloped potatoes and not sure of our side.  Probably a small salad.  Ummm

Golden chicken encrusted with light bread crumbs gently fried in olive oil.  That's how I remember it. Olive oil was a staple in Mom's (under the counter cupboard) as I was known to call it. Huge and I mean huge Tin of olive oil was the only oil she would use for everything.  From salad to chicken or pasta sauce she would begin with her favorite ingredient which she said was the golden gift to all Italians, Pure Olive oil!   

Mom would dip her chicken breasts in beaten egg (which had been lightly salt and peppered) and then either use her fresh breadcrumbs or yes store bought to coat the chicken thoroughly.  Then place the chicken into hot olive oil.  Quick fry until golden brown on each side and then she'd turn down the stove to low, cover, and cook until tender.  She didn't use the oven at all.  She did her pork chops the same way and they were always tender.

When I make my chicken cutlets I also do it Mom's way(gently frying them in olive oil) , placing them in a baking dish adding some of my warm red sauce; either marinara or plain, topping with some shredded mozzarella and serving.  You can bake if desired (350)until cheese melts or is bubbly.  Approx. 10 minutes.

Note:  Most times my sauce is hot so the cheese starts to melt (I use shredded mozzarella) without having to bake. I have found that if you bake in the oven sometimes cheese melts too much.  Just sayin!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

Ingredients:

2 to 4  chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total) 
Salt and pepper  to taste (1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
1 to  2 eggs beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs ) (Panko works great)
* 1/2  cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
1/4 cup olive oil 
2 Tbsp parsley 
* 4 to 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded(light cheese or lots of cheese) you decide
Cooked pasta

Beat egg with salt and pepper.  Dip chicken breasts into breadcrumb/parsley mix).  Heat oil to medium heat.  Place breaded chicken into oil.  Fry until golden brown and crispy, turn over and do the same on the other side.  Lower heat, cover chicken(if necessary add 1 to 1 T. water).  Cook on low heat approx. 10 minutes more.  Transfer chicken to plate top with hot pasta sauce, sprinkle with both cheeses. Add your favorite cooked pasta on the side and top that as well with pasta sauce top with cheese and serve immediately.  Note:   If your prefer transfer chicken to baking dish.  Place in 350 degree oven after topping with red sauce  Red Sauce

and both *cheeses.  

 Note:  If desired you can use your favorite jarred sauce.

2/10/2013 original 

Strawberry/ Blueberry Cobbler like Mom would make!

Recipe From the archives. This post has been viewed almost 5,000 times  Enjoy!

Today I am making the cobbler with Blueberries . Yum

This berry cobbler has been one of the if not the most viewed post on my blog.  Thank you!



  You can do this with any berries that you may like.  I have lots of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries so I am going to follow this recipe below and use all that I have to make something light(just might hit the spot and add some vanilla ice cream to warmed cobbler if you desire).

  I am going to thaw my berries before I mix them.  I have seen frozen peaches, blueberries and strawberries etc. in the frozen food section of the grocery store so if you can't find fresh  use thawed frozen berries...Yum 

Follow the below instructions.  

****To Date the most popular blog post!!!

Patriotic to the RED, WHITE and BLUE!

While browsing through my People Magazine I came across a recipe similar to Mom's and decided to give it a try.  Mom's recipes are in a huge wooden recipe holder and she gives me recipes in dribs and drabs (that's how she would refer to items of personal interest) to find hers.  Today I opted to make a Cobbler instead of strawberry shortcake. She would make fresh Baking Powder Biscuits and crush fresh strawberries to put on top.  Of course Real Whipped Cream in a huge scoop on top.. Super easy recipe and I used fresh strawberries and blueberries. A nice dessert either served warm or room temperature.

Slightly spray bottom of a 9 x13” baking dish.  Place sugared blueberries in dish.  Add cobbler to top.  (Large heaping tablespoons ).

Before

After

Strawberry/Blueberry Cobbler   (Sue Zemanick’s)

2 pints strawberries hulled and quartered

1 pint blueberries

1 cup sugar divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¾ cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

¼ cup milk

½ tsp. vanilla extract

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine all berries, 1/3 cup  plus 2 tsp. sugar and 1 T cornstarch. ****(Don’t forget the cornstarch)Let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  In a 3^rd bowl, stir egg, milk, vanilla and butter.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir well.

Place six, 6 oz. ramekins on a baking sheet.  Divide fruit evenly and top each with a few spoonfuls of batter.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops are golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes and serve.

All recipes and their respective images are the sole property of I Like to Bake and Cook2013, all rights reserved. All content herein is meant for your personal enjoyment only and is in no way to be used for commercial purposes. Use of this site automatically constitutes your agreement to these terms.

Pasted from <http://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/>

7/2/12 
6/25/13 
7/13/13 
12/19/13