RAPINI- MORE THAN ONE WAY

One of my favourite vegetables is Rapini. It is like an Italian Broccoli.

Since being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes a few years back, I have had to increase greatly the amount of vegetables in my diet as well as considerably lowering the intake of Carbs. Thus one of my favourites. I make Rapini since I can prepare it several different ways and therefore eat it a couple of times a week.

When selecting a bunch of rapini at the market choose a bunch which does not have any yellow flowers or leaves on it as this indicates the vegetable is not fresh and is past its prime. Therefore it reflect the taste.

I-RAPINI SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch rapini

1 garlic bud chopped

3-4 tablespoons( 45-60 ML) EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon( 5ML ) salt

DIRECTIONS

Cut off approximately 1 inch(3mm) of the rapini stems.

Cull any old looking leaves and soak the long pieces of rapini in water in the sink for an hour or more until the rapini becomes very crisp.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.

Add the rapini and cook for 10-15 minutes to your preferred texture.

Drain and rinse in cold water to cool and stop the cooking process.

Drain well and place in a serving bowl.

Add chopped garlic, olive oil, salt and stir well.

Ready to serve.

II- RAPINI STRACINATI

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2-4

1 bunch rapini

2  garlic buds diced

4 tablespoons( 60 ml) EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoons( 2.5 ml ) pepperoncini (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare, boil and drain as in I.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat.

Add garlic and peperoni's and saute 5 minutes until garlic starts to turn brown.

Add the rapini- sprinkle with salt and mix well with remaining ingredients.

Simmer for a minute or two then it's ready to serve.

III RAPINI-ADOLPH STYLE

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of rapini.

1 garlic bud chopped

3-4 tablespoons ( 45-60 ml) EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon ( 5ml) salt

1/2 teaspoon ( 2.5ml)pauperising (optional)

2 cups (  500 ml) of water

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the rapini as in I.

In a saucepan put the olive oil and chopped garlic.

Saute for a minute until garlic is brown.

Add the raw rapini to the oil.

Add the two cups of water to the saucepan and salt to taste.

Cover the pot and let cook until tender. It cooks and steams the rapini.

I like the strong taste of the vegetable as well as it saves much needed nutrients as the water and rapini cook together.

When cooked the rapini is ready to be served.

RAPINI PASTA

Buy, prepare and cook the rapini as Adolph's style.

Cut the rapini into pieces when cooked.

Boil a favourite pasta of choice but I like rotini( rolled ) or the farfalla ( butterfly) pasta for this dish. Use as much as needed for the number of people you are serving. ( 1 cup-250 ml per person )

After cooking, drain then add the rapini to the pasta.

Serve individual plates. Top with Parmesan cheese and with hot pepper flakes to taste.

Makes a good quick veggie pasta.

As you can see, rapini can be one of your vegetables at any lunch or dinner throughout the week.
#rapini3ways#rapinipasta#farfallapasta#rapinistracinata#rapiniforhealth#greenvegetablesarebest#rapinithatversatilevegetable

RED PEPPERS ITALIAN STYLE

Fresh red peppers are great sliced as another vegetable in a veggie/dip mixture.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS

One of our family's favourite is roasted red peppers.

Although both types of peppers can be used, I prefer the Bell to the Sheppard. They both have a Similar taste but the Bell roast and peel better.

INGREDIENTS

One pepper per person.
Vegetable oil. This is one dish that is not suitable for olive oil.
Garlic, salt to taste.

DIRECTIONS

Use a rack on the stove top or on a barbecue.
Tongs to turn the peppers as they roast.
The surface of the peppers will be black.
Let them sit in a dish to cool while the rest are cooked.
Start to peel when slightly cooled.

Have a bowl for the peppers and a water container in the sink to rinse your hands as you peel
Do not rinse the peppers in the water as it will remove some of the flavour.
When cleaned and peeled, break or cut the peppers into long strips.
Put in a serving bowl, add a couple of cut garlic pieces and salt.
Add the vegetable oil.
Mix well and let sti for a few minutes so the flavour of the ingredients mixes.

Since it is a very messy endeavor, you can prepare the peppers the previous day.
Just leave ungarnished.

The peppers can be eaten plain as another vegetable dish with your meal.

SOME VARIATIONS

A boiled potato cut in chunks with roasted peppers is vary tasty.

Fresh tomato and roasted peppers is a good combo.

Fresh slice peppers fried in oil make a nice side dish. Of course with some fresh Italian bread.

Adding roasted peppers to a sandwich.

During the Fall, bushel baskets of peppers can be bought. Roasted, bagged unpeeled and put in the freezer, they can be enjoyed during the winter at a reduced cost. Just let thaw and then peel.

I also like Pickled Peppers.

PICKLED PEPPERS

Using the fresh Fall peppers for Pickles.

INGREDIENTS
Peppers.
Garlic cloves.
Water.
Red vinegar.
Mason pickle jars- small or large- your choice.

DIRECTIONS

Wash the peppers well.
Clean and cut them into strips and set aside.
2 cups( 500ml) of water to one cup( 250ml) of vinegar.
Boil in a large pot on the stove.
Sterilize the jars- usually by boiling in water on the stove or can be put in the dishwasher.
Put the pepper strips in the jars, adding a garlic clove.
Pour the hot vinegar brine on the peppers, covering to the top.
Using new sterilized lids, seal well.
The peppers will take about 6 weeks to pickle.
Pickled peppers can be used as a regular pickle in a pickle tray.

VARIATION
Pork chops cooked with some oil, garlic and the pepper pickles using the vinegar brine is quite tasty.

GRANPA LOVES TO MAKE RAGU SAUCE FOR PASTAD-ADOLPH'S RAGU OR MEAT SAUCE

Adolph's Ragu or Meat Sauce

Most Italian regional cooking has their own version of the Ragu- Meat Sauce. Ciociaria cooking is no different.

A flavourful sauce is the base of any pasta dish that calls for tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS

Bottled Passata di Pomodoro
Store bought or homemade- I usually use 2 bottles to make a good batch. A can of peeled plum tomatoes or a couple of frozen tomatoes can be added depending on what taste or texture you want the sauce.

1 onion- chopped

1 carrot-shredded or diced( optional)

Meat for flavour-
pork side ribs- 6-8
or veal- 1 lb ( 450 gms) shoulder blade cut
or pork sausages- 4

Ground beef- 1/4 lb ( 200 gms)- you can add more if you want a meatier sauce. Or make 6-8 medium size meatballs.

Garlic- 2-3 buds- chopped.

Olive Oil-EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Pepper 1/2 teaspoon ( 25 ml )

Parsley- 2 tablespoons ( 30 ml ) chopped

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot add some olive oil to  cover the bottom thinly.

Add the chopped onion, diced carrot, garlic and parsley.

Saute 4-5 minutes.

Add the ground beef in small pieces so it cooks thoroughly.

Add your other meat for flavour, making sure to sear or brown thoroughly.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add one 1 can of crushed plum tomatoes.

Add the bottled passata.

Bring the sauce to a boil stirring to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for a minimum of two hours, stirring occasionally to allow the ingredients to be in the body of the sauce.

Be careful not to let the meat stay at the bottom or you risk a chance of burning it.

Some cooks like to add tomato paste now to thicken the sauce, but I rarely use it so did not include it in the ingredients.

A good sauce can be made for more than one meal. Use the sauce with penne, rigatoni or any variety of long pasta- like my homemade spaghetti or fettucine. Top with parmesean or parmiagiano cheese. Barb likes to add some hot peppers for flavour on her pasta.

ADDED NOTES

Modern busy cooks may like to make a batch on Sundays to use during the week for more than one meal. If you have a crock pot or slow cooker, it also can be made before going to work. Start the sauce as above. transfer the sauteed meat and vegetables to a lightly greased crock pot or slow cooker then add the passata and tomatoes. Slow cooking will allow the sauce to simmer slowly all day. There is nothing better than to come home from a busy day and smell homemade sauce in the the house.

As a teenager I would monitor my mother's sauce. My Nonna Maria- my Dad's Mom- lived with us. I remember one time tasting the sauce finding it a bit runny. I asked- Nonna- what did you do to the sauce? Did you add some water? Nonna replied- no! I asked again-Then what did you did? She replied - oh, I added some water- un poco d'acqua!!

Christmas Eve is usually seafood. But the last one-2011, I made two types of sauce along with the homemade pasta to satisfy all the guests at my daughter, Sonya and son-in-law- Andrew's home.

The fettucine with ragu sauce and meatballs for the grandchildren is in the foreground and the clam sauce in the background. Yes, don't worry I will provide that clam sauce recipe at some future time.

The aroma of sauce simmering in the home always brings childhood memories for me. It is such a traditional food item for any Italian home.

#ragumeatsauce#meatsaucebygranpa#groundbeef#goodonhomemadepasta#granpalovestocook#adolphdimambro#ciociariacooking#foodfromcassinolazioitaly#adolphlearnttocookfromhismother