After yesterday’s post about “reading the recipe”, I thought I would show a couple (of the many) students who really do understand the importance of that very thing. We all know that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” For four full days these two cuties never needed a thing from me and sometimes you feel as if you’re ignoring such independent kids.  I just hope they know, that I know, how very competent and capable they are and that my goal is to make all my students be just like them! Great job, girls!

Ricotta-Spinach-Basil Pizza

1 pound frozen, homemade, or purchaed fresh pizza dough
(If using frozen dough, let pizza dough stand at room temperature 1 hour)

Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
14.5-ounce can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
6-ounce can tomato paste

Toppings
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1  1/2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1  1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 plum tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

Pizza Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended with a whisk.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface; roll or pat into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to prepared pan, shaking off excess flour.

Toppings: Brush dough on top side with olive oil. Spread  about 1 cup of the pizza sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. (Use the remaining sauce for pasta, if desired.)

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over sauce; top evenly with spinach leaves and minced garlic. Sprinkle mozzarella over spinach. Spoon teaspoonfuls of ricotta over mozzarella.

Bake for 12 minutes or until mozzarella melts and crust browns.

Let stand 5 minutes; top with tomato slices.  Cut into wedges.

Serves 8 to 10

One week from today is St. Patrick’s Day!  Here are a few fun St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day facts from Wikipedia:

• Blue was the original color associated with St. Patrick, not green.
• St Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish  people.
• St. Patrick died on March 17th 461 AD.
• The Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies but the first  recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world on 17 March 1737.
• The first parade in Ireland was not until the 1931 parade in Dublin.
• Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges  and had the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.
• St. Patrick’s Day is a one-day reprieve from the forty days of fasting during the season of Lent. For many Christians this  includes indulging in ale.
• Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic  background, wear green-colored clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched,  usually affectionately.
• And of course, corned beef and cabbage is the food most associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.

According to Wikipedia, “Corned beef refers to a particular style of brine-cured beef. The “corn” in corned beef refers to the “corns” or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. The consumption of corned beef has become associated with St. Patirick’s Day. Although corned beef did not originate in Ireland, it has been an integral part of Irish-American culture. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is Bacon and Cabbage (more akin to Canadian style bacon or ham). Corned beef and cabbage became popular in America after Irish immigrants in the eastern United States used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish.”

All that said, although I am 100% Irish, I cannot stand corned beef and cabbage! So when I volunteered to appear on Channel 12 Valley Dish for the St. Patrick’s Day show, I was expected to make something along those lines – yuck! So after mulling it over, I came up with the perfect solution – Pizza! Yes, pizza, a traditional Italian dish would solve all my issues with that Irish-American dish I so despise. I mean, what’s not to like; bread, cheese, potatoes (very Irish!), cheese, caramelized onions, garlic, and more cheese. With those stellar flavors to cover up the other two- I knew I couldn’t go wrong. And I was right!  This sauceless pizza is one they should be making and selling at Sauce! Although, the other 364 days of the year, I’d prefer it with crisp crumbled bacon (like a true Irishwoman!) rather than corned beef.  So get to the store this week, buy the ingredients and make it along with me at 4:30 on Channel 12 Valley Dish with Tram Mai on March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day… I’ll drink to that!

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potato Pizza

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved through the root end and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green cabbage
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (available at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
3 ounces thinly sliced cooked Deli corned beef, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Add the cabbage and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until just soft, about 4 more minutes, set aside.

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, until golden, about 12 to 14 minutes, turning potatoes over, halfway through.

Roll dough into a 14-inch round. Place the round on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal (if baking on a stone) or a large oiled pizza pan if you do not have a stone; drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the Fontina cheese evenly over the crust, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border all the way around. Top with onion-cabbage mixture, corned beef, and potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Carefully slip the pizza onto the hot stone, if using, or place the pan in the oven. Cook until golden and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 1 large delicious Irish pizza

Inspiration for recipes comes from many places, such as giving a standard recipe a healthy makeover or combining recipes to make something just right. Plucking fresh food from your garden or a farmer’s market, using other cuisines to spice up an old favorite, or in this case, out of complete and utter desperation! Ever since last Friday, when I held a girl scout cooking class, my life and time management skills had been in a downward spiral. Some of that was due to my own bad planning, other parts were things out of my control, and the rest was just Murphy’s Law – “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” So the light at the end of the tunnel of this tornado that was my life, came in the form of a party at my home. After racing from one thing to another and running on virtually no sleep, I had less than 5 hours to come up with a menu for the party, shop for the food and drinks, and make it all. Clean all the outdoor furniture (it’s been raining quite a bit here, so it was all a mess). And worst of all, clean a house that had not only been neglected, but literally treated (by me!) as if it were a landfill, where I was actually just tossing things on the floor or any flat surface. The picture below doesn’t really do justice to the mess the house was. The sun is shining so brightly against the more than a dozen glass bowls on the island that they are not really visible. But that was just one load of dishes spread out from unloading the dishwasher from the night before when I fell into bed right after putting in another (and the 3rd of the day) load.

So here is where this recipe begins. I had worked with Barb Fenzl at Les Gourmettes in the morning, where she taught a delicious class that included a Glazed and Grilled Asparagus. All the while I was thinking about what I could make, or pull from my freezer, or pick up at Trader Joe’s on my way home. There was leftover marinate from the asparagus, so I poured that in a jar and decided to make the asparagus as an appetizer instead of a side dish. I also had leftover sliced mozzarella, sliced black forrest ham, and basil in my fridge from a food styling event I’d done the day before… voila, a recipe is born. OK, it may not be the most inspired, creative, or original thing I’ve even come up with, but the point is, anyone can pull something together with what they have available to them by just giving it a little thought. The asparagus portion of this recipe is thanks to Barb Fenzl and I thank her for not only that, but for the delctable frozen Blue Cheese Galette dough she so generously sent home with me to use as well!

Marinated Asparagus Roll Ups

1 pound thick asparagus
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or orange juice
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices (12 ounces) sliced mozzarella cheese
12 slices black forest ham or prosciutto
12 large fresh basil leaves

Peel the asparagus and bread off the tough stem ends. Set aside.

In a shallow dish, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, olive oil, zest, juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss in the asparagus, coating evenly.  Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or may be done up to 3 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Preheat grill or grill pan. Remove asparagus from marinade and grill over medium high heat, turning occasionally until the spears are tender and lightly blistered, about 8 minutes.  Return asparagus to pan with marinade and allow to cool.

Lay the ham slices on a work surface, top each with a basil leaf, then with a slice of cheese. Cut each in half and place 1 or 2 asparagus spears (dripping with the sauce) in the center of each half, roll up and secure with a pick.

Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 24

For whatever reason, it seems that most kids really like pineapple on their pizza, so let’s give them what they want! An easy thin-crust pizza with fresh pineapple, barbeque sauce, mozzarella, and bits of bacon.

If you make pizza (or bake frozen pizza) often at home, it would be wise to invest in a pizza stone.  The stones are available at all kitchen stores and produce the best “restaurant quality” crisp, thin or thick crust pizza. Without a stone, just bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet, sprinkled with a little cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking.

When using a stone be sure to preheat your oven, with the stone inside, at the highest temperature your oven can be set at for at 30 minutes. I made one with and another without the bacon, delicious both ways, so go vegetarian, if you choose. Buon appetito or (E ‘ai ka-kou, in Hawaiian)!

oops, I forgot to sprinkle with the basil before snapping this picture!

Pineapple Pizza

Prepared or homemade whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Very thin slices fresh pineapple
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Very thin slices red onion
4 –6 large fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade, for garnish

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500 – 550 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shape crust onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Spread the barbeque sauce out evenly to the edges of the crust. Scatter half of the cheese, pineapple, bacon and onions and then top with remaining cheese.

Slide a pizza peel or a cookie sheet under the parchment and slide pizza, (along with parchment paper) onto the hot pizza stone.

Bake 10 to15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly or brown. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 2 hungry kids

Today at 5:00 PM, I will draw a name from a hat for a winner from all the comments given on Tuesday’s post – my own Ode to Trader Joe’s –  and that winner will be announced on tomorrow’s post. I’m using up the last of those Trader Joe ingredients, left from the sandwich, for this pasta. I spent $20.58 last Sunday (weekend shopping – yuck!) and made 3 full meals for a total of 14 servings. Even if you add in the few things I already had on hand; couple tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup white wine, parmesan, spaghetti…  that still comes to less than $2 per serving! Plus, all three dishes fit into the “Easy-Breezy” category – that cannot be beat!

Pasta in a Hurry

1/2 pound dried whole- wheat spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
6 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 ounces arugula leaves
1/2 pound cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1/3 cup freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cubed mozzarella-prosciutto cheese roll
Focaccia, if desired

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat, add oil and then stir-fry the garlic until just golden, about 1 minute, be careful to not burn. Quickly add tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Toss in arugula and stir for about 30 seconds, just to wilt. Stir in the chicken and heat through, about 1 more minute.

Drain the pasta an add it to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well, cook another minute, while stirring.  Add the parmesan cheese and mozzarella-prosciutto cheese roll cubes just before serving.

Serve with warmed focaccia, if desired.

Serves 4

Until about two weeks ago, I had never heard of arancini, but since then I’ve been exposed to it on two separate occasions. The first was when I stumbled upon the blog and arancini was the featured recipe that day. The second was just the other night while assisting Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi for his cooking class at Les Gourmettes. Giuseppe is a charming man who is from Tuscany and made the most wonderful risotto (He also pronounces my name “Leeenda”, which I love!). He mentioned to the class that any extra risotto could be used to make arancini… turns out arancini are fried rice balls filled with sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas. The names come from the shape, which resembles an orange. The Italian word for orange is arancia and arancini means “little oranges”.  You can even make a dessert arancini filled with chocolate and using a sweet version of risotto – YUM!

Giuseppe told us that in Tuscany they prefer either Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice to the Arborio rice that Americans generally use for risotto.  All three are short-grain rices, but the first two produce a creamier risotto and each grain holds its shape better than Arborio. You should be able to find all three at an Italian market or deli, and locally at A.J.’s. Even though each class had 16 students, there was so much risotto left that I was able to make 48 arancini, 44 of which I how have in my freezer! I’m providing you with Giuseppe’s risotto recipe, but any risotto will do. Even some you bring home in a “doggy bag” from a dinner out some evening.  It is imperative to make the arancini with cold risotto, so leftovers are perfect.

Bocconcini Arancini

2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups panko
About 3 cups cold risotto
12 bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), each cut in half
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying
1 jar marinara sauce, heated

Line 2 baking sheets with foil. Beat the eggs in a wide flat bowl. Place the flour in another flat bowl and the panko in a third flat bowl.

Wet your hands and pick up about 2 tablespoons risotto in one hand, press a piece of bocconcini into the center of the risotto and form into a ball, completely covering the cheese. Place balls on one of the baking sheets as they are made, making 24 balls.

Roll the balls in the flour to lightly coat, then in the eggs, rolling and lifting out with a fork, and lastly in the panko to coat completely.  Place on the second foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour.  (The balls may be frozen at this point. Place the baking sheet, uncovered, in the freezer for 6 hours. Once the balls are individually frozen, carefully place in a 1 gallon freezer quality zip-lock and lay flat in freezer. When ready to use, remove as many as needed from bag and place on a plate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours to thaw before frying.)

Heat vegetable oil to the depth of two-inches in a medium to large saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Fry the balls in batches, a few at a time, turning once during cooking so that they are evenly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer balls to paper towels to drain briefly before serving. Serve hot with warm marinara sauce for spooning on or dipping.

Makes 24

Giuseppe Mazzocchi’s Risotto “all” Ortolana

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped and divided in half
1 leek, washed well and finely chopped
1garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 zucchini, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, each finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, parsley, and basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16-ounce box Vialone Nano or Carnaroli Italian rice
5-6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil and sauté half of the shallots along with the garlic and leeks until translucent. Add the carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, celery, bell peppers, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a saucepan and gently simmer.

Remove vegetables from pot and use a damp cloth to wipe out the pot. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pot, sauté the remaining shallot until translucent, stir in the rice and cook to coat the rice with the oil for a couple of minutes. Add two ladles of the hot stock, while stirring well. Add the vegetables and 2 more ladles stock. Continue to stir and add stock by 2 ladles as the liquid is absorbed, simmering over low heat until the rice is tender.  Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add the Parmesan and butter, stirring vigorously to make a creamy risotto.

Serves 12

Do you know anyone who doesn’t like lasagna? I certainly don’t! It’s right up there with hamburgers, spaghetti, and mac and cheese for the all-time family favorites. All those classics have been posted here already, it is now lasagna’s turn.

Toasted and skinned hazelnuts are used in the pesto. To learn how to do this procedure, either go to the Tip Index at the left and look under “Hazelnuts” or click on this link.

Lasagna

1 pound dried lasagna noodles
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

2 tablespoons flour
1 cup red wine
28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

15-ounce container ricotta cheese, divided in half
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 egg, beaten

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Pesto
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel
2 cups loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat with olive oil to keep from sticking together, set aside.

Heat a large skillet, add beef and sausage and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.  Season meat with salt and pepper.   In a food processor, combine the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, parsley, an oregano.  Process until pureed, add to the pan with the meat and stir to combine.  Stir in the flour, stir for 2 minutes to cook raw taste out of flour.   Add the wine and cook 3 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 container of ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and goat cheese.  Stir in egg, season with salt and pepper.  Set cheese mixture aside.

Pesto: Puree all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor.  With machine running, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil through the feed tube and puree until pesto is smooth.

In a medium bowl stir remaining ricotta, and 1 cup of the parsley pesto, until combined well.   Then, in a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons pesto and remaining 2 tablespoons oil for drizzling over cooked lasagna, set aside.

Assemble: In a 13 x 9-inch pan, spread 2 ladles of sauce. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise in a slightly overlapping layer on the sauce. Then, line each short end of the pan with a lasagna noodle to form a collar that holds in the corners.  Dollop 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the pasta, spread to the edges with a spatula.  Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture over the cheese.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of meat. Spread 1/2 of pesto over mozzarella. Top with 2 ladles of sauce, spread evenly.

Repeat with the next layer of noodles, remaining 1/2 of the cheese mixture, remaining 1/2 of the pesto, 2 ladles of sauce, and 1/3 mozzarella.

Top last layer with noodles, remaining sauce, remaining 1/3 of the shredded mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan.  Shake the pan to settle. (Can be assembled a day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before uncovering and placing in the preheated oven).  Bake for 1 hour. Allow lasagna to rest for 30 minutes to firm up and cut easily.   Cut into 12 squares and serve drizzled with pesto-oil.

Serves 12

It’s Football Season! Today is opening day and our Arizona Cardinals are at home vs. San Francisco. All I can say is, “GO CARDS!!!” Here are three quick and simple hors d’œuvres using buffalo mozzarella. Cow’s milk fresh mozzarella balls may be substituted. The Stacks can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. If serving cold or at room temperature, use Belgium endive spears to serve the stacks on. If heating, the stacks will be placed on toasted baguette slices. An important thing to pay attention to when preparing this recipe, try to buy zucchini and eggplant that are of similar in size when cut into rounds. Instead of cutting a large ball of mozzarella, brocconcini (tiny little mozzarella balls) may be used. You’ll notice that the baguette, eggplant, and zucchini are all sliced on a diagonal. This gives you a much large piece and better shape to work with, rather than cutting straight down into rounds.

The Prosciutto Picks couldn’t be easier or more convenient. They also may be served cold or at room temperature. Finally, the Meatballs are simply delicious! I like to roll half of them Parmesan cheese before baking and leave half plain, it makes for a more interesting presentation on the platter. You may dollop with purchased Marinara or with the same yummy tomato-pesto sauce used on the Parmesan Chicken recipe from the September 9 post from a couple days ago.

buffalo mozzarella hor d'oeuvre platter

primary ingredients used for thee hord'oeuvres

Grilled Vegetable and Buffalo Mozzarella Stacks

1/2 baguette
1 garlic clove, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
and/or
2 Belgium endives, leaves separated

1 medium zucchini, ends trimmed on a diagonal
1 medium Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed on a diagonal
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small ripe heirloom tomatoes
One 4-ounce buffalo mozzarella ball
1/4 cup purchased hummus
14 medium sweet basil leaves

If using baguette — use a serrated knife to cut bread crosswise on the diagonal into fourteen 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. Remove from oven and rub hot toasts with garlic on one side. Place on cooling rack and set aside.

Slice the zucchini and eggplant on a diagonal into 14 slices each.

eggplant top, zucchini bottom in grill pan

Heat a ridged grill pan over a medium-high heat. Meanwhile place zucchini and olive oil in a bowl, toss to coat. Add the eggplant to the bowl and toss. The eggplant is like a sponge and will pick up all excess olive oil from zucchini as they are tossed. Season with salt and pepper immediately before grilling, do not salt ahead of time or eggplant will release too much moister. Grill all vegetable slices in a single layer, in batches if necessary, turning when slices have nice grill marks. Transfer to a plate as done.

Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into similar sizes as the vegetables.

the stages of assembly starting counter clockwise with hummus covered eggplant around to the two center finished stacks

Spread a small dab of hummus on each eggplant slice. Top each with a basil leaf then a slice of mozzarella, then with a slice of tomato and finish with a zucchini slice.

Stacks may be served cold, at room temperature, or heated. If cold or at room temperature, place one stack on each Belgium endive spear, place on platter and serve immediately.

If heating, put one stack on top of each baguette slice. Place stacks on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes.

Makes 14

Prosciutto-Mozzarella Picks

One 4-ounce fresh buffalo mozzarella ball
6 thin slices prosciutto, each cut in half lengthwise (about 2 ounces)
12 small sweet basil leaves
12 cherry or teardrop tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or balsamic syrup
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
12 appetizer picks or toothpicks

Cut mozzarella ball in half. Cut each half into 6 even pieces for a total of 12 pieces.

Wrap each slice of cheese with a half slice of prosciutto. Place a basil leaf on the seam-side of prosciutto. Pierce each through the center with a pick. Add a cherry tomato to the end of each pick and place picks on a platter. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 12

Mozzarella Meatballs

2 tablespoons olive oil
One 4-ounce fresh buffalo mozzarella ball or 16 brocconcini
1 pound turkey or chicken sausage
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Purchased Marinara sauce, heated
16 appetizer picks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Cut mozzarella ball in quarters. Cut each quarter into four even pieces for a total of 16 pieces.

Mix together turkey and Italian sausage with hands until thoroughly combined. Divide into 16 equal parts.

Enclose each piece of mozzarella with sausage to form a meatball. Place Parmesan cheese on a sheet of wax paper; roll 8 of the meatballs in Parmesan cheese. Place all meatballs on prepared baking sheet, leaving an inch or so between each meatball.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, remove from oven and carefully pour off collected grease and liquid into a disposable container… never pour grease in your sink or a plumber will be a regular visitor to your kitchen! Return to oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and stick a long appetizer pick into each meatball. Arrange on a platter and top each with a small dollop of warmed sauce.

Makes 16