Food Wine Italian - Contorni, Side Dishes, Vegetables

Swisschard Lemon and Butter

Spinach and beans Florentine style

Lemon  Sautéed Spinach

Roman style spinach

Eggplant ParmesanZucchini with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Broccoli and Cauliflower fantacy

Broccoli olive oil, Garlic and Lemon

Escarole and beans

Broccoli Rape Sautéed

Escarole and beans

Cipolle Cruccante
Crispy Fried Onion

Crispy Fried Cauliflower

Savoy cabbage and radicchio balsamico

Watercress and arugula with chives and lemon dressing

Endive salad and a walnut Vinaigrette

Arugala and egg salad with proscuitto

Insalata di Connalini/Connalini bean salad

Mesculan with Gorgonzola Dressing

Argula, Tomato and Special Vinaigrette

Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette on a Red, White, Green Salad

Romaine Lettuce with shaved Parmigiano

Crunchy Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad

Side dishes, Contorne, are important foods for Italians. They are generally vegetables for the nutritional food value. However, there are vegetable dishes that may be a main course. In Italy a salad is a side dish, at times a robust salad may be the dish of the day. Salads are served after the entree. they are considered food for the digestion.

in a colander or strainer and squeeze dry.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan, and add the swisschard. Drizzle the chard with the lemon juice and heat thoroughly. Season the chard with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Spinaci and Fagioli alla Florentina
Spinach and beans Florentine Style

Rinse the spinach off and strain the spinach in a colander.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the garlic. Carefully brown the garlic and add the spinach; cover and cook for 20 to 30 seconds, mix in the beans; cover, cook for 30 more seconds, add the salt and pepper to taste and cook tender-about 15 seconds.

Lemon Sautéed Spinach 

• 2 pounds of clean tender spinach
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 medium onion minced fine Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a sauté pan. When the butter begins to sizzle add the minced onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spinach. Mix the spinach; add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the spinach is tender, about two minutes. Adjust seasoning of lemon, salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve as a side dish. If you wish place the spinach on the bottom of a platter and cover with the veal medallions.

Spinaci alla Romana
Spinach, Roman Style

• 2 pounds fresh spinach
• 1 ounce olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 ounce pine nuts
• 2 oz Prosciutto Di Parma
• 1 ounce white raisins
• Salt
• Ground pepper

Soak the raisins in lukewarm water. Wash the spinach in water. Place a large saute pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Brown the garlic and the chopped prosciutto in the oil. Discard the garlic, mix in the spinach, the soaked raisins and the pine nuts into the hot oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook tossing for 3 or 4 minutes to wilt the spinach. Serve with freshly ground pepper. An excellent accompaniment to salt em bocca alle Romano.

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Serves 4

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the zucchini and the softened sun-dried tomatoes. As the zucchini begin to soften, add the scallions, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until zucchini are al dente. Serve hot.

Fantasia di Broccoli e Cavolfior                                 Broccoli and Cauliflower fantasy

Serves 4

Trim the broccoli and cauliflower of any leaves and discolored stems. Cut into florets and wash. Separately, * steam-boil in a 1/2 inch of water until softened but not quite al dente.

Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan, and add the sliced garlic to the heated oil and butter. As the garlic begins to brown, add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir, to blend all the flavors, and continue cooking until the stems are al dente, yet the florets are intact and pretty. Serve hot.

*Steam-Boil is a term that I use when the food sits in a little boiling water, covered, and the steam does as much as or more of the cooking than the water

MALANZANO ALLA PARMIGIANO
EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Serves 6 as antipasto or 4 as a main dish

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 cup flour
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup grated or to taste Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1-cup mozzarella diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Slice the ends off the eggplants and peel the eggplants. Slice the eggplants lengthwise 1/4-inch thick. Salt the eggplants and let them rest for about twenty minutes.

Put the flour on a dish; beat the eggs in a bowl. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Flour the eggplants on both sides, dip them into the beaten eggs, and let them drip a little, and carefully add them to the hot oil. Brown on both sides and set on paper.

Cover the bottom of a 9 X 12 X 3 inch ovenproof dish with tomato sauce. Place the eggplants slightly overlapping on the dish. To make the first layer, cover the eggplants with sauce, sprinkle generously with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Make 2 more layers and finish by topping with the diced mozzarella. Bake until golden brown about 30 minutes

Broccoletti di Rape Saltate                                Broccoli Rape Sautéed

Place a pot with 2 quarts of salted water on the fire to boil. Remove the straggly stems from the rape and cook al dente (with a bite, not mushy) in the boiling water. Strain in a colander. Slice the garlic and heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic to the hot oil and cook until lightly browned. Add the broccoli rape and mix. Sautés until hot, add the lemon juice and the salt and pepper to taste. Cook for30 more seconds.

Serve on a platter.

This dish can be either a main course or an accompaniment to a main course.

In a 6-quart pot heat, the oil Add the garlic and brown. Add the escarole and cover the pot. Fry steam to wilt for about 5 minutes-stir occasionally. Add the tomatoes and beans to the wilted escarole. Cook uncovered until the escarole is tender.

Serve in a bowl.

Cipolle Cruccante
Crispy Fried Onion

 1 large white onion sliced into circles
 Frying oil
 2 cups water
 Juice of ½ lemon
 1&1/4 cup all-purpose flour
 2 tablespoons corn starch
 2tablespoons semolina flour
 Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the frying oil to 375 degrees F.

Mix the water and the lemon juice in a bowl, and soak the sliced onion in the water.

Mix all the flours in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste. When you are ready to fry, remove the onion n from the water and shake off excess water. Put the onions into the flour mixture and mix to coat the onions thoroughly. Remove the onions from the flour and gently shake off excess flour. Carefully place the onion into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.

Quite often, a batter is made to fry the cauliflower; However, it can be avoided by using the following method. *Put a frying pan on the fire, and add 1/2 inch of the frying oil to the pan. Heat the oil. Whip the egg mixture and the milk together. Dredge the cauliflower in the flour, dip them in the eggs, return the florets to the four, and lightly recover with the flour. Add the battered cauliflower to the hot oil and brown on both sides. Remove the florets

From the oil to a paper towel, and pat, dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve on a service plate.

*An electric fry pot may be used. Simply follow directions for the pot.

Broccoli Aglio Olio con Lemone                     Broccoli with Garlic, Oil and Lemon 

Serves 4

• 1 head broccoli
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon or 2 your choice
• Salt & pepper to taste

Wash the broccoli. Cut the stem in half and discard the bottom portion. With a vegetable peeler trim the remaining part of the stem. Cut the head and remaining stems in quarters. Split the lower 1/2 of the stems lengthwise.

Place a large saute pan on the fire with 1/4 inch of water and salt. Bring the water to a boil; add the broccoli to the boiling water and cover to steam-boil. After five minutes fork test the stems for doneness. They should be al dente. When the stems are al dente they are ready to be remove from the pot. At this time the broccoli may be shocked with cold water to stop the cooking, or moved directly into the pan with the alia olio.

In a separate pan, as the broccoli is cooking, add the olive oil and sliced garlic. Over medium heat, brown the garlic. When the garlic is browned, and the broccoli is cooked, add the cooked broccoli to the garlic and oil. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: With a zester sprinkle lemon zest over the broccoli.

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Seves 4

Cut the core out of both the savoy cabbage and the radicchio. Wash thoroughly under cold water, and place on a rack to drain. Slice the heads lengthwise about 1/2 inch wide.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan, and add the sliced cabbage. When the cabbage begins to wilt, add the radicchio, and continue cooking until both are wilted and tender. Add the balsamic vinegar and the salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 1 more minute to blend all the flavors.

Cescione e Arugula con condimento lemone e erba chipollino
Watercress and arugular salad with chives and lemon dressing

Arrange the arugala, watercress and tomatoes attractively in a salad bowl.
Place the chives and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Wisk in the olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Delicately mix the dressing into the greens.

Insalata Indiva con Condimento Noce
Endive Salad and a Walnut Vinaigrette

Dry boston lettuce, spread it out like a flower on a serving plate. Slice endives into quarters and fan the endive onto the lettuce.
In a mixing bowl place the walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, chives, parsley, salt & pepper to taste and whip the mixture into a vinaigrette. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad.

INSALATA di ARUGALA con UOVA
Arugala and Egg Salad

This salad is loaded with nutrients. It is excellent with a light meal, or increase the volume for a salad entree.

Select small, tender dandelions, or pick small unflowered dandelions from a field. Arugula may be substituted. Cut off the stems and roots and wash the leaves as explained under the care of greens.
Boil the eggs in water for ten minutes. If you prefer the yolk a little soft, boil for 7 minutes. While the eggs boil, slice the scallions into 1/4 inch wide circles.
Place all the ingredients in a salad bowl and dress with the olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Isalata di connalini

Connalini bean salad

Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix gently and well.

To serve, place on a decorative platter.

 Mesculan salad with Gorgonzola dressing

• -'1 bag mesculan salad
• 1/2 bag arugula
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup crumbled  Gorgonzola Cheese                                                   1 tablespoon of Worcester shire sauce 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 1/3 cup  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash all the lettuce in ice cold water and spin dry. Place the crumbled Gorgonzola in a small bowl and gently mix in the Worcestershire sauce and allow the cheese to absorb the sauce for about a minute. Wash and dry the tomatoes. Place the salad in a salad bowl with the tomatoes. Add the salt and pepper to taste, the olive oil, the cheese and the vinegar_-mix well.

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Warm Balsamic Dressing on a Red white and Green Salad

Serves 4

• 1 medium head radicchio washed and separated
• 1 quart of baby spinach washed
• 1 Endive washed and seperated
• 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• About 3 oz. of diced Pancetta  
• 1/4 cup commercial Balsamic Vinegar or 4 drops traditional
• 1/3 cup chopped chives
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Place a saute pan over medium heat add the oil and the panchetta and cook the panchetta crispy--try to keep the oil from smoking. Place the red and green lettuce in a salad bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. When the pancetta is crispy add the balsamic vinegar and cook for thirty seconds. Add the chopped chives and cook for ten seconds. Carefully drizzle the hot dressing over the salad and mix well.

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Arugula and Tomato Salad with a Special Dressing

• 4 cups of arugula
• 1 ripe beefsteak tomato
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to taste
• 1/4-cup olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/3-cup pine nuts
• 1 roughly tablespoon chopped chives
• 3 radishes chopped
• Salt & pepper to taste

Put the arugula in a salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges and add to the salad bowl. Shred the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the arugula and tomato to taste. In a mixing bowl put the extra virgin-Olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, roughly chop the chives and radishes and add to the bowl and-the pine nuts. Whip well. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinaigrette to the bowl of arugula and mix.

INSALATA LATTUGA ROMANO E PARMIGIANO Romaine Lettuce and Shaved Parmigiano Salad

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 1 red pepper
• 4 slices red onion
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano  
• Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the romaine, dry, cut it into thirds and arrange aesthetically in a salad bowl. Wash, dry and slice the pepper lengthwise, and arrange the slices attractively on the lettuce. Slice the red onion into circles and arrange decoratively on the lettuce. Shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano over the salad. To shave the cheese use the 1inch slot on a four-sided grater or a vegetable peeler.

Squeeze the lemon over a strainer into a saucier, add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil while whipping with a fork. Dress the salad with the mixture.

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Serves 4

For The Chicken:

• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic smashed
• 1 spring fresh rosemary
• 2 or 3 leaves fresh sage
• 1-tablespoon  Balsamic Vinegar  
• 1/4-cup olive oil
• 3/4 to 1 pound thin sliced chicken for scaloppini
• Salt & pepper to taste

Salad Mixture:

• 1 head of radicchio
• 1 bulb of fennel (anise)
• 1 hearts of celery
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1/2 yellow pepper
• 1/3 cup red onion or Vidalia onion cut into thin circles
• 1/3 cup grape tomatoes or patio tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 scallion
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fennel fronds
•  

Heat grill or broiler to medium high.

In a bowl put the crushed garlic, rosemary, sage, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chicken, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and let the mixture sit for five or ten minutes. A true marinating creates a very strong as opposed to a delicate, robust taste. Remove the chicken from the bowl and carefully place on the hot grill. When the chicken begins to brown on the edges and it starts to get white, turn the chicken. After about five minutes lift the chicken to observe grill marks. If grill marks appear chicken is done. You may check doneness by making a small slit in one piece of chicken. The inside should be white.

As the chicken grills make the salad. Placed cleaned and dried radicchio leaves are to be placed around the edge of a service platter and put aside.

Dice the fennel 1/2 inch and put it into a salad bowl. 1/2 inch dice the celery heart and add it to the fennel, thinly slice (julienne) the peppers and add them to the bowl, add the red onion, add thinly sliced scallions, add the fennel fronds, add the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper to taste and mix. Place the salad in the middle of the platter with the radicchio. The radicchio should be surrounding the platter. Slice the cooked chicken and place on top of the salad.

A key to success with this salad is to remember to turn the chicken while you are working on the Salad.

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