Recipes From Our Kitchen

February 2014

Slowly stir fry the ground Sirloin or (remove the sausage from its casing, break up into pieces) and fry gently in a drizzling of olive oil. Grease a rectangular ovenproof dish and line with a layer of lasagne. Scatter half the Sirloin or sausage on top, then half the mozzarella, ricotta, and sliced egg, and cover with a third of the tomato sauce. Add a third of the grated cheese. Add another layer of lasagne and repeat process. Finish with a last layer of lasagne, spread over the last of the tomato sauce and dust with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 45 minutes in a medium (350ºF) oven.

Number of servings (yield): 4

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the minced onion. Sauté until golden then add the artichoke slices. Pour in the white wine and cook until wine has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until the rice becomes slightly transparent. Add a ladle of hot vegetable broth (keep the broth on a low heat as you are adding), and stir for about one minute until absorbed. Continue cooking the rice, stirring continuously and adding broth as it absorbs. Cook for about 15 to 17 minutes until the rice is al dente. Check seasoning, remembering you still have to add the cheese.
Move the frying pan off the heat and add half the grated cheese, the parsley and the butter. Beat well to combine. Serve immediately, garnishing each dish with a little of the additional grated Parmesan.

Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
Place the flour in a large bowl and mix in the sugar and salt. Create a well in the centre and add the softened butter, egg yolks, vanilla essence and lemon zest. Using your hands, gently work the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients, slowly incorporating more flour into the centre with your hands. Once you have a smooth, pliable dough (you may have to add a little more flour), divide the dough into 20 pieces of equal size. Shape each piece into S shapes or half moons, place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden in color. Once cool, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

In a small bowl, mix about half of the flour with the baking powder. In a large bowl, add the eggs, whipping cream, butter, salt, sugar and vanilla and mix. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the flour and work into a smooth dough, with little bubbles. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for one hour.
Divide the dough into balls the size of a walnut. Flatten the dough by hand or roll out with a rolling pin until very thin (you should be able to see the surface below). Slice or shape into uneven strips. Before frying, place the frittelle on a floured surface.
In batches, fry the strips until golden. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain, then toss with powdered sugar.
Crispy and sprinkled with powdered sugar, these frittelle di carnevale are called cenci in the north and chiacchiere in the south of Italy.