How to Cook Arugula

Arugula is one of the many "new" greens making their way onto supermarket shelves in the United States, although in this case this marvelous herb has long been known and loved in Europe, especially Italy.

Yes, one of the surprising facts about arugula is that is classed as an herb. It is not just a variety of lettuce, as many people often surmise upon first seeing it.

It also goes by many names in addition to "arugula." Some of these are "garden rocket," "rucola," "rocket salad," "roquette," and,. simply, "rocket."

Arugula is a great source of vitamin C, also iron. It has been grown around the Mediterranean for centuries. The Romans considered it to be an aphrodisiac.

You can use arugula in salads as you would lettuce or spinach; just wash it thoroughly, spin it dry in a salad spinner (or drain it in a colander) and shred it into bite-sized pieces before adding.

The tastiest way to use arugula use it in a cooked recipe, such as a pasta or meat dish. Arugula has a natural peppery taste that goes well in Italian recipes particularly.

Here's an arugula recipe my family really loves. Actually, the star of the recipe is the spaghetti-plus-ham, but in my opinion it's the arugula and olives that really make it special.

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti

1/4 pound ham, thinly sliced

5 cups arugula

1 small chopped onion

1 cup parmesan cheese

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 lb chopped pitted olives

4 tomatoes, quartered

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot. Drain and set aside.

2. Cut the ham into small pieces. Place in a skillet. Add onion and olives. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

3. Add ingredients from skillet (ham, onion, olives) to spaghetti.

4. Add arugula, cheese and lemon juice to spaghetti. Mix well.

5. Divide the spaghetti onto 4 serving plates. Place tomato quarters (4 each) on top of the plates of spaghetti. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes.

Serve and enjoy!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Sandori

Easy Ground Beef Recipes That Are Healthy and Delicious

Looking for some healthy and easy ground beef recipes that do not require a lot of time to make? Below are 3 delicious ground beef recipes that are filling and real crowd pleasers.

Just because you are cooking with ground beef, does not mean it has to be unhealthy. Most of the ground beef you find in supermarkets today is loaded with fat, cholesterol and hormones, but more and more supermarkets are starting to provide healthy organic meats to consumers, so hopefully you should be able to find healthy ground beef in your area.

To make the following recipes even healthier try and use all organic and low sodium ingredients.

If you happen to live near a Trader Joe's, by all means shop there. The prices are fantastic and they carry a variety of healthy organic meats and other fine products.

THE RECIPES:

EASY SALISBURY STEAK RECIPE

Here is a little tip to keep in mind as you are making this delicious ground beef recipe. There is a chance that your ground beef steaks can fall apart while cooking. To prevent this from happening, form your steak patties and put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before you start cooking. This will help hold your steaks stay together.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 small onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 small package of freshly sliced portobello mushrooms or by them whole and slice yourself

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, onion, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. From the mixture, make steak shaped patties that are about 2 inches thick.

2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef patties and cook about 4 minutes per side until the outside of the steaks are nicely browned and the juices run clear. Remove the steaks and cover with foil to keep them warm.

3 Add the rest of the olive oil along with the butter to the same pan. Add your mushrooms and then cook over medium heat until they are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the flour to the mushrooms, mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in your beef stock. Stir and cook until your sauce has thickened.

5. Pour gravy over steaks and serve.

EASY ITALIAN STYLE MEATLOAF RECIPE

I grew up in an Italian Family and I cannot think of a better way to cook meatloaf. Enjoy this delicious ground beef recipe using fresh italian herbs and garlic.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 eggs

1 7 ounce jar roasted red peppers chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 cup of bread crumbs

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 cups of prepared tomato sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add your onion and garlic and saute until soft. Remove and set it aside on a plate to cool.

3. Grab yourself a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the cooled onions and garlic along with the the rest of your ingredients, except the tomato sauce, and combine. Mix together well with your hands and form into a loaf and add it to an oiled oven safe tray. Top the loaf with 1 cup of the prepared tomato sauce. Make certain that you spread the tomato sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.

5. Bake for about 1 hour or when the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Slice it up and serve.

Heat the remaining tomato sauce if desired and use for dipping.

GREEK STYLE HAMBURGER RECIPE

For our last recipe why not make some delicious burgers? The preferred method for cooking these burgers is on the grill, but they will still be quite tasty if fried on the stovetop.

Greek Style Hamburger Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped greek olives

1 small red onion chopped

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 package of hamburger rolls or pita bread

Hamburger Sauce Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container low-fat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves (more or less to suit your taste)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (more or less to suit your taste)

1 clove of garlic minced (add more or less to suit your taste)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1/2 cup peeled, seeded and finely diced cucumber

Sauce Directions:

Prepare the sauce for your burgers first and put in the fridge until your burgers are done.

1. In a mixing bowl, combine your olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Now add in your yogurt making sure that you mix it well with the olive oil.

3. Add your garlic, cucumbers, parsley and mint leaves and stir well.

Burger Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped red onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Put the onions aside into a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool.

2 To the same mixing bowl, add your ground beef, feta cheese, olives, oregano, salt and pepper and combine well.

3. Form hamburger patties to desired thickness.

4. Fry your burgers in the same skillet as the onions, or cook on the grill to desired doneness.

5. Spread the prepared sauce on the rolls or inside a pita.

6. Add burgers and enjoy!

There you have it. Three healthy and easy ground beef recipes that any home cook can prepare. I really hope you enjoy these recipes. Remember to use all organic ingredients if at all possible. Happy Cooking!

Ralph Serpe is a passionate home cook and webmaster for http://www.chefability.com. Click here for more easy ground beef recipes. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ralph_Serpe

Planning an Italian Food Menu

The menu could possibly be the single most important element of the Italian restaurant. After all, it is what is on the menu that keeps the customers coming back again and again. Careful consideration should go into planning the menu; this includes not only what foods you will serve, but also the layout and wording as well.

The first thing on your agenda when planning an Italian food menu is what type of food you will be serving. Are you serving just pizza and Italian sandwiches or will your menu feature a larger variety of dining options?

Next on your menu planning schedule should be to find several similar restaurants and study their menus. Pay attention to the variety of dishes that they offer, and how their menu is arranged.

Unless you already have your heart set on exactly what it is you will be serving in your diner, you may want to consider trying some of the most successful Italian restaurants in the area and incorporating some of their best dishes into your own menu. Some of the best Italian restaurants offer authentic foods from Italy, as well as some American versions.

Another point to keep in mind is that some of the best eating establishments have a signature dish that is all their own. You may want to create a taste that is unique to your restaurant. This is a sure way to keep the customers coming back.

Divide your menu into sections that include appetizers, drinks, lunch, dinner, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Now you are ready to fill your menu with the many wonderful and tasty dishes that you have planned.

Planning your menu includes much more than simply deciding what foods you will serve. Proper layout of the menu is also important. Again, study the menus of your competitors. How do they have their menu arranged? What are the menu's advantages and disadvantages?

By taking careful note of these aspects of the menu, you will have a good idea of how to best layout your own menu. Generally, appetizers and salads, along with soups appear first on the menu, followed by sandwiches, lunch selections and finally dinner plates.

Another extremely important factor that should not be overlooked when planning your menu is the color scheme and theme of your menu. The colors and graphics of your menu should reflect the overall theme of your establishment.

Don't forget that you will need quality graphics to represent the many wonderful dishes that you will be serving. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. People are visual and want to see what their food will look like. Last but not least is menu selection description. Use very descriptive and flowing language when describing the selections that are featured on your menu.

Once you have settled on your menu items, you'll be one step closer to your dream of opening a successful Italian restaurant.

Jessica Ackerman is a popular contributor for one of the best seattle pizza delivery restaurants- Padrino's Pizza and Pasta. Do not hesitate to call them for your late night food delivery

Enjoy this article? For more pizza and pasta tips and recipes visit our Seattle Pizza Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Ackerman

Restaurants - Italian Food

Eating Italian food is almost like romancing a woman. Italian food is more than just a meal, it's an experience. That's why when you go into an Italian restaurant, there is just nothing like it. The atmosphere is like no other place on the planet, from the music being piped in from old Italy, to the paintings on the walls. A good Italian restaurant feels like you've walked into 17th century Italy.

The trouble is, these days, it's very hard to find a good Italian restaurant. With everything being fast food today, most of your Italian places are either pizzerias, Pizza Huts, or fast food chains like Sbarros. Finding a classic Italian restaurant in the states, like they used to have back in the 60s and 70s is like looking for the missing link. But when you do find one, this is what you can expect to get there.

For starters, a good Italian restaurant will have a wine list of just about every Italian wine you could possibly want. The list reads like a who's who of Italian wineries. Don't even think of asking the waiter for a mixed drink as he's likely to deck you. Oh and by the way, the waiters are all Italians.

The appetizers are absolutely to die for. You've got your usual fair which includes fried zucchini, roasted garlic, stuffed portabello, mushrooms stuffed with crab meat and fried provolone, just to name a few. The appetizers alone are enough to fill you up so you won't even need the main course.

And the salads. Italian restaurant salads can be a meal in themselves. You don't just get a dish with a little lettuce and some carrots. You get a salad the size of Manhattan Island. And don't ask for any kind of dressing other than Italian or oil and vinegar. Yeah, the waiter will deck you for that too.

As for the main dishes, just about every Italian main dish has something to do with pasta, whether it be spaghetti, linguini, ziti or whatever. Most of the dish, as it is with Chinese food, is made up of the pasta. However, you do get quite a bit of meat with your meal too. Italians love to eat and they love to feed you. Without a doubt there is no type of restaurant that gives you more food than an Italian restaurant. It would take three Chinese restaurant meals to make up one Italian restaurant meal. Some of the more famous Italian dishes are chicken catchatori, veil parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs. However, there are literally over 100 Italian dishes you could choose from in a good Italian restaurant.

Italian desserts are probably the most unusual, at least to Americans. They include things with names like spumoni and tortoni. If you don't know what they are, find yourself a good Italian restaurant and experience them. I promise you that it will be an evening out that you will never forget.

Just don't forget to tip your waiter. Yeah, he'll deck you if you don't.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Restaurants Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

Homemade Hot Giardiniera Pizza

A couple of days ago I made a whole bunch of hot giardiniera for some Italian beef and sausage sandwiches that was so good that I made a Giardiniera Pizza the very next day. If you like spicy food, this is the meal for you. I couldn’t resist topping a delicious pizza with all these marinated fresh vegetables that took days to make.

Yes I know a few days are along time to wait, but believe me it’s worth it. You need to let the flavor of the garlic, peppers and vegetables mix together. You could just open a jar of giardiniera and top the pizza dough instead of waiting but it wouldn’t be the same as making you own. Besides you can always make a large batch and give some away to your friends and neighbors to enjoy.

For those of you not familiar with giardiniera, it all started in a small deli in Chicago around 1920 where Nick Pasquini began serving the condiment to accompany his sandwiches. Giardiniera literally mean “from the garden” and if you have a large enough garden for all the ingredients your doing pretty good. This is definitely a vegetarians dream.

The recipe below is what I use, but a number of vegetables can also be added including zucchini, asparagus capers, etc.. I think I got most of them covered in my recipe. Like I said the easiest part is making the giardiniera and the hardest part is waiting for it to marinate in the fridge. And don’t forget after the pizza it’s time for the beef and sausage sandwiches. Enjoy! Mangia Italiano!

Hot Giardiniera
INGREDIENTS

1 red sweet pepper, diced into tiny pieces

1/2 green sweet pepper, diced into tiny pieces

2 bunches of long green onions, finely chopped

3 cauliflower florets, cut into very tiny pieces

3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

15 jalapeno peppers, cut into little pieces

20 Manzanella olives, sliced in half

2 plum tomatoes. Diced into small pieces

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 and 1/2 cups of extra virgin olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups of cider vinegar

1 Tbls of salt

1 Tbls of freshly ground black pepper

2 17oz air-seal square glass jars

PREPARATION

Simply mix all the vegetable together in a large bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place the vegetable mixture in the two jars.

Add equal portions of oil and vinegar to both completely covering the vegetable.

Tightly seal the jar and refrigerate for at least two days before using.

The giardiniera should last refrigerated around 2 weeks.

Basic Pizza Dough
INGREDIENTS

4 cup of all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups of warm water

1 package of active dry yeast

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbls of extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbls of sugar

PREPARATION

In a large bowl pour in warm water and sugar.

Stir to dissolve sugar.

Add yeast and gently stir until yeast is dissolved.

Let mixture sit for around 15 minutes to activate yeast.

Add oil and salt and gently stir.

Add one cup of flour and mix.

Add a second cup of flour and mix until sticky.

Add third cup of flour and mix until dough becomes thick.

Place the dough on a floured board and gradually knead in the remaining flour.

Dust with extra flour and continue kneading until dough becomes firm. About 10 minutes.

Kneading is complete when you have a smooth silky ball of dough. It's better to over knead than to under knead.

Grease a large bowl with a little oil.

Place dough in the bowl turning once to coat the dough.

Cover with a dish towel an place in a warm place for about 2 hours allowing the dough to double in size.

Take the dough out of the bowl and cut in half and roll the into two balls.

Roll out the dough in a square or round shape. Top the pizza dough with the giardiniera. Let it sit for around 2 hours to let the dough rise a little more. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is nice and browned.

Phil has been cooking and creating Italian dishes ever since the age of ten. His passion and love for Italian food is never ending. Visit him at http://www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_Speciale

The Feast of 7 Fishes - Italian Christmas Eve Dinner Made Easy With A 4-Fish Seafood Risotto

Seafood risotto is usually made with the seafood cooked right into the risotto. Although this makes a wonderful dish, I find that the seafood can easily become overcooked and get lost in the risotto, or that some diners can get lots of seafood while others get cheated. I find that flavoring the risotto with a seafood broth and then topping it with sautéed seafood is an unbeatable combination.

Servings: 4-6

• 1 pound risotto, made from Arborio rice prepared according to package directions and kept warm (see note)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 dozen small clams, rinsed
• 2 dozen small mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
• 12 large sea scallops
• 12 medium to large shrimp, shelled, cleaned, and de-veined
• 1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup white wine sauce (see below)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 to 6 lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Prepare the risotto according to package directions. Either keep the finished risotto warm in a 200ºF. oven or cook it while you prepare the rest of this recipe.
2. Put the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over high heat for about 30 seconds, or until the oil is hot but not smoking.
3. Cook the clams, mussels, and scallops (on both sides) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the clams begin to open and the scallops begin to turn opaque.
4. Add the shrimp and cook everything for 1 minute more, until the shrimp turn pink on one side.
5. Turn the shrimp, add the garlic, and cook for a few seconds, until the garlic begins to turn golden.
6. Add the tomatoes followed by the sauce and cook for a moment or two until all the juices in the pan blend together.
7. Finish with a pat of butter or two and a splash of cream if desired.

The Sauce:

1. Add ¼ cup olive oil to the bottom of a saucepan, followed by 3-4 tablespoons of flour and stir over medium heat.
2. Slowly add 1 cup of white wine and continue stirring. (sauce will thicken).
3. Now slowly add about 1cup of clam broth and ½ cup of water. Stir until all the liquid is incorporated.
4. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a smooth gravy.

Serving Seafood Risotto:

Stir some of the liquid part of the sauce into the risotto, then spoon the risotto onto individual serving plates. Top each serving with the remainder of the sauce and the seafood. If desired, arrange the mussels all along the rim of the platter or plate, then add the seafood in the center. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper, and garnish each serving plate with a lemon wedge.

Note about Arborio Rice:

Arborio rice, for making risotto, is sold in 1-kilogram boxes (2.2 pounds) and comes in two packages. The cooking time is about 15 minutes, but it's best prepared slightly underdone because it will continue cooking after it's removed from the heat.

Enjoy!

About Chef Silvia: For Chef Silvia Bianco, a native of Calabria region in Italy, food has always been an act of love, which Silvia shares in the form of a unique blend of culinary alchemy and life-enhancing recipes in her monthly newsletter, "A Note from the Chef". Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at Silvia's blog "Cooking with Chef Silvia" Visit her website for more recipes cooking tips and information on Chef Silvia's cooking classes Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Silvia_Bianco

Ribolitta: The Italian Way Of Having Your Five Veggies A Day!

Ribollita is a delicious low fat Italian soup, a bit similar to the famous minestrone, but instead of pasta, you cook it with beans.

Ribollita is very filling, as you serve it on top of 2 bread slices and a cooking spoon of slightly fried spinach, and top all that with a tablespoon of low fat Parmesan cheese.

You can add bacon bits if you want, but you don't really need it. This delicious Italian soup is full of flavour and goodness.

Ribolita yields 3 WW points, but you may want to have a double ration and go for a sixer! You won't go for seconds or dessert after that! (and if you are... you shouldn't!).

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 Tbsp crushed garlic

2 celery sticks

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped

2 large courgettes, thinly sliced

1 X 425 g (14 oz) can chopped tomates (with onion and basil, or any other combination you want)

1 Tbsp pesto

1 lt (4 cups) vegie stock

1 X 425 g borlotti beans, drained

Salt and pepper

8 slices of white bread

1/2 kg spinach

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp low fat grated Parmesan cheese

This is what you do:

Ok, first you heat one tsp of olive oil in a large pot, and add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery and fennel and stir for about 10 minutes.

After that, add the courgettes and keep stirring for another 2 minutes.

Next, add the tomatoes, pesto, stock and the beans and stir till boiling, and then simmer for about 30 minutes or so. By then, the vegies will be soft and tender.

Add salt and pepper.

Now prepare your seving dishes by placing a slice of bread in the bottom of the saucers.

Heat a frying pan, and add 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, and fry the spinach for about 2 minutes.

Spoon equal portions of spinach on the bread slices, and then laddle the soup on top of the bread and spinach.

Garnish with a Tbsp of low fat Parmesan cheese on each portion.

Ahhhhh! Magnifico!

For more of these delicious low fat recipes visit http://www.Jeff-The-Skinny-Chef.com. You'll find a growing collection of free delicious low fat recipes, articles on healthy eating, and weight loss. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Rosales