Italian Ribeye Steak

RECIPE

Marbled ribeye steaks require little embellishment to deliver satisfying flavor. Total time: 45 minutes.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1 lemon wedge)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8-ounce) ribeye steaks, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
Cooking spray
4 lemon wedges

Preparation
Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Rub rosemary mixture evenly over both sides of steaks. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; cook 2 1/2 minutes. Turn steaks over; cook 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let steaks stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutritional Information
Calories:238 (39% from fat)
Fat:10.3g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.1g,poly 0.4g)
Protein:33g
Carbohydrate:1.4g
Fiber:0.3g
Cholesterol:103mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:304mg
Calcium:24mg

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Italian Chicken & Vegetable Kabobs

RECIPE

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups Wish-Bone® Italian Dressing
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups cut-up vegetables (red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash and mushrooms)
6 cups mixed salad greens

Preparation
1. For marinade, combine Wish-Bone® Italian Dressing, basil, parsley and lemon juice in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Alternately thread chicken and vegetables on 4 skewers. Place kabobs in large, shallow nonaluminum baking dish or plastic bag. Pour 1 1/4 cups prepared marinade over kabobs; refrigerate remaining marinade. Cover, or close bag, and marinate in refrigerator, turning skewers occasionally, about 1 hour.

3. Remove kabobs from marinade, discarding marinade. Grill or broil kabobs, turning and basting with 1/4 cup refrigerated marinade, 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is thoroughly cooked.

4. To serve, toss remaining refrigerated marinade with greens, then top with kabobs.

Substitution: Also great with Wish-Bone Light Italian Dressing.

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Chopped Italian Salad

RECIPE

Antipasto ingredients are sliced and diced to make a fun, flexible chopped salad. We've thrown in our favorites, and so should you. Add the dressing ingredients to the bowl, too, and mix them when you toss the salad--it's the Italian way.

Yield
4

Ingredients
1 head romaine lettuce (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch squares (about 3 quarts)
1/4 pound sliced pepperoni, chopped
1/3 cup drained sliced pimientos (one 4-ounce jar)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups drained, rinsed, and chopped canned artichoke hearts (one 15-ounce can), or 1 1/2 cups pitted and chopped green or black olives
3 tablespoons red- or white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preparation
1. In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the romaine, pepperoni, pimientos, onion, and the artichoke hearts or olives. Toss to combine.

2. Add the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan to the bowl. Toss thoroughly to combine the ingredients.

Variations:: · Use chopped salami or prosciutto instead of the pepperoni.: · Add some chopped pepperoncini to spice up the salad.: · Try a cup of drained and rinsed canned chickpeas instead of the artichoke hearts.: · Diced provolone cheese would make a nice addition.: · Stir in about a third of a cup of thin-sliced basil leaves.

Wine Recommendation: The Piedmontese drink more of their native barbera than they do any other wine because its crisp acidity and bright blackberry flavors are at home with so many dishes. Try a Barbera d'Alba with this salad and you may become a convert yourself.

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Italian-Style Meat Loaf

RECIPE

Line the bottom part of the broiler pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds 92% lean ground beef
1 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine beef, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl. Shape beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Brush remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut loaf into 12 slices.

Wine Note: Anything Italian-style seems like a candidate for Chianti, but with a humble meat loaf like this, I like something more full-bodied. A California syrah has enough concentration to mirror the density of the ground beef, and it makes the meat loaf seem just a bit grander. Try Arrowood's Grand Archer 2001 Syrah from Sonoma County, California (about $20). -Karen MacNeil

Nutritional Information
Calories:263 (42% from fat)
Fat:12.1g (sat 5.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:27.8g
Carbohydrate:11.9g
Fiber:1.4g
Cholesterol:67mg
Iron:3.3mg
Sodium:859mg
Calcium:175mg

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Italian Sausage and White Beans

RECIPE

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
12 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Italian-style tomatoes, undrained

Preparation
Remove casings from sausage.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add sausage, and cook 8 minutes, or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in oregano and remaining ingredients; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Nutritional Information
Calories:266 (29% from fat)
Fat:8.5g (sat 2.4g,mono 3.1g,poly 2.8g)
Protein:21.4g
Carbohydrate:24.9g
Fiber:6.7g
Cholesterol:72mg
Iron:4.3mg
Sodium:851mg
Calcium:85mg

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Italian Bread Salad

RECIPE

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
10 (1-inch-thick) stale Italian bread slices, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small purple onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Balsamic Dressing

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add Balsamic Dressing, tossing gently.

Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
Calories:165
Fat:4g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Sodium:304mg

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania

Italian Potato Torta

RECIPE

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients
6 cups cubed peeled baking potato (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Italian-style tomatoes, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; add flour, oil, salt, and egg. Mash potato mixture with a potato masher until smooth.

Spread potato mixture into a 9-inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray. Combine seasoning, garlic, and tomatoes; spread evenly over potato mixture. Combine cheeses, and sprinkle over tomato mixture. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until golden. Let stand 20 minutes. Cut torta into 4 wedges. Garnish with thyme, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:459 (29% from fat)
Fat:14.6g (sat 7.7g,mono 5.3g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:23.1g
Carbohydrate:59.6g
Fiber:3.7g
Cholesterol:86mg
Iron:2.4mg
Sodium:927mg
Calcium:533mg

Italian cooking@home
by cooking mania