Four Cheese & Sausage Stuffed Manicotti by Salad Foodie

Cheese-stuffed manicotti personifies comfort food anytime, but take it up a notch with a cheese four-some and Italian sausage and it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This was inspired by a few pasta manufacturer web site recipes, but I added my own spin here and there and was pleasantly surprised how well they worked. Oh Mama-Mia, this…

Focaccia with Olives and Rosemary (Bread Machine or Conventional Method) by Salad Foodie

Hot, fresh and homemade Focaccia with olives and herbs - what could be better? A hearty and versatile bread to serve with salads, a side to Italian meals, a base for pizza or used as a sandwich bread. If a bread machine is handy, use it to mix, knead…

Italian Wedding Soup with Turkey Meatballs by Salad Foodie

Italian-American in origin, this soup was really misnamed. “Wedding soup” is a mistranslation of the Italian language for 'minestra maritata', a reference to the fact that greens and meat go well together. (Well that’s a good marriage isn’t it?) I looked at several recipes of this popular soup, selected aspects of a few, added some…

Weir Dough for Pizza by Joanne Weir

Focaccia (Italian Flat Bread) by Salad Foodie

A basic focaccia recipe easy to make. Serve with any number of entrees, salads, soups, use as sandwich bread or as a base for a variety of focaccia toppings. Recipe will serve 8 conservatively but who stops at one conservative serving of homemade focaccia? Better double the recipe and be sure you'll have enough! The dough setting of a…

Gino's Noodle Dough by J. Gino Genovesi

Noodles, in many forms, have been a staple food in many parts of the world for centuries. China, Japan, Italy all take credit for creating the noodles. However, the earliest records appear in a book written between AD25 to 220 in China. No matter the origin, noodles have been a staple food, relatively cheap, quick to prepare and…

Zucchini Smeriato ( Scalloped Zucchini) by J. Gino Genovesi

There are many zucchini recipes, but this is one that I kinda made up. It is nourishing, a good Lenten dish and quick and easy to make. Prepare items a head of time. I know your family will like this dish.

Mediterranean Beef Minestrone Soup by Salad Foodie

This feeds a crowd and then some. Hearty and healthy. Start this slow simmering soup early afternoon to have it ready for dinner, so there's time to develop the flavors. Or better yet, cook a day in advance and let the flavors sing next day. I take time to cut the meat and veggies in small pieces as this is a soup, not a stew, and the…

Beef & Bacon Meatballs with Mushroom Pasta Sauce by Salad Foodie

Sometimes my food experiments go right and this one certainly did: an every day meatball kicked up a notch with bacon! Preparation time is reduced by using pre-sliced mushrooms and prepared sauce.

Vegetable Lasagna by Salad Foodie

Lasagna laced with garden vegetables and whole wheat noodles makes a healthier pasta alternative to traditional lasagna. Don’t let the list of ingredients and/or chopping daunt you.(I just consider it my afternoon therapy session.) The veggies are cut in small pieces to layer better between noodles. Sub any combo of veggies preferred…

Italian Herb Bread (Bread Machine or Conventional Yeast Bread Method) by Salad Foodie

Garlic and Italian herbs infuse this homemade bread which can be made in a bread machine or by conventional yeast bread method. Use it as a dinner bread spread with butter or dipped in olive oil. Or slice for meat or cheese sandwiches. Makes a…

Italian Monkey Bread by Patti Fisher

Serious sports fan friends of ours are making pasta for the big game. They’re calling it the “Spaghetti Bowl”. Sorry I couldn’t get the sauce recipe; they say it’s a family secret. They wanted something different than plain old garlic bread and Patti came up with this. This is easy to fix a day ahead and super easy with ready made…

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes by Salad Foodie

I am enamored with pasta, tomatoes and basil recipes and have tried out several. This one is from Cook's Country (April/May 2015) and indeed has robust tomato flavors by roasting them! See Useful Links below for an earlier posted and similar recipe that we liked well too.

Ciabatta Bread I by Salad Foodie

The first of two ciabatta bread recipes I am trying out - this first one is from Fleischmann's Yeast. It is rated "Advanced" in difficulty and I agree! It was challenging and involved - plan to be around much of the time of day you make it, as there are four 45 minute risings to supervise. The dough is tricky and sticky. I did like…

Grandmother’s Handkerchief & Sausage Soup (Fazzoletto di nonna e la zuppa di salsiccia) by Windle Grissett

A friend of mines mom was making pasta sheets, which I thought was to be for ravioli or manicotti crepes. Turns out she was making something I never heard of "grandmother's handkerchief". I decided to combine this with a soup recipe. Enjoy!!