Food for Thought
A Cast Iron Skillet
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
A cast iron skillet is a very versatile kitchen item to have in your arsenal. Did you know you can cook every meal in a cast iron skillet? Not only is it multifunctional, it is said to have health benefits as well. According to a study by the American Dietetic Association, cast iron cook wear can leach significant amounts of dietary iron into food. The amounts of iron absorbed varied greatly depending on the food, its acidity, its water content, how long it was cooked, and how old the cookware is. Those with anemia or iron deficiencies may benefit from this effect.
Another benefit of the cast iron skillet is its seasoning attributes. They have a stick-resistant coating created by polymerized oils and fats. Seasoning is a process by which a layer of animal fat or vegetable oil is applied and cooked onto cast iron or carbon steel cookware. Because of these seasoning qualities, the care of the skillet is important. Other cookware cleaning techniques like scouring or washing in a dishwasher can remove or damage the seasoning on a bare cast iron pan, so these pans should not be cleaned like most other cookware. Some chefs advocate never cleaning cast iron pans at all; simply wipe them out after use, or wash them with hot water and a stiff brush. Others recommend washing with mild soap and water, and then re-applying a thin layer of fat or oil. A third approach is to scrub with coarse salt and a paper towel or clean rag.
Here are three recipes that highlight how you can use the versatile cast iron skillet for any meal throughout the day.
BREAKFAST STREET BAKE
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 package (26-32 oz.) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 jar Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce
1 package sausage crumbles
2 cup (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup (2 oz.) shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup julienne-cut red bell peppers packed in oil, drained
6 green onions, sliced
12 eggs
½ cups milk
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Using a large cast iron skillet that is properly seasoned, layer half of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish and drizzle with Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce.
Top with half of the sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, red peppers, and green onion. Repeat layering with Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce on each layer. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well-blended. Pour evenly over potato-sausage mixture. Place cast iron skillet in oven and cook for 1 ½ hours or until eggs are set. Dish can be garnished with a sliced tomato if desired.
BLT
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
½ jar of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread
¼ cup butter, room temperature
12 thick-sliced bacon strips (about 1 lb.)
12 half-inch-thick slices fresh country-style white bread
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
6 lettuce leaves
Directions:
Mix basil, mayonnaise and butter in processor until basil is finely chopped and mixture is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; drain.
Spread half of mayo mixture over 1 side of 6 bread slices. Top each with a tbsp. of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread. Top with avocado slices, bacon, onion and lettuce. Top with other slice of bread and serve.
DINNER PIZZA
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups water
1 wheat bread mix, 1 yeast packet included
2 tsp. garlic
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. parmesan cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
½ cup Bellisari’s Balsamic and Shallot & Black Garlic Spread, warmed to drizzle
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Olive oil for drizzling
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
½ cup spinach, fresh
2 large fresh mozzarella balls, sliced.
Instructions:
In small bowl, whisk together water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In large bowl, combine bread mix, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and oil. Stir in yeast. Place dough onto flour surface and knead for 10 minutes until dough is soft and has elasticity. Split dough into two balls and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until dough doubles in size.
Preheat oven to 425 °F.
With fingers, spread dough into bottom of a greased 12-inch cast iron skillet. Bring dough up to the edges of skillet to make a crust shape. Place skillet in oven for 4 minutes or until slightly golden. Drizzle olive oil over top of crust. Layer tomato, onion, mushrooms, spinach and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with Bellisari’s Balsamic Shallot and Black Garlic Spread. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Repeat process with 2nd dough ball. Let each cool slightly and enjoy 2 tasty pizzas!
Cast iron info from hobbyfarms.com and Wikipedia.
Read more
A Cast Iron Skillet
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
A cast iron skillet is a very versatile kitchen item to have in your arsenal. Did you know you can cook every meal in a cast iron skillet? Not only is it multifunctional, it is said to have health benefits as well. According to a study by the American Dietetic Association, cast iron cook wear can leach significant amounts of dietary iron into food. The amounts of iron absorbed varied greatly depending on the food, its acidity, its water content, how long it was cooked, and how old the cookware is. Those with anemia or iron deficiencies may benefit from this effect.
Another benefit of the cast iron skillet is its seasoning attributes. They have a stick-resistant coating created by polymerized oils and fats. Seasoning is a process by which a layer of animal fat or vegetable oil is applied and cooked onto cast iron or carbon steel cookware. Because of these seasoning qualities, the care of the skillet is important. Other cookware cleaning techniques like scouring or washing in a dishwasher can remove or damage the seasoning on a bare cast iron pan, so these pans should not be cleaned like most other cookware. Some chefs advocate never cleaning cast iron pans at all; simply wipe them out after use, or wash them with hot water and a stiff brush. Others recommend washing with mild soap and water, and then re-applying a thin layer of fat or oil. A third approach is to scrub with coarse salt and a paper towel or clean rag.
Here are three recipes that highlight how you can use the versatile cast iron skillet for any meal throughout the day.
BREAKFAST STREET BAKE
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 package (26-32 oz.) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 jar Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce
1 package sausage crumbles
2 cup (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup (2 oz.) shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup julienne-cut red bell peppers packed in oil, drained
6 green onions, sliced
12 eggs
½ cups milk
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Using a large cast iron skillet that is properly seasoned, layer half of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish and drizzle with Bellisari's Saigon Street Sauce.
Top with half of the sausage, mozzarella, parmesan, red peppers, and green onion. Repeat layering with Bellisari’s Saigon Street Sauce on each layer. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well-blended. Pour evenly over potato-sausage mixture. Place cast iron skillet in oven and cook for 1 ½ hours or until eggs are set. Dish can be garnished with a sliced tomato if desired.
BLT
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
½ jar of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread
¼ cup butter, room temperature
12 thick-sliced bacon strips (about 1 lb.)
12 half-inch-thick slices fresh country-style white bread
2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
6 lettuce leaves
Directions:
Mix basil, mayonnaise and butter in processor until basil is finely chopped and mixture is well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; drain.
Spread half of mayo mixture over 1 side of 6 bread slices. Top each with a tbsp. of Bellisari's Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread. Top with avocado slices, bacon, onion and lettuce. Top with other slice of bread and serve.
DINNER PIZZA
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups water
1 wheat bread mix, 1 yeast packet included
2 tsp. garlic
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. parmesan cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
½ cup Bellisari’s Balsamic and Shallot & Black Garlic Spread, warmed to drizzle
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Olive oil for drizzling
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
½ cup spinach, fresh
2 large fresh mozzarella balls, sliced.
Instructions:
In small bowl, whisk together water and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
In large bowl, combine bread mix, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and oil. Stir in yeast. Place dough onto flour surface and knead for 10 minutes until dough is soft and has elasticity. Split dough into two balls and place in a greased bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until dough doubles in size.
Preheat oven to 425 °F.
With fingers, spread dough into bottom of a greased 12-inch cast iron skillet. Bring dough up to the edges of skillet to make a crust shape. Place skillet in oven for 4 minutes or until slightly golden. Drizzle olive oil over top of crust. Layer tomato, onion, mushrooms, spinach and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with Bellisari’s Balsamic Shallot and Black Garlic Spread. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
Repeat process with 2nd dough ball. Let each cool slightly and enjoy 2 tasty pizzas!
Cast iron info from hobbyfarms.com and Wikipedia.
Read more
Create Your Own Valentine’s Dinner For Two
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
History of Valentine's Day
Although observed worldwide on February 14th, the history of Valentine’s Day is a mystery. A widely believed origin story is the legend of Saint Valentine, a priest who served under Emperor Claudius II during the third century of ancient Rome. The Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men whom he saw as potential soldiers. He feared that young married men were not as willing soldiers as single young men. Defiant, Saint Valentine continued to perform secret marriages for young couples in love. When Claudius discovered what Saint Valentine had been doing, he sentenced him to death. While awaiting his execution, Valentine fell in love with a young jailer's daughter. Prior to his death, Saint Valentine wrote this young woman a letter in which he signed "from your Valentine." Valentine was allegedly put to death on February 14th. Legend or not, this romantic story has been immortalized by the exchanging of cards and tokens of affection for centuries.
We at Bellisari’s feel the best gift is for your loved one’s appetite, and because of that we have created a romantic dinner for two that you both will enjoy and will not take much time to prepare.
The menu will consist of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Scalloped Potatoes with Asparagus, Braciole for two with Bellisari’s Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread, Candied Walnut and Pear Salad with Fig Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing.
Credit History.com
CANDIED WALNUT & PEAR SALAD WITH FIG & LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup candied walnuts
1 small bag of baby spinach
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup gorgonzola cheese (or Feta)
1 large avocado
1 can of sliced pears
Lemon Fig Dressing:
1 Tbsp. Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. of onion powder
¼ tsp. of salt
3 Tbsp. of white sugar
½ Tbsp. of poppy seeds
Directions:
Combine the Belllisari's Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread, mustard, lemon juice, onion powder, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Gradually add the vegetable oil and continue to pulse. Stir in the poppy seeds.
Wash and dry spinach and drain the pears. Add the candied walnuts and dried cranberries to the greens and pears and dice the avocado after removing the skin and pit. Toss all of the ingredients and cheese together with the dressing right before serving. If you need to make salad ahead wait until right before serving to put on dressing.
Adapted from a recipe from therecipecritc.com
BLUE CHEESE HONEY & SHALLOT SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH ASPARAGUS SPEARS
Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds Russet potatoes
2 cups of al dente, small, chopped asparagus spears
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground rosemary
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup cream
½ cup Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Peel and slice the potatoes into ¼ inch slices. Toss them in a large bowl with the salt, pepper and rosemary. In a small bowl, toss together the parmesan cheese and the Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread. Layer half the potatoes in the buttered baking dish with one cup of the asparagus. Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and top with remaining potatoes and asparagus.
In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake potatoes for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until browned and completely tender all the way through when poked with a knife. Serve immediately.
BRACIOLE WITH CALABRIAN & SWEET TOMATO FENNEL SPREAD
Ingredients:
2 ¼ flank steak
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley
1 jar Bellisari’s Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated provolone cheese
1 cup of white wine
4 Tbsp. of olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Place the garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan, provolone in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure, creating the braciole. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over the slices and serve.
Read more
Create Your Own Valentine’s Dinner For Two
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
History of Valentine's Day
Although observed worldwide on February 14th, the history of Valentine’s Day is a mystery. A widely believed origin story is the legend of Saint Valentine, a priest who served under Emperor Claudius II during the third century of ancient Rome. The Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young men whom he saw as potential soldiers. He feared that young married men were not as willing soldiers as single young men. Defiant, Saint Valentine continued to perform secret marriages for young couples in love. When Claudius discovered what Saint Valentine had been doing, he sentenced him to death. While awaiting his execution, Valentine fell in love with a young jailer's daughter. Prior to his death, Saint Valentine wrote this young woman a letter in which he signed "from your Valentine." Valentine was allegedly put to death on February 14th. Legend or not, this romantic story has been immortalized by the exchanging of cards and tokens of affection for centuries.
We at Bellisari’s feel the best gift is for your loved one’s appetite, and because of that we have created a romantic dinner for two that you both will enjoy and will not take much time to prepare.
The menu will consist of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Scalloped Potatoes with Asparagus, Braciole for two with Bellisari’s Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread, Candied Walnut and Pear Salad with Fig Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing.
Credit History.com
CANDIED WALNUT & PEAR SALAD WITH FIG & LEMON POPPY SEED DRESSING
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup candied walnuts
1 small bag of baby spinach
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup gorgonzola cheese (or Feta)
1 large avocado
1 can of sliced pears
Lemon Fig Dressing:
1 Tbsp. Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp. of onion powder
¼ tsp. of salt
3 Tbsp. of white sugar
½ Tbsp. of poppy seeds
Directions:
Combine the Belllisari's Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread, mustard, lemon juice, onion powder, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Gradually add the vegetable oil and continue to pulse. Stir in the poppy seeds.
Wash and dry spinach and drain the pears. Add the candied walnuts and dried cranberries to the greens and pears and dice the avocado after removing the skin and pit. Toss all of the ingredients and cheese together with the dressing right before serving. If you need to make salad ahead wait until right before serving to put on dressing.
Adapted from a recipe from therecipecritc.com
BLUE CHEESE HONEY & SHALLOT SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH ASPARAGUS SPEARS
Ingredients:
2 ½ pounds Russet potatoes
2 cups of al dente, small, chopped asparagus spears
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. ground rosemary
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup cream
½ cup Bellisari’s Blue Cheese Honey & Shallot Spread
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Peel and slice the potatoes into ¼ inch slices. Toss them in a large bowl with the salt, pepper and rosemary. In a small bowl, toss together the parmesan cheese and the Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey & Shallot Spread. Layer half the potatoes in the buttered baking dish with one cup of the asparagus. Sprinkle with half the cheese mixture and top with remaining potatoes and asparagus.
In a bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients and pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Bake potatoes for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until browned and completely tender all the way through when poked with a knife. Serve immediately.
BRACIOLE WITH CALABRIAN & SWEET TOMATO FENNEL SPREAD
Ingredients:
2 ¼ flank steak
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley
1 jar Bellisari’s Calabrian & Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated provolone cheese
1 cup of white wine
4 Tbsp. of olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Place the garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan, provolone in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure, creating the braciole. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the Bellisari’s Calabrian and Sweet Tomato Fennel Spread. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over the slices and serve.
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Super Bowl Sunday
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
Seems like we just finish the holidays and are settling in with our New Year's resolutions, then along comes Super Bowl Sunday. A day filled with parties, get-togethers, food and beverages. Not everyone is a football fan or a fan of one of the two teams playing, so many prefer to watch only the commercials or spend their time around the kitchen island sampling the food.
It seems in years past that Super Bowl Sunday’s menu was layered with chips, dips and fried foods. Today’s Super Bowl parties seem to take on a different slant. Everything from grilled pork belly sliders to sriracha hummus is now on the menu during the big game. At Bellisari’s we want you to be able to “watch the commercials” and enjoy yourself by not having to spend the entire party in the kitchen. To help with that, we created products and the recipes to go with them so you can feel good about your menu. Here are a few of our party-friendly “Gourmet Convenience” ideas that are sure to please the masses.
BLUE CHEESE, HONEY AND SHALLOT BURGER FLATBREAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ready-made flatbread
½ jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey and Shallot Spread
½ lb. ground beef, cooked through
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
½ onion, caramelized
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbsp. butter, divided for caramelizing mushrooms and onions
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the ground beef (drain and then set aside), then cook the bacon (drain, set aside and chop), caramelize onion in 2 tbsp. butter (then set aside), and then caramelize mushrooms with remaining 2 tbsp. butter.
Spread the ½ jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey and Shallot Spread on the flatbread then top with ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Remove and let rest about 3-4 minutes before slicing.
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Super Bowl Sunday
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
Seems like we just finish the holidays and are settling in with our New Year's resolutions, then along comes Super Bowl Sunday. A day filled with parties, get-togethers, food and beverages. Not everyone is a football fan or a fan of one of the two teams playing, so many prefer to watch only the commercials or spend their time around the kitchen island sampling the food.
It seems in years past that Super Bowl Sunday’s menu was layered with chips, dips and fried foods. Today’s Super Bowl parties seem to take on a different slant. Everything from grilled pork belly sliders to sriracha hummus is now on the menu during the big game. At Bellisari’s we want you to be able to “watch the commercials” and enjoy yourself by not having to spend the entire party in the kitchen. To help with that, we created products and the recipes to go with them so you can feel good about your menu. Here are a few of our party-friendly “Gourmet Convenience” ideas that are sure to please the masses.
BLUE CHEESE, HONEY AND SHALLOT BURGER FLATBREAD
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ready-made flatbread
½ jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey and Shallot Spread
½ lb. ground beef, cooked through
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
½ onion, caramelized
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 Tbsp. butter, divided for caramelizing mushrooms and onions
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the ground beef (drain and then set aside), then cook the bacon (drain, set aside and chop), caramelize onion in 2 tbsp. butter (then set aside), and then caramelize mushrooms with remaining 2 tbsp. butter.
Spread the ½ jar of Bellisari’s Blue Cheese, Honey and Shallot Spread on the flatbread then top with ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Remove and let rest about 3-4 minutes before slicing.
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Best Of Bellisari’s Cooking Tips
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
As we move forward into 2017, here are some great cooking tips from the past year that we don’t want to forget. These are some of the best we shared, and they are nearly all applicable year round!
1. Always keep lemons in the fridge. They will keep much longer, so you can keep more of them around and always be able to add fresh lemon juice to everything from dressings to cocktails. Plus you can use the squeezed rinds to clean and deodorize your wooden cutting boards.
2. Treat your herbs like flowers. There’s nothing worse than limp herbs. Next time, trim the stems and put the fresh herbs in a Ziploc bag with a damp paper towel and stash it in the refrigerator.
3. Caramelize more onions than you need to. A lot more – you’ll use them for steaks, brats, salads, and even breakfast!
4. No grill brush? Crumple a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil until it is the size of a baseball, lock in between tongs and brush away!
5. Can’t decide to use direct or indirect cooking when grilling out? If the food takes less than 20 minutes to cook use direct heat. If the food takes longer, use indirect.
6. To make cutting corn off the cob easier, place the ear in the middle of a Bundt pan to keep the ear from slipping and to easily catch the corn.
7. Weigh your ingredients! Invest in a good digital scale for $20 and eliminate room for error. Don’t forget to set the tare to adjust for the weight of your mixing bowl.
8. To make the best rim garnish for a Bloody Mary, mix ½ cup of kosher salt with 5 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce and spread the mixture in a thin layer on parchment paper. Place in a preheated oven at 200° F. Shut off the oven and let sit overnight. Perfect for tailgating.
9. Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and protein. To shell pumpkin seeds, rinse thoroughly, lay flat and roll a rolling pin over the seeds. Boil the cracked seeds for 5-10 minutes until the hull gradually falls off. Dry with a paper towel and toss in olive oil and kosher salt at 325° for 13 minutes. Pumpkin seeds are a great garnish to add to any salad or dish!
10. Use a greased muffin tin to place apples in for baking. The tins will provide support for the baked apple.
11. When making stovetop popcorn use clarified butter to pop it in. It tastes amazing and has an impressive smoke point of over 450°F, much higher than regular butter.
12. When you plan on doing some baking, remember to set the eggs and butter out the night before to come to room temperature.
13. Invest in parchment paper, you won’t regret it.
14. Step up your dinner presentation with Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig butter. Blend ½ cup of softened salted butter, 2 tablespoons Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread and ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary.
15. Try a stainless steel bar for the kitchen to help alleviate fish and garlic odors. This makes a great gift and is useful year round.
Read more
Best Of Bellisari’s Cooking Tips
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
As we move forward into 2017, here are some great cooking tips from the past year that we don’t want to forget. These are some of the best we shared, and they are nearly all applicable year round!
1. Always keep lemons in the fridge. They will keep much longer, so you can keep more of them around and always be able to add fresh lemon juice to everything from dressings to cocktails. Plus you can use the squeezed rinds to clean and deodorize your wooden cutting boards.
2. Treat your herbs like flowers. There’s nothing worse than limp herbs. Next time, trim the stems and put the fresh herbs in a Ziploc bag with a damp paper towel and stash it in the refrigerator.
3. Caramelize more onions than you need to. A lot more – you’ll use them for steaks, brats, salads, and even breakfast!
4. No grill brush? Crumple a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil until it is the size of a baseball, lock in between tongs and brush away!
5. Can’t decide to use direct or indirect cooking when grilling out? If the food takes less than 20 minutes to cook use direct heat. If the food takes longer, use indirect.
6. To make cutting corn off the cob easier, place the ear in the middle of a Bundt pan to keep the ear from slipping and to easily catch the corn.
7. Weigh your ingredients! Invest in a good digital scale for $20 and eliminate room for error. Don’t forget to set the tare to adjust for the weight of your mixing bowl.
8. To make the best rim garnish for a Bloody Mary, mix ½ cup of kosher salt with 5 teaspoons of Sriracha sauce and spread the mixture in a thin layer on parchment paper. Place in a preheated oven at 200° F. Shut off the oven and let sit overnight. Perfect for tailgating.
9. Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are a good source of magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and protein. To shell pumpkin seeds, rinse thoroughly, lay flat and roll a rolling pin over the seeds. Boil the cracked seeds for 5-10 minutes until the hull gradually falls off. Dry with a paper towel and toss in olive oil and kosher salt at 325° for 13 minutes. Pumpkin seeds are a great garnish to add to any salad or dish!
10. Use a greased muffin tin to place apples in for baking. The tins will provide support for the baked apple.
11. When making stovetop popcorn use clarified butter to pop it in. It tastes amazing and has an impressive smoke point of over 450°F, much higher than regular butter.
12. When you plan on doing some baking, remember to set the eggs and butter out the night before to come to room temperature.
13. Invest in parchment paper, you won’t regret it.
14. Step up your dinner presentation with Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig butter. Blend ½ cup of softened salted butter, 2 tablespoons Bellisari’s Blistered Jalapeno & Fig Spread and ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary.
15. Try a stainless steel bar for the kitchen to help alleviate fish and garlic odors. This makes a great gift and is useful year round.
Read more
Sneak Peek
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
As we start 2017, Bellisari's is excited to be working on new products based on current food trends. It is always interesting to see what “food trend experts” think will be the “long standing trend” or the “come and go” trend. It is hard not to get caught up in the excitement of culinary trends…that are actually a fad. Some of the trends for 2017 include fruit in savory dishes, charcoal food applications, eclairs, "no-bread sandwiches,” avocado-everything and most importantly, food challenge initiatives to reduce food waste in the US…just to name a few.
The culinary world is a rich place and it challenges and inspires us every day. This is one of the aspects of Bellisari's that I love the most, creating new products for our palette conscious consumer to try. New trends also include new ways to use our current products, and we’re excited to share new recipes from our site and local bloggers who have found fun ways to use our spreads and sauces.
No matter what new food craze appears, one thing that stays the same is our passion for food. Everyone’s schedules seem to get increasingly busier, and it doesn’t look like that trend will change in 2017. Even for those most passionate about food, finding time around the table can be a struggle.
That’s why we started Bellisari’s, and it’s why we continue to come up with ways to help you make simple, great food with our products. We live by the line “Gourmet Convenience.” It’s a promise to you that when you open up a jar of Bellisari’s…you’re about to create something that you’ll want to share with friends and family. It will bring back good memories and help you create some new ones with those closest to you.
We’ve got a variety of comforting recipes for our products that will help spread warmth during the rest of winter, but we’re also already excited for spring and summer, when barbecue season fires up and our favorite fresh veggies come back.
I hope you are as excited as we are to see what culinary adventures await in the New Year!
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Sneak Peek
Posted by Annette Bellisari on
As we start 2017, Bellisari's is excited to be working on new products based on current food trends. It is always interesting to see what “food trend experts” think will be the “long standing trend” or the “come and go” trend. It is hard not to get caught up in the excitement of culinary trends…that are actually a fad. Some of the trends for 2017 include fruit in savory dishes, charcoal food applications, eclairs, "no-bread sandwiches,” avocado-everything and most importantly, food challenge initiatives to reduce food waste in the US…just to name a few.
The culinary world is a rich place and it challenges and inspires us every day. This is one of the aspects of Bellisari's that I love the most, creating new products for our palette conscious consumer to try. New trends also include new ways to use our current products, and we’re excited to share new recipes from our site and local bloggers who have found fun ways to use our spreads and sauces.
No matter what new food craze appears, one thing that stays the same is our passion for food. Everyone’s schedules seem to get increasingly busier, and it doesn’t look like that trend will change in 2017. Even for those most passionate about food, finding time around the table can be a struggle.
That’s why we started Bellisari’s, and it’s why we continue to come up with ways to help you make simple, great food with our products. We live by the line “Gourmet Convenience.” It’s a promise to you that when you open up a jar of Bellisari’s…you’re about to create something that you’ll want to share with friends and family. It will bring back good memories and help you create some new ones with those closest to you.
We’ve got a variety of comforting recipes for our products that will help spread warmth during the rest of winter, but we’re also already excited for spring and summer, when barbecue season fires up and our favorite fresh veggies come back.
I hope you are as excited as we are to see what culinary adventures await in the New Year!
