I love teaching cooking classes. It is one of my favorite things to do. A cooking class is like having a big group of family in my kitchen discussing different cuisines, recipes and culinary approaches. I think my two favorite cuisines to teach are Japanese and Italian. Because of my heritage, the Italian cuisine comes quite easy to me, so the challenge of Japanese is always intriguing.

I recently taught a Japanese cooking class where we learned about onigiri and sukiyaki (we’ll post a recipe for that on Thursday.) As a mom of picky eaters I am always looking for ways to get some protein into their busy bodies and the onigiri is a fun way to do so! I have included a recipe and also some fun photos for you to try with your family or friends. There are a variety of unique seaweed flavors and textures that you can choose from at your local Japanese market, so make this a fun event for everyone to participate in. Remember, you can fill the onigri with anything you would like. I have listed some traditional Japanese items as suggestions, but be creative!

Onigiri Rice Balls

Rice ball ingredients:
½ cup cooked Japanese rice
¼ sheet nori seaweed
Pinch of salt
Shiso perilla leaf (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Possible fillings:
Cooked chicken
Cooked salmon
Tuna mayo
Pickled plums
Tsukemono Japanese pickles

Directions: 
Begin by cooking the Japanese rice according to your favorite method. With a small amount of salt sprinkled on your hands, mold the rice into small balls or triangles approximately 3-4 inches wide.

Create a small well in the center of the rice and put in your choice of ingredients. Then mold the rice around the well to cover your filling completely. Using a sheet of nori seaweed, wrap up your ball of rice.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds or cut up shiso leaves to put on the rice for a little extra flavor (optional). Your onigiri is now ready and will be a perfect addition to your bento lunch box or as a snack.

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.

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.

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.

BARISTA CHICKEN DIP
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 jar Bellisari's Barista Sauce
¾ cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine chicken, cream cheese, 1 cup of Bellisari's Barista Sauce and ½ cup of the shredded pepper jack cheese in a large bowl. Transfer chicken mixture into a 9-inch round baking dish and sprinkle with ¼ cup of pepper jack cheese.

Bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

CHICKEN ARTICHOKE BACON BITES
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1" cubes
1 lb. bacon
1 jar Bellisari’s Barista Sauce
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut bacon slices and artichokes into halves. Wrap each chicken cube and artichoke with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Brush with Bellisari’s Barista Sauce. Coat pan with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Serve with more sauce. Enjoy!