Dinner Date

[kitten_rock]

Looking to impress someone? Try whipping up one of these:

Italian Dinner

Menu
                                                     Appetizer
                                              Italian Grilled Cheese

Salad
                                 Mixed Greens with Parmigiano Shards

"Mocktail"
                                                  Pear "Bellini"

Main Course
                                           Baked Ziti with Ricotta

Dessert
                              Cinnamon-scented Chocolate Pudding

1. Appetizer-Italian Grilled Cheese                               2 servings(4 pieces each)
   1 lb fresh mozzarella, cut into 4 3X4-inch slices
   4 slices white sandwich bread, crusts cut off
   3 eggs
   3/4 cups whole milk
   1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
   1 tsp. salt
   2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
   2 tbsp. butter
        1) Divide mozzarella slices on 2 whole slices of bread.  Cover with 2 remaining slices.
        2) In a bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy.  Add milk, thyme, and salt.  Dip sandwiches into mixture one by one to coat both sides, then set aside.
        3) In a nonstick saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat.  Place a sandwich in the pan and cook until golden on one side, then flip over and repeat.  Repeat for other sandwich.  Slice into quarters and serve immediately, garnished with thyme sprigs(optional)
2. Salad-Mixed Greens with Parmigiano Shards           2 Servings
   1 tbsp. sugar
   1/4 cup red wine vinegar
         Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
   3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
   3 cups mixed greens, washed and dried
   1/4 lb Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
        1) Whisk sugar into the vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  While whisking continuously, slowly add olive oil. (NOTE: Vinaigrette can be refridgerated for a week in an airtight container)
        2) Toss 2 tbsp. (or more, for taste) of the vinaigrette with mixed greens.  Divide equally on 2 salad plates.
        3) Using a potato peeler, shave several long shards of Parmigiano.  Lay them over the top of each salad.  Serve immediately.
3. "Mocktail"-Pear "Bellini"                                          2 Servings
   1 6-oz bottle of club soda, chilled
   1 cup of peach or pear nectar, strained and chilled
   2 chilled champagne flutes or other glasses
       1)Open club soda and let it sit in an ice bucket for 5 minutes.  Evenly pour nectar into champagne flutes.  Add club soda, filling each flute to within a 1/2 inch of the top.  Serve immediately.
4. Main Course-Baked Ziti with Ricotta                       2 Servings
   1/2 lb ziti
   1/4 lb fresh ricotta cheese
   1/4 lb pecorino cheese, cut into small cubes
            Olive oil to grease baking dishes
   2 cups basic tomato sauce(recipe below)
   1/4 lb Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
       1) Preheat oven to 350.  Cook ziti according to package directions until tender.
       2) While pasta is cooking, place ricotta in a bowl and add half a cup of the pastas cooking water to make a thick sauce.  Drain pasta and add it to ricotta mixture.  Add pecoriono cheese and stir.
       3) Grease insides of 2 single serving, oven-safe dishes(Buy them at Wal-mart or something.  If you can't, use an 8-inch baking dish) with olive oil.  Place a ladle of sauce in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of the pasta and cheese mixture.  Top with a few shavings of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Keep adding lyaers of sauce, pasta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano until all ingredients are used and the dishes are just about full.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is golden.
        Basic Tomato Sauce                                            Makes 4 cups (You need only 2.  Store
           1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil                               the rest in the fridge for later.) 
           1 Spanish onion, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
           4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
           3 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tbsp. dried thyme
           1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
           2(28 oz) cans of peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand(including juice and pulp)
               Salt, to taste
                   1) In a 3-quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, cook until light golden brown(8-10 minutes)
                   2) Add thyme and carrot, cook for 5 more minutes.  mix in tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often.  Lower the heat.
                   3) Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.  Add salt.  (Sauce will keep for a week in the fridge)
5. Dessert-Cinnamon-scented Chocolate Pudding          4 Servings(2 for now, 2 for later)
   1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   2 1/2 cups all-purpous flour
   1/2 cup sugar
   2 cups whole milk
   6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
   1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
   1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
   2 tbsp. pine nuts, baked for 8 minutes at 400.
                   1) Blend cocoa powder, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Slowly whisk in  a bit of milk to form a paste, then add remaining milk to make a thin batter.
                   2) Transfer mixture to a large saucepan, and-while stirring constantly over medium heat-bring slowly to a boil
                   3) Remove from heat.  Add chocoalte, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Stir well to melt chocolate.  Fill 4 6-oz ramekins(or small bowls if you don't know what the hell that is.) 3/4 full and let cool.  Cover with pine nuts and serve.
   
   Now, all you have to do is fool your sweetie into thinking that you came up with this all by yourself.  Make sure you use the nice cloth napkins.
   
   Brought to you by me, Chef Kitty.
   XOXO