Click on each of the Featured Recipes to view ingredients and preparation instructions.

Featured Recipes

Shrimp for the Holidays (Greek)
Lamb with Greens, Fricassee (Greek)
Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Cookies)
Shrimp in Prosecco Cream Sauce (Italian)
Veal Scaloppini Bella Napoli (Italian)
Zuppa Inglese (Italian)
Avocado with Crabmeat and Shrimp
Mashed Potato with Mozzarella and Bacon
Pork with Marsala and Rosemary
Loukoumades (Honey Puffs)

Shrimp for the Holidays (Greek)

Ingredients
2 lbs. shrimp cleaned, washed and drained
4 tbs. olive oil
4 large fresh tomatoes, pureed
1 bunch parsley cut, washed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Execution
Place the oil and tomato puree in a pot and cook until reduced to ½ mass. Add the parsley, shrimp, salt and pepper and cook for approximately 7 minutes. Remove and serve.

Click here for printable Shrimp for the Holidays recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Lamb with Greens, Fricassee (Greek)

Ingredients
1 leg of lamb (bone in) cut in pieces
2 large onions cut in pieces
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 bunches scallions, cut in small pieces
2 large onions, cut in small pieces
2 bunches escarol, cut in pieces
4 heads lettuce, cut in pieces (for dark leafy lettuce such as romaine, you may wish to use 5 heads)
½ cup olive oil
1 bunch dill

2 eggs
½ cup heavy cream
Juice from 1 ½ lemons
2 tbs. corn flour

Execution
Sautée the onions, add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook for 1 ½ hours until almost done.

In another pot sautée the onions, add the escarol and lettuce and cook until done. Add the dill. At this point, combine the greens with the meat and cook until completion. Beat the eggs, add the heavy cream and the lemon, add the corn flour and cook until the sauce becomes thick. Combine it with the meat and cook in low heat for 5 minutes.

Click here for printable Lamb with Greens, Fricassee recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Cookies)

Ingredients
1 ½ cups olive oil
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup brandy
1 cup sugar
1 egg
8-9 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
Orange rind (optional)

For the Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups honey
2 cups water

For the Garnish
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
2 tsp. cinnamon

Execution
Combine the flour, the baking powder and soda in a bowl. Put it aside.

Using a mixer, combine the butter with the sugar, add the egg. Slowly add the oil, orange juice and brandy and continue to mix. Slowly add ½ of the flour mixture. Pour the mixture into a ball and start working by hand, adding more of the flour. Mix until a soft dough consistency is achieved.

Make oval shape cookies approximately 2 ½" x 1 ½". Place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Meanwhile, combine the water and sugar for the syrup and let boil. Reduce the heat, add the honey and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and dip them into the syrup for 3 minutes. Sprinkle walnuts and cinnamon on top of each cookie.

Click here for printable Melomakarona recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Shrimp in Prosecco Cream Sauce (Italian)

Ingredients
3 onions
3 tbs. unsalted butter
1 lb. shrimp
3 tbs. cognac
1 cup Prosecco
2/3 cup heavy cream
parsley
salt, pepper to taste

Execution
Sautée the onions with the butter until golden. Add the shrimp and cook for 6 minutes. Add the cognac, salt and pepper. Add the Prosecco and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp into a platter and cook the sauce for 3 more minutes until glazy. Add the cream and cook for 5 more minutes or until sauce is thick. Pour the warm sauce over the shrimp and serve. Garnish with parsley.

Click here for printable Shrimp in Prosecco Cream Sauce recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Veal Scaloppini Bella Napoli (Italian)

Ingredients
12 slices veal
2 balls of fresh mozzarella
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
salt

Execution
Pound the slices of veal until flattened. Put the oil in a frying pan and cook the meat on both sides. Remove the meat from the heat and arrange them in a large oven dish. Slice the mozzarella and place one on each slice of meat. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Click here for printable Veal Scaloppini Bella Napoli recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Zuppa Inglese (Italian)

Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
zest of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For The Chocolate Sauce
2.5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 ½ tbs. unsweetened cocoa
½ cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream

To Layer and Serve
24 lady fingers
½ cup vin santo
1 pint raspberries

Execution
Cream: Bring the milk and lemon zest to a boiling point. Remove from the heat. Beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until creamy. Add the flour and vanilla as you beat and slowly beat in the hot milk. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes or until thick. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for two hours.

Chocolate Sauce: Melt the chocolate, cocoa and a ¼ cup of water. Remove from the heat and add the sugar while stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Add the cream and stir more until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

To Layer: Apply 12 lady fingers in a dish, drizzle with a quarter vin Santo Apply ¼ of the pastry cream followed by a layer of the chocolate sauce and top with another layer of the pastry cream. Make another layer in the same manner.

Refrigerate for 3 hours and garnish with raspberries.

Click here for printable Zuppa Inglese recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Avocado with Crabmeat and Shrimp

Preparation
Cut the avocado in halves and apply lemon, so they do not turn black. Apply salt and pepper. In a bowl mix the crabmeat, shrimp, scallions, celery, salt and pepper. Using a saucepan, warm the milk and cream, add the flour and stir until semi-solid. Remove form the heat, add the butter and stir more until it cools down. Add the ketchup, capers, mayonnaise and ½ of the cheese.

Place the avocados in a pan and fill them with the crabmeat/shrimp mix. Add into the pan ½ cup water. Add three spoonfuls of the sauce on top. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Click here for printable Avocado with Crabmeat and Shrimp recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.



Mashed Potato with Mozzarella and Bacon

Ingredients
3 lbs. potatoes
3 tbsp butter
¾ cup milk or ½ cup cream
3 eggs
Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella, grated
2 cups bacon cut in pieces
3 tbsp breadcrumbs

Preparation
Boil the potatoes and puree adding the melted butter and the milk, slat and pepper. Mix the eggs and Parmesan cheese. In a pan spread the breadcrumbs and place one layer of ½ of the mashed potato. Apply the mozzarella cheese and the bacon. Cover with another layer of mashed potato and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Click here for printable Mashed Potato with Mozzarella and Bacon recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.

Pork with Marsala and Rosemary

Ingredients
5 dried porcini mushrooms
6 slices of center cut pork loin
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 garlic cloves
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp marsala
5 sprigs of rosemary

Preparation
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water and let them stay.
Boil the garlic cloves in a small pan with a little water for 7 minutes.
Drain and set aside. Brush the pork with vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the slices of pork for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Add the rosemary, mushrooms, ¼ cup of the mushroom juice, garlic and the remaining of the vinegar. Simmer for about 3 minutes and serve warm with mashed potato or pasta.

Click here for printable Pork with Marsala and Rosemary recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.



Loukoumades (Honey Puffs)

Ingredients
(The Dough)
2 cups water
1 cup milk
4 oz fresh yeast or
4 tbls dry yeast
4 cups flour or enough amount until a semisolid consistency is achieved
1 tbls sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil

oil for frying

The Garnish
Honey, cinnamon, finely chopped walnuts

Preparation
Dissolve the yeast in the tepid water. Put it along with the remaining dough ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well until a smooth batter is obtained. Cover and let the batter rise in a warm place until it is three times its previous bulk, (1-2 hours). Place the frying oil in a pot on the stove until very hot.

Moisten one of your hands and take a handful of the dough with an oily spoon, and drop it into the hot oil. Dip the spoon in oil every time before cutting the dough to avoid sticking. Fry loukoumades a few at a time in very hot oil, pushing them into the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Pour hot honey over them and lightly dust with cinnamon. Then sprinkle them with chopped walnuts. Serve immediately. If the honey is too thick, boil it adding a little water. Skim off the froth before using.

Click here for printable Loukoumades recipe. Return to Featured Recipes list.