The Carnevale Lasagna is Delicioso!

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Well, it may have taken me half of a day to make this lasagna recipe, but it was totally worth the time and effort. The recipe is quite extra-ordinary from my own lasagna recipe with Bolognese sauce because it has the following extras in the recipe that take the lasagna over the top:

1. meatballs with prosciutto are added

2. each layer has chopped prosciutto and Genoa salami included

3. the Bolognese sauce has red wine included

Each of these additions contributes to a very intense marriage of flavors. The added strong flavors really take it to the WOW factor level. I just cannot describe how delicious this lasagna is!

So if you've got the time, go for it! This lasagna certainly lives up to its name of "La Grande"
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The recipe is posted below in the previous post and is also featured in Foodista (the link is provided here)

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La Grande Lasagna di Carnevale

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OK, here I go . . . jumping into a new Italian recipe as promised. This is one of the most traditional recipes prepared for the Italian Carnevale 2-week long celebration. Now, I do have my own lasagna recipe that my family cherishes . . . and there are numerous types of lasagna recipes in cookbooks and online.

But then it seems that sometimes my family gets so loyal to our own family recipes that to try something new is almost sinful! But I really think that part of the fun and JOY of cooking is experimenting and trying new things. So here I go, jumping right in with the first Carnevale recipe! HOWEVER, after reading 2 or 3 recipes that I found in my cookbooks, I will have to say that I HAVE ALREADY MADE SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS to the recipe that I found to be lacking in a few ways!



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Carnevale! Italy's Mardi Gras!

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Carnevale, which is Italy's version of Mardi Gras, begins February 6th, 2010! This is a two-week period of festivities before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the spiritual renewal period of Lent, the 40 days before the Holy Day of Easter. The name Carnevale means to 'remove meat' -- carne levare, which is the Lenten tradition. This is because Carnevale used to take place only on the night before Ash Wednesday, but it slowly extended to two weeks in duration.

In Venice, Italy, an historical and traditional festival begins next week, the first week of February. This very old tradition, dating back to 1296, is a celebration of winter transitioning into springtime.
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In Northern Italy where my relatives still live, it is quite cold, especially up in the mountains. The cold winds blow down from the Alps and Appenine mountains. Similar to our northern American winters, there is very little sunshine during the often times frozen temperatures. Br-r-r-r-, it just sounds way too cold for me. If I every move to Italy, I'll have to be seaside after getting used to living in southern USA! So in combination with celebrating prior to the Lenten fast, Italians, who are known for their intense and passionate love of life, have CARNEVALE!
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Anyone can participate in the festivities, no matter what his or her background is, in which elaborate masks and costumes are worn in the public squares, parties and balls. Daily and nightly events take place and include all types of merriment: street performances everywhere, along with extravagant costume balls, masquerades, parties, sumptuous dinners, parades with spectacular floats, music, gondola parades, and games for children. Beautiful fireworks conclude the festivities on the final evening.
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There are Carnevale celebrations THROUGHOUT Italy, however, the largest and most elaborate of all the festivals take place in Venice, Verona (the oldest), Viareggio, and Cento.
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So during this festive time of year in Italy, I felt it most appropriate to focus on and share some very traditional Italian recipes that are prepared, enjoyed, and passed down from generation to generation. As an American-Italian, I'll also include recipes associated with the American Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, that has the same (but not quite as elaborate) focus on celebrations prior to Lent.

Of those recipes, Lasagna recipes of all varieties are served, especially La Grande Lasagna di Carnevale from Naples, and Calzone . . . all the way to simple but delicious pastries such as Cenci from Tuscany that are very fun to eat. Now I do have a very favorite version of lasagna that I developed, but to remain true to tradition, I am going to prepare the recipe(s) associated with Carnevale.
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Thanks For The Happiness Award To Whom I'll Pass On To . . .

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There's someone that I'd like to introduce to you! Her name is Anne and she is the author of a a wonderful blog, Annie Bakes . She extended the Happy 101 blog award to me and I'm very grateful for her kindness. This is a special one, because I love making people, even if it is just one person, happy when they read my blog. Now Anne gave me a few award rules, that I'm also passing along:
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Lemon Garlic Salmon

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Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about the "super foods" that are recommended for us to increase in our daily lives. You know the oldies, but goldies of super foods: olive oil, garlic, almonds, tomatoes, avocados, blueberries, spinach, salmon, just to name a few. This year, there seems to be more chatter about Greek yogurt and several others. Well, it just so happens that my niece gave me one of Ina Gartner's Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (Back To Basics) for Christmas, in which she shared a creamy topping for baked potatoes using Greek yogurt. Hmmmm, I'd never thought of that and so I tried her recipe.

In Ina's recipe, she combines Greek yogurt with sour cream and chives in order to lighten it up. Sounds good to me, since I'm still trying to lose weight while eating delicious food. This is quite a challenge for me to achieve.
But what to prepare alongside the creamy topped potatoes? Well, don't forget . . . salmon is also on that super food list! So salmon baked in a lemony, garlic, olive oil sauce sang out to my heart to pair with Ina's potatoes. And it was both light, yummy, and oh so incredibly easy!
First, I want you to know that I went to Whole Foods to the fresh fish case and picked out the most gorgeous Wild Atlantic red salmon. The nutritionists have said that its best to use the 'wild' variety of salmon. Just look at these salmon fillets . . . unbelievable, intense color! They almost looks like ahi tuna!


Now this isn't a recipe that I found anywhere, I've been making this for years now from ingredients that I always keep in my pantry and frig: olive oil, lemons, garlic powder, butter, and lemon pepper. That's it!

Lemon-Garlic Salmon
What you need to prepare the salmon:
juice from 1/4 lemon
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper
Several shakes of Mrs. Dash Table Blend (no salt)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 salmon fillets

What you need to do to make the salmon:
Melt the butter and blend with the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic powder.

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Gently drizzle the mixture over the salmon fillets. Sprinkle the lemon pepper and Mrs. Dash Table Blend spices over the fillets.

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Cut up a few slices of lemon and lay them on top of the fillets.

Such beautiful color and contrast!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until your preferred level of done-ness.


And now to make Barefoot Contessa's baked potatoes:

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What you need to have and do for the potatoes:

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1/2 cup Greek yogurt (low fat)

1/2 cup sour cream (I used regular, but you can also use low fat if you like)

2 Tbsp. chopped chives

salt and pepper

2 - 4 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed clean

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Bake the potatoes for 45 minutes to an hour in a 400 degree oven or until soft.

Blend the yogurt, sour cream and chives together.

Add salt and pepper to your desired level and blend well

Top the potatoes with this mixture.

That's it!

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Enjoy this really easy, tasty, flavorful, yet healthy entree and side dish!

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Red Velvet Cake Challenge

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This month for "The Cake Slice Bakers" blogging group, we selected the classic southern "Red Velvet Cake". I was so excited about baking this classic cake, since it is one of my all-time favorites. My family loves this cake so much, that our daughter also chose a red velvet cake for her wedding cake. It was utterly divine and perfect in every way! We purchased her wedding cake from a local woman who happens to be one of the top 10 American cake decorating bakers . . . and oddly enough she lives in our teeny, tiny town! I've never asked her for the baking secrets of her red velvet cake since she's a professional business woman and I'm fairly certain that the recipe is proprietary and confidential. I love this cake so much that I've clipped and saved at least 25 recipes to try, yet never have conquered the challenge of baking and comparing any of them.

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Terrific Tabouli: Wheat and Herb Salad

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One of my favorite loves is the vibrant, and refreshing Mediterranean salad known as Tabouli (Tabouleh). I first picked up a container of this savory salad from the market (in the deli section) and have been hooked on it's tangy flavor ever since! So now I make my own for peak freshness, nutritious value, and lack of nasty preservatives.
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Tabouli is a flavor-packed, balanced salad made of a collage of fresh parsley, olive oil , tomatoes, lemon, garlic and bulgar. I serve it on a bed of romaine lettuce to use as scoops to eat by hand. The veggies you choose to use can vary with the addition of carrots, cucumbers, red onions or scallions. I like to add these for that extra crunchy bite! Below, I provide you with the basic ingredients, but, as always, I recommend that you adjust all of the quantities of each ingredient to your own preference level. Everyone has unique taste preferences, and I personally like more garlic and less mint. Another tip to make this salad truly shine and sing on your tastebuds is to let it marinate in the frig for a little bit (about an hour) so that all the flavors marry and blend together for a symphony of flavor in every bite! This tasty salad is very healthy and oh so filling!
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And here's the cool part - - One cup is only about 110 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 8 grams of carbs, zero percent cholesterol, and is high in vitamins A and C! And the green parsley, romaine lettuce, and lemon are great de-tox cleansers to get rid of all that junk in our systems!
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Tabouli
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What you'll need to make the Tabouli:
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1-1/2 cups chopped fresh Italian parsley (stems discarded)
1 Tbsp. freshly diced mint
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 minced cloves of garlic (gotta have garlic, right?)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup bulgar, medium grade (you can also use quinoa or couscous)
3 Tbsp. (or more to your preference) freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Romaine lettuce
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Here's what you need to do to prepare the Tabouli:
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Soak bulgar in water for 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour in cold, clean water until soft.
Drain any extra water from the bulgar and then squeeze it again with paper towels.
Combine all ingredients.
Line serving bowl with clean romaine lettuce leaves
Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

To your health! Ching, ching and salute'! Pin It

Healthy Pasta? Whole Wheat Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

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Oh gosh, how I simply hate the arduous task of losing weight. It's so easy for me to gain pounds and yet so very hard to lose! I once could lose 10 pounds so quickly PLUS be able to keep them off when I was much younger . . . but NOW? Oh my goodness, it seems to take FOREVER to lose 10 pounds!

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But lose weight, I must do.

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And I must do it NOW! So this means I'm simply going to have to make a shift in some of the recipes that I post (at least for awhile anyway). Already I've made some tiny, easy little changes in just the past few mornings: W.D. and I have been eating only wholesome oatmeal and plump, juicy blueberries in fat-free milk. The fiber is so filling! But that was an easy change, since I LOVE warm oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast. Yum! Gosh, especially with this weird cold spell blanketing the country right now, it's so nice to have a warm bowl of soothing, creamy oatmeal.

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The hardest part for me is dinner time when W.D., my tall, skinny husband comes home and wants something rib-sticking and loaded with calories and flavor. My kind of cooking! So tonight we did a regular pasta dish night, but with a twist: I chose to use whole wheat pasta for me and prepared regular white pasta for him. I used the same meat-y Bolognese sauce and meatballs for both of us. I also cut my portions a bit AND had no dessert . . . just a glass of red wine for the anti-oxidants.

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The taste of the whole wheat pasta was really not that bad! It was the heavier texture that revealed any difference. I noticed that I felt more full with fewer bites! Normally, I can eat not just one serving, but can devour two servings without stopping! So this was a pleasant surprise!

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I'm certainly not a dietitian, but I know enough from what I've read that whole wheat pasta is HIGHER IN FIBER and LOWER on the GLYCEMIC INDEX which is good for losing weight. The calorie, carb, protein, and fat differences are not as significant as is the fiber difference.

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Before I present the recipe for the Bolognese sauce, let me give you a little explanation of what it is. Put simply, it is a meaty tomato sauce, which is contrary to marinara sauce that is meatless. This is ALL my family ever prepares. Being from the Midwest, we just prefer our Italian food to be a bit more hearty and rib-sticking! This sauce satisfies that desire perfectly. It is very filling!

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Some people call this sauce "Ragu", which comes from the French meat stew "ragout'. As Marcella Hazan explains in "The Classic Italian Cookbook" (now out of print and hard to find), the only similarities between the two sauces is the ability "to excite the appetite" (from the French verb 'ragouter').

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Some Italian-Americans even call this sauce "Sunday gravy". But I could never quite figure that one out, since being completely raised in the U.S., I think of gravy as something served with potatoes or roast beef. Oh well, no matter what you prefer to call this sauce, it is quite delicious.

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Now, I've got to dust off that lonely treadmill and pick up those weights tucked away somewhere!

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So here we go down a new road of our journey:

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Whole Wheat Penne with Bolognese Sauce and Meatballs

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A Brilliant Sunrise Over the Atlantic Ocean, New Year's Day, 2010

.A brilliant, perfect sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, New Year's Day, 2010!

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Wishing each of you a most Happy New Year

with lots of new yummy recipes to share!

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Many blessings,

Roz

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New Year's Eve Full Moon Shining Over The Atlantic Ocean

.New Year's Eve, 2009 . . .

a perfect, bright full moon shining in a clear sky over the Atlantic Ocean!

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Peace to you on this clear beautiful night!

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Awards . . . Thank You

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Thank you everyone who recognized my blog with the following 33 awards!

"IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING WRITING SKILLS WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INCLUDE YOUR BLOG IN A SELECT LIST OF WEBSITES REPRESENTING ITALY. WE SELECT ONLY THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL BLOGS THAT MEET OUR EXACTING STANDARDS AND WE HOPE YOU FEEL A SENSE OF PRIDE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR EFFORTS."

Thanks to Alicia, Catherine, Wendy and Joy!

Thank you Carol, Tina, Wendy, Shelli, Norwegian Phoenix, Kelly, Erica, Joy, and Patti!

Thanks to Catherine, Anne, Joy, Kathy, and Claudia!

Thank you Patrice, Tina, and Joy!

Thanks Rebecca!

Grazie Emily, Carol, Joy and Sheila!
My first award ever was from Joy who gave me this "Lovely Blog" award.

Thanks Sassy!

Thank you Carol!

 Thank you AGAIN, Carol!

JT, thank you so much for this beautiful butterfly award!

and a HUGE thank you to Chris for this mega-block of multi-awards!

Thank you to R-Ann!

I appreciate ALL of you for thinking of me in these awards

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