A Night in Italy

Welcome to a night in Italy!  

Let's take a look at the menu:

• Caprese Salad with balsamic vinegar.
• Italian wedding soup
• Chicken picata over fusilli pasta
• French garlic bread
• Italian orange almond cake with apricot glaze

Lets start with the appetizer, the Caprese salad.

I like to have the salad out so every one can enjoy it with there cocktails.This gives every one a chance to talk and mingle with each other. If you are running behind, it is a great way to catch up on last minute cooking while everyone is entertaining themselves. I have the soup on each place setting and every one can sit down and get started.

The soup is a healthy Italian wedding soup and one of the best I have ever had. (Thank you Erin for sharing this recipe with us and for you and Ben sharing in the food tasting.)

The main course is next!!

Delicious chicken picatta!
Thank you Patti for this marvelous Chicken picatta recipe and for cooking it for us. After the chicken picatta is ready it is then placed on top of fusilli pasta. I did not add a veggie because I had the salad earlier and with a desert it would have been to much.
 I love a good ending to a meal and this just happens to be a good one. Yes, the orange almond Italian cake . Italian cakes and pastries are not real sweet so it makes for a wonderful after dinner desert.

          Italian Wedding Soup ( Thank you Erin for this wonderful recipe, not only is Erin a wonderful cook but a fabulous golfer.)

For the meatballs:

• 20 oz. ground turkey breast 99% lean
• 1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the soup:

• 8 cups fat-free and ow sodium chicken broth
• 1 head of chopped spinach
• fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3oz. (1/2 cup) uncooked orzo ( add a little more if you like more pasta)
• 1tsp. Italian seasoning

In a large pot, heat the chicken broth over medium heat and cover.
While the broth is heating up, in a large bowl, combing ground turkey, breadcrumbs,egg, parsley, onion, garlic, salt, and cheese. Using your (clean) hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small balls, about 1 tbsp each, you'll get about 40.

When the broth comes to a boil, drop the meatballs in, add orzo and chopped spinach. Add fresh pepper, adjust salt as needed and cook about 10 minutes or until orzo is done.

Makes 12 cups


Chicken piccata (Thank you Patti for this special recipe and for cooking it, you are beautiful and wonderful all wrapped up in one package.)

• 4 chicken breast
• 1 onion
• 2 lemons
• 1 small bottle of capers
• 1 Tab. butter
• 1Tab. olive oil
• flour for dredging
• Big bottle of pinot grigio using 1 1/2 cups for recipe.( the rest for drinking.)
• 1 container of grape tomatoes

Direction:

Season chicken with salt, pepper,paprika, and dredge in flour. Put butter and olive oil in pan and melt. Cook chicken for 2 minutes, turn and cook 2 minutes on the other side.Take chicken out of pan and put on plate.Place pan back on burner with drippings and add wine. Let simmer until reduced by half and add cappers, lemon juice,and onions. Cook until onions are transparent then add tomatoes and chicken and cook about 15 minutes more until chicken is done. Serve over cooked pasta.


Italian orange almond cake

• 2 large navel oranges
• 21/2 almond meal
• 11/4 caster sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 6 large eggs

Glaze

• small jar of apricot jam
• 3 tab. water
• blanched almonds to decorate

Preheat oven to 325: Line, grease, and flour a 10" round cake pan.

Place oranges in a pot of boiling water and boil about 2 hours. Making sure oranges are all ways covered with water while they cook. Pour off water and let cool. Cut in sections and make sure all seeds are removed.Put in food processor and puree. In a mixer beat eggs on high till light and fluffy. Add orange puree, almond meal, sugar, and baking powder. Mix on low speed till just mixed. Pour in pan and bake 1 hour. Cool in pan until cool then invert on cake pan. 


Glaze Directions:

Put jam and water in pan and stir till a pouring consistency. Pour over cake and garnish with almonds.

This is Lady and she was adopted by Patti (and Darlene's grand dog!) .  Lady was our kitchen dog for the night and did all the supervising for us. Thank you Lady, we love you!