Homemade Brick Pizza Oven

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Chi Mangia Bene, Mangia Italiano - Those Who Eat Well, Eat Italian

People love Italian food.�From Pasadena, California to its Sister City Xicheng (shee-chung) District, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China, Italian Restaurants are universal. What is it about Italian food that we love?


Americans are addicted to the combination of tomato and cheese. That tangy tomato sauce brightens and lightens the heaviness of cheese. �Or perhaps what we love is the traditional flavors we've come to recognize as Italian; herbs like rosemary, oregano, marjoram and thyme. Even though pizza doesn't really count as authentic "Italian", it's almost everyone’s favorite.


However, the Italian Fine Dining experience is a plate apart from these. A typical dinner menu might include:


Small Cove Oysters on the Half Shell


California Citrus Colossal Shrimp - "Property Grown" Fennel and Cilantro Salad


Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio - Porcini, Lemon Vinaigrette, Parmesan


Ahi Tuna Tartare - White Truffle, Soy, Pine Nut and Avocado


Dungeness Crab Cakes - with House-made Sweet-Hot Mustard, Heirloom Radish Salad and Dried Tomato Aioli


Cocoa Crepe �- Stuffed with Sauteed Lobster in a Lobster Cream


Vine Ripened Tomato Pizza - Fresh Basil, Roasted Garlic, Fresh Mozzarella


Brick Oven House Flat Bread


Proscuitto Ham, Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza


Pappardelle Pasta - Porcini Mushrooms, Beef Tenderloin, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, "Garden Sage"


King Crab Ravioli - Asparagus, Baby Greens and Lemon "Musto" Oil


This menu is from a high-end restaurant. As you can see, pasta and cheese are there, but with refinements, and most fine Italian cuisine features seafood. �Many such restaurants make their own bread daily from scratch. Another thing we like about dining a la Italiano is the serving style called "family". �This is much more hospitable for families with children, as the food is placed in the center of the table in containers which encourage people to serve themselves, and is reminiscent of eating at home. The portions are usually large, geared to serve 2 or groups of 4 or more. Here is another example of an Italian restaurant menu:


Baked Pasta Specialties:


Chicken Cannelloni - Stuffed with chicken sausage, provolone, ricotta, and fresh sage, smothered with Romano and marinara, and baked to perfection.


Lasagna �- Nine layers of lasagna noodles stuffed with our homemade meat sauce and a savory combination of ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, and romano cheeses, baked in made fresh daily marinara.


Roasted Specialties - Served with roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables


Porchetta Rustica - Herb roasted boneless pork loin topped with a rustic red wine sauce that blends balsamic vinegar, blueberries, capers and hazelnuts.


Tuscan Chicken & Vegetables - �Rosemary marinated bone-in chicken.


Fresh Salmon with Pesto - Sun-dried tomatoes, pesto cream sauce and pine nuts, served with vegetables


Entrees -


Chicken Saltimbocca with prosciutto and artichokes


Chicken Marsala with fresh mushrooms


Chicken Parmigiana with prosciutto


Veal Limone with escarole and white tuscan beans in a lemon butter sauce


This menu sounds less pretentious, yet the food might be just as good tasting. Only you as the diner decide which you prefer.


Italian food is comfort food. �Maybe that’s what we like most about the italian dining experience.

About the Author

Written by Glenda Glayzer of Whispergrass Artworks for Bjorn Enki - Web Presence Specialist

Secret to Perfect Homemade Pizza.


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Baked Breaded Chicken Breast

Light and Healthy Recipe for Chicken Breast Strudel With Spinach

Phyllo dough makes the best meals and this recipe is no exception. Chicken breast combined with fresh spinach ensconsed in phyllo makes a great easy entree. Or it is great for the buffet table or with snacks for game watching. And the best part? Only around 250 calories per slice/serving. What a deal!

CHICKEN BREAST STRUDEL

1 cup chopped onion

8 cups chopped fresh spinach

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped

3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp lemon juice, optional

1/4 tsp salt, optional

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp paprika

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for approximately 5 minutes until tender. Stir in the fresh spinah and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilt, stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chicken, Swiss cheese, egg, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir to mix well.

Coat one sheet of the phyllo dough with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with one tablespoon of the bread crumbs. (Keep remaining sheets of dough covered to keep them from drying out during this process.) Repeat the procedure until you have used three more sheets of dough and three more

 tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Gently press the layers together.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the chicken and spinach mixture along 1 of the long edge of the top phyllo sheet, leaving a half-inch border. Starting at the long edge with the half-inch border, roll up the dough jelly roll style. Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Tuck the ends under.

Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Melt the butter and brush half over each of the strudels. Sprinkle each with half the paprika.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

 Suggestion: Cut each strudel into 4 pieces making 8 servings. Each serving is approxiately 250 calories, 24 g protein and 19 g carbs.

Enjoy!

About the Author

For more of Linda's healthy recipes visit her blog at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com

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