TARBORO — I love Italian food. I think it is probably my favorite cuisine. It bursts with flavor and color and once you get your mind right, it’s delightfully simple to prepare. This week’s recipes will feature some wonderful and wonderfully easy Italian dishes.

This time of year, I am canning tomatoes almost nightly. My husband is threatening me with bodily harm if I don’t use all the food that I’m canning. It’s so much fun to me that I get a little carried away. However, these bright, red tomatoes that I’m canning will make some wonderful sauces this winter.

The first recipe is turkey scaloppini. It healthy because it’s turkey but we overcome that burden by frying it! However, if you fry it in olive oil, that gives you the Omega 3 fatty acids and that balances it out. It’s a great dish, you’ll make it over and over.

The second recipe is Ratatouille. This is an Italian side dish. Although I have eaten is a brunch meal. It’s also great as a left-over. The flavors have time to blend and it’s even more full-bodied.

The last recipe is one of my all time favorites. Portabella mushrooms stuffed with mozzarella cheese. You can go wrong with those two main ingredients! It’s low-carb and low fat. What could be better?

Pair any of these great Italian dishes with a good glass of your favorite Italian wine or a bottle of Chianti, light a couple of candles and have a romantic, Italian dinner with your honey. I plan to do just that.

Parmesan Herb-Crusted Turkey Scaloppini

 For turkey:

1 Boneless Skinless Turkey Breast (1 1/2 lb)

Dash Coarse Sea Salt (Gray Salt)

Dash Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 1/2 Cups Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs or Italian Style Bread Crumbs

3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Italian (Flat-Leaf) Parsley

1-Teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt (Gray Salt)

Dash Freshly Ground Pepper

1-Tablespoon Olive Oil    

1/2-Cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 Eggs

Olive Oil For Frying

For arugula salad:

About 8 Cups Arugula (4 oz)

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Fresh Lemon Juice

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 Lemon, quartered



Cut turkey breast diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Between sheets of plastic wrap, pound turkey to 1/8-inch thickness with meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with dash salt and dash pepper; press seasonings into turkey with fingers.

In small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and dash pepper. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; work with fingers to moisten crumbs lightly. Spread mixture on dinner plate. Spread flour on another dinner plate. In shallow bowl or pie plate, beat eggs slightly with fork.

Dip turkey slices into flour to coat both sides; shake off any excess flour. Dip into eggs, letting any excess drip back into bowl. Coat completely with breadcrumb mixture, pressing crumbs in place; place on tray. Cover; refrigerate until ready to fry.

Heat 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add 1/4-inch olive oil for frying; heat to almost smoking. Add as many turkey slices as skillet will hold; do not crowd. Cook about 2 minutes or until bottom is golden. Turn slices; cook about 30 seconds longer. With tongs, remove turkey as each slice is done, allowing any excess oil to drain back into skillet; place on several thicknesses of paper towels. Repeat with remaining turkey slices.Place Arugula in large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to coat leaves lightly. Add squeeze of lemon juice, additional salt and pepper; toss, taste and adjust seasoning.

Divide turkey evenly among dinner plates, placing in center of plate. Mound salad evenly on top of turkey. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of each salad. Garnish plate with lemon quarter. Serve immediately.



Southern Italian Ratatouille

7 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3 Cups Sliced Fresh Wild or Domestic Mushrooms (1/4-inch thick)

1 Cup Thinly Sliced Leeks (white portions only)

Coarse Sea Salt (Gray Salt)

Freshly Ground Pepper

2 Tablespoons Plus 2 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Garlic

6 Teaspoons Finely Chopped Fresh Thyme

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped (1/4 inch) Red Bell Pepper

3 Cups Finely Chopped (1/4 inch) Zucchini (about 1/2 lb)

3 Cups Finely Chopped (1/4 inch) Yellow Summer (crookneck) Squash (about 1/2 lb)

1 Can (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes, undrained

2 Cups Loosely Packed Baby Spinach, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1/4 Cup Coarsely Chopped Fresh Basil

1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese



In 12-inch skillet, heat 4 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook without stirring about 1 minute or until brown on one side. Turn mushrooms; cook 1 or 2 minutes longer or until browned. Reduce heat to medium. Add leeks; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes or until leeks are soft but not brown. Add 2 tablespoons garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in 2 teaspoons thyme. Scrape vegetables into large bowl. Rinse skillet (scrub if anything is stuck and burned).

In same skillet, heat another 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper; cook about 1 minute. Add zucchini and yellow summer squash; cook about 2 minutes or until translucent and water is released. Stir in remaining 4 teaspoons thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables in bowl with mushrooms to cool quickly and retain color.

In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons garlic; cook just until lightly colored. Stir in tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Add spinach; toss until wilted. Pour mixture into bowl with other vegetables; stir until cooled slightly. Add basil and cheese; toss until well mixed. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Mozzarella-Stuffed Portabellas

6 Large Fresh Portabella Mushrooms, stems and gills removed

4 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Dash Coarse Sea Salt (Gray Salt)

Dash Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3/4 Cup Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs or Italian Style Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley

2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, toss mushroom caps, 2 tablespoons oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to coat. Arrange mushroom caps on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until soft. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil and remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Divide mozzarella cheese evenly among mushroom caps. Spoon bread crumb mixture evenly over cheese.

Roast 7 to 10 minutes longer or until mozzarella cheese is melted and breadcrumb mixture is golden brown. Serve hot with marinara sauce or other tomato sauce.



DID YOU KNOW



High-quality ingredients are essential to Italian cooking: the better your olive oil, tomatoes, and cheese, the better the simple dishes will be.

In most good Italian kitchens, you will find most if not all of the following items in the pantry:

OLIVE OIL - One of the essential ingredients of Italian cooking, olive oil is used not simply as a cooking oil but for the flavor it adds to a dish. For this reason, it's important to use only extra-virgin olive oil -- it has the most flavor. If you splurge on any one item, I would suggest you buy the best you can find.

DRIED PASTA - Use pasta imported from Italy such as Barilla and De Cecco. Generally, any imported pasta products made from semolina flour are good choices. For egg pasta, avoid the "fresh" pasta sold in refrigerated cases. Either use homemade or buy the dried noodles packaged in nests.

TOMATOES - When fresh, ripe tomatoes are not available, use good canned tomatoes (unless the recipe specifically calls for fresh). Choose whole, peeled tomatoes rather than chopped or crushed. Use imported Italian San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them; they're the best.

ONIONS AND GARLIC - Generally, white onions for cooking and red onions for salads and dishes that do not require cooking because they are milder. Garlic is used, but it is not generally an overwhelming presence.

PARMIGIANO- Only cheese that is produced in a limited area surrounding Parma according to strict guidelines may be sold as Parmigiano-Reggiano. It's a cheese of incomparable flavor, texture, and richness that make it not only an excellent grating cheese but also one of the world's great table cheeses.

CHEESES - Cheeses are also important for Italian dishes. There are so many varieties but the most commonly used include Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino Romano, mozzarella, ricotta and provolone.

LEGUMES - In our house we generally have on hand dried cannellini beans, borlotti beans, ceci and lentils to use mainly in soups.

CORNMEAL - Use a medium textured cornmeal for polenta. Keep it in a tightly closed container, and it will last for months. I also use cornmeal to dust my pan when making pizza, and to add texture to some of my baked goods.

RICE - Arborio is the most common rice used in making risotto, but other varieties, such as Carnaroli or Vialone Nano which are just now becoming available in America, are perhaps even better. One characteristic they all share is a translucent, starchy exterior that melts away in cooking to give risotto its distinctive creamy consistency.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR - There are a variety of different balsamic vinegars. Depending on its age, it can be extremely expensive. You can use an inexpensive one for salads, as long as the quality is good.

ANCHOVIES - Although I'm not an anchovy fan, I keep a jar packed in oil in my fridge to add a special zip to certain dishes. You can also find anchovy paste in a tube, which is milder in taste and is quite convenient.

PORCINI MUSHROOMS - Look for packages that have large slices of whole mushrooms. They add a wonderful rich flavor to risottos, pasta sauces, and stews, and can infuse cultivated white mushrooms with their robust flavor. Although they can be an expensive item, a little goes a long way, and if kept in an airtight container, they'll keep for a long time. Keep the water used to rehydrate them. Strained, it will add a depth of flavor to many soups, sauces and stews.

CAPERS - You can find two types of capers. The smaller ones that are pickled in vinegar, and the larger ones that come packed in salt. The larger ones are very flavorful, require rinsing of the salt before using, and tend to be a little more difficult to locate. A few chopped capers can add a punch of flavor to dishes that seem to need just a little something.

Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly    column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@suddenlink.net to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/











- Generally fresh herbs are preferred in everyday cooking, but it is also important to keep dried oregano, rosemary, thyme, and sage available. Whole black pepper to be ground at the moment of use, sea salt and red pepper flakes are also important seasonings to have on hand.

FLOUR - We usually have both an all-purpose flour for making pasta and pizza dough and bread flour for cakes and desserts. Semolina flour is also very useful.

Although these are the bare basics to have in an Italian kitchen, stocking these basic staples in your pantry will ensure that you are ready to begin cooking Tuscan and Italian recipes. All you'll need to add is a few fresh ingredients and you'll be all set to prepare your Tuscan and Italian dishes that will impress your friends and family.

(http://www.tuscanrecipes.com/cooking-tips/italian-pantry.html)