snacks

snacks, Recipes, Salads and Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner

Prosciutto and Parmesan Risotto Served Two Ways

June 16, 2021June 15, 2021by Jenn Mandell1 Comment

Risotto is an extremely versatile dish that can be prepared in many ways. Risotto originated in Milan where the tradition of slow cooking was used in preparing rice. Risotto alla Milanese was created by using short grained rice slowly cooked with broth and saffron. The bright yellow color of this dish is absolutely gorgeous and is a staple in the cuisine of Milan. Risotto can also be made with mushrooms, seafood or other types of vegetables. I like to make risotto with prosciutto and parmesan cheese. It is a simple preparation that I serve for dinner and then use the leftovers to make Arancini. Arancini can be served as an hors d’oeuvres or an appetizer. Arancini taste great with my recipe for quick tomato sauce.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

Check out this recipe

Tips on Making Great Risotto

The key to great risotto is to not leave the stove. It is important to constantly and slowly stir the broth into the rice. Risotto needs to be prepared right before serving and will be ready in 20 minutes. Risotto prepared ahead of time tends to be gummy and does not have the correct consistency. The rice needs to be sautéed for a few minutes before adding wine and allowing the wine to absorb into the rice. This preps the rice for the broth and will result in tasty risotto with the correct tenderness.

Can I make this Vegetarian

Yes, you can replace the prosciutto with mushrooms and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. If you do use mushrooms you should remove them from the pan after sautéed and stir them back into the risotto after it is cooked. If you leave the mushrooms in for the entire cooking time they will break down and become too mushy.

Another idea is to leave out the prosciutto and stir in green peas at the end. Use your imagination to experiment with new variations just be sure to use the recipe as a base. I would love to see what you come up with. Tag me on instagram or use the #itsjennsview or email me your beautiful creations.

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5 from 2 votes

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Prosciutto and Parmesan Risotto

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: rice

Servings: servings

Calories: 343kcal

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 oz prosciutto chopped about 2 thin slices
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 cup arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup parmesan reggiano cheese grated
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
pinch saffron
1 tbsp salted butter
chopped Italian Parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

heat chicken broth in a sauce pan and place on side
Place a frying pan over medium high heat and add olive oil
add shallot and saute until translucent. Do not brown
use a wooden spoon to stir in prosciutto and rice
add white wine and allow it to absorb into the rice
stir in saffron and pepper
add a cup of warm chicken broth and stir contantly with wooden spoon until absorbed
continue to add broth until rice is creamy and al dente. If rice is not creamy enough add some hot water
stir in butter and half of the grated parmesan
divide onto 4 plates and garnish with remaining parmesan and parsley

Nutrition

Amazing Arancini

Italian rice balls made out of prosciutto and parmesan risotto

This is a great idea for an appetizer or hors d’oeuvres. I stuff each ball with a little fresh mozzarella so the cheese melts in the center. The best part is that they can be prepared ahead of time up to the point of frying. Truthfully, you can even fry them ahead of time and warm them in the oven before serving but they won’t be quite as crisp and delicious as frying them right before serving. The good news is that they are so delicious so even when reheated they taste amazing. If you are serving the arancini as an hors d’oeuvre make the balls the size of a melon ball so guests can eat it in one or two bites. Serve the arancini with my quick tomato sauce recipe

Please note that I recommend using packaged bread crumbs like Progresso for this recipe. The texture of the bread crumbs will create a thin crisp crust around the Arancini and works much better than fresh bread crumbs.

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5 from 2 votes

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Prosciutto and Parmesan Arancini

Prosciutto and Parmesan Rice Balls

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Appetizer, hors d’oeuvres

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: pieces

Ingredients

2½ cups Prosciutto and Parmesan Risotto cooled to room temperature recipe on Jenn's View
3 oz fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes
2 eggs beaten
1 cup AP flour for coating
1½ cups bread crumbs store bought is best for this
vegetable oil for frying
grated parmesan reggiano for garnish
chopped basil for garnish

Instructions

form risotto into individual balls
press a cube of mozzarella in center of each ball and seal hole with risotto
roll each risotto ball in flour then egg and then breadcrumbs.
heat 2 inches of vegtable oil in a deep pan
fry arancini in batches until golden brown
place on a paper towel to remove excess oil
sprinkle with grated parmesan and chopped italian parsley to garnish
serve with tomato sauce

Notes

This recipe may yield more or less arancini depending on the size of each ball.

snacks, Breakfast, Recipes

Burstin’ Blueberry Muffins

June 2, 2021June 1, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Summer is in the air so it’s time to start making and baking our favorite summertime treats. This time of year is perfect for making recipes using fresh fruit and berries.

These blueberry muffins can be made in the traditional size or as mini muffins. I like to make them in the mini size so each tiny bite is packed with fresh whole blueberries. They are quick and easy to make in the morning and leave out on the counter for your friends and family to grab during the day. Assuming, of course, that you resist eating them all yourself.

The blueberry muffins are topped with a white sugar crumble that creates a delicious crunch on the top of the muffins. The muffins are delicious eaten right away but also freeze beautifully. Simply defrost on the counter or warm them up in a 300 oven.

Can I Substitute the Blueberries with other Fruit?

Yes, you can put chopped chopped peaches or strawberries in the muffins or substitute the blueberries with fresh raspberries.

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5 from 1 vote

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Burstin’ Blueberry Mini Muffins

Tiny Muffins Filled with Whole Blueberries

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: muffins, pastry

Servings: mini muffins

Calories: 97kcal

Equipment

12 cup mini mufin pan
mini muffin paper liners

Ingredients

¾ cup AP flour
⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup blueberries use small berries

Topping

¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
½ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
place muffin liners in cups
mix flour, sugar and baking powder together
mix milk, vanilla, oil and egg together in a seperate bowl
add milk mixture to flour mixture
gently blend in blueberries
use a spoon to fill muffin tins almost all the way to the top of each lined cup.
mix topping ingredients together until crumbly
sprinkle on top of each muffin
bake in oven for 10-15 minutes

Notes

If batter is too thick add a tablespoon of milk to thin it out.

Nutrition

snacks, Recipes, Salads and Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner

Caramelized Ramp Chimichurri

April 13, 2021May 5, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Chefs all over the world rejoice when ramps are in season. The truth is that ramps are in season for a very short period of time and signify the beginning of Spring. Ramp season typically only lasts a month or so from early April until May which is part of the reason why they are such a delicacy.

So What is a Ramp?

A ramp is an entity of its own. Some call them wild leeks. Ramps have a thin stalk that looks a bit like a scallion with one or two flat leaves. The flavor is a cross between an onion and garlic. Ramps have a very distinctive flavor that is not found in any commercially harvested vegetable. Ramps are foraged which makes them rare and adds to their delicacy. They are the first green that emerges from the soil after a long winter. Ramps can also be a little costly due to their scarce supply.

How to Prepare Ramps:

Ramps can be used in wide variety of ways. Once the bulb at the end is cut off the entire ramp can be eaten. They are delicious sautéed in butter and eaten with fried eggs or as a side dish with steak or fish. You can also use them in quiche with a little bacon. I have decided to make a caramelized ramp Chimichurri sauce that works well with fish or can be used as a marinade for skirt steak. Grilled swordfish with avocado is perfect with Caramelized Ramp Chimichurri. Make sure you save a little on the side if you are using the Chimichurri as a marinade so you can serve it as a sauce. I love how vibrant and green this Chimichurri is. It just screams spring to me.

Cleaning Ramps:

Ramps come from the ground and the soil can get caught in them. Run the ramps for several minutes under cold water to remove soil. Then cut off bottom stem and pull back the outer skin and rinse again.

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5 from 1 vote

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Caramelized Ramp Chimichurri

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Side Dish, Sauces and Dips

Keyword: Sauce, dips, marinade

Servings: people

Calories: 267kcal

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp fresh oregano leaves
½ cup parsley leaves
10 ramps washed and cut in thirds

Instructions

Cut the bottom off of each ramp and wash well in cool water. Cut into thirds.
saute ramps in 2 tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Let cool
add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor and pulse a few times
while mixer in running slowly add olive oil and blend well
Use as a marinade or serve as a sauce with grilled fish or meat

Nutrition

snacks, Salads and Appetizers, Lunch, Dinner

Roasted Garlic Hummus

April 7, 2021April 7, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Roasting the garlic cloves creates a nutty mild garlic flavor that balances well with the tahini.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread that is made with cooked chickpeas. The chickpeas are boiled until very soft and their skin is beginning to come off. This makes it easy to mash them into a very smooth dip that blends perfectly with the silky tahini. Tahini is made from sesame seeds. I like to use the Soom Premium Tahini available here on Amazon. This tahini is all natural, delicious and made by a woman owned company.

Homemade hummus can be used in a variety of ways. You can serve it as an hors d’oeuvres with pita or flat bread and raw vegetables or as a side dish with charred broccoli and peppers. Simply toss the broccoli and peppers with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes in a 400 oven then serve over the hummus as a side dish or appetizer. The hummus will stay fresh for 5 days in your refrigerator and is a healthy snack to have around. If you feel a little hungry try dipping some pretzel crisps into the hummus as a mid afternoon snack

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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Roasted Garlic Hummus

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack, Sauces and Dips

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: Sauce, vegetarian, Side Dishes, dips, snacks

Servings: people

Calories: 42kcal

Equipment

food processor or immersion blender

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas
½ tsp baking soda
2 clove garlic
¾ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
2 tbsp ice cold water
1½ tsp Extra virgin olive oil plus extra to drizzle on top if desired
sumac to sprinkle on top

Instructions

preheat oven to 400
peel garlic and toss with ½ teaspoon olive oil. Wrap in foil and roast in oven for 30-45 minutes until light brown and soft
drain and rinse chickpeas and add them to a sauce pan with baking soda.
fill pan with water until chickpeas are just covered
bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until chickpeas are soft
drain in mesh strainer and rinse with cold water
mash roasted garlic with the back of a fork and add to food processor
add lemon juice, tahini, salt, pepper and ice water and blend until smooth
add chickpeas and cumin and remaining teaspoon of olive oil
blend until very smooth scraping sides as necessary.
If too thick then add another tablespoon of water
place in a bowl and drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sumac

Nutrition

snacks, Breakfast, Lunch

Homemade English Muffins

March 31, 2021March 30, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Fun to make and way better than packaged.

I have been wanting to make English Muffins for awhile. My family loves to eat English Muffins for breakfast and lunch. English Muffins are great to use for a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or a tuna melt or simply toasted with some jam.

I saw this recipe on King Arthur Flour website. I love King Arthur Flour and always keep a supply of their all purpose, bread flour and “00” flour on hand. This English Muffin recipe calls for bread flour. The main difference between all purpose flour and bread flour is that bread flour has a higher protein content which produces lots of gluten which is essential in creating more stability and rise in the dough. All purpose flour is better for cakes and cookies.

This English Muffin recipe comes together very quickly but does require a double rise. The first rise is about 1.5 hours and the second proofing is a quick 15 minutes after the muffins have been shaped. Since this is a softer dough it is a good idea to shape the English Muffins and place them on the griddle or heavy bottom frying pan that you will be baking them on. The pan or griddle should be heavily sprinkled with semolina flour before you place the English Muffins on the pan. After the English Muffins have been placed on the pan you will need to sprinkle more semolina flour on top, cover with parchment paper and let proof for 15 minute . The semolina flour will prevent the bottom of the English muffins from burning before the inside is cooked. After the second rise you should place the griddle or frying pan on medium low heat.

The first side of the English Muffin will take 15-25 minutes, the second side will take roughly 15 minutes to bake. I like to turn the muffins periodically so that they brown evenly on the bottom. The English Muffins are done when the internal temperature reaches 185-200. After the English Muffins are ready let them cool completely and then brush off most of the semolina flour from both sides. After the English Muffins have cooled completely you can use a fork to cut them in half. Do not use a knife or else you won’t have the nooks and crannies.

Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

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English Muffins

Homemade English Muffins are easy and fun to make

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Proofing1 45

Total Time2 35

Course: Breakfast, Snack, lunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, muffins

Servings: Muffins

Calories: 160kcal

Equipment

Cast iron Griddle or heavy bottom frying pan
Stand mixer

Ingredients

4½ cups bread flour
1½ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp instant yeast
1¾ cups lukewarm milk
3 tbsp butter softened
1 egg beaten lightly
2 tbsp granulated sugar
semolina flour to sprinkle on pan

Instructions

Mix flour, salt and yeast together
In a stand mixer fitter with dough hook add butter, sugar and mix
add egg and milk and continue to mix for 1 minute
add flour mixture and mix for 5 minutes until dough is smooth and puuls away from sides
shape into a ball, place in bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rise for 1.5 hours until double in size
remove from bowl and gently press down in center of dough to deflate
divide the dough into 16 pieces, gently roll into a ball and flatten into a 3½ inch disk shape
Place each disk on a cast iron griddle or heavy bottom frying pan heavily sprinkled with semolina flour
sprinkle more semolina flour on top of muffins and cover with a piece of parchment paper
let english muffins rise for 15 minutes
place griddle or frying pan on medium low heat
cook English muffin for 15 – 25 minutes until bottom is a light golden brown
flip muffins over and continue to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until golden brown on bottom and internal temperature is between 185 and 200. Adjust heat lower if muffin bottom is beginning to burn.
Let English Muffins cool completely.
Scrape most of the semolina flour off of the muffins when they are cool
Always use a fork to cut muffins in half. DO NOT USE A KNIFE.

Notes

Semolina flour prevents the bottoms of the muffins from burning. I like to brush most of it off before once the English Muffins are cool.

Muffins can be frozen in airtight plastic bags.

Nutrition

snacks, Recipes, Holiday and Special Occasion

Homemade Soft Pretzels

February 2, 2021February 1, 2021by Jenn MandellLeave a Comment

Delicious Homemade Pretzels and Pretzel Nuggets

Living in NYC I love to walk in Central Park and eat a big, hot salty pretzel. Soft pretzels are sold by street vendors all over the city and are best eaten hot with lots of mustard. The pretzel was originally created in Germany by a Monk around 610 A.D. They were called ‘pretiola’ which translates to ‘little reward’. The monk would give the pretiola to children as a reward for learning their prayers. The twisted shape of the pretzel is meant to resemble a child’s arms crossed in prayer.

I have spent a lot of time perfecting a recipe for homemade soft pretzels at home. The dough comes together very quickly but does require a rise of about an hour in order to create a pretzel with the right texture and consistency. I like to make these pretzels with my daughter Olivia. It is a lot of fun to roll out the dough and shape them into pretzels. It is essential to boil the pretzel for 30 seconds in water and baking soda before baking them in the oven. This step is what creates the slightly chewy texture to the soft pretzel and prepares the outside to crisp up in the oven. Please note that you should add the baking soda to the water first and then bring it to a boil. Adding the baking soda to boiling water will cause the water to boil over and will make a mess. Trust me on this one, it’s not pretty. After boiling the pretzels, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to dry for a few minutes before brushing with egg wash and sprinkling on pretzel salt. You can make the dough into pretzel shape or nuggets, both work well. It is important not to crowd the pretzels when boiling them. I only boil one or two at a time. Also, do not boil them for more than 30 seconds. Boiling the pretzel for too long will alter the taste because of the baking soda. These pretzels are best eaten fresh out of the oven while they are still warm. You will have freshly baked pretzels that are absolutely addicting. You can wrap them in foil and place in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat the pretzels in a 350 oven. They will be good but they will not be as good as when you eat them the same day

Can I top my pretzels with other toppings?

Yes, you can top the pretzels with a variety of toppings, savory and sweet. I like to use pretzel salt on some and everything seasoning on the rest. You need to buy pretzel salt which is a specialized salt. It is not the same as coarse salt. Pretzel salt is white and has less sodium than coarse salt. You can also sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the pretzels when they are almost done baking so that the cheese melts on the pretzel. If you would like to make the pretzels a little sweet I would add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the dough and sprinkle the pretzels with cinnamon and sugar when they are half way through baking. You can serve the sweeter pretzels with chocolate and caramel dipping sauce.

Rate this Recipe

5 from 3 votes

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Homemade Pretzels

A soft chewy pretzel recipe

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

kneading8

Total Time38

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pretzels

Servings: pretzels

Calories: 215kcal

Ingredients

1½ cups milk warm not boiling
1 tbsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter melted
4½ cups flour
2¼ tsp instant yeast OR 1 package active dry yeast
1 egg beaten and mixed with 2 tbsp water
pretzel salt for sprinkling over pretzels
9 cups water
½ cup baking soda

Instructions

mix flour and instant yeast together
place warm milk, sugar and salt in a mixer fitted with dough hook
slowly add flour and mix
add melted butter and continue to mix until dough comes together
take dough out of bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface until elastic and smooth. about 5 minutes.
place dough in a mixing bowl that has been greased with vegetable oil
rub top of dough with a little oil, cover with a dish towel and place in warm place for 1 hour
preheat oven to 400
add ½ cup baking soda to 9 cups of water and bring to a boil
cut dough into 12 pieces
roll each piece into a long rod around 16 inches long
form into a pretzel shape press ends into pretzel. Or cut into 1 inch nuggets.
Boil one or two at a time for 30 seconds
place on a parchement lines sheet.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel salt or everything seasoning
Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. (8-10 for nuggets)

Notes

You can use active yeast instead of instant yeast. If you use active yeast place the contents of one envelope into the warm milk and allow to activate for 5 minutes. Then proceed with recipe.

Nutrition