Tag: #Holiday Favorite Recipes

Mussels Fra Diavolo

Published on by Twiins in the Kitchen4 Comments

Mussels Fra Diavolo

  • Servings: Serves 6-12
  • Difficulty: Easy

About ten years ago Gary requested Mussels Fra Diavolo to be included in our Christmas Eve dinner. Our father & husbands love the hot & spicy sauce the mussels are cooked in. We serve it over linguine or angel hair pasta. It's an easy & quick recipe that you can make as hot as you like (read Note below before step 2) . The lovers of HEAT in your family will definitely enjoy this sauce. 😋 😋

Ingredients

  • 1½ heads of garlic
  • 1/3 cup red wine (optional)
  • 1½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
  • 4 shakes cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 3 (28 oz) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped (optional)
  • 3-4 lbs mussels, cleaned & debearded
  • 1 can sliced Scungilli (optional)
  • 2 shakes of black pepper

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the EVOO on medium-low.
  2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir well.
  3. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, capers, olives & wine.
  4. Break up the tomatoes and simmer about 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  5. In the meantime, cook your linguine or angel hair pasta.
  6. Raise sauce heat to medium and add the mussels. Cover & continue cooking another 3-6 minutes more or until mussels are open.
  7. Add the can of sliced scungilli if using. (These are already cooked so they don’t need more than 1 minute in the sauce)
  8. Discard any mussels that do not open.
  9. Serve over pasta & enjoy.

Note: If your not a lover of heat,  sprinkle half the hot red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper first then give it a good stir. Taste it & proceed from there.  You can always add heat but you can’t take it away!

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Christmas Eve 7 Fishes Seafood Salad

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Christmas Eve 7 Fishes Seafood Salad

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Difficulty: Moderate

All of our favorite fish in one platter, it doesn't get any better than that! We could always count on Aunt Rosemarie to make the best traditional Christmas Eve seafood salad for a tasty appetizer to start. Our husbands look forward to it and request it throughout the year. We recommend you have plenty of crusty Italian bread on hand to soak up the delicious marinade. ❤️

Ingredients

Broth 

  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 large cloves garlic
  • 3 bay leaves (large size) fresh or dried
  • 12 black peppercorns
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
  • 3  lemon slices, 1/4-inch thick
  • 1 Tablespoon salt

Mussels

  • 1/2 cup white wine

Salad

  • 1 pound tenderized octopus (see directions below)
  • 1 pound calamari, cut into 1/2-inch rings
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • 1  29-oz can of sliced scungilli (we use LaMonica canned sliced scungilli as fresh is not available in our area)
  • 1 pound bay scallops (the small ones)
  • 3 lbs mussels, beards removed (if any of the uncooked mussels are open run under cold water to close. If they don’t close throw them out. After cooking throw out any mussels that do no open.
  • 1 baccala (salted dried cod, reconstitute in a large bowl with cold water 48 hours prior to cooking. Change the water several times throughout the process to remove excess salt.)
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 – 2 Tablespoons diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1 cup green olives with pimento (any olive you like can be used, black or green or both)

Marinade

  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon EVOO
  • 10 cloves garlic (medium size)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • reserved mussel broth that has been strained through cheesecloth

Directions

  1. 48 hours before cooking, soak the baccala in fresh clean water, changing the water about every 8 hours, to remove excess salt.
  2. Clean and wash all the seven fishes.
  3. In a deep pan, add 1/2 cup white wine and the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels are all opened and the meat separates easily from the shell.
  4. Remove the meat and set aside in bowl.
  5. Filter the broth of the mussels through cheesecloth and set aside.
  6. In a large double boiler pot that has a colander, fill halfway with water.
  7. Add to the water all the ingredients for the broth, 1/2 cup white wine, 4 large cloves garlic, 3 bay leaves, 12 black peppercorns, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, 3 lemon slices, and 1 Tablespoon salt.
  8. Bring to a boil then add the reconstituted baccala. Cook about 7 minutes then remove from water and set aside.
  9. Add to the pot the calamari, cook them for about 5 minutes then remove from water and set aside.
  10. Add to the pot the scallops, cook them for about 3-4 minutes then remove from water and set aside.
  11. Add to the pot the shrimp, cook about 2-3 minutes more or less (depending on their size) then remove from water and set aside. Shrimp are done when they are pink & opaque.
  12. Lastly, add the octopus to the pot then dip the colander in and out 3 times. Let the octopus cook for about 10-20 minutes (depending on size)then remove from the pot and set aside. Octopus is done when a fork pierces it easily.
  13. In a large bowl, add the mussels, calamari, shrimp, sliced scungilli, and scallops.
  14. Cut the baccala into bite size pieces, then add to the bowl.
  15. Cut the octopus into bite-size pieces with a knife or scissors, then add to the bowl.
  16. Mix all the fish together.
  17. To the bowl add the parsley, celery, carrots, and olives. Mix well.
  18. In a small bowl add the marinade ingredients and mix well.
  19. Pour over the fishes and mix well.
  20. In a covered bowl, marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
  21. Serve at room temperature as the appetizer course of your Christmas Eve dinner.

Notes: Baccala must be reconstituted in fresh colder water for 48 hours prior to making this recipe. 

Once the salad is made and the marinade has been added, refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving to meld the flavors.

Refrigerate unused salad and use within 2 days.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Zeppole

Published on by Twiins in the Kitchen5 Comments

Zeppole

  • Servings: Makes 45-50
  • Difficulty: Easy

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Mom's zeppole (Italian donuts). Fifty years ago, our Mom got this recipe from her neighbor Lucille and that was the start of our love affair with zeppole! From her first batch, they became a holiday favorite in our home. During the holiday season you would always find a pot filled with vegetable oil, just waiting for Mom to whip up a batch. Our home was always filled with friends and neighbors and Mom always had them available. Everyone loved them and they were quickly devoured. Our zeppole are heavenly with their light, spongy texture, and sprinkling of powdered sugar. Even Santa loves them & keeps coming back for more! ❤️❤️

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Presto* cake flour (sift before measuring)
  • 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 4 eggs, well beaten
  • 1½ lbs. of whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Vegetable oil, 2 to 3 inches deep for frying

Directions

  1. Slowly heat the vegetable oil in a 1 – 2 qt stainless steel saucepan, to a temperature of 375º. (use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature)
  2. In a large bowl, place the cake flour, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and ricotta cheese and mix well with a wooden spoon.
  3. When the oil temperature reaches 375º, take a flatware tablespoon of batter and using your index finger or another spoon,  carefully slide the batter off the spoon into the hot oil, being careful not to splash yourself. Set the timer for 3 minutes once they are in the pot.  Depending on the size pot you use, fry 2-4 at a time. They turn on their own so no need to turn them.
  4. After 3 minutes, remove to paper towels to drain any excess oil.
  5. Continue frying 2-4 zeppole at a time until batter is used up.
  6. Put the cooked zeppole in a serving dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve while warm.

Notes:  *Presto cake flour is self-rising and contains baking powder & salt. If not available in your local grocery store, order from Amazon. Swan Cake flour is not self-rising and will require the addition of baking powder and salt; however, we don’t know you’ll get the same results.

Zeppole need room to turn over on their own so don’t crowd them. We used a small 1 qt saucepan and fried 2 at a time. If you want to fry 4 or 5 at a time make sure you use at least a 6 qt saucepan.

The powdered sugar will melt if they sit awhile before serving so sprinkle with additional powdered sugar as needed.

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Mom’s Christmas Eve Flounder

Published on by Twiins in the Kitchen8 Comments

Mom's Christmas Eve Flounder

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: Easy

Our Christmas Eve dinner always included our Mom's delicious flounder dish which she made every Christmas Eve as long as we can remember. In keeping with our Italian heritage, of course it's made with mozzarella, Pecorino Romano cheese, seasoned breadcrumbs, butter, white wine, herbs, and garlic... lots of garlic! Christmas Eve just wouldn't be the same without it. Mom's handwritten recipe listed ingredients only... no measurements so our first attempt was a disaster!!! We knew it was missing something but we weren't quite sure what it was because we followed her ingredient list to the letter.  We finally realized the missing ingredient was garlic... she obviously thought it was a given & not necessary to write it down! We're happy to share this family favorite with you and hope your family enjoys it as much as our family does.  ❤️❤️

Ingredients

  • 2-2½ lbs flounder fillets (all skin & bones removed)
  • salted butter
  • 5 Tablespoons Italian seasoned bread crumbs (about 1½ Tablespoons for each layer; more or less to taste)
  • 3 tsp dried oregano (1 tsp for each layer)
  • 3 tsp dried thyme (1 tsp for each layer)
  • 6 Tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 2 Tablespoons per layer; more or less to taste)
  • 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded or thinly sliced
  • 6 large cloves garlic, smashed then minced
  • salt & pepper to taste, optional
  • 3 Tablespoons Chardonnay wine

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Grease a 24-ounce oval au gratin dish (or an 8 x 8-inch glass pyrex) baking dish with butter. (We used Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware 24-Ounce Oval Au Gratin Dish)
  3. Place fish fillets to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
  4. Place a few small pats of butter on fish fillets.
  5. Spread 1/3 of the garlic over the fish fillets.
  6. Sprinkle with dried thyme and oregano.
  7. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese to cover fish.
  8. Sprinkle with seasoned bread crumbs then top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
  9. Repeat steps 3 – 8 for two more layers. (There should be 3 layers in total)
  10. Top with small pats of butter and sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of Chardonnay on top.
  11. Bake at 400ºF until fish flakes, approximately 25-30 minutes.

Notes: For a gluten-free version use Gluten-Free Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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