Riccardo's Crepes

"A good breakfast for weekends and even desserts. Serve rolled up and filled with jam or fruit and whipped cream."

Original recipe yield:
12 servings
PREP TIME 5 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 35 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups milk
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Grilling Pizza

Preparing pizza on the grill results in a crispy, chewy crust with a wonderful smoky flavor.





Grilled pizzas are a specific style of pie: thin-crusted, with minimal toppings. Cheeses won't turn brown, since there's no upper heat source. These pizzas are lightly sauced, since too much liquid can cause the crust to become soggy and difficult to transfer from the grill. They're also very fast-baking.

Riccardo's Creme Brulee

"Custard with a vanilla taste and a crisp caramel type topping. Serve warm or chilled."

Original recipe yield:
6 servings
PREP TIME 40 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 10 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 3 eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 2 cups light cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs and sugar until smooth; set aside. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, heat cream until bubbles start to form at edges. Remove from heat and whisk into egg mixture, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Return mixture to double boiler and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Cook 2 minutes more, then remove from heat. Cool completely. Stir in vanilla.
2. Preheat oven broiler.
3. Pour cooled mixture into a 1 quart, shallow baking dish and place dish in an ice bath, in a larger, ovenproof dish. Sprinkle brown sugar over surface of mixture and place under preheated broiler 1 to 2 minutes, until top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Panna Cotta

"A traditional, easy, and delicious Italian custard. I had a difficult time finding a good and easy recipe on the internet, so I made up my own recipe. It tastes just like the panna cotta served at Italian restaurants. Serve with warm hot fudge sauce and fresh raspberries on top. This keeps well for several days in the refrigerator."

Original recipe yield:
6 servings
PREP TIME 5 Min
COOK TIME 10 Min
READY IN 4 Hrs 15 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 1/3 cup skim milk
* 1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
* 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual ramekin dishes.
3. Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.

Fettuccini Carbonara

"This carbonara is a delectable, mouth watering pile of yummy goodness. I recommend a nice salad with it - that's all you will need for a complete meal."

Original recipe yield:
6 servings
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 25 Min
READY IN 35 Min

INGREDIENTS

* 5 teaspoons olive oil
* 4 shallots, diced
* 1 large onion, cut into thin strips
* 1 pound bacon, cut into strips
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* 1 (16 ounce) package fettuccini pasta
* 3 egg yolks
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
* salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallots until softened. Stir in onion and bacon, and cook until bacon is evenly browned. Stir in garlic when bacon is about half done. Remove from heat.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta, then return it to the pot.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cream, and shredded Parmesan. Pour the bacon mixture over the pasta, then stir in the cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Baked Ziti

"Three cheeses layered with pasta and marinara sauce. This recipe is so easy and so good!"

Original recipe yield:
6 to 8 servings
PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 1 Hr

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
* 24 ounces ricotta cheese
* 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Herb and Chicken Pasta

hair pasta makes a cozy nest for chicken breasts seasoned with basil, rosemary and spicy Cajun seasonings.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings





INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (optional)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth


DIRECTIONS:


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and reserve.
Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper, basil, rosemary, Cajun seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet and stir in garlic and onions; cook and stir until clear.
Return chicken to skillet over onion mixture and add broth. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside; spread mixture over pasta and serve.