We recently had the good fortune of spending time with Chef Tony Hanslits, the Executive Chef at The Chef's Academy at Harrison College in Indianapolis. Humble, calm & extremely kind, Chef Tony brings highly respected experience & innovation to The Chef's Academy where he continues to be an exemplary role model & mentor to his students. He is also the Executive Chef & Partner of Nicole-Taylor's Pasta and Market & Back Room Eatery in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis, together with his lovely wife Rosa Hanslits. Part of why we enjoy spending time with Chef Tony & Rosa is that we always learn something new about cooking, ingredients & hospitality in addition to enjoying healthy & delicious food! We can’t wait to go back!

We know popcorn is a delicious snack, but did you know?

Popcorn is a whole grain & its simplest form a low fat, low calorie, healthy food. 3 cups of popcorn are equal to one serving from the grain group. Organic popcorn is not genetically modified, without artificial additives or preservatives. Popcorn is sugar free, provides energy-producing complex carbohydrates & contains the fiber our bodies need! Celebrate National Popcorn Day with this easy recipe we modified using our high smoke point, Villa Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a delicious & healthy snack. Toss with drizzled olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt or your favorite spices.

Makes 2 quarts

Simple ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. Villa Gabriella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup high quality (preferably non GMO) popcorn kernels
• 1 3-quart covered saucepan
• 1 Tbsp. or more (to taste) ofoil
• Salt, spices to taste

Easy directions

1. Heat the oil in saucepan over a medium flame. To ensure evenly popped corn, place 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil & cover the pan
2. When the kernels pop, add 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer
3. Cover, remove from heat & count to 30. (This first heats the oil to the right temperature & waiting 30 seconds allows the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so when cooking resumes, they pop evenly)
4. Return the pan to the medium heat & cover
5. The popcorn should begin popping together. As popping increases, gently shift the pan back & forth over the heat
6. Continue to shift the pan over the heat & for crispier popcorn keep the lid slightly ajar to release steam from pan
7. As the popping decreases to several seconds between pops, remove pan from heat covered, let sit 2 minutes.
8. Transfer popcorn to a wide bowl
9. Lightly drizzle oil over the popcorn & toss to distribute
10. Season to taste & enjoy!
11. Recipe Source

HOW DID THIS RECIPE GO? DID YOU ADD ANOTHER INGREDIENT TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER? PLEASE SHARE YOUR COMMENTS & FEEDBACK WITH US! WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A HEALTHY & DELCIOUS EXPERIENCE!

GRAZIE DA TEAM VILLA GABRIELLA
clientservice@villagabriellallc.com

Who can say no to ice cream even in January?!?

Celebrate National Strawberry Ice Cream Day with Villa Graziella Organic. Take your favorite strawberry ice cream & simply drizzle Villa Graziella Organic, balsamic vinegar di Modena for a luscious dessert that's healthy too! Enjoy!!

Remember those warm, lazy Summer days? Take a peek at how we celebrated National Ice Cream Day last July! 

At Villa Graziella Organic our team tries & taste every recipe we feature. While we love to share our family recipes & those talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Graziella recipes. So try them in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what we think. We welcome your comments & feedback.  

Grazie!

Today celebrates National Gluten Free Day and we are so proud to feature Villa Graziella fan, accomplished author & global educator, Kim Koeller of www.GlutenFreePassport.com and www.GlutenFreeBlog.com!  

Kim so kindly shared her Gluten Free and Dairy Free Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake recipe with us along with the following words:

"My mom used to bake an amazing coffee cake that she called Blueberry Buckle which was one of my favorite treats. Ever since I found out that I was celiac and allergic to dairy over 13 years ago, we have been trying to recreate a gluten free and dairy free version.

Well, I am thrilled to share that the secret formula has been discovered! With my Dad’s confirmation, it’s the same delicious taste and texture of my Mom’s famous family recipe. Best of all, no one could tell that it was gluten and dairy free!

As background, I saw the photo of the Cinnamon Streusel Coffee cake on the side of the King Arthur Flour Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Mix box. It reminded me of Mom’s Blueberry Buckle without the blueberries. So I thought, well, let’s also modify this to be dairy free and see what happens.

So I substituted a combination of Villa Graziella's Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread for the butter. I also used almond milk for regular milk and organic sugars for regular sugars. The result is fantastic making the coffee cake so moist and flavorful it was simply outstanding!"

INGREDIENTS

STRUESEL:
2/3 cup King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup organic brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons of Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 tablespoons of Earth Balance organic buttery spread, softened

CAKE:
1 1/2 cup King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Mix
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 ½ tablespoons of Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 cup Earth Balance Organic Buttery Spread, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
1 pint of blueberries

DIRECTIONS

STREUSEL:
Mix the gluten free baking mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until evenly blended. Work in the organic olive oil and buttery spread until evenly crumbly. Set aside.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" square pan with Earth Balance Organic Butter Spread and dust with King Arthur Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix. Whisk together the gluten free baking mix and sugar in a separate bowl. Whisk together the organic olive oil, the melted buttery spread, eggs, almond milk and vanilla, and then stir wet mixture into the dry ingredients until well blended. Mix in the pint of blueberries.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9” square pan. Sprinkle with streusel topping.  Bake for approximately 22-26 minutes until a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean and the middle springs back when pressed lightly. Cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares.

Yields: 9 to 12 servings.

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The middle of winter can be a challenge to make salads. As with any vegetable or fruit, look for what is currently in season to create a flavorful & healthy dish of greens, fruit & veggies.  This month in honor of Saint Vincent of Zaragoza, Spain & the Patron Saint of Wine Vinegar, we tried Chef Justin Severino’s salad of radicchio lettuce, “blood” oranges & goat cheese dressed with vinaigrette made from Villa Graziella Organic 8 year aged Balsamic Vinegar di Modena & single estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The recipe states preparation takes only 15 minutes; however it took us longer to supreme oranges for the 1st time, toast & chop the pistachios. The array of winter ingredients resulted in a delicious medley of sweet, savory, tangy, salty, creamy & nutty flavors all in 1 colorful dish! Serve it as a starter or as a side dish to fish. 

Serves 4

Simple Ingredients: 

• 6 tablespoons of Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil + extra to season

• 2 tablespoon Villa Graziella Organic Balsamic Vinegar

• Juice of ½ a medium sized lemon, if possible not from concentrate

• 2 medium sized “blood”oranges

• 1 ½ medium heads of radicchio lettuce, washed, dried & separated into 3 inch or bite size pieces

• 8 ounces soft, room temperature goat cheese

• 1 large, ripe avocado cubed

• ¾ cup pistachio nuts, toasted & coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup mint leaves, wash, dried & roughly chopped + extra for garnish

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Sea salt

Easy Directions:

1. For the vinaigrette, place vinegar into a small bowl, slowly whisk in oil, season with lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste, set aside.

2. To supreme the oranges, use a knife to trim the top & bottom of the fruit.

3. Set the orange on 1 end, slice from top to bottom following the curve of the fruit, cutting away the peel & white pith.

4. Loosen & release the orange sections one at a time by inserting the blade between membrane the flesh on either side, then removing loosened flesh. Place orange sections in a large bowl.

5. Gently combine orange sections, mint, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, avocado & radicchio lettuce.

6. Re-whisk the vinaigrette & pour over the ingredients to coat the salad mixture. Season with salt.

7. Arrange the goat cheese across a serving platter or individual plates.

8. Drizzle the cheese with olive oil & season with salt & pepper.

9. Arrange the salad over cheese & garnish with extra mint & pistachios

10. Serve & enjoy!

At Villa Graziella Organic our team tries & taste every recipe we feature. While we love to share our family recipes & those talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Graziella recipes. So try them in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what we think. We welcome your comments & feedback.  

Grazie!

Today celebrates National Bittersweet Chocolate Day and we can help but recall the pizzelle cookies made this past holiday season.  A great make ahead treat, pizzelles are a unique sweet to bring to any gathering.  Although labor intensive, they satisfy any sweet tooth’s desire.

While making the pressed cookies, we wanted to find out more about their rich Italian heritage.  As found on pizzellecookie.com: 

The word pizzelle means, loosely, “small, flat, and round” in Italian.  These waffle-type cookies are made by pouring batter between the two plates of an iron, which is then held over a fire or heated electrically.

Pizzelle were first made in the south-central area of Abruzzo (now the Region of Abruzzo) in the 8th century.  Two small towns each claim to have originated the treat, which are featured in their yearly festivals:

• The citizens of Salle, in the Province of Pescara, celebrate the festival of Beato Roberto every July. Celebrants walk down the street carrying branches on which pizzelle are hung as an offering.

• In Cocullo, in the Province of L’Aquila, the celebrants eat pizzelle during the festival of their patron saint, Domenico. They cover his statue in snakes and carry it around the town.

These days, pizzelle can be found at almost any celebration in the Abruzzo region and across Italy.  It is a rare Italian wedding that does not serve pizzelle at the sweets table.  These cookies are closely associated with family; in fact, pizzelle irons have been fashioned with the pattern of a family’s crest.  Pizzelle are also popular in countries with large Italian populations, such as Canada, the U.S.A., and Australia.

Pizzelle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter (softened)

• 3+ cups of flour

• 6 eggs

• Anise seeds (to taste)

• 1 tbs lemon extract

• 1 tbs vanilla extract

• ¼ cup rum

Instructions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, and eggs together until well incorporated.

2. Add lemon and vanilla extract, rum, and anise seeds.

3. Mix well to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. With mixer on low, slowly add flour 1 cup at a time.

5. To add additional flour, remove dough from mixer, work with your hands making sure dough does not get too dry. Dough should be moist but not stick to your hands.

6. Roll dough into small marble sized balls.

7. Prep the pizzelle press by rubbing with Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Place over low-medium heat until hot.

8. Place one dough ball onto the pizzelle press and close. Heat until lightly golden brown, flip the press and heat the other side.

9. Remove pizzelle cookie from the press with a spatula and let cool.

Bittersweet Chocolate Dip

Ingredients:

• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

• 3 Tbl heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Melt the chocolate and cream together in a bowl set over simmering water until just melted. Stir and remove from the heat.

2. Dip each pizzelle in the chocolate and set aside on waxed or parchment paper to dry.

Celebrate National Bean Day with one of our favorites, Cannellini Beans! Part of the legume family & also known as the Italian Kidney bean, it was cultivated in Argentina by Italian immigrants with the surname Cannellini, (hence the name). The versatile bean made its’ way back to Italy, where it is grown commercially & a staple ingredient in minestrone, pasta & soup dishes.  High in protein, fiber & low in fat, we tweaked Lori De Mori’s recipe for a healthy, hearty & delicious cold weather dish.

Makes approx. 6 cups

Easy Ingredients

• 1 pound dried cannellini-white kidney beans

• 4 cups room temperature water

• 4 cups of organic chicken broth

• 1 cup of white wine such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio

• ½ cup of cubed pancetta (unsmoked pork) optional

• 2 tablespoons Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil + extra 2 tablespoons for drizzling

• 1 large head of garlic, unpeeled, top 1/2 inch cut off to expose cloves

• 1 large fresh sage sprig

• 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried bay leaf

• ¼ teaspoon fresh whole black peppercorns

• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Simple Directions

1. Place beans in large bowl, fill with 6 cups of cold water & soak overnight.

2. Drain beans & place in large pot. Add 4 cups water, 4 cups of chicken broth with 2 tablespoons olive oil, pancetta cubes, head of garlic, sage sprig, bay leaf & black peppercorns.

3. Cover & heat over medium-high heat until mixture simmers.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer uncovered 1 ½ hours, stir occasionally.

5. Add 1 cup of wine to cover the beans, (the wine’s acid prevents the beans from becoming too soft)

6. Mix 1 teaspoon coarse salt, continue to simmer until beans are tender, approx.45-60 minutes.

7. Remove from heat & cool beans in liquid 1 hour.

8. Transfer beans to serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Preserve bean cooking liquid if desired, discard garlic, sage bay leaf & peppercorns.

9. Season beans to taste with pepper & sea salt.

10. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, serve & enjoy!

11. N.B. As beans can take a long time to cook on the stove top, some home chefs recommend cooking them covered in the oven at 325°F to help cook faster.

Tried, Tasted & True! At Villa Graziella Organic our team tries & tastes every recipe we feature. While we love to share our family recipes & those of talented home cooks & chefs, sometimes we adapt them so they are even easier to make. As with our products, our goal is for you to have a healthy & delicious experience using Villa Graziella recipes. So try them out in your kitchen, feel free to tweak them & please tell us what you think.

We welcome your comments & feedback!
Grazie da Team VILLA GRAZIELLA
clientservice@villagraziellaorganic.com

We are celebrating National Spaghetti Day! The Venetian explorer Marco Polo supposedly brought spaghetti back from the Far East in the late 13th century. While the curious culinarian more than likely encountered long noodle shaped pasta made from rice or hard wheat flour during his travels, according to historians, spaghetti & pasta existed as early as the 4th century B.C. amongst the Etruscan civilizations in Italy. Other food historians claim it was brought to Sicily via Arab conquerors where the locals were taught to preserve long strands of dough by drying it in the sun & later cooking it in boiling sea salt water.

Not just for red meat sauce, our spaghetti paired perfectly with an easy to prepare reduction of Villa Graziella Organic extra virgin olive oil, organic certified balsamic vinegar di Modena, fresh spinach & herbs. We adjusted our recipe from The Plant Based Dietician-Juliana Hever for a healthy & delicious meatless Monday lunch or dinner. Serves 4.

Simple Ingredients: 

• 1 cup reduced Villa Graziella Organic Balsamic Vinegar di Modena

• 4 tablespoons Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 16 oz. package of dry, uncooked spaghetti

• 2 cups of fresh spinach, washed & chopped

• 1 ½ cups fresh basil washed & chopped

• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano Or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary Or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated to taste

Easy Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of Villa Graziella Organic Balsamic Vinegar di Modena to a boil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat

2. When vinegar boils, reduce heat to low & simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half. Cover & set aside

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat, salt & cook spaghetti according to the package directions

4. Combine Villa Graziella Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, basil, rosemary in a large bowl

5. When spaghetti is 1-2 minutes from fully cooking, add chopped spinach to the boiling water

6. Stir until just combined

7. Strain the spaghetti & spinach

8. Combine spaghetti, spinach into the bowl with the herb balsamic mixture, add sea salt & fresh cracked pepper.

9. Stir well until fully combined, add grated cheese.

10. Serve & enjoy!

Thank you to La Grande Orange Grocery and Pizzeria for having us at their holiday shopping on December 9th! Guests enjoyed homemade pesto paninis, marcona almonds, & parmesan cheese drizzled in our organic 8-year aged balsamic vinegar!