Chicken with Tonnato Sauce in Pita Pockets

Inspired by the northern Italian dish vitello tonnato, or veal in tuna sauce, this sandwich features the unusual combination of chicken with creamy tuna sauce and roasted peppers

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients

1 3-ounce can chunk light tuna packed in water drained

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons chicken broth

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 clove clove garlic minced

Pinch cayenne pepper

3 pita breads cut in half crosswise

6 large lettuce leaves rinsed and dried

12 ounces cooked skinless chicken or left over rotisserie chicken works well

2 red bell peppers, roasted and sliced or 3-ounce jars roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed and sliced

Directions

1.Combine tuna, mayonnaise, yogurt, broth, lemon juice, anchovy paste, garlic and cayenne in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2.     To assemble the sandwiches, line pita halves with lettuce and fill with chicken or turkey, red pepper and a dollop of the tuna mixture.

3.     To oven-roast peppers: 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet. Arrange whole bell peppers on the rack. 2. Roast peppers in the center of the oven, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened in places, 30 to 40 minutes. 3. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes. Uncover and let cool. 4. With a paring knife, remove stems, skins and seeds. If serving as antipasto, combine accumulated juices with peppers.

Stromboli

Giorgio Celmo
Stromboli is a American dish reported to have originated in 1950’s in Essington, just outside of Philadelphia, at Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, by Nazzareno Romano. There, William Schofield supposedly gave it the name, after the movie Stromboli. . I ate my first Stromboli as a young man in Dearborn, Mi. at an Italian restaurant called Stromboli, now long gone. You can put whatever you like in a Stromboli; this is the way I like mine.

Ingredients “Dough”
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1-1/3 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Or you can buy pre made

Inside
1/2 Pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
½ cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 pound sliced ham Italian
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni or salami
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 cup grated provolone
2 cups grated mozzarella
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add oil, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form soft dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Add the onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos and cook, stirring, until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Spread mustard lengthwise down half of each rectangle; layer meats, pepper onion mixture, and cheeses. Fold plain half of dough over filling and seal ends well. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake at 400° 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool slightly; cut into 1-in. slices.

Sausage & Peppers Hero's

Sausage & Peppers Hero's

Giorgio Celmo

Ingredients:

1 Pound Italian Sausage sweet or hot you choose

2 Tablespoons water

2 Large green peppers, seeded and cut into ¾ length strips

1 Medium onion sliced and separated into rings

2 Cloves of garlic minced

¼ Cup red wine

Directions:

Prick sausage several times with a fork. In a medium skillet brown sausage well. Drain sausage and reserve liquid, plate sausage and cut into bite size pieces.

In the reserved drippings and 2 Tbs. water cook peppers, onions and garlic cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and add sausage and wine continue cooking until tender but not brown, adjust salt as needed. Serve on crusty Italian hero bread

Serves 4