Ingredients

For the dressing:
• 1 teaspoon Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon shallot, chopped small
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad:
• 1-2 teaspoons Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cucumber
• 1 tablespoon shallot, chopped small
• 2 cups green beans, fresh
• 1 cup radicchio, fresh
• 2-3 radishes, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cup English peas, fresh
• 2 cups uncooked orzo

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing except the olive oil. When well mixed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk while adding to help it emulsify.
2. Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions and leave just a bit aldente. Drain and rinse. Add the orzo to a very large mixing bowl and mix in about 1/2 of the dressing. Toss and set aside.
3. In a pot of boiling water, blanch the fresh green beans for about two minutes. Remove from water and add to a cold ice bath to cool quickly and lock in the bright green color. If they are small and slender beans you can leave them whole; if very large, slice them in half. Set the beans aside. To the same water, blanch the peas for about 1 minute, remove in the same way, set aside.
4. Very thinly slice the radicchio lettuce leaving a few of the pretty curly parts of the leaves for garnish. Chop the cucumber and the shallot. Slice the radish very thin. I like to use a mandolin to get a very even and thin slice.
5. Into the large orzo pasta bowl, add in the green beans, shallot, cucumber, radicchio, peas, radishes, and the remaining dressing. Toss well then serve on a pretty platter and top with additional Umbria nut & spice mix and garnish with extra radish slices.

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 bag very small potatoes
• olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 small block mozzarella cheese
• 1 small jar marinara sauce, pasta or pizza sauce will do
• basil or parsley, fresh

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the little potatoes and allow them to boil until they become soft and a fork can pierce through easily. Remove from the heat, drain, and allow the potatoes to cool.
2. Place the potatoes back into the same pot (since it is already used, you won't have to get an extra bowl dirty), drizzle the softened & cooled potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Using your hands, toss the potatoes so they are lightly covered with olive oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, arrange the lightly oiled potatoes onto the sheet and with the back of a coffee cup or other small flat surface (a small plate, small pot, etc.), smash each potato so it is cracked and somewhat flat (see photo). Place the sheet pan of potatoes into the hot oven and bake them until the edges are brown and crispy.
4. Remove from the oven. Layer each crispy potato with a spoonful of marinara sauce then top with a small slice of mozzarella. Add a good pinch of Umbria nut & spice mix and a sprinkle of sea salt to the top. Place back into the oven, this time on broil, and heat just until the cheese on top melts. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately. These potato bites are so tasty they disappear quickly, so make plenty.

Notes

Ingredients

For the dressing:
• 1 teaspoon Umbria nut & spice mix
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (I like whole grain but either works)
• good pinch of salt
For the salad:
• 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans)
• 1 can (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas)
• 2 roasted beets
• 2 radishes, sliced thin
• 1 head radicchio lettuce, shredded
• 1 red pepper
• parmesan cheese or feta cheese
• fresh parsley, for garnish
• Umbria nut & spice mix, for garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside. To roast the beets, place them in aluminum foil and drizzle them with olive oil. Using your hands, rub the oil all around the flesh. Sprinkle them with sea salt, wrap the foil tightly around the beets and place in a 400° oven until they are fork tender. This may take 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. As a side note, I have found pre-roasted beets before at Trader Joe's. This certainly makes a wonderful short cut.
2. Once the beets are cooled, peel them carefully using a small paring knife, cut them into cubes and toss them into the dressing. Allow these to marinate for a while you begin chopping the veggies.
3. Rinse both cans of cannellini beans and garbanzos and rinse them well. Slice the radishes very thin. I like to use a mandolin to get even slices, however, if you don't have one, just use your knife skills and slice them evenly 🙂
4. Shred the radicchio into very thin slices. Thinly slice the red pepper.
5. Using a large bowl, toss together the beans, radicchio lettuce, radishes and red pepper. Gently toss in the beets and do not over mix because the beets will bleed quickly onto the rest of the salad. Some of the juices mixing together can be pretty because the beans will turn pink as the beet juices bleed over the salad, however, too much mixing might overdo it. Taste the salad to see if the beet dressing is enough flavoring for the salad. Add more olive oil, wine vinegar and salt if it needs more seasoning. To top off the salad, add thick slices of fresh parmesan cheese or for a salty twist, use white feta cheese crumbles. Garnish the salad with a generous sprinkle of Umbria nut & spice mix and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the breadcrumb topping:
• 2 teaspoons Umbria nut & spice mix
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
• sea salt
For the spaghetti squash:
• 1 spaghetti squash
• olive oil
• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 lb (16 oz) grape tomatoes
• 1 bag fresh spinach (or 4 handfuls)
• olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers & their juice
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Slice the grape tomatoes lengthwise, spread them onto a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil & sea salt and place them into a 350° oven to roast for about 15 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, some may be a bit crispy but do not let them burn. Remove from the oven as soon as they are browned a bit but not completely dry. Allow them to cool completely.
2. Heat a sauté pan on the stove top, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bottom, then add the panko bread crumbs, a pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of Umbria nut & spice mix and stir over the heat until they lightly toast. Remove from the heat, allow to cool a bit, then add the shredded parmesan, toss and set aside to use as a topping over the prepared spaghetti squash.
3. Take the spaghetti squash and place in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes to soften the flesh enough to slice through with a large chef's knife. When it is cooled a bit from the microwave, slice it lengthwise into two pieces. Clean the seeds out of the cavity (hint: I always use a grapefruit spoon which has serrated edges and it helps with the scraping). Using your hands, rub the inside cavity with a drizzle of olive oil and rub it well. Sprinkle the inside cavity with a bit of sea salt and a bit of Umbria nut & spice mix. Place the squash face up on a baking sheet and bake in a 400° oven for about 20-30 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool a bit. Scrape the inside to loosen the strands of squash but leave them in the squash cavity.
4. In a saucepan, add a bit of olive oil & heat through. Add the minced garlic and cook a bit without burning. Add the fresh spinach, the capers, about 2-3 teaspoons of the caper liquid and a sprinkle of Umbria nut & spice mix. Add the roasted tomatoes which were set aside. Remove from heat and mix well. Toss the tomato/spinach mixture into the cavity of the spaghetti squash, top with the crunchy panko crumb mixture, a bit more of Umbria nut & spice mix, and serve. This only serves 2 persons but can be doubled or tripled to serve 4-6. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 9 oz. package ravioli (I used mushroom & cheese)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups pasta water
• 1 5oz. bag fresh spinach
• block of fresh parmesan cheese
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Following the package directions, cook the ravioli in salted water (I add a drizzle of olive oil to keep the raviolis from sticking together). Cook until al dente, do not over cook. Just before draining, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.
2. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, add the Umbria nut & spice mix and toast for a minute. Add 1 cup pasta water, about 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan, pinch of salt and stir quickly until it is a nice, buttery sauce. Add more pasta water if needed. Toss in the fresh spinach and stir just until wilted. Add the ravioli into the saucepan and incorporate into the butter sauce. Serve immediately on a platter and top with additional Umbria nut & spice mix and large shaves of parmesan. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• 1 par-baked pie crust, homemade or store bought
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped small
• 3-4 tomatoes, rough chop
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
• 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (can substitute with mozzarella or monterrey jack)
• olive oil, just a drizzle
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Slice a few tomatoes (about 5 slices), somewhat thin, and lay them on a paper towel to drain - these slices will be the decorative topping. Set these aside to allow them to dry out a bit. Chop the remaining tomatoes into a rough chop. Place them into a colander which has been placed into a large bowl to catch and drain the juices. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of salt and set the colander aside to drain the tomatoes of their juices.
2. Pre-bake the pie crust. Preheat your oven to 425°F. If you are making a homemade pie crust, make certain the crust is very cold (I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes) lightly lay aluminum foil or parchment paper over the crust, fill it with weights (I use several cups of dry beans) and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is lightly baked. Use the tines of a fork to prick to bottom of the crust so it does not bubble up. Do not let the edges turn brown. Remove and allow to cool a bit.
3. Add the dijon mustard to the bottom of the cooled crust and spread it out evenly. Next, layer the chopped onions over the mustard.
4. Take the tomatoes which were set aside in the colander, and with your hands, squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the tomatoes. You don't want a soggy pie crust so try and squeeze out as much as possible. I never throw out the tomato juice - it's delicious. I either drink it or save it to add into a soup or smoothie. Take the squeezed tomatoes and mix in the whisked egg. Layer these chopped tomato/egg mixture over the onions in the crust. Now add the basil chiffonade over the chopped tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle the top of the tomato mixture with both types of shredded cheeses. Arrange the reserved and drained tomato slices (see photo) on top of the pie. Drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the tomatoes and rub the top with your fingers to distribute lightly over each tomato. Sprinkle the top with Umbria nut & spice mix.
6. Bake the pie in a 425° oven until it is lightly browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Top with fresh basil and serve with a side salad.

Ingredients

• Umbria nut & spice mix
• olive oil
• 1 large red onion, cut in half then sliced thin
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
• 5 cups sourdough bread, cut into cubes
• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, cut into large pieces
• pinch of salt
• pinch of sugar
• 10 eggs
• 1 cup fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
• fresh basil, oregano or thyme leaves

Instructions

1. With your fingers, rub olive oil around all sides of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread the sourdough cubes evenly into the prepared and oiled baking dish and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the sliced red onions. Cook until lightly browned and wilted. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add a bit more olive oil into the same sauté pan and then add the chopped tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook at medium heat until they are soft and saucy. Add in the onion & garlic mixture into the tomatoes and combine. Gently pour the tomato mixture over the cubed bread and spread until it is evenly dispersed in the baking dish.
4. Break all 10 eggs into a large bowl and beat them until well mixed, the whites and yokes should be well incorporated. Pour the beaten eggs over the tomato and bread mixture. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the refrigerator to sit overnight.
5. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the prepared strata from the refrigerator and top with the grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Sprinkle generously with Umbria nut & spice mix. Place in the hot and bake for about 20 minutes or until the eggs have gently set - do not over bake. The eggs will continue to set as it cools outside the oven.
6. Let the strata rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. If you wish, you may sprinkle with additional Umbria nut & spice mix just before serving. Top with fresh basil, thyme or oregano, either hand torn or chopped.

Notes