Carino's: Chef's Corner

As a working parent of a five year daughter in kindergarten, I find it challenging to send my daughter to school with a healthy lunch that she will actually enjoy. It is so easy to get caught up in the typical lunch that contains a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bag of chips and a container of pudding. Here are some great ideas that my daughter looks forward to in her lunch.  Parents Magazine recently asked me to include some of these recipes in their September 'Back to School' issue - You can see these recipes and some other great ideas at the Parents.com website:

http://www.parents.com/recipes/tips/celebritychefs/pack-your-lunch-like-a-celebrity-chef/?page=33

SMOKED TURKEY AND PROVOLONE SLIDERS

Slider Bun, Whole Wheat 1 each

Smoked Turkey Breast, Sliced 1/8” 1 ½ oz

Provolone, Sliced 1/8” 1 slice

Roma Tomatoes, Sliced 1/8” 2 slices

Ranch Dressing, Low-Fat 2 tsp

Open bun and place sliced turkey on bottom of bun. Top with provolone and place stacked bun/turkey/provolone into microwave for 10 seconds (this is to be done at home when packing the lunch just to soften the cheese to help it adhere to the turkey). Place dressing on cut side of top of bun. Place tomatoes and top of bun over provolone. Place in container to be packed for lunch.

PIZZA PASTA SALAD

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, Cooked and Chilled ½ cup

Tomato Sauce 2 oz

Black Olives, Chopped ¼” 1 Tbsp

Pepperoni, Quartered 2 slices

Low Fat Mozzarella, Shredded 1 Tbsp

Toss all ingredients together and place in container to be packed for lunch. Some mozzarella may be sprinkled over the top of the pasta salad if desired.

CREAMY FRUIT MEDLEY

Fresh Strawberries, Quartered 1/8 cup

Blueberries 1/8 cup Red Apples, Diced 1/2 Inch 1/8 cup

Low Fat Yogurt, Cherry 2 Tbsp

Pecans, Chopped 1/4” 1 tsp

Toss all ingredients (except pecans) together and place in container to be packed for lunch. Top with chopped pecans.

We have been working hard on a new dessert for this summer and we finally have a winner!  Most of you that know Carino's is well-known for our desserts such as the Italian Chocolate Cake and our Homemade Tiramisu, but I wanted to round out the lineup with something that has a citrus profile for this summer.  I worked with Philippe Le Corre, who not only is a personal great friend, but in my opinion is the best pastry chef in the country!  The end result was two layers of lemon-soaked cake filled with a light mascarpone mousse and topped with butter crumbs.  This is my new Carino's favorite.  We just introduced this into certain restaurants and we have made 3 times the amount of cakes that I thought we would!  I am currently in the process of expanding the recipe to all of our locations.  Come in and give it a try and let me know what you think....

Jason Wheeler and Michelle Valles from 'We Are Austin Live' recently stopped by the kitchen.  We had a great time talking about the Carino's Pasta Harvest, the new Pasta Points program, supporting the 'Autism Speaks' organization and we even had some fun talking about why someone may order a certain sauce............check out the video on the following link.........

http://weareaustin.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=58555

Through our www.carinos.com website, I have been receiving multiple recipe requests for our Asiago Smashed Potatoes.  Although this side item is not currently on our menu, it is a great Italian version of mashed potatoes utilizing asiago cheese.  Asiago cheese is an aged cow's milk cheese from Vicenza in Northern Italy.  When it was on the menu a few years back, it was paired with the Prosciutto Wrapped Filet.  Since some of you, our loyal guests, are still asking for it - perhaps it's time we put it back on the menu!  Here is the recipe for those of you that would like to try it at home.  Enjoy! 

Carino's Asiago Smashed Potatoes (Side Item)

Potatoes, Red                                   5 lbs

Olive Oil                                             1/2 cup

Salt                                                     2 tsp

Pepper, Black                                   2 tsp

Rosemary, Fresh Chopped          1 1/2 Tbsp

Heavy Cream                                   3 ounces per portion

Asiago Cheese                                1 Tbsp per portion

First Step - Prepare a batch of roasted rosemary potatoes:

Work area and utensils must be clean and sanitary.  Thoroughly wash potatoes under water.  Cut potatoes into 1-2 inch sized wedges.  Toss all ingredients in a mixing bowl and place potatoes evenly on sheet trays.  Roast in an oven at 350 Degrees F for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and have a golden brown color. Make sure to stir the potatoes halfway through the cooking process.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Second Step - 'Smash' and add sauce to the potatoes (this part of the recipe is for one side portion):

Work area and utensils must be clean and sanitary.  Place 1 cup of the the roasted potatoes into a zip-loc bag.  Smash all of the potatoes in the bag with the heel of your hand to break up all the bigger lumps.  To a heated saute pan, add potatoes and cream.  Make sure that potatoes are fully heated. Fold in asiago cheese. (thickens quickly at this point).  Place Asiago Smashed Potatoes on appropriate service piece, serve and enjoy.