Jersey Bites

Ready to wow your friends for the big game? Try some of these recipes, which Melissa Beveridge snagged from a few Garden State chefs!

Homemade Stuffed Shells
by Victor Rallo, Host of Eat! Drink! Italy! with Vic Rallo, owner of Birravino, Red Bank and Undici Taverna Rustica, Rumson

“I love making stuffed shells for Superbowl as they can be prepared the day before. plus the shells look like footballs a perfect combination. Open a nice bottle of sangiovese wine and let the game begin.” –Victor Rallo

Ingredients:

1 box of stuffed shell pasta
1 3lb container of ricotta cheese
1 lb fresh spinach
3 cloves of garlic
1 cup Pecorino Romano
1 lb fresh grated mozzarella
1 quart of you favorite tomato sauce.
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cook pasta for one minute less than time on box and immediately chill under water. Set aside.
2. Clean fresh spinach. Drain excess water.
3. In medium saute pan, crush three cloves of garlic and saute in 1/4 cup of olive oil.
4. When garlic gets golden add spinach and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until spinach is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Put spinach on a flat plate in the fridge to cool.
6. Put ricotta in large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano, 1/2 lb of grated mozzarella.
7. Put chilled spinach in a food processor and chop (very fine).
8. Add spinach to ricotta mixture and fold until ingredients are mixed through.
9. When ricotta mix is finished, fill into a piping bag (a heavy duty freezer Ziploc bag will also work).
10. Cut 1 1/2 inches off bottom of bag.
11. Pipe a generous amount of cheese mixture into each shell filling.
12. In a Pyrex-type pan, spoon in enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.
13. Lay the filled shells open-side down into the pan.
14. Spoon tomato sauce over each shell.
15. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes depending on your oven.
16. Switch oven to broil.
17. Remove tray from oven and sprinkle remaining Pecorino Romano and mozzarella on shells.
18. Place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and turning golden brown in spots.
19. Let settle for 5 minutes and then transfer to flat serving dish. Heat extra sauce if needed.

Deconstructed Pork Roll Egg and Cheese/Mac and Cheese
by Marilyn Schlossbach, Langosta Lounge, Asbury Park

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped Taylor ham (pork roll)
3/4 cup of fresh chopped basil
1/2 cup sliced shallots
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 pound of Orecchiette macaroni
1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Jersey-aged Gouda cheese (shredded) – can sub an aged Gouda like Beemster
1 cup Asiago cheese (shredded)
3 cups of heavy cream
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound of unsalted butter
Bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
10 eggs for topping
3 brioche rolls for toasting garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Cook pasta al dente and let drain in sink.  Drizzle and mix some olive oil with pasta so it doesn’t stick
2. Over a pot of boiling water, in a metal bowl, mix all cheese except Parmesan and 1 ½ cups of heavy cream.
3. Let melt, stirring often to avoid burning.  You can add more cream to loosen cheese if it seems to stringy or clumpy. The texture should be velvety and a bit loose – think cheese soup consistency.
4. In a sauté pan, over medium heat, spread the roasted garlic to coat the pan.
5. Melt the butter and add the garlic, shallots, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until shallots are tender.
6. Add Taylor Ham to sauté pan and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes
7. Empty butter mix and pasta into bigger bowl and stir.
8. Slowly add cheese mixture as not to make too cheesy – this part is all up to your cheese-liking quota.
9. Transfer to oven-safe vessel and top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs to taste.
10. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes or until browned on top and warm in the middle.
11. In a separate nonstick or very hot greased pan, cook the fried eggs for the topping.  Let the eggs cook on one side and flip to lightly cook the other side – goal is to have a runny egg!
12. Slice the brioche roll into ¼ inch slices and lightly butter and toast in the oven until browned.
13. Lay the eggs over each mac and cheese vessel and serve with toasted brioche.
14. Drizzle with ketchup.

Turkey Chili
by Anthony Pagano, Pagano’s Uva Restaurant and Wine Bar, Bradley Beach
“Enjoy this on tortillas with cheddar (as pictured) and chopped avocado, onions and tomatoes, with steamed rice, topped with fresh spinach, or by itself. Have fun and mess with this—it will become your own and it will be delicious.” –Chef Anthony Pagano

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons Olive oil
3 to 4 lbs ground turkey (Now here is a spot to have fun: Make a combination of ground meat, like beef, pork, sausage, chorizo, chicken, or even sub all the meat out and use all vegetables and lentils.)
2 red peppers
1 green pepper
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 chopped Serrano, optional
Large handful of chopped cilantro
2 large 28oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large 28oz cans of plum tomatoes, crushed by hand in a large bowl
1 to 2 pints of a light lager
2 to 3 tablespoons dark chili powder
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Chipotle powder or chopped from a can with Adobo
2 Mexican cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoon coriander, ground
2 tablespoons cumin, ground
1/2 a wheel of Mexican chocolate
A bit of tomato juice or chicken stock (to keep the consistency to your liking)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

1. Start with a heavy saucepan (about 10 quarts)
2. Fry off the meat in 4 Tbs of olive oil.
Season with salt pepper and all the other spices, except for the cinnamon, cook through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove from pan then add all your vegetables in the same oil. (Don’t clean out pan, add more oil if necessary.)
4. When oil is translucent, reintroduce the meat and add the tomatoes, then one beer and as much of the second one as needed.
5. Finally add the cinnamon and chopped chocolate.
6. Cook for 1 to 2 hours.
7. Add cilantro before serving. 

Chocolate Ganache S’Mores Dip
byJessica Bucceri, JB Couture Cupcakes
“Imagine this warm gooey dip and everyone digging in with graham crackers! I assure you will be invited to every party if you create this dessert!”–Chef Jessica Bucceri

Ingredients: 

¾ cup of heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 5oz)
16 oz marshmallow fluff
3 Hershey’s chocolate bars
2 ½ cups of mini marshmallows
Unlimited graham crackers!

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1. Combine the heavy cream and corn syrup in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil while continuously whisking. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until smooth.
2. Let the ganache set for 10 minutes (or can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator)
3. In casserole dish spread the chocolate ganache along the whole bottom of the dish.
4. Next take the marshmallow fluff and spread over the ganache
5. Place the 3 Hershey bars in a food processor and pulse it until it is broken into small pieces.
6. Sprinkle all the chocolate crumbles over the marshmallow fluff
7. Then sprinkle the marshmallows on top and make sure marshmallows are coving the entire top.
8. Bake dip for 15 to 20 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown on top (broil for the last minute if necessary)

Serve hot with graham crackers for dipping!

Chili con Carne with a Peruvian Flair
by Marita Lynn, RUNA Peruvian Cuisine, Red Bank

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sirloin
1 cup chopped Spanish onion
10 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped red pepper
½ cup chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon Aji Panca paste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup Pisco
2 bay leaves
2 cans organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can organic kidney beans, drained
1 can organic black beans, drained
1 cup organic chopped cilantro
½ cup shredded organic cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Brown meat for 7 minutes and add onion, garlic and peppers.
2. Cook for 5 minutes and add Aji Panca paste, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, and oregano.
3. Mix ingredients together, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook for 3 minutes and add Pisco and bay leave.
5. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and beans.
6. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Discard the bay leaves.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with chopped fresh cilantro and cheddar cheese.