RECIPES:
Recipes containing tomato concentrates can be used with tomato paste, tomato puree or tomato sauce.  Essentially, tomato puree is tomato paste and water and tomato sauce is tomato puree, water and usually some basic seasonings such as garlic and/or onion. Whatever form of tomato base you use, remember to adjust the amount of water used to achieve the proper consistency.  Typically, pizza sauce is more concentrated than pasta sauce.		  
     
  Salt substitute can be used in place of salt which is optional in all the recipes. A non sodium Worcestershire sauce is also available and can be substituted.  
     
 

Recipes calling for beef broth work equally well with a 14oz can of 99% fat free beef broth or a 10oz can of concentrated beef broth and a can of water.  Sodium free beef broth is also available.  Beef bullion has a higher salt content than beef broth and typically makes the dish too salty so it is not recommended.

HOT STUFF:
If you like your food hotter, DiFiore Seasoning™ packets make the ideal seasoning base.  Typically, 1 teaspoon of fine ground black pepper is enough to give the seasoning a noticeable boost.  You can add more pepper, but be careful.

  
     
 

ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES

  

 

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 DiFiore Seasoning™ packet
1 to 2 pounds of thin sliced deli roast beef
1 Teaspoon of salt or salt substitute (optional)
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
1 14oz can of 99% fat free beef broth or 1 10oz can of beef broth and 1 can of water
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (salt free if needed)
4 Sub rolls or enough baguettes for 4 sandwiches

Place beef broth, Worcestershire sauce (and salt and pepper if desired) into a 2 quart sauce pan. Heat over low to medium heat while stirring in the DiFiore Seasoning™ packet. When the mixture begins to bubble, remove from the heat and stir in the roast beef. Be sure to separate the roast beef slices as you place them in the pan so all of the slices are well marinated. Stir, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve on your favorite type of rolls. Rolls such as baguettes with firm crusts work well and help keep the juices in the sandwiches and off your shirt. Roasted bell peppers, sautéed onions and/or sautéed mushrooms also go well with this recipe. You can also top the sandwiches with provolone or mozzarella cheese and place them under the broiler until the cheese melts. The beef mixture freezes well and can be a fast and easy future meal when you are in a hurry. This sandwich is a delight that can normally only be found in Italian delis. The secret is out so you can now make deli quality Italian Beef sandwiches without traveling to Chicago where this is the city’s specialty.
 

COOKING TIP:

“Combos” are Chicago’s best sandwiches. They consist of a link of Italian sausage (mild, sweet or hot), topped with Italian roast beef (mild or hot) and often topped with roasted bell peppers. You can mix hot or mild sausage and hot or mild roast beef.
 

ROASTED BELL PEPPERS:

Place whole peppers on a grill at high heat. When outer skin becomes black and separates, remove from heat and place is a tightly closed paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel outer skin off under cold running water, remove the core and seeds, slice in 1 inch strips and sauté in a fry pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, serve over sandwich meats.
 

ITALIAN BEEF ROAST

 
 
 
1 Difiore Seasoning™ packet
1 3 to 4 pound roast (any type of roast will work well. Bottom or Top round roast are the
  most common)
  Essentially, the better the roast the better the taste.
1 Teaspoon of salt or salt substitute (optional)
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
1 14oz can of 99% fat free beef broth or 1 10oz can of beef broth and 1 can of water
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce (unsalted if necessary)
 
 

Trim excess fat off the roast if necessary. The fat does not create any extra flavoring, just extra calories, so it’s your call. Rub the DiFiore Seasoning™ packet and any salt and/or pepper over the entire roast. This can be done the night before or as soon as 15 minutes before cooking. This recipe works in a slow cooker as well as a traditional oven. If using a slow cooker, place the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker, add the roast and cook on low heat until done. All slow cookers are different so follow the manufactures directions. A meat thermometer helps take the guess work out and ensures the roast will be done to your liking. Anything from medium rare on, is usually OK. If cooking in a conventional oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place beef broth and Worcestershire sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Place roast in the pan with a meat thermometer in the center of the roast. Bake until it is done as desired. 15 to 25 minutes per pound is the typical time frame but adjust that time based on the meat thermometer reading. Basting and/or covering the roast is not necessary, but both are helpful in retaining the moisture in the roast. Additionally, opening the oven door once in a while makes your whole kitchen smell good.
 

COOKING TIP:

There are a lot of different things you can do with this recipe. It is a very economical way to make lots of Italian roast beef sandwiches. Typically you can make 4 to 5 sandwiches per pound and double that if you make combos with Italian sausage. This is a good way to go if you have a big family or are having a party and have the time to cook the roast. You can also slice the roast thicker as you would a typical roast. You will get the distinct flavor of an Italian roast. You can use the juices over the meat as well as using them as “drippings” to make gravy for mashed potatoes. If you don’t need all of the juices, they freeze well and can be used for future meals.
 

MEATBALLS

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 Difiore Seasoning™ packet
1 Pound of ground beef, ground round or ground sirloin
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of salt or salt substitute (optional)
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
1/4 Cup of unseasoned bread crumbs
In a large bowl, beat egg with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, DiFiore Seasoning™ packet and salt and/or pepper (optional).  Add bread crumbs and mix well.  Add beef and mix well.  Form the meat into 1 oz meatballs (a little smaller that a golf ball). Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet preheated over medium heat. Turn meatballs often to brown on all sides. The meatballs can be added to any pasta dish or used for great tasting meatball sandwiches.  Meatball sandwiches can also be topped with pasta sauce and/or provolone or mozzarella cheese, then placed under the broiler until the cheese is melted.  The meatballs freeze well and can be made up in advance for future use. This recipe should yield approximately 18 to 20 meatballs.  If they don’t all make it to the table, don’t worry.  A chef’s tasting allowance of 2 or 3 meatballs is not considered excessive.
 

MEATBALL COOKING TIP:

If you have the patience, meatballs make a great hors d’oeuvre. You can make the meatballs half size and get approximately 40 meatballs per pound from this recipe.  Everyone loves Swedish meatball hors d’oeuvres so Italian meatball hors d’oeuvres will
be a special treat.
 

PASTA SAUCE

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 Difiore Seasoning™ packet
1 Can of tomato paste, tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of salt or salt substitute (optional)
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
1 to 2 Teaspoons of grated romano or parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup of finely diced onions (optional)
1/4 Cup or 1 small can of mushrooms (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add water as needed to achieve the right consistency. Serve over pasta. This recipe should yield enough sauce to flavor 1 pound of cooked pasta. This recipe also works well in lasagna and as a sauce for meatball sandwiches.
 

PASTA SAUCE COOKING TIPS:

This recipe allows you to make a home style pasta sauce in just minutes. When you put the water on to boil, get the sauce started while the water is heating up. By the time your pasta is done, so is your pasta sauce.
 

PIZZA SAUCE

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 DiFiore Seasoning™ packet
1 Can of tomato paste, tomato puree or tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of salt or salt substitute (optional)
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
1 to 2 Teaspoons of grated romano or parmesan cheese

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Add water if necessary to achieve the right consistency. This recipe will typically make enough sauce to top 3 to 4 medium pizza crusts. Refrigerate any unused portion for later use.
 

PIZZA COOKING TIP:

Pizzas cook better at high temperatures- around 500 degrees. Spray the inside of the pizza pan and the outer edge of the pizza with a high temperature cooking spray to get the crust golden brown. Don’t load up the pizza with too much topping, especially vegetables which have a high water content and will make the crust soggy.
 

ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
1 DiFiore Seasoning™ packet
1/2 Cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of fine ground black pepper (optional)
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. The oil, red wine vinegar and the seasoning all seem to want to go in their own directions, so keeping this properly mixed can be a challenge. Using a container that can be shaken seems to work the best. This dressing is excellent for tossed salads, antipasto and on sub sandwiches.
 

SERVING TIP:

Since this dressing recipe has no stabilizers or preservatives, the dressing will separate and congeal when refrigerated. It can be reused by putting in a microwave oven for a few seconds and remixing.  You can also add anchovies or bacon bits to the recipe and serve as a warm dressing.
 
 

BE CREATIVE
THE DiFIORE SEASONING™ AUTHENTIC ITALIAN SEASONING PACKETS MAKE AN EXCELLENT BASE FOR ALL YOUR ITALIAN COOKING AND WILL HELP GET YOU STARTED.  WHAT YOU SERVE WITH THESE RECIPES IS LIMITED ONLY BY YOUR CREATIVITY.
IF YOU FIND OTHER RECIPES AND USES FOR DiFIORE SEASONING™ PACKETS, LET US KNOW.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE YOUR CREATIVITY WITH OUR OTHER VALUED CUSTOMERS.
 
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