Fish Appetizer - Entree
24 small smoked salmon slices
2/5 cup Italian organic barley, boiled and cold
2/5 cup Italian farro, boiled and cold
2/5 cup Italian carnaroli rice, boiled and cold
2 small zucchine, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
1 small bell pepper (red or yellow), diced
1 onion, minced
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
8 oz Italian ricotta
6 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil, plus some to drizzle
chive
lemon
In a non-stick skillet, warm 1 tbsp of olive oil and sautèè 1/3 of the chopped onion and the zucchine, cook until tender and transfer to a bowl to cool down.
In the same skillet, repeat to sautee eggplant and then to sautee bell pepper. Transfer in different bowl to cool down.
Add rice to bell pepper, barley to eggplant and farro to zucchine; then divide ricotta evenly among the three bowls with vegetables. Add 1 tbsp of parsley and basil in each bowl, then season with salt, 1 tbsp of olive oil and pepper (if you like it). Mix well to combine all ingredients.
Divide the mixture among the salmon slices, then roll and with chive. You should obtain 8 rolls per different stuffing.
Arrange rolls on a serving platter lined with shredded lettuce or cabbage, drizzle with some olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.
This recipe serves 4-8
- You can use cream cheese instead of ricotta, if you like it
- Boil rice 18-22 minutes, farro for 30-35 minutes, barley for 35-40 minutes, depending on how much "al dente" you like them
- You can mix the three "grains" after separate boiling, and the three vegetables, if you prefer.
- This recipe can serve 8 (1 roll per kind) if used in an appetizer, or 4 (2 rolls per kind) if used as entree.
- It's basically a complete meal.
- You can season the shredded lettuce or cabbage with a dressing made whisking Italian extra virgin olive oil, Italian high quality balsamic vinegar and salt.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
FOCACCIA WITH ONIONS AND TOMATOES
Appetizer - vegetarian - lactose free
4 cups 00 Italian flour
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup Italian extra virgin olive oil
2 small white onions, slices
2 tomatoes, sliced
salt
Combine 1 cup of warm water and 1/4 cup oil in a bowl, then stir in sugar and yeast. Add flour little by little, mixing until dough detaches from the bowl.
Transfer onto a floured working surface and knead for about 5-8 minutes, until you obtain a well combined, smooth, elastic dough.
Slightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough in it; let it rise for about 1 hr.
In the meantime, sautee onions in a non stick skillet with a little olive oil, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt, so they will lose the water in excess.
Preheat oven to 450.
Grease a 9x13" baking pan and line it with the focaccia dough, top with tomato slices and sauteed onions, drizzle with oil and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve immediately.
- It can be served with other vegetable, cold cuts, cheeses....
4 cups 00 Italian flour
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup Italian extra virgin olive oil
2 small white onions, slices
2 tomatoes, sliced
salt
Combine 1 cup of warm water and 1/4 cup oil in a bowl, then stir in sugar and yeast. Add flour little by little, mixing until dough detaches from the bowl.
Transfer onto a floured working surface and knead for about 5-8 minutes, until you obtain a well combined, smooth, elastic dough.
Slightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough in it; let it rise for about 1 hr.
In the meantime, sautee onions in a non stick skillet with a little olive oil, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle tomato slices with salt, so they will lose the water in excess.
Preheat oven to 450.
Grease a 9x13" baking pan and line it with the focaccia dough, top with tomato slices and sauteed onions, drizzle with oil and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve immediately.
- It can be served with other vegetable, cold cuts, cheeses....
Monday, September 17, 2012
GNOCCHI WITH SHRIMP AND ZUCCHINE
Entree - Lactose free
1 lb Italian gnocchi (plain or with spinach)
1 lb shrimp
3 zucchine, medium, julienned
1 14-oz can of Italian San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, Italian herbs and spices mix (hot peppers, parsley, garlic)
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil; sautee onion until lightly golden, then add the julienned zucchine. Stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Add shrimp and pour wine, letting alcohol evaporate. Now add tomatoes, season with salt and 1 tsp of Italian herbs and spices mix and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook gnocchi. When gnocchi start floating on the surface, spoon them out with a slotted spoon (or a fine sieve) directly into the skillet with the sauce.
Sautee for a couple of minutes, tossing to coat well, and serve immediately, sprinkled with some freshly chopped parsley, if you like it.
This recipe serves 4
- Please, don't use parmigiano on fish dishes!
- If you use cooked shrimp, add them to the sauce 2-3 minutes before removing from heat.
- You can also use this sauce for Italian egg fettuccine or spaghetti.
1 lb Italian gnocchi (plain or with spinach)
1 lb shrimp
3 zucchine, medium, julienned
1 14-oz can of Italian San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt, Italian herbs and spices mix (hot peppers, parsley, garlic)
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil; sautee onion until lightly golden, then add the julienned zucchine. Stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Add shrimp and pour wine, letting alcohol evaporate. Now add tomatoes, season with salt and 1 tsp of Italian herbs and spices mix and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook gnocchi. When gnocchi start floating on the surface, spoon them out with a slotted spoon (or a fine sieve) directly into the skillet with the sauce.
Sautee for a couple of minutes, tossing to coat well, and serve immediately, sprinkled with some freshly chopped parsley, if you like it.
This recipe serves 4
- Please, don't use parmigiano on fish dishes!
- If you use cooked shrimp, add them to the sauce 2-3 minutes before removing from heat.
- You can also use this sauce for Italian egg fettuccine or spaghetti.
Monday, September 10, 2012
MIXED CROSTINI
Appetizer - for a lactose free recipe, avoid cheese
I prepared these for Marco's birthday lunch, Sunday.
16 slices Ciabatta bread (plain, with olives or rosemary, or a mix of them).
2 eggs
1/4 cup Italian green olives
4 Italian anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil
1 sausage
2 oz thinly sliced cheese (Asiago or similar)
1 jar Marinated Italian quartered artichoke hearts
1 can Tuna in olive oil
Italian extra virgin olive oil
Hard boil eggs; cool them down to room temperature and peel them. Set aside. Drain artichoke hearts; drain tuna, reserving the oil; pit olives; crumble sausage.
Toast 3 slices of bread per person, top the remaining 4 with sausage crumbles and toast them.
Arrange eggs, olives, anchovies and 2-3 tbsp of the tuna oil and same quantity of the artichokes marinade and blend until you obtain a smooth cream.
Assemble the crostini.
Spread 8 toasted slices with the egg cream and top 4 with artichoke hearts and 4 with tuna.
Top sausage crostini with cheese and broil until it melts.
Drizzle the remaining 4 slices eith a very good Italian olive oil.
Serve immediately!
This recipe serves 4.
- You can use 2 tbsp of anchovy paste instead of the fillets.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
PORK LOIN SLICES "MY WAY"
Meat entree - Lactose and gluten free
8 pork loin (or tenderloin) slices, thinly sliced
14 oz Italian San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice
3 Italian sun dried tomatoes halves, packed in oil, julienned
1 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
8 Italian oil cured black olives
2 Italian anchovy fillets
2 tbsp of the sun dried tomatoes oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced (optional)
Warm the oil in a big non-stick skillet on medium heat and add capers, olives, sun dried tomatoes, anchovy fillets and garlic (if you're using it). Stir until anchovies melt.
Now add tomatoes, stir and season with salt (careful with salt: dried olives, capers and anchovies are pretty salty). Cook on medium heat, possibly covered with a lid, for about 5 minutes.
Add meat and cook it for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked thoroughly, depending on the slices' thickness (mine were about 1/8"). If the sauce thickens too much, add a few tbsp of wine or broth (or water)
Serve immediately.
This recipe serves 4.
- If you have leftovers, you can freeze them or use as a pasta sauce.
- You can dredge slices in flour, sautee in olive oil and then add the sauce, prepared in advance. This way it will be less light and not gluten free.
- I always suggest to use Italian San Marzano tomatoes, because they are the sweetest and Italian capers packed in salt because they are bigger and the packaging in salt won't give any aftertaste to your preparation.
- Our Italian sun dried tomatoes are a great product, preserved in Italian oil, capers and herbs.
8 pork loin (or tenderloin) slices, thinly sliced
14 oz Italian San Marzano tomatoes, with their juice
3 Italian sun dried tomatoes halves, packed in oil, julienned
1 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
8 Italian oil cured black olives
2 Italian anchovy fillets
2 tbsp of the sun dried tomatoes oil
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced (optional)
Warm the oil in a big non-stick skillet on medium heat and add capers, olives, sun dried tomatoes, anchovy fillets and garlic (if you're using it). Stir until anchovies melt.
Now add tomatoes, stir and season with salt (careful with salt: dried olives, capers and anchovies are pretty salty). Cook on medium heat, possibly covered with a lid, for about 5 minutes.
Add meat and cook it for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked thoroughly, depending on the slices' thickness (mine were about 1/8"). If the sauce thickens too much, add a few tbsp of wine or broth (or water)
Serve immediately.
This recipe serves 4.
- If you have leftovers, you can freeze them or use as a pasta sauce.
- You can dredge slices in flour, sautee in olive oil and then add the sauce, prepared in advance. This way it will be less light and not gluten free.
- I always suggest to use Italian San Marzano tomatoes, because they are the sweetest and Italian capers packed in salt because they are bigger and the packaging in salt won't give any aftertaste to your preparation.
- Our Italian sun dried tomatoes are a great product, preserved in Italian oil, capers and herbs.
Monday, August 27, 2012
BAKED ANELLINI CORN PASTA
Pasta entree - vegetarian - gluten and lactose free (see notes below)
1 lb corn anellini pasta
2 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 28-oz can Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 8-oz mozzarella, sliced or diced
REAL Italian breadcrumbs (not flavored)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Extra Virgin olive oil
salt
Fry eggplant slices in hot olive oil until golden, arrange on paper towel to absorb excess oil, lightly salt and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce. In a saucepan, sautee garlic in 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil until lightly golden, add tomatoes with thier juice, season with salt and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add fresh herbs just before removing from heat, stir and set aside.
When water boils, add salt and pasta. Cook until al dente, drain and transfer to the saucepan with tomato sauce, add fried eggplant and toss to coat evenly.
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a baking dish with olive oil, then transfer pasta in it, top with mozzarella and breadcrumbs. Dot with butter or drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and top has a nice golden crust.
This recipe serves 4-6 people
- For a lighter recipe, grill eggplant slices instead of frying them.
- Avoid mozzarella to obtain a lactose-free dish
1 lb corn anellini pasta
2 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 28-oz can Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 8-oz mozzarella, sliced or diced
REAL Italian breadcrumbs (not flavored)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Extra Virgin olive oil
salt
Fry eggplant slices in hot olive oil until golden, arrange on paper towel to absorb excess oil, lightly salt and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce. In a saucepan, sautee garlic in 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil until lightly golden, add tomatoes with thier juice, season with salt and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add fresh herbs just before removing from heat, stir and set aside.
When water boils, add salt and pasta. Cook until al dente, drain and transfer to the saucepan with tomato sauce, add fried eggplant and toss to coat evenly.
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a baking dish with olive oil, then transfer pasta in it, top with mozzarella and breadcrumbs. Dot with butter or drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until mozzarella is melted and top has a nice golden crust.
This recipe serves 4-6 people
- For a lighter recipe, grill eggplant slices instead of frying them.
- Avoid mozzarella to obtain a lactose-free dish
Monday, August 20, 2012
GLUTEN FREE FRESH FRUIT TART
Dessert - Gluten free
For the dough:
1 1/3 cup of almond flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
3 tbsp butter, diced and chilled
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
For the lemon custard:
1/3 + 1/8 cups sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 lemon peel (only the yellow part because the white is bitter)
2 egg yolks
Fresh fruit (strawberry, mixed berries, banana, kiwi whatever you like!)
Unflavored jelly
Prepare the dough: in a bowl arrange all dry ingredients and mix them to combine evenly. Add butter and mix it roughly with flour mixture; form a well and put the egg in it.
Mix all ingredients well but quickly in order not to warm up butter too much (which would result in a "hard" dough), you have to obtain a smooth "ball".
Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
Prepare the custard: in a small saucepan arrange sugar, 1/2 cup water and the lemon peel, bring to a boil and let it boil about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool down. Discard lemon peel.
In the meantime, in another saucepan, combine flour, yolks lemon juice and the remaining water; mix until well combined.
Slowly pour the warm water in the yolk mixture, whisking to avoid lumps. Put it on medium heat and cook until it thickens.
Prehat oven to 375F
Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it over a flour-dusted table, about 1/4" thick.
Put dough disc in a 9" pie-pan (buttered and dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper) and poke it with a fork, in this way you'll allow steam to escape.
Lined the bottom of the dough with parchment paper and top with dried beans, this will prevent "bubbles" in your tart by weighing on the tart. Bake for about 20 minutes then remonve beans and paper and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Assemble the tart: pour custard into the tart shell, and decorate with your favorite fresh fruit (or a mix of fruits).
Prepare jelly following the package instructions and brush the fruit with it.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (one hour is better) and serve cold.
It will serve 8 people at least.
- You can serve it as is or with some ice cream.
- You can prepare the dough with Italian 00 flour, if you'r not gluten intolerant (same quantities); same for the custard.
- If there is some dough left you can either freeze it (in a ziploc bag), in order to use it later, or roll it about same thickness and make cookies. Those have to be baked at same temperature but only about 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, you can line the bottom of the tart shell with crumbled amaretti before pouring the custard.
- If there is leftover custard, serve it in individual bowl with Lingue di Gatto (thin, crisp Italian cookies).
For the dough:
1 1/3 cup of almond flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
3 tbsp butter, diced and chilled
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
For the lemon custard:
1/3 + 1/8 cups sugar
2 tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 lemon peel (only the yellow part because the white is bitter)
2 egg yolks
Fresh fruit (strawberry, mixed berries, banana, kiwi whatever you like!)
Unflavored jelly
Prepare the dough: in a bowl arrange all dry ingredients and mix them to combine evenly. Add butter and mix it roughly with flour mixture; form a well and put the egg in it.
Mix all ingredients well but quickly in order not to warm up butter too much (which would result in a "hard" dough), you have to obtain a smooth "ball".
Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.
Prepare the custard: in a small saucepan arrange sugar, 1/2 cup water and the lemon peel, bring to a boil and let it boil about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool down. Discard lemon peel.
In the meantime, in another saucepan, combine flour, yolks lemon juice and the remaining water; mix until well combined.
Slowly pour the warm water in the yolk mixture, whisking to avoid lumps. Put it on medium heat and cook until it thickens.
Prehat oven to 375F
Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it over a flour-dusted table, about 1/4" thick.
Put dough disc in a 9" pie-pan (buttered and dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper) and poke it with a fork, in this way you'll allow steam to escape.
Lined the bottom of the dough with parchment paper and top with dried beans, this will prevent "bubbles" in your tart by weighing on the tart. Bake for about 20 minutes then remonve beans and paper and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Assemble the tart: pour custard into the tart shell, and decorate with your favorite fresh fruit (or a mix of fruits).
Prepare jelly following the package instructions and brush the fruit with it.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (one hour is better) and serve cold.
It will serve 8 people at least.
- You can serve it as is or with some ice cream.
- You can prepare the dough with Italian 00 flour, if you'r not gluten intolerant (same quantities); same for the custard.
- If there is some dough left you can either freeze it (in a ziploc bag), in order to use it later, or roll it about same thickness and make cookies. Those have to be baked at same temperature but only about 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, you can line the bottom of the tart shell with crumbled amaretti before pouring the custard.
- If there is leftover custard, serve it in individual bowl with Lingue di Gatto (thin, crisp Italian cookies).
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