Chicken roulade with capers and lemon zest.

It's been a long time...

You know: holidays, too hot weather to cook, a lot of work (and that's a good thing!) and I couldn't post anything.

Today I'm back with a really light recipe that still has a summer taste.

I've tried it in a restaurant in San Marino (an indipendent state inside Italy, you can learn something more about it HERE and about the restaurant HERE ) and I really wanted to try this at home.

The result is good even if not just alike the restaurant one (but I didn't have the recipe, just tried all by myself) so I want to share it with you.

It could be a nice appetizer or a light second course.

2 servings:

4 thin slices of chicken breast

1/ cup salted capers

juice of 1/2 lemon

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 garlic clove

extra-virgin olive oil

The first thing to do is to unsalt capers: leave them in cold water for about 1 hour changing water now and then.

Peel lemon zest avoiding the white part and chop finely with a knife, then do the same with unsalted capers.

Put them in a small bowl with smashed garlic and a generous pour of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

Mix with a spoon (you shouldn't need more salt due to capers but just try it and see).

Beat chicken breast with a tenderizer then spread some sauce on it. 

Roll it on the longer side and close it in tin foil or any cooking paper than can handle hot temperatures.

Do the same with all the slices then put them in a food steamer or in any pot where you can cook with steam and cook for about 45 minutes.

When the meat is cold cut pinwheels not too thick and cover them with a little sauce before serving.

You can prepare the meat one day in advance and store it in the fridge (same as sauce) but cut it only before serving.

You can decorate with some more lemon zest.

Pollo alla cacciatora, chicken Cacciatore.

This is a really easy recipe quite common in the North of Italy but mainly in Tuscany.

You can cook it in advance and keep in the fridge for a couple of day or you can cook it and serve it.

You can use a whole chicken or just parts: as you see in the photo I used 2 chicken legs for 2 servings.

2 chicken legs with skin

1 garlic clove

rosemary stick

parsley

1 celery stick

1 carrot

1 onion

1 glass red wine

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups tomato sauce

Put the chicken, skin on, in a hot pan with oil, rosemary and garlic.

If you're on a diet you can avoid oil, skin is greasy enough to brown on its own, when the chicken is ready you can peel it.

Let it brown on both side then add red wine, let evaporate then add finely chopped vegetable, stir well and cook on medium fire for a couple of minutes, remove garlic and rosemary stick.

Add tomato sauce, cover with a lid and cook for about 40 minutes on low fire, few minutes before you turn off fire add chopped parsley.

Serve hot with a lot of bread to pick up sauce!

Orecchiette with anchovies and sun dried sweet peppers.

Few months ago I received a great present from a close friend who lives in Basilicata (deep South of Italy).

I received a lot of dried local pasta like orecchiette and cavatelli, wild boar salami, local cheese and much more.

I received also a big packet of sun dried sweet peppers which are typical of Basilicata.

I still have some of them and I used those peppers in a quick but very tasty recipe combined with some orecchiette left.

If you can't find orecchiette you can use spaghetti, penne, maccheroni of any kind. :)

2 servings:

3 medium sun dried sweet peppers 

2 anchovies in oil

3 tablespoons tomato sauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 cups orecchiette (or the serving size you like of the pasta you have)

Let orecchiette boil in a big pot of salted water, if they're dried they should boil for 14-16 minutes (taste them).

In a pan heat extra-virgin olive oil, add chopped peppers (without seeds) and garlic and stir frying for a couple of minutes then add anchovies and let them "melt" with peppers.

Remove the garlic, add the tomato sauce and stir well.

Cook for 2-3 minutes more then use a blender and reduce the sauce to cream.

Season your pasta hot with this sauce and eat immediately, it's sooo tasty!

Artusi's stew.

This is a revisited  recipe from Pellegrino Artusi's main opera " La Scienza in cucina e l'Arte di mangiar bene", 1891 ( " Kitchen science and the art of good eating"). Artusi has been the first to try to write down and classify the Italian cooking tradition, he was born and raised in Forlimpopoli, not far from Rimini and Bologna, where I live and his contribution is still very cherished.

If you want to know more about Artusi you can click HERE to learn more (in English or French) about him, about the Artusi foundation, Artusi's feast and prizes.

This recipe comes from the recipe number 300 of the book quoted, I did it for the New Year's eve and we enjoyed a lot with oven-baked potatoes.

Serves 4.

21 oz. beef (Shoulder clod or any stew cut)

1 onion

1 branch of celery

1 carrot

1/2 cup white vinegar 

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 gal. vegetable broth (made with 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 courgette, 1 celery branch, 1 bayleaf)

10.5 oz. fresh milk cream

salt and pepper

Dice the vegetables and put them in a pot with oil, let them golden and blend with vinegar then add the meat salted and sprinkled with pepper.

Let the meat colour on each side then add some broth and milk cream, cover with a lid then let it simmer for a couple of hours.

If needed add some broth.

When the meat is ready take it off the pan and whisk the sauce untill smooth.

Slice the beef and serve hot with the sauce on.

Crazy crust, pasta matta.



 

As promised I'm back not only with news and chats but also with recipes!

Today I post you a basic recipe that will come on hands to you, I'm sure!

This is a good recipe to make tarts and pies, especially salty ones.

This is low on fat and really cheap, a good alternative to phyllo pastry or puff pastry.

It's good with soggy fillings and keep a good shape after baking.

This is a recipe for a 4-6 serving tart.

 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

 

2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

 

a pinch of salt

 

1/4 cup sparkling water, cold

 

Mix all the ingredients untill you have a smooth and non sticky dough, you may need more or less water, add it little by litte.

Let the dough rest for few minutes then spread it and use it for your pie or tart.

You can bake it but also deep fry it, making little calzoni with tomato and mozzarella cheese for istance.

Zucchini and saffron farfalle.

A delicious pasta dish, easy to prepare but with a sophysticated allure due to the basil and lemon notes.

It's seriously one of my favourite for the spring-summer season.

Ingredients for 4:

14 oz. pasta (farfalle but you can also use fusilli or penne)

3 oz. creamy cheese like robiola or philadelphia

3 small zucchini

1 bag saffron powder

2 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil

salt & pepper

4-5 basil leaves

lemon zest

Cut zucchini in small dices, sautee in a pan with oil, salt and pepper.

When zucchini are golden add saffron, mix then add the cheese and the basil leaves roughly cutted, mix again.

Bring salted water to boil then cook your pasta, drain it and pour into the pan with 2-3 tablespoon of cooking water.

Turn the fire on and mix very well.

Put your pasta into dishes then add lemon zest on top.

Can't be easier uh!?

Sicilian pesto (Pesto alla siciliana).

As promised I'm here with a recipe.

This is a pesto recipe: I've already posted the genovese one, now it's time for "pesto alla siciliana"!

It's a lovely and tasty recipe, very quick and good for the summer season, you just need good cherry tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese.

As often happens there are many version of this recipe: some don't include ricotta cheese, some use almonds instead of pine kernels son don't be surprised if you find the same recipe around with different ingredients.

4 servings:

1 garlic clove

a bunch of fresh basil

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup pine kernels

2/3 cup fresh ricotta cheese (cow or goat)

2 cups cherry tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Open tomatoes in half and squeeze them to remove juice and seeds, put them into the mixer cup.

Add washed and dried basil leaves, pine kernels, oil, the garlic clove, Parmesan, ricotta cheese and oil.

Close the blender lid and mix for a while: you can choose pesto's thickness, if you like it creamy mix a little bit longer, if you prefer to taste pieces mix just few seconds.

Taste it and add salt and pepper, you can preserve it into a glass holder for about two days in refrigerator.

Cook the pasta you prefer, drain it and save a little cooking water, mix pasta with pesto and add water as needed to whisk well.

Two-coloured ring-shaped cake ( Ciambellone bicolore).

from gingerandtomato.com

A nice recipe for morning breakfast or afternoon snack or...Well, whatever! LOL

I love it because I used to eat it when I was a child, my mum still often prepare it because it's quick, fast and have the smell of something made with love.

You need:

8 1/2 oz. all purpose flour

8 1/2 oz. sugar

3 eggs

4 1/2 oz. milk

4 1/2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil ( delicate taste)

1 bag baking powder

2 spoons cocoa powder

pearl sugar

Beat eggs with sugar untill smooth, add milk and oil and mix.

Add flour with baking powder and blend in.

Grease a ring- shaped cake pan and pour half of the mixture in it.

Into the half still in the bowl add cocoa and mix untill blended.

Pour gently over the first half and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Put in preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 345 F°.

Oh now I'm starving to death for it, tomorrow I'll do a ciambellone! ^^

Hummus (Chickpeas sauce).

I didn't write for so long but I had a lot to do: it's not only a matter of pregnancy, it's a matter of organization.

Medical check-ups, house revolution to change the guest room in baby room, storms into every baby-related shop to find the right stroller, the right cradle, the right everything.

Today I show you a recipe that's not Italian, it comes from Middle-east and it's common in Arabia as in Turkey as in many other countries around there.

I eat it quite often because a family friend teached me and I find it delicious on toasted bread or with raw vegetables like carrots, celery, tomatoes...

It's really really easy.

For 4 serves you need:

1 can boiled chickpeas

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

paprika or chili

1 garlic clove mashed

chopped parsley to decorate

1 spoon thaini (it's a paste made from sesame seeds, you can find it in ethnic shops)

Whisk all the ingredients untill you have a smooth cream, if it's too thick add a little water and mix well.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve room temperature or cold with toasted bread or raw vegetables.

Enjoy!!

Tomato salad with greek yogurt ( Insalata di pomodori con yogurt greco)

I keep on going with summer and easy recipes, this one is so tasty according to me.

It remember me of my summers at university where I share an apartment not far from the sea with some Greek and English students: we had so much fun together, parties, tea times, plain dinners that became a fancy mix of food from our countries.

Now I start to become over-sentimental so let's go with the salad!

You can decide measures quite roughly, don't need weights :)

You need:

red and ripe tomatoes, I usually prefer San Marzano (the ones long and thin with less seeds that you can see in the picture)

fresh basil leaves

salt

pepper if you like

extra-virgin olive oil

a garlic clove if you like

greek yogurt, how much it depends on how many you are but I use roughly a big spoon of yogurt for each serve

Cut tomatoes in tiny cubes, put them in a bowl with their sauce, add salt, pepper, oil, garlic and the basil leaves well washed.

Mix well, add the greek yogurt, mix again and let rest in fridge for about a couple of hours mixing now and then.

Greek yogurt is really thick but mixed with oil and tomato sauce it will get dilute and your tomatoes will be covered with a tasty creamy sauce, quick and really healthy!

It's perfect with grilled meat or fish, with hamburgers or other dishes.

Extra-Virgin olive oil cake ( Torta all'olio d'oliva extravergine)

Problems with cholesterol?

Do you wan to to avoid animal fats or just to try something unusual?

This is a plain cake, perfect for breakfast, afternoon break or just to treat yourself and your family.

Please consider only extra-virgin olive oil for this cake: other oils aren't healthy enough to gain benefit from their use, expecially when they have to be cooked.

This recipe has a lemon flavor but you can choose to put some cocoa powder to half of the mixture then pour in the baking pan first the white mixture then the cocoa one and passing a pick to give the cake a marbled effect or add 3 apples chopped in tiny pieces.

You need:

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 cups of milk

a sprinkle of salt

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 bag of baking powder

zest from one lemon (only the yellow part)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

icing sugar to serve

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and the sugar.

When well blended add the oil, milk, lemon juice and zest and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the first mix to this mixture, and stir just until blended.

Pour into a baking pan.

Bake for about 40 minutes at 350° F or until a pick comes out clean.

Cool and remove from the pan.

Dust with powdered sugar.

You can serve with fresh fruit, egg custard, whipped cream or melted chocolate or eat it plain.

Garlic and chiles spaghetti (Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino)

Today "the easier the better": this is a dish that everyone can do, even if he/she knows nothing about kitchen, it's really really cheap and made with ingredients you always have at home.

Not by chance it's a classic " emergency dish" and "student dish" with canned tuna tomato sauce pasta.

For 4 servings you need:

1 pound spaghetti

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

3 red hot chili peppers, crushed

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (if you like it)

Cook pasta as usual, in boiling salted water.

Meanwhile heat in a large pan olive oil, add garlic and peppers, cook untill the garlic is soft, almost undone but not brown.

Remove from heat, when the pasta is "al dente" drain it keeping a little cooking water apart.

Pour spaghetti in the pan, mix well over medium heat, add a little cooking water if it seems dry, add parsley, mix again and serve.

Roasted tomatoes (Pomodorini confit)

For this easy and budget recipe you need tomatoes at their best: fresh, ripe and flavourful so maybe it's more a summer recipe but if you find some good plum or cherry tomatoes you can do it anyway.

You can use them on pasta, on bruschetta, into salads or just as tasty side dish from informal meals (they're great with grilled meat so bbq's are welcome^^) to formal ones (with tuna fish fillet, for istance).

You need:

15-20 good tomatoes

2 finely minced garlic cloves

1 spoon of sugar

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 275 F°, cut tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and put them on a dish with the skin up (they have to lose some water) for an hour.

Now put them with skin side down on a baking sheet and add garlic, pepper, more salt, sugar and oregano sprinkling, then drizzle with abundant oil.

Bake in the oven for about 2 hours or untill they're dried but still soft.

Serve hot, warm or cold: anyway is a good way for them!

Pasta with arugula and bacon (Pasta alla rucola e pancetta)

Today it's time for a quick firts course, perfect for mid-week meals.

You can substitute bacon with ham or sausage if you prefer or even anchovies if you like them!

For 4 persons you need:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup diced bacon

1 large clove of garlic, coarsely minced

salt and pepper

juice from 1 lemon

1 bunch fresh arugula well washed and chopped

1 pound spaghetti (or rigatoni as seen in the photo!)

freshly grate Parmesan

In a saucepan, heat the oil, and add the diced pancetta.

Cook until it is brown and starting to crisp.

Remove from the heat and add the garlic.

Season with salt and pepper (as often saind I don't love pepper very much so I avoid it).
Cook the pasta until it is "al dente".

Drain pasta and return it to the pot.

In the pasta pot, combine the hot pasta, the bacon and garlic, the lemon juice, and the chopped arugula.

Cook briefly over medium heat until it is well mixed, and the arugula has wilted.

Serve hot, topped with shaved parmesan cheese.

Yummy!

Swordfish with almonds sauce (Pesce spada con pesto di mandorle)

Quick recipe today because I'm always in a hurry.

I have so many things to do between work and housekeeping...

Today I made food shopping: I usually love it but when I run out of food at home and I have to buy tonz of things I go crazy!

You need:

4 slices of swordfish (about 7 ounces each)

2 1/2 ounces peeled almonds

1 ounces parsley

1 garlic clove

1/2 ounces breadcrumbs softened in a little vinegar

1 potado

salt and pepper

2/3 cups extravirgin olive oil

Mince into a mixer almonds, garlic, parsley, a little salt and pepper untill it has a smooth texture.

Boil the potado chopped in little cubes into salt water, mash it, put the sauce in a bowl, add the mashed potado and the breadcrumb well squeezed.

Mix very well, add oil little by little untill the sauce is well blended.

Cook the swordfish slices on a hot skillet two minutes per side, put the fish on each plate and add the sauce.

You can garnish with whole almonds and parsley wisps.

Bruschetta (Toasted garlic bread)

I think Bruschetta is one of the most famous Italian appetizer worldwide: it's simple, low cost, yummy, customizable.

Count about 2 slices per person, the bread must be sliced in thick pieces (approximately 3/8 inch ).

The oil is the king of the ingredients in this recipe so you absolutely need extra-virgin olive oil, a good one.

You also need salt and a garlic clove.

Preheat an oven, broiler, or toaster; grill the bread on both sides until golden brown.

Lightly rub the garlic on the surface of the bread.

Pour a thin stream of olive oil on the bread, and sprinkle with salt.

Serve hot or at least warm.

This is the basic bruschetta but surely not the only way to serve this kind of bread: on top you can add thin slices of pork lard (like Colonnata lard) and Rosemary, tomatoes chopped in tiny cubes with some basil leaves, sliced green olives, sundried tomatoes in slices, dried red pepper powder or slices and whatever else your fantasy and your taste decide.

Orange and fennel salad ( Insalata di arance e finocchi)

It's a very peculiar recipe, light and tasty, great to break the long series of heavy lunch and great dinners of the Christmas period.

It's a winter recipe because oranges and fennels are typical winter vegetables, it's most used in the South of Italy where citrus grown.

If you like the two main ingredients you'll love it!

I had a housemate at univeristy than used to eat it almost everyday...

For two persons:

2 oranges

2 fennels

salt and pepper

3 - 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Slice the oranges (peel them carefully and keep off the white part) and arrange them in a serving plate.

Clean the fennels, cut them very thin then transfer the fennels in a bowl to season them with oil salt and pepper.

Transfer the fennels on the oranges, dizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

If you like you can slice thin a little red onion too and add it to the salad.

Rosemary focaccia ( Focaccia al rosmarino)

Another Italian must where rosemary is protagonist, very popular as street food, a good treat for children douring school break, the delicious focaccia.
It seems a little bit demanding, the recipe is long but it's longer to read than to prepare!
If you have a bread machine or something similar you can prepare the dough with it then spread it in the pan and let it rise once again, it's even quicker.
You can eat it plain as snack or you can serve it diced in squares, warm, with salami, ham, cheese...
It could be a strong appetizer of an informal dinner if served with that sort of things or a great, cheap, quick idea for party buffets (even children party).


You need:

2 - 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast


1 - 1/3 cups water lukewarm

6 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

3 - 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon coarse salt

2 - 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
Set aside for a few minutes.
Add 3 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil to the mix.
In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 teaspoons salt to the flour.
Add the yeast-water mixture into the flour.
With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir vigorously stir to combine.
Knead with your hands until soft dough is obtained.
Lightly spread another large bowl with olive oil, transfer the dough into the bowl.
Rub the dough around the walls of the bowl to cover its surface with oil.
Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap, and place the pan in a warm corner of the kitchen (like the oven, turned off) to rise for about 1 hour, or until about doubled in size.
Spread extra-virgin olive oil lightly on a 12 x 16 inch baking pan.
Invert the dough from the bowl into the pan.
At this point the dough is very light and soft.
Avoid pressing or stretching it too much or it will not rise weel in the oven.
Flatten the dough with the point of the fingers until it reaches the edges, and the pan is fully covered.
Dimple the focaccia with your fingertips to create small depressions.
Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap, and place the pan in a warm corner of the kitchen to rise for 1 more hour.
Preheat oven to 450 F °, spread the remaining olive oil, the coarse salt, and the rosemary leaves uniformly on the surface of the focaccia.
Bake the focaccia on the lower shelf of the oven for about 25 minutes, until the surface is golden and the bottom is gold.
Lift a corner of the focaccia to check readiness before removing it from the oven.

Grilled chicken breast (Petto di pollo grigliato)

Grilled chicken breast: anything easier than this recipe?

Or more banal?

No, but you can create a tasty dish if you take care of the preparation and of the ingredients, the preparation is quick and you can surely afford and recover the things you need.

It's a light second course, ideal for the ones on a diet: low fats, digestible.

You need:

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

salt and pepper

a stick of fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove

half a lemon

Slice each chicken breasts in 3 thin slices.

Pound the slices with a meat pounder to make them thin and tender.

Cook the chicken on a simple grille or even a non-stick pan.

Do not use any fat or oil to grease the pan, just rub the garlic clove on the whole pan few times to give a light garlic smell.

Season with the extravirgin olive oil, add salt and freshly grated pepper if you like then some rosemary needles and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve warm with plain fresh salad or with stirfried spinach.