A Great Bunch of Flowers!

Fiori di Zucca al Forno con Mozzarella, Mollica, Acciughe, Menta & Scorze di Mandarina
Baked Zucchini Blossoms with Mozzarella, Bread Crumbs, Anchovy, Mint & Mandarin Orange Zest

 

It's not often that I get given flowers by the ladies, but today, Nina at the market hall surprised me with these zucchini blossoms as a little present- how kind!

They were not in the best condition, granted, but the reason she did so and the reason I am telling the story and sharing a recipe with you- is because she knew I would still appreciate them- and I hope you will do the same too!

 

I tend to roll my eyes a little when I hear people claim they want "only the best" - I find that kind of snobbery, frankly unappetizing! If food is good food, surely that must be enough? I am talking about real food now, from a farmer or from a market... simple fruit and vegetables. If they are not laden with pesticides and have been grown naturally- so what if they have a bruise or blemish here or there? Let's keep it real, folks! Other people out there are starving- let's be thankful for what we have and make the most of it!

 

I added a ball of Mozzarella, a cupful of bread crumbs, a chili pepper, the zest of a small mandarin orange, a squeeze of anchovy past, a little fresh parsley and mint and some good olive oil to my zucchini blossoms... and turned them into something truly special and delicious!

 

You may have noticed that I like to prepare my zucchini blossom in the oven... it's true! You don't have to deep fry them! Too much fat, too much fuss and too much trouble... there are much easier... and just simply wonderful!

 

Dice the mozzarella and add it to the breadcrumbs, along with the chili pepper, the parsley and the mint- all very finely chopped! Add about a tablespoonful of anchovy paste and the mandarin orange zest, also finely shredded and mix together well.

 

Stir together until everything is evenly coated and the anchovy paste has been equally distributed. Add just a little salt and plenty of pepper and get ready to fill those flowers!

 

Snap the stamens out of the blossoms and then spoon in the mixture generously. Pinch the ends back together, squeeze the blossoms into shape and turn on your oven to 200°C to get ready for baking!

 

It will take 5-10 minutes to fill the blossoms, plenty of time for the oven get get ready for action!

 

 
Drizzle your tray lightly with olive oil, lay out the zucchini and drizzle them in turn with a little more oil... just a touch! Sprinkle the zucchini with sea salt- you want them to be tasty too... and pop them into the oven for 10 minutes.

 

After 10 minutes, the filling will have begun to melt, but the bread crumbs bind the cheese together nicely and keep it from spilling out... gently flip the blossoms over and return them for a further 5-10 minutes until they are lovely and golden brown.

 

Delicious, surprisingly satisfying and filling- and an absolute treat! And just to think, others would have deemed them not good enough to put out on sale! Hah! Thanks again, Nina! :-)

Butterflies in Your Tummy!

Farfalle con Finocchi, Pomodorini, Pancetta, Piselli & Mollica
Farfalle with Fennel, Cherry Tomatoes, Bacon, Peas & Bread Crumbs

 

My goodness- what an incredibly delicious and simple pasta dish this is! Ready in just about the time it takes to boil the pasta, this is a perfect after-work, quick and easy special that you can always rely on to put a smile in your face and a good feed in your tummy! I love the simplicity of Italian food!

You don't always have to be as basic as "aglio e olio" when it comes to making quick and satisfying pasta dishes... but so many other alternatives are hardly more complicated or harder work to put together- so why not enjoy a bit of a change every now and again?

 

Armed with a tiny fennel, cherry tomatoes that were tinier still and just a handful of other simple ingredients, I managed to turn a couple of handfuls of farfalle pasta into wonderful evening meal!

 

My ingredients were: 1/2 of a small bulb of fennel, 1 shallot, 1 cupful of frozen peas, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped bacon, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs and 7-8 cherry tomatoes- these and a little good olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg were all it took ! Frugal, fun and fantastic!

 

The crispy bread crumbs always make me think of Sicily, the sweet fennel and peas and the salty bacon and Parmesan make for a great contrast of flavor... and the result is a great, balanced dish that has everything you need and more... the only thing you need is about 15 minutes of time to make it!

 

Start the pasta boiling in plenty of salted water and whilst it is simmering away, quickly toast the 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs in just a drop of olive oil and once they begin to brown, add half of the grated Parmesan. Stir-fry together until golden brown and crispy and set to one side to cool.

Now fry together the bacon with the fennel and shallot cut into a relatively fine dice, in nothing but the bacons own fat. Whilst they are sizzling away, add the peas to the boiling pasta so that they can cook with the pasta for the next 2-3 minutes.

 

By the time the bacon is beginning to brown and the fennel and shallot are becoming translucent, the farfalle should be nearly done- so drain off most of the water and add them to the frying pan. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Keep stir-frying until the remaining water has all been absorbed and then add half of the bread crumbs, toss... and serve up your beautiful butterflies nice and hot!

 

Finish with a sprinkle more of bread crumbs, the remaining Parmesan and last bit of fresh pepper, add a light drizzle of olive oil and some of the fennel greens... and thoroughly enjoy!

 

By cooking with the cherry tomatoes for the last few minutes, the pasta will pick up a nice golden color and a hint of fruity flavor and juiciness to balance the crispy bread crumbs- it's like a carnival of flavors dancing on your tongue!

Dragon Rolls!

"Rotoli del Drago"

"Dragon Rolls"- 
Pizza-Dough Rolls with Chinese, Preserved Olive Leaves, Peppers & Parmesan Cheese

 

It is always so exciting to discover a new and exciting ingredient, especially when it is totally unexpected. And when it is ultra delicious and totally inexpensive, well, that just makes it all the better!

Have you ever heard of Chinese, preserved olive leaves? No, I didn't think so... I hadn't ever heard mention of them either! But let me tell you something... if you like olives, you will LOVE these! They are my favorite thing ever! For the moment that is- haha!

 

I have a million and one recipes to invent using this most wonderful ingredient- but this very simple one was the first and it gave me an excellent opportunity to become familiar with the amazing, rich flavor of these amazing leaves- and the exquisite oil that they come with... yummy indeed!

 

From one roll of pizza dough, I managed to make 6 lovely, twisted rolls. To flavor them I used bell pepper- 4 of the little mini ones, about a tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds, about 2 tablespoons of the preserved olive leaves and maybe 3 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

These would make wonderful party snacks or be excellent for a brunch or picnic- perfumed with olive and parmesan flavor and with the touch of bell-pepper and sesame, they really need nothing else added... especially if you serve them up still warm from the oven! Mmmm!

 

All you need to do before you can start putting the rolls together is to finely dice the peppers and to grate the cheese. Whilst you are doing that, turn the oven on and let it start heating up to 200°C to get nice and hot!

 

 
Next, spread out some of the preserved olive leaves and spread them about evenly, making sure that some of the delicious oil gets spread around too.

 

They may look a little scary, but they taste divine- a rich but mild olive flavor, with somehow a hint of sweetness to them and a little hard-tp-place spice- almost as if there is a hint of cloves in there- you will just have to get to your Asian supermarket and try them to find out!! But once you do... it will be a case of love at first bite!

 

And then add a generous (but not too exaggerated!) sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

 

And then of course, those finely chopped peppers...

 

... and then the sesame seeds as well, until the dough is well covered and packed with good stuff!

 

Now you can carefully press down all of those goodies into the dough and cut it into roughly 2" strips, then twist them together, trapping all of that good stuff inside.

 

Roll the twisted dough together like this- don't worry about any of the filling that might fall out whilst you are doing so, just add that on top afterwards- it will just go to make them look even prettier.

 

Once you have all 6 rolls assembled, lay them out evenly on your baking paper and bake them at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until they are a lovely golden brown.

 

They smell delicious and they taste even more so! But like I said- don't just take my word for it! Make some of your own as soon as you can!

 

This was a wonderful beginning of a great new friendship of mine with those wonderful olive leaves! I can't believe I have managed to live this long without them! I never want to miss having them in my kitchen ever again! Go find some... you'll love them! 

 

Have You Bean to Mexico?

Borlotti al Annatto
Borlotti Beans with Annatto

 

Well, to be honest, there is more than just annatto added to these lovely, colorful borlotti beans. And although I am no cook of Mexican food and have only a limited knowledge Mexican cuisine, there are quite a few typical flavors and ingredients that went into making this dish... and I would dare say that the result was pretty darned good- all things considered!

And yes- trust me to take beans with an Italian name, season them with Mexican herbs and spices- and then cook them in an Arabian clay pot! Haha- you know you love it!

 

What a feast! That is all that I can say!

 

To make a nice, big bowl of goodness, all I needed was 2 handfuls of fresh Borlotti's, about 1/4 of a small celery root, including the leaves, 4-5" of leek, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf, 1 shallot, 1 lime, a little fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of annatto powder, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and some good olive oil.

 

To make a nice, big bowl of goodness, all I needed was 2 handfuls of fresh Borlotti's, about 1/4 of a small celery root, including the leaves, 4-5" of leek, 1 carrot, 1 bay leaf, 1 shallot, 1 lime, a little fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of annatto powder, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seed, 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and some good olive oil.

 

Peel the carrot and celery root and dice them along with the shallot. Cut the leek into slices... and get ready to get cooking!

 

This is the fun part- simply put all of the ingredients into your saucepan, or in my case into my tajine- no need to fuss or worry!

 

Add enough water to cover everything, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, put on the lid and let them gently bubble away for a full hour.

 

Next, add the juice of a whole lime and a tablespoon of tomato paste, stir them in well and continue cooking for a further 10-15 minutes.

 

After that time, the beans will be tender, the vegetables nice and soft and the tomato paste will have gently thickened that beautiful golden annatto broth.

 

Add a good pinch of finely chopped cilantro and get ready to serve and enjoy!

 

Serve with a last sprinkle of chopped cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil. a slice or two of lime, a last scattering of dried oregano and a fresh sprig of cilantro as a garnish... what a treat!

 

Mildly spicy, tangy from the lime and oregano and spicy from the chili flakes and annatto- here's another simple dish to prove to you that comfort food need be anything but boring! Give it a try- and enjoy!

 

Use Your Loaf!

Piccolo Polpettone & Verdure Miste
Mini Meat Loaf & Mixed Vegetables

 

Small, but perfectly formed... that is exactly what my little meat loaf was this evening! A meat loaf tends to be one of those things that you consider being a family affair, of necessarily needing to be of a certain size to be worthwhile making... and of course it isn't! Otherwise I wouldn't have made a little individual one for myself this evening!

And obviously, the smaller the size, the shorter the time it will take to bake- and this here took only 30-40 minutes to finish off, including those vegetables. Which made it a nice and easy way to be able to indulge and enjoy in a wholesome family meal just for one- or maybe two lucky individuals... Depending on how hungry and generous you are- and if you have somebody to share with of course!

 

Simple and delicious, with fennel seed for a hearty, Italian flavor, this was basically my alternative to making a couple of burgers this evening- which had been my original intention. But, as is usually the case, whenever I think of making burgers, I always change my mind and go for something else! Don't hate me for it! Especially if I make something nicer instead!

 

My ingredients were: 200g of mixed ground pork and beef, 1 carrot, 1 parsnip, 1/2 of a leek, 1/2 of a stalk of celery, 1 onion, 2 very small potatoes, 1 egg, 1 heaped tablespoon of bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds and a little fresh parsley.

 

This just made for a more satisfying and comforting evening meal- the oven takes care of it for you, once you have done that tiny bit of prep work... and you can just sit back, relax and enjoy a real treat after a long day at work.

 

Start off by peeling the carrot, washing the other vegetables and then cutting them into similar sized, smaller pieces. Pop the carrot, potato and celery into a little saucepan of boiling water and let them simmer for 5-6 minutes whilst you prepare the meat loaf. The leek and onion can go into the oven raw. But first- turn on that oven to get it hot and running!

For the little meat loaf, I simply mixed the meat, egg, bread crumbs and fennel seeds together with 1/2 of the onion and half of the parsley, both nicely and finely chopped. There are no two ways about it- the only way to do it is to use your hands- no fiddling around with spoons or forks or anything! Knead the ingredients together until they become a nice, constant mass and then form into a little loaf.

 

Set the par-boiled, drained, but still steaming vegetables into your baking dish, season with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil, then set your little meat loaf in the middle, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C.

 

After 20 minutes, remove the foil and let the loaf and the vegetables get lovely and golden brown for a further 10-15 minutes... or as long as you can stand to wait once they begin to look and smell so wonderful! The meat juices will give great flavor to the vegetables which will be lovely and tender by now... aren't you glad you made this rather than just have a burger in a bun?!?

 

If you can stand to wait- then do so! As with any roasted meat, it is always good to give it 3-4 minutes to "rest" before slicing, to give the hot juices time to settle... it's worth that extra little wait... word!

 

Serve with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper, a touch of finely chopped parsley... and enjoy! Of course you can make a gravy or sauce to go with it- and you can use some of the juices to do so, but I enjoyed mine plain and simple as they were- and totally enjoyed them!

 

There are lots of flavors going on here with this little medley of vegetables- and as you can see, you really don't need much in the way of ingredients to make a lovely, rich meal- and so easy too!

 

Keep your ideas and ingredients simple and the Autumn and Winter evenings will be as easy for you cooking-wise as those hot and lazy Summer nights... even if they are a lot darker and colder, haha!