Just Bake it!

Riso al Forno con Zenzero & Zucca "Hokkaido" con Pepe "Szechuan"

Ginger & Hokkaido Pumpkin Baked Rice with Szechuan Pepper

Rice is one of those staples you just cant do without. But there is also almost nothing you can't do with it! You can keep it plain as a side dish, spice it up and fry it Asian style, make risottos and paellas and pilafs... so many cool and wonderful things! And you can also turn it into something yummy and comforting, like this!

This IS actually, basically a pilaf-rice kinda dish, but it is not particularly based on any recipe, and although I used ginger and Szechuan pepper in it, it is not Chinese by any stretch of the imagination. Nope, it is just a simple idea of mine and it was perfectly delicious and light this cold Autumn evening- the lovely Hokkaido pumpkin was a great, seasonal flavor to use! And rather fun used this way too!

I started off by rinsing two cups of rice off and then adding them to my baking dish... may I advertise the fact that I absolutely adore these little oven-proof bowls from Ikea at this point? Basically, I made this dish only because I wanted to use my new bowl! Haha- all kidding aside now, you can use any kind of bowl, ramekin or even a tin to make this. 

To the rice I added about 1" of finely chopped ginger, 1 small onion, 1 finely chopped clove of garlic, and about 2 cupfuls of finely diced Hokkaido pumpkin- which I like the best of all because you don't need to peel it- as you all know by now. I seasoned with salt and pepper, added a little sesame oil and then covered the lot with boiling water and popped it into the oven, at 350°F for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, I cut a few more thin slices of pumpkin and sautéed them briefly in a little sesame oil, with a very light sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg, some salt and pepper and a generous sprinkle of ground of Szechuan pepper.

After 5 minutes in the oven, the rice had soaked up all of the water and begun to cook nicely. I fetched it back out of the oven, poured in more water, added a good handful of finely chopped chives. I then laid the half-cooked pumpkin slices decoratively on top, sprinkled them with a little lime juice and sesame oil, covered the rice with some aluminum foil and popped it back into the oven for a further 10 minutes. After that time, the pumpkin had a lovely toasted touch but was steamy and soft inside- just like the rice! Terrific!

I added a generous sprinkle of chives for some extra color and a fresh nuance to the flavor and enjoyed it just as it was, straight from the dish... but maybe 4-5 minutes later, as it was hot, hot, hot! It was not overpowering in flavor, but the ginger and pumpkin retained their character wonderfully and harmoniously and it was just a yummy, Autumn meal! And what more could you want? Sometimes less is just more!

After 10 minutes in the oven, covered in foil, the rice had puffed-up and absorbed all of the water completely and the pumpkin slices were also wonderfully tender. I popped it back into the oven without foil for a further 2-3 minutes under the broiler and when I next saw it, the sesame oil had bubbled-up and become frothy and light and delicious, and the rise itself had of course risen to twice its volume... terrific!

Roll-Over, Bake-Oven!

Panini Dolce, con Cocco, Pistacchio e Fichi Fresche

Breakfast Buns with Coconut, Pistachio & Fresh Figs

Sunday Morning- time for breakfast again! And time for me to get inventive again, as you all know that I am neither a great cook of things sweet, I am not a baker by any means and I do like to treat myself to something nice on a Sunday, as I don't usually have a sit-down breakfast any other day of the week...

So it was time to improvise again! I only have the next 5 days to work (and cook!), before I leave on vacation and these are always the days that I get busy using up any bits and pieces I have in the fridge. And yes, I sometimes come up with cool ideas like this one! 

I was in the mood for something a little sweet, not savory this morning... but I never like my sweets to be TOO sweet- so I came up with this idea to make great use of a nice fresh fig I had picked up at the market hall and add just the minimum of further sweetening in the form of a little honey- the fig was pretty out of this world!

I made these out of 1 roll of store-bought pizza base. I simply cut it into 4 strips and then transformed them into these incredible rolls- what a great use for that stuff! I have made those yummy, stuffed, twisty Sicilian breads before and these was not all that different- just a little smaller and a little less twisted- haha!

To make them, I simply sprinkled each rectangle of pizza dough with grated coconut and grated pistacchio, then laid 3 slices of fig on top, length-ways, so as to keep them in a narrow line, down the middle of each strip of dough. I sprinkled a little cinnamon onto the figs and then folded the dough over the top of them from left and right, sealing everything in. And then I rolled up the tube of dough, with the overlapping seam on the inside, to keep everything smooth from the outside and tightly sealed... perfect!

Onto a dry, non-stick pan they went, on the stove top, for 3-4 minutes, in order to give the base a head start at baking, and in the meantime I turned the oven on to 350°F.  After the base of the rolls had baked firm and released itself from the pan when given a little shake, I popped them into the oven for 4-5 minutes to bake. 

After that time, I fetched them out and made 2 cuts into the top of each roll, in an "X". I then drizzled each roll with honey and popped them back into the oven for a further 3-4 minutes until they were golden and puffy and brown... and smelling delicious!

Whilst they were still hot and steaming and sticky with honey, I gave them a generous extra sprinkle of pistachio- and got the coffee ready! What a yummy treat for breakfast! And so easy to make! What's more... I am pretty sure you are going to love 'em! Enjoy!

What Came First- the Hen or the Omelette?

Omelette con Funghi Selvatici Ricci, Pancetta e Formaggio

Lambsquarter Mushroom, Bacon & Cheese Omelette

So what am I going-on about in the title of this post? Alas, I did not think to take a picture of the wrinkly, ruffled, fluffy yellow mushroom, the "lambsquarter" in question, to make you familiar with it... Oh well! You will have to make do with the finished result instead!

These mushrooms are also known as "Fette Henne" in Germany, which translates to "fat hen" in English. The reason being, that especially the larger ones DO actually look like little hens, with a puffy, ruffled appearance. They vary in size and  can be as big as a football in some instances, or smaller, like the one I used this evening, which was just the size of a grapefruit- or a little larger- haha! In any case it was way more than a handful in size!

To make it, of course the first challenge is to clean this fluffy little fellow! The thing to do is- don't freak-out! Simply spray it with cold water under the sink to loosen up any soil and then let it briefly soak for a minute or two, swirling the water around to get it as clean as possible. Don't worry about it getting waterlogged or soggy- just leave it out on the countertop to dry out and it will soon dry-out again before you are done with preparing the other ingredients!

These consisted of a good handful of finely diced bacon, a handful of finely chopped chives, a handful of grated cheese, 2 eggs, a splash of milk, salt, pepper, a hint of cayenne and a little nutmeg. 

First things first though- the bacon went into the pan and started sizzling and I turned my attention back to the mushroom! I cut off the stem, which of course was perfectly edible and the densest part of the mushroom, cut it into slices and added these to the pan first. 

In the meantime, I cut the rest of the lambsquarter into wedges and added these to the frying pan, seasoned with salt, pepper, a little nutmeg and fried everything for 3-4 minutes, then turned off the heat and  got the omelette started!

The omelette itself was made of 2 eggs, a splash of milk, a handful of cheese, salt and pepper- very simple. I took a small non-stick pan, turned up the heat, poured in the beaten eggs, chives and cheese and then laid out sections of the mushroom on top. As soon as the mushroom were on top, I sprinkled on the bacon bits and a last bit of cheese- which was in this case an Emmentaler. 

Into a hot oven it went, at 350°F for 10 minutes, until it was golden brown and then onto a dish and into my tummy! Because by now I was really hungry- and this little beauty was more than delicious! I would compare the flavor to that of chanterelles, but this is a lot more uncommon to find... so boy am I glad that my friends at the market hall went foraging for me! If you ever come across one on sale then grab one for yourself and give it a go!

Mini-Uns

Insalata di Mini-Cetrioli & Pomodoro

Mini -Cucumber & Tomato Salad

Size does matter- in so many aspects of life (please, no rude remarks!) and when it comes to food and ingredients, there are many of them to be found in smaller sizes than the regular ones... for example, cherry tomatoes, mini eggplants, mini peppers... and I though I had seen it all until I saw these at the market hall today... mini cucumbers! 

Bright green, with streaky markings, if you had told me they were lizards (or even dragons) eggs, I might well have believed you! But once I asked, was told what they are and then tasted one- I knew I had to take them with me and give them a go!

In all fairness, they are a lot prettier than they are tasty, because they do have a slightly bitter edge to the flavor... but taking that into consideration, I set about making them work really well in a simple but eye-catching salad. 

To make it, I halved the cucumbers and sprinkled them with salt, pepper and sugar, drizzled them slightly with lemon juice and let them sit from 15-30 minutes. In the meantime, I sliced up the tomatoes laid them out on my serving dish and sprinkled them too with salt, pepper and olive oil. 

I then took a small handful of dill, which I finely chopped and added it to 3 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of half a lime, a tablespoon of honey, salt and pepper. That was my dressing for the cucumbers already seen to!

All I needed to do now was to serve them up and dress them up! The cucumbers went into the middle of the dish, then on went the yogurt dressing, spooned carefully and evenly- just enough to give them a nice coating. A few final tips from the dill leaves as a garnish, a last sprinkle of coarse black pepper... and ta-da! Supper was started! Now... on to the main course... :-)

Sure To Please, Quick- Chick Peas!

Zuppa Veloce di Ceci & Pomodoro, con Coriandolo e Basilico- Piccante

Quick, Spicy Tomato & Chickpea Soup with Coriander & Basil

Call them garbanzo's, call them chick-peas... just make sure you always have a couple of cans of them in your pantry for the Winter months- because nothing is surer to please than a bowl full of these! I love the way that you can flavor chick-peas in so many ways- they are very, very versatile! And who would have known, when my dear old mother only ever made 1-2 variations of pasta soups with them... I shall have to show her there is so much more that can be done with them the next time I fly to the Old Country ;-)

This evening, I was home late from the office and a few errands, and it was chilly outside- so I got home cold and hungry! As I had a few chores to tend to, I decided I should make something that didn't need constant attention, that would take care of itself in a half hour of simmering away... and behold the fruits of my invention!

To make this little flavor sensation, I ground a half teaspoon of coriander seeds with my mortar and pestle and started the roasting in a dry saucepan. Once they began to smell more aromatic and became slightly toasted, I added the chick-peas, straight from the can, initially without the broth. I added a chopped Spring onion, 2 diced tomatoes, a little chopped garlic, a little chopped ginger, a tablespoon of Garam Masala, salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. 

With the heat nice and high, I cooked everything together, making sure that the spices and flavors combined and coated everything nicely. I then added enough boiling water to cover everything by an inch or so, reduced the heat to a simmer and let the soup do it's own thing for another 15-20 minutes. It is ready when the tomato is almost completely cooked away and has become a nice, red broth- you can't get much easier than that!

Just before serving, I adjusted the seasoning as it needed a little more salt, added a tiny squeeze of lemon juice, a handful of finely chopped chives and 9-10 leaves of basil. Once these had wilted down, the soup was ready! All of the wonderful essential oils of the basil and chives added a fresh richness to the soup which would have been lost had they been allowed to cook for to long... this way, they made the already rich and spicy soup even more delicious!

A splash of vinegar or more lemon would have also been a nice variation- or a combination of that and some honey to make it sweet and sour... as I said- these things are so versatile! So have at em' and enjoy!

Overflowing with Goodness!

Torta Salata di Finocchio, Pomodoro & Olive al Soufflé

Fennel, Tomato & Olive Quiche Soufflé

Don't hate me for calling this pretty little pastry a "quiche soufflé" people- I had to try doing something to distract you all from the fact that this is a dish that went wrong! Fortunately, it turned out to be ok... more than simply edible even- in fact, it was pretty delicious to tell you the truth!

This was supposed to be one of my typical, very fluffy, puff-pastry pies... with a light, cheesy topping, then golden-brown fennel on top. The thing is... the filling ended up being a little bit too much, it fluffed and bubbled up over the edges of the pastry and created all kinds of havoc with it! It seemed my supper was doomed! But of course, the important thing in the kitchen is to keep calm and improvise if things go awry... and then you come up with suppers like this!

So yes, there is a puff-pastry base in there somewhere- haha! Sadly, with the egg "royale" pouring over the edges, what happened was of course that the air that usually escapes from puff-pastry, between the many folded layers of dough and butter, which is the thing that makes it puff-up in the first place... couldn't. Sigh. So it didn't get so crisp around the edges as it might have... Still- like I said- the end result was so good I might just make it again- or recommend you try it too!

I started off by slicing the fennel into relatively thin wedges, laying it on the steam rack in a little saucepan and steaming it for 5 minutes. I popped a tomato in there too, with a little cross-cut into one end, so that the skin would pop and be easy to peel as soon as the fennel was cooked.

Whilst the fennel steamed, I turned on the oven to get nice and hot, and busied myself with making a simple "royale" to make the main part of the filling for my little quiche. Just 1 egg, 1 good handful of grated Edam cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and a good handful of finely chopped chives... briefly beaten with a fork- no fuss- no problem.

By now, the fennel was beginning to turn transparent- which was perfect, and the tomato was good to go too! So under a cold tap they went to cool off completely- and whilst the fennel dripped-dry, I cut the tomato in half, discarded the seeds and cut it into thin slices. 

I cut the pastry to fit my little frying pan and added a few strips of extra pastry along the outside edge, to give a little extra height- which usually keeps the filling tidily inside too... USUALLY! Haha! It didn't look like it was going to be too much either when I added it- so be warned! As I said- this was just 1 egg and it spilt over the edge completely once it began to bake! 

In any case- first came the egg and cheese mix, then the fennel, then in-between, the tomato slices and 4-5 halved olives for a bit of richness and depth of flavor. I seasoned with salt, pepper and a little more nutmeg, sprinkled it lightly with cheese and put the frying pan on the stove top to get the pastry going, for 3-4 minutes... you know my method by now! 

Once the base was firm and secure, the egg had begun to bubble away and the edges of the pastry were beginning to rise, I popped it into a hot oven, 350°F, for 10-15 minutes. As soon as I saw that the egg was bubbling-up and pouring over the edges, I took the pan out of the oven and tilted this way and that, to get the excess egg distributed evenly around the outside edge... Whatever! I added a little more cheese and popped it back inside for a final 2-3 minutes under the broiler. 

End of story! Except that as soon as I saw it in it's finished form, crispy and golden brown all the same, I just added a garnish of fresh fennel greens and decided I had been upset for no reason when things went "wrong". This was so wrong, I think it could hardly have been more right! And I hope you agree with me too!

Getting Warmer

Risoni in Agrodolce con Peperone, Pomodoro & Origano

Sweet & Sour Risoni Pasta with Tomato, Peppers and Oregano

As the weather gets colder and colder- the dishes have to start making us warmer again in the evenings... and I know that the Autumn hasn't even really begun, never mind the Winter... and I know that much colder days lie ahead... but wow, did it ever feel cold walking home this evening!!! So supper needed to be a warming and satisfying affair- that much was clear. And being as I couldn't make up my mind whether I was in the mood for something Italian or Asian this evening... I decided to make something that was a little bit of both... kind-of!

I say "kind-of", because it is not only the Chinese that have a tradition of making sweet and sour food, there are many traditional Italian dishes that have a tangy combination of either vinegar or citrus juice and sugar or honey... and I love that contrast and juxtaposition of flavors! This was a really simple dish with very few ingredients... all cooked together in one pan and finished in just 20 minutes- excellent on a night like this! because who wants to wait or work too long before settling down to supper and who wants to be stressed-out having to organize lots of ingredients for a meal... well, not me and that's for sure!

I started off by briefly sautéing a classic "sofritto" of finely diced onion, celery and carrot in a little olive oil. After 2-3 minutes, I added the risoni- I would say a couple of handfuls per portion and then after stirring everything together, added a good, heaped tablespoon of tomato paste and enough boiling water to cover the pasta. I seasoned with salt and pepper and reduced the heat to a low simmer and let it boil away....

Whilst the pasta was doing its own thing, I took 2 tiny yellow bell peppers and diced them finely, finely sliced a Spring onion for later and blanched a peeled a tomato, from which I then removed the seeds and cut the rest into fine stripes.

The next thing I did was to add the finely chopped peppers and a teaspoon of delicious, smoked paprika powder. I stirred this in well and topped up the frying pan with more boiling water... it is pretty amazing how much liquid those little noodles can and will soak up! Basically, I was cooking them in a similar way to risotto, gradually adding the liquid little by little, until the pasta is rich, smooth and perfectly cooked!

After around 15 minutes cooking time, I added the tomato and Spring onion slices,  re-adjusted the seasoning and added both a couple of tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar and honey. And wow! Suddenly those flavors and the general aroma started to sky-rocket!

The last ingredients were plenty of tiny, fresh, plucked oregano leaves and a good sprinkle of pepper. I didn't add any olive oil as I thought it was rather unnecessary, nor did I add any grated cheese- I will leave those options up to you! Both would work- but this evening I decided to be more of a minimalist. Also- I didn't want to wait around any longer!

And if you are feeling hungry right now and feel tempted to try this out... I recommend you don't wait around to do so! Go eat! You're gonna enjoy it!