Small Wonders!

Tortini Salate di Sfoglia, con Asparagi Bianchi, Pomodorini & Pancetta

Puff-Pastry Tartelettes with White Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes & Bacon

 

 How about this for a fun and different way to enjoy that white asparagus whilst it is still in season... without just boiling it and covering it in Hollandaise! These simple little individual tarteletts are made in the frying pan, in next to no time, and as tasty as can be with finely chopped bacon, cherry tomatoes and nutmeg to compliment their mild flavor... terrific! And together with some of that refreshing cucumber and radish salad- what a Springtime treat!

 

I always have puff-pastry in the fridge- there is no end to haw many wonderful things you can make with it in next-to-no-time... like these little treats here! And with just a couple of little squares of it, what would otherwise have just been a handful of asparagus became the star of my little supper- and that can only be a good thing!

 

The ingredients- startling simple and little at that- you don't always need a lot to make a major statement on you plate! Some small asparagus stalks- 19 in all to be precise :-) , a handful of finely chopped bacon, a handful of cherry tomatoes and a little parsley. Ta-da! And with 2 little 5"x5" squares of puff-pastry, that is all you are going to need to make 2 people happy :-)

 

The size of your pastry base of course will depend on the length of your asparagus stalks. Peel and trim the ends off first and then cut the pastry to size at just a couple of inches larger, allowing for the outside edges to puff-up during baking.
 

Fry the asparagus together with the bacon in a dry non-stick pan- you do not need any extra fat other than that in the bacon and the butter in the puff-pastry, trust me Grate generously with nutmeg, sprinkle with pepper and fry until the bacon bits begin to get crispy, then deglaze the pan with just a splash of water and put on the lid for a minute or two. That little blast of steam is enough to make sure the asparagus is cooked through but still has plenty of bite. remove the lid and withing a minute or so the excess water and steam will evaporate away. Set on a plate to cool and rinse off the pan... you will be needing it again shortly!

Add the finely chopped parsley after the asparagus and bacon have cooled off a little, so that it retains its flavor and color better before arranging the tarts.

 

Putting the tarts together is simple- lay out your square of pastry, then the finely sliced cherry tomatoes and then arrange the asparagus stalks on top, leaving at least an inch of pastry around the edge of them. Sprinkle all over with the bacon bits and turn on the heat for 3-4 minutes, until the edges of the pastry first become transparent and then slowly begin to rise as it begins to "bake"... then transfer to the oven to finish baking at 200°C for 5-10 minutes until puffy and golden.

 

I always use the simple trick of covering the handle of my pan with foil when I do this trick- it is only in the oven for 10 minutes at the most and is perfectly safe. The benefit of starting the pastry on the stove top is that it ensures that the pastry gets good heat from below and will be crispy and firm and not end up being soggy from the topping.

 

And there you go! A picture-perfect little pastry- no stress, no hassle- no kidding! Sometimes people go to a whole lot of trouble to make something to impress their friends with... but sometimes something simple may work just as well- if not better!

 

 

Radishingly Refreshing Cucumber Salad!

Insalata di Cetriolo & Ravanelli, con Condimento di Miele, Senape, Yogurt, Menta & Limone

Cucumber & Radish Salad with Honey, Mustard, Yogurt, Lime & Mint Dressing

 

 A simple cucumber salad- but simply different! Quick, easy and fun to make, with ravishing radishes for a blast of peppery goodness and an extra bit of crunch! Topped off with a honey, mustard and lime juice dressing and freshly chopped mint, this is a lovely and refreshing salad... dare to be different and try something new!

Mint goes so well with the radishes, honey and lime and together with the cucumber, this was a wonderful change to those traditional dill-flavored cucumber salads... I really liked it a lot!

 

The ingredients to make 4 side-servings were: 1 cucumber, 9-10 radishes, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey, 3 tablespoons of yogurt, olive oil and 2-3 stalks of fresh mint.

For the dressing, simply stir together the honey, mustard, lime juice and yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper- nothing could be easier- or yummier!

 

Make sure to remove the seeds from the center of the cucumber. Simply cut it into quarters and then cut them away along the whole length, leaving you with the nice, firm flesh of the cucumber, so that your salad does not become a watery mess- ugh! We don't want that!

 

Using a vegetable peeler, simply peel long strands from the cucumber. I found that the best way to do this is to hold the cucumber down on your chopping board at an angle, and shave lengths off AWAY from your body- this will save a lot of struggling if you try to hold it in your hand! Just sayin!

Next, simply wash and finely slice your radishes, sprinkle them and the cucumber slices lightly with salt and let them sit for 5-10 minutes- this will let any excess water in them drain away so that the salad does not end up tasting watered-down.

 

Arrange the salad in a serving plate or bowl, mixing the cucumber and radishes evenly... it is easier to do this before adding the dressing, as otherwise, those pesky little sliced radishes tend to like to all slide and stick together!

 

Finally, drizzle with the nicely mixed dressing and sprinkle with plenty of fresh, finely sliced mint... you can either toss the salad or serve it "as-is"... it will all mix wonderfully together as soon as you start swirling it around on your fork to eat! What fun! Enjoy!

Just Duet

Carciofi Ripieni in Due Modi, con Menta, Peperone & Piselli
Stuffed Artichoke 2-Ways, with Mint, Pepper & Peas

And once again, stuffed artichokes- one of my absolute favorite antipasti and always a treat... especially if they are stuffed, like in the "old days", with bread crumbs and herbs... delicious!

This evening though, I decided to try adding a little extra flavor and complimenting the very delicate hint of bitterness in the artichoke, with the sweetness of fresh garden peas and mild red pepper. Both of these ingredients taste wonderful with mind, as does the artichoke itself... so it was hardly surprising that the result was everything I had hoped for- and more!

 The great thing about stuffing artichokes with bread crumbs, is that the crumbs soak up all of the flavors of the herbs, the filling and the artichoke itself and then hold everything in place once they are finished steaming. Alternatively, whether boiled or steamed, a lot of that good flavor ends up being washed out and poured off- and this way, you lose nothing... and gain everything! Plus, it also goes to make for a more satisfying eat in general :-)

 

 The ingredients for 2 portions were: 1 large artichoke, 1 red pointed pepper, a couple of handfuls of fresh peas, 1 shallot, 1 lemon, parsley, mint, grated salted Ricotta cheese and bread crumbs.

 

Obviously, as you can see, the red pepper was simply finely diced in order to mix it in with the bread crumbs, but the peas need either to be quickly whizzed through a mixer, or as I did, pounded and squashed a little with a mortar and pestle. This helps them soften and cook more quickly and also coaxes some juices out of the peas that can then flavor the crumbs and the filling better.

 

Here is the pea filling prior to having the finely chopped mint and parsley added, it consists of the crushed peas, half of the shallot finely chopped, 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon of grated salted Ricotta, a little lemon zest and some black pepper. The red pepper filling is made of course in the same way ;-) just replace the peas with the pepper!

There is no need for additional salt if you use the salted Ricotta- should you use a different cheese, then season accordingly... but for a Sicilian- Ricotta is best!

Prepare the artichoke in the usual manner, peeling away the tougher, outer leaves first. One thing I have learned, is to not simply pluck the whole leaf off, but rather to snap them in half and then tug downwards, so that the bottom ends remain intact. this helps to maintain stability in the remaining artichoke and at the same time, those thick ends connecting to the bulb itself have lots of good juicy flesh connected to them when you pluck them off after steaming.

Carefully spread the leaves of the artichoke out and spoon in the bread-crumb, herb and vegetable fillings using a teaspoon- and your hands! Make sure to press the filling in a deep down as you can and make sure to fill the center of the artichokes generously.

Drizzle with plenty of lemon juice and olive oil and steam for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes... basically they are only good when the leaves easily lift away from the heart... so a little patience and trial and error are 2 good additional ingredients that you will need for this dish!

"Marmalade on Toast" Cookies :-)

Biscottini Rustici con Kumquat, Cardamome & Olio di Oliva
Rustic Kumquat, Cardamom & Olive Oil Cookies

 They may not look like much... but neither do I! And it's what's on the inside that matters, right?

I have a heart of gold and my cookies had a heart of kumquat, cardamom, a little yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil and of course some sugar to sweeten them up. And though I am not a baker- I have to say that these tangy little devils sweetened the whole day for me!

If you like marmalade, you will love these... and if you are interested to know how I made them, then click on through the pictures and I will be more than glad to tell you ;-)

 

 These are nice, chewy and fruity tasting- not too sweet and with just a little olive oil rather than butter... because I love the flavor of oranges and olive oil in savory dishes or salads and was curious to find out if it would work in something sweet...

 This was just a test-run and enough for a little breakfast snack for me today... the ingredients were as follows:

1 cup of flour, 10-11 Kumquats, 4-5 tablespoons of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt and 2 cardamom pods for a hint of wonderful, exotic flavor!

 

 Cut 2-3 of the kumquats into slices, to use decoratively and finely chop the rest, removing any seeds.

 

 Simply stir all of the ingredients together, adding as much yogurt as is necessary to create a nice, sticky dough... use a wooden spoon and squash the kumquats whilst mixing so that they give off their juice into the mix.

 

 Once the dough has come together and looks like this, it is ready to form... be careful not to over-work it, as there is no egg in this recipe and you don't want to make the dough too dense.

 

 Spoon the dough out onto a silicon sheet or parchment paper and add a couple of slices of cumquat to make them a little prettier. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake in a pre-heated oven at 175°C for 20-25 minutes until nice and golden... yes, I know, I have a few burnt edges on mine... but I like that! :-)

 

 These are simple little cookies- not too sweet and nice and tangy... like having marmalade on toast! Which is why they were perfect for my breakfast today! Hope you like them too!

 

Springtime Stalking

Asparagi Bianchi e Patate con Dragoncello, Senape & Arancia con Bietola Rossa Saltata

White Asparagus & Potatoes in Tarragon, Mustard & Orange with Wilted Red Baby Chard

  

 Not being the greatest of fans of the typical and traditional white asparagus recipes here in Germany, I decided to try something a little different... and I have to say that the result turned out to be pretty terrific!

The hint of citrus from the orange zest, the pungent anise-like tarragon and the nutmeg-scented baby red chard all came together wonderfully with the mild potatoes... 

Here are the ingredients for this lovely Vegetarian dish. This was 1 handful of asparagus per person- to be incredibly precise, that meant in this case 11 stalks , but of course it all depends on how large they are. These were small- I prefer them that way and they are much quicker and easier to cook. 5-6 small potatoes. 2 good handfuls of red baby chard. 1 teaspoon of mustard- this was Italian, but you can use whichever you prefer. 2 sprigs of tarragon and a little orange zest... and that's all you need!

 

 This was ultra simple to prepare- as usual!

First, peel the potatoes and make sure they are all the same size- meaning, cut the larger ones so that the pieces are as small as the little ones IF they are different sizes... if not- you're already ahead of the game! Pop them into a saucepan with just enough salted water to cover them and boil them for 5-6 minutes initially.

In the meantime, peel the asparagus stalks and cut them in half, then after the potatoes have been boiling for 6 minutes or so, pop them into the saucepan on top so that they sit there and steam whilst the potatoes boil. Continue boiling for a further 5-6 minutes until tender.

 

Whilst the potatoes and asparagus are bubbling away, rinse the card off and shake it dry. In a frying pan, heat around 2 teaspoons of olive oil and when it is hot, add the chard and stir briskly- careful! It may hiss and spit a little! Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and remove from the heat after just 2-3 minutes at the most.

 

Next, drain the potatoes and asparagus and transfer them to a hot frying pan with a little olive oil, the finely sliced lemon zest and the finely chopped tarragon. I cut 2 small strips of zest from the orange and chopped them up finely- that is plenty for one portion like this.






Sautée everything gently together and add the teaspoon of mustard whilst everything is nice and hot. Season with salt and pepper, and serve as soon as the potatoes and asparagus begin to turn lightly golden.

 

Mediterranean Mix

Melenzane Mediterrane con Lenticchie Rosse & Timo
Mediterranean Eggplant with Red Lentils & Thyme

What could be yummier on a warm, Spring evening than a nice dish of vegetarian goodness like this? Simple and tasty, juicy eggplant with what is essentially a lukewarm salad of red lentils and aromatic thyme... The only thing that would make a bright and sunny dish like this better would be a little less rain!

 

For 2 portions, the ingredients were 1 eggplant, 2 Spring onions, 1 stalk of celery, 1 carrot, a handful of cherry tomatoes and a few sprigs of thyme. I used up my baby carrots here, but as I said, 1 regular sized carrot is all you will need.

 

Finely chopped carrot, celery and Spring onion give the basic flavor to the lentils, tomato adds color and fruitiness and the thyme adds that little extra "zing!" that takes everything a step higher!

The eggplant was simply sliced and salted, in the usual way, prior to cooking. I let it rest for 15 minutes or so to exude any bitterness so that the cooked eggplant would be tender and mild.

 

 
To prepare the eggplant, I cut it into 1" thick slices and put them into the frying pan with just a touch of water, just enough to cover the surface of the pan. I flipped the slices over once, but only added the olive oil after this water had evaporated away... this water soaks into the pores and prevents the oil from doing the same and making the eggplant to greasy. As the eggplant cooks, that little bit of excess water also evaporates away, but the eggplant doesn't stick and it gets a lovely Holden color. I seasoned with salt and pepper and added a little crushed garlic into the pan to add a little extra aroma... Simple!

 

 To prepare the lentils, I started off with the "sofritto"- the finely chopped carrot, celery and onion, which is the base of so many Italian recipes. I sweated these down in a little olive oil until the onion and celery were transparent and then added the lentils and tomatoes, along with just enough water to cover them. I seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked them for 5 minutes. In the meantime I plucked the leaves from half of the thyme and then added them for the final 5 minutes of cooking. After 10 minutes in all, I added a little olive oil, the juice of half a lime and little honey, stirred them through and let them sit with the lid on to rest for a further 5 minutes.

I served the lentils on top of the golden slices of eggplant and sprinkled everything generously with the remaining thyme... Simple, fresh and delicious! My kind of food... And I hope yours too!