Hot, Hot, Hot Potatoes!

Patate Ripieni al Forno con Radicchio, Ricotta, Erbe Miste, Pancetta & Miele

Baked Potatoes stuffed with Radicchio, Ricotta, Mixed Herbs, Bacon & Honey

Oh yes- these certainly were some HOT potatoes- so hot that I accidentally dropped the dish when I took them out of the oven... so do watch out! 

Fortunately, they didn't fall far- just onto the stove top... and the only thing that broke were the potatoes themselves a little and my pride, But they still tasted great and my baking dish will live on to see another day!

This was a little experiment with some bitter, sweet and savory flavors- with radicchio, honey, bacon and herbs... these combined with fresh ricotta cheese made for a somewhat different version of a baked potato. 

And if it hadn't have been for my little accident just before serving (and me having to carefully patch together the remains of my little tatties!)- I would have been finished with my preparation in just 45 minutes or so- sigh!

So- what did I need to perform my little experiment? 1 radicchio, 3 medium potatoes, 2 tablespoons of fresh ricotta, 1 tablespoon of chopped bacon, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 good handful of assorted parsley, basil and mint, salt and salt, pepper, nutmeg and olive oil for seasoning.

Yes- at this point, they were almost ready and I had just added the touch of honey to glaze them and to balance the bitterness of the radicchio so nicely... I did an "ok" job of rescuing them... but they should have looked a whole lot nicer!

Fortunately... there was no damage done to the amazing flavor! So- please try them out- you'll like them! Just be more careful than me!

Ok- start off by boiling the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes- and in the meantime, you can get the oven nice and hot and prepare the filling!

To fill my 3, medium sized potatoes, I needed 2 tablespoons of fresh ricotta and about the same amount each of shredded radicchio and finely chopped herbs. I added the tablespoon of chopped bacon, a pinch of salt and plenty of pepper and stirred everything together. Easy.

Once the potatoes were boiled, I cut away the top third, scooped out the insides carefully, chopped them up and then added about the same amount of potato to the radicchio, herb and ricotta filling. I grated a little nutmeg into the mix... just because- you can't go wrong with nutmeg and potatoes!

I then carefully but generously stuffed the mixture back into the potatoes, added a little extra pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil and packed them into the oven for around 15 minutes at 210°C.

After that time, the ricotta had melted, the radicchio had wilted, everything was back up to temperature and beginning to turn golden- and I fetched the potatoes out to give them that last drizzle of honey as a finishing touch... and after a final 3-4 minutes in the oven, they were glazed and golden and ready to serve!

CAREFULLY!!!

Oh- they didn't look all that bad after all, despite the fall- did they?

And they certainly tasted every bit as wonderful as they look!

Totally Grate Spaghetti!

Spaghetti con Cime di Rapa, Salsiccia Piccante, Semi di Finocchio & Provolone Stagionato

Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe, Spicy Salami, Fennel Seeds & Mature Provolone Cheese

Apparently, it was "World Spaghetti Day" today. Which is all well and good. Because I love spaghetti and I could eat it EVERY day. Just... who the heck thinks these things up, anyway?!?!

In any case, as you can see, I made myself a nice big plate of spaghetti and I prepared it using one of my favorite combinations of ingredients- bitter-sweet broccoli rabe and spicy, Calabrian salami. And of course- the all important fennel seeds needed to go in there too. As well as the last chunk of rich, mature, Provolone, grated generously on top. 

Well- I needed something to cheer me up after my first day back to work this year!

This is as simple and as tasty as can be to make. The fennel seeds make the bitter greens and the fat in the salami easier to digest. The cheese just makes it more ridiculously delicious than it already would be. And the whole thing is prepared and cooked in way less than half an hour.

Good eh?

So- for 2 nice portions of spaghetti, you will need... of course- spaghetti! Put your forefinger and thumb together and make an "O". The amount of spaghetti that will fit into that "O" is about as much as you should be eating relative to your body size. Apparently. lol!

Otherwise- you will need a few stalks of tender broccoli rabe, just 3"-4" inches of spicy salami, 1 shallot or a small onion, about a teaspoon of fennel seeds and some nice, mature cheese for grating- I used Provolone this time, but Parmigiano, Grana or Pecorino would also be excellent. And... no olive oil- for a change!

As you can see from this photo, the spaghetti is nice and shiny and lush enough, relying simply on the fat from the salami and the cheese, that you really do not need any further oil- it tastes great just the way it is- and most always- less is more! Plus... I allowed myself to add a little more cheese than I would have normally at the end as well! wink emoticon

Start off by frying the think liked shallot, with equally thinly sliced salami, the stalks of the broccoli rabe, which I halved or cut into quarters to make thinner and the fennel seeds, which begin giving their great flavor straight into the fat as soon as the salami starts to sizzle.

Fry until the shallot and the stalks begin to brown and the salami begins to crisp-up.

At the same time, bring your water to the boil and begin boiling the spaghetti, with a good pinch of salt.

Once the spaghetti has boiled for around 3 minutes and is soft enough to stir, transfer it to the frying pan with plenty of water, enough to cover it and add the thinly sliced leaves and the florets of the broccoli.

Keep cooking, stirring and boiling all of the ingredients together now, so that all of the flavors mingle nicely.

Boil and stir for a good 4-5 minutes, until the water has practically evaporated away and been absorbed and both the spaghetti and the greens are nicely cooked through. You will see that the remaining little bit of water has a nice sheen to it from the juices of the salami and onion- a perfect, light dressing for this dish!

Serve up, piping hot and with no further ado! But... do not forget one thing...

...to grate it generously with cheese!

And of course to give it a stir through before tucking-in and enjoying!

Simple and delicious... Buon appetito!

And yes. I did eat the whole lot! Don't judge me!

A Grain and A Grain

Riso & Grani Miste al Miso con Rucula, Fagioli di Soia & Gamberoni

Miso Rice & Mixed Grains with Arugula, Edamame & Shrimp

Ok- it is not strictly "Asian"- but it does use some Asian ingredients... and anyway- it is absolutely 100% ME- and that is a whole lot more important!

As usual, I looked what I had in the house, thought how I could combine the ingredients, textures and flavors- and improvised! Which to me- is what good cooking is all about.

The main part of this meal was the combined mix of rice and grains, which can be readily bought at most Asian supermarkets and consists of a number of rices- including red cargo and sticky rice, mung beans, lentils, lotus nuts and even dried plum. 

And not having any Asian greens like water spinach or even pak choi, i decided to simply wilt down some arugula- and indeed, why not? The leaves have a great peppery tang to them so that just went to add to the spice... and speaking of which- click on to the ingredients list and I will tell you more about that as well!

So, let's start at the beginning- I had for 2 god servings, 2 cups of the rice and grain mix, a good handful of edamame (frozen), 5-6 large shrimp, 1 heaped teaspoon of miso paste, 1 shallot, 1 handful of arugula, 1 heaped teaspoon of 5-spice powder, chili flakes, sesame oil, sesame seeds and hoisin sauce.

So- we have the richness of the miso in the chewy rice and grains, the sweetness of the edamame, the peppery arugula leaves and the chili and hoisin flavored shrimp... any questions? Nope! I didn't think so either!

To prepare the rice, i simply added half of the shallot and 1 teaspoon of miso paste to it, added 3 times the amount of water and let it cook in my rice-cooker for around 40-50 minutes. It does take longer than regular rice on account of the beans and grains and the sticky rice does absorb more water- so keep an eye open and top it up if necessary.

After around 45 minutes, I added the 5 spice powder and the edamame, topped up with a little more water and then turned the heat back on for a further 10 minutes of cooking. In which time I prepared the shrimp and arugula.

The shrimp were simply sprinkled generously with chili and briefly sautéed in sesame oil- you can't get easier than that.

And as for the arugula- I simply fried the remaining half of the shallot until golden, then added the leaves, a splash of sesame oil and quickly tossed them until they wilted down- just 1-2 minutes at the most.

The rice and grain mix was thick and they and rich with miso and the fresh, sweet flavor of the edamame made for a great contrast... and not only in color!

I topped it with the arugula and shallot, which had become lovely and golden- and was just one step away from being able to serve... all I needed were those shrimps!

With a drizzle of Hoisin sauce for seasoning and a light sprinkle of sesame seeds as a finishing touch- that was it! Not authentically Asian- but authentically me!

Time to grab those chop-sticks and a spoon and to dig in!

Sunshine Sunday Breakfast

Frittella al Forno di Ricotta, Confettura di Fichi & Limone & Mandorle

Ricotta, Almond, Fig Jam & Lemon Oven-Baked Pancake

It's the first Sunday Morning of the year- and what better way to start it than with a pancake recipe?!? Hmmm... well- maybe a pancake recipe that tastes a little like a cheesecake for example! Which is exactly what this one here was!

Made using ricotta cheese instead of milk, it had a similar, fluffy consistency as a cheesecake, And flavored with some of my brother-in-laws super fig and lemon jam, cinnamon and plenty of lemon zest- then topped with lightly toasted almonds... this was a wonderful alternative to the same-old-same-old! And that is always a good thing!

Instead of making little pancakes, I made one larger sized one, starting it off in a little frying pan and then finishing it in the oven- as i so often like to do!

It was low in fat and sugar and high in flavor! And only using 1 egg to make it, was still a small and light breakfast... even if it was a real treat!

So- what did I need? Well, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of ricotta, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 level teaspoon of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of fig & lemon jam (or similar... or whichever you may prefer more!), a tiny pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, the zest of 1 whole lemon and some peeled, boiled almonds for on top. But, apart from a pat of butter for the pan and around 30 minutes of time... that was all it took!

So what is keeping all of you now!?!

And as for all of you "pancake stackers" out there... I was still able to stack mine up once I had cut it into quarters! lol!

Nothing could be easier to make than this- simply whisk together the 2 tablespoons of ricotta, the egg yolk, cinnamon, jam and lemon zest into a smooth paste and then stir-in 2 tablespoons of flour.

Stir in the baking powder, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg white and turn on the oven to the highest setting to warm up for 10 minutes.

Next, rub out a little butter onto your pan and pour in the batter. Arrange a few almonds decoratively on top and let the pancake sizzle away until the base is set for 1-2 minutes before transferring to the oven. 

My trick, when doing things like this is to use a non-stick pan and to wrap the handle in foil to protect it from the heat.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 200°C until lightly golden brown.

There ya go! Pure sunshine on a dull, January morning!

And yes, through the ricotta cheese, it has a lovely consistency that really is very much like cheesecake! But, having used only the jam for sweetening, it is not overly sweet at the same time... which I find to be a good thing!

Lovely! And of course- there is nothing stopping you from adding maple syrup, honey, cream or whatever else you may like if you so wish! It's all good!

Lovely, simple and so inviting!

And good enough to eat!

Sweet & Sour Power!

Polpettini in Agrodolce con Carote, Patate & Pastinaca

Sweet & Sour Meatballs with Carrots, Potatoes Parsnip

Sweet and sour- oh yes, I know that! That's a Chinese dish, right? Deep-fried pork in batter and a pineapple sauce? Well- not if you're Sicilian it isn't!

We have lots of sweet and sour countries in Italy and especially in Sicily- and I have always loved the great vinegar and oregano tang that is so typical! This dish is similar to the kinds of dishes that my mom prepares, where the potatoes and vegetables cook alongside the meat and soak up all of the juices... sooo delicious!

This is a simple dish to make- it doesn't require super- precise weighing and measuring, you can make as much or as little as you want and as long as you use the same simple method, you will be just fine... It's all about keeping all of the flavors trapped in one pot- it's as simple as that! Now- let's talk about those flavors...

There are a couple of ingredients missing in this picture- but as you can see- it was already pretty full! So take heed- this is what you will need to have to make around 15 small meatballs. Ground meat- preferably a blend of pork and beef- 200g in this case. For this amount of meat you will need to add 1 cupful of bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seed, about 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan and a good pinch of finely chopped parsley. Then you will need the carrots for a bit of sweetness, the potatoes as your main side dish and a little parsnip... well... just because I happened to have one- haha! Purely optional!

Otherwise- the main flavors come from dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and a little honey- and of course from those tasty meat balls themselves!

The combination of sweet, savory and tangy alongside the plain potatoes and sweet carrots and onion is wonderful and indeed comforting- perfect for these Winter nights and especially so as it is so easy to prepare!

Start off by peeling and boiling the vegetables before you start making the meatballs- by the time you have made them, the vegetables will already have cooked for around 10 minutes and will be half way there!

Which means that I am only giving you 10 minutes to make those meatballs! Simply mix together the ingredients for the meatballs thoroughly and roll them nicely and firmly together into shape. I kept mine small, little more than the size of a walnut, as they are then less likely to break as they cook- and of course because they require a shorter cooking time.

I used my tajine because it is a great way to cook and steam food- but of course a regular saucepan will work just fine. begin by frying the meatballs in just a small amount of olive oil and once they have begun to brown, add the other half of the onion, cut into slices.

Once the onion becomes translucent, drain off the vegetables and add them into the pot with a good sprinkle of oregano- you can use a tablespoon for this amount of ingredients.

Stir carefully and once the meatballs are brown from all sides, add about 1/2 a glass of red wine vinegar to deglaze the base, then cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 15 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, then turn off the heat and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of honey- just enough to balance the flavor of the vinegar and oregano. 

And as soon as you have stirred things through... you are ready to serve!

Lovely- with the onion sweet and caramelized and everything enriched with a honey and vinegar flavor- so simple and yet so good!

Yep- old-school home cooking! Un-fussy, satisfying, sensible... and delicious!