Sin and Be Forgiven!

Mela alla Cannella con Miele, Mandorle e Yogurt

Cinnamon Apple with Honey & Almonds on Yogurt

Ok- we have all be there- craving something sweet and fretting over the consequences! It seems like everything that tastes delicious is going to go straight from your lips to your hips- right? Wrong! Just take a second to think about what you're likely to reach out for... ice cream, chocolate, creamy desserts... yes they are all tasty, but its the fat and the sugar that you are enjoying... when there are so many good and natural things that you already love too...

Apples and cinnamon are a wonderful match- no doubt about that- everybody loves them! Crunchy almonds? Yes please! A little honey to make them sing? Sure! What more do you need, folks? Let's be honest- that's good stuff right there! Something cold, refreshing and creamy to go with them? Well, a yogurt can taste mighty fine if you whip a little more body into it yourself... so what are you waiting for? You know you are going to like this!

The first thing I did, which might sound strange, was to pour just enough water to cover the base, into my frying pan and to bring it to the boil. Whilst that was happening, I peeled and sliced a small apple and added them, so that they could soak up the liquid and begin to soften. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and stirred it in well- it disperses very easily and spreads evenly over the apple with no problems.

As soon as the water had been absorbed or had evaporated away, I added a tiny splash of brandy... why not?!? Well- there are 2 reasons maybe to not do so... 1.) if you are making this for children, or 2.) if you don't like brandy... in which case you can add a little apple juice- whatever you add- just a little splash! 

Next I added some slivered almonds and a drizzle of honey- not too much and stirred it in well so that everything became nicely coated. I turned the heat down, as honey tends to brown very quickly and can burn and become nasty and bitter... and flipped over the apple slices until they and the almonds became brown on all sides. Finished! I then removed them from the heat and allowed them to cool whilst I whipped up my yogurt.

I whipped the yogurt for a full 5 minutes- this made it become fluffier and smoother- even though it was relatively low fat... which was simply a matter of my particular taste. You could always use a full fat or Greek yogurt- that would taste delicious as well!

And that was all that I had to do! I made sure the apple was cool before serving it as it would otherwise have probably made the yogurt curdle (not good!) and spooned some of the honey/syrup over the top... good times! And a lot more guilt-free than most desserts- so go ahead and enjoy a little bit more ;-)

A Taste of the Country

Frittata Rustica alla Campagnola

A Rustic Country Omelette

A simple but tasty supper this evening- just an omelette I guess, but with good, honest ingredients, no fancy frill- but plenty of flavor... that's my kinda food! You can't really go far wrong with a yummy omelette- it's always a crowd-pleaser and it certainly pleased me after a long days work- especially as it was done in just 20 minutes or so! my favorite reason to like any dish is if it is quick and easy as you know!

So this made use of some typical things you might find on any market in the Mediterranean... olives, mushrooms, peppers, a little pancetta and some salty cheese- in this case Feta. Combined with fresh sage to give it a subtle twist and grated with nutmeg- this was a simple but complex-tasting affair... you might want to try it yourselves...

To make this, I braced myself for a little multi-tasking and juggling in the kitchen- and jumped straight in by turning on the broiler so it would be hot and ready for later, and by starting the finely chopped bacon frying in a dry frying pan in their own fat. I quickly sliced up 4 mushrooms and 1 mini bell pepper, and finely chopped a Spring onion and a couple of leaves of sage. 

I popped the mushrooms into the pan with the bacon and stirred them well so that they got coated in fat. Within a couple of minutes they were glistening... a minute or two later they were softening... and soon after that they began to go brown. At this point I added the Spring onion and sage and sauteed them together for a further couple of minutes... then set them to one side and continued by adding the slices of pepper to the pan by themselves. These took just 2-3 minutes to begin to soften, and then I set them to one side too.

Whilst the peppers were sizzling, I quickly beat 3 eggs and crumbles a little Feta cheese in advance... busy, busy, busy! Now that the frying pan was clear, I added the eggs and seasoned them with just a little salt, pepper and nutmeg. As soon as they began to set, I sprinkled first the mushroom and bacon on top, then the peppers, and then I broke up a few Kalamata olives and set them out evenly. I sprinkled the Feta on top and again added pepper and nutmeg- not salt to the top layer as there were already the olives, cheese and bacon which were plenty salty in themselves.

Into the oven they went, under the hot broiler, for just 3-4 minutes at the most- until the eggs had set, the cheese had melted and everything had become a rich golden brown... yum! Like I said- simple good stuff- but that's good enough for me! Think it may be good enough for you too?

How to Beet the Blues!

Insalata di Barbabietola Rossa & Finocchio, Couscous con Agrumi & Erbe al Forno

Baked Beetroot, Fennel and Couscous Salad with Citrus & Herbs

So... having been ill for over a week... having a snow-scape outside my window... having been generally a little bit down in the dumps of late- I decided to shake things up a little this evening! It was time for a bit of fun, a little color and a lot of flavor!

Fun meant of course as little work as possible- so with very little effort and making use of the leftover beetroot from last night- I came up with this little treat! Full of fresh flavors to make us hope for Springtime and take our minds off the cold and the sleet and the rain and the snow... if only for the duration of a meal! But it's a start at least!

This was a very easy dish to prepare. I began by steeping the couscous in boiling water, with some finely chopped fennel greens, a little dried mint (alas, because I had no fresh!), salt, pepper and a little grated ginger. I left it to sit and fluff up for 10-15 minutes whilst I got busy with the other ingredients.

Next came the fennel, which I cut into thin wedges and blanched in boiling water that I seasoned with equal quantities of sugar and salt- this softens the fennel and brings out ALL of its natural flavor... I left it in for just 2-3 minutes, then drained it and set it to one side. Easy, isn't it?

The next thing I did was to take an orange and to cut thin slices of peel from it, which I also blanched in boiling water with sugar and salt- this was a lot easier to do though- being so small I just popped my 3-4 slices of peel into a small cup and poured the boiling water over them. I let it sit there until the water was cool and then poured it away... along with all the bitterness. What was left was softer and infinitely more edible, yummy orange flavor! Yum!

As I already mentioned- the beets were pre-cooked, which was handy, so to bring them up to temperature, I popped them into a frying pan with a little water. I stirred them around to make sure they were moist and could conduct the heat better and once the water began to boil, pushed them to one side.... and on the other side of the pan I heated up the fennel slices once more. The water soon evaporated away, and as soon as it was gone, I added a drizzle of olive oil and made sure that everything got coated. 

This was all well and good, but I needed to get some real flavor into these ingredients- and the best way to do that was to sprinkle them, one and all, with a little of my seasoned salt. You can look up the recipe for my herb-infused "Salt of the Earth" here: http://the-saucy-chef.blogspot.de/2011/05/salt-of-earth.html

Excellent- so now everything was ready and warm. Obviously you can bake yours in a dish, but this evening, just for the hell of it, I decided to bake mine on baking paper. I first spread out the couscous and then arranged the beets and fennel evenly on top. I drizzled everything with olive oil and popped it under the broiler for 2 minutes.

In the meantime, I quickly dices some Feta cheese, then took the beet/fennel/couscous out of the oven... it had already started to brown. I laid the cheese out evenly and then drizzled everything generously with honey- this would caramelize slightly and bring all of the flavors to life! 2 more minutes and everything was toasted just enough to finish everything off nicely... well- almost...

The finishing touch was a scattering of fresh oregano and fennel greens- these and a final drizzle of honey, once everything has cooled down a little, REALLY make for a taste-sensation that is guaranteed to make you smile!

Drop By for Lunch!

Brodo Vegetale allo Zenzero con Uovo alla Stracciatella

Ginger & Vegetable Egg-Drop Soup

I hiked home from work today at lunchtime... 30 minutes with spikes on my boots, through ice and snow. Needles to say, by the time I got there I was freezing cold, my wooly hat was wet with snow and had frozen frozen onto my head, I was starving and tired and those are all not good things! So what was I to do? Well, obviously the best thing in a situation when everything seems bad- is to do something good!

I did not cook up my own vegetable broth to make this. In an ideal world, maybe I could have. But this is the real world and I am a real-life person that does actually have vegetable bouillon on hand in my kitchen. Sure, I usually manage wonderfully without, but today it was my salvation! It made it possible for me to have a yummy egg-drop soup ready in just the short time it took me to get showered and warm... I call that great multi-tasking! ;-)

So I started off by stirring together my vegetable broth. No big deal there. But as it was, it would have been rather boring, so I added some finely sliced ginger, a little 5-spice powder and a couple of celery leaves, just to infuse it with a bit more, richer flavor. And then I skipped off to take that well-deserved warm shower!

About 10 minutes later, refreshed and a little warmer... but still starving- I returned to my vegetable broth, which was now smelling deliciously of ginger and spice. I fished out the ginger to use as a garnish later, discarded the celery leaves and got busy with the 2 remaining ingredients- a humble egg... and some even humbler cornstarch.

You may or may not want to add cornstarch in order to bind and lightly thicken your soup- I used it for 2 reasons. The main reason being, that a little cornstarch added to your beaten egg, will let it form into much nicer threads that do not clump so much and simply look nicer. The second reason being... well, once I had fetched it out of the cupboard- I thought to myself, why not?!? So I added a half teaspoonful to my single egg and diluted 1 tablespoonful with a little water and added that to the soup. I let the flour cook into the soup for 4-5 minutes before adding the egg, so that it had a chance to thicken and blend nicely into the other flavors.

I then gently stirred the soup, away from the heat and trickled the beaten egg and cornstarch mix in evenly... and smiled! I just love the way those "egg flowers" as they are sometimes called, appear out of nowhere! Once I had emptied all of the egg into the soup, I returned it to the hat stovetop, with the power switched off, to gently warm through whilst I chopped a little Spring onion to add, along with the threads of ginger, as a savory garnish. Along with a sprinkle of chili, they add the extra kick that makes this mild and comforting soup a little extra yummy! Yes- I already told you yesterday- I can handle a whole lot of comforting and simple dishes in these cold Winter months... I am hoping you can too!

Red in the Plate!

Torta Salata di Carne Macinata Speziata, Barbabietola Rossa & Zenzero

Ground Meat, Beetroot, Spice & Ginger Pie

Ok- I am going to give you a word of advice in advance with this one, especially if you have a white kitchen like I do. Grab a firm hold of those beets when you start grating them for this dish! I certainly was seeing red- in more ways than one, when the slippery customer flew from my hand across 3 cabinets, leaving a lovely magenta smear in its wake. Oh- and don't wear a white shirt either! 

But apart from this obvious warning, I have to say that this combination of beet and meat was pretty delicious! I had just less than a quarter pound of ground, mixed beef and pork left over from last nights meatball dish- enough maybe to make a decent burger... or better still, to make this individual sized pie- full of flavor and much more exciting! This was wonderful piping hot, but would be perfect for a party or to serve up in slices as an appetizer...

This was very quick and easy to make- the only mess I made was on one cutting board, one dish and in one frying pan- and it was all finished in just 45 minutes- so that's already reason enough to like this one- as well as the great flavor of course! 

I started off by frying the ground meat, with no added fat, along with a finely chopped Spring onion and a crushed clove of garlic in a non-stick frying pan. I then grated 2 pre-cooked beetroot into the frying pan and about 1" of ginger. Of course if you have some kitchen gadget to do the grating for you- you can cut-down on your cleaning bills!

I then added cumin and fennel seeds, salt, pepper and a little chili, as well as a little grated orange zest. I sautéed everything together until the meat was thoroughly cooked, the onion was soft and the beets well integrated into the mix- it took 10 minutes at the most. You don't want to over-cook the meat or it will end up being too dry- actually, that was what gave me the idea of adding the beets in the first place- to make the filling more juicy... as well as more colorful and tasty!

Obviously, the filling had to cool down a little before I could fill my pie, so I set it onto a dish to cool and got the pan ready for its second job- that's right- I baked my little pie on the pan! As it was non-stick, it didn't even need cleaning- but obviously if your pan does need cleaning... now is the time! 

I cut out my 2 saucer-sized circles of store-bought puff pastry and as soon as the pan and the meat filling had cooled off got busy with assembling the pie. I spooned the filling onto the base of the dough, leaving a good edge of at least an inch all around, then placed the other circle on top and pressed down the edges, all the way around, using a fork. I did this right in the pan... no tricky lifting- no worries! And then I put my frying pan on the stove top and turned my oven  up high.

The reason for using the pan is simple- it gives you good and direct heat to the base- which makes it firm up and cook first and therefore prevents it getting soggy and simply soaking up the juices of the filling- which is what puff pastry tends to do. There is so much butter in puff pastry, that before the actual baking begins, the butter melts and the dough almost liquifies for a minute or two- you will be able to observe this whilst its on your stove top. You will see the bottom sheet of pastry first become translucent and then begin, slowly but surely to puff up. At this point, I wrapped some foil around the handle of my frying pan, then pushed it into the oven for 10 minutes for the lid of the pie to bake... this happens pretty quickly!

And there you have it- a fun and easy to make supper, snack or party treat! I hope you will be seeing red as well sometime soon... it's fun as long as it's in the pie and not on your shirt!

Oh Crumbs- It's a Soup!

Zuppa di Funghi con Salvia, Cipolla, Orzo e Pangrattato
Mushroom Soup with Sage & Onion, Barley & Toasted Bread Crumbs

"Just how much comfort-food can you possibly want to eat?" you may ask- well, the answer is: if it continues snowing and I don't get over this cold... quite a bit! It's another CHILLY day in Frankfurt... the snow blizzard has stopped, only to be replaced by heavy sleet. I need all the comfort I can get!

I love food that tastes wholesome and comforting, but that doesn't mean it has to be heavy and fatty- like some comfort food tends to. This soup here is made from a handful of barley, a handful of mushrooms, a tablespoon of flour to help thicken it and just a few fresh herbs and vegetables. I added a sprinkle of bread crumbs and cheese on top from the classic 1970's French onion soup idea with those floating slices of toast with waaay too much cheese on- that are impossible to eat anyway! Nope- I have the comfort factor without the silliness. You might just lie it if you try it!

The first thing I did was to make a fine dice of carrot, Spring onion and celery- including a few leaves and to sautée them in a little olive oil. As soon as the white parts of the onion were translucent, I added the barley- just a handful per person (ME in this case ;-) ) and i finely chopped mushroom. I used brown mushrooms here, but you can use whichever you have handy or prefer. As soon as the mushrooms had softened and the barley was shiny and glistening with oil and vegetable juices, I added a little boiling water, just enough to cover everything, and let the vegetables and barley absorb it... this took just a couple of minutes- and then I repeated the procedure... but in the meantime, I sliced up another 2 mushrooms and got to work on preparing the real flavor base for the soup...

In another saucepan, I sautéed the sliced mushrooms with a couple of large Sage leaves which I chopped very finely, a little onion, a little garlic, salt, pepper, a hint of nutmeg and a pat of butter. Once the mushrooms were soft and beginning to brown, I dusted them with a tablespoon of flour, stirred it in well and then added enough milk, little by little, until they were well coated. I reduced the heat to a low simmer and turned my attention back to the barley...

The barley had by now almost doubled in size and absorbed all the water, so again, I added more hot water and then seasoned this too, with salt and pepper. This time I added twice as much water as I had barley- as well as the contents of the other saucepan. Now- all of those little bits and pieces had suddenly become a yummy soup!

Of course this still needed to cook a while- so I left it for a further 10 minutes at a low heat. In the meantime, I took a good pinch of bread crumbs, the same of some grated cheese, added a little salt, pepper and olive oil to it and stirred it together.

Once the soup was ready, I added a last little sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley and sage, a little black pepper and sprinkled the bread crumb and cheese mix onto the center. I popped it under the broiler for 3-4 minutes for the cheese to melt and the crumbs to become golden and crispy... mmmm! And then I dug straight in! And I know you will too- it's pretty good on a cold day like this as well as being healthy! Enjoy!
 

A Comfortable Truth

Polenta con Polpettini in Sugo Rustico

Polenta with Little Meatballs in a Rustic Sauce

I think it is fair to say that everybody loves meatballs in tomato sauce- it's simply the truth! If we are talking Italian comfort food- what could be yummier than a dish full of steaming, nutmeg and parmesan-laced polenta with plenty of little meatballs in a quick and tangy tomato sauce like this? Oh, well maybe a lasagne... pasta al forno... or a yummy risotto... all wonderful, satisfying Italian dishes for sure! But this is so much easier and quicker that I know it is is going to become a favorite! 

I made this quick and tangy tomato sauce, using "stratto", which a refined paste made of sun-dried tomatoes, but of course regular tomato paste will work just fine. Stratto is a traditional Sicilian product, which has an ages old history. Back in the old days, when there was no refrigeration or canning, people would dry tomatoes in the sun, preserving them with salt, for use in the winter months. Apart from the sun-dried tomatoes we are familiar with, there is also "capuliato", which is made by grinding them through a meat grinder, or stratto, made by passing them through a food mill to extract (hence the name) the tender tomato whilst separating it from the tough skins. So now you know! ;-)

Are you ready for some multi-tasking? Good! Then let's begin!

I started by boiling some water to prepare my polenta (and sauce) with, and whilst that was warming, finely chopped an onion, a clove of garlic, about one third of a carrot, half a stick of celery, a handful of parsley and the same of oregano. I put half of the onion into a bowl, along with a good handful of ground mixed beef and pork, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of bread crumbs. I added a little of the parsley, salt, pepper and a tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan and mixed it through thoroughly. Once it was mixed, I formed it into tiny meatballs- just big enough for one bite. Yum, yum, yum!

Ok- the meatballs went into a non-stick frying pan, with no extra fat, and as soon as they began sizzling and I had flipped them over a couple of times, I added all of the other ingredients... and started my polenta off at the same time. For this generous serving here, I used 4 tablespoons of polenta- remember, it will become maybe 4 times larger in volume by the time it has finished cooking! So, in a small saucepan, I had about 2 coffee mugs full of boiling water, to which I added the polenta and in the frying pan, the meatballs and finely chopped vegetables or "sofritto", which would become the base of my tomato sauce... so far so good!

As soon as the polenta began to thicken, I added salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, then reduced the heat to a gentle simmer. Back to the meatballs- as soon as they were brown and the vegetables glistening and translucent, I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. After stirring it in well, I deglazed the pan with a splash or red wine, a splash of boiling water and the seasoning- salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, some grated nutmeg and a little peperoncino or cayenne. Stirred the polenta! Stirred the meatballs! You can't be walking away from this one- but it wont take that long to finish... I promise!

By now, the meatballs and sauce were very thick, but the sauce was also very intense and rich, so I added enough water to cover the surface of the frying pan and stirred again, so that the sauce thinned out and the meatballs could simmer away. I reduced the heat and stirred the polenta! It shouldn't actually stick... but better to be safe than sorry!

About 5 minutes later, the sauce had reduced down and was verging on being too thick again- so I added more hot water, stirred it in and let it simmer and reduce down again. And yes- I stirred the polenta!

5 minutes later, I added about 2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan to the polenta, with a little splash of milk and a little olive oil. I stirred it in well until it had been completely integrated and was lovely and smooth. I added a last hint of nutmeg and was ready to serve up my polenta! And of course the meatballs and sauce followed suite!

I garnished my dish with a chiffonade of basil- made by placing a couple of large basil leaves inside of each other, rolling them up and cutting them into fine shreds using a very sharp knife... and some grated salted ricotta- which just happens to be my personal favorite ;-) 
Some coarsely ground black pepper and I was finito! And hungry! But happy! This was going to be a great dinner!