Here is the video to prepare our weekly recipe! ENJOY!!!
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venerdì 27 febbraio 2015
lunedì 23 febbraio 2015
FISH FILLETS PIZZAIOLA STYLE
Fish entree - Gluten and Lactose free - Perfect for diets!!
I would love to say Sicilian-style, but I have no idea if they prepare it this way... But I'm using Sicilian capers, sea salt and olive oil, in this recipe!
1 lb white fish fillets (I used Swai)
14 oz Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped, with their juice
1/3 cup Italian black olives
2 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp of parsley, chopped
Italian extra virgin olive oil
Sicilian sea salt
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels and cut in 2" long pieces.
Prepare the tomato sauce: warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan with lid, sautee garlic, capers and olives, then add the peeled tomatoes with their juice. Stir and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat, covered, stirring every once in a while.
Add the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes per side (or more, depending on the thickness).
Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley.
This recipe serves 4.
- You can use any kind of fish fillets (cod, tilapia, sole etc.), you only have to adjust cooking time, depending on their thickness.
- You can sautee fish fillets, once dredged in flour, until golden, then pour sauce in the same skillet and finish cooking in that sauce. This way, it won't be as light.
- You can add 2-3 Italian anchovy fillets and melt them while sauteeing garlic, capers and olives.
- You can also add hot pepper flakes, for a little extra kick, if you like it.
- This recipe is gluten and lactose free; it's also suitable for diets, given the very limited amount of fats.
- It's a perfect recipe for Lent.
- You can find a video here.
I would love to say Sicilian-style, but I have no idea if they prepare it this way... But I'm using Sicilian capers, sea salt and olive oil, in this recipe!
1 lb white fish fillets (I used Swai)
14 oz Italian peeled San Marzano tomatoes, roughly chopped, with their juice
1/3 cup Italian black olives
2 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp of parsley, chopped
Italian extra virgin olive oil
Sicilian sea salt
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels and cut in 2" long pieces.
Prepare the tomato sauce: warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan with lid, sautee garlic, capers and olives, then add the peeled tomatoes with their juice. Stir and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat, covered, stirring every once in a while.
Add the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes per side (or more, depending on the thickness).
Serve immediately, sprinkled with parsley.
This recipe serves 4.
- You can use any kind of fish fillets (cod, tilapia, sole etc.), you only have to adjust cooking time, depending on their thickness.
- You can sautee fish fillets, once dredged in flour, until golden, then pour sauce in the same skillet and finish cooking in that sauce. This way, it won't be as light.
- You can add 2-3 Italian anchovy fillets and melt them while sauteeing garlic, capers and olives.
- You can also add hot pepper flakes, for a little extra kick, if you like it.
- This recipe is gluten and lactose free; it's also suitable for diets, given the very limited amount of fats.
- It's a perfect recipe for Lent.
- You can find a video here.
lunedì 16 febbraio 2015
ITALIAN RICE FRITTERS
Dessert - Vegetarian - Can be gluten free (READ notes at bottom)
Another kind of fritter, usually prepared during carnival time; this is a recipe I received form an Italian friend and that I review a little bit ;-)
1 Carnaroli rice
2 cups milk
1 orange, grated zest and juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Italian 00 flour (approximate quantity)
1 lemon, grated zest
1 egg
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
Italian extra virgin olive oil to fry
In a saucepan pour milk and bring to a boil; add salt and rice and cook for 20 minutes at least (liquid should be almost completely absorbed). Set aside to cool.
Once it is at room temperature, add sugar, both grated zests, the squeezed orange juice, the egg and the ricotta cheese, then add flour until you obtain a dense batter; if too dry, add a few tbsp of milk.
Place a deep skillet with oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is ready, start frying: spoon the mixture into the oil and fry until golden on both sides. Line on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve cold or slightly warm, sprinkled with sugar (regular or confectioner's).
- When frying, don't put too much batter in the oil, or it will cool down too much. It's better to fry 5-6 fritters at a time.
- The amount of fritters this recipe will make, depends on how big you'r making them.
- This recipe can be gluten free (use corn or potato starch or rice flour) but can't be lactose free. It is vegetarian.
Another kind of fritter, usually prepared during carnival time; this is a recipe I received form an Italian friend and that I review a little bit ;-)
1 Carnaroli rice
2 cups milk
1 orange, grated zest and juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Italian 00 flour (approximate quantity)
1 lemon, grated zest
1 egg
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
Italian extra virgin olive oil to fry
In a saucepan pour milk and bring to a boil; add salt and rice and cook for 20 minutes at least (liquid should be almost completely absorbed). Set aside to cool.
Once it is at room temperature, add sugar, both grated zests, the squeezed orange juice, the egg and the ricotta cheese, then add flour until you obtain a dense batter; if too dry, add a few tbsp of milk.
Place a deep skillet with oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is ready, start frying: spoon the mixture into the oil and fry until golden on both sides. Line on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve cold or slightly warm, sprinkled with sugar (regular or confectioner's).
- When frying, don't put too much batter in the oil, or it will cool down too much. It's better to fry 5-6 fritters at a time.
- The amount of fritters this recipe will make, depends on how big you'r making them.
- This recipe can be gluten free (use corn or potato starch or rice flour) but can't be lactose free. It is vegetarian.
lunedì 9 febbraio 2015
CHICKPEAS, CANNELLINI AND FARRO SOUP
Entree - Soup - Vegetarian/vegan - Lactose free - Can be gluten free (READ notes at bottom)
This soup is perfect because, if you use the canned legumes, it won't take longer than 35 minutes to prepare it!!!
1 can Italian Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Italian Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 scant cup Italian Farro
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp Italian tomato paste (in tube, double concentrated)
Italian Extra virgin Olive Oil
Rosemary, Sage
Italian sea salt
Vegetable stock, 10 cups at least
In a big pot, over high heat, let the vegetable stock boil and keep it warm. Set aside some stock (about 2 cups) and keep it warm in case you need it.
Add beans, chickpeas, potatoes, peas, onion, carrots, tomato paste and herbs, stir and let it boil again.
As soon as the soup boils, add the farro and adjust with salt (if needed), lower heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
If the soup becomes too thick, add warm stock, little by little.
Serve drizzled with olive oil.
This recipe serves about 4.
- You can prepare a big batch of this soup and freeze it in portions (2-3-4 portions, depending on your usage). It is way healthier than anything you'd buy canned!
- This is a typical Tuscan soup; farro is a grain similar to rice and can substitute it in every recipe, it has more proteins and fibers. Being a grain, it's NOT suitable for celiacs.
- This soup can be considered a full meal because of the noble proteins and the carbohydrates contained in both legumes and farro.
- You can use chicken stock, if you like it, but it won't be vegetarian anymore.
- It's vegetarian and vegan and lactose-free. For a gluten-free version, use rice instead of farro.
This soup is perfect because, if you use the canned legumes, it won't take longer than 35 minutes to prepare it!!!
1 can Italian Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Italian Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 scant cup Italian Farro
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp Italian tomato paste (in tube, double concentrated)
Italian Extra virgin Olive Oil
Rosemary, Sage
Italian sea salt
Vegetable stock, 10 cups at least
In a big pot, over high heat, let the vegetable stock boil and keep it warm. Set aside some stock (about 2 cups) and keep it warm in case you need it.
Add beans, chickpeas, potatoes, peas, onion, carrots, tomato paste and herbs, stir and let it boil again.
As soon as the soup boils, add the farro and adjust with salt (if needed), lower heat to medium and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
If the soup becomes too thick, add warm stock, little by little.
Serve drizzled with olive oil.
This recipe serves about 4.
- You can prepare a big batch of this soup and freeze it in portions (2-3-4 portions, depending on your usage). It is way healthier than anything you'd buy canned!
- This is a typical Tuscan soup; farro is a grain similar to rice and can substitute it in every recipe, it has more proteins and fibers. Being a grain, it's NOT suitable for celiacs.
- This soup can be considered a full meal because of the noble proteins and the carbohydrates contained in both legumes and farro.
- You can use chicken stock, if you like it, but it won't be vegetarian anymore.
- It's vegetarian and vegan and lactose-free. For a gluten-free version, use rice instead of farro.
lunedì 2 febbraio 2015
GIOVANNA'S SICILIAN BELL PEPPERS
Side dish and appetizer - Vegetarian - Can be vegan, gluten and lactose free (READ notes below)
Recipe nicely provided by our Facebook friend Giovanna. We always say that "cooking is an act of love" and that "sharing is caring". We have a lot of friends that love us and care!
3 red bell peppers (or red and orange)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tbsp Sicilian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
4 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
3 shotglasses water
Sicilian sea salt
Wash bell peppers, halve them and remove seeds and inner white ribbings, then cut them in big pieces. Cut capers in half.
In a large non-stick skillet with lid over medium heat, pour the olive oil, stir in capers and bell peppers and water; season with salt. Oil shoud not be warm, nor should the bell peppers fry or sautee.
Cook, covered with lid, on medium-low heat until bell peppers are soft, stirring every once in a while, checking if you need more water.
Once cooked, check if it needs to be adjusted with salt then turn off the heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, enough to absorb the liquid, then add parmigiano, stir again and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve immediately.
- They are great as side dish (for pork or chicken especially), but also in a mixed appetizer or as a bruschetta topping.
- They are great warm but also at room temperature.
- Giovanna's grandmother used to add some sugar at almost the end of cooking time (she does it often) to give the sweet-sour contrast.
- The reason why I always use and suggest Sicilian capers packed in salt, is beacuse this way, once you rinse salt away, all you add to your dish is the actual capers, not brine or vinegar.
- It can be vegan and lactose free if you leave cheese out. It can be gluten free as long as you use gluten free breadcrumbs (which are necessary in this dish)
- You can find a video for this recipe here
Recipe nicely provided by our Facebook friend Giovanna. We always say that "cooking is an act of love" and that "sharing is caring". We have a lot of friends that love us and care!
3 red bell peppers (or red and orange)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tbsp Sicilian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
4 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
3 shotglasses water
Sicilian sea salt
Wash bell peppers, halve them and remove seeds and inner white ribbings, then cut them in big pieces. Cut capers in half.
In a large non-stick skillet with lid over medium heat, pour the olive oil, stir in capers and bell peppers and water; season with salt. Oil shoud not be warm, nor should the bell peppers fry or sautee.
Cook, covered with lid, on medium-low heat until bell peppers are soft, stirring every once in a while, checking if you need more water.
Once cooked, check if it needs to be adjusted with salt then turn off the heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, enough to absorb the liquid, then add parmigiano, stir again and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve immediately.
- They are great as side dish (for pork or chicken especially), but also in a mixed appetizer or as a bruschetta topping.
- They are great warm but also at room temperature.
- Giovanna's grandmother used to add some sugar at almost the end of cooking time (she does it often) to give the sweet-sour contrast.
- The reason why I always use and suggest Sicilian capers packed in salt, is beacuse this way, once you rinse salt away, all you add to your dish is the actual capers, not brine or vinegar.
- It can be vegan and lactose free if you leave cheese out. It can be gluten free as long as you use gluten free breadcrumbs (which are necessary in this dish)
- You can find a video for this recipe here
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