Oh, how I’ve missed you! While Mr. Italicano and I were on my west coast food tour we spent most of a month eating out. On one hand I was excited and delighted to try new restaurants :: ristoranti in San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver; on the other hand, I was itching to get back in my kitchen in Italy to create new healthy recipes made from fresh seasonal vegetables from my local farmer’s market.
And, that’s exactly what we did.
The day after we got back to Italy, we headed out to the farmer’s market and loaded up on fresh fish, vegetables and fruit. For our first lunch I made a simple green salad loaded with succulent Sicilian blood oranges, chia seeds, feta and walnuts; this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish with grated ginger and zested lemon and a big bowl of paccheri pasta with calamaretti :: baby squid, that I seasoned with Parmigiano Reggiano, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and some salt and pepper. These vegetarian and pescatarian recipes were so quick and simple to make and were packed with wholesome goodness.
One of the biggest problems about eating out in America is that is EXPENSIVE TO EAT WELL! For a fast food meal made with refined flour, sugars and GMO ingredients, you can spend under $15 for two. If you go to a mid-range chain restaurant with even nice decor and great service, commonly you’ll still pretty much get the same quality but spend over $60 for two dishes and drinks (taxes and tip included). Both options left us unsatisfied with the quality of our food, but more importantly put the quality of our health at risk :: rischio! We went to these places a few times out of convenience, and after having eaten both Mr. Italicano and I felt sluggish, not mentally alert, bloated and scandalized on how much we spent. I’m convinced that if we’d had continue to eat this way for a month, we would have even gained a substantial amount of weight. #notcool. So our solution to getting around eating bad while traveling was this: BREAKFAST: we snacked on fruit :: frutta, nuts, protein bars (being sure to find ones with clean labels), dark chocolate, tea and coffee. We did our shopping at a supermarket (I recommend Trader Joe’s) and we ate in our hotel or on the road when we were traveling. We spent $7-8 for two instead of $23-25 and we knew exactly what we were eating. LUNCH: more snacks or leftovers :: avanzi from my cooking shows. DINNER: we almost always went to a nice restaurant with high quality food (ATTENTION: we didn’t just choose a place based on how cute the decor it was but used online reviews specifically for the quality :: qualità). These places were usually quite expensive. A dinner for two with drinks ran from $110-140 (with taxes and tip). It seems like a lot, but if you do the math, we ended up spending the same amount per day as we would have for three mediocre meals eating out, but we ate better quality food and we felt better too.
Now back in my kitchen :: cucina, I’m excited to be developing more recipes to give you more ideas on how to cook healthy and simple recipes that you can feel good about eating, like this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish. If you have any leftovers just toss them into a salad, add some beans, lentils or tuna for a main coarse or chop them up finely and add them to scrambled eggs.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with Lemon & Ginger
This recipe for roasted broccoli and cauliflower with lemon and ginger is great to eat as a side dish, tossed into a green salad, mixed with grains, lentils or tuna or cut up finely and mixed into a scrambled egg. It's a healthy dish that is quick to make and loaded with nutrients.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, cauliflower, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, grated ginger, salt and black pepper until well coated. Evenly distribute the vegetables on the sheet and roast until tender and slightly browned; 20-30 minutes.
Thanksgiving Day is only a few days away, save time and stress by making this easy vegetarian stuffing a day in advance.
The whole point of Thanksgiving Day :: giorno del ringraziamento is to take a day to focus on giving thanks for all we have; yet this is often times not the case. I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m usually guilty of CONTINUE READING
Last weekend I was invited to Umbria (a region in central Italy) along with six other wine, food, and travel bloggers, to participate in a three day educational tour. You can read about this incredible experience and get some travel tips :: consigli di viaggio from my previouspost about Umbria.Now, let’s talk about a delicious traditional dish I tried called Scafata. Oh my, if you haven’t tried this Italian stew with fava beans :: fave you are in for a treat!
Fava beans, or broad beans as they are often called, are the oldest known beans. Like lentils, they are used in various European and Mediterranean dishes. Fava beans grow in a soft fuzzy pod :: baccello, but are much larger than peas. In France and America it is custom to peel the transparent skin off the bean, but here in Italy, we just shuck them from the pod and eat them raw, or cook them in various dishes.
Fava beans are the main players in this dish. From here you can toss in a variety of seasonal vegetables. I’ve used a sweet Tropea onion, freshly shelled peas and a large bunch of Swiss chard ::bietole. Asparagus would work well, which I unfortunately didn’t have on hand.
Scafata is good when eaten warm right after being cooked, but like many great Italian dishes, it becomes absolutely darn right mouthwatering when made a day or two ahead and eaten cold or heated up. The traditional recipe doesn’t call for cheese :: formaggio, but Mr. Italicano tried it with grated Parmesan as well as a spoonful of Burrata, which were also great variations.
"Scafata" is a traditional dish from Umbria, Italy that is loaded with vegetables and perfect for summertime.
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red or Tropea onion, finely chopped
3 cups (400g) shelled fava beans (or frozen)
2 cups (285g) shelled peas (or frozen)
13.5 oz (400g) cherry or datterini tomatoes, without the skins*
12.5 oz (350g) Swiss chard, chopped
1 handful basil or mint, chopped
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
Grated parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), as needed (optional)
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Don't add salt to the boiling water as the peas and fava beans will toughen up. Salt the dish at the end of the recipe.
Put the extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes over medium heat.
When the water is boiling, cook the fava beans for 2-3 minutes then drain them (reserving the hot water) and put them in the skillet with the garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes, swiss chard and half of a ladle of the hot water. Cover the skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan.
Now that the stew is ready, bring the water reserved back to boil and cook the peas for 1-2 minutes; drain and add to the fava mixture. Add the basil or mint, salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add the parmesan cheese. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Serve warm o cold. This dish is best made a day or two in advance and eaten cold or reheated.
*To easily remove the tomato skins, stick the tomatoes in the freezer over night and run them under lukewarm water to remove the skins; or, boil them for 1 minute and then run them under cold water and the skins will easily come off.
Coleslaw is a traditional American BBQ side dish. I love it, but I hate mayonnaise. For those who want a healthy coleslaw dressing without mayonnaise, simply use Greek yogurt. Don’t worry, you still get all the delicious taste :: sapore.
Of course this Greek yogurt coleslaw can be eaten with any lunch or dinner, but there is just something about the crunchy cabbage and carrots that go well with BBQ food.
Speaking of BBQ’s, I’ve noticed quite a few differences between American and Italian BBQ’s:
Variety of meat: The American BBQ’s that I grew up with usually consisted of one kind of meat or fish as the spotlight dish (steaks, ribs, hamburgers, chicken, salmon etc.) while the rest of the table was filled with various chips, side dishes and desserts ::dolci. In Italy, at least 5-6 kinds of meats are always on the table. Besides some snacks and grilled vegetables, I’ve noticed that there are rarely any side dishes.
Type of Grill: In America it is common to find gas grills while in Italy the majority of Italians cook over a charcoal or wood fire BBQ.
Sauces: BBQ sauce, steak sauce, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are almost never missing from an American BBQ compared to the Italians who traditionally eat their meat with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.
Drinks: Where you’ll find an American BBQ, you’ll find a cooler of beer. In Italy, you’ll find some beer, but wine is usually the drink of choice. Coolers and store bought ice cubes are hard to come by. Imagine that.
This homemade coleslaw recipe takes just minutes to prepare and you can easily double or triple the recipe if you have a larger crowd. You can serve it on the side, inside tacos, or on top of hamburgers or sandwiches. Enjoy!
These spinach balls are the perfect no fuss side dish for your upcoming holiday gatherings or for a weekday dinner when you want something nutritious in a matter of minutes.
This time of year in Italy the outdoor farmer’s market always has crates piled high with bright green spinach leaves. Because they wilt down to nothing, I always buy about 2 kilos (4.4 pounds). If you are rushed for time, you can definitely buy the prepackaged washed spinach, but I find cleaning spinach a relaxing affair—just like shelling peas or shucking corn :: mais. Even though my agenda is filled with countless things to do, I don’t want to forget my upbringing and the feeling of doing things by hand.
It’s important to clean the spinach well. I often fill up my sink with water and give the spinach a good clean soak, then empty the water with the main dirt residue. I then fill the sinks up again and add some baking soda. My mom always washed her vegetables from the garden with just plain tap water, and that’s what the FDA recommends as well; however, since living in Italy, almost every Italian cook I’ve come across washes his vegetables with bicarbonato :: baking soda. The research I’ve done online leaves me with inconclusive data as to whether this step is truly necessary. What is your opinion on the use of baking soda to wash vegetables?
Spinach :: spinaci is considered to be one of the most nutrient-dense foods and has advantages of being eaten both raw and cooked. In America, I often ate raw spinach salads topped with caramelized pecans, pears and shaved pecorino cheese. In Italy, I hardly see people eat raw spinach. What is typical here are cooked spinach balls. If you go to any fruit and vegetable store, they usually have spinach balls for sale which are simply steamed, sautéed or boiled then rolled together in a ball.
Typically these balls are just made with cooked spinach and are eaten plain with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. I like to give them a bit more flavor by adding garlic, green onions :: cipollotti, spices and cheese.
Using a chive stem isn’t necessary to keep the balls intact, but I like the presentation; it reminds me of a little personal present :: regalo ready to be unwrapped. What a great little side dish to fit in with the holiday spirit.
These spinach balls are the perfect no fuss side dish for your upcoming holiday gatherings or for an weekday dinner when you want something nutritious in a matter of minutes.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
4.5 pounds fresh picked spinach or prepackaged spinach
3 dashes of ground nutmeg
5 cloves
3 dashes of dried rosemary
3 dashes of dried oregano
3 pinches of salt
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pluck off the spinach roots and wash the spinach at least 3-4 times in cool water. Add baking soda if desired during the 3rd soak. Use a salad spinner to thoroughly dry the spinach leaves.
In a large skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil and sauté the garlic and green onions for 1-2 minutes over medium low heat. Add the spinach and cover until slightly wilted. You may need to add the spinach in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the leaves at once. Just wait 30 seconds until the leaves of the first batch have wilted and add more spinach. Repeat if necessary.
Add the nutmeg, cloves, rosemary, oregano, salt and Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and any liquid has evaporated. Serve warm in a bowl or wait until cool and roll into balls and serve cold. They are a great side dish that can be made a day in advance, and reheated before serving or served cold.
One of the biggest problems about eating out in America is that is EXPENSIVE TO EAT WELL! For a fast food meal made with refined flour, sugars and GMO ingredients, you can spend under $15 for two. If you go to a mid-range chain restaurant with even nice decor and great service, commonly you’ll still pretty much get the same quality but spend over $60 for two dishes and drinks (taxes and tip included). Both options left us unsatisfied with the quality of our food, but more importantly put the quality of our health at risk :: rischio! We went to these places a few times out of convenience, and after having eaten both Mr. Italicano and I felt sluggish, not mentally alert, bloated and scandalized on how much we spent. I’m convinced that if we’d had continue to eat this way for a month, we would have even gained a substantial amount of weight. #notcool. So our solution to getting around eating bad while traveling was this:
Now back in my kitchen :: cucina, I’m excited to be developing more recipes to give you more ideas on how to cook healthy and simple recipes that you can feel good about eating, like this roasted broccoli and cauliflower dish. If you have any leftovers just toss them into a salad, add some beans, lentils or tuna for a main coarse or chop them up finely and add them to scrambled eggs.
