Easy Vegetarian Stuffing

Easy Vegetarian Stuffing

by | Nov 23, 2015 | Side Dishes

Thanksgiving Day is only a few days away, save time and stress by making this easy vegetarian stuffing a day in advance.

Easy-Vegetarian-StuffingThe 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

Bruschetta with Taggiasche Olive Pesto and Feta 

Bruschetta with Taggiasche Olive Pesto and Feta 

by | Jun 15, 2015 | Appetizers

Bruschetta-with-Taggiasche-Olive-Pesto-and-FetaYou might be wondering what that weird foreign word is in the title. It’s the variety of one of my favorite Italian olives and is pronounced taj-jas-kay. These small greenish-purplish-brownish olives are cultivated on the rocky mountain slopes :: pendenze of the Italian Riviera in Liguria.

Bruschetta-with-Taggiasche-Olive-Pesto-and-FetaTaggiasche olives have a meaty texture and a slightly tart salty flavor. They are perfect ground up in this pesto or just plopped into various salads or entrees, especially with white fish like rockfish :: lo scorfano.

Bruschetta-with-Taggiasche-Olive-Pesto-and-FetaIf there is one thing I beg of you, it’s to use a good rustic bread, not the store bought sliced kind.  Mr. Italicano and I shot a video this weekend at our favorite bakery :: forno, Forno di Mario, located in Correggio. The video will be coming soon but in the meantime we took home a loaf of miracle bread made with natural yeast and antique grains. This bread was perfect for a light and crunchy bruschetta.

Bruschetta-with-Taggiasche-Olive-Pesto-and-Feta

Bruschetta-with-Taggiasche-Olive-Pesto-and-FetaThis appetizer :: antipasto is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes. It helps to have a jar of good quality taggiasche olives in the cupboard for occasions like this.

Bruschetta with Taggiasche Olive Pesto and Feta
 
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This appetizer is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes.
Serves: 10-12 bruschette
Ingredients
  • 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 ounces (340g) taggiasche olives, drained
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup (10g) loosely packed Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1 loaf of rustic bread, sliced
  • Crumbled feta, as needed
Instructions
  1. Put the oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, capers and parsley in a food processor or blender and mix until slightly chunky. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed to arrive at the desired consistency.
  2. Serve with toasted bread, some crumbled feta and parsley.

Here’s some other great recipe to try with taggiasche olives:

Rosemary and Taggiasche Olive Dinner Rolls

 Rosemary and taggiasche olive dinner rolls 

Marinated Feta, Basil, Taggiasche Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Marinated Feta, Basil, Taggiasche Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Baked Goat Cheese with Tomatoes and Olives

Baked Goat Cheese with Tomatoes and Olives

Italian chickpea, sun-dried tomato, pesto and olive flatbread

Italian chickpea, sun-dried tomato, pesto and olive flatbread

Quinoa Salad with Peas and Shaved Asparagus 

Quinoa Salad with Peas and Shaved Asparagus 

by | May 23, 2015 | Salads

Quinoa-Salad-with-Peas-and-Shaved-AsparagusLast week here in Correggio (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) it was hot and humid, but now it’s rainy and cool outside. It feels good to wear a sweatshirt and Mr. Italicano’s big warm blue sweatpants. I don’t think I will every get use to the humid air that steals my energy like a sneaky pickpocket :: borseggiatore steals wallets on the crowded metro. Before you know it, what you had is gone. Such injustice, I tell you.

Quinoa-Salad-with-Shaved-Asparagus-and-Peas

Quinoa-Salad-with-Peas-and-Shaved-AsparagusI’m in my Italian kitchen—5500 miles from Seattle, but I feel like I am there. I look out my window and see the same dreary grey sky that I spent so many years staring out at from behind closed windows of all shapes and sizes in libraries, offices, coffee shops, restaurants, gyms and various apartments. Some may hate this drab :: scialbo weather, but I find it comforting and soothing. It’s as though I am nestled by big pillows of sheep fur, the sensation is so cozy that it makes me want to curl up and read and write or relax cooking with a warm cup of tea and some mellow music.

Quinoa-Salad-with-Peas-and-Shaved-Asparagus

Quinoa-Salad-with-Peas-and-Shaved-AsparagusI think of Mr. Italicano as I snap open these peas for this quinoa salad. He’s gone off to the Adriatic Sea for a sailing course. Poor him. Every time he goes he encounters bad weather and an angry sea :: mare. Yet, maybe it’s for the better. As a good English proverb says, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”  How true this is, and so applicable to our daily lives. The challenges we face, the obstacles we have to hurdle are the things that benefit us in the future. It is this hope that I can realize my dreams and passions that helps me to not give up when things get tough, reminding me that these challenges will only make me stronger. (Even though it’s not always easy!)

Quinoa-Salad-with-Peas-and-Shaved-AsparagusI am making a big bowl :: ciotola grande of this quinoa salad with shaved asparagus and peas. It’s the perfect healthy dish to warm me up today, and we’ll eat it cold tomorrow when my hungry sailor returns.  I hope you have a great weekend wherever you are and enjoy your day, rain or shine!

Quinoa Salad with Peas and Shaved Asparagus
 
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This wholesome quinoa salad with peas and shaved asparagus is perfect for healthy weeknight dinners or a large get-together.
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • For the quinoa:
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups (370g) quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 30 stocks of asparagus, ends snapped off and shaved
  • 1 cup shelled peas, fresh or frozen
  • For the parsley basil pesto: 
  • 2 handfuls Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 2 handfuls basil
  • 1 small lemon, juiced
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts)
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Add the quinoa, cover, lower the heat to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat with the lid still on and rest for 5 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, make the parsley basil pesto. Toss all of the ingredients into a food processor or use a hand immersion mixer and mix until smooth. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed to arrive at a runny consistency.
  3. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the whole garlic cloves and shaved asparagus. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the peas and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Discard the garlic.
  4. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and pour into a big serving bowl. Add the asparagus, peas and parsley basil pesto and stir until combined. Serve warm or cold. A great make-ahead recipe for large gatherings.

Here is another delicious quinoa salad to try.

Black-Quinoa-Salad

 

Black Quinoa Salad

Black Quinoa Salad

by | Apr 27, 2015 | Salads

Black-Quinoa-SaladMr. Italicano and I principally eat a Mediterranean diet: a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, legumes, beans :: fagioli, healthy fats, cheese, wild caught fish and good red wine.

Black-Quinoa-Salad

Black-Quinoa-SaladQuinoa is one of our favorite whole-grains (or “psuedo whole-grain because it is the seed of a beet relative). It can be prepared in a variety of ways: in soups :: zuppe, in fillings, as a flatbread, as small cakes and most commonly, as a salad.

Black-Quinoa-SaladBlack-Quinoa-SaladQuinoa is extremely nutritious; it contains all 9 essential amino acids that are essential for humans.  On the package of my black quinoa box :: scatola, it even says that NASA is studying it as a possible alternative food source ::  to add in the astronauts’ diets, especially on long voyages. It’s quite impressive; it really is a superfood.

Black-Quinoa-SaladThere are many varieties of quinoa, but the most common are white, red and black. The white variety is fluffier while the red and black varieties are on the crunchier side. I always add in a bunch of seasonal vegetables :: verdure di stagione, a good vinaigrette and in half an hour I have a created a delicious and wholesome meal.

Black Quinoa Salad
 
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Add seasonal vegetables and a dijon vinaigrette to this black quinoa salad to create a delicious and wholesome meal under half an hour.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • For the quinoa:
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup (200g) Black Quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, skin peeled but left whole
  • 1 leek, thinly cut into julienne strips
  • 4 asparagus, the bottoms snapped off then shaved with a vegetable peeler or thinly cut into julienne strips
  • 3 heirloom tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 bunch Arugula (1.5oz, 45g), chopped
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 3-4 dashes of sweet paprika
  • For the vinaigrette:
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ shallot, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a medium size saucepan bring the water to a boil, add salt then pour in the quinoa. Turn down the heat to a low, cover and cook for 28 minutes (or the time stated on the package.)
  2. In a large skillet add the extra virgin olive oil, garlic clove, and leek; cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the shaved asparagus and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the garlic.
  3. In a small bowl combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, shallet, salt and pepper.
  4. When the quinoa is ready, pour it into a large serving bowl and fluff with a fork. Add the tomatoes, arugula, carrots, paprika, and vinaigrette. Top with the cooked leeks and asparagus. Buon appetito!