Remember the never ending summer days of playing in the backyard on the swing set with a clan of ripped jean, t-shirt stained friends where Kool-Aid mustaches lined the rims of lips and blisters dotted everyone’s hands from the countless hours swinging from the bars? These were the days of childhood freedom where imaginations ran wild and the grass around the house was an uninhabited jungle waiting to be explored. An intrepid journey until the mom’s called, “Dinner Time!” from their wooden porch steps and each kid sluggishly made his/her way home. Why, I ask, should the fun stop there? Shouldn’t dinner time also be a place of adventure and discovery?
Food doesn’t have to be boring nor a chore to get your kids eating a healthy dose of vegetables. Take these broccoli and kale twice baked potatoes, for example. Moored on top of a blue tablecloth, it would be hard for any kid to resist an edible sailboat or a tortilla island with a zucchini, avocado and olive palm tree. Meal time just got fun.
During the dinner lead your children on an educational discovery of geographical locations you can reach by sea, the kind of boats you can find on the water and keep them interested with a few real pirate facts. Take turns creating an imaginative story in between bites of good wholesome food. Build special, creative moments your children will remember throughout their adult days. Plus, it’s a lot more fun then pulling out your hair trying to get them to eat their broccoli!
These broccoli and kale twice bake potatoes are also great for adults. Skip the cheese sail if you need a gluten-free recipe. and just serve them topped with flavorful roasted tomatoes.
These broccoli and kale twice baked potatoes are perfect for a fun-filled and healthy dinner that your kids will love.
Serves: 3
Ingredients
For the roasted tomatoes:
2 cups datterini or grape tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon course salt
For the twice baked potatoes:
6 potatoes
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Course salt, as needed
3 cups (115g) chopped kale leaves
2½ cups (220g) finely chopped broccoli
1 cup (230g) ricotta
½ cup (35g) Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, grated
1 handful parsley, chopped
2 pinches fine salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
Arrange the diced tomatoes in one layer on top of the baking sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tomatoes are roasted, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
Wash and dry the potatoes then cover them with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of course salt. Set them on top of another baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.
In the meantime, sauté the kale and broccoli in a medium pan over medium heat, adding 1-2 spoonfuls of water or vegetable broth at a time until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has absorbed.
Transfer the cooked vegetable into a medium bowl and add the ricotta, parmigiano reggiano cheese, parsley and two pinches of fine salt. Stir well and store in the refrigerator until the potatoes are done.
When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven and cool. Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato flesh making sure not to rip the skin.
Add the potato flesh to the bowl of vegetables and cheeses. Mix well and fill each potato skin with the mixture.
Put the potatoes in the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Top with the roasted tomatoes and serve warm.
Note: If you want to conserve the twice baked potatoes in the freezer, cover each one with aluminum foil and pop them in the freezer. When you are ready to bake them, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), remove the aluminum foil, put the potatoes on top of a baking sheet, set the aluminum foil loosely on top and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
Sailboat option: Cut a piece of cheese in a triangle and fix it on top of the twice baked potato with a toothpick supporting it from the backside.
Edible Palm Tree: Cut off the top and bottom of a small zucchini, cucumber, or carrot. Break a wooden skewer in half and insert it on the top side of the vegetable. Add a few slices of avocado. Break a tooth pick in half and fix a few black olives to the front side of the avocado. If the palm tree is starting to lean and fall, use the other half of the skewer to support it from the back. Set the palm trees on a warmed tortilla to create a little island.
This vegetable couscous with borlotti beans is a nutritious and energy-packed meal that provides your body with a good balance of complex carbohydrates and protein :: proteine. The borlotti beans, also called cranberry beans, are widely used in Italian cooking and are a rich source of cholesterol-lowering fiber that prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them a good choice for diabetics.
Each Wednesday :: mercoledì I head to the local outdoor market to buy my fruit and vegetables for the week. Like a kid in a candy store, my greediness sometimes lands me with a refrigerator overflowing with fruits and vegetables and not enough time to cook them all. If I see that days have passed and my vegetables are starting to lose their freshness, I usually make this vegetable couscous with borlotti beans recipe as it is an excellent way to use up all my veggies in one dish. The recipe was created with the vegetables I had in my refrigerator, but you can substitute with whatever you have in yours. If you don’t have borlotti beans, just substitute with another variety.
I added coconut milk :: latte di cocco and thai red curry paste because I had it on hand, although I often make this recipe without these two ingredients and it is just as good. This couscous dish can be eaten as a main, a side dish or you can use it to fill roasted eggplants, zucchinis or tomatoes. Awhile ago I made tomatoes stuffed with millet but you could easily fill the tomatoes with this couscous instead.
For those of you who bring your lunch :: pranzo to work, this is a great option as you can adjust the quantities so you have lunch ready for a few days. Mr. Italicano and I are also very fond of picnics, and this is usually my go-to recipe as I can make it the night before and it easily stores in a plastic container. Enjoy!
This vegetable couscous with borlotti beans is a nutritious and energy-packed meal that provides your body with a good balance of complex carbohydrates and protein.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 small zucchinis
1 cup dry white wine
1 organic vegetable bouillon cube
3 medium carrots
6 asparagus stocks
1½ cups (240g) canned borlotti beans (or any other kind of bean)
1 cup (240ml) coconut milk (optional)
1 tablespoon (18g) Thai red curry paste (optional)
For the couscous:
1½ cups (300g) couscous
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups (360 ml) boiling water
Instructions
Add the extra virgin olive oil to a medium-sized skillet then add the finely diced onions and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent.
In the meantime, finely dice the zucchini and add them to the pan along with ½ cup of white wine and the bouillon cube. Cover. Finely dice the carrots and asparagus and add to the pan along with the other ½ cup of white wine. Add the canned borlotti beans, coconut milk and Thai red curry paste, cover and cook for roughly 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft then remove the lid and continue cooking until the liquid has absorbed. Be sure to stir every 5-10 minutes, adding some water if the vegetables begin to stick to the bottom or adjusting the heat as necessary to keep them cooking at a steady pace, but not burning.
During the last 5 minutes, put the extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan, add the couscous and stir until golden. Remove from heat, add the water, stir well and cover for a few minutes. Once ready, stir the couscous into the vegetable and bean mixture and serve either warm or cold.
Note If you are using dried borlotti beans, you will need to soak them and then boil them before tossing them with the vegetables. If you are using fresh, you just need to boil them before use.
I don’t know about you, but I think fish baked in parchment paper just looks uber fancy. Who would of thought that something so elegant could be so easy? I think you’ll be surprised to know how uncomplicated and effortless this parchment baked striped red mullet with wasabi and yellow curry sauce recipe is to make.
You can really let your creativity :: creatività fly when cooking fish in parchment paper. Toss in a variety of chopped fresh vegetables, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top, pop it in oven for 20 minutes and you’ve got yourself a quick and healthy meal.
In this recipe, I decided to use leeks ::porri, radishes, tomatoes and oregano all drizzled with a spicy wasabi and yellow curry vinaigrette. It was a perfect pair and gave a little zing to an otherwise delicate flavor.
The first time I used striped red mullet, I had it filleted and deboned and slowly cooked it in a savory red sauce. This time, I decided to cook it whole and I have to admit that due to the amount of bones the striped red mullet :: la triglia has, it takes a lot of patience and work to eat. Therefore, instead of baking the fish whole you could just as easily bake the fillets in the parchment paper. It is definitely what I will be doing next time!
I had been dying to try out my yellow curry paste that my friend Wes from Hong Kong brought over for me. You would be surprised at how hard it is to find ethnic spices and foods here in Italy unless you go to big cities like Milan or Rome. When I visit the States, I usually bring back bottles of Sriracha, seasonings, and of course, peanut butter :: burro di arachidi, not that you can’t find jars of it here, but it is so expensive!
If you don’t have wasabi or yellow curry :: curry giallo paste, you could easily substitute these ingredients with a few pinches of dried red chili flakes or skip the heat altogether for a milder flavor.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know what you think in the comment section below!
Parchment Baked Striped Red Mullet with Wasabi and Yellow Curry Sauce
This mouthwatering recipe for parchment baked striped red mullet with wasabi and yellow curry sauce is uncomplicated and effortless to prepare.
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
For the fish:
6 red mullets, whole or filleted
6 small twigs fresh oregano
¼ leek, sliced
3 radishes, chopped
10 datterini tomatoes, chopped
For the sauce:
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
1 lime wedge, squeezed
½ teaspoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon yellow curry paste
½ teaspoon red peppercorns
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Cut six pieces of parchment paper large enough for each fish to lie inside. Wash and dry the fish then set them on their individual sheets of parchment paper.
Stuff the insides of each fish with 1 small twig of oregano.
Divide the leeks, radishes and datterini tomatoes and layer on top of the fish.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, lime juice, wasabi paste, yellow curry paste, red peppercorns, salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir well then drizzle the sauce on top of each fish.
Pinch the end of the parchment paper and tie it with a baking string, so the paper looks like a small canoe. Repeat for all the fish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Inspired by [apron and sneakers|http://www.apronandsneakers.com/2013/05/parchment-baked-red-mullet-fish-with.html}
Although you pay in gold for John Dory, known in Italian as pesce San Pietro or “St. Peter’s fish”, it is worth every penny. With a firm texture and a buttery flavor that is superb on its own, it’s best cooked with just a few simple ingredients that won’t steal the show.
The John Dory boasts long spines :: spine on its dorsal fin and a large dot on both its sides that according to the legend that my fishmonger recounted to me, corresponds to the fingerprints left by Saint Peter when he picked up the fish with his hand, took pity on it and threw it back into the sea. Lucky little guy.
Not only is John Dory prized among chefs for it taste and texture, but the meat also separates into four boneless fillets :: filetti, perfect for kids or for who (*cough* me*) doesn’t have the patience to pick apart the white from the bone and wants to dig into the meal right away.
For many years I thought that cooking a fish whole was a daunting process. I mean it’s what fine dining restaurants do, so it had to be right? I worked on the Italian Adriatic coast for a month each summer :: estate during the first four years that I lived here, and I clearly remember the penguin dressed waiter at my hotel’s restaurant that would waddle to my table pushing a cart topped with a long skinny platter. He would stand in front of me carefully peeling back the fish’s skin as he sectioned off the fillets of white meat and positioned them carefully on a white plate before topping them with an aromatic herb or sauce; what elegant presentation.
To my surprise baking a fish whole requires very little work; in less than 5 minutes you have it prepped and then the oven does the rest of the work. My Italian friend Isabella shared this mouthwatering recipe with me that simply calls for four ingredients: fresh datterini or grape tomatoes, garlic, capers and an aromatic extra virgin olive oil. If you are not a fan of capers :: capperi, just add more tomatoes instead.
With a firm texture and a buttery flavor that is superb on its own, John Dory is best cooked with just a few simple ingredients that won’t steal the show.
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
1 John Dory, whole with insides removed
2 garlic cloves, smashed
¼ cup capers
¼ cup quartered datterini or grape tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 356°F (180°C)
Rinse and dry the San Pietro thoroughly, then stuff with the garlic, capers and tomatoes. Set on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the skin easily peels away and the meat flakes when pricked with a fork.
To serve: peel the skin off and discard. Section off four fillets and set on a serving platter then top with the capers and tomatoes. Discard the garlic. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and eat immediately.
Plump roasted tomatoes stuffed with flavourful millet is the perfect meal for eating light or for those following a gluten-free or vegetarian diet.
The preparation of this savoury dish is simple :: semplice. Select 6 fresh and firm tomatoes.
Chop :: tagliare off the tops.
Carve out the tomato pulp and place it in a small saucepan :: casseruola.
Put the tomato cups and tops in a baking dish :: pirofila and bake for 20 minutes at 375°C (190°C).
Add 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup millet, salt and pepper to the saucepan and fill with enough water so it is 3/4 full. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the millet :: miglio is soft. Drain or set the liquid aside. I preserve the millet-tomato water and eat it as soup, add it as a base to cooking vegetables or use it as the liquid for boiling pasta to infuse more flavor.
Add 1 cup Asiago cheese to the drained millet mixture. Mix :: mescolare well then divide among the tomato cups.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are wilted and soft but still hold their shape :: forma.
Millet is an important cereal grain that is consumed around the world :: mondo and boasts many nutritional benefits. It is gluten free, high in protein and fiber and is a great energy source.
With a sweet nutty flavor, Millet combines especially well with parsley and tomatoes to produce a flavorful meal that can be whipped up in less than an hour, and with hands on time of only about 15 minutes so you can relax :: rilassarsi and watch an episode of the Big Bang Theory or enjoy an appetizer with friends.
These stuffed tomatoes are great to make ahead for dinner or for entertaining guests. Just store in the fridge and reheat in the oven until warm. You can easily eat these as a main course or serve them as a side dish :: contorno.
Plump roasted tomatoes stuffed with flavourful millet is the perfect meal for eating light or for those following a gluten-free or vegetarian diet.
Serves: 3-6
Ingredients
6 medium sized tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup millet, uncooked and rinsed
½ tablespoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Asiago
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C)
Rinse the tomatoes and cut of the tops. Scoop out the tomato flesh, chop into pieces then place in a small saucepan.
Put the hollowed out tomatoes in a baking dish. Arrange the tops along side and bake for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, add the parsley, millet, salt and pepper to the saucepan and fill with water until the pan is ¾ full. Bring to a boil over medium high then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the millet is soft.
Strain the millet tomato mixture. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and divide the mixture among them. Bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes are wilted and soft.
Notes
These are great to make ahead. After having cooked the tomatoes, just store in the fridge and bake until warm.
Want to put together an easy, yet elegant looking meal for Valentine’s Day? Try out this recipe for striped red mullet, a delicate white fish that is stewed with juicy red tomatoes, tangy capers and salty black olives; it’s an Italian specialty.
Striped red mullet :: triglia di scoglio is found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas as well as the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. It has been considered a delicacy since antiquity, especially among the ancient Romans. If you are not able to find striped red mullet in your local grocery store you can also substitute it with red snapper.
I have never cooked with striped red mullet and the vibrant :: vibrante red and yellowish scales enticed me to try something new. The fish monger was all too kind to supply me with a typical Italian recipe called “Triglia alla livornese.” Triglia, as you can imagine, means striped red mullet; “alla Livornese”, on the other hand, basically means Livorno style. (Livorno is a port city on the Ligurian sea.)
While the fish monger scaled the striped red mullet, he quickly told me the ingredients for this beloved dish. Unfortunately, he was extremely quick at his job and finished before I could ask him the quantities :: le dosi. Seeing a long line behind me, I didn’t want to bother him so the recipe you find below may not be true Livorno style, but dare I say the presentation is more beautiful following my recipe while the taste is equally delicious.
While doing a little researchon the traditional recipe, it appears that this dish is mostly served with the whole fish (instead of fillets), topped with green olives (not black) and covered with purèed tomatoes (not whole). Feel free to try out the more traditional method, although I usually prefer eating fillets of fish since it’s much less work to eat and I liked the presentation :: presentazione with the tomato pieces as you can still see the fish underneath.
Capers :: capperi are commonly used in Mediterranean dishes as they are native to the area. In this recipe they add a nice tangy burst of flavor.
When making seafood dishes, I like to use few ingredients :: ingredienti to keep it healthier and quicker to prepare. Just like my Italian baked sardine and easy blood orange sole recipes, this dish was on the tablein under 30 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this recipe:: ricetta, and I look forward to hearing what you think!
Want to put together a easy yet fancy looking meal for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion? Try out this recipe for striped red mullet, a delicate white fish that is stewed with juicy red tomatoes, tangy capers and salty black olives; it’s an Italian specialty.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
1 glove garlic
2 cups datterini or grape tomatoes
6 fillets of Striped Red mullet, deboned (or Snapper if you aren’t able to find striped red mullet)
2 tablespoons capers
½ cup black olives, finely chopped
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat then add the onions and garlic. Sautè them until they’ve softened and have turned slightly brown.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the striped red mullet fillets and cook until the meat is white and flakes away, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the capers and black olives, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Food doesn’t have to be boring nor a chore to get your kids eating a healthy dose of vegetables. Take these broccoli and kale twice baked potatoes, for example. Moored on top of a blue tablecloth, it would be hard for any kid to resist an edible sailboat or a tortilla island with a zucchini, avocado and olive palm tree. Meal time just got fun.
During the dinner lead your children on an educational discovery of geographical locations you can reach by sea, the kind of boats you can find on the water and keep them interested with a few real pirate facts. Take turns creating an imaginative story in between bites of good wholesome food. Build special, creative moments your children will remember throughout their adult days. Plus, it’s a lot more fun then pulling out your hair trying to get them to eat their broccoli!
These broccoli and kale twice bake potatoes are also great for adults. Skip the cheese sail if you need a gluten-free recipe. and just serve them topped with flavorful roasted tomatoes.
