Salmon Wraps 

Salmon Wraps 

by | Feb 21, 2015 | Sandwiches

It’s a sunny :: soleggiante February Monday morning in Rome, but I am in an over air-conditioned Italian TV studio. I find my hands shaking and my stomach fluttering with butterflies as my lips tremble in an awkward, unnatural smile towards the various cameras pointing at my caked on make-up face. Why am I so nervous to return on the La Prova del Cuoco? I was on this live Italian TV show for an entire week in September. Get it together, Cindy. I tell myself.

Salmon-Wraps-2I woke up at 4:30a.m. with a startling nightmare: I was watching myself on stage, my mouth was opening but no words in Italian would flow out. I’m still tired even after having drunk three espressos; that wasn’t the best idea, I feel jittery :: agitata.  Stay calm, Cindy. Stay calm and breath. The show is about to start. I squint my eyes at the bright lights and try to hold my lips wide so they don’t noticeably shake. My eyes are becoming irritated—too much eyeliner and mascara. I hate TV make-up. All of Italy is about to watch me, criticize my thick American accent and grammatical mistakes and judge my every move as well as my recipe choice. Oh, God. Why did I choose to make Salmon Wraps with Kale Chips? They’re absolutely delicious…but no match for my competitor’s dish…mouthwatering Phad Thai.  I would vote for her dish….I love Phad Thai. I mean really really love Phad Thai. It’s the first thing I eat when I go back to America to visit family and friends. Oh man, I’m going to get schooled. I place my hands on the counter, trying to appear relaxed as I wait for Antonella Clerici, one of Italy’s most famous presenters, to introduce me to the home audience.

Salmon-Wraps-4My knees begin to shake :: tremare. I already know I’ve lost. Don’t be melodramatic, Cindy. It doesn’t matter who wins or loses, you’re on the most popular Italian television cooking show! That in itself is quite an accomplishment that most new bloggers don’t get. My inner positive voice says trying to cheer me up, but it’s a little too late; I’ve lost my focus. All the questions and key phrases I rehearsed the days before disappear. All of my reminders of talking slow, giving short responses and communicating interesting information get disregarded like streamers after a party—stuffed in bag and thrown in the trash, never to be seen again.

Salmon-Wraps-5So I do what I do best when I’m nervous: talk too much and extremely fast. Actually, I do that normally; I am quite the chatterbox :: chiacchierona.  Yet, this time on TV, it wasn’t just chatterbox Cindy, but turbo speed Cindy….in Italian. Oh dear. Poor poor home audience, I feel sorry for you.

Salmon-Wraps-6Long story short: I didn’t do my best, I lost the competition, and I self pitied myself for half a day lounging around the house in pajamas eating Nutella on toast and watching funny American sitcoms; then I got over it. Don’t get me wrong, losing sucks; but, that wasn’t the cause for my downer mood. Losing is part of the game, any former athlete knows this. The thing that stings my pride is that I know that I didn’t do my best. Regardless if the judges :: giudici liked my recipe, I know I could have expressed myself better in Italian on live TV.  On a positive note, I now know what to work on, and this experience will only make me a better on-camera presenter.

Salmon-Wraps-3Plus, I can’t complain, there were many other exceptional things that came out of the day: I met two amazing and talented bloggers, Vatinee Suvimol, my competitor and blogger at A Thai Pianist and Natalia Cattelani, one of the judges and blogger at Tempo di Cottura; I got to cook again with the sensational Antonella Clerici; I worked with the wonderful staff on the show (thank you Valeria and Nicoletta) and I got to hang out with my two girlfriends photographer Michelle Aschbacher and life style blogger Sara White who are expats like me and live in Rome. Talking of amazing gals, Vatinee also introduced me to an incredible group of new girlfriends, Le Bloggalline, a group of over 400 women food bloggers who got each others backs. I am still overwhelmed with gratitude on all of the sweet and kind messages many of them left me. Women are the salt of the earth. A big thanks to everyone who voted and supported me.

Salmon-Wraps-1Although, these salmon wraps didn’t win on La Prova del Cuoco, they are still winners in my mind. This recipe showcases a lighter version of some of my favorite Pacific Northwest flavors: salmon and tartar sauce. I despise mayonnaise so I’ve lightened it up by using greek yogurt. Sitting on a bed of spinach and cuddled by some avocado slices is a delicious herb-rubbed salmon topped with crunchy almond slivers for a delicious and satisfying good ol’ American wrap.

Salmon Wraps
 
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These salmon wraps are light, flavorful and simple to prepare. Eat them on the go for lunch with some crispy kale chips or serve them with a side salad for a healthy dinner.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • For the salmon:
  • 2 fillets of salmon (about 6 ounces (175g) each)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ tablespoon of lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • ½ clove garlic, finely chopped
  • For the greek yogurt sauce:
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 6 tablespoons greek yogurt
  • ½ tablespoon capers, desalinated
  • ¼ lemon, juiced
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Other ingredients:
  • 2 tortillas
  • ½ ripe avocado
  • 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
  • Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Put the salmon fillet on top and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil. Put all the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl, mix and spread on top of the salmon fillet. Bake for around 8-12 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, put all the ingredients for the greek yogurt together in a bowl. Mix and set aside.
  4. Toss the spinach with a little extra virgin olive oil.
  5. Heat the tortilla in a medium sized pan for a few seconds then remove and set on two plates. Divide the spinach mixture between the two tortillas and divide the salmon and sauce. Wrap the tortilla like a burrito. Enjoy.

Here is the delicious recipe for Kale Chips! 

Kale Chips

Stuffed Figs with Balsamic Vinegar

Stuffed Figs with Balsamic Vinegar

by | Sep 5, 2014 | Appetizers

Every find yourself looking for an appetizer that is elegant to present but takes just minutes to prepare? Well, look no further, stuffed figs with balsamic vinegar to the rescue!  

Stuffed-Figs-with-Balsamic-VinegarFigs are such an elegant fruit. They remind me of avocados; they give a dish an instant gourmet-factor. These tear drop beauties are the star of many recipes: slice them up and toss them on a pizza along with some gorgonzola cheese, load them in a caramelized onion and asiago panino, or add them to a fresh mozzarella salad. And, then of course you can use them for salsas, jams, pies and marinades—oh, how I love you figs and your versatility.

Stuffed-Figs-with-Balsamic-Vinegar
Stuffed-Figs-with-Balsamic-VinegarI like to use figs as edible containers for creamy Italian cheeses like ricotta, stracciatella and goat cheese. Of course, good balsamic vinegar drizzled on top is a natural companion. If you like a little crunch, you can also add a few caramelized walnuts.

Stuffed-Figs-with-Balsamic-Vinegar One of the best parts about this recipe is how you can put it together in just a few minutes. I love having a few recipes up my sleeves for unexpected guests. Bring out these stuffed figs on a platter with a bottle of good red wine and your friends will start calling you the next Martha Stewart. *Although, beware…that just may mean you’ll have more people dropping by in the future!*

Stuffed-Figs-with-Balsamic-Vinegar 

Stuffed Figs with Balsamic Vinegar
 
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Every find yourself looking for an appetizer that is elegant to present but takes just minutes to prepare? Well, look no further, stuffed figs with balsamic vinegar to the rescue! 
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 6 figs
  • ½ cup (100g) ricotta, stracciatella or goat cheese
  • Good balsamic vinegar, as needed
Instructions
  1. Wash the figs well then cut four slits on the top of each going only ¾ way through. Fill with a spoonful of ricotta, stracciatella or goat cheese. Drizzle on some balsamic vinegar. Buon appetito!

Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas

Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas

by | May 19, 2014 | Pasta

Pasta dishes don’t have to always be smothered in tomato sauce :: sugo and loaded with meat to be satisfying.  In fact, some of the best Italian pasta dishes are those made with a vegetable sauce, like this recipe for tagliatelle with asparagus and peas given to me by my aunt-in-law.

Tagliatelle with asparagus and peasThere are three main secrets to preparing a delicious pasta dish like they make in Italy :: Italia:

1. Use fresh seasonal produce

2. Cook the pasta in generously salted water until it is al dente (slightly firm when bitten).

3. Top with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.

Tagliatelle with asparagus and peasItalian women are clever :: furbe; they prepare mouthwatering dishes with just a few ingredients. What is their secret? They buy fresh vegetables that are in season.  Often Italian women have a vegetable garden at home, otherwise they head directly to a farmer or vegetable stand at the market. Choosing good in-season vegetables allows you to enjoy the maximum flavors since the produce is in its prime. Good sauces aren’t difficult to make, they only need fresh and flavorful raw materials.

Tagliatelle with asparagus and peasThe next important trick is how you cook the pasta. The first rule of thumb of a good Italian cook is that you should always add coarse salt to the water once it comes to a boil. Secondly, you should always read the cooking time on the outside of the pasta package and be sure to start checking the pasta’s firmness a minute or two before it should be ready, especially if you mix the pasta with a sauce over heat, like in this recipe, as it will continue to cook. Although overcooked pasta is perfect for those who wear dentures :: la dentiera, it is by no means good. So set a timer folks and cook the pasta al dente!

Tagliatelle with asparagus and peasThe last important tip to making this tagliatelle with asparagus and peas dish absolutely delicious, is to load it with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.  I might be impartial since I live in Emilia Romagna, the origin of this delectable ingredient, but I can definitely tell you there is a major difference between pasta dishes with and without parmigiano reggiano. And, no, for all you Americans, I am not talking about the powdery stuff in the cylinder green tube made by Kraft, that stuff for Italians has the same affect as kryptonite on Superman.

There you have it, some of the most important tricks :: trucchi you need to know to make some tasty Italian pasta dishes. If you have any other tips, leave them below in the comments section.

Tagliatelle with Asparagus and Peas
 
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Pasta dishes don’t have to always be smothered in tomato sauce and loaded with meat to be satisfying. In fact, some of the best Italian pasta dishes are those made with a vegetable sauce, like this recipe for tagliatelle with asparagus and peas.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the sauce:
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 10 asparagus spears, hard ends snapped off & discarded, then chopped 
  • 1 cup (145g) freshly shelled peas
  • 1 organic vegetable bouillon cube
  • White wine, enough to cover the vegetables
  • 4 datterini or grape tomatoes, skin removed (I freeze the tomatoes then the skins just pop off under water) 
  • ½ cup (38g) parmigiano reggiano
For the pasta:
  • 200g tagliatelle pasta (or any kind of pasta)
  • ½ tablespoon coarse salt
Instructions
For the sauce: 
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, cook the shallot in the extra virgin olive oil over low heat. When the shallot begins to become golden brown, discard. 
  2. Add the asparagus, peas, tomatoes, vegetable bouillon cube and white wine (enough to cover the vegetables); bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 40-60 minutes. 
For the pasta: 
  1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the course salt and cook the pasta according to the instructions located on the package. Check the doneness around 1-2 minutes before it should be ready, remove from heat and drain when it is al dente (slightly firm when bitten).
  2. Add the pasta and parmigiano reggiano cheese to the sauce previously prepared and stir over low heat until combined and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
  3. Note For vegetable based sauces, I like to cook them around 40 minutes but you could also let them simmer for less time.