Baked Rockfish with Tomato and Basil Sauce 

Baked Rockfish with Tomato and Basil Sauce 

by | Sep 28, 2015 | Entrées

I think that good food should be simple :: semplice. You don’t need to complicate your life to eat well. Just follow this one basic rule: buy fresh wholesome ingredients based on the season.

Rockfish-with-Tomato-and-Basil-Sauce-2Here in Italy, I’m picking the last tomatoes off the vine and clearing out the basil pots to make homemade pesto to freeze. This is my farewell recipe to summer before making way for Continue Reading

Quinoa Flatbread with Roasted Beet Hearts, Spinach and Goat Cheese

Quinoa Flatbread with Roasted Beet Hearts, Spinach and Goat Cheese

by | Feb 14, 2015 | Bread, Entrées

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-6Although love :: amore should be celebrated 365 days a year, I think it is more than merited to have one special day dedicated to making a conscious effort to show your affection, love, and gratitude for another person. Today we should take a moment to think about all of the love we have in our life: family, friends, significant others, pets and even that kind stranger who did something nice to make your day. So, go wild with love this Valentine’s Day!

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-1To start with, I would like to thank all of you for the support you have showed me during this past year. I always feel overcome with gratitude :: gratitudine each time someone leaves a kind comment, or just simply reads these words. Without each of you, this blog would not exist, so thank you. 🙂

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-3

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-2I have some exciting news to share with you! I am returning back on the Italian national TV cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco, with Antonella Clerici. I have been invited to participate in a new segment of the show: “Master Blog” where I will be competing against another food blogger.  I leave for Rome :: Roma tomorrow and will be on live TV on Monday February 16th  from 12:05-12:20.  You can vote on the Facebook page of La Prova del Cuoco during that time frame. Just find my picture on the page while I am live, and click “like”. I am so excited for this opportunity. I really enjoyed my experience the last time I was on La Prova del Cuoco and I was truly thankful for all your kind comments and support during that week.

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-4Back to today. One simple thing you can do to show your appreciation for another person is to cook them a special meal. This quinoa flatbread with roasted beet heats, spinach and goat cheese is the perfect main course for your Valentine’s Day dinner.   The preparation is super easy to do, and can be topped with anything you like. I used blended cannellini beans, fresh spinach, beets :: barbabietole, walnuts and goat cheese. To make the beet hearts just peel the beet, slice it into rounds, use a heart cookie cutter, place everything on a baking sheet, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and roast.

Quinoa-Flatbread-with-Roasted-Beet-Hearts-Spinach-and-Goat-Cheese-5This Valentine’s Day meal idea is perfect for a romantic dinner for two where you can split the heart down the middle and share.  It is also great for a family because it’s something you can easily make with the kids :: bambini and they can have fun choosing their own toppings and making their flatbread hearts.

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s day filled with love and happiness.

Xoxo

Italicana

Quinoa Flatbread with Roasted Beet Hearts, Spinach and Goat Cheese
 
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This quinoa flatbread with roasted beet heats, spinach and goat cheese is the perfect main course for your Valentine’s Day dinner.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • For the beet hearts:
  • 1 large beet
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • For the flatbread:
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ cup (90g) quinoa
  • 1 cup + ¼ cup water, divided
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3g) sea salt (I use unrefined sea salt)
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 can cannellini beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 walnut halves, broken up in to pieces
Instructions
  1. For the beet hearts:
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Peel the beet and slice into rings. Use a heart cookie cutter to cut out the hearts. Put the heats and the rest of the beet cut outs on the cookie sheet. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the beets halfway through.
  4. For the quinoa:
  5. In the meantime, put 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a medium sized pot and add the quinoa. Toast over medium high heat stirring continuously until the quinoa is slightly golden and there is a nice toasted perfume in the air.
  6. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. The water should have all absorbed, if not, drain any excess water.
  7. Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper and drizzle a little olive oil on top and spread it out to distribute it. (You could also use cooking spray).
  8. When the quinoa is cooked add it to a food processor along with ¼ cup water, baking powder, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, garlic and rosemary. Blend for 2 minutes until the quinoa it is smooth. (This step is important because if it is not smooth enough, the mixture will crumble when you try to form the heart shape.)
  9. Take the mixture out of the food processor, set it on the oiled cookie sheet and form it into a heart, or any other shape. It should be about ¼ inches high. Bake for 10 minutes.
  10. In the meantime, blend the cannellini in the food processor with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
  11. Take the quinoa crust out of the oven, spread the whipped cannellini on top followed by a handful of fresh baby spinach, walnuts, goat cheese and roasted beet hearts. Now, go ahead and share your heart with someone you love. Happy Valentine's Day!
  12. Inspired by: http://thewholesomedish.com/quinoa-crust-pizza-cheesy-garlic-bread/
Notes
Use the rest of the cut out beets on a salad the next day or make a delicious beet sauce to mix into pasta or couscous.

 

 

Kale Pesto

Kale Pesto

by | Oct 25, 2014 | Pesto Spreads Sauces

Kale PestoThis kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and tastes a.m.a.z.i.n.g.   Mr. Italicano devoured this rich thick pesto as quickly as he did with the kale chips that I made last week.

Kale PestoThere are many ways you can serve this kale pesto:

  • with toasted whole wheat pita chips or crackers
  • as a spread in a sandwich with mozzarella and smashed white beans
  • alongside fish :: pesce
  • mixed into whole grains and cereals like farro, millet, bulgur or couscous
  • mix into whole wheat pasta or used as a layer in vegetable lasagna

Kale PestoI used it the other night with a simple wild caught sesame salmon recipe. For the millet :: miglio I just cooked 1/2 cup millet with 1 cup water, covered on low heat for about 15 minutes.  When the water was absorbed I added 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, a few dashes of paprika and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. I used a round pastry cutter to give it its shape and topped it with the kale pesto. Simple yet elegant.

Kale PestoAs you can see this is a very dense :: denso pesto. If you prefer a more runnier texture, simple add more extra virgin olive oil until arriving at the consistency desired.

Kale Pesto
 
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This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and can be used in a number of healthy recipes.
Serves: 1 jar
Ingredients
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 clove garlic, finely sliced
  • 14 oz (300g) kale, cleaned well, stems removed and finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • 1 squeeze of 1 slice of lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon finely chopped red hot pepper
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sautè the garlic over low heat until it just barely begins to turn color; 1-2 minutes. Don’t let it brown completely.
  2. Add the kale, ginger, lemon juice, red hot pepper, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir until combined then cover for 1-2 minutes until the kale has wilted.
  3. Put the mixture into a blender or use a hand held mixer, add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the quantity of olive oil to the consistency you want, more oil will be a runny pesto, less oil will be more dense like the photo above.

Wild Caught Sesame Salmon 

Wild Caught Sesame Salmon 

by | Oct 24, 2014 | Entrées

Life gets busy—super busy, at times. That’s why it’s always good to have a few no-fuss recipes :: ricette up your sleeve for evenings where you need to get a healthy dinner on the table but don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.  This wild caught sesame salmon recipe is perfect for these occasions.

Wild Caught Sesame SalmonMr. Italicano and I have had a super intense couple weeks. He’s busy studying for his sailing license examination and I am taking two interesting evening courses—one on natural cooking :: cucina naturale and the other to become a sommelier.

Wild-Caught-Sesame-SalmonThrown into our busy schedules are biweekly tennis lessons and other appointments, leaving me little time in the evenings to prepare dinner.  In moments like these, it would be quite practical to buy some ready-made dinners, but I don’t. Ever. Prepackaged food :: cibo preconfezionato is horrible for you and is full of preservatives, sweeteners, and artificial coloring.

Wild-Caught-SalmonFarmed salmon :: salmone di allevamento is also full of artificial coloring due to the colored fish food pellets that they are given to eat, not to mention these salmon contain toxins like PCBs that are carcinogenic (cancer causing) and antibiotics. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to put that junk in my body let alone feed Mr. Italicano with it. No, thanks. Certainly, wild caught fish is more expensive, however, I would rather eat less, but better quality food.

Wild Caught Sesame SalmonReducing the ingredient list :: elenco di ingredienti is an easy way to make a quick meal. Fewer ingredients mean less preparation time. There is a word of delicious recipes that you can try out that have just 5 ingredients or less like: roasted kabocha squash fries, millet stuffed tomatoes, or John Dory with capers and tomatoes. Recipes like these allow you to cook delicious healthy food in no time at all.

Wild Caught Sesame Salmon 
 
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Wild caught sesame salmon is a perfect recipe for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner when you don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 wild caught salmon steaks, rinsed and dried
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper then top both sides with the sesame seeds. Put the salmon steaks in a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.  Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Couscous Cakes

Couscous Cakes

by | Aug 2, 2014 | Entrées

These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you! 

Couscous CakesI am on a mad dash to create fifteen 20 minute meals to present to the television producers :: produttori televisivi for when I will appear on Italy’s most famous national television cooking show, La Prova del Cuoco, this September. My first attempt was these couscous cakes, and, boy, were they a winner. Hopefully the judges will think so as well!

Couscous CakesButtery avocado and smooth cannellini are mashed together with crunchy bread crumbs :: pane grattugiato, aromatic basil, pungent chives and to add some heat, I’ve thrown in some finely diced hot peppers.  Now toss in the cooked couscous to add texture and drizzle in some extra virgin olive oil and Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena from La Vecchia Dispensa.  (One of my favorite balsamic vinegar producers.) Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper before scooping up handfuls of the mixture to form 6 patties. Pour in a few spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and set the couscous cakes con top and cook until the out layer turns a nice golden hue. If you prefer a lighter version, you can skip the oil and heat the couscous cakes directly on the pan, although they won’t brown as nicely.

Couscous CakesArrange the couscous cakes on a serving plate, or over arugula :: rucola that has been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each cake with a dollop of greek yogurt and scatter some chives over the creamy white mountain. If you want to impress your guests and have them drooling over your food, remember this gold rule: garnish, garnish, garnish. Just check out the difference it makes in the photo below!

Couscous CakesNow comes the best part: devouring these little cakes. If any remain (which, I assure you will be unlikely) you can store them in the refrigerator; just reheat them for a few minutes or enjoy them cold.  Double :: raddoppiate the batch and pop these couscous cakes in the freezer for a meal to have on hand for unexpected guests or an unexpected change in your lunch or evening plans.

Couscous Cakes

Couscous Cakes
 
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These couscous cakes are a busy person’s lifesaver. In under 20 minutes you can have an elegant, delicious and wholesome meal on the table. They are a great make-ahead dish and freeze fantastically. If you find yourself constantly on the go but want a healthy meal or snack, this is the perfect recipe for you!
Serves: 6 cakes
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup (48g) couscous
  • ½ ripe avocado* (very important that it is mature) 
  • ½ cup canned cannellini beans (or other white bean), drained
  • ¼ cup (33g) finely ground bread crumbs 
  • ⅓ cup (7g) loosely packed basil, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) chives, finely chopped + more for garnish
  • ½ hot pepper (green or red), finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena by La Vecchia Dispensa 
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
  • Pinch of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • Greek yogurt, as needed (optional)
Instructions
  1.  
  2. In a small bowl, combine the couscous with ¼ cup hot (but not boiling) water. Set aside. 
  3.  
  4. In a medium bowl, mash the avocado and cannellini beans together then toss in the bread crumbs, basil, chives, hot pepper, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Stir in the couscous and form 6 patties with your hands. 
  5.  
  6. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Set the patties on top and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until the outer layer has a nice golden hue. Top with a dollop of greek yogurt and sprinkle chopped chives on top. Serve alone or with salad greens that have been tossed with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Note: This post is not paid by La Vecchia Dispensa. They were kind to send me some samples of their products; I only support the companies I believe in and the products I love and would use myself.

If you want to discover other delicious balsamic vinegar recipes try out these peach scones with brandy and fig balsamic vinegar glaze.

Peach Scones with Brandy and Fig Balsamic Vinegar Glaze

Or substitute the saba with balsamic vinegar in these   pear, walnut and burrata bruschetta with Organic Apple Saba

Pear-Walnut-And-Burrata-Bruschetta-With-Organic-Apple-Saba