This is an easy recipe that we often use in the hot summer days as an alternative to a hot plate of pasta. The original recipe calls for rocket salad, I used basil simply because I have a basil plant in my garden (well balcony ..and there are only two plants in there). Here is what you need:
Ingredients:
Shells pasta = 250 gr / Half pound
Mozzarella = 2 pieces
Cherry Tomatoes = 250 gr / Half pound
Some Fresh basil or rocket salad
Salt = to taste
Olive oil = 3-4 full spoons
Optional: Canned tuna (best if its in olive oil)
Some Black Olives
Step 1: Cook the pasta following the packaging directions. Adjust also the salt.
Step 2: Meantime, cut all the ingredients to make a salad. Add some salt and remove the liquid that is released by the mozzarella and the cherry tomatoes.
Step 3: Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water and mix all together. Add some olive oil. You could also add tuna and/or black olives to the mix. You can serve it straight away or refrigerate for later (6-12 h max).
If you like the video recipes best, you can watch the video too:
The original recipe is called Risotto ai funghi porcini!
This is a delicate dish with a beautiful smell. I like to cook it in fall as this is what it reminds me off. The fresh porcini mushrooms are not very easy to find, however, you can easily find them in their dry version and I guarantee it will be an easy good dish for you and your family. For a vegetarian version, you simply cook the rice using boiling water or vegetable stock instead of meat stock.
Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms
Ingredients (serves 4):
Risotto rice: 315gr / 1 cup and a half Fresh Mushrooms: 200gr / 0.4lbs / 6-8 pieces Dried Porcini Mushrooms: 30gr / 1 ounce Onion: 1 small piece Garlic: 1 clove Parsley: 1 brunch Butter: 2 slices / 50 gr/ less than 2 ounces White Wine: 1dl / half a cup Vegetable/Meat Stock: about 1 l / 3-4 cups Parmisan Cheese: 50gr/ 2 full spoons Salt/ Pepper/ Olive Oil
Note: You can substitute the above mentioned Mushrooms with 400 gr (equivalent to 14 ounces / 0.8 lbs) of fresh Porcini Mushrooms. Also, Step 3 can be done in parallel with Step 1 and 2. Step 1: Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for at least 10 minutes. Meantime, clean the fresh mushrooms by removing the dirt with a knife and washing very quickly (do not soak the fresh mushrooms in water). Then chop them finely.
Step 2: Place a slice of butter and the slightly pressed garlic in a frying pan, Add the fresh mushrooms and cook them using high heat. Remove the water from the dried porcini mushrooms (now they should be soft to the touch) and chop them finely. Mix them with the fresh mushrooms. Adjust salt and pepper, salt and add the parsley which you must first finely chop. If you decided to use 400 gr of fresh porcini mushrooms, you clean and cook them in the same way but, you do not need to add the dried porcini.
Step 3: Finely chop the onion and brown it in a pan using some olive oil (you can use butter or a mixture of the two).Add the rice and toast it until golden. Proceed by adding the white wine and, when it evaporates, add one ladle of boiling stock at the time. Stir until it evaporates and repeat until the risotto is cooked. Step 4: Mix the cooked mushrooms with the risotto some minutes before it has finished cooking. Mix well then turn off the heat and mix the remaining butter and the Parmesan cheese. Cover the rice for 10 minutes then serve.
You can find more details on how I prepare this risotto by watching this video:
If you try to make this recipe, I would love to know how it turns out!
Also, If you have any Italian recipe request let me know!
You can find some tips on how to clean the mushrooms here.
When I was living in Italy, my mother in law used to buy this plate already made and I tell you, I could eat 3 servings of it. This one is one remains one of my favorite pasta dish and moreover it is very easy and quick to make. You can click on the video for more details or just follow the instructions listed bellow.
Difficulty: Easy Servings: 4 Preparation: 20 min
Ingredients:
Fresh egg pasta: 250 gr or half a pound
Smoked Salmon: 150gr or 5 oz
Single Cream: 250ml or 8.5 oz
Fresh Parsley: A small bunch
Butter: A small piece
Stock cube: Half
Olive Oil : 2 full spoons
Salt and Paper: To taste
Procedure:
Step 1: Put the water for the pasta and add the stock cube
Step 2: Chop the onion and cook it until golden
Step 3: After 2-3 minutes add some of the water from the Pasta
Step 4: Chop the salmon and the parsley
Step 5: Add the salmon. When it becomes white add some water again. Cook until soft. It takes about 5 minutes.
Step 6: Add the cream and the parsley in whichever order you like
Step 7: Add the butter and salt and cook until dense. It takes about 5 minutes.
Step 8: Add salt to the water and cook the pasta following the directions on the package.
Step 9: Mix the pasta and the sauce. Give it two minutes and serve
Notes:
Alternatives: Tagliatelle or Spaghetti
Use 250 gr (half pound) If the pasta is fresh or
Use 400 gr (0.85 pound) If the pasta is dry.
I am very excited to be part of the Sugar and Spice collaboration that it is running between 30 YouTube mamas over the 30 days of November. Every mom will propose a dessert recipe which may give you some inspiration for this (and many to come) holiday seasons.
I chose to demonstrate how to make the traditional Tiramisu (as I learned from my dear Italian friends). This is my favorite dessert, it is easy to make, does not require any baking, and, you will impress any guests you have. Watch the video for more insides on how to make it or just follow the directions listed bellow.
Ingredients (serves 8):
6 medium fresh eggs
500 gr of Mascarpone cheese (1.1 pound)
150 gr of sugar (about 3/4 of a cup)
espresso coffee (about 1/2 of a cup)
400 gr of lady finger biscuits (one package)
unsweetened cocoa powder (or cacao)
Preparation:
1) Divide the egg yolks from the egg whites.
2) Use 2 spoons of sugar to sweeten the coffee. Add half of the remaining sugar to the egg yolks and mix until the sugar is well blended (the color turns whiter), add the Mascarpone and mix it well again.
3) Add the rest of the sugar to the egg whites. Whip the egg whites until stiff. An electric mixer makes this step much easier.
4) Add little by little the creamy egg white cream to the Mascarpone mixture. This is your Mascarpone cream, you just have to layer it with the rest of the ingredients. 5) Add sugar to taste to the espresso coffee. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee and line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) square dish.
6) Use half of the Mascarpone cream to add a layer on top of the biscuits, then, add a thin layer of cocoa powder on top (you can also use grated chocolate instead).
7) Repeat step 5) and 6) to create another layer using
the other half of the Mascarpone cream. This time layer the ladyfingers
the other way around (to form a 90 degree angle with the first layer of
biscuits
8) Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
Tips:
Sugar to taste and let the coffee cool before using it.
Remove the eggs from the fridge some hours before.
Ensure that they are fresh by putting them in a bowl with water. They should sink.
For a stronger taste, mix some Marsala with the coffee.
The other 29 mammas are proposing great video recipes as well I am listing them by day:
1. Nutella Sea Salt Fudge
2. Coconut Macaroons
3. Pecan Sandies
4. Crepes with Homemade Nutella
5. Gluten free chocolate pecan pie
6. AlliePaige YT - chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats
7. Dana MsDiaperD - Raw Pumpkin Pie
8. Amy Dreamflight - Terribly Terrific Toffee (Christmas Crack)
9. You Tube Heidi - everything but the kitchen sink bars
10. Brandy Thebabybound - No bake Cookies
11. Krystal Brought to You by Mom - Sea Salt and Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce
12. Leah raisingbushes - Apple Dumplings
13. Sara Biomammy - Tiramisù
14. Casey LincolnsMama - Strawberry bread
15. Christina Subfertilefrugalista16. Tasha Tugsatyourheart - Christmas Mix
17. Shannon Waitingforamiracle - Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls
18. Amanda Milojimandme - Allergy friendly people puppy chow
19. Nici Peasandcoos20. Amanda Noahandjaxten- Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Vegan Fudge
21. Lindsey Lindzer - M&M cookies
22. Alex MamaofOlivia - Chocolat candy cane bark
23. Jessica LonnieandJess - Rum cake
24. Simone Mscherryize - Hedgehog slice and Diabetic friendly Rocky road
25. Nolita - Magic Cookie Bars
26. Lisa Lumdeedums - gingerbread cupcakes
27. Ashley Onthelanai - Chocolate Chess Pie
28. Sheena MommytoChase - Eggnog cheesecake
29. Cheryl - Marshmallow Logs
30. Sandy ThePJmommy -
This is a great dish that can be used as a vegetarian (by substituting chicken stock with water) or vegan dish (by also using oil instead of butter and skipping the cheese). My love with this recepe is for its second purpose, which is making my picky eater, eat vegetables. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Preparation time: 35 min
Difficulty: Simple
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Rice (Risotto or long grain) 200gr / 1 cup
Butter 30gr / 1 ounce
Mushrooms Champignon 6-8 pieces
Courgette/Zucchini 1 piece
Carrot 1 piece
Ognon 1 piece
Parmasan cheese (or ) 30 gr / 1 ounce
oil 4 full spoons
chicken stock if you wish
Procedure:
Grate all the vegetables
Mix the grated vegetables, the oil and the rice in a pan and stir-fry them in medium heat.Remove from heat when the rice is golden or earlier if it starts attaching to the pan.
In another pan, pour your chicken stock / water (about 1 l) and bring it to a boil. You can always add more if you need it.
Add small amounts of boiling water (about 200 ml or the equivalent of a small glass at a time).
Adjust salt.
Continue by adding more stock/water when it reduces. You do this until the rice is cooked.
At the end add the butter and the cheese. Leave it rest for 10 minutes and then serve.
For more details and insides you can watch the video:
We have a picky eater at home. So I am always looking into ways to make my daughter eat more vegetables. This is an easy recipe for a flat bread with hidden sweet potatoes. We love the taste so this is why I am sharing it with you.
Sweet potato wraps
Ingredients (8-10 Wraps)
Sweet Potato: 2 pieces
White flour: 300 gr / 2-3 cups
Creamy cheese: 1 table spoon
Olive oil: 4 table spoons
Backing powder: 1 small spoon
Sugar: 1 small spoon
Salt: 1 small spoon
Preparation:
1) Peal and cut the sweet potatoes. Steam them until they are soft.
2) Using a fork, mash the sweet potatoes. Add also the oil and the cheese
3) Mix the remaining ingredients, starting from the sugar, the salt and the baking powder. Add the flour slowly as it may take less than what expected (depends on humidity, how large the sweet potatoes are, if you added more oil ect)
4) Keep mixing the flour little by little until you obtain a non sticky dough. This step should last at least 10 minutes. If you feel it is sticky add more flour.
5) When you have the dough, divide it into small balls that will make the wraps. Cover it and leave it rest for at least 30 minutes.
6) Using some more flour, roll out the dough into a round shape. It should fit the frying pan where you will cook them.
7) Choose a wide non-stick frying pan, possibly with a think bottom. Put it in medium-high heat. Wait a bit until it is hot. No oil is needed. Place one of the wraps on top. Use a fork to make holes all over the wrap. Cook it about 2 minutes each side. The timing in indicative because it will depend a lot on the heat, how thick is your bread and the pan you choose. You know it is done when you see black points all over it (see the picture for some guidance).
8) Cook all the wraps and then serve with your favorite ingredients. How about some cheese, ham, cherry tomatoes and avocado?
I also made a video to show you more in detail how I make it.
Ingredients:
