The sea and the mountain small pies

 

Ingredients for 9 anchovies' small pies:

500 g boned anchovies
a tablespoon of capers (mine are from Filicudi, Eolian Island, Sicily)
the juice of a lime
some leaves of basil
some leaves of oregano
extra virgin olive oil
9 round tomatoes
salt as needed
 for 4  shelled red lentils small pies
half onion
2-3 cherry tomatoes
sesame seeds
sesame oil
some drops of tamari sauce
salt as needed
water as needed

Preparation:

I cut in two the anchovies' fillets already bones and  I let them marinate in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of desalinated capers,oil, juice of lime, salt, basil and oregano leaves chopped by hand.
I take the silicone moulder for muffins (yes believe me I use it; it's the one for 9 muffins) and I pour oil to grease the moulder and I put in the bottom half tomato.
Then I cover the tomato with marinated anchovies and I close with the remaining part of a tomato.
I fill all the moulders with the same proceeding.
I prepare the lentils pie with already cooked  shelled red lentils ( I cook them a long time with two drops of water over the lentils, chopped cherry tomatoes and onion, salt up the water has been totally absorbed).
I mash them with a fork and I add a drizzle of sesame oil and some drops of tamari sauce.
I take always other moulders for muffins, better disposable, and I cover them with baking paper, pouring inside the lentils mash tun.
I put above some sesame seeds to make the surface crunchy.
I bake both moulders at 200° (medium-high temperature) for 20 minutes.

That's a dinner very healthy and fatless ...without forgoing the flavor!

Birthday cake with caramel cream and hazelnuts

We have just had a party for my aunt's 70th birthday.
I'm surprised of her age...the same for my father.
They are still young for me...and I don't like thinking of time flies also for me.
Better don't think ...otherwise kilos of cookies shouldn't be enough to comfort me!
Speaking of comfort, the birthday lady pulled through an hard time...so I thought "Angela, let's make her a surprise. Make her a birthday cake"
Beautiful idea I know but make it ,very different.
Because it's easy  when you have all ingredients at your disposal and all possible helps, but I wasn't sure of the result...having to cook without (needless to say that) yeast, sugar paste,strong flour..and so on.
So much so that I suggested to my cousin to buy an ice cream cake...like stock..just in case my cake was awful.
It should be very sad to have a party without a cake!
Comforted that there should have been a "stock cake", I started cooking morning early.
It was a big deal so my husband was involved. Nothing weird if I asked his help... furthermore priest said "through thick and thin", isn't it?
There were two tries for base cake and caramel cream didn't want to work well...but finally I won!
The result is not like very fashion cake designers ones..obviously..but I did it myself!
There's no comparison how much it satisfies me ...seeing my aunt asks for seconds, my cousin taking away last piece in a safe place far from the table.
Friends eating and having a taste of it.
Birthday cake, I say to you...don't worry it - could - work!

Base cake ingredients:
200 g fruit sugar
200 g margarine
150 g rice flour
150 g tapioca flour
6 eggs room temperature
lemon juice and zest
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
soy milk as needed
a pinch of salt

Filling:
500 g lactose and sugar free vegetable cream (also for icing)
100 g fruit sugar
50 g  toasted hazelnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla powder

Icing:
300 g lactose free milk
100 g fruit sugar
150 g margarine
50 g toasted hazelnuts

Short crust Pastry  garnishment:
150 g superfine corn flour
15 g cocoa powder
15 g rice starch
100 g lactose free milk
100 g fruit sugar
orange essence
sugar free coloured small balls

Preparation:

Cake: I melt the margarine in a double boiler. I separate the yolks from egg whites and I whip them with fruit sugar.
A part I whip also the egg whites with a pinch of salt.
I drizzle in the melted margarine in the whipped yolks, the vanilla powder and the lemon juice and zest.
Without stopping stirring I add the flours previously sifted twice.
Little by little I add the flours but also soy milk if necessary, a tablespoon a time, to make the dough creamy and soft.
I pour it in a rectangular baking pan covered by baking paper.
I bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180ç (low temperature) for 35-40 minutes.
Putting the pan in the medium level and some boiling water in another pan on the bottom of the oven.
So to create a wet room and fit for the cake growing up even without yeast.

Garnishment: Meanwhile I prepare the cookies.
I put all ingredients in the bread machine, using it for kneading only.
When the dough comes off the edges, I put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, plastic wrapped.
After that, , I shape  number 70,exclamation points and four flowers with the short crust pastry.
I decorate the cookies with some coloured small balls and I bake for 15 minutes at 180° oven with fan.
Filling: I let the cake cool down and Start preparing the filling.
I whip the cold cream with fruit sugar and the vanilla powder in a bowl previously put in the freezer.
I toast the hazelnuts in a pan and I  crumble them with a steak hammer in a dishcloth so to be irregular parings.
I use a part of them in half whipped cream.
Icing:I melt the margarine over a low flame in a pan and then I pour the milk, stirring for a while.
I put aside the pan and I put another one where I melt the fruit sugar up to make caramel.
I pour it out of flame, little by little,  to the milk mix (being careful to scorch myself because hot caramel touching the milk can splash).
I put the pan again on the flame and I stir up the caramel is melt.
After that I let  cool it down and before garnish the cake I add the remaining whipping cream.
Final assembling: 
I cut in two the cake.
I spread some whipping cream on the bottom of the plate and I put on the first layer of the cake.
I spread with a palette knife the cream with the hazelnuts, leaving empty the edge so to avoid runoff after applying the higher layer.
Once covered with the remaining layer, I spread some whipping cream outside and I cover with caramel cream with the addition of whipping cream inside. I sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts and I put on the garnishment.
Obviously the cake must be put in the fridge . As much time it remains there as better will be the consistency.

Good wishes again dear aunt...I invite you to try it...let me know your results!

Ring-shaped cookies with lactose free whipping cream

Sorry if I left aside my blog ...but I got flu.

Fever, cough, sore throat...full package.

I know, it sounds weird and ridiculous, but actually that's the way it goes.

I was far from flu all the winter , but  this sudden last weeks cold snap in North Italy stitched me up.

After all I wrote that I am meteoropathic ...and my body (sigh! not only it!) was upset by feeling again such temperatures.

Yesterday it seemed Christmas time ...not May!

I felt really depressed,I don't hide it, and I comfort myself with cookies ...my favourites.

This time they are ring-shaped and with whipping cream, obviously lactose free .

Ingredients:

200 g corn flour

50 g corn starch

150 g potato starch

100 g vanilla-flavoured fruit sugar

 (it is enough to put the used vanilla bean with fruit sugar for a while, and then whisking the fruit sugar only with the blender  so it will be icing)

200 g margarine

1 egg

half glass lactose free whipping cream

a pinch of salt

1 yolk

Preparation:
I sift the flour in a bowl and I add both starches.
I make a hole in the middle and I put inside the egg.
I beat it and I add fruit sugar, stirring from the centre.
Then I add the margarine , previously melted in a double saucepan and let it cooling down.
Last, I pour the whipping cream (not whipped) and a pinch of salt.
I knead the dough for some minutes and then I roll it.
With a round cookies cutter I make some rounds and with a small always round cutter I make the hole in the centre.
So to have ring-shaped cookies.
I brush them with a beaten yolk and I bake them for 20 minutes at 180° (low temperature).

Meanwhile  we wait for Summer coming , Spring prefers other places...I think that I will use the oven still for a while...but it is a cold comfort, I make baked pasta also in August!!

Carrot cake

I prepare this cake thinking about my mum. Today is mother's day.
We live apart but...ideally I order up a slice of this cake that she likes a lot.
I'm sure that when we will see again, I'll prepare one just for her.
Many wishes mum!

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots
120 g fruit sugar
200 g almonds flour
3 eggs
100 ml corn oil
20 g corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
lemon extract
100 g pine nuts
50 g almonds flakes
a pinch of salt

Preparation:
I stir the oil with sugar fruit and I add yolks with electric beater up becoming like a mousse. I add almonds flour, the vanilla powder  and the lemon extract.
I grate the carrots.
Then I put them to dry on a dish cloth and I join  the vegetables to the dough later.
Apart I beat until stiff the eggs whites and I add them last.
I pour the dough in a baked pan covered by baking paper and I pour on the surface of the cake some pine nuts and almonds flakes.
I bake for 40° at 180°.

It's a cake suitable for gluten, lactose and yeast intolerant...but above all is soft and tasty.

Spring vegetables risotto

Spring , at least in the North of Italy,is making fool of us.
It kids us and makes fun of our weaknesses.
Whatever happened to beautiful days?
the Sun prefers Southern places we know that...but it's May, it could have pity of us!
As incurable optimist, I think that there will be not such endless grey  and rainy days any longer.
Meanwhile I take comfort with a risotto.

Ingredients:
1 scallion
150 g shelled broad fresh beans
250 g carrots julienne strips
50 g chopped parsley
100 g grated pecorino cheese (Italian sheep cheese from Tuscany)
50 g margarine
200 g rice
extra virgin olive oil as needed
salt as needed
a sprig of rosemary
a cube of vegetables yeast, sugar or gluten free stock

Preparation:
I stew the  chopped scallion in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and I add broad beans and carrots.
I let them flavour together with a sprig of rosemary for five minutes stirring often.
I pour some water to cover vegetables and I let it cook for about 15 minutes.
Then I put them apart in a bowl.
In the same pan with the remaining drops of sauce, I pour the rice and I toast it with some oil and the remaining rosemary. Then I pour some vegetable stock and I let it cook (total 12 minutes more or less, depends on rice).
Five minutes before finishing cooking, I add  the vegetables and I make the risotto creamy with some margarine.
Last I pour some grated pecorino cheese and I stir out of flame.

Sooner or later the Sun will company more often and we will claim because it will be too hot 
(I won't ,actually. I feel good at 30°)... but meanwhile let's enjoy a nice risotto with season vegetables.

Short-pastry baskets with mixed berries

Short-pastry baskets with mixed berries

Ingredients for 8 baskets:
Short crust pastry
100 g corn flour (fumetto type in Italy)
80 g rice flour
75 g almonds flour
115 g margarine
1 egg
1 tablespoon lactose free milk
lemon juice

Cream
200 g lactose free mascarpone cheese (I buy it in an organic shop)
5 tablespoons unsweetened natural yogurt
50 g icing fruit sugar (it means fruit sugar blended in the blender up icing)
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
some drops rum extract
350 g blackberries, blueberries and strawberries

Preparation:
I sift the flours and the icing fruit sugar in a bowl and I stir almonds flour also.
I combine the margarine with my fingers up the dough is nubby.
Then I add the egg and the milk and I stir all with a cake slice.
So I knead it by hand up softening.
I wrap it with plastic wrap and I let it stand in the frige for 30 minutes.
Then I roll the dough and I cut with round cookies -cutters some circles of pastry.
I put them on a silicone  muffins moulds.
I cover the baskets with aluminum foil so to let not burn in the bottom and I bake for 15 minutes at 180°.
After that, they are making a little bit golden, so I remove the foil and I finish cooking for other five minutes.
Meanwhile the baskets are cooling down out of the oven, I start preparing the cream.
I whisk the mascarpone cheese with yogurt and the fruit sugar for 10 minutes up becoming a cream.
I add the rum extract and the vanilla powder and I stir well.

I fill the short- pastry baskets with this cream and I garnish with fruit, washed and dried well and last a sprinkle of icing fruit sugar.
They are so nice ...even home-made.

The flavour of rum in the cream make these baskets so tasty and delicious.That's amazing.

Khorashan wheat bow pasta with zucchini,turmeric powder and prawns

Khorashan wheat bow pasta with zucchini,turmeric powder and prawns

At last some beautiful days is coming.
I change totally mood if the sky is blue and the sun lights up everything on which it places.
That's just me, a little bit meteoropathic.
Food colours, are also therapeutic.
This pasta that I'm finishing preparing for lunch, should tempt anyone.
Not only because tastes good but because colours are great and brighten your meal up.

Ingredients:
1 round zucchini
1 spring onion
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
10 prawns
10 cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons natural unsweetened yogurt
3-4 basil leaves
50 g grated parmesan cheese
salt as needed
extra virgin olive oil as needed

Preparation:
I chop the spring onion and I brown it in the oil , then I grate a zucchini and I let them flavour together for a couple of minutes.
Then I put prawns, a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder and I stir all well.
I add half glass of water and I cook over a low flame for 15 minutes.
Apart I parboil the cherry tomatoes for about five minutes and then I add them to the sauce.
I cook the bow pasta in salted boiling water.
During 10 minutes of pasta cooking I mix yogurt with parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
Two minutes before finishing the pasta cooking, I add yogurt cream to the sauce out of flame and I stir well.
I drain the pasta and I pour in the pan with the sauce , mixing softly.

Creamy, coloured and tasty this pasta...is right for this springy Saturday lunch time.