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.

Apple delicacies

Do not give up even if your try doesn't work.
Even if you follow the recipe carefully, but it doesn't work.
For a moment  (maybe also two or three) we get angry but we haven't to lose heart.

In my kitchen, there is always a Plan B.
Most of the time it works ( I don't know why but I don't care. It works, no questions).
And better of what I scheduled and studied with attention to the smallest detail but it has no more of working.

These apples cakes are the umpteenth ...well done plan B.

Ingredients for 6 cakes:

150 g spelt flour

50 g corn starch

100 g cold sparkling water

1 egg

100 g vegetable whipping cream

50 g fruit sugar

100 g cubed apples

2 tablespoons cinnamon powder

a pinch of salt

spelt flour to sprinkle

lemon juice

margarine as needed

Preparation:

I pour in a bowl the flour, the corn starch and the fruit sugar, a tablespoon of cinnamon, a pinch of salt and I mix well.
I make a hole in the middle and I put an egg inside.
I beat it with a fork and I add the cream and later the sparkling water.
Little by little with a whisk and making round moving I mix powders around.
It must result a creamy batter , not liquid.
I cut an apple in cubes, soaking it with lemon juice.
I roll the cubes in the spelt flour and I sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon powder.
I oil with margarine and then covered with flour the moulders.
I pour some tablespoons of the dough in the bottom and I put some apples cubes, finishing with the same dough.
I bake these very tasty mini-sweet-cakes in pre-heated oven at 180° (low temperature) for 20 minutes.
 Thanks to sparkling water, they grow up as volume and the soft apple heart ...are an amazing surprise.

Mini-cakes with parmesan cheese and oregano

I come back  to plum cake but this time I try to make it savoury.

If an experiment works , why do not doing again in new versions, new matches?

One of the things that I miss more is bread...these mini-cakes comfort a lot and remind the softness of the guts meanwhile parmesan cheese adds more flavour.
  . 

Ingredients:

150 g spelt flour

50 g potato starch

3 eggs

70 ml corn oil

252 g unsweetened natural yogurt

a pinch of salt

a pinch of fruit sugar

100 g grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon oregano


Preparation:

I proceed as for a sweet plum cake, I beat the eggs as much as double with a pinch of fruit sugar.

Then with a cake slice, I mix slowly from down to up, the remaining ingredients.

I start with yogurt and oil, then the flour and the starch, salt, parmesan cheese and oregano.

The secret is stirring slowly and mixing a tablespoon at a time.

I know that requires more time than usual, but the result refund us of  labor and time-wasting.

I bake at 180° for 25-30 minutes around in mini-moulders for cakes.

The smell coming out the oven will swarm your house, your ladders... soon you 'll have to be ready to receive your neighbours!

Sponge-cake with strawberry mousse

It's Easter day and tables will be full of cakes and chocolate ...and I treat myself to a cake. And what a cake!Basic ingredients are strawberries, my favourite fruit.
What a colour and above all what taste ...

Ingredients per  2 cake pans of 19.5 cms:

Sponge-cake

300 g khorashan wheat flour

300 g fruit sugar

6 eggs

Strawberry Mousse

500 g strawberries

1 teaspoon grapefruit juice

2 egg whites

130 g  fruit sugar

12 g gelatin leaves

150 g lactose free whipping cream

Preparation:

I whip  with electric whisk, the room temperature eggs with fruit sugar for half an hour more or less.

When the volume is doubled I add the sift flour , a tablespoon at a time, always whipping with electric whisk.

I pour the knead in two cakes pans previously oiled with margarine and covered with flour.

I bake in pre-heated oven for 25 minutes about (depends on oven) at 180° (low temperature).

I begin preparing the gelatine.

I soak 2 g of gelatine leaves in cold water.

I blend strawberries and I pour it in a strainer.

I add to strained strawberries puree the grapefruit juice.

I take half glass of puree, I warm it up with 30 g of fruit sugar and I add the soaked gelatine.

I pour the strawberries gelatine in a baking pan covered  by baking paper.

I put it in the fridge.

Then I start preparing the mousse.

I put 10 g of gelatine leaves in cold water.

I warm the remaining fruit sugar with 40 g of water.

As it starts boiling, I switch off and I add the soaked gelatine leaves.

I beat until stiff the eggs whites and without stopping beating I drizzle the hot fruit sugar syrup in the eggs whites and I whip up doubling.

As the meringue is cold; I add with a cake slice, stirring softly from down to up, the strawberries puree, little by little.

The same operation to add the whipped cream.

I pour the strawberries mousse on the gelatine and I cover with sponge -cake (you can leave the real thickness of the cake , or as I make, reduce the thickness, cutting a layer).

I put the mousse-sponge cake into the fridge to cool down for 4 hours.

I turn upside down and I remove the baking paper softly, decorating with some strawberries slices.

It's an hard job, but believe me, it is worth.
Happy Easter to everybody!

Spelt flour quiche with artichokes and fennels

Ingredients :


Base pastry:

for salted shortcrust pastry

300 g spelt flour

100 g  potatoes starch

150 g margarine

a pinch of salt

cold sparkling water as needed

Filling:

100 g  lactose and gluten free cut in cubes speck( Italian Smoked ham)

1 fennel

2 artichokes hearts

half white onion

a tablespoon of marjoram

150 g lactose free mascarpone cheese ( I find it in an organic supermarket )

2 eggs

50 g grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:


I sift the spelt flour, the potato starch, a pinch of salt then make a hole in the middle and put the margarine inside.

I start adding cold (from the fridge) sparkling water and I stir well up the dough becomes soft.
I wrap it in a plastic wrap and I let it stand in the fridge for an hour.

Meanwhile I cut in strips the onion, the artichokes hearts and the fennel.

I sweat them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and a pinch of salt.
Then I add some water and I let the vegetable cooking for 15 minutes.
I add the speck (Italian Smoked ham) in little cubes and marjoram and I stir out of flame.
I roll the shortcrust pastry in a cake pan with high edges, leaving a little piece of dough apart to make stripes.

I put the vegetables cooked with speck on the bottom and then I pour the batter made with two  beaten eggs and mascarpone cheese.

I sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
I fold the edges of the quiche towards inside and  I make some stripes with which I close it.

I bake at 200° (medium - high temperature) for 40 minutes.

It can be an idea to make it at Easter Monday for countryside picnic ( In Italy we are used to) !

Apple - love pie

Apple pie ..come  immediately to mind Grandma Duck ..or an American movie where there was a waitress who baked such so gorgeous pies...yummies looking at them only!
I like taking a classic recipe and reinvent it.
Often it doesn't work at first time.
But my love for cooking and the wish to see if the experiment works , push me to try and try always.
Making something good with your own hands it's one of the biggest satisfaction that you can have.
That seems an undertaking every time!
My husband, my friends, my cousin are like guinea pigs ...but don't worry they  dont' suffer so much.
They order indeed.
At Loretta's home, who helps me so much with this blog and with all those complicated  informatic things.
I took this apple pie and I put my heart on it to say thank you for her help.
It's great to count on friends!

Short crust pastry iingredients :

50 g medium fine corn flour (bramata type in Italy)
150 g superfine corn flour (fumetto type in Italy)
110 g rice starch
140 g chestnut flour
225 g margarine
75 ml cold sparkling water
a pinch of salt
1 egg for brushing

Filling ingredients :

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon rice flour
orange zest and juice
1 kg apple
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
100 g sugar fruit

Preparation:
I make the short crust pastry mixing flours and the starch with the margarine, the water and the pinch of salt.
I put the dough in the fridge to stand for 30 minutes.
Later I cut the apples in thin slices and I flavour them with orange zest and juice, the cinnamon, the nutmeg and the sugar fruit. I put on also a tablespoon of rice starch.
I roll the dough on an oiled and covered with flour baking pan.
I pour the apples and i close with the remaining dough.

I bake for 45° minuti a 180°.
If you serve it still warm is more tasty.

It is  just only an apple pie ...but it is hard to resist it. :-)

With this recipe I participate to contest La cucina del cuore 

Millet moons with pistachios

Months ago I had idea to create this blog and to publish my recipes, my experiments in the kitchen.
I'm amazed and happy of the result.
It makes me feel strange to have 10.000 visits to my blog ( I mean my Italian blog,  I should be so happy to have the same result with my  English version)
If this adventure  finishes tomorrow, I should be satisfied in any case.

Keep in mind that so many people come to visit and interest in what I'm doing, sounds incredible still now.

But this pushes me to go on...I'm having a great time!

What can I say? Thank you. From of the bottom of my heart.

To celebrate this event, here you are a simple but impressive recipe.

I'm back to the scene of crime, with these cookies.

My -father-in-law likes them and he doesn't love sweets usually.

I hope they like to you also.


Ingredients:

150 g millet flour

50 g corn flour (fumetto type in Italy)

25 g rice flour

100 g Bronte (a place in Sicily very famous for) pistachios flour

150 g margarine

125 g sugar fruit

50 g  extra pistachios flour

Preparation:

I pre-heat the oven at 180° (low temperature).

I sift the flours in a bowl and I stir the margarine with my fingers.
The dough seems sand but I continue adding fruit sugar and kneading by hand up the dough becomes soft.
on a surface covered in flour, I roll the dough 2,5 cms tick.

With a moon-shaped cookie cutter, I cut the cookies and I put on a baking pan covered by baking paper.

I take the extra pistachios flour and pinch by pinch I cover the surface of cookies with pistachios.

I bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, up making golden.

Greek stew

Ingredients:
450 g tomato pulp
200 ml vegetable stock made with yeast free stock cube
2 white onions
200 g scallions
1 clove of garlic
500 g veal thick flank cut in around 2 cm pieces
500 g cubed potatoes
a sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper

In a large pan I put to sweat the scallions, the chopped onion and the garlic over a low flame for some minutes.
Then I remove from the pan and put apart.
In the same pan I put the meat and I sweat with the remaining gravy for 10 minutes.
Later I add scallions, onion and garlic, tomato pulp, mixed herbs and I add a pinch of salt and pepper.
After a couple of minutes, I add stock and I let it cook over a low flame for 1 hour.
Thereafter I put also cubed potatoes and I let the stew cook for other 30 minutes.

Each bite of meat thanks to slow cooking is very soft and to the herbs it is aromatic and  embracing.

Lasagna with cauliflower and salmon sauce

Ingredients:

50 g gluten free lasagna( ready-made)

half white onion

250 g smoked sliced salmon

500 g purple cauliflower from Catania, Sicily (it is very tasty but you can use also white one)

250 ml soy milk

200 ml oat double cream

150 g grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon  marjoram

 extra virgin olive oil

salt as required

Preparation:

I cook lasagna for 4-5 minutes in salted boiling water.
 I drain it and put on a dishcloth to cool down.
I cook washed and cut in little pieces cauliflower.
I drain it and I keep the cooking water apart.
I sweat the finely chopped onion with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, I add stripes of salmon and marjoram and cook together.
At this stage I add some cauliflower cooking water and I let it cook for 10 minutes.
Then I add the stewed cauliflower and I let it cook for 10 minutes again.
As the sauce is ready, I add the oat double cream and some tablespoons of soy milk.
I stir and blend in for other five minutes.
And sauce is ready.
I pour some soy milk on the bottom of the baking pan and I put a layer of lasagna.
Then I pour the sauce and grated Parmesan cheese on.
I go on interchanging lasagna layers, sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.
I finish with last lasagna layer, sauce and much grated Parmesan cheese.
I pour some soy milk more in the angles of the baking pan.
I cover it with aluminum foil.
I bake for 20 minutes at 220° (high temperature).
I remove the foil last five minutes and I cook au gratin.

Very appetizing and coloured lasagna...very healthy indeed thanks to antioxidant of cauliflower and omega-3 fatty acids of salmon. I suggest it to you!

Sesame and coconut fritters

It's already Carnival time in Italy. It seems like only yesterday when we welcomed New Year.

Time goes by so fast in the kitchen and fritters are usually made during this period.

I took some fritters my cousin's home.

She asked us to not eat all, as she wanted to have breakfast with them the day after.

Here you find a good recipe.

Ingredients for 30 fritters:

100 g corn flour (fioretto type in Italy)
100 g corn starch
50 g rice flour
70 g coconut flour
50 g margarine
100 g sugar fruit
100 g coconut water (it is good also coconut milk or other milks)
2 eggs
a pinch of salt 
sesame seeds (about ten tablespoons)
sunflower oil for frying

Preparation:

I mix in a bowl the sugar fruit, the coconut water, the eggs and the margarine.

In another bowl I mix the flours, the starch and the salt.
Then I add the dry ingredients to the eggs blend and I knead up to have a smooth dough.
I shape some balls by hands and I roll them in sesame seeds so to be fully covered.
I fry the balls in a pan with high edges, little by little up to making golden.
I drip the fritters with a perforated spoon on a blotting paper.
I serve them still lukewarm.

I cannot blame my cousin.
These fritters are so greedy.
I will prepare them again!

Scabbard fish cutlet

Silver scabbard fish (in Messina we call simply “spatula “) isn’t a fish that it is used to see often at fish market.
Above all for North Italian people.
Sometimes you can see it close to more famous mackerel and sea bass. It ‘a silver thin and long fish…for this reason in Italy we call it spatula.
It’s so good, that you can dress pasta with a special sauce too!

Ingredients:
1 Silver scabbard fish 500 g
2 eggs
Whole sugar-free cornflakes
Lemon
Olive oil
salt


My husband , the specialist for fish cleaning at home, cut fillets of scabbard fish with a sharp knife, sliding the blade along the fish bone.
I wash the fillets and I dry them using a sheet of blotting paper.
Apart I whip-up the eggs and I put the salt.
I take the fillets, I put one by one into the eggs bathing both sides and I cover with cornflakes previously chopped with a rolling pin .
I put them in a backing pan covered by a greaseproof paper lightly oiled.
I pour a drizzle of oil even on the fish and put also salt.
I bake at 200° for 20 minutes (up to making golden).

Served with  some drops of lemon juice ...they are a crunchy and tasty dish!

Biscuits with chickpea and coconut flour

I like testing new kind of flours...as chickpea flour.
Even if it isn't really new.
It was already used by our grandmothers to make panelle, panisse, farinate...very gorgeous street food.

I tried making biscuits, following the recipe aside the chickpea flour pack, but changing some parts so to create my version.
I can assure that every person has tasted it, has liked it a lot and  has been surprised that were made with chickpea flour.

Ingredients:

250 g  chickpea flour

150 ml sunflower oil

100 g water

30 + 20 g coconut flour

30 g hazelnuts cut in two

125 g sugar fruit

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Zest and juice of half lemon

I pour chickpea flour in a pan to make it lightly golden, stiring continuously for ten minutes. 

After toasted , I pour it in a bowl  and I add the coconut flour, the hazelnuts, the sugar fruit, the cinnamon and the zest of lemon. 

Finally I add to dry ingredients , the water and the oil previously mixed. 

I let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Then I roll it out and with a round cookies cutter I make the biscuits. 

I put on a pan covered by greaseproof paper and I dust it with coconut flour.
In the oven, at 180°, for 15 minutes so to keep them still soft inside.

Finally they became an agreeable office break for my husband and his colleagues...
Each one eating my cookies...what a satisfaction indeed!

Pituni missinisi (Sicilian panzerotto)

I know that the title of this post is unknown to most part of you …but I need to name this recipe with its name…that is in sicilian dialect.
This wonderful dish, I can swear that it is true…is a classic recipe of Messina’s cooking.
Ingredients for 4-5 “pituni”:

Dough:
300 g khorasan wheat flour
Salt
Cold sparkling water as needed
A pinch of sugar fruit
1 egg


Filling (it must be large):
1 head of escarole
10 fillets of anchovies in oil
100 g  kneaded paste (lactose free) cheese

I put in a mixing bowl the flour, the salt and the sugar fruit and I mix all together.

I start adding sparkling water up to have a dough like pizza.

At this stage, I add the egg and I continue kneading and adding flour as needed.

I put a wet dishcloth over the bowl and I leave it stand.

Meanwhile I start preparing the filling.

I take the escarole washed and dried before, and I cut it up.

I dress the vegetable with salt, extra olive oil and cut up fillets of anchovies in oil.

I roll out the dough as it is done for calzone.

I put the dress escarole and I add the cheese cut in small cubes.

I close the “pituni” and I put them on a dishcloth covered of flour.

In a pot with high edges, I let warm the oil (for fried food) up and I put  carefully the “pituni” inside for frying.

With a skimmer, after having made golden, I put them in a dish with blotting paper.

It’s simply divine eating “caudi caudi” that is hot and steaming!

But even the day after…rested…are an amazing brunch!