My favorite scents and colors

My favorite scents and colors

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Zucchini and eggplants soufflè




Hello everybody!

The zucchini and eggplant soufflé is a different way to let experience your guests these vegetables.

It can be prepared by anyone. Just remember to never open the oven while cooking because it deflates and therefore it could not succeed.

PREPARATION

Zucchini: a pound
Eggplant: a pound
Butter: 50 g
Egg yolks: 3
Egg whites: 4
Parmesan cheese: 80 gr
salt

Wash the zucchini and eggplants. Dice the zucchini.

Peel the eggplant with a peeler and cut into cubes then boil the whole in salted water. Drain and let it dry, less liquid the better. I let them in the colander covered with a napkin.

After about an hour turn the oven to 180 degrees and cook the mixture in a pan to dry further, no oil nor butter with it.

Now melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile mount the egg whites until stiff.

Remove from heat waiting for 1 minute then add the cheese, egg yolks and egg whites.

Grease the molds, pour the mixture and bake for 30 minutes.

REMEMBER: DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN :)


























































A different dessert...bitter-sweet




Hello everyone :)

Every now and then my hands surprising me, since the signs they leave in my dishes!

In this dessert I have adopted the bitter-sweet the passion fruit with melon, watermelon, ricotta cream and cinnamon.

The purple Maracuja or passion fruit with special antioxidants, it's particularly easy to digest and is native from latin America. Here are its nutritional values ​​http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_edulis

PREPARATION

4 Mature fruits (when the skin is wrinkled)
1 medium-sized yellow melon
1 slice of watermelon about 1 kilogramm
500 grams of fresh ricotta
200 grams icing sugar
cinnamon

In a bowl, pour the cheese and gradually add the powdered sugar. Mix well and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Peel the melon with a peeling potatoes or use a knife with tip and teeth. Cut in half by removing all the seeds well.

Now insert the hollow core for apples, starting from the center of the inside of the melon, and push down being careful not to get it out the other side, then slide the hollow core with the cylinder inside. Continue in this way from winding up to a half inch from the edge of the melon. You have to take care, as coming to the edge, the depth with which enter the hollow core degreases. When at a certain point is no longer possible to extract cylinders then with a spoon dug out the remains so that the inside of the melon is emptied. Proceed in this way with the watermelon.

Meanwhile the cream cheese is ready so at first smear within the melon all the way up to the edges. Then you can proceed as in the photo dusting with cinnamon and add the other half of Maracuja.








































Friday, August 17, 2012

Fillets of red mullet with traditional italian pasta



I love the taste of this fish rich in vitamins and minerals
The following recipe quick and easy to prepare.


Ingredients for 2 people:

8 fillets of red mullet
2 dl of dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic
4 red tomatoes, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons of grated cheese black sheep
300 grams of cut ziti
Salt and pepper

Wash and dry the fillets with paper towels. Wash and dice the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 80 degrees.

Bring to boil water for the pasta.

In a non-stick pan with the bottom lead to fire up a tour of olive oil and sauté the garlic for a few minutes. Now add the fillets of red mullet and let fry well for 3-4 minutes. After the interval turn them with the plastic clip and continue cooking as before, adding a bit of white wine and a pinch of salt. Meanwhile, the water for the pasta should be boiling, add salt and cook the pasta.

Remove the fillets from the pan and keep them warm in the oven. Now we can cook the diced tomatoes with white wine. Add salt and pepper.

Drain and turn the cooked pasta into the pan with the tomatoes. Stir.

Serve the pasta with the fillets, grated cheese, parsley and a little olive oil.



































Veal chops with beer



Ingredients:

2  Veal chops
300 grams of potatoes for pommes frites
2 dl of beer
4 sprigs of rosemary
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

preparation:

The meat should not be too cold, so better cooked just bought.

Use a cast iron skillet or iron pan for cooking.

Bring to high heat. While the pan is heated drizzle some olive oil and dry with paper towels. When it's warm enough it will begin to emit a light smoke, now you can put the meat (Under no circumstances sharp objects should be used for  - if you do, the internal juices will come out and you lose quality.)

Cook for 3-4 minutes without touching it. After the interval lift a corner and make sure it is golden brown.

Turn the meat with a caliper of plastic and pour beer now only on the meat with two sprigs of rosemary for each. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes over high heat. If you like it well done, go for another minute or so.

Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and potato chips. Add salt and pepper as you like.






































Saltimbocca of pork loin



Saltimbocca of pork loin - a traditional italian dish known all over the world, slightly modified.
I chose pork loin because it's more economical but equally tasty.

Ingredients:

12 slices of pork loin
300 grams of basmati rice
150 grams of bacon and rosemary
50 grams of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
3 dl of dry white wine
2 cloves of garlic
A few leaves of sage
Soy sauce, salted
Salt and pepper

preparation:

Boil the rice in salted water (as much water as rice) until the water has evaporated. Remove from heat, close the lid and let stand for 10 minutes.

Flatten the meat on a platter with a meat mallet. Suggestion: Always use baking paper to beat the meat, otherwise you will break the fibers with loss of quality.

In a nonstick pan with the bottom pour the olive oil, garlic, a few leaves of sage, and saute the bacon.

After a few minutes add the meat and the butter, keep cooking for 2 minutes adjusting with salt and pepper. Turn the meat and moisten the whole with white wine. Continue cooking until the gravy will not be withdrawn.

Serve the Saltimbocca in plates accompanied with fried bacon, basmati rice and sprinkle with soy sauce.


















































Soufflé of zucchini and peperoni



The soufflé of zucchini and peperoni is a tasty and easy recipe. Try these vegetables in a different way! And never open the oven during baking!

ingredients:

Zucchini, 500 grams
Green peppers, 500 gr.
Butter, 70 grams
Egg yolks, 3
Egg whites, 4
Salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, 5-6 tablespoons

preparation:

Wash and cut up the vegetables, let them boil in salted water. Drain and let dry for a few hours, then purée.

Melt butter and pour into a bowl. Then pour the smoothie of vegetables, add the Parmesan cheese, egg yolks and egg whites until stiff smoothies.

Pour the mixture into a buttered mold and bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.








































Monday, August 13, 2012

Passion fruit and pistachio ice cream



A very sensual dessert....

Passion Fruit
Pistachio ice cream
toasted pistachios
cinnamon

Squid stewed in peperonata




A tasty dish easy to prepare.

The squid, already consumed by the ancient Greeks, is rich in minerals such as calcium and phosphorus as well as protein and vitamins
Nutritional value table
 
I suggest to buy the squid already cleaned.

Doses for four people:

12 medium squid
Color peppers, 500 grams diced
Cherry tomatoes, 500 grams diced
Onion, 1 medium, chopped
Garlic, 3 cloves sliced
Chopped parsley
10-12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
Dried oregano, 2 fingertips
white wine, kitchen, 2 dl
Extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper or chili

Preparation:

I left them as a whole. Carve with a knife without teeth four -not too deep- cuts on both sides.

Take a non-stick pans with lid, pour the olive oil, garlic and onion. Now bring to high heat and cook for a few minutes.

Add the squid and fry for a few minutes then add the white wine. Before the white wine has evaporated, add the chopped vegetables, the origano and the chopped sage leaves. Continue cooking for 30 minutes over medium heat. If in the meantime the fund should get too dry add little water. At the end of cooking time add salt and pepper or chili as desired, and sprinkle the chopped parsley..


Saturday, August 4, 2012

King prawns, Spaghetti with zucchini


Taste of the sea, taste of well-being and happiness! I love the flavors that nature gives us, especially the fish and its nutritional values​​. I remember every time my holidays in Greece, where small taverns grilled the crop right near to the water, and the area was filled with the smell of grilled fish and it gave you THAT sense of tranquility.

It reminds me of those wonderful sunsets and parties till dawn!

INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

4 king prawns
600 gr. Spaghetti no. 5
4 zucchini
80 grams of sunflower seeds
8 teaspoons basil sauce
Chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

For the basil sauce

About 150 grams of fresh leaves
50 gr. parmesan
30 gr. pecorino
80 gr. pine nuts
1 clove garlic, peeled
extra virgin olive oil, plenty of
Salt and pepper
1 cube of ice to leave the beautiful green color

Process the basil, garlic and ice cube. Add the cheese, salt and pepper. Then diluted with extra virgin olive oil flush.

Cut the zucchini in lists, add salt and set aside for a quarter of an hour.
Fry them in a pan with a little olive oil until they change color.

In another skillet toast the sunflower seeds for a few minutes and set aside.

For the king prawn

Clean the prawns with the knife and discard the head. Now carve along the lengt starting from the side where you removed the head, continuing until the queue so that the shell remains intact. Pour a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and prepare the grill pan (you can 'also prepare a brine, but believe me, the natural flavor is scrumptious).

Bring to boiling salted water for pasta and cook the spaghetti.

Now cook the prawns over high heat so that the meat is pretty crispy but not overcooked (ie 6-7 minutes)!

Decorate the plate as desired or as in the example :-) Enjoy!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Ricotta cheese cream with blackberries




Ingredients and preparation


Blackberries, 250 grams
Ricotta cheese, 500 grams
Powdered sugar, 100 grams

Juice of ½ lemon
Sugar, 2 tablespoons
Sliced ​​almonds

For the decoration of 4, set aside 16 whole blackberries. The rest of the blackberries are pureed with lemon juice and sugar, then set aside.


In a bowl mix well the ricotta with the powdered sugar and place in refrigerator for an hour.

Decorate as desired or as in the example.

























Sunday, July 1, 2012

Shrimps in a beer batter



INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

Flour, 250 grams
Prawns, 10 pieces
Basmati rice, 300 grams
Creme fraiche, 360 ml
5 cloves of garlic crushed
Beer, enough
Peanut oil for frying the shellfish
Finely chopped parsley
Salt, to taste
Dried cranberries, a handful.
Water for cooking rice. Remember, as much water as rice.

For the beer batter

Pour the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually add the beer and mix until we get a homogeneous mixture is not too thin not too thick.

In a bowl, pour the creme fraiche and garlic, stir well and let stand.

In a frying pan with high edges to boiling water for rice with a pinch of salt. Add the rice and cook until the water has dried. Remove from heat cover with lid and let stand for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

In a wok type pan pour oil, peanut butter and bring to high heat. Now dip the prawns in beer batter and fry over high heat until they get golden brown, remove from pan with a net and let them rest an instant on kitchen paper.

The rice should be cooked and then prepare dishes like this example with garlic sauce and a handful of dried cranberries.

Stewed beef with tandoori


INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION 

Stew beef, 600 grams
Basmati rice, 300 grams
50 grams of butter
Creme fraiche, 4 cups of 180 ml
Tandoori Masala, 80 grams
6 cloves of garlic crushed
Flavored sunflower oil
Salt, a teaspoon and another pinch of salt for the rice
Water for cooking the rice and remember, as much water as rice. 

In a bowl pour the stew of beef, 2 cups of creme fraiche, salt and Tandoori. Mix everything together with a wooden spatula and let stand in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile in another bowl, pour 2 cups of creme fraiche and garlic mix thoroughly and let stand in refrigerator. You can 'also don't use garlic if you don't want.

In a frying pan with lid, bring to medium heat, add now the beef and cook for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

After 50 minutes of cooking beef, boil the water for the rice with a pinch of salt. Add rice and boil until the water has dried. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let stand another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Prepare the dish as in the photo and add some flavored sunflower oil.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Focaccia stuffed with tuna




INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

FOR THE DOUGH
500 grams flour "00"
25 grams of fresh yeast
Extravergine olive oil
5 dl water
A teaspoon of salt

Place the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the center. In another bowl, pour a glass of warm water and dissolve the yeast. Stir until it is completely melted pour into the hole formed in the flour. Now add the salt, a dribble of extra virgin olive oil and begin to knead as adding more water. Keep more water or flour if it should be necessary, it is important to achieve a soft and elastic form but not sticky. The overall processing of the dough lasts at least 10 minutes then cover with a towel and let rest in a place devoid of light and air for at least 3 hours. Remember that the more 'leavens the dough more' digestible it is!

For the filling

Extra virgin olive oil
1 buffalo mozzarella, cut into cubes
80-100 grams of tomato puree
80 grams parmesan cheese
1 ½ tin of tuna in brine from 155 grams
½ onion, finely chopped
4 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
A sprinkling of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Pour all ingredients except the mozzarella in a bowl, stir and let stand.

When rising of the dough is terminated, heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Grease with butter a round baking dish (28cm diameter). Flour the work surface, and put on it half of the dough. with a rolling pin flatten into a round shape and in a greater diameter than the pan since we need to cover ther whole. Then arrange it in the pan.
Now with a spoon or ladle pour the ingredients on the surface finally adding the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Flour the work surface and work the rest of the dough to cover the same way. Put the dough so that the pan is well covered being careful that the edges are covered. Now with a rolling pin seale the edges of the pan more 'times until the dough comes off the pan borders.
On the surface of the focaccia pour some of extravirgin olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.


Friday, June 29, 2012

Meringues and Raspberries



INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

Egg whites 100 grams
Icing sugar 100 grams and a handful for dusting
Sugar 100 grams
A pinch of salt
A few leaves of fresh mint.

250 grams Raspberries
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons of sugar

In a bowl put in the raspberries, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix well and leave aside

First turn the oven at 100 degrees. Divide the yolks from the whites, weigths 100 grams and place in a container with a pinch of salt and half the sugar. With an electric mixer proceed to mount gradually adding the remaining sugar. At the end of processing the mixture will have to be very firm.

Cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Now forme with a plastic spatula discs of a diameter of about 10 cm. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar. Bake for 90 minutes with the door open by a wooden spatula.

Once dried, let sit for another 15-20 minutes at oven turned off, remove and let cool thoroughly. Serve as desired with one or two disks with the raspberries and decorate with mint leaves.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Tandoori Chicken Masala




An 'other great passion of mine from India, a famous traditional dish to prepare in different ways.

The aroma of Indian spices with their distinguished flavour contributed to get back often to Indian culinary art. In addition to cooking Indian spices are also used for other uses such as for religious rituals, medicine, cosmetics, etc.. Among the most famous cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, chilies in high qualityand in various "degrees of hotness" as the "Ghost Chili"

I visited India only once, but it left indelible traces in my soul :) The "Tandoori masala" leads me to a friend who spends 6 months a year in india. The other 6 months working in Switzerland for financial gain .. :) He leads this life for over 20 years now.

This supply comes directly from New Delhi and I assure you that it's worth it!

PREPARATION for three persons

1 whole chicken, about a 1.5 pound
300 grams basmati rice perfumed
1 whole pineapple
Natural yoghurt, 3 tubs of 180 grams
Tandoori Masala for the brine
1 pinch of crushed dried chilli
1 teaspoon salt

If you do not want to cut the chicken into pieces, the butcher will manage it. However, it should be cut into 8-10 pieces

In a bowl, pour 1.5 cup of yoghurt, 50 grams of Tandoori Masala, a sprinkling of chili and a teaspoon of salt. mix up to get a nice mixture. Now add the chicken pieces and mix thoroughly with a wooden spatula so that everything is covered well. Leave aside for a few hours. Meanwhile, cut the pineapple into slices and be careful to collect the juice. Pour the chicken in a baking dish and bake in oven heated to 180 degrees for 1 hour. 20 minutes before complete cooking, prepare the Basmati Rice. The formula here is as much water as rice. Once the water dried close the pan with the lid and cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve dish with pieces of "Tandoori Chicken", 2-3 slices of pineapple and 2 tablespoons of yogurt!










































































Saturday, June 2, 2012

A Saturdays lunch



Grilled horse fillet !

The meat is very tender, cooked here at "medium rare" according to the rule 1 minute per cm of flesh. Do not salt meat in general before or during cooking because the salt absorbs the humidity inside and you risk that it becomes dry.


Fresh home-made tagliatelle with broad beans and peas. A light and tasty dish :)

Take a stick pan, add 50g grams of butter and bring to medium heat. When butter has melted, add 500 grams of fresh shelled peas and 3 dl vegetable broth. Close the pan with the lid and cook for about 15-20 min. Stir from time to time!



Fresh broad beans cooked in pan extraverine olive oil, garlic, onion, salami, white wine and roast sauce.
Preparation: Remove the beans from the shell and peel them. Take a frying pan with lid, pour a dribble of olive oil and bring to medium heat. crush 2 cloves of garlic, chopp a medium onion and cut the sausage into small cubes. Saute together for a few minutes now and add beans. Add 1 dl of white wine, a teaspoon of sauce for roast, stir and cover! Cook over low heat for 30 min


































Monday, May 28, 2012

BBQ Part II

Hello to all! Thanks to favorable weather last Saturday I made ​​another BBQ. Here are some dishes.

Still pork spare ribs, and fresh swiss sausages.
Tomato salad with greek feta cheese and balsamic glaze.
As a starter rectangles of puff pastry stuffed with cream liver and softie of veal, fried garlic in extra virgin olive oil, anchovies and fresh parsley.
Moreover  Swiss Tomme Vaduoise stuffed with sweet peppers, Tuscany lard, parmesan cubes and green beans previously boiled and then sauteed with a little butter and lemon.
The other version with the addition of ham and balsamic glaze.




































Thursday, May 17, 2012

BBQ Part I


Some of the dishes prepared for the BBQ with friends! 'It is always a pleasant encounter so i will do more BBQ's ahead and would be pleased if you come back:)

I prepared lamb racks with thyme, rosemary and balsamic glaze.

Pork spare ribs which I left for a day in white wine to soften the meat and then seasoned with Dijon mustard, rosemary, sage, bay leaves, chives, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

The Gus Gus vegetable is an addition of a friend..

I also made a salad of fennel, orange and sunflower seeds then seasoned with balsamic vinegar glaze and herbs.

As fish I have chosen the mullet which has much that Omega 3. I put this fish in foil with a little olive oil, parsley, garlic, sage and a pinch of salt.




Monday, May 7, 2012

Feast of meatballs


Sometimes I indulge on meatballs :) This is a question of imagination, passion and emotion associated with great memories of trips to places far away from where you prefere not to get back anymore':) I've got India and Greece in my heart. In particular Greece, because I visited it for 8 years, studied the language to make sure that I could communicate with them. And it was good because the approach is completely different

You are not the classic German tourist who cares very little about the culture. You're not tied to the tour guides who usually speak english or german only. No, you live Greece in a different way, close to the people, friendly etc.etc. The various beef meatballs are: meatballs with garlic sauce and youghurt. Meatballs with onions and red wine sauce.
Meatballs with tomato sauce and thyme. Meatballs "sweet chili" and meatballs Tandoori. All deliscous and tasty dishes! :)

Zucchini and Eggplants

Fried zucchini flowers in batter

Baked Eggplant





A tasty menu which is quite easy to prepare:) I'm a little in a hurry so i'll explain you more later. Greetings -- Antonio

Monday, April 30, 2012

Plaice fillets with almonds



A nutritious dish easy to prepare! 

PREPARATION 

2 fillets of plaice
50 grams of shelled almonds, sliced
Juice of ½ lemon
Slices of lime
Extra virgin olive oil
half a glass of water
Sage, salt



In a pan pour a round of olive oil and bring to medium heat. Now put the slices of plaice by adding a few leaves of sage and salt. Let brown well on both sides. Then pour the lemon juice diluted with water and continue for 10 minutes (depending on thickness of fillet).

Just before end of cooking in a skillet, toast the almonds.

Serve the dish now decorated with toasted almonds, sliced lime and a dribble of raw extravirgin olive oil.

Useful information