“Conchiglioni” filled with aubergine and crescenza cheese

“Conchiglioni” is a type of Italian pasta that can be filled, after cooked, in this case with aubergines and crescenza a kind of soft cheese typical of Lombardy.

Ingredients:

• 7 OZ (200 gr.) pasta like “conchiglioni”
• 5.30 OZ (150 gr.) crescenza cheese
• 5.30 OZ (150 gr.)  tomatoes
• 1  aubergine
• 1 shallot
• 2 basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Time: 45 minutes
Oven: 356 ° F

Cut the aubergine into slices and let drain in a colander for half an hour with the salt. At the end rinse and remove all the salt. Reduce the eggplant slices in small cubes and fry in a small frying pan in a little oil. Add the finely chopped shallots and tomatoes. Cover and reduce heat. Cook until the liquid is completely absorbed and the tomatoes taste the aubergine is cooked. Meanwhile boil the “conchiglioni” in salted water for 10 min. Drain and toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When the sauce is ready put one layer on the bottom of a baking dish and cut above 2 basil leaves. In a bowl mix the sauce and the crescenza cheese. Fill the conchglioni one by one and then place them in the pan, on top of the sauce. Put into the oven, at 180 °, not ventilated for 10 minutes. I do not add more salt, to what remains in the aubergine, but you like you can add a pinch. Serve hot.
enjoy your meal!

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Chocolate salami

I do not like raw eggs so I found a trick to make the chocolate salami!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 120 gr. icing sugar
• 150 gr. of biscuits
• 100 grams of dark chocolate
• 100 gr. of butter2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

Time: 20 minutes + resting

In double saucepan melt the chocolate with the butter. Add the egg and mix with a whisk to mix well. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the brandy.
Remove from heat and, stirring constantly with a whisk, gradually add the icing sugar.
Crumble the biscuits into a bowl and add the chocolate cream.
If the dough becomes too soft add more crumbled cookies.
Form a sausage and wrap in plastic wrap. Let stand in refrigerator for at least 3 hours, I left him all night.
Cut into slices and serve! Good cake!

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Salame di cioccolato

Io non amo particolarmente le uova crude perciò ho scovato un escamotage per preparare il salame di cioccolato!!!

Ingredienti:

• 1 uovo
• 120 gr. di zucchero a velo
• 150 gr. di biscotti secchi
• 100 gr di cioccolato fondente o al latte
• 100 gr. di burro
• 2 cucchiai di brandy (facoltativo)

Tempo: 20 minuti + riposo

Sciogliere a bagnomaria il cioccolato con il burro. Aggiungere l’uovo e mescolare con una frusta per amalgamare bene. Lasciar cuocere per 5 minuti.

Aggiungere il brandy.

Togliere dal fuoco e, sempre mescolando col la frusta, aggiungere a poco a poco lo zucchero a velo.

Sbriciolare i biscotti in una terrina e unire la crema al cioccolato.

Se l’impasto dovesse risultare troppo molle aggiungere altri biscotti sbriciolarti.

Formare un salame e avvolgerlo nella pellicola. Lasciare riposare in frigorifero per almeno 3 ore, io l’ho lasciato tutta notte.

Tagliare a fette e servire! Buon dolce!!!

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Rapid italian stew

This is a dish for those rainy days where the first cold and the urge to eat something hot! If you use a pressure cooker is a pot fast enough compared to traditional times!
 

Ingredients:

• 300 gr. beef
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• ½ hot pepper
• 2 glasses of red wine firm
• ½ cup of tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil EVO
• 1 tablespoon of potato starch
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt

Time: 45 min.

Cut the meat into pieces if not already ready.
In the pressure cooker brown the chopped onion in oil, add the carrots cut in washer, red pepper, bay leaf and rosemary.
Pour the wine, tomato sauce and salt.
Cover with the lid and cook for 20 minutes from time.
After 20 min cool the pot, and open.
If necessary, boil for a few minutes  if there is too much liquid.
Take a ladle of sauce in a cup and put it the potatoes starch. Pour into the pan and stir.
Bake for 5 minutes. The sauce should be quite thick.
Distribute the chopped parsley and serve with “polenta” (I used the quick cooked for 8 minutes) or with mashed potatoes.

Note:
"Polenta" is a typical dish made from maize flour cooked in salted water to accompany various foods or with various dressings.

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Alternative filling for mud cake!

You can fill and decorate your mud cake with these creams altrnandole using a pocket with a star nozzle.

• 150 gr. whipping cream sweetened
• 140 gr. dark chocolate
• 140 gr. white chocolate
• 2 sheets of gelatine or two teaspoons of agar agar
• some cherries
• some  almonds

Prepare the cream by whipping the cream  and dividing it into two bowls.
Melt separately, always in a double boiler, white chocolate and dark chocolate.
Add the squeezed gelatine, a sheet in the white chocolate  and a sheet in the dark one. If you prefer agar agar add one teaspoon for each and mix well.
Let cool and add half of the whipped cream in a dark chocolate and half in the white one.
Mix well with a spoon and alternate on the basis of puffed rice, without removing it from the mold, a strip of white chocolate and one of dark chocolate.

Pour the compound into two pockets and decoate alternating colors.
Finished with candied cherries and almonds.

Mud cake

Ingredients:

Mud cake with cherries

• 2.82 OZ (80 grams) +  3.53 OZ (100 grams) dark chocolate
• 2.82 OZ (80 grams) of butter
• 7.05 OZ (200 grams) of sugar
• 8.82 OZ (250 ml) of milk
• 10.58 OZ (300 grams) of flour
• 3.53 OZ (100 grams) potato starch
• 1.76 OZ (50 grams) cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoon of baking powder
• tablespoons of rum.
• Some cherries
• 1.76 OZ (50 grams) of white chocolate

Oven: 350° F
Time: 1 hour

Mix in double saucepan the dark chocolate with butter, sugar and milk.
In a bowl, pour the mixture and add the flour with potato starch and cocoa powder, stirring with a whisk.
Add 2 eggs, one at a time and the baking powder.
Grease a cake tin with zipper, pour the mixture and bake at 350 ° F in the oven for 45 minutes, taking care, after the first 20 minutes to cover it with a sheet of wax paper .
Check the cake with a toothpick, which should come out perfectly dry and out of the oven to cool on a wire rack.
Frosting with 100 gr. melted chocolate in a double boiler with two tablespoons of rum.
Decorate with candied cherries and 50 grams of melted white chocolate in a double boiler poured into a pocket with spout end.

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Dolce ai due cioccolati

Questo dolce dalla preparazione molto semplice è tratto d aun libro di dessert francese che mi è stato regalato e portato dalla Corsica questa estate.

Ingredienti:

Per la base:

• 250 gr. di riso soffiato
• 50 gr. di cioccolato fondente
• 50 gr. di burro

Per le creme:

• 150 gr. di panna da montare zuccherata
• 140 gr. di cioccolato fondente
• 140 gr. di cioccolato bianco
• 2 fogli di gelatina o due cucchiaini di agar agar

Sciogliere a bagnomaria il burro e i 50 gr. di cioccolato fondente, una volta fuso unire il riso soffiato e mescolare delicatamente con una spatola.
Prendere una pirofila e rivestirla di carta forno o pellicola, mettere il composto livellandolo bene con un cucchiaio e riporre in frigorifero per mezz'ora.
Mettete a bagno i fogli di gelatina in acqua fredda.
Intanto preparate le creme montando la panna e dividendola in due ciotole.
Fate sciogliere separatamente, sempre a bagnomaria, il cioccolato bianco e quello fondente.
Aggiungete la gelatina ben strizzata, un foglio per cioccolato o l'agar agar un cucchiaino per tipo di cioccolato e amalgamate bene.
Lasciate intiepidire e versate i coccolati nelle due ciotole della panna, in una quello fondente e in un'altra quello bianco.
Mescolate bene e con un cucchiaio alternate sulla base di riso soffiato, senza toglierla dallo stampo, una striscia di cioccolato bianco e una fondente.
Una volta ricoperto tutto con un coltello tagliate le creme nel senso opposto alle righe in modo da creare l'effetto “onda”.
Riporre in frigorifero per almeno tre ore.
Togliere dalla pirofila, eliminare la carta forno o la pellicola e deporre su un piatto di portata.

Ricetta liberamente tratta da: Nadjette Guidoum“Gȃteaux magiques”, Marabout, 2007

Grazie ad Elisa, Gianluca, Elia e Giovanni per il libro!!!!

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Two chocolates sweet

This is a very simple cake taken from a French dessert book that was given to me  from Corsica this summer.

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 250 gr. puffed rice
• 50 gr. dark chocolate
• 50 gr. of butter

For the cream:

• 150 gr. whipping cream sweetened
• 140 gr. dark chocolate
• 140 gr. white chocolate
• 2 sheets of gelatine or two teaspoons of agar agar

Melt the butter and the 50 gr. dark chocolate in a double boiler, once melted add the puffed rice and mix gently.
Take a pan and cover it with wax paper, put the mixture leveling them well with a spoon and place in refrigerator for half an hour.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.
Meanwhile, prepare the cream by whipping the cream  and dividing it into two bowls.
Melt separately, always in a double boiler, white chocolate and dark chocolate.
Add the squeezed gelatine, a sheet in the white chocolate  and a sheet in the dark one. If you prefer agar agar add one teaspoon for each and mix well.
Let cool and add half of the whipped cream in a dark chocolate and half in the white one.
Mix well with a spoon and alternate on the basis of puffed rice, without removing it from the mold, a strip of white chocolate and one of dark chocolate.
Once you have covered everything with a knife cut the cream in the opposite direction to the lines so as to create the effect of "wave".
Place in refrigerator for at least three hours.
Remove from the pan, remove the parchment paper or foil and place on a serving dish.

Recipe taken from: Nadjette Guidoum "Gȃteaux magiques" Marabout, 2007
Thanks to Elisa, Gianluca, Elia and Giovanni!!!!

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Rolled chicken

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole chicken breast
• 2 slices of ham
• 3 OZ (80 gr.) Parmesan2 OZ (50 gr.) breadcrumbs
• 100 gr. spinach
• 2 eggs
• 1 sausage
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• salt
• ½ glass of white wine

Time: 15 minutes + 30/45 min. for cooking
Oven: 400 °F

Start by boiling the spinach in a salt water.
Meanwhile, prepare a thin omelet withtwo eggs and then taking care to remove it from the pan.
Take the chicken breast and open it in a single slice (you can also doit from your butcher).
Add salt inside and out.
Drain spinach, squeeze and mix in a bowl withthe bread crumbs and nutmeg.
Cook a sausage.

Lay the chicken breastopen, put on  slices of ham, omelet, spread on a state of spinach and bread crumbs, place in the center of the sausageand roll it all.
Tied tight with a kitchen string.
Put it in a lightly greased baking pan and add the white wine.
Bake in oven at 400 ° F for 30 minutes, depending on the size of the roll.
Once cooked cut into slices with a sharp knife, making sure the filling and served on a hot serving plate. If you wish, you can heat the sauce with ½ tablespoon of flour and sprinkle the slices cut.

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Bread with grapes

Ingredients:

• Bread dough (with 3 OZ sugar)
• 1 bunch of black grapes or 5 OZ (150 gr.) raisins dried
• 5 tablespoons cherry jam
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon of honey and three water
• 1 tablespoon of oil to grease the pan

Oven: 350° F
Time: 1 hour + rising

For this cake you can prepare a bread dough, but not putting the salt, but 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and following the usual recipe.

Fig.1

If you have little time you can prepare yourself for the bread dough ready thet found in the supermarket. Roll it out with a rolling pin adding a little of the 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and fold it back on itself and roll back until the sugar is all incorporated, continue until all the sugar is over.
If you use fresh grapes cut and sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar if you use the dry let it soaked in a bit of warm water. Then drain well and dry.
Preheat the oven to 350° F .

Fig. 2

Roll out the bread dough getting the dough is not too thin. Spread the jam over the edge, leaving about an inch open and sprinkle over the grapes or raisins (fig.1).
Roll up like a roll the dough leaving the closing down and let it rest for half an hour (fig.2).
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the honey with 3 tablespoons of water and then lay it on the surface of the bread with a brush.
Now placed in the oven hot oven with a cup of water and bread.
Cook for about half an hour.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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Aubergine sandwiches

This is a great appetizer or dish in the evening, in the "light" version in fact usually the "sandwich" is then fried.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 aubergine
• 1 large tomato
• 1 mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons oil EVO
• salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Time: 25 minutes

Cut the aubergine into slices and let them drain in salt. Try to obtain 12 slices not too thick.

After half an hour wash with care and grill in a pan or in the oven.

Cut the tomato and mozzarella so as to obtain 6 slices for each.

Remove the aubergine cooked and in the same pan put a  slice of aubergine, a tomato, a mozzarella and aubergine again to close. Repeat until you have 6 "sandwiches."

Cook over medium heat for 2/3 minutes, until the cheese melts. If the cook in the pan turn them thoroughly after 1 minute.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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“Fusilli” scent of sea and pesto

Ingredients:

• 5 OZ (150 grams) of pasta like “fusilli” (spiral shaped pasta)
• 3 OZ (80 grams) of shrimp
• 3 OZ (80 grams) grams of mussels
• 3.50 OZ (100 grams) of prepared pesto or homemade
• ½  cup of dry white wine
• 1 courgette
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons oil EVO
• salt
• pepper to taste.

Time: 25 minutes

Boil the water for the pasta and in the meantime in a large skillet  put the onion finely chopped and the chilli.
Just takes a golden color add the zucchini cut into rings, mussels and shrimp (also frozen). Add  the white wine and cook for 10 minutes, then add the pesto and cook for 5 minutes, the sauce should not be too dry, if add a tablespoon of water.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it well and pour into the pan with the sauce and cook together for 2 minutes.
Serve at once and enjoy your meal.

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“Focaccia” with figs

Today we taste the foccaccia with figs. This has the consistency and flavor of the bread, it is less sweet and you can prepare it with fresh figs with both the dry ones soaked for half an hour in water and rum. I, also given the season, I used fresh ones!
Great for breakfast, but also with raw ham  in a starter.    

Ingredients

• Bread dough (with 3 OZ sugar)
• 5 fresh figs
• 1 tablespoon of honey and three water
• 1 tablespoon of oil to grease the pan

Oven: 350° F
Time: ½  hour + rising

For this cake you can prepare a bread dough, but not putting the salt, but 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and following the usual recipe.
If you have little time you can prepare yourself for the bread dough ready thet found in the supermarket. Roll it out with a rolling pin adding a little of the 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and fold it back on itself and roll back until the sugar is all incorporated, continue until all the sugar is over.
Take a pan, roll out the dough and let stand half an hour in the oven with the light turned on.
Peel the figs and cut them in half, sprinkle with a little sugar.
Spent half an hour mashed the figs  inside the dough, then by pressing with a fork.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C and let it heat.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the honey with 3 tablespoons of water and then brush it on the surface of the cake with a brush.
Put the pan in the oven with a cup with water for 30 minutes. If you see that the surface is too dry brush with diluted honey.
Once it has cooled remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

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“Focaccia” with grapes

It's a sweet bread between bread and cake!

Ingredients

• Bread dough (with 3 OZ sugar)
• 8.50 OZ of black grapes seedless
• 2 OZ  sugar
• 3 tablespoons oil EVO

Oven: 350°F

 

Time: 1 hour + rising

For this cake you can prepare a bread dough, but not putting the salt, but 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and following the usual recipe.
If you have little time you can prepare yourself for the bread dough ready thet found in the supermarket. Roll it out with a rolling pin adding a little of the 3 OZ (80 grams) of sugar and fold it back on itself and roll back until the sugar is all incorporated, continue until all the sugar is over.
Take a baking pan and grease it with a tablespoon of oil, roll out the dough put in the pan, leaving just 1/3.
Let stand half an hour in the oven with the light turned on.
Wash and dry the grapes. Halve a portion of the grapes.
Passed the half-hour distributed the grapes cut dough evenly and sprinkled with a little sugar.
Spread the 1/3 of dough and cover the cut grape.
Brush with oil and then cover it with whole grapes.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Let stand half an hour in the oven with the light turned on.
Leaving the pan in the oven (middle) turn it on to 350°F (180 °C) with the timer at 45 'and put a cup with water. If you see that the surface is too dry brush with oil and cover with greaseproof paper.
Once it has cooled remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
If you wish, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Gilthead bream in “acqua pazza”

A plate of fish lightly with a delicate taste and pleasant, easy to prepare. Ideal for a light dinner, accompanied by grilled vegetables and toast.
 

Ingredients for two people:

• a gilthead bream or two small
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1 carrot
• 2 tablespoons oil EVO
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ½ cup of water
• 1 pinch of salt

Oven at 350° F (180 °C)
Time: 30 minutes

Wash and clean the fish inside, if it is not clean.
 Scale and cut the fins.
Wash the vegetables and cut them  into cubes.
In a saucepan place the oil  and the gilthead bream, entering into a little parsley and garlic.
Put the tomatoes, the carrot, onion and parsley remaining in the pan and pour half a glass of wine and ½ water, the fish must remain not completely submerged.
Add salt and cook in a hot oven for 20/25 minutes.
Once ready, you can serve the fish with the sauce leaving whole or filleted, removing the backbone, head and skin, as you can see in the photo.

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Tart with grapes

A sweet typical of late summer: the freshness of the tart joins one of the first fruits of autumn.

Ingredients:

• shortbread
• custard
• a bunch of white grapes
• a few grains of black grapes
• 2 tablespoons of apricot jam or jelly

Oven: 356°F (180 ° C)

I made this cake yesterday,  for some friends.

You can made the usual shortcrust pastry recipe you find here and put in a tart pan with shaped bottom, because then we stuffed stuffed to the contrary.

 Baked for 25/30 minutes at 356°F (180 ° C) or as soon as it sees the gilding.

 After cooking you did cool down for 10 minutes and then turn the cake on a board and let rest without further remove the cake pan.

Meanwhile, shell the grapes, wash well and dry it.

 After you removed from the pan and turn.

 We then filled the base with the custard and placed over the grains of black and white grapes.

 Finally you can put a little jelly cake, type "tortagel" or some apricot jam heated with a tablespoon of rum, so it prevents the fruit is not damaged and remains lucid.

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