Still krapfen!

Yesterday I tried to prepare these baked donuts and I must say that the results were good! Have stuffed them with chocolate cream and jam, but were also great with custard and whipped cream! Remain lighter than fried, but still soft!

Ingredients:

• 5,29 OZ (150 grams) cake flour
• 5,29 OZ (150 grams) durum wheat flour
• 2.12 OZ (60 grams) milk
• 1/2 cube of yeast (or half a packet of dry yeast for bread)
• 2 whole eggs
• 2.12 OZ (60 grams)  sugar
• 3.53 OZ (100 grams) of butter
• 1 tablespoon honey (acacia, lime or millefiori)
• 3 tablespoons of rum
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel bio
• icing sugar

Time: 20 min + rising

Cooking time: 15/20 min

Oven: 356 ° F

Difficulty: medium

Melt yeast in warm milk (not hot) and let stand for 5 minutes, mix the flour, sugar and eggs, add the milk and baking powder. Stir in the honey, rum and lemon zest. Knead for 8-10 minutes.

Combine butter and operate for a further 5 minutes, the dough should be soft but firm and elastic (like the one for the pizza).

Let stand in oven with just the light on for 1 hour, then knead with your hands, to reform a ball and leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

After this time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin thick and get a cup or cut dough rounds, with the scraps into balls.

Place in the oven with the light on for one hour.

Remove from the oven, turn it to 356 ° F and when temperature is reached continue cooking until golden brown (about 15/20 minutes)

Allow to cool and stuff as you like using a pastry bag or cutting them in half.

Sprinkle with icing sugar.

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Pasta au gratin with vegetables

A gratin of pasta great as a main dish or as a tasty first. The vegetables can be varied at will by adding peas, spinach, beets ...

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1 large tomato
• 1 mozzarella
• 4.23 OZ (120 grams) short pasta
• extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 basil leaves
• pepper to taste

Time: 30 min

Grill oven: 356 ° F

Difficulty: Easy

Put the pot on the stove for the pasta with plenty of salted water. Meanwhile, clean the vegetables, if you prefer to peel them, cut them into slices and grill on the plate or under the grill of the oven. Engrave cross the bottom of the tomato and put in the hot water of the pasta for a few seconds, fish up, peel and cut it into cubes. Throw the pasta and meanwhile grease a baking dish with a little oil.

Pour the grilled vegetables cut into cubes or strips, tomato, diced mozzarella, basil and chilli chopped by hand. Combine the cooked pasta, a tablespoon of olive oil and mix. Sprinkle the grated cheese and grill in the oven for 5/10 minutes, making sure that it does not dry too!

Enjoy your meal!

Quick Idea!

If you have friends over for dinner and hurry you can use a mix of grilled vegetables frozen already diced!

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Fox grape Pie

In this end of summer can not miss a recipe with grapes, especially foxgrape, which many have here in the garden and they give me in quantity. Great combination with the greek yogurt that is richer and gives a special flavor, without the addition of butter.

  Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
150 gr. greek yogurt
3 cups cake flour (flour + starch 00)
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel bio
1 packet of baking powder
1 bunch of fox grapes
Butter for greasing

Time: 20 minutes + 35 for cooking
Oven: 356 ° F
Difficulty: medium

Grainy the grapes, wash and dry thoroughly. Whip with a whisk the eggs and sugar, add little by little yogurt. Incorporate with the help of a wooden spoon the flour, a little at a time and the oil flush. The dough should be soft, then add the lemon zest and baking powder.
Grease a round pan and pour half of the mixture. Put over half of the grapes and cover with the remaining dough and finish with the remaining grapes. Sprinkle with granulated sugar in abundance and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes, the mixture should be well cooked inside and on the surface to form a crust of sugar and grapes!

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Monday's diet: fresh stuffed tomatoes

A light recipe that can be prepared with different types of vegetables, all raw. If you wish, you can add tuna or mayonnaise or whatever your want!

Ingredients for 2 people:
2 large tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 carrot
a few leaves of lettuce to taste
some onion pickle
1 tablespoon of cottage cheese or goat
½ lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt q.b.

Time: 15 min
Difficulty: Very easy
Calories: 966 KJ (230 cal.) per serving

Empty the tomatoes and put them to drain with a bit of salt. The filling can set it aside and use it to prepare the sauce. Clean the carrot and zucchini (if you like you can also add celery or cucumber) and grated them, I used the disk of the mixer to cut like julienne. Season with lemon juice, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Then stuffed the tomatoes with vegetables and decorated with spring onions or cottage cheese or goat.
Enjoy your meal!

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Peaches' cake with custard's heart

Here's what to do if you have some ripe peach and a bit of time!

Ingredients

½ cup sugar
2 whole eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 cup potato starch
200 gr. peach jam
3 ripe peaches
1 cup of custard
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Butter for greasing

Oven at 350° F

Time: 20' + 35'

In a bowl mix the eggs with the sugar until it forms a foam.
Add the oil, flour and starch. The dough should be smooth enough.
Grease a baking dish quite high and slightly conical.
Roll out the dough evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, cover with baking paper and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted is dry.
Prepare the custard following the recipe that you find here and join a peach puree.

Allow to cool, cut into about 3 cm from the top and empty the center of the part below, fill half with jam and cream. Cover with the "lid" and seal with a little of jam. Heat the remaining jam in double saucepan, brush the top of the cake and decorate with slices of peaches, polish with the remaining jam.
Sprinkle with icing sugar to taste. Store in a refrigerator at least one hour before serving.

 

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Dinosaur's rib

For the series Paul in the kitchen, even the grill, here is a carnivore dish that requires little time. Choose meat preferably with at least a little of fat, so avoid becoming too dry.

 
Ingredients for 2 people:
2 thick slices about 1.20 inch (with or without bone) of cost (the same that is used for the roast beef)
1 clove garlic (optional)
2 glasses of lager beer
1 sprig of rosemary
salt q.b.
pepper q.b.

Cooking time: 6-7 minutes per side (medium rare)
Marinating time: 1 hour
Difficulty: very easy

Put the meat in a pan with a clove of crushed garlic, rosemary, beer, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at least one hour.
When the grill is hot and ready to cook the steaks grill 6-7 minutes per side.
Serve with salad or grilled vegetables and enjoy!

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Tuna paté

A recipe that my husband is greedy, they would eat in the industrial doses! 

A good solution for a cocktail or a cold dish served with tomato isalata or mixed. 

 
Ingredients:
14.11 OZ (400 grams) of drained tuna
1 large potato
2.82 OZ (80 grams) of butter
1 egg
the juice of one lemon
some capers (optional)
salt q.b.
Mayonnaise and olives to decorate
toasted bread

Time: 15 min + rest
Difficulty: Very easy

Boil the potato and firm up the egg. In a plate mashed with a fork potatoes and hard-boiled egg yolk. In mixer pour the well-drained tuna, lemon juice, capers (optional), and butter. If you want a softer dough spreads, replace the tuna with 3-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Add in the mixer smashed potato with egg. Once the cream you have two options: If you have used the mayonnaise you can pour into a bowl and serve with croutons on which to spread it, if you have used the butter cream is you can either use it as a mold coating (I took a cup) of film and put in the mixture, making sure to press it well to avoid air bubbles always, cover with plastic wrap and let stand in refrigerator for at least an hour. Turn out the dome, remove the plastic wrap and decorate as desired with olives and mayonnaise. This way you can make even the classic "salami" tuna and wrap in plastic wrap, once ready cut into thick slices and serve on bread.
Enjoy your meal!

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Coconut ice cream

Another ice cream! What else to do in this heat??
 

• ½ cup of grated dried coconut
• 1 small glass of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of water
• 7 OZ (200 ml) of cold milk (to taste, I use the semi-skimmed milk)
• 1 jar of yogurt
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• meringues to decorate (optional)
Time: 15 min
Ice cream maker time: 35 minutes

In a small pot put the granulated sugar and half a cup of water and cook over low heat until a syrup.
Pour into ice cream maker the syrup cooled, grated dried coconut, yogurt, milk and start it. The time depends on your ice cream maker, mine took about 35 minutes.
Pour into a bowl previously chilled in freezer and decorate with fresh meringues. 

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Cake like “kinder delice”

For those who love chocolate and cakes especially sweet here is a dessert that will surely not disappoint, even if the problem is that with the filling becomes very high! Try it! 

 
Ingredients:
For the cake:
½ cup sugar
3.53 OZ (100 grams) of butter
3 eggs
3 cups flour
7.05 OZ (200 grams) of dark chocolate
1 tablespoon honey
Butter for greasingFor the filling:
5.29 OZ (150 grams) Nutella
3.53 OZ (100 grams) of whipping creamTo finish:
1.76 OZ (50 grams) Nutella
7.05 OZ (200 grams) of dark chocolate
1.76 OZ (50 grams) of butter
Time: 20 minutes + 45 for cooking
Oven: 356 ° F
Difficulty: medium

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt.
In a bowl mix the egg yolks with the sugar and add the chocolate and butter warm.
Stir in the flour, egg whites and honey, the mixture should be fairly smooth.
Grease a baking dish 20 cm with zipper.
Roll out the dough and bake at 356° F for 25 minutes, cover with baking paper and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted is dry.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

Whip the cream, cut cake cool in half, spread the two sides of Nutella and stuff it with cream, reassemble.

In a saucepan, melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the butter, when it becomes creamy spread with a spatula on the cake previously smeared with Nutella.

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Fresh peach pie

A fresh, no need to turn on the oven, you can prepare with peaches or apricots. I do not add the whipping cream, if you want you can add it (above 7.05 OZ) to get a sweet richer.

Ingredients:
3.53 OZ (100 grams) of italian “amaretti” biscuits
3.53 OZ (100 grams) of biscuits
3.53 OZ (100 grams) of butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon of agar agar or 3 sheets of gelatin
17.64 OZ (500 grams) of yogurt peach or apricot
5 teaspoons of milk
3 peaches or 4 apricots
one packet of tortagel
2 tablespoons peach or apricot jam
Time: 15 minutes preparation + 2 hours cooling
Difficulty: Easy

Melt the butter in a double boiler. Blend in a mixer cookies and amaretti, add the butter and mix warmed. Butter a mold (I used plum cake) and cover it with greaseproof paper. Mash the mixture well on the bottom of the mold and put in refrigerator for about half an hour.
Dissolve the gelatin in cold water, meanwhile mesclare yogurt with the milk in a saucepan, where he will join the gelatin without strain. If you use agar agar dissolve directly in the warm milk.
Add milk with melted jelly yogurt and pour the mixture on a consolidated basis. Chill in the refrigerator for an hour and a half, then peel the peaches and cut into slices not too thin, arrange them on the cream, prepared tortagel (as instructions) and put on jam, pour the mixture over the cake and let it warm still in the fridge for at least half an hour. 

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Ercolina's zucchini

This is a recipe that a relative of my mother proposed to us when we went in the mountains, in summer, to visit her. It is a salad of zucchini sliced thin and fried, seasoned with vinegar. Very good and tasty, you can also prepare the night before, so take even more taste.

Ingredients for 2-3 people:

• 3 zucchini

• oil for frying

• flour for dusting

• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

• ½ cup of white vinegar or apple wine

• 1 clove of garlic

Time: 30 min + seasoning

Difficulty: easy

Clean the zucchini, slice them finely and let them drain the water placing them in a colander with 2 tablespoons of salt.

Rinse thoroughly and dry them with paper kitchen. Flour them with care, more quickly take a paper bag (like those used for bread) and pour a little flour and a bit of zucchini, shake and repeat the process.

Heat the oil (or deep fryer) and fry them few at a time, place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil and then pour into a bowl.

Season with vinegar and a clove of garlic, stir and let stand for at least an hour.

Enjoy your meal.

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Monday's diet: very light strawberries' ice cream

For this reason I did not use cream, but milk and any eggs, to obtain a preparation lighter, but equally tasty.

 
• 1 basket of strawberries (8.88 OZ, about 250 gr.)
• 1 small glass of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of water
• 10.14 fl. OZ (300 ml) of cold milk (to taste, I use the semi-skimmed milk)
• ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• meringues to decorate (optional)
• silver sugar to decorate (optional)

Time: 15 min
Ice cream maker time: 35 minutesCalories for a cup: 160 cal. (672 kj)

In a small pot put the granulated sugar and half a cup of water and cook over low heat until a syrup. Clean the strawberries, cut into small pieces and place in a bowl with the juice of half a lemon and 2 tablespoons of icing sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes.
After whisk strawberries in their juice.
Pour into ice cream maker the syrup cooled, the puree of strawberries and milk and start it. The time depends on your ice cream maker, mine took about 35 minutes.
Pour into a bowl previously chilled in freezer and decorate with fresh strawberries or meringues.

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“Penne” with fried vegetables

Here's a dish that I can not resist! So good for those who love the zucchini and eggplant chips, luck is a flow rate that can be served as a main dish ....

 
Ingredients for 2 people:
120 gr. of pasta like “penne”
1 zucchini
1 small eggplant
10 cherry of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of tomato sauce
5 basil leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
oil for frying (I use sunflower)
Parmesan cheese to taste
1 clove of garlic
salt q.b.

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Boil salted water for the pasta. Slice eggplant and zucchini, if you want you can leave to stand half an hour in a colander with a little 'salt, to let out the excess liquid, then rinse and dry the individual slices with kitchen paper. Fry the vegetables without flour them, in olive oil and place on a plate with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Toss the pasta and cook until al dente, in a skillet heat the tomato sauce with a clove of garlic and a few leaves of basil. Once cooked, drain the pasta in the sauce and sauté for 5 minutes. Arrange the slices of fried eggplant and zucchini on the two plates, pour the pasta, add some mozzarellina and some grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with basil and serve, I love it!

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Monday's diet: sardines gratin with vinegar

In these hot days the thought of turning the oven can be frightening, but in the evening, just for a few minutes, if you find the courage you can cook this recipe light and tasty and can be enjoyed with a tender salad.

 
Ingredients for 2 people:

• 6 large sardine fillets
• ½ red onion
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• stale bread
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar or white wine
• 5 basil leaves
• salt q.b.

Time: 30 minutes
Oven: 356 ° F
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: about 280 cal (1176 kj) per serving

Peel the onion and slice it finely, crush the garlic, cleaned and cut into small pieces. In a small bowl soak the bread into small pieces in vinegar and let stand 5 minutes, until it becomes soft. Cover the baking tray with the appropriate paper and arrange the fish fillets washed, put on each fillet a bit of onion, chopped basil and garlic. Finally, put on the soaked bread and only slightly wrung out. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes of which only the last three with the grill. If you want you can salt, but I usually don't salt sea fish. Enjoy your meal!

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Biscuits with yogurt

How to make cookies fast and if you don't have nothing at home? Here is a quick recipe that requires few ingredients. I prepared them last week on the occasion of the return home of my third grandchild after the birth! I had little time and few ingredients, but the result was excellent!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of yogurt
• ½ cup of sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• powdered sugar

Time: 10 minutes
Oven: 302° F

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: very easy

Mix the yogurt with the sugar, add the salt and then gradually the flour and baking powder. Cover with wax paper a baking tray and form round cookies with a pastry bag. If you do not have a pocket you can make small heaps with a spoon.
Cook for 15 minutes, taking care that you do not darken too. Allow to cool and sprinkle with icing sugar.

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Flognarde with peaches

The clafoutis is a popular french dessert, origin in the area of Limousin. The clafoutis is easy and fast, is prepared according to the seasons with different fruits, such as peaches, apricots, raspberries, apples, pears and grapes, with fruit other than cherries is called "flognarde."

Ingredients:

•3 peaches

•2.83 OZ (80 gams) sugar

•3 eggs

•7 OZ (200 grams) of flour type 00

•1 cup of milk

•2.83 OZ (80 gams) and the butter for greasing the pan more than

•1 small glass of sweet wine

Time: 1 hour

Oven: 392 ° F

Wash peaches and if you want to peel them, grease a baking sheet, cut the peaches into wedges and distribute them on the baking sheet without overlapping them. With a hand whisk or electric mix the sugar with the melted butter in a double boiler and the eggs. Add the milk little by little and gently incorporating the flour until the mixture is smooth and fairly liquid. Always flush the sweet wine, stirring to incorporate. Pour the mixture on the grapes and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes at 392°F then lower to 300 ° F and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve in the pan, too warm with a dusting of icing sugar.

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Rice salad # 1

Too hot to eat anything? Try this alternative salad with rice, which can also be prepared early in the morning or the night before and refrigerate. You can also vary the vegetables or use a different type of rice.

Ingredients for 2 people:
120 gr. “long & wild” rice
1 zucchini
4 tomatoes piccadilly
½ cup peas (even frozen)
1 carrot
1 boiled egg
1 mozzarella cheese
2 slices of melon (optional)
some sliver of grana padano
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon spicy mustard (optional)
a few basil leaves
salt

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Cook rice and peas together in salted water. Meanwhile, put the egg to thicken.
Dice the carrot and zucchini and after 5 minutes cook with the rice. Cut into little cubes tomatoes and mozzarella and place in a large bowl. After 15-18 minutes of cooking, drain rice and vegetables, thoroughly under cool running water and drain again eliminating all the liquid. Add the rice in the bowl with slices of melon cut into cubes, crumbled hard-boiled egg, the shards of parmesan and basil leaves. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and mustard, mix well and let stand in refrigerator at least half an hour. Enjoy your meal!
 

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Monday's diet: grilled fish

Last night we cooked this little grilled fishes for a romantic dinner in the garden. If you do not want to fire up the BBQ you can cook the fish on a plate or in a pan large enough.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 or 2 fresh trout (depending on the size)
• 4 fillets of fresh mackerel
• 6 prawns
• 4 sage leaves
• 1 sprig of mint
• 1 lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 red onion
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• ½ glass of white wine
• pepper
• salt

Time: 1 hour marinating and cooking in 15-20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Calories per serving: about 315 (a small trout, prawns 3, 2 rolls of mackerel)

Clean the trout and rinse all the fish. Cut the lemon and onion into slices not too thin. Wash the mint and sage, crush the garlic cloves stripped. Stuff the trout with lemon slices (3 or 4), mint, garlic, a few grains of black pepper and salt to taste, tie the fish with a kitchen string and place in a large dish.

Spread the mackerel fillets, place a sage leaf on each and ½ lemon slice, roll up and secure with a toothpick. Arrange with the trout, basting with the wine, a little oil, (taking care to leave aside a little for brushing during cooking), the onion and the chopped herbs and advanced. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in refrigerator for an hour or more.

Meanwhile, clean the prawns, remove the black wire, if present and let drain in a colander with a bit 'of salt.

Turn on the barbecure, when it will be ready the coals heat the grill and cook well before the shrimp and mackerel rolls (about 5 minutes) and then the trout for 5-8 minutes per side depending on the size. Take care to always brush the fish with oil. Serve with lemon slices and grilled vegetables. 

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Tart with cherries and cream sauce

A cake cool and pleasant even in summer, is also excellent version with strawberries.

Ingredients:

• shortbread
• 17.64 OZ (500 grams) cherry
• ½ teaspoon of tortagel
• 8.82 OZ (250 grams) of fresh cream
• 8.82 OZ (250 grams) of milk
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar
• the juice of ½ lemon

Time: 1 ½ hours
Difficulty: medium
Oven: 356° F

If you prefer you can prepare the base the day before following this recipe, and fill 3-4 hours before serving so that it cools well. Bake the tart base and put on a sheet of parchment paper with dried leguminous vegetables to create the recess for the topping. Wash and dry the cherries, take off some particularly nice to finish the cake and pit other with the appropriate tool. Place in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and juice ½ lemon. Prepare the cream by pouring the fresh cream and milk in a saucepan, mix cornstarch and sugar and bring to a boil over low heat. Stir and let cool for 5 minutes, then pour it on the basis of already cooked pastry. Allow to cool completely and arrange the cherries pitted and those on the edge with the petiole. Prepare the tortagel, as indicated, and brush the fruit, alternatively brush with a little of cherry jam.
Let stand in refrigerator for at least a couple of hours and leave at room temperature for half an hour before serving. 

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