Soused mackerel

This is a preparation used to marinate fish, meats and vegetables. This marinade can be prepared according to different recipes and combining various foods: vegetables, fish, meat ... and is typically used in Piedmont and Lombardy, where the plates thus prepared are preserved (if immersed in the marinade) for several days becoming more and more taste. This isn't the real soused, but one more quick and light, still very tasty!

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 4 mackerel fillets
• 1 red onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 clove of garlic
• flour for dusting
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup vinegar
• 3 sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt q.b.

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Clean the vegetables, finely sliced ​​onion and grated or cut into small dice the carrot.
Sauté the onion and carrot, add the sage leaves and a clove of crushed garlic. Add the floured fillets and cook two minutes per side, then pour over the vinegar and wine. I do not usually salt the fish, but optionally you can add a pinch of fine salt. Cook over medium heat for 10/15 minutes, remove the fish and let thicken a bit then pour the liquid onto the thread and serve hot. Enjoy your meal!

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Monday's diet: cous cous with vegetables

The preparation of these vegetables can be made either with the traditional tagine pot, in this way cook more quickly and take the characteristic aroma of baking of clay, with both a normal pot. The vegetables may vary, attention only to the cooking times: the vegetables to cook slower to be placed under, those that cook more quickly above.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 onion
• 1 eggplant
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cup peas (also frozen)
• 1 cup of spinach (even frozen)
• 1 cup of cous cous
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• curry to taste Optional)
• salt

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Clean the vegetables and cut the eggplant and zucchini into cubes big enough, divide the onion into 4 wedges and slice the tomatoes into slices. If you use the tagine, cover the bottom with a bit 'of water where loose the tomato paste, a pinch of curry powder and a pinch of salt. Disponetevi over the vegetables in the middle peas, eggplant and zucchini on the sides above the slices of tomato and spinach. Place in the center, above everything else, the onion. The vegetables will not stir so arrange them in an "artistic" ready to be brought to the table. Remember to use the spreader under the clay.
Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes. With a regular pot mixed vegetables and cook with the lid on, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil two cups of salt water, bubbles just pour the cup of cous cous and a tablespoon of oil. Turn off the heat and cover for 10 minutes. In this way, the corn bakes and swells by absorbing water.
Check the vegetables are cooked, turn off if you are ready, depending on the tastes can enjoy crisper or softer. Grainy couscous with a fork and pour into a baking dish in the oven previously heated. Brought to the table separately cous cous and tajine with vegetables Taste them and mix to taste.

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Mixed sweets gluten-free

With this recipe I participate in the contest "mani in pasta - la farina di riso" Molino Chiavazza.

Here is a simple recipe to prepare some gluten-free light sweets,  very soft and crumbly. I've got 15 sweets with these doses: 6 with chocolate and coconut and 9 with apples and raisins, but the variables are endless! One can also use only rice flour.

Ingredients for 15 cupcakes:

1 pot of natural yoghurt
½ jar of organic sunflower seed oil
3.53 OZ (100 grams) sugar
7.05 OZ (200 grams) of rice flour
5.29 OZ (150 grams) of ground corn flour end (for cakes)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1.76 OZ (50 grams) coconut flour
6 squares of dark chocolate
1 apple
½ lemon
1 cup of raisins
icing sugar q.b.

Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Oven: 356° F

In a mixing bowl whip sugar with yoghurt and eggs. Using a spoon or spatula to incorporate the flour a little at a time, taking care not to form lumps. Add the yeast and oil.
Divide the dough into two bowls, in the first one stir the coconut flour, in the other apple cut into small cubes and sprinkled with lemon juice and raisins. Mix well. Since the compounds soft enough is better to use the molds (like those muffins) coated with the paper cups or buttered oven. Pour a little of mixture into each mold. At the center of those coconut put a piece of dark chocolate. Bake for 20/25 minutes in oven, then let cool and sprinkle with icing sugar! Enjoy your meal!

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Spaghetti with "pierced" sausages for the nephews

A recipe that lately find often in the web and which are a thousand versions! I do not particularly like the sausages, but this recipe is really nice and fun!

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 500 gr. Pasta like spaghetti
• 6 large sausages
• salt

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Fill a large pot for pasta and bring to a boil salt water. Meanwhile, cut the raw sausage into thick slices, put some spaghetti in one piece of sausage and slide it, repeat on the other side. You can simultaneously pierce 5-8 spaghetti, mallet if large, I used those that cook in 11 minutes.
Repeat until all the spaghetti (and sausages). Cook in boiling water, stirring gently, for the time indicated. Drain and season with tomato sauce, I have prepared a sauce with tomato and peas.

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Sweet tart with “ricotta” cheese

This tart I prepared in two different variants, the first time with the dark chocolate and the second with cranberries, but the possibilities are endless: raisins, cherries, caramel ... it is important pay attention to some fruit that could then be acidic after de cooked.

Sweet tart with “ricotta” cheese and chocolate

Ingredients:
short crust pastry
5.2 OZ (150 grams) ricotta
5.2 OZ (150 grams) cream cheese
2 egg whites (optional)
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar
1 package of dried cranberries (variant with cranberries )
2.8 OZ (80 grams) in drops of dark chocolate (chocolate variant)

Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Oven: 356° F

Prepare the pastry with this recipe. Meanwhile, resting in the refrigerator, prepare the filling cream: mixing the “ricotta” cheese with the cream cheese and sugar. Stir in the egg and egg whites whipped (I used the egg whites put forward by preparing puff pastry).
Please note that no lumps are formed. If you want to prepare the chocolate version combine the cream with chocolate chips or crumbled, for that with cranberries put them in the cream. Into both cases mix well.
Spread the base of pastry leaving aside 4 strips for decoration, butter a tart tin and line it with the dough, pour the cream, creating the typical plot with 4 strips and round the edges. Bake in oven for 40-45 minutes.Serve cold sprinkled with icing sugar.

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Three kinds of focaccia bread

A great idea for a drink with friends or a dinner that is not just pizza ...

Ingredients for 3 round “focaccia bread”
Dough:

• 6.7 OZ (200 ml) of water
• 10.5 OZ (300 grams) of durum wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ packet of dry yeast to slow rising or ½ cube of fresh yeast

Dressing:

• 5.2 OZ (150 grams) of “crescenza” cheese
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 small cup with half extra virgin olive oil, half water and a pinch of salt
• Oregano or basil to taste

Time: 10 min + 3 hours for rising
Oven: 480° F (250 °C)

Difficulty: medium

Putin the mixer, or in a large bowl, ingredients in the following order:
the water, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, the flour and ½ sachet of dry yeast to slow rising or ½ cube of yeast fresh beer. Turn the mixer with the hook on the program medium speed for 5 min or kneading with the hands for 10 min.

The dough should be soft but not sticky. If necessary, add flour if too sticky or water if too stiff.

Leave to rest in the bowl placed in the oven for 2 hours with a bowl of boiling water. If the outside temperature is low, just turn the oven light on.

Takethe dough, give it a nice punch, knead briefly and divide it into three parts. Formed three balls, lay them with a rolling pin and a little flour and place them into three round pizza pans.
Leave to rest for half an hour - an hour.

Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into slices not too thin and onion rather thin, with the aid of a mandolin.
Brush the buns with the mix of water, oil and salt of the cup and dressing each with slices of tomato and oregano, one with a “crescenza” cheese and the last with the onion. On the latter put on all remaining liquid in the small cup.

Bake at 480° F for half an hour, if too dry surface cover with a sheet in the oven paper or add a bowl of water during cooking.

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Monday's diet: soup of chards and potatoes

A cream of vegetables can be enjoyed warm or cold in the evening as excellent dinner accompanied by a vegetable and an egg or cheese.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 bowl of chards or spinach (4 cubes if frozen)
• 3 large potatoes or 4 small
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 pieces of “crescenza” cheese (as 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• salt q.b.

Time: 15/30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Calories: about 230 per serving (with oil)

Clean the potatoes and cut into small cubes small, hand to hand pour them into a pot with cold water. Add the chard (or spinach). Cover the vegetables with water. Cook with the lid on for 15 minutes, as it starts to boil.
After the interval blend with the immersion blender and add the Parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (optional) and put in the plates.
At the center of each plate put a spoon of “crescenza” cheese and mix from the center.
Serve and enjoy your meal.
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Ravioli with fish

A recipe for stuffed pasta made ​​without eggs, the dough is a bit less elastic, but lighter and cooks more quickly.

 
Ingredients:
pasta:
8.82 OZ (250 grams) flour type 0
4.41 OZ (125 grams) of water
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fine salt
filling:
3.53 OZ (100 grams) fillet of white fish (flounder, cod, hake ...)
1 courgette
½ onion
enough breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

Time: 1 hour and 1/2
Difficulty: medium

Mix the flour with the water, the salt and the oil for 10 minutes, until it forms a ball of dough elastic and not sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and let stand half an hour.

Meanwhile, cook in a tablespoon of olive oil the onion, then add the fish cleaned and cut into small pieces and a grated courgette. Cook for 10 minutes, then whip with the immersion blender, stir in the salt and the breadcrumbs little by little to make the stuffing more dry.

Roll out the dough by rolling pin and roll into strips about 3 inch wide. Put a little dough into little piles spaced apart and fold the dough up to cover them up. 

With a round mold to cut the individual ravioli and put them on a plate dusted with flour.

Cook in boiling salted water, cook the pasta without eggs more quickly and in a few minutes will surface. I have them topped with a light sauce of tomato sauce and basil. 

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"Pita" bread without yeast

Browsing the net I found this blog really interesting by Dario Bressanini and specifically this recipe "scientific" of unleavened bread: the result is excellent! I've used to accompany a couscous with vegetables. Here is my adaptation of the recipe, the bread stays soft if stored in a paper bag where it will be stored still hot. The pita is great if you open and stuffed.

Ingredients for 6 sandwiches

• 10.58 OZ (300 gr.) flour type 0
• 7.05 OZ (200 gr.) sparkling water
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon fine salt

Time: 10 minutes + resting
Difficulty: easy
Oven: 482°F

Store the sparkling water in the freezer for 10 minutes, I have placed a bottle. Pour the flour into a bowl add oil and salt, stir in a little water at a time until the dough became elastic and not sticky (like that for the pizza). Cover and let stand for half an hour, the time needed to make the dough more elastic.

Preheat oven to maximum (482°F)and in the meantime cut the dough into 6 parts, roll into balls and roll with a rolling pin to form thin discs.

Move the oven on grill function, take a disc at a time, brush it with water and place it on the hot plate placed high enough in the oven, but not too much in contact with the grill, the bread will swell. Bake a sandwich at a time to a few minutes (2 or 3) until it is golden. Store in a bag. This bread is excellent with spicy dishes.

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