7.23.2014

Classic tomato sauce

Ingredients:

2Kg of San Marzano Tomatoes (Roma/Plum tomatoes)
1 onion
2 cloves of Garlic
1 Carrot
1 stick of celery
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of basil leafs or a tbsp dried oregano

1st step:
-Wash and cut a X on the bottom of the tomatoes. (This will help to peel easy the skin);
-In a boiling pot with just water, add the tomatoes for about 1 minute;
-Take the tomatoes out and peel them.

2nd step:
-Cut the tomatoes in half and take the seeds out.

3rd step:
-Using a blender, make all the tomatoes into a juice (if you would like a chunky sauce, juice a half and cut the other tomatoes in pieces);
-Using a big pot, cook the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil until reduces at list 1/3 of the pan.
-In another pan, sauté the garlic, onion, celery and carrots with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add to the sauce and let cook for at list 30 minutes;









7.22.2014

Eggplant alla Parmiggiana

1kg eggplant sliced
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup grated Parmiggiano cheese
Salt & Pepper
Basil, Oregano, Thyme.
Olive oil

Grill the eggplants in olive oil. After the eggplant is grilled, make layers like a lasagna.

Eggplant-Cheese-Tomato-Eggplant-Cheese-Tomato

Bake for about 30 minutes in 350F.

7.21.2014

Stuffed Zucchini

1/2 cup of ground beef/pork mixed 
Zucchini
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup green olives
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup parmiggiano
3 tbsp minced mint
1 tsp oregano
fresh mozzarella balls


  1. Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned, breaking the beef up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat, and transfer the beef into a mixing bowl. Slice the zucchini in half the long way, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell all around the zucchini. Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and add to mixing bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, garlic, tomato sauce, almonds, olives, and Parmiggiano; mix the stuffing well. Lightly stuff both halves of the zucchini with the meat mixture. Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish, and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove from oven, and remove the foil. Add some sliced mozzarella cheese over each zucchini half. Move an oven rack to within 6 inches of the oven broiler's heat source, turn on the broiler, and broil the zucchini until the mozzarella cheese is browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes

7.16.2014

Baked chicken with limes, cilantro and coconut milk

1 whole chicken, cut in pieces
4 tbsp coconut oil or palm oil
5 limes, 3 sliced and 2 juiced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
Chopped cilantro
Crushed red peppers
Salt & pepper

In a baking dish combine all the ingredients together. Using your hands or a big spoon, mix all the ingredients very well. Place the chicken skin facing up, so you have a tender and moist chicken. Bake in 210C/400F for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is brown. Serve with cassava rice or anything you like.

Tip: leave the whole dish marinating overnight. The next day the dish will taste much better.