Carrot cake Italian style

Carrot cake Italian style

Ingredients: 

200gr (½cup-3.5oz) flour  

400gr (1.75cup-14oz) brown sugar  

4 eggs  

350ml (12oz) vegetable oil  

400gr (1.75cup-14oz) carrots, grated  

275gr (1.2cup-9.6oz) nuts, crushed  

16gr (3½tsp) baking powder  

1tsp cinnamon powder  

½tsp nutmeg  

1 pinch salt  

oil to grease the tin

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl whisk eggs with sugar then add oil. Pour in flour mixture, then carrots and nuts. Grease a 18cm (8inch) square cake tin (a rectangular one will be perfect as well), then spoon in the mixture and bake at 170°C (325°F - gas mark 3) for an hour. Cool down in the tin first and then on a wirerack. Wrap the cake with tin wrap and leave to rest for a day before serving.

Polenta Cake

Polenta Cake

Ingredients:

400gr (1.75cup - 14oz) polenta  

140gr sugar  

120gr butter  

3 eggs  

4tbs flour  

80gr (0.35cup - 2.8oz) raisins  

30gr (1oz) pine nuts  

zest of one lemon

Soak raisins in warm water(or brandy, limoncello etc), then drain them and dry them with a cloth. In a bowl cream softened butter with sugar, add eggs one at a time, then polenta already smashed with a fork. Stir and don't worry if you see some polenta lumps. Pour in flour, raisins, pine nuts and lemon zest. Place the mixture in a greased round tin of 22cm (9inch) of diameter, spreading it out as evenly as possible. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 40-45 minutes. Cool down well befor serving.

Herbs and honey bread

Herbs and honey bread

Ingredients: 

1 cup water 

1 cup semolina flour

2 1/2 cup bread flour

1 cube of fresh yeast

1/4 cup mixed fresh herbs leaves, finely chopped *

1 tbs salt 

1tsp sugar  

1tbs honey 

 1/4 cup  olive oil
*for a stronger aroma add few more

In a big bowl dissolve the yeast with sugar, then add water and mix. Add the semolina flour and mix with a spoon, then add the flour and salt. When is hard to mix with the spoon, add the olive oil on your hands and start to kneed the dough adding slowly the herbs. Divide the dough in 20 balls and let rise for two hours in a baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes on the convection mode of the oven in 180C.

Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese

Fagottini with Beetroots and cheese

Serves 2

Ingredients

for the pasta dough: 

1/2 cup semolina (100 grams)
1/2 cup flour (100 grams)

2 eggs

for the filling: 

1 boiled betroot (about 120/150gr - 4.2/5.2oz)  

100gr (2.11oz) Smoked ricotta  

2tsp bread crumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

for the dressing:

Melted butter 

Grated parmesan

Sage or poppy seeds
2 tbsp pine nuts

Knead well flour and eggs, then pop the dough into a polythene bag and leave to rest for 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling, placing in a food processor betroot (peeled off), cheese and bread crumbs. Reduce them to a puree and set aside. Roll out the pastry with the pasta machine or the rolling pin, then with a pasta cutter or a glass, cut out rounds with a diameter of 8cm. Place a tsp - or a bit more - of the filling in the centre of each round. Press with your fingers three angles and edges to shape and seal the fagottini. To cook them, bring to boil salted water in a pot, then cook for 7-8 minutes (depends from the thickness of the pasta), drain them and serve with melted butter with pine nuts  and grated parmesan and sage or poppy seeds.

Brazilian chicken pie

Brazilian Chicken Pie

Ingredients for the dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
8 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients for the filling:

2 pound of chicken breast, cooked and pulled
4 tbsp cream cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finelly chopped
1 cup corn sweet corn
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
Salt & Pepper

For the pie crust:

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir briefly until the mixture is aerated. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it’s in pea-size pieces that are slightly yellow in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Drizzle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and mix just until the dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon of ice water if necessary, but don’t overwork the dough or it’ll become tough.)
Shape the dough into a flat disk, cover it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then make the pie.


For the chicken filling:
In a pan, brown the onions and garlic.  Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the corn, tomato paste, spices, tabasco, and the cream cheese.  Mix very well all the ingredients and add the parsley, paprika salt & pepper. Reserve.

Tortellini di Valeggio

Tortellini di Valeggio

1/2 pound of minced pork meat
1/2 pound of minced cow meat
1/2 pound of minced chicken meat
1/4 pound of Parma ham
1/4 parmiggiano cheese
1 onion finelly chopped
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp olive oil
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

Semifreddo alla Nutella

Semifreddo alla Nutella

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup of sugar
8 chocolat cookies
3 tbsp of Nutella
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
1 pich of fine salt
4 tbsp of chocolat liquor or bayleys
200ml of wiping cream

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are soft and light. 

2. Stir in the crushed chocolate biscuits, nutella, liqueur and the salt. 

3. Gently stir in the whipped cream. 

4. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then fold gently in to the semi-freddo mixture. 

5. Cover the mould or loaf tin with cling-film (this will enable you to tip out the semi-freddo when ready and slice it easily). Pour the mixture into the mould and place in the freezer for at least six hours, or overnight. 

6. Serve in slices on dessert plates dusted with cocoa powder, alongside a cup of espresso coffee. 

Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo (Bigoli with Horse Beef)

Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo (Bigoli with Horse Beef)

Ingredients for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:
1/2 Yellow Onion -  Chopped
2 Garlic cloves - Minced
1/2 package of Sfilacci (thin, dried horse beef slices - see picture)
2 dollops (spoons) of Cream Cheese
4 Tbsp of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Paprika (Sweet or Spicy - as you prefer)
Salt and Pepper to taste







Recipe for Bigoli Agli Sfilacci Di Cavallo for Two:

Sauté the garlic and onion in a pan over medium-high heat in olive oil.

Add the horse beef and the paprika, mix and sauté over medium heat for one minute.

Add the cream cheese, cream, ground pepper and mix thoroughly.  Taste before adding salt.  The sauce is finished.  Set aside until bigoli is ready

Once the pasta is cooked, add the bigoli to the sauce and mix carefully trying to avoid breaking the pasta.  Add a little bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

To serve, swirl the bigoli with a serving spoon and plate with freshly grated Grana Padano and arugula topped with high quality olive oil.  Enjoy!

Bigoli dough

Bigoli Dough Recipe:

Bigoli for four people:
400g (3 1/3 cups) of flour ("00" or cake flour)
3 eggs (you can also use duck eggs, however their eggs a slightly bigger and modifies the recipe)
Water (small amount, appx 2-Tbsp)
Salt - 1 Tsp


In a bowl mix the flour and eggs with a fork until it has formed clumps in the flour.  Switch to using your hands and mix rigorously.  When the dough has become one large ball, move to tabletop (preferably a wood surface) and continue to work and mix the dough with your hands just like any other pasta dough.  Bigoli is traditionally made using a torchio, make sure you load your pasta with it floured into the cylinder.  Begin to twist and cut twice for one cylinder load of dough. Use flour liberally and ensure the pasta is not sticking. The texture of the dough needs to be hard and not sticky.

Traditionally Bigoli is made by mens. That's a picture os a Bigoli competition in the south of Vicenza.

Sautéed zucchini in tomato sauce

Sautéed zucchini in tomato sauce with Cinnamon

1 pound zucchini

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp oregano

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in hot oil until tender.  Add the tomatoes; simmer several minutes.  Add the zucchini, salt, pepper, cinnamon and oregano.  Simmer partially covered until tender, but not overcooked.  Do not stir to much.

Tiropitakia

Tiropitakia

Ingredients for tiropitakia:

3 eggs
8 oz of cream cheese
3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 pound phyllo
1 pound clarified butter

Beat the eggs until fluffy.  Add the cheeses and mint, mixing well.  Prepare triangles as the pictures.

Spanakopita

Spanakopita

Ingredients for Spanakopita:

1 medium onion, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
10oz of cooked spinach
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp thyme
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 pound phyllo
1 pound clarified butter

Saute onion in hot oil until soft.  Add spinach and salt; saute a few minutes.  Cool slightly.  Stir in cheeses and egg, blending thoroughly.  Prepare triangles as the pictures.  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes or until golden.

Classic Greek Salad

Classic Greek Salad for Two: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp lemon juice 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 crushed garlic (Optional) 2 tsp fresh dill (better if you have fresh but dried will work) 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish 3 tomatoes—cut rustically in pieces  2 red onion—halved and sliced into rings 2 cucumbers—sliced into thick half-moons 1/2 cup banana pepper - sliced thick with caps/seeds removed 4 oz (120g) feta cheese—cut into small cubes 20 (appox) kalamata olives Place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw-top lid and shake to combine; or whisk in a bowl.  Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving. Garnish the Greek salad with a little freshly ground black pepper.