Author Archive for Lucina

Page 16 of 23

Penne all’arrabbiata

Published by Lucina, on 6 ottobre 2012 in English Recipes and pasta. 2 Comments

penne all'arrabbiata

Can you believe it? I have NEVER in my whole life made or even attempted to make an arrabbiata sauce, which to the non Italians amongst you, means the “angry” sauce. The reason why it’s angry, in case you are wondering, is that it contains loads of chilli, making it quite hot, hence cross! If I’m not mistaken this sauce comes from the Lazio region . I got the inspiration to try it out when I went to Rome, the capital of Lazio, at the beginning of September. Also I had to use some beautiful chilli peppers which had been happily growing on my windowsill, courtesy of my youngest son who is a chilli fanatic and had given me a plant to take care of (I murdered the previous plant he gave me so I had been nurturing this latest one with tender, loving care and it promptly rewarded me with lovely plump red chillies). I understand there are different versions of arrabbiata sauce out there  but the one I made, after loads of searching on the internet, seems to be the kosha one. Continue reading ‘Penne all’arrabbiata’

Butter beans and avocado hummus

Published by Lucina, on 20 settembre 2012 in English Recipes and starters. 2 Comments

butter beans and avocado hummus

Don’t be put off by the pale, snot green colour of this hummus, reader! It is actually a lot greener and not as anemic as the picture suggests. I should have used a white bowl and taken the photo during daytime. Ah well! Not to worry. You have to trust me that this hummus is really easy to make and has a lovely, delicate flavour. I invented it myself as I wanted to use a nice avocado which was languishing in my fruit bowl and was JUST at the right stage of ripeness (and we all know how difficult this is to achieve! I have thrown away many an avocado before! Not ripe enough…bat your eyelids…..too ripe! GRRRR!). Anyway, recently, don’t ask me why, I have been suffering from hummusitis, meaning I have tried my hand at different types of hummus. I used to buy it regularly, in its many varieties, until I realised it’s a cinch to make. Basically you bang all the ingredients in the food processor and voilà! Why waste money buying ready made when making it is as quick and a lot healthier? Plus more satisfying? Candi has already blogged a hummus recipe in Italian. Since I’m on the subject I shall also write the bog standard recipe I use for the traditional hummus at the bottom of this page. AND show you a much prettier picture I took on that occasion. Continue reading ‘Butter beans and avocado hummus’

Chestnut and sage soup

Published by Lucina, on 11 settembre 2012 in English Recipes and Soup. 3 Comments Tags: , .

chestnut and sage soup

Here’s another new recipes for those soup fans like myself who want to experiment a little. Let’s face it:  autumn is on its way (or have we just had it? We have had such a shocking summer this year! Last week’s blamy temperatures will not redeem it…) and nothing is more warming than a lovely bowl of soup with some nice bread. I had a tin of chestnuts in my cupboard which I discovered while pretending to tidy it up. I needed to use it as it was near its sell by date so I scoured my recipe books for some ideas. In the end I plumped for this one by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. In fact, Candi, it’s in his Veg every day book I gave you for Christmas. The sage (which is growing wildly in my garden) gives it an unusual flavour. I like its velvety consistency. Definitely one I’ll make again. Continue reading ‘Chestnut and sage soup’

Spiced plums and blackberries compote

Published by Lucina, on 6 settembre 2012 in English Recipes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

spiced plums and blackberries compote

Well…. I’m here to confirm that the blackberry and apple loaf was a success at the book group on Tuesday. All ladies enjoyed it so I won’t get evicted just yet. :-)  Here is a very straightforward stewed fruit recipe containing, as promised, my blackberry friends. It’s ideal to serve with some yoghurt or ice cream. It makes a lovely light dessert and it can be made days in advance and stored in the fridge. It’s really simple. AND healthy, for a change. You can stew some sliced peaches with the plums and add other soft fruits at the end, like blueberries and strawberries. Continue reading ‘Spiced plums and blackberries compote’

Blackberry and apple loaf

Published by Lucina, on 1 settembre 2012 in cakes, Dolci and English Recipes. 4 Comments

blackberry and apple loaf

I’ve managed to collect quite a few blackberries lately during my foraging sessions in the neighbourhood. I’ve been keeping an eye on them for a few weeks now and the first ones of the season have finally made their appearance and are ready for picking (despite the shocking summer we have had. Bless them!).  I love all types of berries but there is nothing more satisfying than picking your own in the wild, so to speak (ok, in my case it’s an overgrown hedge near a nursing home in my town, but you know what I mean) . And yet I don’t see many people following my example. I wonder why…All the more for me, I say! I confess I am getting very secretive about my “hunting” grounds. I’m very selfish when it comes down to blackberries. Only my closest friends are allowed to join me. :-)  Anyway I’ve decided to blog a few recipes containing these lovely berries. I’ll start with this delicious and moist loaf with a streusel topping which I road tested last week and am going to take to my book group next Tuesday. You must know that one of the appeals of this group is that we always have a slice of cake, which we take it in turn to make, and a cup of tea while discussing the book. BUT you can’t just produce any old cake. Oh no!  It has to be original (something that no one has made before) and it has to be delicious. Of course no lady in my group would ever consider buying a ready made one. It would be classified as a crime, punishable with expulsion. Continue reading ‘Blackberry and apple loaf’

Quinoa, grilled vegetables and feta cheese salad

Published by Lucina, on 28 agosto 2012 in salad and vegetarian. 1 Comment

quinoa, grilled vegetables and feta cheese salad

Candi, I don’t know if you are familiar with quinoa or whether it is known in Italy but this grain is fast becoming a popular super food here in the UK. I confess I had never heard of it until a couple of years ago but now I am a convert and try to use it regularly, albeit not  enough as I ought to. For example I sometimes  use it in soups to make them a bit thicker and to give them a bit of a bite but also, more importantly, as an added source of protein (which soups lack) of which quinoa is rich in. If you are not familiar with quinoa it is considered one of the healthiest, most nutritional grains you can get. And it’s gluten free! It originally comes from the Andes. It used to be consumed by the Incas population and was considered to be food from the gods. I’ve done my research on its health properties and there are many! As well as having a high protein content (which makes it ideal to use in a vegetarian diet) quinoa is also packed full of essential minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin B. It has internal cleansing properties and helps to regulate bowel functions. You boil it  like rice  and once it’s cooked (I warn you: it looks like frog spawn at this stage and doesn’t taste particularly nice!) you can use it in many different ways.  It’s ideal in salads and can be used where you would use cous cous or bulgar wheat, which is basically what I have done here. I addedd feta cheese for some extra interest but if you are on a dairy free diet you could easily do without it. Continue reading ‘Quinoa, grilled vegetables and feta cheese salad’

Apricot jam

Published by Lucina, on 20 agosto 2012 in jam and marmellate. 2 Comments

apricot jam

I am becoming quite the domesticated woman now, making my own jam and chutney, and this is my latest “baby”. By the way in Italian it is called marmellata di albicocche. Sounds good,eh? I had never made it before but got the inspiration while I was in Corsica (sorry to bang on about my holiday) where I ate some really gorgeous apricot jam. I read somewhere that the kernels add an interesting flavour to it so I didn’t throw them away but added them at the end. I put less sugar than other recipes state as I like a bit of tartness. It’s really simple  to make (MUCH simpler than the Seville orange I made last which was a right old faff ) and it tastes fabulous. It also goes very well as an accompaniment to strong cheeses. I must make some more soon before apricots disappear off the shelves. Plus my good friend Janet gave me a gorgeous (and massive) preserving pan for my birthday which I  MUST christen. Continue reading ‘Apricot jam’

Roasted red peppers and grilled goat cheese salad

Published by Lucina, on 10 agosto 2012 in salad. 1 Comment

roasted red peppers and grilled goat cheese salad

During my latest holiday in Corsica (if you haven’t been on this splendid island I suggest you put it on your bucket list. It’s a fantastic place and relatively unspoilt. Truly beautiful!)  it came to my mind I used to do this particular salad a lot in the past albeit I hadn’t done it for quite some time. I don’t know about you, Candi, but I’m cyclical in the way I cook. I might do a particular dish a lot for a while then all of a sudden I get fed up and it disappears from the menu….until something happens or someone says something and I remember it again, sometimes years later.  And that’s what happened with this salad. I noticed that in Corsica salad  with grilled goat cheese seems to be a very common starter. And lovely it is too, by the way. So I decided the time had come to resurrect it. It really is delicious and if you are vegetarian you can leave off the grilled streaky bacon. Continue reading ‘Roasted red peppers and grilled goat cheese salad’

Three beans chilli

Published by Lucina, on 24 luglio 2012 in English Recipes and vegetarian. 1 Comment

three beans chilli

Here in England everyone will be familiar with the chilli con carne recipe, which, for the benefit of the Italian readers, is basically a spicy bolognaise sauce with the addition of red kidney beans (I believe the original dish comes from Mexico). Well, I have made a vegetarian variation on the theme using peppers and three types of beans (which, I confess, have come out of tins). Instead of the traditional rice as accompaniment I have served it with pearl barley. So, as you can gather, this recipe is extremely healthy and provides plenty of roughage. I hope I have redressed the balance now on the health front as I have blogged many indulgent, calories laden recipes recently. 😉 Continue reading ‘Three beans chilli’

Penne ai quattro formaggi

Published by Lucina, on 2 luglio 2012 in English Recipes and pasta. 1 Comment Tags: .

 

penne ai quattro formaggi

This recipe is definitely NOT for those who have to watch their cholesterol levels. In truth I have NO idea what my levels are or whether I have to watch them as I haven’t been tested recently. Should I worry?? Anyway, I reckon a bit of dairy indulgence now and again won’t harm you. I made this dish last week when I invited a group of tutees about to graduate from my University. I promised them an Italian pasta night and promptly made lasagne BUT one of them was vegetarian so I had to think of an alternative. This recipe from Gino D’Acampo (slightly adapted) is a quick and easy dish, suitable for your non meat eater friends. It’s simple, filling and delicious. I will definitely make it again. Continue reading ‘Penne ai quattro formaggi’