Author Archive for Lucina

Page 5 of 23

Pumpkin, lentil and leek nut roast

pumpkin, lentil and leek nut loaf

pumpkin, lentil and leek nut roast

Hello everyone, and sorry for not blogging as often as I could but sadly, once the academic term starts, free time is at a premium! Still I must continue experimenting in the kitchen when I have the opportunity so here is this lovely recipe for you to try. I kind of half invented it. It’s a mix of several nut loaves recipe I found on line. Really tasty and not particularly difficult. Plus this is the pumpkin season so what better way of using them. I favour the pumpkins which have a more fleshy, dense texture, not the watery ones. I usually get these from markets and independent vegetable stalls. In supermarkets they tend to sell the watery variety.  Continue reading ‘Pumpkin, lentil and leek nut roast’

10 minutes chocolate chip cookies

10 minutes chocolate chip cookies

10 minutes chocolate chip cookies

I thought I had already blogged these but I was clearly mistaken as I can’t find them anywhere. Oh well! I must have meant to do it then forgot. Here’s a recipe to use when you have friends descending on you but you haven’t got the time to faff about (the story of my busy life, basically..). As the name suggests they are really quick and really simple to make. Pretty much foolproof, in fact. They come from the River Cottage book Everyday by Hugh Fernely-Whittingstall. Lovely with a cup of tea or coffee! Mine, as you can see from the pic, came out a bit misshapen as I didn’t leave enough space between them. Still they tasted really good and that’s what matters at the end of the day. Right? Right! 😉 Continue reading ’10 minutes chocolate chip cookies’

Spinach spätzle

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I FINALLY got round to using the spätzle maker that my German friend Beate had kindly given me (see picture below for what it looks like). After literally YEARS! HURRAH! Better late than never,eh? Good things come to those who wait, and all that! Anyway, I can see I will be using it again real soon as it was really a very straightforward and simple affair. What are spätzle? They are a German/Austrian speciality. Basically they are little gnocchi (dumplings) made with flour, eggs and water. Uneven, worm shaped pasta, basically. You make the mixture, then you put it in what looks like a potato press and squeeze it on top of a pan of boiling water. They cook instantaneously as they drop in the water. Traditionally they are eaten with a cheese and fried onion sauce.  I made the spinach version. I thought they were very tasty and easy. I simply dressed them with a sage and butter sauce and sprinkled them generously with grated parmesan. Delicious! The recipe comes from the Giallo Zafferano blog, slightly adapted. Continue reading ‘Spinach spätzle’

Blackberry and almond cake

blackberry and almond cake

blackberry and almond cake

September is the time to forage for blackberries, in my book, and this year is no exception.  I have previously confessed I have my secret places where I go and pick them not too far from my house ( and no, I will not reveal them to you, my dear friends, nor even under torture!). This is a very good year for blackberries in the UK (I don’t know in Italy) , albeit they are weeks behind compared to last year’s when I distinctly remember them being ripe in August. Hardly surprising considering the rubbish summer we have had! Anyway, every year I think of different ways in which I can use these free gifts from nature, apart from the obvious jam. This year the first thing I have made with them has been this deliciously moist cake which I have baked twice already as it’s simply divine!  I reckon you can use the mixture with other fruit such as apples, raspberries or blueberries. I thoroughly recommend it to you if you want to impress friends and family. My friend Carmelita said it’s one of the best I have ever made and she has tried a few! And if SHE says it, it must be right! 😉 Continue reading ‘Blackberry and almond cake’

Cinnamon and cardamom buns

cinnamon and cardamom buns

cinnamon and cardamom buns

These are a version of what Candi has already blogged here . The recipe is slightly different, however, plus you end up with a big bun that you then divide into the various rolls, rather than with individual buns. The inspiration was my hit and run mini trip to Stockholm (lovely city!) where  cinnamon buns are sold in every café. And lovely they are too!  The recipe is by Felicity Cloake and comes from The Guardian. By the way I confess that they nearly turned into a misdemeanour when I failed to strain the cardamom pods and chucked them all in with the dough. ARGH! I had to pick them all out (well…nearly all!) individually by hand before proceeding any further or they would have been rather overpowering (there are 25 in this recipe!). It took me forever more! So please read the recipe carefully and don’t make the same mistake ! 😉 Continue reading ‘Cinnamon and cardamom buns’

Herby hummus

herby hummus

herby hummus

I promise you that the next thing I am going to blog will be of the sweet variety and calories laden but for now allow me to share yet another healthy recipe, namely this gorgeous herby hummus which I have already made twice in the near past. And this is a good sign, trust me. Once again it comes from the Cookie and Kate blog. In her latest newsletter she sent a link which contained 12 of her favourite salad recipes and this was one of them, albeit technically not a salad. Still: let’s not quibble and get hung up on semantics. I used to buy a lot of hummus until I saw the light and realised it was soooooo easy to make. Honestly. All you need is a food processor and the correct ingredients. Voilà! Delicious with raw vegetables, pitta bread, tortilla chips, etc. Continue reading ‘Herby hummus’

Chocolate oaties

chocolate oaties

chocolate oaties

After several healthy, savoury recipes the time has come to blog some naughty sweet treats, namely these oatey, chocolatey biscuits which I made last weekend in a desperate attempt to keep depression at bay. And by the way, don’t worry! The depression was caused by an absolutely atrocious day, weather wise. Nothing else! I kid you not: it could have been November! I know…I know…people in Italy are complaining about the excessive heat (in the high 30s. EEK!). It would seem God can’t get the world temperature quite right. If we could get ten degrees more and Italy ten less that would solve the weather woes, would it not?. 😉  ha ha. Anyway, I was stuck in the house feeling cold and miserable. What better way to keep the blues at bay than bake? I am not one for cookies  but I was due to have a meeting with a local group (tea/coffee and biscuits is de rigueur here in the UK whenever there is a meeting) so decided to give them a try. Well…people were very appreciative indeed. Mind you: if the choice is: bog standard bought biscuits (custard creams and the likes) or home made ones it ain’t hard to win the competition. Modesty apart I was pleased with my results: my oaties were nice and crunchy which is just what the doctor ordered in biscuitland, in my humble opinion. They come from the Good Housekeeping website. Apparently they are amongst the 15 best cookies. And I must say I agree. :-) Continue reading ‘Chocolate oaties’

Poppy and sesame seed crackers

poppy and sesame seed crackers

poppy and sesame seed crackers

Hello everyone, just back from my holidays in Slovenia and Italy so I am not quite in the swing of cooking just yet. I am still in a state of thermal shock after diving from 35 plus degrees to 15! Yeek! But that’s England for you. Mind you: I must say it was far too hot on the continent, even for the likes of me! Anyway, yesterday, out of the blue, I decided that the moment had come to try to make some crackers. Eh? Why yesterday and why crackers….? I have never made them in my life. God knows! Still…why not, eh? I like crackers and , let’s be honest, they are better than biscuits, from the point of view of excessive calories. I need to shed some pounds after the strudel excesses I submitted my poor body to in the past few weeks. So no more sweets for a while, and bring in the healthy crackers. I scoured the internet and ended up with a recipe which is a mixture of many. The results were quite promising:  a nice , crunchy texture with loads of omega 3 seeds on the top.  Ideal to have with hummus or cheese. I will try some other recipes in the future, of course. I will keep you paged. Continue reading ‘Poppy and sesame seed crackers’

Broccoli, feta and sundried tomato salad

broccoli, feta cheese and sun dried tomato salad

broccoli, feta and sundried tomato salad

You must be impressed with me considering the amount of healthy stuff I have been blogging recently. Not a cake in sight for ages! What’s wrong with me, eh? Mind you don’t be fooled into believing I haven’t EATEN any cakes! I haven’t tried any new ones lately, that’s all. Anyway,  to continue in this healthy frame of mind here is a new salad I made last week, which was packed with flavours and one I am happy to share. Definitely a nice change from your average lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad. The original one, from the Cookie and Kate blog I have already mentioned, is made using raw broccoli but I thought they would be too difficult to digest so I parboiled them for a minute and a half. Still plenty of crunch but easier on the old digestive system. You can substitute the feta cheese with black olives if you wish it to be dairy free. Continue reading ‘Broccoli, feta and sundried tomato salad’

Prawn and spinach curry

prawn and spinach curry

prawn and spinach curry

Technically speaking this is a bit of a cheat as I didn’t make this curry. It was my youngest son Tom who cooked it for me when I went to visit him. I honestly couldn’t believe how good it was hence I am sharing the recipe with you! I am so glad that both my sons are interested in cooking (and good at it) as it’s such a useful skill to have, whether you are male or female.  I always encouraged them to watch/help me while I was cooking when they were little. Something must have rubbed off then! :-) I will definitely have a go at it myself in the very near future as it was delicious (trust me). I am not sure where the recipe comes from but here it is. By the way  please note Tomik’s baby sister- Tomik being the china salt dispenser cat which always makes its appearance in my pictures-. Here you have the stripey purple version of it, which was a present from me to my son after my trip to Budapest a few years ago. Candi has the third one (the black and white one). Continue reading ‘Prawn and spinach curry’