Monthly Archive for agosto, 2012

Quinoa, grilled vegetables and feta cheese salad

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’

Mousse di limone

Ecco qui il mio viatico. Posto questo e per qualche settimana non potrò più mandarvi niente. Sono partita e ci si rivede a metà settembre. Con questo caldo ci vuole un dolcetto fresco e leggero. Eccolo qui, dopo un po’ di prove per trovare la consistenza giusta. Se si vuole si può sostituire la ricotta e il mascarpone con panna montata o, magari, per una versione più light (che però non ho ancora provato), con un formaggio leggero tipo philadelphia o petit suisse. Continue reading ‘Mousse di limone’

Apricot jam

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’

Torta di carote, mandorle e albicocche, senza glutine e senza latticini

Potrebbe sempre capitare di avere a cena un amico celiaco e un altro intollerante ai latticini. Questa è la torta giusta. Sembra impossibile? A noi una volta è capitato di avere una vegetariana, una celiaca e una diabetica tutte per lo stesso pranzo (e pure di nazionalità e di età diverse!). Quindi meglio preparsi in anticipo a tutte le eventualità. Continue reading ‘Torta di carote, mandorle e albicocche, senza glutine e senza latticini’

Roasted red peppers and grilled goat cheese salad

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’

Insalata di riso rosso all’orata e alle fave

 

E adesso un pausa leggera dopo tutti quei dolciumi! Con questo caldo spopolano le insalate di riso e io sono sempre alla riceva di un’alternativa giusta per chi non ama cetriolini e sottaceti vari, visto che in famiglia non sono molto apprezzati. Ecco questa idea che mi è venuta per finire un po’ di orata avanzata e usare le erbette che ho seminato a primavera.

Continue reading ‘Insalata di riso rosso all’orata e alle fave’