Share your recipes
Re: Share your recipes
Thanks for the helpful reply on my canned tomato question! So do you prepare tomato sauce at the same time as the pasta? Or do you ever make the sauce in bulk and store it for later?
Re: Share your recipes
When I lived in the USA and used the Alta Cucina tomatoes I mentioned, I was obliged to cook in bulk because those are Foodservice sized cans (about 6lbs each), and I would freeze it in small 2 portions cups.
Now I just cook on the fly, once you’re a little expert you can prepare it while at the same time as the pasta, and the savings of getting bigger cans are minimal.
Now I just cook on the fly, once you’re a little expert you can prepare it while at the same time as the pasta, and the savings of getting bigger cans are minimal.
Re: Share your recipes
So this New Year’s Eve I had some friends over and made a simple stew with risotto.
For some absurd reason here in Italy pork tenderloins are cheaper than any other boneless cut of meat, except a few low end sausages.
Probably because Italians don’t generally have a use for this cut.
First, clean the tenderloin from any excess fat or extra parts
Prepare a soffritto, in this case I used scallions and garlic. Let it go on low for a good 15-20 minutes, in the meanwhile, chop the pork in pieces.
I personally keep the center cut and freeze it, to be used it as mini steaks at a later time
Next, turn the flame on high and sauté the pork till it it cooked on the outside.
Chop up carrots, and prepare some bay leaves and juniper berries
With the flame on high, incorporate everything and add 3/4 of a bottle of dry white wine
Keep flame on high till you cannot smell the alcohol evaporating any more. I also added some green beans I had leftover.
Then put flame on low and cook till the meat is soft
It is excellent with rice and with polenta.
You can also vary the recipe by adding more vegetables like potatoes or zucchini or fresh/canned tomatoes.
Also works well with veal (shoulder being the best cut), beef (chuck roast or short ribs), or game.
If you use game or beef you can also substitute the white wine with a simple red. Just use a bit less.
For some absurd reason here in Italy pork tenderloins are cheaper than any other boneless cut of meat, except a few low end sausages.
Probably because Italians don’t generally have a use for this cut.
First, clean the tenderloin from any excess fat or extra parts
Prepare a soffritto, in this case I used scallions and garlic. Let it go on low for a good 15-20 minutes, in the meanwhile, chop the pork in pieces.
I personally keep the center cut and freeze it, to be used it as mini steaks at a later time
Next, turn the flame on high and sauté the pork till it it cooked on the outside.
Chop up carrots, and prepare some bay leaves and juniper berries
With the flame on high, incorporate everything and add 3/4 of a bottle of dry white wine
Keep flame on high till you cannot smell the alcohol evaporating any more. I also added some green beans I had leftover.
Then put flame on low and cook till the meat is soft
It is excellent with rice and with polenta.
You can also vary the recipe by adding more vegetables like potatoes or zucchini or fresh/canned tomatoes.
Also works well with veal (shoulder being the best cut), beef (chuck roast or short ribs), or game.
If you use game or beef you can also substitute the white wine with a simple red. Just use a bit less.
Re: Share your recipes
Yesterday I was really trying hard to get some sweet sexy time with the miss, so I gave the best of me with a fancy pasta dish I keep for the most important occasions.
Pasta with swordfish, one of my absolute favorites.
Like most Italian dishes, ingredients are everything, so I’ll bore you with the details.
First, put on mid-low flame some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, olives, capers and a couple thinly chopped anchovies.
Let go for a good 15 minutes to let all tastes blend well
Olives have to be of the sweet kind.
Here in Italy the best ones are sold in a jar, filled with oil.
The above aren’t sold in the USA usually, but a good substitute are the roasted black olives, without any spices or flavors added.
The cheaper ones sold in a jar filled with water and vinegar are to be avoided.
Anchovies: you only need to put a couple, but they have to be the good stuff.
This is the good stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Agostino-Recca-A ... B0083WZQ92
Capers: use capers under salt, the ones in the water and vinegar filled jar suck terribly and they will ruin the taste of this dish
Just make sure to rinse them thoroughly in water prior to putting them in the pan
Next, cut a small piece of swordfish (Tuna, grouper, mahi-mahi will also work great, but swordfish and tuna are the best) in little, thin pieces.
Turn the flame on high and dump the fish.
You want to cook this as quickly as you can, and as little as you can, to avoid the fish becoming hard.
As soon as it’s all cooked on the outside, turn the flame off and let rest, the residual heat will finish the cooking for you.
This sauce is good as is, but I had a little leftover tomato sauce and I added it.
This is a sauce that we consume both “white” (meaning without tomatoes) and “red”, with a little tomato sauce added for color.
As usual, drain the pasta a bit before your liking and finish with a sautée in the pan
Enjoy!
Pasta with swordfish, one of my absolute favorites.
Like most Italian dishes, ingredients are everything, so I’ll bore you with the details.
First, put on mid-low flame some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, olives, capers and a couple thinly chopped anchovies.
Let go for a good 15 minutes to let all tastes blend well
Olives have to be of the sweet kind.
Here in Italy the best ones are sold in a jar, filled with oil.
The above aren’t sold in the USA usually, but a good substitute are the roasted black olives, without any spices or flavors added.
The cheaper ones sold in a jar filled with water and vinegar are to be avoided.
Anchovies: you only need to put a couple, but they have to be the good stuff.
This is the good stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Agostino-Recca-A ... B0083WZQ92
Capers: use capers under salt, the ones in the water and vinegar filled jar suck terribly and they will ruin the taste of this dish
Just make sure to rinse them thoroughly in water prior to putting them in the pan
Next, cut a small piece of swordfish (Tuna, grouper, mahi-mahi will also work great, but swordfish and tuna are the best) in little, thin pieces.
Turn the flame on high and dump the fish.
You want to cook this as quickly as you can, and as little as you can, to avoid the fish becoming hard.
As soon as it’s all cooked on the outside, turn the flame off and let rest, the residual heat will finish the cooking for you.
This sauce is good as is, but I had a little leftover tomato sauce and I added it.
This is a sauce that we consume both “white” (meaning without tomatoes) and “red”, with a little tomato sauce added for color.
As usual, drain the pasta a bit before your liking and finish with a sautée in the pan
Enjoy!
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- Posts: 1099
- Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:55 pm
Pea Soup
I did a ham for Super Bowl Sunday. The problem with ham is that it’s hard to have ham without having so much...ham. I froze some, have eaten way more ham in sandwiches, salads, and ham salad this week than I wanted. But now I’m down to the last of that ham and gosh darn it, I will not waste it!
So: bag of split peas, leftover ham and bone, carrots, onions and celery chopped (who measures??) black pepper. Simmered over low heat until the peas break down. I’ll eat for lunches and dinners this week, and may change it up by serving over some steamed rice with raisins, maybe add some curry.
Super cheap, super easy, super filling.
So: bag of split peas, leftover ham and bone, carrots, onions and celery chopped (who measures??) black pepper. Simmered over low heat until the peas break down. I’ll eat for lunches and dinners this week, and may change it up by serving over some steamed rice with raisins, maybe add some curry.
Super cheap, super easy, super filling.
Re: Share your recipes
Sorry for going MIA
Not sure I shared this already, but chickpea soup with pasta is one of my favorite winter recipes ever.
Cheap, excellent, freezes well, has multiple uses.
Drop the dry chickpeas in water for at least 24 hours (careful they inflate a LOT, at least 3x)
Rinse multiple times and drain
Prepare a soffritto with garlic, oil, celery, carrots and bay leaves.
The most important are the bay leaves and the garlic
After 15-20 mins, add new water, the drained chickpeas, and cook to desired level.
Add salt at the end and you will have a perfectly serviceable chickpea soup
The one in the pic below is too liquid to be used as a soup, but you want to keep it a little liquid for the use shown later.
Now put it in single portions of soup and store/freeze it.
This way you’ll be able to use it as a soup for one (just reheat and let the excess liquid evaporate) or pasta for two, like so:
Take 1/2 - 2/3 of the portion out and mix it, set aside.
Put the remaining to boil, with added water and salt.
The water needs to be salted in a way that the remaining soup is still edible, but very salty.
This because you will add the pasta later and it will suck up a lot of salt
It also needs to be very liquid, as the pasta will suck up a lot of water.
This is enough pasta for two, because you’ll also have the soup.
If you use a normal portion, it will be too much
Add the pasta.
Beginning:
End
Incorporate the mixed chickpeas:
Stir, add a touch of pepper and olive oil, and voila
It is hard to convey how amazingly good this recipe is.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a perfect example of Italian cuisine: three or four ingredients, easy to make, seems super simple, tastes delicious.
Try it you won’t be disappointed.
Not sure I shared this already, but chickpea soup with pasta is one of my favorite winter recipes ever.
Cheap, excellent, freezes well, has multiple uses.
Drop the dry chickpeas in water for at least 24 hours (careful they inflate a LOT, at least 3x)
Rinse multiple times and drain
Prepare a soffritto with garlic, oil, celery, carrots and bay leaves.
The most important are the bay leaves and the garlic
After 15-20 mins, add new water, the drained chickpeas, and cook to desired level.
Add salt at the end and you will have a perfectly serviceable chickpea soup
The one in the pic below is too liquid to be used as a soup, but you want to keep it a little liquid for the use shown later.
Now put it in single portions of soup and store/freeze it.
This way you’ll be able to use it as a soup for one (just reheat and let the excess liquid evaporate) or pasta for two, like so:
Take 1/2 - 2/3 of the portion out and mix it, set aside.
Put the remaining to boil, with added water and salt.
The water needs to be salted in a way that the remaining soup is still edible, but very salty.
This because you will add the pasta later and it will suck up a lot of salt
It also needs to be very liquid, as the pasta will suck up a lot of water.
This is enough pasta for two, because you’ll also have the soup.
If you use a normal portion, it will be too much
Add the pasta.
Beginning:
End
Incorporate the mixed chickpeas:
Stir, add a touch of pepper and olive oil, and voila
It is hard to convey how amazingly good this recipe is.
It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a perfect example of Italian cuisine: three or four ingredients, easy to make, seems super simple, tastes delicious.
Try it you won’t be disappointed.
Re: Share your recipes
Looks great, thanks. This might be the one I have to try.
My favorite pictures in this series are always of the soffritto. I need to get some soffritto in my life.
My favorite pictures in this series are always of the soffritto. I need to get some soffritto in my life.
Re: Share your recipes
@Seppia: Thank you for your swordfish pasta recipe! I made it with mahi-mahi and I was so pleased and my baby (she's 1) loved it too. It also gave me the courage to try to duplicate a farfalle al salmone dish I used to order regularly at an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles but that I haven't had in years. Just the soffritto with a little tomato and cream. It turned out great too.
Do you have any tips on cutting fish though? I found it difficult to do the mahi-mahi without losing some flesh. In both cases I left out the skin but tried to keep the 'grey' part of the Salmon since I believe it's supposed to be nutritious. My knives are pretty good so I think maybe it's more technique?
Do you have any tips on cutting fish though? I found it difficult to do the mahi-mahi without losing some flesh. In both cases I left out the skin but tried to keep the 'grey' part of the Salmon since I believe it's supposed to be nutritious. My knives are pretty good so I think maybe it's more technique?
Re: Share your recipes
I’ll try post pictures of this next time I cut some swordfish, but in general the best way is to cut a relatively thin (half an inch or a little more) slice of fish, in a way that you have the skin be on the thin side.
Basically you cut in a way that is perpendicular to the muscle fibers.
In this way using a very sharp and pointed knife you just have to slowly slowly eliminate a small “string” of skin.
If you buy frozen, it’s even easier to do when the fish is still partially frozen and hence a bit harder.
I also like to keep the grey part of the meat.
Not sure I was very clear sorry
Basically you cut in a way that is perpendicular to the muscle fibers.
In this way using a very sharp and pointed knife you just have to slowly slowly eliminate a small “string” of skin.
If you buy frozen, it’s even easier to do when the fish is still partially frozen and hence a bit harder.
I also like to keep the grey part of the meat.
Not sure I was very clear sorry
Re: Share your recipes
There was a sale on kale yesterday so I picked up a big bag and cooked it in an experimental way.
Turned out very good, will definitely do it again.
Boil some water and add salt
Then dump the kale and boil for 15 minutes.
Careful: a lot of kale goes into not a lot of cooked kale, so plan accordingly.
I made about 2/3 of a pound, and the final dish picture is all of it.
Drain the kale and throw in icy water to cool down
When cold, drain again
Meanwhile, prepare soffritto with garlic and hot red pepper.
I had some leftover lard so I used it too for added flavor.
Let go on mid for 15 minutes
Squeeze the kale to take out all excess water
Sauté in the pan for 5-10 mine and voila
Turned out very good, will definitely do it again.
Boil some water and add salt
Then dump the kale and boil for 15 minutes.
Careful: a lot of kale goes into not a lot of cooked kale, so plan accordingly.
I made about 2/3 of a pound, and the final dish picture is all of it.
Drain the kale and throw in icy water to cool down
When cold, drain again
Meanwhile, prepare soffritto with garlic and hot red pepper.
I had some leftover lard so I used it too for added flavor.
Let go on mid for 15 minutes
Squeeze the kale to take out all excess water
Sauté in the pan for 5-10 mine and voila
Re: Share your recipes
So a week or two ago I made meatballs, but somehow never posted the recipe even if I took the pics.
I’m working too much as always probably.
By weight you will need, raw ingredients:
2/3 ground meat
1/3 eggplants
The meat should be mixed. I like 1/3 sausage, 2/3 mixed pork/beef (short rib being my favorite).
You will also need a couple eggs, some Parmesan and some flour (either wheat or corn, I used corn).
First peel the eggplants
Slice them thin and add salt, let rest for a couple hours
Adding the salt will take out the water, that is usually kinda bitter, keeping the eggplants sweeter
After the two hours have passed, rinse the eggplants to take out the excess salt, chop them.
Prepare a garlic soffritto
Add the eggplants
Cover with foil and let soften on low flame
Once soft, open and let the water evaporate
Set aside and let cool.
Get to the meat, mix the ground and the sausages (without the skin)
Once the eggplants are cold enough to manipulate, mix the meat, the eggplants, The Parmesan and the eggs
Crush with your hands until it becomes an uniform mix
Prepare a plate with a lot of flour
Heat some 50/50 mix butter/extra virgin olive oil
Roll up the meatballs, cover in flour
Cook for as long as needed
Enjoy!
I’m working too much as always probably.
By weight you will need, raw ingredients:
2/3 ground meat
1/3 eggplants
The meat should be mixed. I like 1/3 sausage, 2/3 mixed pork/beef (short rib being my favorite).
You will also need a couple eggs, some Parmesan and some flour (either wheat or corn, I used corn).
First peel the eggplants
Slice them thin and add salt, let rest for a couple hours
Adding the salt will take out the water, that is usually kinda bitter, keeping the eggplants sweeter
After the two hours have passed, rinse the eggplants to take out the excess salt, chop them.
Prepare a garlic soffritto
Add the eggplants
Cover with foil and let soften on low flame
Once soft, open and let the water evaporate
Set aside and let cool.
Get to the meat, mix the ground and the sausages (without the skin)
Once the eggplants are cold enough to manipulate, mix the meat, the eggplants, The Parmesan and the eggs
Crush with your hands until it becomes an uniform mix
Prepare a plate with a lot of flour
Heat some 50/50 mix butter/extra virgin olive oil
Roll up the meatballs, cover in flour
Cook for as long as needed
Enjoy!
Last edited by Seppia on Tue Apr 10, 2018 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- jennypenny
- Posts: 6861
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Share your recipes
Love the pic!!
I’m definitely trying these. We love eggplant.
I’m definitely trying these. We love eggplant.
Re: Share your recipes
I may have sneaked in a couple drinks while preparing the meatballs, hence the weird pic
- jennypenny
- Posts: 6861
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Share your recipes
Every great recipe starts "First, pour a glass of wine."
Re: Share your recipes
If there are any takers for Indian (south) cuisine, I can share what my mom taught me over the years. I have been vegetarian since Nov '15; so have no problems in sharing both meat based and veggie based foods.
We neither freeze food nor cook from frozen raw materials, given the tropical climate back home and the near non-existence of freezing facilities, so every food is cooked with fresh ingredients and consumed within a day or two (maximum). The hot weather usually spoils the food on the second day, accelerates if we add coconut , so that style of cooking still sticks with me - consume freshly cooked food with fresh ingredients.
We neither freeze food nor cook from frozen raw materials, given the tropical climate back home and the near non-existence of freezing facilities, so every food is cooked with fresh ingredients and consumed within a day or two (maximum). The hot weather usually spoils the food on the second day, accelerates if we add coconut , so that style of cooking still sticks with me - consume freshly cooked food with fresh ingredients.
Re: Share your recipes
I adore Indian food, please post recipes when you have the time!
Re: Share your recipes
@Seppia - sure. I will do.
Meanwhile, do we have a bread recipe which can be baked without oven like in a pressure cooker? I used to bake the NY Times no knead bread while in US, but after moving into a "modern" (older ones have an oven I assume) apartment in Poland which has only induction stoves and no oven, I am forced to buy organic bread from a nearby bakery which is making a dent in my monthly budget.
Meanwhile, do we have a bread recipe which can be baked without oven like in a pressure cooker? I used to bake the NY Times no knead bread while in US, but after moving into a "modern" (older ones have an oven I assume) apartment in Poland which has only induction stoves and no oven, I am forced to buy organic bread from a nearby bakery which is making a dent in my monthly budget.
Lemon juice flavoured rice
Lemon juice flavoured rice
This is a typical main dish that is eaten during picnics since its easier to pack and carry on travels. Since Lemon belongs to citrus family, this is usually cooked during the hot tropical summer months to cool down the body. This one needs a spicy/ hot side dish (which I will post as my second dish in this thread) but nowadays (with the advent of air filled Lays chips packets) getting replaced with the store bought salted/spicy potato chips.
Ingredients
1 cup rice - cooked either thru pressure cooker or the old school boiling method. Let the rice cool down after cooking. Care should be taken to not let the rice clump together. This can be achieved by letting the rice cook in little less water than what is used usually
Juice from 1/2 lemon - of course size varies a lot across the countries, so be careful with the concentration but at the same time, make sure to add a little more juice to compensate for the absorption quality of the rice if left over for extended period of time
3 spoons of oil - whatever oil is locally available
turmeric powder - one pinch
1/4 spoon Urad split gram/bean - Vigna mungo, traditionally the split white ones are used, but now the Organic food movement has turned the tide towards unsplit black ones.
1/2 spoon Split Bengal Gram
1/4 spoon mustard seeds - black ones
Green Chillies - per individual taste and chilly size, if not available, can use dried ones
1/2 spoon salt
Curry leaves - these are to India like Bay leaves are to Europe. Unlike Bay leaves, these can be consumed. Fresh green ones are preferred. If not available like in my case in Poland, dried ones can be used, just a handful
4 Cashew Nuts or ground/peanuts
Asafoetida powder- pinch
===================================================================================
Getting to the nutrients of these individual ingredients - bengal gram & Urad gram provide the usual nutrients expected out of the gram family but as a side effect, they also give flatulence. To not accumulate gas, we are adding asafoetida. Curry leaves are good in Iron. These are shared by mom and will be passed down the generation along with the recipe
===================================================================================
Heat a pan in medium flame and add oil, let it get heated up.
Add mustard seeds, bengal and Urad grams. let these turn light red and let the mustard seeds splutter - your pan and stove environment will start to look like a mini battleground by now
Add Cashew/ground nuts, curry leaves and green chillies and let these get roasted. Now the battleground gets new ammunition to get more interesting lol. Be really careful with curry leaves and the green chillies in that order. If they are green and fresh, we would need to wash them before hand and the combination of those water droplets and hot oil has the potential to harm your fore arms I am joking, but still for untrained hands, keep some distance away from the stove immediately after adding curry leaves in this step. Let these get roasted
Turn down/switch off the stove heat now and add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powders, salt and leave it on the hot stove just for a second to get these two powders cooked. the heat in the pan should suffice for this step.
Add the entire contents of the pan to the lemon juice and add 3/4 spoons of water which makes the extract ready.
Add this extract to the cooked but cooled down rice and serve it after the whole mixture cools down
===================================================================================
Do not re-heat this again as lemon juice will change taste on heating. Consuming these after summiting the hillock temples with the whole landscape in sight back home right on time for lunch still remains as evergreen memory.
This is a typical main dish that is eaten during picnics since its easier to pack and carry on travels. Since Lemon belongs to citrus family, this is usually cooked during the hot tropical summer months to cool down the body. This one needs a spicy/ hot side dish (which I will post as my second dish in this thread) but nowadays (with the advent of air filled Lays chips packets) getting replaced with the store bought salted/spicy potato chips.
Ingredients
1 cup rice - cooked either thru pressure cooker or the old school boiling method. Let the rice cool down after cooking. Care should be taken to not let the rice clump together. This can be achieved by letting the rice cook in little less water than what is used usually
Juice from 1/2 lemon - of course size varies a lot across the countries, so be careful with the concentration but at the same time, make sure to add a little more juice to compensate for the absorption quality of the rice if left over for extended period of time
3 spoons of oil - whatever oil is locally available
turmeric powder - one pinch
1/4 spoon Urad split gram/bean - Vigna mungo, traditionally the split white ones are used, but now the Organic food movement has turned the tide towards unsplit black ones.
1/2 spoon Split Bengal Gram
1/4 spoon mustard seeds - black ones
Green Chillies - per individual taste and chilly size, if not available, can use dried ones
1/2 spoon salt
Curry leaves - these are to India like Bay leaves are to Europe. Unlike Bay leaves, these can be consumed. Fresh green ones are preferred. If not available like in my case in Poland, dried ones can be used, just a handful
4 Cashew Nuts or ground/peanuts
Asafoetida powder- pinch
===================================================================================
Getting to the nutrients of these individual ingredients - bengal gram & Urad gram provide the usual nutrients expected out of the gram family but as a side effect, they also give flatulence. To not accumulate gas, we are adding asafoetida. Curry leaves are good in Iron. These are shared by mom and will be passed down the generation along with the recipe
===================================================================================
Heat a pan in medium flame and add oil, let it get heated up.
Add mustard seeds, bengal and Urad grams. let these turn light red and let the mustard seeds splutter - your pan and stove environment will start to look like a mini battleground by now
Add Cashew/ground nuts, curry leaves and green chillies and let these get roasted. Now the battleground gets new ammunition to get more interesting lol. Be really careful with curry leaves and the green chillies in that order. If they are green and fresh, we would need to wash them before hand and the combination of those water droplets and hot oil has the potential to harm your fore arms I am joking, but still for untrained hands, keep some distance away from the stove immediately after adding curry leaves in this step. Let these get roasted
Turn down/switch off the stove heat now and add the turmeric powder, asafoetida powders, salt and leave it on the hot stove just for a second to get these two powders cooked. the heat in the pan should suffice for this step.
Add the entire contents of the pan to the lemon juice and add 3/4 spoons of water which makes the extract ready.
Add this extract to the cooked but cooled down rice and serve it after the whole mixture cools down
===================================================================================
Do not re-heat this again as lemon juice will change taste on heating. Consuming these after summiting the hillock temples with the whole landscape in sight back home right on time for lunch still remains as evergreen memory.
Re: Share your recipes
I definitely want to try this, thanks for sharing