Italian Breakfast

I am truly not sure why, but breakfast in Italy is sweet. Cake is a traditional breakfast food, and so are cookies and brioche (an easy croissant). I'm always a bit stunned when I hear Americans making fun of the concept of cake for breakfast, mostly because that’s the norm for us!
The typical Italian breakfast is made of a hot beverage, like cappuccino or caffe’, with something sweet to eat- cake, cookies, pastries, brioche, croissants, or toast and jam.
Eggs? Ham? Bacon? THOSE ARE DINNER FOODS! (It seems to hear Nonna!)

Apple cake

Apple cake

 This recipe comes from the pastry kitchen of the hotel Sofitel. A French chef was very unfriendly and always kept in secret his recipes. This Apple cake was one of my favorites so I made a plan to stole the recipe. One day I stayed working at the hotel during the night to prepare the next day breakfast so I had the keys of his kitchen, around 3am I entered there, got his recipe book went to the reception and friendly asked the receptionists if they could make a copy in exchange of some Belgium chocolate. They did and now we can all have this easy delicious cake. The chef was so mean that still makes me feel good about outsmart him and share this recipe as much as I can!

2 Apples (Honey crisp is the best option)

2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
7 oz flour / 200g
1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins (you can soak them in your favorite alcoholic drink if you would like)

1. Grate the apples and reserve it.

2. Mix the eggs and sugar until you have a creamy texture. Add the oil and the flour on the mixture. Add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon and mix a little more.

3. When all the ingredients are homogenised add the apples, walnuts and raisins.  Bake on the oven for about 30 minutes on 350F. Each oven cook different, so keep your eye on the cake!

4. The cake will be ready when golden brown and when you can stick a toothpick inside and the toothpick comes clean.

5. The good thing about this cake is that keeps getting better and better with the days, does not gets dry and you can freeze if you wrap very well in plastic.

Winter Foods!

Lentil Soup with Chestnuts

Calzone or Panzerotti

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Pasta e fagioli alla Veneta

Tortellini Soup

Al Anatra Sauce (Duck sauce)

 Orecchiette al forno with Spicy Tuna

Pierogi

Bigoli dough

Penne alla Vodka

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Traditional Lasagne alla Bolognese

Casunziei

Hungarian Goulash

Arancini

Fagottini alla Zucca with Butter Sage and Pine-nuts

Ingredients

For the dough:
400g of Flour '00' (cake flour) + if necessary
4 organic fresh farmed eggs

For the filling:
400g of buttercup squash
400g of Ricotta
150g of Pecorino Romano
1 sliced onion
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

For the sauce:
6 tbsp Butter
20 Sage leafs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp Pine-nuts

Preparing the dough:
Using a fork, begin mixing in the egg with the flour.  The egg will absorb into the flour and once it has integrated enough and there is not much runny egg left, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continue until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  It should feel similar to kids “playdough.”   Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
Roll the pasta in the pasta machine starting from the thickest mode, progressing one step thinner each time, until desired thickness is reached.

Preparing the filling:
Cut the buttercup squash in cubes and sauté with the onions.
Once the squash is soft and the onions are brown, add all the ingredients in the food processor until paste.

Preparing the Butter, Sage and Pine-nuts sauce:
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a low heat (using olive oil, you avoid burning the butter.)Add the sage leafs and always in low heat until is crispy. Add the pine nuts at the end (Pine-nuts burn easy, so be careful!).

Recipes with Pumpkin

Bruschetta con crema di Zucca e noci

Fagottini alla Zucca with Butter, Sage and Pine-nuts

Ravioli di Zucca

Chestnut Fettuccine with Pumpkin and Bacon

Lasagna di Zucca

Cappellacci di Zucca with Sausage Ragu

Pumpkin coconut spicy shrimps 

Zuccamisu 

Pumpkin Cappuccino 

Pumpkin Cappuccino or Frappucino

Pumpkin Cappuccino or Frappuccino

For one serving:

1/4 cup espresso coffee
1/2 cup of warm milk (Or cold for Frappuccino)
1 table spoon buttercup squash (cooked)
1 tea spoon pumpkin spice
1/8 cup of Amaretto Liquor
Heavy whipped cream (optional)

1 - Blend the milk with the squash, pumpkin spice and Amaretto liquor;

2 - Serve it on the mugs for cappuccino or glass for frappuccino;

3 - Add the coffee. If you would like you can also serve with whipped cream on top.

Classic tomato sauce

Ingredients:

2Kg of San Marzano Tomatoes (Roma/Plum tomatoes)
1 onion
2 cloves of Garlic
1 Carrot
1 stick of celery
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of basil leafs or a tbsp dried oregano

1st step:
-Wash and cut a X on the bottom of the tomatoes. (This will help to peel easy the skin);
-In a boiling pot with just water, add the tomatoes for about 1 minute;
-Take the tomatoes out and peel them.

2nd step:
-Cut the tomatoes in half and take the seeds out.

3rd step:
-Using a blender, make all the tomatoes into a juice (if you would like a chunky sauce, juice a half and cut the other tomatoes in pieces);
-Using a big pot, cook the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil until reduces at list 1/3 of the pan.
-In another pan, sauté the garlic, onion, celery and carrots with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add to the sauce and let cook for at list 30 minutes;

Eggplant alla Parmiggiana

1kg eggplant sliced
3 cups tomato sauce
1 cup grated Parmiggiano cheese
Salt & Pepper
Basil, Oregano, Thyme.
Olive oil

Grill the eggplants in olive oil. After the eggplant is grilled, make layers like a lasagna.

Eggplant-Cheese-Tomato-Eggplant-Cheese-Tomato

Bake for about 30 minutes in 350F.

Stuffed Zucchini

1/2 cup of ground beef/pork mixed 

Zucchini

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup green olives

1/4 cup roasted almonds

1/2 cup parmiggiano

3 tbsp minced mint

1 tsp oregano

fresh mozzarella balls

1. Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned, breaking the beef up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat, and transfer the beef into a mixing bowl. Slice the zucchini in half the long way, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell all around the zucchini. Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and add to mixing bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, garlic, tomato sauce, almonds, olives, and Parmiggiano; mix the stuffing well. Lightly stuff both halves of the zucchini with the meat mixture. Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish, and cover tightly with foil.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove from oven, and remove the foil. Add some sliced mozzarella cheese over each zucchini half. Move an oven rack to within 6 inches of the oven broiler's heat source, turn on the broiler, and broil the zucchini until the mozzarella cheese is browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes

Baked chicken with limes, cilantro and coconut milk

1 whole chicken, cut in pieces
4 tbsp coconut oil or palm oil
5 limes, 3 sliced and 2 juiced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
Chopped cilantro
Crushed red peppers
Salt & pepper

In a baking dish combine all the ingredients together. Using your hands or a big spoon, mix all the ingredients very well. Place the chicken skin facing up, so you have a tender and moist chicken. Bake in 210C/400F for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is brown. Serve with cassava rice or anything you like.

Tip: leave the whole dish marinating overnight. The next day the dish will taste much better.

Lucas's Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

20 ripe roma tomatoes (San Marzano) <----This is the Italian name of the tomato

Salt
Sugar
Oregano
Olive Oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Garlic (optional)
Rosemary (optional)

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half. Put the tomatoes in a tray facing up and sprinkle salt, sugar and oregano on top. Turn in oven on at the temperature of 50C 120F. Bake for two hours (turn off the oven) and let rest for 8 hours, move the tomatoes around the tray and take the water excess off. Bake for another 2 hours and let rest again... Repeat the process until the tomato is completely dry.

In a bowl, put all the tomatoes in gently and hydrate your tomato with balsamic vinegar.  Leave the tomatoes to dry again, this time just in a hot oven that is off.  Place the tomatoes in a jar and cover with olive oil.  Optionally you can add garlic, rosemary, pepper etc...  Make sure everything is clean and do not touch the inside content with your bare fingers (use a fork or spoon to get the tomatoes out).

How long it last!?
- You will have the sundries tomatoes for years if you keep them under the olive oil, if they go bad is easy to recognize because it will taste horrible!

Meatballs with Balsamic sauce

For the meatballs
1/2kg or 1 pound minced pork
1/2Kg or 1 pound minced veal

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tea spoon nutmeg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup of parsley
Zest of one lemon
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl by hand.

Use your bare hands for best results.

Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball

Bake it for about 20 minutes.

For the Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup balsamic

1 tsp tarragon dry or fresh

Remove the meatballs from the pan you bake it on it. Put the pan in high heat and add the balsamic and mix it. Reduce heat and add the tarragon. Then add cream and turn off the heat. Add the meatballs on the sauce and serve it.

Basic Chocolate truffles

            280g good-quality dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

            284ml double cream

            50g unsalted butter

          

Method

.    Chop the chocolate and tip into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter into a saucepan and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point. Remove from heat, then pour over the chocolate. Stir the chocolate and cream together until you have a smooth mixture. Add any flavourings to the truffle mix at this stage (divide the mixture between bowls and mix in liqueurs or other flavourings, a tsp at a time, to taste. Try bourbon, Grand Marnier, coconut rum or the zest and juice of an orange), or leave plain. Cool and chill for at least 4 hrs.

.    To shape the truffles, dip a melon baller in hot water and scoop up balls of the mixture, then drop the truffles onto greaseproof paper. Or lightly coat your hands in flavourless oil (such as sunflower) and roll the truffles between your palms. You could also use a piping bag to pipe rounds onto greaseproof paper.

.    Coat your truffles immediately after shaping. Tip toppings into a bowl and gently roll the truffles until evenly coated, then chill on greaseproof paper. Try: crushed, shelled pistachio nuts; lightly toasted desiccated coconut; or roll a truffle flavoured with orange zest and juice in cocoa powder. To coat in chocolate, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt 100g milk, dark or white chocolate for 10 truffles. Allow chocolate to cool slightly. With a fork, pick up one truffle at a time and hold over the bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the chocolate over the truffle until well-coated. Place on the baking tray, then chill.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To give as presents, place 8-10 truffles in individual foil or paper cases inside small, lined boxes tied with ribbon. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to give them.