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straight from the tuscan sun September 6, 2010

Posted by molly in : italian, pasta , add a comment

this morning, i was reading the guardian’s word of mouth blog (a favorite) and saw this great post on holiday food and how it translates back at home. it got me thinking about our recent italy trip and how we have been eating some lovely italian meals even since coming home, just to hold onto the holiday feeling!

i love bringing back food items from abroad. after my holiday in greece back in july, i stocked up on halva, olive tapenade, and some of the complimentary turkish delights they had at our hotel before boarding the plane home. in italy, the bits and pieces we brought home were a bit more sophisticated and healthy! i nabbed a small tin of olive oil and an even smaller bottle of truffle oil at the airport, but in castelnuovo (the nearest town to our villa), i picked up a bag of spice mix, found all over tuscany and used for the simplest pasta dish.

we’ve been using this stuff like mad ever since our return. in case you don’t read italian, the ingredients are: parsley, garlic, chili pepper, and salt. that’s it! all nicely chopped and dried and ready to be thrown in some olive oil before tossing with your favorite pasta. we decided to use ours with some prawns – it gives just the right amount of heat and flavor – and served with a pear and goat’s cheese salad.

i thought that you could only find this stuff on italian soil, but it turns out (at least here in london) you can find it in loads of places. try an italian deli – i know of a couple around london. also, i’ve heard there is a stall at borough market which sells it. but hunt it down and keep it in your kitchen for those last-minute meals!

spicy prawn pasta with pear & goat’s cheese salad

serves two

the particulars:

  • 250g of your favorite pasta (we used spelt fusilli)
  • 1 packet of cooked and peeled prawns
  • 2-3 tbsp spice mix (or make your own using dried parsley, dried garlic, sea salt, and chili flakes)
  • several glugs of good olive oil
  • 2 handfuls mixed salad leaves
  • 1 pear, chopped into cubes
  • 1 tbsp soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
  • dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper
  1. cook the pasta according to packet instructions (should not take more than 10 minutes once the water is boiling). in the meantime, heat up a frying pan with some olive oil and the spice mix. once sizzling, add your prawns and toss until nicely browned on either side (careful not to burn the dried herbs).
  2. drain the pasta and toss with the prawn mixture. add more olive oil if necessary.
  3. toss the salad leaves, pear, and goat’s cheese together with the dressing and serve with the hot pasta! grate parmesan on top if you would like.

new grains, old grains September 3, 2010

Posted by molly in : italian, risotto , 3comments

very often, we eat what we’re given – what’s abundant and available. i know this to be very true in the states, but it’s also increasingly the case in england. this is odd, considering the proximity to europe and all of the diverse foods found therein. so it came as a bit of a shock when i had to track down farro in london. farro is to italians what spelt is to us – same thing, different name. it’s an ancient grain which we find most often in flour, bread, or pasta form. i happen to LOVE spelt pasta and flour – it has the exact same consistency as regular wheat flour but is much easier on the digestive system and is far better for your health. let’s take a look at some health benefits of spelt/farro (and other whole grains):*

while on vacation in tuscany, we came across farro salads everywhere – similar to the quinoa salads we love to make at home. once i tracked down a bag of farro back home in london, i thought it would make a nice substitute for rice in a risotto-type dish. and after a bit of googling, it seemed i wasn’t the only one with that idea! farro risotto is everywhere – but the word “risotto” is a bit misleading. it is nothing like the consistency, texture, or flavor of a typical risotto, and it certainly isn’t made in the same way. but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a wonderful dish for dinner. with autumn fast approaching, give it a try (if you can find some farro for yourself!) – but if you can’t find the whole grain, pick up a bag of spelt pasta or spelt flour and try it instead of the regular stuff next time you’re having an italian dinner or baking something delicious. you might love it!

here’s my first attempt at farro risotto – it’s a definite keeper. the nuttiness of the farro combined with the slight sweetness of the squash and the punch of herby goodness? it all works together really well. even phil loved it and he’s a risotto fanatic.

farro risotto with butternut squash

serves two; recipe adapted from good housekeeping

the particulars:

  • olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup farro (could use brown rice instead – increase stock amount)
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 2/3 cup vegetable stock in boiling water
  • 1/8 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/8 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • optional: 1/8 tsp chili flakes
  1. in a large skillet or wok (which has a lid), add some olive oil, the onion, and salt & pepper. cook until the onion is tender.
  2. add the farro and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly
  3. add the white wine and cook until absorbed
  4. pour in the hot vegetable stock, thyme, and rosemary. cover with a lid and heat to boiling point. then stir in the butternut squash pieces and reduce the heat. cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the farro is just tender (mixture will be soupy). you may need longer depending on the type of farro you have.
  5. uncover and cook 1-2 minutes longer over a very high heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. remove from heat and stir in the parmesan, parsley, and red chili flakes (if using).

* i am not a medical professional, but i am studying to become a nutrition consultant. if you have any questions or would like any more information, please feel free to email me or leave a comment. any nutrition advice i offer on the blog is supplemental to any medication you may be taking for a pre-existing condition.

what about spelt? May 15, 2010

Posted by molly in : italian , add a comment

one of the most common food allergens is gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains. we’re seeing a lot more gluten-free goods on supermarket shelves and finding “gf” next to menu items in restaurants. but i have somehow managed to escape it on my intolerance list. i do feel a difference in my body when i eat gluten as opposed to avoiding it, but it certainly doesn’t affect me in the way the other three allergens do. yet i’ve come across so many people who have cut it out of their diet, including my own mother!

why it has affected her and not me, i’ll never really understand. but something i do know is that spelt flour is far gentler on my stomach than regular flour. if you’ve read through some of my recent baking recipes, you may have noticed that i have mostly been using spelt flour. this is great because it is easily substituted for regular flour – it acts in the same way. but, a word of warning: spelt is NOT gluten-free. this is why i have a “wheat-free” tag but not a gluten-free one. the wheat-free tagged posts on this blog either contain spelt or no flour at all. i have attempted to bake with gluten-free flour mixes, but it is very difficult and requires quite a few extra ingredients and tweaks to create a good consistency. i admire the gluten-free bakers in this world!

but something i tend to cheat with is my pizza. i just cannot be bothered to make my own pizza crust – it requires warm, soft hands (i don’t have those) and making sure the measurements are just right. this is why i love biona’s spelt pizza crusts. (sidenote: i promise they have not paid me to say this! i just genuinely love them!)

whenever phil and i make pizza at home, i always try and pick these up. they come in handy packs of two – that’s perfect for two individually sized pizzas. but while the crust might not be homemade, the sauce always is. evens it out a bit, i like to think!

last night, we did very simple cheese and tomato pizzas – using spelt bizza bases of course – with a homemade tomato sauce, a few sun-dried tomatoes, basil and spinach leaves, a couple of chopped black olives, and some generous slices of cheese (goat’s for me, mozzarella for him).

i also put anchovies on mine, an ingredient i used to be repulsed by until recently. this seems to be the case for a few other foods too: fennel, anything spicy, artichokes, olives. anyone else noticed their taste buds maturing recently?

but i digress.

if you’re based in the uk and don’t have a health food store nearby, goodness direct is brilliant and sells all kinds of stuff, including my beloved spelt pizza bases. if you find yourself feeling slightly iffy after eating something containing flour, give spelt a try. it may be just the change you’re after!

fancy pizza night March 13, 2010

Posted by molly in : italian , 1 comment so far

most people go out on a friday night – it’s the start of the weekend and you can lie in on saturday. what did i do? made some delicious pizza with my fiance and watched an adorable movie on the couch. and after the week we’ve had, i have no regrets about staying in. we were out practically every night this week, so it was a well-deserved evening of rest. i think we were both pretty exhausted.

now phil is off coaching a football (soccer) game, while i have spent the morning at bfm buying some lovely fish and veggies for dinner tonight. AND some spelt flour! phil’s lovely aunt and uncle bought us a bread maker for our engagement gift. i am so excited to use it – which is why i bought the spelt flour. always wanted to make some yummy wheat-free bread without all the kneading and rising nonsense! it’s like magic!

but it’s really wonderful whenever the isle of wight guy shows up at the farmer’s market. he’s got a very weird and wonderful stall, with everything from homemade jars of chutney and jam to lovely fresh garlic to bags of flour. and the best part is – he’s got spelt and gluten-free flours too! love to shop locally :)

anyway, on with last night’s pizza combos. oh man this was good. and FANCY. the ingredient choices were inspired by a recent visit to fire & stone, where they make a pizza with similar toppings (the “melbourne”). we used ready-made whole wheat pizza bases – everything else i did from scratch. phil used pesto and mozzarella on his – i had tomato paste and grated goat’s cheddar. and the result? well you can’t see me right now, but i’m doing that italian thing where you kiss your fingertips and then release them and fan them out. molto bene!

sweet potato, sweet onion, & pine nut pizza

the following amounts make more than enough for 2 individual pizzas (mine’s the one in the front below…)

the particulars:

  1. preheat the oven to a high heat – we used gas mark 7 (about 425F).
  2. toss the sweet potato cubes on a roasting tray with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and put it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until softened and slightly charred on the edges.
  3. prepare the sweetened onions: cook them in some olive oil in a small saucepan until nicely softened, then add the brown sugar and balsamic and continue to cook until very wilted and reduced.
  4. keep the oven on while you arrange the toppings on your pizza. i started with a spread of olive oil and tomato paste, followed by the sweet potato and sweet onions, then some pine nuts, tomatoes, a sprinkling of goat’s cheese, and then some spinach leaves placed on top.
  5. on a thin baking tray, cook the pizzas in your oven for about 15 minutes – until cheese has melted and lightly browned.
  6. slice up and serve!

lesson learned: even though i didn’t make my own crust, this was still a gorgeous homemade pizza. definitely using that combo again!

melanzane alla awesome February 12, 2010

Posted by molly in : italian , 4comments

i love recipes that only contain 5 or so ingredients. no matter how long it takes to make, the fact remains that it will be a simple dish that won’t cost loads or require a massive amount of time and effort and shopping. i also love recipes that take a seemingly unhealthy dish and turn it into something surprisingly good for you. not to mention, allergy-friendly.

(by the way, isn’t that a weird phrase, allergy-friendly? it’s like saying “yes, we welcome you, allergies. please sit down and have some tea.” no! it’s the opposite! but you can’t call something allergy-hateful…)

so last night’s dinner was just this – something i loved as a kid, but can never ever order at a restaurant now. that is melanzane alla parmigiana, or “eggplant parm” if you’re from philly. the original would be a couple of huge slices of breaded eggplant, smothered in tomato sauce and melting parmesan cheese. the one i made last night has no breading, and uses grated goat’s cheddar instead, but you could easily make this dish vegan by substituting a soy cheese.

necessary: fresh basil. don’t even bother making this if you don’t have any.

baked eggplant italiano

leave yourself about 2 hours to prepare this. i’m serious. also, i have no idea why i’m making this face:

the particulars:

  1. lay the eggplant slices on a chopping board or baking tray. sprinkle some sea salt over each slice and place another chopping board or baking tray on top. place a heavy weight on top and leave to press for two hours. meanwhile, pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a medium pan and fry the garlic and onion until it begins to color. add the passata and simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. season and leave to cool.
  2. after the eggplant slices have been pressed, rinse them and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a griddle pan and when it’s very hot, add the slices and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. add more oil by the spoonful as necessary during cooking and when turning the eggplant over. drain on paper towel.
  3. heat the oven to 400F/gas mark 6. arrange the eggplant slices in a small ovenproof dish and spoon the tomato sauce over each slice. scatter the basil leaves, then the cheese over the top and bake for 20 minutes. serve nice and hot!

lesson learned: i had to look up the difference between tomato passata / puree / paste. it’s all on the useful terms page now, but there is quite a difference between them, especially for this recipe!