Flavorful Wasabi Cannelli Bean Side Dish

Love this one!

2 Tbs mushroom seasoned sunflower oil
1 can cannelli beans drained
1/2 tsp capers
1/4 tsp wasabi sauce (or desired amount)
salt (the key)

Fry in a hot pan constantly stirring until beans are soft and mushy (almost created their own white sauce).

Eat immediately or hot. This was really satisfying just as a quick lunch with a salad.

Roasted Garlic Broccoli Salad

1 head of broccoli in pieces
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
4-5 cloves roasted garlic (as desired)
1/4 tsp chive (minced green onion tops)
1 Tbs fresh parsley chopped
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 cup mayo
1-2 Tbs milk
1/4 tsp salt

Silvia's Four Simple and Delicious Italian Recipes

After a fine dinner at Tarocchi restaurant to celebrate and get to know each other from Martinho Correia's portrait workshop last summer, the vivacious and enthusiastic model Silvia (whom nearly everyone has painted!) got into an excited conversation with me about the most universally uniting subject: food. Scribbled on a rustic placemat she imparted to me some of her favorites. Semplice e buono!

Frittata:
eggs - uove

cream cheese

smoked salami - salumi fumicato

parsley - prezzemolo

sale e pepe

Risotto 1:

1 cup white wine

1 cup risotto

1 piece leek minced

red radiccio chopped

walnuts chopped

continue adding chicken or vegetable broth by the ladle until risotto é finito

finish with parmigiano cheese

Risotto 2:

1-2 celery/sedano minced

1 onion/cipolla minced

1/2 pear/pera diced

white pepper/pepe bianco

salt

1 cup white wine

1 cup risotto

3-4 cups chicken broth or water

top with gorgonzola

Quattro Formaggio

Mix

mozzarella

parmigiano

gorganzola

lo stracchino

Pour over cooked pasta

Bake in oven

The base for many sauces seems to be minced carrot, onion, celery, and garlic.

Buon apetito!

Marilyn's Midwest Corn Chowder

Have to take back what I said about the Chicken Chili, the corn chowder always won out if given the choice. Yet! It was a difficult debate if it was between the Fresh Cream of Mushroom soup...either topped with seasoned homemade croutons. Maybe half a cup each of both, too hard to decide! (Reminiscing and simultaneously mouth watering)

This was an original of infamous Unicorn Cafe in Clinton Iowa which years later one of the waitresses opened up her own cafe with a friend in DeWitt, The Garden Cafe, and the recipe was passed on for the betterment of everyone! Thank you Marilyn and Deb!

6 cups water

9 cups potatoes

1 1/2 cups carrots

1 1/2 cups celery

3/4 cup onion

4 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

6 cups milk

30 oz cheddar cheese

3 cans/ 4 cups creamed corn

Boil water, add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until tender. 

White sauce - butter, flour, milk, add cheese

Combine white sauce with veggies and add corn. Mix thoroughly. 

Enjoy!

Tropical Pancakes (GF)

These are definitely a favorite! Very flavorful and stay hot for quite awhile.

Mix
1/2 - 3/4 cup pineapple pulp (leftover from making fresh juice)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp sea salt
1-2 Tbs honey
1/2 tsp b. soda
4 Tbs blanched almond flour (or less coconut flour)
Whisk
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
Fold together
1/16 tsp nutmeg optional
Fry in Coconut oil on medium heat (flip carefully, it takes skill) preferably thin.
Serve with fresh berries, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Scribbled on a note pad, obviously must return to this budding idea:

1/3 c apple pear pulp

1/4 tsp cinnamon + salt

sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp honey

2 Tbs almond milk

sprinkle with vanilla

...? 

Caramel should be involved at some point, certainly. 

Chocolate Glazed Cut-Out Christmas Cookies

This is my own little twist on the christmas classic, made in an italian kitchen minus the fun shapes. Since I could not make snowmen or reindeer silhouettes, squares or diamonds were a simple and classy alternative. If you wanted to give an extra touch, you can let your cookies cool on rolling pin for a convex shape and drizzle a jackson pollock-esk design on top.

5 cups flour
1 tsp b. soda
1 tsp b. powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg

1 cup 2 eggs (sounds like a bad joke) fill remainder with milk
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (opt. substitute 1/2 cup with brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
opt 1 drop YL lemon essential oil

Mix well and refrigerate over night.

Glaze:

2 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup cocoa powder (as desired)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg

Could always add in ginger or orange instead of lemon.

Enjoy!

Simply Autumn Stew

3 cups homemade beef broth

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 beet

1 carrot

1 potato

1 bunch kale

1 can pinto beans

1/2 red onion

salt

You can embellish it with maybe a bay leaf here or there or an herb of your choice. 

Enjoy!

*Incredibly quick and easy to make (factoring out homemade beef broth time)

Classic Chicken Chili

3 Tbs olive oil

2 onions diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cans cannelli or white beans

6 cups chicken stock

3 cups diced cooked chicken

2 Tbs white vinegar

1 tsp salt and pepper

2 cups monterey jack cheese

It was my favorite soup when I worked at the Garden Cafe. Delicious!

Mixed Berry Wine Risotto [Rice Pudding]

In a skillet, medium/med-low heat:
2 T Butter (replace with coconut oil for diary-free)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

Add liquid 1/2 cup at a time, let absorb before adding more:
1/4 - 1/2 cup Red Wine (quality bottle, aged)
1- 1 1/2 cups Wine wine (box)
Turn up heat to boil off alcohol, then reduce and begin adding:
2 - 2 1/2 cups almond milk
*(1 tsp Mocha Kahlua)

Once rice is cooked, stir in:
1/2 cup sugar (or honey)
1/2-3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (currents, raspberries, blackberries...)

Serves approx. four people.

Experiment and Enjoy!

*Random additions I cannot restrain myself
**Make extra, because invariable you'll end up eating a serving in the process of making it.

Fried Breaded Eggplant with Basil Pesto and Heirloom Tomatoes

Felt like I had stepped into an Italian restaurant, a bit of heaven, but alas it was just my little italian kitchen. :) This was a delicious and spontaneous discovery.

1/2 medium eggplant (meaty variety with less seeds) peeled, ~5/8 thick slices
dust in flour (tap off extra)
Whisk together:
2 eggs
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp herb mix (sage, parsley...)

Dip floured eggplant slices in egg mix and sprinkle with minced garlic
Fry in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until tender to touch (similar to the feel of a raw chicken breast) for a few minutes on each side. (Better option, infuse olive oil with garlic flavor by sauteing garlic and letting sit awhile, remove it and fry eggplant.) Breading is lightly browned.

Spread basil pesto generously and serve with fresh heirloom tomatoes bite-size wedges.

Caution: keeps hot for a long time

No experimentation needed.

Eat and Enjoy!

Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms with Artichoke Cannelli Beans

This can be served with meat of your choice or as a side dish. I would recommend a medium rare steak with this. I ate it alone, vegetarian style. Nevertheless, I am single college student. My expectations for a "well-rounded" are typically non-existent.

High heat to caramelize for a couple minutes:
3 Tbs seasoned oil (from 250g of seasoned artichoke hearts)*
1 medium yellow onion thick sliced
Reduce heat and add:
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup baby portabella mushrooms quartered
Salt and pepper
Set aside and return pan to heat and add immediately:
1 can cannelli beans drained
3 artichoke hearts chopped (more as desired)
salt and pepper
Serve with fresh parsley

*local COOP go-to, for only euro 1.19

Patate Fritte con gli Odori (French Fries with Herbs)

Briefly preheat in 210 C oven:
2 1/2 T olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp fresh rosemary minced
opt sprinkle red pepper flakes
opt sprinkle roast herb mix

Toss and coat thoroughly
2 cups sliced potatoes (french fries size or whatever)
sea salt and pepper

Turn occasionally, cooks in about 15 minutes

To make more of a complete side dish add sliced cherry tomatoes and sweet red onion! Eat along side roasted herb chicken and garlic butter green beans.

Delicious!
Experiment and Enjoy!

Next I want to try a crunchy herb breading/crust or something for the french fries, or maybe I'll do that with zucchini or eggplant.

Fresh Stinging Nettle Tea

2 - 3 quarts boiling water in a big pot

Turn off heat

Add a bunch of washed stinging nettles

Cover and let stand for 10-20 minutes

Strain, cool, and store in refrigerator.
Taste is light and sweet like green tea
Optional: add lemon peel

Not sure what this plant is, but it is growing on a tree behind my apartment building and smells like jasmine. Lovely!

Dijon Curry Stir fry

Fry on medium high heat until vegetables are ready
1 1/2 cups frozen minestrone vegetable mix (green beans, peas, potatoes, carrots, spinach, cannelli beans, onion, celery, red bell pepper)
1 + Tbs olive oil
sea salt and four seasons pepper
Add:
1 egg (pour in center of skillet and stir while cooks, once thickened, mix into vegetables to create a creamy effect)
1/4 tsp curry powder
red pepper flakes
1/8 - 1/4 tsp dijon mustard (thinned mine with some nettle tea I had on the side)

Enjoy!

Asparagus Fennel Soup

The title makes this sound like a simple recipe, but actually there are a lot of unusual ingredient combinations. In my opinion it was very good, but I've learned since adjusting my diet that my tastebuds have been adjusted as well. Experiment and find what you'd like to tweak. I recommend skipping the cucumber juice, it was to tangy and overpowering.

2-3 cups homemade chicken broth
1 medium sized fennel bulb
1/2 red bell pepper
1 cup (+/-) asparagus
juice from 1 small lemon
1/2 cup peas
optional 1/4 cup pickle juice and chopped cocktail dill pickles
1/8 tsp roast herb mix
1/2 tsp (+/-) paprika
salt and pepper

Experiment and Enjoy!

Satisfying Hamburger Vegetable Stew

Precook:
1 cup ground hamburger
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tsp stone ground dark mustard
salt and pepper

3 cups homemade beef broth (with bits of good fat)
1 small yellow onion
1 stalk celery
1 large carrot
(add towards end so to prevent overcooking)
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup fresh parsley
precooked hamburger
salt and four seasons pepper

So.De.li.cious!

This is an easy one to experiment with, the vegetable combination really accents the wonderfully satisfying beef broth. mm mm good.

ENJOY!

Lard Festival in Italy

Io Amo Firenze: Sagra del Lardo di colonnata: Fine agosto.. tempo di sagre. Oltre alla sagra del Tortello a Ronta e a quella della ficamaschia che finisce oggi a Porto Ercole (è un pes...

Asparagus Curry Chickpea Soup

First of all, ...Yum. Spicey, flavorful, with an undertone of subtle sweet, how can you go wrong? [As experimenters we know the opportunities are endless :-P]. You could make this all at once, but I'm dictating here how I ended up going about making it in two batches.

La zuppa prima*
Cook until tender, blend, then strain.
3/4 cup asparagus stems
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
a little salt and pepper (poco sale di marino e quattro stagioni pepe)
herb of choice (non ho ricordo)

La zuppa seconda**
1 can chickpeas (half the water drained)
red pepper flakes (as desired)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Combine: zuppa prima e seconda (per mangiare finalmente)!

Experiment and enjoy!

*may have included additional flavors
**vary amounts according to personal taste.

Yoghurt Desert Filling

You can eat this alone as a desert or there are endless possibilities of using it: filling in chocolate candies, filling or frosting for layer cake, less honey and have with fruit. Peaches, apricots, and plums would be especially nice, maybe even figs!

1/3 - 2/3 cup plain yoghurt interno (personal choice for intensity of flavors)
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp crema vanilla liquor flavoring (got at Florence chocolate Festival)
1/8 tsp cinnamon

or

1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1-2 tsp Chianti
2 T cherry jam

Stir everything until completely blended. Eat or keep going!

Share what you come up with! Wish I could embellish on these but don't have the time, nor should I because of dietary restrictions!!

Keep on experimenting!

Priorities: Releasing Consistent Posting Responsibilities

Since I want to focus all my time on learning everything about drawing, painting, art (-ists and history) and design. See www.facebook.com/angeleneart (recent activity) and www.AngeleneArt.com (official) and please join those that 'like' what I am creating. Hopefully you will be inspired by what you see :D.

Writing and sharing about my beloved hobby of experimental dishes has to be reduced to much fewer, infrequent posts of only my ultimate favorite discoveries. Even then, those posts will be only ingredients, and note reminders on procedure.

Take care, keep experimenting, and have fun!

Creamy Cucumber and Radicchi Salad (plus more)

Mayo

Lemon juice

Honey

Apple Cider Vinegar

Sea salt

Mint optional

(Let sliced radicchi sit in dressing awhile to eliminate any bitterness)

Lettuce

Radicchi

Cucumber

Seriously! 80 half sausages for 5 euros and a bag of frozen spinach for 1 euro has turned into so many meals! With this you get what you see. Red onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, herbs/salt/pepper, in the the spinach.

Spinach Tomato Pizza [GF] with Vegetable Crust

 Did I actually eat it or just photograph it [I have since removed excess photos]? Oh, I ate it alright and quite gladly so. Was using up my remaining diary products before swearing them off until probiotic consumption increases and tolerance improves.

Mix together well and form into round or square shape and bake 230 C (450) for 10 minutes or less on an olive oil coated cooking sheet:
3/4 cup mixed cheeses (parmesan, mozzarella, etc...)
3/4 cup cauliflower, 1/4 cup broccoli with stems, 2 tbs carrot (precooked and shredded)
1 egg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp oregano and basil
FS pepper
2 cloves garlic minced

Toppings:
Sautee on one side:
Red onion
1 garlic clove
Add last minute:
Cherry Tomatoes
Parsley
Sautee on the other side
Spinach

Lemon juice
Basil
Oregano
Add last minute:

Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Red pepper flakes

Have for lunch or supper, it probably took 30 minutes including baking time. Alternately, eat only part of it and save some for breakfast with an egg.

Pizza is like pancakes, easy and quick to experiment with.

Experiment and enjoy!

Spicy Dijon Sausage Cabbage Rolls

Should have written down my "splash and mix" recipe immediately, but hey I'm not perfect.

1/4 - 1/3 cup mayo

1 - 2 tbs dijon mustard

1/2 tsp thyme [timo] (maybe and/or parsley?)

dash red pepper flakes

diced garlic?

lemon juice?

cholula hot sauce?

sea salt

plenty of four seasons pepper

Sautee in skillet:

1 tsp olive oil

2 seasoned (italian) sausages

1 medium red onion sliced

cholula hot sauce

Add last minute to just heat up:

Cabbage leaves from top of sauerkraut batch

Half a sausage with onions and tons of sauce to one cabbage leaf.

Optional, sprinkle with paprika and serve!

Sincere apologies I cannot provide an exact recipe, because it was SO GOOD!!

Raw Vegetable Pasta with Garlic Chicken

[Picture coming soon]

Toss:
1 carrot (peeled completely into strips)
1 zucchini (same as above)
4 button mushrooms sliced
optional sprinkle with lemon juice and sea salt

Cook covered in skillet:
1 small yellow onion sliced
sea salt and pepper
When onion is slightly tender, add:
1/4 cup pre-boiled chicken
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp parsley
*don't over cook onion

Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar

I ate it cold as a packed lunch. Quite good and nutrition :).

Hope you like it.

Breakfast Sweet Fruit Salad

Prepare fresh fruits and toss together:
1 1/2 cup Deseeded grapes (quickly slice width-wise and swipe seeds out with finger)
1 Large Orange
Lemon (peel, break into eighths and slice in half to easily remove seeds and cut into bite sizes)

Eat! (Manage your bites, mix lemon with orange and grapes accordingly so you don't end up with only lemon) Yum yum and fits the Hallelujah diet guide for food combining - grapes (sub-acid) orange and lemon (acid).

Orange Chocolate Yoghurt Pancakes [Gluten-Free]

Another one of those experimental things, but hey that is what I am all about.

I'm working on going raw...ish. Alright two meals out of three a day and fresh juice will be raw. Still keeping my gluten-free creations [pancakes!], chocolate, fermented veggies (a form of raw right?), homemade broths and occasional meats (mineral, amino acid, etc source). Maybe I need to come up with a different name than raw food diet; maybe: GAPS diet with more fruits and veggies. Will come up with something soon.

Mix:
2 yolks
1 - 2 T honey
3 - 5 squares milk chocolate (from bar) melted
1/2 tsp lemon juice or better yet, orange juice, zest, or oil
2-3 tbs orange flavored yoghurt (I used half a single serving cup)
1/2 tsp vanilla (one packet dried)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Stir in:
1/3 cup almond flour (+/-)
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (+/-)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Whisk two egg whites until stiff and fold in.
Sauté in butter (coconut oil distracts)

I ate them plain, but you could serve it with blood oranges and Nutella

Need to make them again to confirm ingredient amounts and increase chocolate/orange flavor amounts (I adjusted the recipe above by guessing). The folded in egg whites really made a difference and could possibly make these as waffles instead.

Experiment and Enjoy!

Thursday's Savory Supper

Opted for the word "Supper" over "Dinner", but now I realize it doesn't matter whether I ate this for lunch or the "evening meal" could have even eaten it for breakfast. It's mealtime neutral.

Anyway this definitely departs from my transition into a raw[/gaps] diet, it was fatty and flavorful. Definitely prompted my new poor etiquette habit of licking my plate clean.

In 1 tbs olive oil, fry intact until halfway cooked:
Seasoned sausage (it was a guess-and-grab at the italian supermercato)
In same pan thaw frozen spinaci cubes.
Slice sausage into bite size pieces, turn to cook on both sides.
Remove spinach and mix in sea salt, pepper, basil, lemon juice, dijon mustard.
Push sausage to one side of pan to keep warm. Crack egg into oil/sausage grease, keep yolk runny but whites crisp; sprinkle with salt/pepper/parsley. Return spinach to pan to reheat for a few seconds.
Plate and eat! Took 10-15 minutes!

Not quite "healthy", but it was REALLY good! Drink a cup of probiotic homemade broth on the side and you have yourself a GAPS meal.

Enjoy!

Not Sure What To Call It Besides Scrumptious!!

Hello All e Ciao a Tutti,

This was spectacular, maybe because it filled my craving, or maybe because it was just delicious and flavorful!

Much to my surprise, brussel sprouts is not a favorite veggie amongst many people - well, I came up with solution to any bitter taste! Pre-boil brussel sprouts in water, apple cider vinegar, and sea salt. Or just add apple cider vinegar to brussel sprouts whatever way you are cooking them. Also be careful to not overcook them - vegetables in general are better not overly soft.

Cook brussel sprouts as described above, drain, slice in half and place cut side down into a frying pan of olive oil (okay not healthy, but umm...whatever). Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, parsley. Melt 2 Tbs butter and add 2 cloves minced garlic. When garlic is done and brussel sprouts are slight crispy, set aside, covered.

1/4 -1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 can rinsed and drain kidney beans
2 tsp cholula hot sauce or as desired
Sprinkle, basil, parsley, (tiny bit oregano) lemon juice, sea salt, parsley
Add 1/2 cup homemade sauerkraut without juice, once sauce and beans are well heated (preserve probiotics). Optional, few cherry tomatoes quartered and tossed in.

Give or take on ingredient amounts based on personal preference.

Place brussel sprouts on plate and pour over. Quick and simple! Mm mm Good.

Experiment and Enjoy!

Share your alterations in the comments below.

Homemade French Dressing Salad

Been really inspired this week by Kristina at FullyRawKristina (youtube) ...Looking to switch my diet to more and more raw foods and detox my system and achieve abundant health and energy!

This still needs tweaked or additional toppings to pull it all together to make it uh-mazing:

Insalata:
Lettuce
Cauliflower
Carrot
Cauliflower
Optional:
Sunflower seeds
Chicken
Walnuts or Pecans
Broccoli
Cucumber
Bean sprouts
Red bell pepper
Sweet cherry tomatoes
celery or celery seed

French salad dressing:
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 - 2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 -2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
Sea salt
Four seasons pepper

Salads are the easiest thing to make - mix and match. The dressing are fun to experiment with also!

Be thankful and love what you eat.

Keep on experimenting!

Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

I got this receipt from TfDiaries

I don't have a measuring cup so it was approximately as follows:
Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C)
Mix well and form into a ball - (hands are a good tool for this):
1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (simmer in water ten minute until soft, drain and squeeze out liquid)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used fine crumbly quattro formaggio [four cheese] mix)
1 egg
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic (I just used two garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
Grease a baking sheet with olive oil,  flatten ball of "dough" on sheet to 1/4" or as desired, and optional brush dough with olive oil.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add desired toppings (sauce, cooked vegetables - mushrooms and onions, prosciutto, more cheese) and place under broiler for a few minutes until cheese is melted on top. (I skipped that step because my sauce and veggies were hot from the stove top which melted the cheese)

Keep on experimenting!

Super Healthy Apple "Caramel" Dip

I'm eating this as we speak....mmm!

Ever have that carmel dip that kind of resembled wax or plastic and is ridiculously sweet? Well, I have and back in the day when I would have it, it was equal portions of apple to carmel. Yum...and yuck all the same time. Don't even want to know how bad that is for the body.

Here is a healthy alternative that is better!

2 T Honey
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 T Lemon Juice
*measurements estimated

You may or may not already know, but the health benefits of these three simple ingredients are numerous! So it is guilt free. Also guilt-free to lick to the dish clean.

Enjoy!

Spicy Pineapple Tomato Soup

Although it seems a little silly to include a photo for tomato soup, I'll put one in here anyway. Why not?

This is a very simple version of what I think could be a more complex and textural soup.

1 can tomatoes is sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice

Mash tomatoes once softened and strain through a metal screen.

Then add:
sea salt
four seasons pepper
dash red pepper flakes

And you are done. Experiment, Eat, and Enjoy!

Great soup to take in a thermos.

Hope to Remember Recipes [HRR]

Since I have homework beckoning me, there will only be pictures and partial ingredient lists with a half-promise to update later. Good luck.

Salmon Salad with Strawberry Cranberry Vinaigrette

Creamy Garlic Chicken Salad

 Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tomato Parmesan with "Squash Fettucine" 

Less-Fattening Eggs Benedict 

Pumpkin Brussel Sprout Chicken Stir-fry

Honey glazed Walnut Salad

Amazing Vegetarian Burrito 

olive oil

red onion

garlic

cholula hot sauce

4 seasons pepper

sea salt

pinto beans

oregano and parsley or basil?

spicy prosciutto

red leaf lettuce

olive oil wrap

Get back to you soon!

Breakfast Steak Arugula Salad

Breakfast? Steak? Leafy greens? Eggs? Did I just use all of those words in the title to describe an actual, edible meal? No, I didn't include eggs (surprises keep things interesting). But yes, it was more than edible it was delicious!

Didn't want you guys, whoever you are, thinking I eat only pancakes and soup. ...Here's the problem lately, if I don't write down my recipe right after making it, its little details and ingredients are forgotten. I end up scrolling through iPhoto drooling and upset because I don't know how to remake it!! 

Since I have homework beckoning me, there will only be pictures and partial ingredient lists with a half-promise to update later. Good luck.

Dressing:

Dijon

Mayo

Lemon

parsley

salt and pepper

...

young Arugula

leftover steak with green pepper sauce

leftover seasoned spinach

2 over easy eggs

If you can't solve the dilemma, at least you can share in the frustration. mwahaha 

Coconut Almond Flaxseed Pancakes

Would you believe it? I actually followed a recipe. Well, at least for the first few pancakes before diverting. My adaptation is an adaptation of elena's pantry recipe, see link here.

Mix:
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 tbs vanilla extract (or one packet vanillina in Italia)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonato di sodio)
Stir until smooth:
1 cup blanched almond flour
[optional] 1/4 cup milled flaxseed
They recommend letting it sit for a 10 minutes to thicken, but I didn't have patience for that.

On medium heat, not too hot and not too low, heat oil and pour out a couple tablespoons worth of batter and spread into round shape. The temperature has to be right otherwise it will burn the surface without cooking through enough to be able to flip. Once the bubbles have formed from the outer edges to the center, take a good spatula and shimmy it to the center and flip very gently. Take care to avoid splattering, tearing, and folding.

Serve with honey butter (miele burro), cinnamon (cannella), and a banana.

Another thing to believe it or not, butter does NOT make everything better! What!?! My world has done a flip flop. Over-dramatization aside, the coconut oil adds a lot of flavor. When I used butter it dulled the almond and flaxseed flavors and made me want to drown it in maple syrup. Without it, I was in [healthy] pancake heaven.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup and Seasoned Spinach

I should change this blog description because I no longer have a fully stocked sanitary kitchen at my fingertips. Currently I am an art student in Florence that has to eat for 12 euros a day or less. My cooking utensils are extremely limited as is my fridge and freezer space. Not to mention, the cleanliness of an aged kitchen shared by four people is questionable. Someday soon I will deep clean (including removing the sticky dust layer on everything five feet up). Making kefir and sauerkraut should be interesting...finding ingredients and space.

Back to what I was saying, my recipes are incredibly simple and affordable to make. Serving size for one person generally. For some recipes I'll put in suggestions of what could be needed for an extra kick of flavor. Cayenne for instance; haven't found it yet at the Coop.

Zucca Zuppa:
Cook until very soft and then blend:
1/4 pumpkin peeled and cubed
1 - 2 cups chicken broth
sea salt
Return to heat and drop in desired amount of tasty extra virgin olive oil.

I am loving these simple recipes because the flavor of the vegetables really comes through. You may have a personal preference to and something else, but for me it was perfetto!

The spinach side was lacking because my salt is not salty for some reason and i spinaci was frozen. Nevertheless...
Spinach
small red onion
1 - 2 cloves garlic
basil
butter
sea salt and pepper

For desert a chocolate bar [which I ate half of on the walk home].

Take care and keep experimenting!

Lesson for today: 100 g of chocolate is too much for one night. Despite my chinese roommate telling me in italian that "mangia poco" I'm feeling very full.