Sage Roasted Eggplant with Orange Fennel Salad and Black Pepper Caper Sauce

I have never been the biggest fan of eggplant, but this blew me away. Perfect consistency,  full diversity and harmony of flavors. Completely satisfying.

(Could have done better presentation perhaps, but was hungry)

Primo
Fennel, medium spring onion, orange sliced. Drizzle with olive oil, red wine vinegar. Add sea salt and black pepper.

-
Secondo
Eggplant (italian variety with less seeds) sliced in half, stap holes to insert garlic slices and olive oil
Drizzle and rub with olive oil
Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, minced sage, dried oregano leaves

200 C for 20 minutes. Near finished, cut again into quarters and turn over for few more minutes. Turn again, lay on pecorino cheese slices, turn off oven and let melt.

-
Mayonnaise, sourcream, capers (a little juice), lemon juice, salt, sugar, black pepper (heavy), four seasons pepper (opt), spicy chili powder.
(quicker, lighter hollandaise sauce)

If you prefer a lighter palette than it is just as good without the sauce and cheese, you can sprinkle with a little parmesan instead. If you decide to eat the fennel salad on the side, it helps freshen the flavor experience so you do not get bogged down with the flavors of eggplant. Eat bite is savory and enlivening.

Enjoy!

Rajma - Kidney Bean Curry

2 tbs Ghee or olive oil
1/4 cumin seeds
pinch garam marsala
until pops

2 med red onions sliced
2 tbs garlic ginger paste
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbs chili powder

1/4 tsp all spice
2 tbs ginger garlic paste
add a little water
1/4 tsp all spice

1/4 c. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp fine salt

lower heat
1/4 c. milk or heavy cream (helps reduce spice intensity)
cooked kidney beans with 1/3 cup remaining water (as desired)

1 tbs fresh/dried cilantro leaves

Serve with tortilla* or basmati rice

Fresh carrot celery juice on the side

Compliments of Shikha! Best cooking lesson

KLM Carl Siegert Dutch Bread

Whole Wheat Bread - Volkorenbrood

Ingredients:
4 cups whole wheat flour (500g)
2/3 Tbsp salt (10g)
1 1/5 cups cold tap water (300ml)
1 1/2 Tbsp Live Yeast (20g)
additional 1/2 cup (100ml) water
olive oil

Preparation:
Mix the flour and salt in a pile on flat surface. Make a well in the middle, make sure that all sides is an even thickness. The well should measure about 8 inches across (about 20 cm). Dissolve the fresh yeast in the water, by rubbing the yeast between thumb and forefinger until it's dissolved. Add the water slowly. Using the tips of your fingers start amalgamating the edges of the flour with the water and keep mixing until it starts forming a thoroughly mixed dough.
Start kneading the dough. Knead for 15 minutes (you can also use a mixer with a dough hook attachment). Add up to 1/2 cup of additional water, making sure the dough is wet but sloppy. after 15 minutes dough should feel wet and supple (spongy) but not sticky.
Form a ball with the dough and wrap it in a clean, warm, damp tea towel. Allow to rise for 30-45 minutes at room temperature. The dough will increase by about 1/3 volume. Remove the tea towel, pummel the dough with your fists and then form it back into a ball, wrap in the tea towel and again allow to rise for 30-45 minutes. Grease a bread tin with olive oil. Wet the work surface, remove the tea towel from the dough and press flat on work surface. Form the dough into a sausage shape and place in bread tin. Cover the bread to rise for another 30 minutes until increased by 1/3.
Preheat oven to 428 degrees F (220 C). Reduce temperature to 392 degrees F (200 C0 and place bread in oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the bread and allow to cool on wire rack.

Carl Siegert
bakkers sinds 1891

I had this on the way home from Hamburg as a chicken salad sandwich. It was one of the best slider sandwiches I have had, let alone on an airplane. KLM was a good airline to fly with.
]

Roasted Pumpkin with Sage Cinnamon Lentils and Sweet Red Onion Bacon

The title sounds flavor intense and appropriately so. Despite the long name the recipe is actually simple and pretty fast to make. Ten hours at school leaves me very little time when I get home at night to cook a proper meal. Speed is a natural requirement.

The weather has been very rainy in Florence. The Arno river is full and surging and creeps up higher on the banks every day. Eating something warm and cozy at night has the same effect as sitting in front of a fire in a big sweater and cup of hot cocoa.

Bake your choice of pumpkin or squash
(mini pumpkins for fun individual servings)

2 cans lentils drained and rinsed
1/4 cup mixed mushrooms (or portabella)
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/8 tsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp minced sage leaves
salt and generous amount of four seasons pepper (quattro stagioni)
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (too taste)

Sautée sweet red onion
crispy bacon crumbs
Sprinkle on top to serve

Please share you alterations and/or reviews.

Enjoy!

Sugar Pastries

These are NOT healthy. BUT, so delicious.

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups milk
6 cups flour
1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
1/4 cup light oil (sunflower, etc) [avoid excess grease absorption]

Drop spoonfuls to fry in oil. Flip to crisp both sides. Drain on paper towel and toss in sugar.

Perfect for holidays and with tea.

*Tulla's recipe

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!