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.