Pasta alla boscaiola

If you want a first course with an autumn flavor, pasta alla boscaiola is the one for you, let yourself be enveloped by the scent of the forest with porcini mushrooms, I chose the dried ones because I love their scent and I used guanciale instead of bacon or sausage but I assure you that the result was excellent.

Ingredients

20 g dried porcini mushrooms

90 g guanciale

100 g cooking cream

Half a golden onion (medium)

1 dried red chili pepper (spicy)

chopped parsley to taste

200 ml tomato puree

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (a little)

250 g penne rigate 

Steps

First of all, soak the mushrooms in hot water for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate. In the sautéed pan, brown the diced guanciale in two tablespoons of oil until crispy. When the guanciale is ready, remove from the pan momentarily. At this point, brown the chopped onion and the chili pepper wedges in the same pan with the fat released by the guanciale. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms cut into strips and well squeezed and the chopped parsley. After a few minutes, add the tomato puree and a pinch of salt (remember that the guanciale is already savory) and let the sauce dry slightly. Remove from the heat and add the cream, return to the heat and leave to flavor. Cook the pasta and when it is ready, stir in the sauce, a little pasta cooking water, finally add the crispy bacon and serve.

Preservation

It is recommended to consume as soon as it is ready but if you wish it can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for Max a day.

 

Octopus carpaccio

Octopus carpaccio is one of the best appetizers that exist in our kitchen, fragrant and light also ideal to serve as a second course, it may seem strange to you but just a few steps, an empty plastic bottle and you're done.

Ingredients

1 kg of rock octopus

1 sprig of parsley

1 clove of garlic

1 hot pepper

1/2 lemon (juice only)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 pinches of salt

Preparation

First clean the octopus, remove the eyes and the central beak, rinse thoroughly under running water, then bring plenty of water to a boil and initially immerse only the tentacles three times so they curl and then immerse completely and cook for 40-45 minutes, the meat must be easily penetrated with the tines of a fork. Cut the top of the bottle (the narrowest part) with scissors and make holes in the base to release all the cooking liquid. When the octopus is ready, let it cool in its cooking water, once cooled place in the bottle on the side of the head and then continue with the tentacles, press everything with the help of a meat mallet or with the bottom of a glass to let the liquid out, at this point seal the bottle by folding it on itself and close with an elastic band. I recommend that you place it in a tray and let it rest in the freezer overnight, after the necessary time remove it from the freezer and keep in the refrigerator to thaw (always in the tray). Remove the octopus from the bottle with the help of scissors and slice with an electric knife or with a slicer or sharp knife. Place the slices in a glass bowl and add the garlic cloves, chopped parsley, cracked chili, salt, filtered lemon juice and sprinkle with oil, place back in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 2h.  Leave a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

 

Chicken Palermitano

Dear friends, today we prepare together a variant of the classic Palermo cutlets: the chicken cutlets, soft, light and fragrant! Unlike the classic cutlets, which involve breading with egg and frying, the chicken (but also beef) Palermo have a less full-bodied breading, and are cooked in the oven or on the griddle. They are therefore also light but certainly more delicious than the classic grilled 🙂 slice. Perfect as a second course, accompanied by a nice plate of sandy potatoes or a delicious Sicilian red cabbage salad, Palermo-style cutlets are also very popular with children precisely because of the simplicity of their taste and the softness of the meat. You can season the breadcrumbs in the basic version, as in my recipe, or flavor it with capers and aromatic herbs: the choice is yours!

Ingredients

700 g chicken breast (slices)

150 g breadcrumbs

30 g parmesan

parsley

salt

black pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Procedure

First, salt the chicken breast slices, season them with a drizzle of oil and massage them with your hands to flavor them. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and season them with a handful of chopped parsley, grated cheese and a pinch of black pepper. Dip the slices in the breadcrumbs, making sure to bread the entire surface well. Heat a non-stick plate and, when it is hot, place the slices inside. Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes on each side, turning the meat a couple of times to prevent burning. Turn off the heat and serve the chicken Palermo's with a drizzle of raw oil and, if you like, a splash of lemon juice. Alternatively, you can cook the Palermo-style cutlets in a preheated convection oven at 180° C for 12-15 minutes, turning the meat halfway through cooking.

Notes

You can make the breading tastier by enriching it with aromatic herbs, chili, lemon zest and / or capers.

 

Swordfish with citrus fruits

Finally we are in full citrus season, and I love them! I had already bought some, then my mother-in-law gave me others... I have a house full of them! So I thought of putting together tangerines, oranges and lemons to create a nice seafood recipe: swordfish with citrus fruits! Cooked like this, the fish is soft, juicy and fragrant and is ready in no time: here is the recipe!

Ingredients

4 slices Swordfish

2 Tangerines

2 oranges

1 lemon

1 tbsp Brown sugar

50 g flour

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Black peppercorns

Chives

Preparation

Squeeze the oranges and lemon and strain the juice. Peel the tangerines and pass through a mixer, then obtain the juice with a sieve. Combine with the orange and lemon juice. Dissolve the brown sugar in the juice and add the peppercorns. Put the fish in a bowl with a pinch of salt and citrus juice, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this time, remove the fish from the marinade and dip the slices in flour. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan and brown the fish over high heat on both sides, then deglaze with the citrus juice. Lower the heat and cook until the sauce is reduced to a cream, turning the fish occasionally. Turn off the heat and top with a handful of chopped chives and serve. Enjoy your meal!

 

Prawns in white wine 

Dear friends, today let's see together how to prepare a very simple but impressive dish: prawns in white wine, a real pleasure! Prawns in white wine are prepared quickly in a pan and are a perfect second course to present even for the holidays, or simply to close (or open, since if you want you could also serve them as an appetizer!) a nice fish dinner. You can use both fresh and frozen prawns, but of course the former give more satisfaction! Personally, I prefer to clean the prawns first by removing the legs and the central marrow, but you can also cook the prawns whole, leaving them to your guests to clean them up, or you can cook them without shell. So let's see together how to prepare prawns in white wine in a pan!

Ingredients

12 king prawns

2 cloves garlic

1 cup white wine

salt

black pepper

parsley

Procedure

First, clean the prawns from the legs with scissors, then cut them on the surface with a knife to be able to remove the marrow without shelling them. Crush two cloves of garlic with the blade side of a knife, then brown them in a large pan with a drizzle of oil. Add the prawns and cook for 2 minutes on each side, then add the white wine. While you are evaporating the wine, season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Turn off the heat and complete with a handful of chopped parsley. You are ready to enjoy your prawns in white wine!

 

Neapolitan sandwiches

A well-known song by Pino Daniele is dedicated to Fortunato, who tene 'a rrobba bella, referring to the delicacies he used to sell around Naples by transporting food on a specially used stroller. He was well known for his excellent taralli suet and pepper and more. Neapolitan sandwiches, also known as pagnottielli or pagnuttielli, were one of the many specialties that he promoted in the streets, drawing attention with a whistle, screams or a bell! These are soft sandwiches made with pizza dough - sometimes enriched with a little lard just as it is used for tortano or casatiello - which are stuffed with eggs, sausages and mozzarella. An original way to reuse leftover leavened dough and which has given rise to myths and legends about this preparation. There are those who prepare them as we present them, those who instead like a stuffed sandwich and even those who propose balls from which the pieces of filling come out ... lard yes, lard no is purely discretionary. In short, our research stopped at some point but we are sure of one thing: Neapolitan sandwiches are among the Neapolitan street food that you will hardly be able to resist!

INGREDIENTS

for 8 buns

Flour 450 g

Water 125 g

Whole milk 125 g

Fresh brewer's yeast 15 g

Lard 20 g

Salt up to 10 g

For the filling

Mortadella whole piece 125 g

Neapolitan salami whole piece 125 g

Spicy provolone 125 g

Boiled eggs 4

Pecorino Romano PDO to be grated 30 g

Black pepper to taste

for brushing

Egg yolks 1

Fresh liquid cream to taste

Preparation

To prepare the Neapolitan sandwiches, first pour the crumbled yeast and water into a large bowl. Stir with a fork to dissolve it, then add the milk. Also add the salt and about 2/3 of the flour. Then mix with a wooden spoon, then add the remaining flour and mix again. When the flour has been completely absorbed, transfer the dough to the surface; Add the lard and knead until you get a homogeneous mixture. Form a ball and put it in a bowl to rise, covering it with plastic wrap. Let it rise for a couple of hours or until doubled. Meanwhile, take care of the filling. Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover them with water and cook them for 9 minutes from boiling. Meanwhile, cut the salami and mortadella into cubes and cheese. As soon as the eggs are cooked, cool them under running water and shell them. Cut them into slices and mash them with a fork in another bowl. Add the cubes of cold cuts and cheeses and mix. When the dough has doubled in volume Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and with the help of a little flour roll it out until you get a 40x35 cm large rectangle. Pour the filling and distribute it with your hands evenly. Add plenty of black pepper. Sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese. Roll up on the shorter side. Once finished, close the ends well, sealing it with your fingers. Transfer to a tray lined with parchment paper and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. After this time it will be easier to cut it into 8 equal pieces. Place them gradually on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Beat one egg yolk with a little cream or milk and use it to brush Neapolitan sandwiches. Bake in a preheated static oven at 200 ° C for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving.

Preservation

Neapolitan sandwiches can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days. However, we recommend heating them before serving.

Advice

Instead of lard you can use the same amount of extra virgin olive oil, or even the same amount of butter. To make the dough, if you prefer, you can replace the milk with the same amount of water. You can use the cold cuts you prefer and also choose other types of cheeses.

 

Pinsa romana

Pizza, focaccia, piadina, bread... Only she was missing: the pinsa romana! Pinsa is a recent very good invention, a successful leavened product that has been popular for years now in restaurants and bakeries, in the capital and beyond! It is a very hydrated dough, with a long leavening (you will have to be patient and the more you have it, the more exceptional the result will be!), obtained with a special mix of special flour: durum wheat, rice, soy flour. Give it an oval shape, pre-cook the base and then season it as you want... The mythical and timeless daisy? Broccoli and sausage for foodies? Parmigiana style for the most voracious or a gourmet version with mortadella, pistachio and...? The choice is yours, the more flavors there are, the nicer it will be to share the pinsa at the table!

INGREDIENTS

For the dough 

Pinsa flour 1 Kg

Fresh brewer's yeast 7 g

Water (cold from the fridge) 750 g

Salt up to 20 g

Extra virgin olive oil 20 g

for sprinkling

Re-milled durum wheat semolina to taste

PREPARATION

Before starting the pinsa dough, the water must be put in the fridge: it must be very cold. In a large bowl, pour the pinsa flour, then the crumbled fresh brewer's yeast. Then pour 700 g of water gradually and stir with a spoon, until completely absorbed. Transfer the dough to a work surface, without flouring, and start kneading. Don't be afraid if the dough is very rough at first. Don't be in a hurry and you will see that by handling you will get a smoother and rather compact dough. Transfer the dough to a bowl and make 3 incisions with the knife: this operation is used to better absorb the other ingredients to be added. Then pour in the salt, oil and the remaining 50 g of cold water, the latter to be added a little at a time, while you continue to knead. Always work by hand in the bowl for a few minutes, to absorb well. You can also move to the countertop and give a few bracing folds if you prefer. The dough will already be smoother. To make it even smoother, you can leave it in the bowl covered with a cloth for 15 minutes. After the indicated time has elapsed. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour for pinsa. Turn the dough over on the surface and fold like this: gradually take the edge of the dough and bring it back towards the center. You will see that the dough will start to become smoother. Then turn it over and form a ball, rolling on the surface to seal the closure well. Transfer the dough back to a bowl, this time oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours. Then transfer to the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. Once you go to pick it up it will be very puffy and airy. Prepare a bowl with semolina. Then take out portions of the dough of 250-300 g with slightly moistened hands. You will have to do it by literally "choking" the dough. Lift one part of the dough from underneath with one hand and cut off with the other, almost like mozzarella. Transfer each piece of dough with the smooth part to the semolina, then close each loaf: make a fold bringing the flap closer to you towards the center of the dough, repeat the same operation with the flap at the opposite end, then staple as if to create a seam with thumb and index finger. Then turn the loaf 180° and again, fold the lower flap towards the center, fold the upper one and close again by pinching with your fingers. Take the sealed portion, turn it over on the work surface and swirl with both hands, with rotating movements and towards you so that the part you have sealed with your thumb and index finger closes even better. Place the paniello on a tray, with the smooth side facing up. Continue like this for others as well; Maybe you can use containers for leavening or large baking dishes to be sealed well then with cling film. The portions should not be too close together. It will take about 3-4 hours at room temperature to double. When it is almost time to roll out and cook the pinsas you can prepare the ingredients for seasoning. We show you how to make the "parmigiana" dressing, for example. Wash and slice the eggplants, then cut them into cubes and dip them in the flour, then remove the excess by sifting. Fry in hot oil (at 170° to be measured with a kitchen thermometer) until golden brown. Then drain them gradually on a tray lined with paper for fried food. Prepare the tomato puree by adding only a drizzle of oil and salt (if you like them and to taste), then cut the mozzarella in strips. If you want to cook the pinsa so that it is well boiled, crunch it on the outside and soft on the inside, you can use the refractory stone and heat it in the oven (in grill mode at maximum heat) for 1 hour. After the last leavening time of the loaves, take one and place it on a work surface sprinkled with a lot of semolina. Sprinkle with semolina even on the surface. Starting from the edge closest to you to go up, or the top edge to go down, press lightly with your fingers to crush the dough. You will have to press by placing your fingers almost parallel to the work surface, gradually the air will be distributed over the dough. Give it a shape that is as rectangular, oval as possible. While gently lifting the dough, try to remove the excess semolina. Transfer to the blade lightly sprinkled with semolina and give it even more oval shape, about 33-35 cm long and 20-22 cm wide. Bake for about 7-8 minutes in grill mode at maximum power, placing the pinsa on the refractory stone: this is pre-cooking. Season your pinsas as you like. For the "parmigiana" dressing, first add the tomato puree, then sliced mozzarella, then fried eggplant and then bake for another 2-3 minutes always in grill mode, the time that the mozzarella melts (so see if your oven needs less time). Complete as desired with grated ricotta and basil leaves. Serve your pinsa romana.

 

Escarole pizza

Pizza: "a great love and nothing more"! We worked it to obtain a fragrant and long-matured dough; We fried it in the Neapolitan way and presented the mini version of the fabulous pizzelle (or montanare). We could not fail to offer you another cornerstone of this family of leavened products from Campania: the escarole pizza! A fragrant shell that hides a filling of steaming escarole, Cetara anchovies and Gaeta olives. All kneaded and assembled artfully by the Master baker Franco Pepe. If the casatiello is the king of the table in the days of Easter, the escarole pizza is a specialty that the most "true" Campanians love to taste for lunch on Christmas Eve, but which can also be prepared during the rest of the year in particular in the months when escarole is on the market with a bright and lively green color! Your escarole pizza while still hot will certainly have an edge, but it will also be fragrant if served at room temperature for an original appetizer! We are sure that you will fall in love with this dough by following Franco Pepe's instructions and if it is not escarole season, don't worry: you can use it to prepare delicious fried pizzelle!

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for the dough

Flour 700 g

Water at room temperature 500 Ml

Fresh brewer's yeast 4 g

Salt up to 20 g

for the filling

Raw curly escarole 100 g

Pitted Gaeta olives 60 g

Desalted capers 20 g

Anchovies in oil in fillets 10 g

Extra virgin olive oil 10 g

for brushing

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation

To prepare the escarole pizza, first pour a little of the amount of water at room temperature indicated into a small jug. Add the fresh brewer's yeast and stir with a teaspoon until it dissolves completely. Let the yeast rest and in the meantime place about 30% of the flour on one side of the cupboard (or the wooden or glass bowl that you will use to knead); The sideboard is a rectangular wooden container, which can withstand the temperature of the dough well and allows it not to stick to the edges. Also pour the water at room temperature into the other side of the cupboard, avoiding pouring it directly on the flour. Then add the salt to the water and with your hands untie it. When you no longer feel any grains to the touch, start mixing the flour inside the cupboard with both hands. Pour in a little more flour and gradually mix it with the water with your hands, with rotating movements. When you have inserted about 50% of the flour, add the previously dissolved yeast. Continue adding more flour a little at a time. Continuing to knead with your hands making a rotating movement until you have incorporated it all. Making the dough by hand allows you to better adjust its consistency in order to understand if it is necessary to add flour or not. At this point, continue to work the dough inside the cupboard for 10-15 minutes until it is smooth and homogeneous. Now all that remains is to let the dough rise, leaving it in the cupboard (or bowl) and gently cover it with a slightly damp cloth in contact with the surface of the dough. Let it rest for at least 4 hours at room temperature, away from drafts. After this time, the dough will be well risen; Sprinkle with a little flour and with the help of a tarot transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half then add a little flour and give each portion a spherical shape. Place them in two different bowls, previously sprinkled with a little flour. Cover again with damp tea towels and let it rest for another 2 hours. In the meantime, preheat the oven to maximum power. Desalt the capers by rinsing them several times under running water, cut the escarole by removing the most tender part, then rinse and dry it. Then take one of the two doughs, transfer it to the lightly floured surface and flatten it with your hands, giving it an oval shape and helping yourself with a little flour. Repeat the same operation with the other loaf, taking care to obtain two discs of the same size. Place about half of the escarole in the center of one of the two discs, leaving at least a couple of cm free around the edge. Then add the whole desalted capers, pitted Gaeta olives and season with a drizzle of oil. Add the anchovy fillets by breaking them up with your hands and finish with the escarole kept aside. Place the other disc of dough on top and by pressing lightly with your fingers, seal the end well. Using a pastry cutter, trim the edges by cutting the excess of dough and remove it by gently pulling it with your hands. Paying close attention to the curly escarole that could pierce the dough at this stage, lift the escarole pizza and transfer it into a non-stick pan. With a brush soaked in oil, grease the surface of the pizza very gently. Bake the pizza in a preheated static oven at maximum temperature for about 12-15 minutes. Then take it out of the oven and serve your escarole pizza. 

Preservation

Once cooked, the escarole pizza can be kept for a maximum of 2 days; alternatively it is possible to freeze it once it is completely cold. The dough alone can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours; alternatively it is possible to freeze it before the second leavening.

Advice

Add raisins and pine nuts to the filling for an even richer taste! Do not throw away the dough scraps! They are perfect for making small calzones!

Pizza dough

Soft with a swollen crust or crust (as they call it in Naples). Low and crunchy, high and soft: pizza has many faces, today we show you the most classic, common and perfect one to make at home in a few hours. The pizza dough that we propose, in fact, rises for about 6 hours: you can therefore organize yourself to prepare it during the day and enjoy it in the evening with the toppings you prefer. A simple basic recipe for a homemade pizza that is prepared with a few ingredients and then garnished as you see fit, perhaps even giving it an unusual shape, such as our soft pizza donut. Are you ready to get your hands in the dough? Today we discover all the secrets to prepare pizza dough, also perfect for preparing a delicious rustic pizza!

INGREDIENTS

Flour 300 g

Water at room temperature 300 Ml

Salt up to 10 g

Fresh brewer's yeast (or 1.5 if dry) 4 g

Preparation

To prepare the pizza dough we have chosen to knead everything by hand, but if you prefer to use the mixer you can follow the same procedure, using the hook at medium-low speed. First pour the two flours into a bowl, crumble the yeast inside and pour in a little of the dose of water. The ideal water temperature is 25°. Mix with a wooden spoon and slowly add the water. Always continue stirring and when you have added about half of the water you can also add the salt. Then add the remaining water, always slowly, until you get a homogeneous mixture; help yourself with your hands to work it better. Finally, transfer the dough to the work surface and knead it with your hands until it is smooth and homogeneous. Once you have obtained a nice smooth dough, let it rest on the work surface for about ten minutes, covering it with the bowl. Once rested, give it a small fold: imagine that the sphere is divided into 4 parts, take the end of each one, pull it gently and fold it towards the center. Then give the dough a fold. Turn it over, give it the shape of a sphere. Transfer the dough thus formed into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise. For convenience you can put the bowl in the oven off but with the light on, so the inside will reach a temperature of 26-28 °, ideal for leavening; Alternatively, you can also keep the basin in a warm place. The times are approximate because each dough, temperature and weather conditions influence the leavening: on average the dough should take 6 hours to double in volume. After the rising time, the dough will be nice and puffy, then transfer it to the work surface and divide it with a tarot into 3 pieces of 265 g. If you need it, you can lightly flour the work surface. Now take each portion and as you did before, lift a flap of dough and bring it inwards. Then do the same thing for the other 3 flaps of dough. Then stretch the dough by folding it on itself and proceed with the pirlatura: pirlatura the dough means turning it with your hands on the work surface bringing it towards you and then moving it away repeatedly until you get a smooth and regular sphere. Gradually transfer the loaves to a previously greased pizza box, cover with the lid and let them rest for another 30 minutes, before you can roll out the pizza dough and season it to your liking!

Preservation

Once the dough has risen, it must be cooked. If you prefer to store it, you can reduce the amount of yeast, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it mature in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. After the time has elapsed, simply let the dough acclimatize and then continue as per the recipe. Once the pizza dough has risen, it can also be frozen, preferably already divided into portions, and stored in a freezer bag. Then simply let your portion thaw at room temperature and continue as per recipe. If you prefer, you can also freeze the pizza semi-cooked: just do half cooking, let it cool and finally freeze it by wrapping it in plastic wrap; then just cook it, still frozen, at a slightly lower temperature.

COOKING TIPS

You can cook the pizzas individually. In this case, after rolling out the first pizza, you can bake it at 250 degrees for 6 minutes with just a drizzle of oil. After 6 minutes, take it out of the oven, season the pizza and cook them for another 6 minutes. We always recommend the use of a refractory stone. If, on the other hand, you prefer to make a pizza in a pan. With these doses you can make a pizza in a large 30x40 cm pan. In this case you will not have to make the 3 loaves, but only one. We recommend baking it at 250° for 25-30 minutes.

 

How to make perfect fried turnovers

Dear friends, today let's see together how to make perfect, crispy and crumbly fried panzerotti! For those who, like me, love fried foods (I wonder how you can not love them!!), panzerotti are a real pleasure! Of course, you can stuff fried panzerotti in a thousand ways, I propose the most traditional ones, which you can also enjoy in various Sicilian rotisseries, and that is with a filling of ham, cheese and a pinch of tomato sauce: I can't tell you what hot hot and stringy goodness! The dough is very similar to that of pizza and, as for pizza, I recommend using a little yeast in favor of a slower leavening: you will benefit in digestibility! And... before asking me "Is it possible to make them in the oven?" (however the answer is yes!), remember that a good fried, dry and not greasy, for once is good for the mood! Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

For the dough

250 g flour (or other strong flour)

250 g Re-milled durum wheat semolina

3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

1 g Dry brewer's yeast (or 3 g of fresh yeast)

300 m l Water (approx.)

8 g Salt (a level tablespoon)

For the filling

200 g Cooked prosciutto

300 g Scamorza cheese (provolone)

100 ml Tomato puree

Salt

Oregano

For frying

1 l Peanut oil

Preparation

Prepare the dough about 5-6 hours before when you want to enjoy the calzones. Put the flours in a bowl and add the oil. Dissolve the yeast in the water and add it to the flour. Add the water in a trickle, working with two fingers to mix the ingredients. The amount of water indicated may vary slightly depending on the flour used. When all the flour is blended, add the salt, transfer the dough to a pastry board and knead it for about ten minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Form a ball, then place it in a bowl greased with a drizzle of oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size (4-5 hours). Divide the dough into 12 parts and roll them out with your hands trying to give them a regular shape. Place the ham and diced cheese in the center of each disc of dough and complete with a teaspoon of tomato puree, a pinch of salt and oregano. Close each disc on itself and seal the edges well with your hands. Cut out the excess dough and then decorate the edges by embroidering them with your fingers. Alternatively, crush the edges with the tines of a fork. Place the calzones gradually on a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Heat plenty of peanut oil in a saucepan and, when it is hot (do the bread crumb test: if, throwing it into the pan, it sizzles, the oil is ready), fry the calzones on both sides, not too many at a time so as not to lower the temperature of the oil. When the panzerotti are golden, place them on paper towels and serve.

 

Caramelized fried fruit

Caramelized fried fruit is one of the classic desserts found in Chinese restaurants. I must say that it came out better than I expected! It is a dish that does not involve the use of added sugars (except of course for caramel!) because the natural sweetness of the fruit, wrapped in a crunchy batter and enriched by the delicious touch of caramel, is the master... the problem was getting it on the plates with all the petty thieves who were around while I was frying!

Ingredients 

1/2 pineapple

1 apple

2 1/2 bananas

1 lemon

2 eggs

150 g flour

1 sachet yeast

1 pinch of salt

200 ml water

300 g sugar

Oil for frying

Sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation

Cut the fruit into chunks and sprinkle a little lemon juice to prevent it from blackening. Divide the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg yolks with the water and add yeast and flour. Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt and add to the mixture. Fill a saucepan with plenty of oil, when it reaches the temperature dip each piece of fruit in the batter and immerse in the boiling oil. Place on paper towels. Prepare the caramel by melting the sugar over low heat in a saucepan.

In the meantime, toast a handful of sesame seeds. Place the fruit in small bowls, pour the caramel over them and decorate with sesame seeds. Put two long crossed chopsticks that will serve as cutlery and decoration.

 

Pumpkin soup with mushrooms

Dear friends, today we prepare together a warm and enveloping recipe: pumpkin soup with mushrooms, with all the scents of autumn and winter! I really love pumpkin creams (I also often prepare pumpkin soup with chickpeas), both with pasta and accompanied by crunchy croutons: normally I make the base by adding potatoes to make the cream more full-bodied and then I indulge myself with the toppings! For my pumpkin soup with mushrooms I used only mushrooms which are delicate, quite cheap and easily available, but nothing prevents you from using more valuable and tasty varieties.As a variety of pumpkin you can use the one you have at home, the aromas and the degree of sweetness will change a little but, since the pumpkin is reduced to cream, there are no types not recommended. This cream is perfect as an evening comfort food, but served in small bowls it can also become a delicious appetizer to serve for a dinner with friends! So let's see together the few and simple steps to prepare a perfect pumpkin soup with mushrooms!

Ingredients 

700 g pumpkin

500 g potatoes

1/2 onion

400 g button mushrooms

1/2 cup wine

2 cloves garlic

rosemary

extra virgin olive oil

salt

black pepper

Procedure

First, prepare the ingredients: remove the skin and seeds and internal filaments from the pumpkin, then cut it into chunks. Peel the potatoes, rinse them and cut them into pieces a little smaller than those of the pumpkin. Cut the onion into thin slices and brown it in a large pot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprig of rosemary. Add the pumpkin and potatoes and cook for a few minutes over high heat. Cover with water flush with the vegetables, add salt put the lid on and lower the heat. Cook for at least half an hour or until the pumpkin and potatoes are well cooked. In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms. Remove the base, which is full of soil, and clean the outside with a damp cloth or paper towel. Cut the mushrooms into slices. Crush the garlic without peeling it with the side of the blade of a knife. Brown the garlic in a pan with a drizzle of oil, then add the mushrooms and brown for a few minutes over high heat. Season with salt and deglaze with the wine, then lower the heat and cook for about ten minutes. When cooked, turn off the heat. When the pumpkin and potatoes are cooked, blend in a mixer or with a hand blender. Put the soup back in the pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until the desired degree of density (if it is too liquid, just keep it still on the heat, if on the contrary it is too thick, just add a ladle of water). Pour the soup into the plates and add two tablespoons of mushrooms to the center of each plate. Complete with a drizzle of raw oil and serve accompanied by crispy croutons, which you can also prepare at home by browning cubes of bread with a knob of butter or a drizzle of oil. Enjoy your pumpkin soup with mushrooms ready to be enjoyed!

 

Sicilian orange frost

Dear friends, today let's see together the recipe for Sicilian orange frost, a fresh and light dessert without milk or butter that can be prepared in a few minutes. Frost is a sort of pudding very prepared in Sicily in a thousand delicious variations. The most famous ones are lemon frost, almond frost and, in the Palermo area, melon frost, but they can be prepared with many types of fruit and more: I often make it with strawberries and coffee too! The characteristic of gels is that they do not contain gelatin: in fact, wheat starch is traditionally used to thicken them (which can be replaced by corn or rice starch). The citrus ones are my favorites for their very pleasant sour note: a nice orange frost is perfect after a rich Sunday lunch with family or friends! I like to complete it only with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios, but if you want you can make your orange frost even more delicious by decorating it with the chocolate topping. So let's see the few simple steps you need to prepare this traditional Sicilian dessert! 

Ingredients

400 ml water

150 ml orange juice (about 1-2 oranges)

orange peel

100 g sugar

40 g wheat starch (or rice or corn)

Procedure

First, peel the oranges and put the peels in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the water flavor for half an hour. In the meantime, squeeze the oranges. Add the starch to the orange juice and let it dissolve well inside. Remove the peels from the water. Pour the sugar and orange juice into the water. Cook over low heat, stirring often with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. After 8-10 minutes, when the cream is thick enough but not lasting, turn off the heat and transfer to the molds. Let cool and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. When ready to eat, gently remove the frosts from the molds and place them on plates. Garnish with chopped pistachios to taste and serve. Enjoy your orange ice creams they are ready to be enjoyed!

 

Pasta with prawns and turmeric

Dear friends, today we prepare together spaghetti with shrimp and turmeric, a light, creamy and tasty first course! If you follow me you will already know how much I love shrimps: I would also eat them for breakfast! In the first courses I like them so much: I also often prepare shrimp carbonara, too good! In this recipe, the taste of shellfish is enveloped by the delicate scent of turmeric, creating a unique explosion of flavors on the palate! Turmeric is a spice that I love very much: in addition to being good for health, in fact, it gives a beautiful color to dishes and aromatizes them in a very delicate way. Although it is super creamy, pasta with turmeric prawns does not require the addition of cream or other fats: the trick is to finish cooking the pasta in a pan with the sauce and a ladle of cooking water. In this way, in fact, the starch released by the paste will thicken the liquid part, creating an irresistible cream! Let's see together the few and simple steps you need to prepare it.

Ingredients

350 g pasta

300 g shrimp (preferably fresh)

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 cloves garlic

1 cup white wine

extra virgin olive oil

salt

chili pepper

parsley

40 g breadcrumbs (or homemade grated stale bread)

Procedure

First, clean the shrimp by removing the head and carapace, then remove the central wicker (if you want you can consult my tutorial on how to clean shellfish), then rinse them under plenty of running water. Crush two cloves of garlic without peeling them with the side of the blade of a knife, then brown them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the prawns and cook them for a couple of minutes over high heat, then add the turmeric, let it flavor and blend with white wine. Season with salt and add a pinch of chili. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water and in the meantime toast the bread in a non-stick pan. Drain the pasta a couple of minutes before it is cooked and add it to the sauce in the pan with a couple of ladles of cooking water. Cook over low heat until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has thickened. Complete with a handful of chopped parsley, put on plates and add the breadcrumbs on the surface before serving. Enjoy your meal, your pasta with shrimp and turmeric is ready to be enjoyed!

 

Fried Riding Hood's (capputtedda)

Dear friends, today we prepare together an inevitable dish in the traditional fish menu of the Sicilian tradition: fried cappuccetti, which in my area we call capputteda or capputtedda, a real whim that, as we say, "Fa cala cala...!". Cappuccetti are nothing more than a mix of cuttlefish and small squid, which are eaten whole. Frying is "the death of them", but to prepare them in a workmanlike manner, crispy and dry, you need a few small tricks: a good cleaning and above all a good drying! These small marine shellfish tend to retain a lot of water, which is the enemy of frying, so you have to dab them for a long time and bread them several times, until you feel your hands dry, otherwise you will fry them soft and full of oil! Fantastic in combination with a nice fried fish, capputtedda are absolutely among my favorite foods, I could eat them by the kilo!

Ingredients

500 g cuttlefish (and squid)

150 g re-milled durum wheat semolina flour

150 g breadcrumbs

300 ml peanut oil

salt

lemon 

Procedure

First, put the cuttlefish and squid in a colander. Rinse the capputtedda individually by removing the central cartilage from each one and, if they are not very small, also any entrails. Traditionally, being very small, we do not deprive the little riding hoods of the eyes, but if you prefer you can detach them with scissors. As you clean the cuttlefish and squid, place them in a second colander. At this point, shake them a little to remove excess water and let them drain for about ten minutes. Spread two layers of paper towels on a surface and pour the capputtedda over them, trying not to overlap them, then cover with more paper towels and pat dry with your hands. Turn the layers upside down and then gently remove the top layer, being careful to remove all the fish from the paper. When you have completed this operation, put the riding hoods back in the colander. In the meantime, mix the breadcrumbs with the flour in a bowl. Add a handful of breading to the squid and stir. Proceed in this way several times, adding a little breading at a time, until you feel your hands dry. Heat three fingers of peanut oil in a saucepan and, when it is hot, fry the first handful of capputtedda.  In a few minutes they will become golden and crispy! Remove them from the boiling oil with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent paper.  I recommend that you change the paper towels a couple of times so as to prevent the squids most in contact with the paper from becoming soaked in oil and softening. When you have fried all the capputtedda, salt them and complete to taste with a few drops of lemon juice. Serve hot with a good glass of cold wine.

 

 

Vegan fruit tart

The journey continues through the veg recipes of chef friends who have chosen plant-based cuisine for their personal and professional expression. This month I propose the recipe for a dessert I would say not only Green & Veg but also "evergreen" – a classic of classics – that is the fruit tart in its vegan version. 

INGREDIENTS

(For the short crust pastry)

500 g organic flour of your choice

100 g light

brown sugar 250 g vegetable butter of your choice cold

salt 

a pinch bourbon

vanilla limoncello dop a spray

(For the custard)

250 ml of vanilla soy vegetable drink

50-60 g of brown sugar

30 g of cornstarch

vanilla bourbon

a pinch of turmeric for coloring

(For the finish)

fresh seasonal

fruit mint leaves agar

agar jelly

PREPARATION

Prepare the pastry the night before use, putting the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla in a planetary mixer. With the leaf tool, start turning at idle. Once the ingredients are mixed, add the chopped cold vegetable butter. Turn for a few minutes increasing the speed. Add the limoncello a little at a time until the dough becomes compact. When it sticks to the leaf, stop immediately and place in the refrigerator covered or better vacuum-sealed. The next day, prepare the custard by mixing the ingredients and bring them to a boil for a few minutes, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. Cover the cream and let it cool in the fridge. In the meantime, prepare the base of the tart, rolling it out to the desired height and piercing it before baking it in a convection oven at 160° for 40 minutes. Once cooled, blend the custard for about a minute at maximum power, which has hardened. Garnish the base when it is cold with the cream and fruit. Polish with plant-based gelatine and finally garnish with a few mint leaves.

 

Trentino-style strangolapreti

Not to be confused with strozzapreti, strangolapreti alla trentina are gnocchi made with stale bread and spinach: discover the recipe and why they are called that. Strangolapreti are a typical dish of Trentino and have something in common with both dumplings and spätzle, two other famous Trentino specialties. They are, in fact, gnocchi prepared with stale bread soaked in milk and eggs and then kneaded with flour and spinach. The only certainties about this preparation are the recipe and the way to serve them, that is, with plenty of melted butter and grated cheese. Enjoy your meal!

Ingredients

200 g stale bread without the crust

200 g spinach leaves

150 g milk

60 g onion

40 g flour

30 g butter

2 pcs eggs

sage

salt

Grated Grana Padano

Procedure

For the recipe for strangolapreti alla Trentina, cut the bread into small cubes. Add the milk and eggs, then cover with a cloth and let it rest for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Wash and blanch the spinach in plenty of salted water, cool, chop and sauté in a pan with the butter and chopped onion, then add them to the dough. Also add 80 g of grated Grana Padano and then the flour. Let it rest for another 1 hour. Form the strangolapreti into large oval gnocchi and cook them in salted water for a few minutes, draining them in any case when they come to the surface. Arrange them on plates, sprinkle them with Trentingrana and sprinkle with plenty of melted butter and sage previously fried in a pan.