Pumpkin burger

Today I suggest you try the appetizing and tasty PUMPKIN BURGERS! Healthy and genuine, also perfect for children. They can be prepared in a few simple steps. It is a light main course, but so good that you will lick your lips. You can decide whether to cook them in a pan, in the oven, or fried! A vegan alternative to classic burgers? Appetizing and tasty, they can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days closed in an airtight container.

Ingredients

400 g pumpkin (cleaned)

50 g Parmigiano Reggiano

1 egg

120 g breadcrumbs

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt

Pepper

1 spring rosemary

20 g pumpkin seeds

 corn flour

breadcrumbs

Preparation

Cut the pumpkin, remove the seeds and skin, then cut it into small cubes. Sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil, garlic and rosemary. Add salt and pepper and cook for 10/15 minutes, or until well cooked, add a drizzle of hot water if necessary. After the cooking time, transfer it to a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the egg, grated cheese, breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds. With your hands, take a portion and shape well into burgers, then dip them in breadcrumbs. This ingenious tool might also come in handy. Next, bread them in the cornmeal and breadcrumb mix. Heat a frying pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and cook your burgers for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Alternatively, you can also bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 200°C in static mode.

Tip

To make them even tastier, you can replace the pumpkin seeds with cubes of speck.

 

Pistou soup

Pistou Soup is a staple of Provençal cuisine. It is a convivial summer soup that is usually enjoyed with family or friends! Soupe Au Pistou is a traditional Southern French soup usually made with summer fresh veggies like zucchini, tomatoes and green beans that are simmered with slowly simmered white beans and potatoes and usually pasta.  Soupe Au Pistou is sort of like the French cousin to Minestrone soup with a dollop of pesto on top.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium potatoes

2 large peeled tomatoes

18oz - 500g baby green beans

1 x 14oz - 400g can of cannellini beans (drained)

1 x 14oz - 400g can of borlotti beans (drained)

7oz - 200g small macaroni or pasta shells

1 cup - 60g Grated Parmesan cheese 

2.2 quarts - 2 liters of water

Steps

Snap off tails and tip any dry ends of each bean. Cut up the green beans in small dice. Peel and dice the potatoes. Peel and dice the tomatoes. Add cut vegetables to a soup pot, cover with water, season with salt and pepper and leave to gently simmer for 30 minutes. (hint: make the pesto while the soup is cooking). For the pesto, in a mortar and pestle of small food processor, add the basil leaves with a little salt, peeled garlic cloves and crush into a paste. Mix in 4 tbsp of olive oil and mix into a paste. To the soup, add the cooked (drained) cannellini beans and the borlotti beans. Add the dry pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Approx. 10-15 minutes. Check for seasoning, add more salt if required. Turn off the heat, and mix in the soup, all the pesto. Serve with some grated cheese directly in the centre of the plate. You can also drizzle a little olive oil and plucked small basil leaves.

 

PORK LOIN IN ROAST PORCHETTA

Pork loin in roast porchetta is a typical second course recipe from the Marche region, with robust and tasty flavors. Pork is made fragrant by aromatic herbs, such as fresh wild fennel and rosemary, sprinkled with vin cotto, which is a typical wine product of the Marche region. In addition, leaving the rind during cooking not only gives a full-bodied taste to the roast pork, but allows you to make the rind itself crispy like that of the famous porchetta di Ariccia. The recipe for pork loin in roast pork is a specialty to be served at important lunches such as Christmas holidays, Easter (as an alternative to lamb), holiday lunches, or as a traditional Sunday recipe when the whole family gathers.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg pork loin

3 cloves of garlic

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

3 fresh sage leaves

50 ml extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

200 ml white wine

500 ml vegetable stock

500 g potatoes

1 onion

1 carrot

1 celery stalk

PROCEDURE

Take the pork loin, make cuts on the surface and place 2 minced garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary and 2 sage leaves inside. Season with salt and pepper over the meat. In a frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil and sauté the pork loin on both sides until golden brown. Deglaze with the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery to the bottom of the pan and sauté together with the pork loin. Stir in the vegetable broth and the remaining sprig of rosemary. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes until the meat is cooked through and soft. In the meantime, peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes and cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan with the pork loin. Cook everything together for another 30 minutes. Plate up and serve hot accompanied by seasonal vegetables. Enjoy your meal!

Pork loin is a tasty and versatile dish, but for maximum flavor, it's important to make sure the meat is cooked perfectly. Some useful tips to understand if pork loin is cooked:

Use a meat thermometer: The most accurate way to check pork loin for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and check the internal temperature. The ideal temperature for pork loin is 70-75°C. Check the color of the meat: A cooked pork loin should have a dark golden-brown color on the outer surface and soft pink on the inside. Use the pressure method: with your fingertips, gently press down on the meat. If the meat is cooked, it should be firm enough but not tough. If it is still soft, let it cook for a few minutes longer. Check for juice: If you gently press the meat and see clear juice coming out, it means that the pork loin is cooked perfectly. If, on the other hand, the juice is pink or red, let it cook for a few more minutes.

 

Beef Stroganoff 

Beef stroganoff is a delicious second course of Russian origin made with beef cut into pieces and cooked together with onion, well wilted, and button mushrooms. The peculiarity of Stroganoff is the addition of sour cream at the end of cooking, which binds the flavors together and combines well with all the ingredients. There are two legends around the origin of this dish: some report that it was first prepared by a French chef, personal chef of the Russian count Pavel Stroganoff, who added sour cream to the classic beef fricassee to make it closer to the count's tastes. The dish was successful and was named after the Count, in his honor according to a tradition of the time. Others report that Stroganoff was the name of the doctor who cured Tsarina Maria's herring poisoning with a diet of beef, onions, and sour cream. Beef stroganoff is a full-bodied and flavorful dish that is ideal for a hearty meal...

INGREDIENTS

White onions 500 g

Champignon 500 g

Butter 50 g

Sour cream 80 g

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Parsley to chop 2 Tufts

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Vodka 45 ml

Tomato puree 50 g

Water to taste

Flour to taste

Beef pulp 1 Kg

PREPARATION

To prepare the beef stroganoff, start by slicing the onion very finely; then clean the mushrooms well and cut them into slices; Finally, cut the beef meat into strips, about 5 cm long. In a large non-stick saucepan, sauté the onion for 10 minutes with 25 g of butter, taken from the total dose: the onion must become transparent and if it dries out a lot, add a few tablespoons of water. Add the mushrooms to the pan as well  along with a couple of tablespoons of parsley and finish cooking for another 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. In the meantime, flour the strips of meat and cook them with a drizzle of oil and the remaining 25 gr of butter in another pan over high heat; As soon as they start to brown, blend with vodka and continue to cook. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and onions to the meat and finally the sour cream and tomato puree. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring the ingredients together with a spoon, until the cream is well blended. Beef stroganoff is ready to be served!

Tip

If you like, you can add a couple of tablespoons of mustard at the end of cooking, with the sour cream and tomato puree.

Wine experts think this Italian Barolo wine would be a match made in heaven with this dish. 

Barolo 'Bussia' 2019 – Rinaldi

The nose is rich in facets, including aromas of wild strawberry, dried flowers, balsamic hints of mentholated and orange peel. On the palate it develops harmoniously on an enveloping tannic texture. The finish is of good persistence. Fermentation is spontaneous and takes place by the action of indigenous yeasts for about 25 days in Slavonian oak vats.

Whether its grilled, stewed, roasted, meat balled, or a flame-grilled patty, look no further for wine inspiration when eating the world’s favorite red meat. "Steak" is many a food lover's favorite word, and this flavorful meat has so much potential when it comes to wine pairings. Whether you're throwing a ribeye on the grill, slow-cooking boeuf bourguignon, or whipping up your favorite meatballs, my pairing guide will show you sensational pairings for this succulent meat. The key to picking a mind-blowing pairing for grilled steaks starts with the tannins: you need a wine with a tough enough tannin base to stand up to the meat's juicy, intense grilled flavor.

Most steaks have a traditional salt and pepper seasoning, so that's where we're going to start. Think pepper and lots of it, throw in some herbaceous elements (basil, fennel, tarragon) and now you're talking. Seek out a peppery Australian Shiraz, Californian Syrah, or if you want to "parlez-vous français", get your hands on a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is another of my favorite dishes, the basis of which is a rich, creamy sauce oozing with flavor. There are different styles of stroganoff (using cream, sour cream, or even Greek yogurt for a lighter touch) and it's important to pair based on the richness of the dish. For a lighter stroganoff that doesn't use cream, I recommend searching for a Barolo.

Birra Peroni

Birra Peroni is an Italian brewery owned by the Japanese Asahi Group since 2016. Founded in 1846 in Vigevano by Francesco Peroni, its two main products are Peroni, a light pale lager beer with an alcohol content of 4.7°, and the Nastro Azzurro, a premium lager beer with an alcohol content of 5.1°.

Twenty-five years after its foundation, the Peroni brewery was transferred to Rome in 1872 and during the twentieth century it became one of the most important brands of Italian industry. There are currently three production facilities in Italy: in Rome, Bari and Padua. The fourth generation of the Peroni family worked there, however in 2003 Peroni was acquired by the South African company SABMiller, the world's number 2 in beer production by volume. The production of Birra Peroni was 4.7 million hectoliters in 2005 and about 5 million in 2013.

Peroni beer is the historic product of the brewery, marketed in bottles and cans of 33 cl, 50 cl and 66 cl. Abroad, it is sometimes referred to as the Peroni Red.

Since 1963, Peroni has also been producing a second beer, the Nastro Azzurro. The brewery celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of this beer in 2013. The name, meaning "blue ribbon" in Italian, comes from the Blue Ribbon won by the Italian liner Rex in 1933. This beer is drunk between 3 and 5 °C and the brewery focuses its advertising on the freshness of the drink (through a marketing approach oriented towards the mountains and snow).

In 2016, Asahi acquired the Peroni, Grolsch, Meantime and related assets from SABMiller for $2.55 billion. The latter divested itself of the company to meet the requirements of the competition authorities in the context of its acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Peroni sponsors the motorcycle sprint Grand Prix, an Italian team is called Team Nastro Azzurro. In April 2019, as the final stages of the Italian Rugby Union Championship were about to be played, the competition changed its identity and was renamed Peroni Top 12 with immediate effect, following a three-year contract with the brewery.

 

Bismarck-style asparagus 

A fleeting delight of spring, asparagus goes perfectly with eggs: here is the most classic of recipes, Bismarck-style asparagus. Asparagus is as good as it is fleeting: in season in spring, it appears in March and then disappears with the first sultry days. For this reason, when they are on the market stalls, you must immediately take advantage of them. Purifying and draining, asparagus is rich in water and potassium, stimulates diuresis and helps eliminate excess toxins, just what we need in the change of season. To cook asparagus there are many ideas: the most classic, easy and quick, is the combination with eggs as in the recipe for asparagus alla Bismarck, an Italian dish but which bears the name of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck who is said to have been very fond of eggs. For this preparation, simply clean and boil the asparagus, cook the fried eggs, then serve by placing the asparagus next to the eggs and season everything with melted butter and Parmesan cheese. The dish is ready!

Ingredients

1 Kg asparagus

120 g butter

50 g grated Parmesan cheese

6 eggs

lemon

salt

Procedure

For the Bismarck-style asparagus recipe, peel the asparagus by removing the stringy part of the stems, then tie them in bunches and boil them in a saucepan with boiling water, salted and acidulated with a slice of lemon. Drain them well and divide them between 6 individual plates, previously heated. Separately, in a frying pan, melt a spoonful of butter and cook the eggs in it. Place them next to the 6 portions of boiled asparagus. In the same pan, let the butter bubble up. Toss the asparagus with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with melted butter and serve immediately.

Tasty chicken from Lazio

A free-range chicken, anchovies, capers and parsley: here's what you need to prepare the tasty chicken as it is used to cook it in the Lazio tradition. Tasty chicken is the second dish with which we continue our journey to discover the traditional preparations of Lazio, after the pinsa romana with puntarelle and fried provolone. The people of Lazio are masters in making white meats tastier: in this tasty chicken recipe, they do it by mixing the cooking juices of the meat with chopped anchovies and capers to obtain a tasty sauce that makes the chicken soft and tasty. The preparation is completed with parsley and, if desired, with chili pepper.

Ingredients

1,4 kg free-range chicken 

5 Anchovy fillets in oil

1 tablespoon of desalted capers

chopped parsley

dry white wine

extra virgin olive oil

Pepper

salt

Procedure

Divide the chicken into eight parts and season with salt, pepper and oil. Place it in a saucepan with high sides so that the pieces are all well adhered to the bottom, on the skin side. Sauté the chicken for 20 minutes over medium heat, with a drizzle of oil, covered. Turn the pieces on the pulp side and turn up the heat, cook for another 20 minutes always with the lid on. Chop anchovies and capers, remove the salt, and mix the mixture with the cooking juices. Turn up the heat and sauté for 5 minutes, then deglaze with 1/2 glass of white wine. Lower and cook with the lid on for 30 minutes: the chicken should be glazed from its bottom, well browned but not dry. If the chicken dries out too much, deglaze with a ladle of vegetable broth. Turn off the heat and top with chopped parsley and chili pepper to taste.

 

Summer Argyros Santorini Assyrtiko 2016

Tasting note

Smoky, full-bodied and rich: this Greek white wine made from the classic Assyrtiko grape is exceptional! Greedy acidity perfect for seafood. Medium bodied. The 2016 vintage pours with quite deep yellow color. There is a certain ripeness as well with waxy, yellow plum/pear... The wine was fermented in 100% stainless steel. The grapes grow on 80-100 year old un grafted vines in Episkopi and Pyrgos. There are 4,000 hectares of vines planted on volcanic and sandy soils.

92 points - Mark Squires, Wine Advocate, June 2016

Assyrtiko production has also established a foothold in other parts of Greece, showing its versatile character in the varied expressions found beyond its volcanic origins. In the northern regions of Drama, Sithonia and Chalkidiki, to Crete, Atalanti and the Aegean island of Paros, Assytriko’s laser focus takes on lush layers of tropical fruit and earthy herbs.

Assyrtiko food pairings: grilled fish, hot shellfish dish, grilled calamari.

Wine experts think this Santorini White wine would be a match made in heaven with this dish. Bon appétit!

Grilled sea bream

Grilled fish is something truly exquisite, so it's easy to imagine how a grilled sea bream made on the barbecue can make your mouth water. Delicate flavor, with the addition of some spices the result will be exceptional. A fairly simple recipe that doesn't take too long, for a fish that lends itself to many recipes (the salted sea bream is delicious). A second course of those ideal for a nice dinner with friends, perhaps for some special occasion. Parsley, garlic, sage and lemon to flavor and it will be a masterpiece. Let's see how to prepare a grilled sea bream with the barbecue that is truly perfect and makes us look great.

Ingredients

Sea bream 800 g 

Garlic 3 cloves 

Parsley 1 bunch 

Sage 1 bunch 

Lemons 1 

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste 

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Preparation

If it is not already clean, wash the sea bream well, removing the scales and entrails, rinse abundantly with cold water. Fill the inside of the sea bream with garlic, sage and parsley, as well as lemon slices. Water it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, in the meantime preheat the barbecue to a medium-high temperature, about 200°C for direct cooking by oiling the grill. Let it cook on one side without touching the fish. When it begins to detach, turn it to the opposite side and close the cooking. Fish to taste, accompany it with potatoes.

Tip

To prevent the sea bream from sticking to the grill, it is necessary to grease the grill well with oil and heat it.

 

Spinach omelet 

The perfect spinach omelet, just 2 eggs and lots of spinach. It only has 260 calories! The omelet with spinach and mozzarella is not only a delicious second course, in fact it is also as genuine as it is rich, which is certainly able to delight the palate of all your diners. Without a shadow of a doubt, it is a very simple dish to prepare, but it turns out to be a real delight especially if it is eaten when it is still hot and stringy. In addition, it will not even require you to spend too much time in the kitchen, because the process is really very quick, in fact it will not take you more than 25 minutes in total!

Ingredients

400 gr of spinach

200 gr of light mozzarella

100 gr of Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Salt to taste

a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

To start, clean your spinach, then if it has a stem that is too long, remove it, then wash it thoroughly under running water. Now fill a pot (with high sides) with enough water, then boil it and then transfer your spinach to it, using a ladle to make sure that it is perfectly submerged. At this point, leave the vegetables on the stove for 4/5 minutes, then drain them and put them in a colander where you will leave them for 1 hour to dry. After this period of time, the spinach will have released the cooking water, so to remove more, gently squeeze it using the back of a spoon. Now break the eggs into a large bowl, add the Parmesan cheese and salt then beat them. At this point, add the spinach, stirring very gently and using a spatula or wooden spoon. Once this is done, cut your mozzarella into cubes, then add it to the spinach mixture and mix everything together. Then pour the oil into a pan and heat it up, once hot, transfer your omelet and cook it over low heat (this will guarantee you even cooking inside). As soon as the bottom is properly golden, turn it over (with the help of a plate), then continue cooking on the other side. Finally, bring it to the table when it is still hot, even better if accompanied by basmati rice and a bruschetta.

Tip

To have a drier and less watery mozzarella, it is advisable to leave it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before use, so that it rests. Most likely, not everyone knows that spinach is very good for you, especially when eaten together with lemon, as Vitamin C helps to increase the absorption of the iron contained in vegetables. In addition, they have a high concentration of lutein (which helps protect the eyes and health in general), folic acid and Vitamin A, not to mention that they are also an excellent remedy against constipation.

Pea Omelet

Pea omelet easy recipe... The pea omelet is a simple dish to make but very tasty, it can be a perfect dinner saver, a practical second course to bring to the table, but also a delicious and colorful appetizer suitable for enriching a holiday table, an aperitif, a brunch and much more... If you've never tried it, you have to fix it immediately, here's the recipe! You'll see, you'll love it at first taste!

Ingredients

500 g Frozen peas (good quality)

1 carrot

Half a medium onion

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

4 large eggs

50 g grated Parmesan cheese 

Half a teaspoon baking powder 

Preparation

Peel the onion and carrot, cut them into chunks and brown them in a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the frozen peas, you can also use spring peas, but in any case they must be of excellent quality, brown and cover with water, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and cook until all the water has evaporated, leaving only a small broth on the bottom. Beat the eggs with the cheese, add the drained peas and if you want a high omelet also a pinch of baking powder (the one for cakes, but not vanilla). Mix well, heat a non-stick pan that is not too large and grease with a drizzle of oil, pour the mixture and cook over medium heat with the lid on, after five minutes, with the help of a plate try to turn it. To check the cooking, make a hole in the center and check that no raw egg comes out. Turn two more times, first on one side and then on the other until fully cooked. Serve, let it rest for a few minutes and serve preferably still hot.

 

Shrimp bisque recipe

Shrimp BISQUE or also known as Crustacean Stock is a delicious broth extracted from shellfish waste, you can also add other types of crustacean shell such as lobster, scampi or lobster. Basic recipe to flavor risottos, fish first courses, sauces or soups. Very simple: those who know the classic vegetable broth know how to prepare this broth. I always make some when I make shrimp recipes and set it aside or freeze it in cubes to give that extra touch to the recipes.

Learn how to make this recipe.

Ingredients

Prawns 500 g

Cherry tomatoes 

Onion 50 g

Celery 50 g

Carrots 50 g

Olive oil 30 ml

Parsley 1 bunch

Water 600 ml

Preparation

Clean the shrimp or shellfish, making sure that the sauce and what comes out of the shell is still set aside for the bisque. Put the olive oil and the chopped onion in a saucepan with the remaining vegetables. Sauté everything for a minute then add the shells of the crustaceans or shrimps and brown for a few minutes over high heat, turning and crushing the shells and heads. Then deglaze with the white wine, let it evaporate and finally add the water. Cook everything for about 1 hour, so that the water reduces and thickens. Strain the bisque by mashing it in a sieve. Once this is done, move on to its use and consumption. 🙂