Leek and red wine risotto

Leek and red wine risotto (Cabernet, Bonarda, Barbera or any  dry red wine that's good enough to drink)

Ingredients for 4:

400 g (about 2 ½ cups) of “vialone nano” rice  (round shaped medium length grain rice)

1 leek

2 glasses of red wine

1,5 liters vegetable broth http://irissrecipesvicenza.blogspot.it/2015/12/vegetable-broth.html

3 tablespoons olive oil

30 g butter

50 g Parmesan cheese

Put a pot of vegetable broth on the heat.  Cut away the green end of the leek because very tough and trim the other end. Rinse under running water and slice finely. Put the oil in a pan, add the leek and let simmer for a few minutes until soft. Raise the heat and soon afterwards pour in the rice and toast it for two minutes, always stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and stir. After a minute lower the heat and stir till the wine evaporates. Add two ladles of warm broth and continue to cook the risotto on medium heat. Add more broth only when the other has evaporated and so on until the risotto is done. There is no need to stir constantly, but it is essential to do this every time you add broth. Risotto will take about 18 minutes or more to cook, according to one’s taste. When almost done (after about 16/17 minutes), turn off the heat, blend in the butter and the grated cheese and adjust salt, stirring until all the butter has melted. If the risotto is too dry add some broth. Cover the pan and let the risotto stand for about a minute or two before serving. 

Vegetable broth

1 large potato

1 white onion

1 stalk celery

2 carrots

1 zucchini

1 tbsp tomato puree

A few sprigs of parsley

2 liters of water

Coarse salt

  

Peel the vegetables and cut them into pieces. Place them in a pot with the water, add the tomato puree and some salt and bring to a boil. Add the parsley (including stems) and cook for about an hour over medium heat, covered with a lid. If necessary, season with salt or vegetable granules  and strain the broth through a sieve.

Boiled rice with peppers and prawns

Serves 4:

350 g rice

300 g  cleaned prawns

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4/6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
pepper

Wash and clean the peppers and cut into dices or strips. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and gently fry the garlic for a few minutes. Remove the garlic, add the peppers, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 10/15 minutes until the peppers soften. In the meantime, wash the prawns under running water, remove their head and carapace. With a toothpick or sharp knife make a small incision on the upper part of the body to remove the intestines, or black thread, which contains sand and makes the crustacean bitter. Once cleaned, dry the prawns with kitchen paper. When the peppers have softened, add the prawns and the chopped parsley, stir to blend well and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Boil the rice, drain it and toss it in the pan with the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

Fresh tomato and basil sauce

1 shallot, or ½ small white onion

6 tablespoons olive oil

8/10 ripe tomatoes San Marzano , or other plum tomatoes

6/8 fresh basil leaves

¼ teaspoon chili powder or a small piece of fresh chili pepper (optional)

Salt, pepper

Wash the tomatoes,  cut a cross on the bottom, plunge them into boiling  water for 15-20 seconds, drain, peel them, remove the seeds and cut into pieces. Finely chop the shallot and brown gently in a large pan with the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, the basil leaves,  the chili powder and stir to combine. Let cook on low heat until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally (about 40 minutes).

Cook your pasta “al dente”, drain and toss a few minutes in the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Spaghetti with tuna sauce

320 g spaghetti

1 shallot or ½ small white onion

1 tablespoon pickled capers

70 g canned tuna packed in olive oil

4 tablespoons tomato purée

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, add salt and plunge the spaghetti. Stir and let cook for the necessary time. In the meantime, finely chop shallot and capers and fry them gently with the oil in a large pan. After a few minutes add the shredded and oil drained tuna, add the tomato purée, a pinch of salt and stir to blend well. Pour ½ a cup of hot water and let cook until the sauce thickens. Adjust salt.   Drain the pasta “al dente”, pour it into the pan,  stir to coat well and serve. 

Spaghetti with breadcrumbs

320 g spaghetti

2 cloves garlic

5 tablespoons breadcrumbs

50 g parmesan cheese

100 ml olive oil

salt

Put a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil, add salt and plunge the spaghetti. Stir and let cook for the necessary time. Meanwhile, finely slice the garlic and fry it in a saucepan with the olive oil. When the oil starts to sizzle, turn off the heat and let the infusion stand. Heat a swirl of oil in a large pan, then pour the breadcrumbs and toast them for some minutes, turning with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning. Strain the oil, discarding the garlic and pour it into the pan with the breadcrumbs, stir and set aside. Drain the pasta “al dente”, pour it into the pan and toss over high heat for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with the grated cheese and, if you like, with some chopped parsley.

Granita al caffé

6 demitasse of espresso coffee (about 250 ml)

250 ml water

70 g sugar

Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan over moderate flame. Stir and bring to a boil and let cook for about a minute. Remove from the heat and add the coffee. Let cool and then transfer the mixture in a steel or glass container, with the aid of a fine mesh strainer.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer. After about an hour, remove the granita from the freezer and, with the help of a  whip or fork, finely break the ice crystals that have formed. Put the mixture back in the freezer and repeat this process every 30 minutes, until the granita is ready (about 4 times).  You can serve granita topped  with some whipped cream. 

Stewed borlotti beans

Ingredients:

500 grams of borlotti beans

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 carrot

1 onion

½ celery stick

1 sprig rosemary

1 bay leaf

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Finely chop the onion, carrot and celery and fry gently in a pot with 4 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the fresh beans and cover with water. Add the tomato puree, rosemary sprig, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Cook in a large half-covered pot, over medium heat for about 50 minutes, checking occasionally and adding hot water if needed. When the beans are tender, uncover the pot and let the sauce thicken a little. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.

Cheese and sausage quiche

Savory pastry crust

250 g  #asiago cheese

100 g of sausage

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

nutmeg

salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the cheese into cubes and the sausage into small pieces and collect them in a bowl. Add the egg yolks, parmesan, a pinch of salt, some grated nutmeg and the oil and mix well. Divide the dough into two parts in the proportion of two thirds and one third, and roll it into two sheets with a thickness of a few millimeters. Line with the larger sheet of dough a greased pan, leaving  any excess dough hang over the edge of the pan.  Prick the dough with a fork and pour over the cheese mixture. Cover with the other disc, pinch the edges with your fingers to seal well and prick the surface with a fork. Bake in preheated oven at 180 ° C for 45 minutes

Savory pastry crust

250 g flour

150 g butter

salt

½ cup cold water

Pour the flour into a bowl, cut the fridge cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour. Add a pinch of salt and the cold water and knead quickly. Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the

refrigerator for half an hour.

Fried zucchini flowers

16 zucchini flowers

125 g flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

200 g sparkling mineral water (or beer)

Peanut oil for frying

salt

In a bowl mix the flour with the eggs, salt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the sparkling water or beer. Mix well and form a batter that you will let stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Meanwhile, wash the zucchini flowers, discarding the stem and the pistil and let them dry on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a pan  over medium heat. Dredge the flowers in the batter until they are completely coated  and, when the oil is hot, fry a few at a time, turning them a couple of times. When they are golden, drain and let them dry on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with a little salt, put them on a serving dish and serve immediately.

Vegetable sauce for short pasta

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 small onion

1 small eggplant

1 zucchini

4 ripe plum tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Basil leaves

Peel the carrot and the onion and chop finely along with the celery. Wash and trim the zucchini, then cut into small cubes. Do the same thing with the eggplant.  Blanch the tomatoes for 10 seconds in boiling water. Peel them, cut them into 4, remove the seeds and water and cut roughly. If you prefer, you can use ready made tomato puree. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry for a few minutes the chopped carrot, celery and onion, stirring frequently. Add the eggplant and let it brown,  turning often. Then add the zucchini and stir again. Let the vegetables brown, then add the chopped tomatoes and lower the heat. Add salt, cook over low heat for about 20 minutes and then add  some fresh basil leaves.

Eggplant and mozzarella towers

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 round violet eggplants

200 g mozzarella

200 g  tomato puree

1 clove garlic

Some fresh basil leaves

Olive oil

Dry oregano

Salt, pepper

Cut the garlic in half, remove the core and fry it gently in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil.   Add the tomato puree, salt, pepper, and let thicken on low/medium heat. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves, torn by hand. Cut the eggplant horizontally into slices about 1 cm thick. Brush some olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices, grill them in a pan or skillet and season  with some salt.  Cut the mozzarella into slices and let them dry on paper towels. Now you can start layering the tower,  alternating in a baking sheet covered with parchment paper a slice of eggplant, a spoonful of tomato sauce, a sprinkling of oregano and a slice of mozzarella and repeat the layers. Drizzle with some olive oil, add a few basil leaves and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 10 minutes, until the mozzarella begins to melt.

Omelette roll with zucchini and mozzarella

6 eggs

3 medium zucchini

150 grams of firm mozzarella

Olive oil

2 tablespoons Parmesan

½  tablespoon chopped parsley

1 shallot

salt and pepper

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a large (28 cm diameter) frying pan with a little oil. Divide the egg mixture into two equal parts and cook two thin omelettes, over low heat. Finely chop the shallot and sauté gently in another large frying pan with two tablespoons of oil. Cut the zucchini into julienne strips, using the julienne peeler or grater, add them to the shallot and cook for 5 minutes until they become soft. Season with salt, add the parsley, stir to flavor and cook for another few minutes. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes and add it to the still warm zucchini. Place one omelette on a tin foil sheet, spread half of the zucchini mixture over it and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, cover with the other omelette and spread  the rest of the zucchini and parmesan cheese. Roll the omelette making sure that the filling does not leak out. Wrap in foil  and wait for it to cool, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Serve the omelette cut into slices of about 2 cm.

Potato and bell pepper casserole

Ingredients for 4 people:

2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)

2 medium potatoes

1 large red onion

10 g of dried oregano

½ cup dry white wine

Olive oil

Salt, pepper

Wash the peppers, open them in half and remove the seeds and the white ribs; then cut them into small pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices, then into strips. Slice the onion. In a large non-stick pan, heat a little olive oil and add  all the vegetables. Add salt and pepper and cook over high/medium heat, stirring often. After twenty minutes of cooking, add the wine and let it evaporate a little; Season with the oregano and cook for another 5 minutes.

Bruschetta with cherry tomatoes

Ingredients:

10 cherry tomatoes

½ tablespoon sugar

4 basil leaves

4 slices of rustic bread 

1 clove garlic

Olive oil

Oregano

Salt

Cut  the  tomatoes in half, salt them and arrange them – cut side down – in a non stick pan. Season with a little oil, oregano, basil leaves and a sprinkling of sugar. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes and then set aside. In the meantime toast the bread in the oven or on a flat pan until lightly browned on both sides. Rub the slices on one side with the cut clove of garlic, brush a little olive oil on the slices and season with salt and oregano. Top with the cherry tomatoes. 

Pasta "au gratin"

Ingredients for 4 people:

300 g  short pasta

2 dl tomato puree

1 large eggplant

1 clove garlic

4 basil leaves

150 g mozzarella

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

salt

Fry the garlic in a pan with a tablespoon of oil, then discard  it. Pour the tomato puree, cook for 10 minutes and then add the basil. Cut the eggplant into slices half a centimeter and then into strips. Heat the remaining oil in another pan and brown the eggplant on all sides, stirring frequently. Drain on paper towels. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water till very “al dente” and pour it into a large bowl. Add the tomato sauce and the Parmesan and stir. Add the eggplant and mozzarella, cut into strips. Pour into a baking dish greased with oil and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, at 180/200°C. 

Asparagus and boiled eggs

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 kg white asparagus from Bassano

4 eggs

1 cup olive oil

Some white wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Cut the asparagus end of about 2 cm, peel off the tough and stringy parts and wash under cool running water. Boil the asparagus for about 15-20 minutes or more, depending on the thickness of the asparagus,  in lightly salted water, tied in bundles and with the tips pointing upward, but out of the water. The water should cover the asparagus for ¾. Boil the eggs for about 5 minutes. Prepare an emulsion of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the asparagus are cooked, drain, untie and let them dry on a towel. Arrange the asparagus in a serving dish, crumble or chop three eggs over the tips of the asparagus and simply slice the fourth egg. Season with the vinaigrette and let stand some minutes before serving.

Carrots with spicy caper and anchovy pesto

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 medium sized carrots

3 anchovy fillets

4 basil leaves

1 tablespoon pickled capers

1 lemon

5 tablespoon olive oil

Salt, pepper

Wash and peel the carrots. Cut into thin strips with the aid of a peeler and collect them in a bowl. Create an emulsion with the oil, a little salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon, and pour over the carrots. Mix and marinate for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop with a knife, the capers, basil and anchovies creating a sort of pesto. Drain the carrots and season with the pesto. 

Sweet acacia flower fritters

16 clusters of flowers

150 g flour

200 ml milk

Salt

2 eggs

20 g sugar

The tip of a teaspoon of vanilla powder

1 liter peanut oil for frying

Powdered sugar

Remove the leaves, but leave the flowers gathered in clusters. Clean them well (make sure there are no insects) leaving them to soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. You can decide to make the fritters with the entire cluster or just the flowers.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with a pinch of salt, add the milk, the vanilla and the sifted flour until your batter is smooth and thick. Cover the bowl with film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar and then add to the batter. Heat the oil in a pan, dip the clusters into the batter and fry them until golden on both sides. Transfer them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  

The ideal temperature for frying is of 170-180 ° C. One way to check if the oil is hot enough is to dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, if bubbles form around the handle, then the oil is ready. Fry a few clusters at a time so that they don’t stick together. Wanting to use only the flowers, once you dip them into the batter, gather them with a spoon.  

Asparagus quiche

To make the brisè dough:

250 g "0" flour

125 g butter, cold from the fridge

½ cup cold water

Salt

For the filling:

400 g green or white asparagus

1 shallot

30 g butter

1 egg

½ cup fresh cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper

Cut the cold butter into small pieces. Sift the flour into a bowl and form a fountain. Add the butter, a pinch of salt and ½ glass of cold water. Work quickly until mixture is firm and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and peel the asparagus, removing the woody end.  Then boil them in lightly salted water for a few minutes, until tender, drain and cut into small pieces. Gently fry the finely chopped shallot with the butter, salt and pepper. Add the  asparagus, stir to blend well and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Beat the egg with the cream, salt, pepper and grated cheese. Divide the dough into two parts, roll both to form two discs, one bigger than the other. Use as little flour as possible on the work surface. Grease a round baking dish and line with the larger pastry disc. Prick the bottom with a fork, fill with the asparagus  and pour over the egg mixture. Cover with the second disc of dough. Press the edges with your fingers to seal well, make small incisions or prick the surface of the dough to allow steam to escape and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for about 40 minutes.

Stuffed mussels

Ingredients:

500 g live mussels

400 g tomato puree

1 glove garlic

½ glass of dry white wine

100 g breadcrumbs

1 egg

20 g grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

3 sprigs parsley

1 piece of hot chili pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Remove the beard and brush the mussels thoroughly under running water, discarding any broken ones. Put them in a pan with the wine and the parsley sprigs. Close the lid and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes, until they open  up. Lift out the mussels from the pan, strain the cooking liquid and set aside.  Put the tomato puree in a wide pan with the peeled garlic, half a glass of water, a small piece of chili pepper, a pinch of salt and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the lid and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mussels’ cooking liquid and cook for another 10 minutes and then discard the garlic and the pepper. Meanwhile, mix in a bowl, the breadcrumbs, the chopped parsley, the grated cheese, an egg and a pinch of salt. Fill the valve containg the mollusc with this mixture, keeping the other half-shell attached. Once they are filled, add them to the tomato sauce,  bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Before serving, stir a few times to flavor.

Baby spinach salad

Baby spinach salad with bacon and green apple

Ingredients:

200 g baby spinach

100 g bacon cut in two thick slices

1 green apple

The juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon mustard

4 tablespoons olive oil

pepper

Clean and wash the spinach thoroughly, dry them well dabbing them with a clean cloth or paper towels. Collect them in a bowl. Wash the apple, remove the core, cut into slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut the bacon into strips, brown it in a non-stick pan and then place on kitchen paper to lose the excess fat. Add the apple and bacon to the spinach.  In a bowl, dissolve the mustard with the oil and some freshly ground pepper. Emulsify the ingredients with a fork and season the salad with this sauce before serving. 

Panna cotta with strawberry sauce topping

Panna cotta

Ingredients:

75 g sugar

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

200 g strawberries

500 ml fresh cream

125 ml whole milk

Butter

Lightly beat the egg whites with the sugar. Then pour the cream and milk and work the mixture with the aid of a hand whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Butter the ramekins and pour the cream into them. Place the ramekins into a baking dish and fill it with hot water (not boiling) up to 2/3 of their height. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 30 minutes. Once ready, let cool and then remove the panna cotta from the ramekins, place on serving dishes and put in the fridge. In the meantime, wash the strawberries, dry well and whisk them with the icing sugar. Pour the strawberry sauce on the panna cotta and serve.

Easter Bunnies

Easter bunnies made with brioche dough

 

Ingredients: (about 6/7 bunnies)

150 g "00" flour

200 g  Manitoba flour or "0" flour

2 eggs

30 g butter, melted

1 packet of dry yeast (7 g)

60 g sugar

125 ml milk

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt

Some raisins for the eyes

Jam (jelly)  or Nutella for the filling

Dissolve the yeast in warm milk and add the sugar. Let stand for about half an hour. Mix and sift the flours and add to the yeast. Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, the melted butter and the eggs, one at a time. Mix all the ingredients well and leave to rise for a couple of hours. After this time, divide the dough into 6 or 7 pieces of equal weight (more or less 100 g of dough to form a bunny). The body is made with about 50 g of dough rolled up into a spiral; with 20 g form the tail (a little ball) and with the rest of the dough make the head which should be of oval form. Put a raisin on the left side of the head to form the eye and on the other side carve out the ears, cutting the dough with a knife.  Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and as you assemble the bunny (use some milk to seal the parts together) lay it on the tray. Leave to rise for another hour. Brush the surface of the bunnies with a little milk and bake in a preheated oven at 180° C for about 15-20 minutes, until they are puffed and golden. Once cooled, cut the bunnies in half and fill them with jam or Nutella, according to your taste; These bunnies are great for Easter breakfast or brunch.

Easter cake

Fugazza Vicentina (Easter cake)

Ingredients

500 g Manitoba flour or "0" flour 
160 g sugar

150 g butter

25 g  fresh beer yeast

3 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon of salt

grated zest of two oranges

grated zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg white + pearl sugar + whole almonds

Melt 20 g of yeast with 80 ml of warm water and allow to ferment for about 10 minutes. Add 140 g of flour and mix together. Form a ball, put it in a large bowl, cross cut the top surface to allow the dough to expand, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for half an hour in a warm place away from drafts. 

Now, mix an egg with 50 g sugar, 50 g of soft butter and 120 g of flour and set aside. After half an hour add this mixture to the previous one and work until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour if necessary.

Form a ball, cross cut the surface, put it in the bowl and let rise for about 2 hours (it should double in volume).

Now, as before, mix an egg and a yolk with 50 g sugar, 50 g of soft butter and 120 g of flour and set aside.

After about 2 hours add this mixture to the previous leavened one and knead it for about ten minutes. Form a ball, cross cut the surface, put it in the bowl covered with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. It should double in volume.

Meanwhile, mix an egg with 60 g of sugar, citrus zest, vanilla, 50 g of soft butter and a teaspoon of salt. Melt the remaining yeast in a tablespoon or two of warm water and add about 120/130 g of flour. Mix everything very well and after 2 hours add this mixture to the previous leavened one. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, adding the flour if the dough is too sticky. At this point, the result should be a smooth and homogeneous dough that you’ll cross cut once again. Place the dough in a disposable paper baking mould of about 1 kg. If you prefer, you can divide the dough in half and bake in two separate moulds of 500 g each. Cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let rise until the mixture reaches the edge of the mould (about 2 hours). Preheat the oven to 180°C. Brush the surface of the cake with the egg white and sprinkle with the pearl sugar and almonds. Bake for about 40/45 minutes. Cover with foil if it gets too dark. Check the cooking with a long skewer.  Remove the cake from the oven and let cool 5 minutes, then put the cake on one side so that all the moisture can evaporate.