Wholegrain pasta with broccoli and walnuts cream

I like traditions of Mediterranean cuisine, because there are used a lot of greens, vegetables, fresh salads and of course extra virgin olive oil)) Perhaps this is th reason that people live here almost 100 years, taking a coffee in a local bar in the morning, going to the hairdresser, taking a glass of red wine in the evening with friends (other old age people))) Tasty and healthy food from the field near the town directly to the table what can be better! 
Now, of course, young people are spoiled and use white flour instead of whole wheat. Previously, all the bread and pasta were made of whole wheat flour and white one was used only for making sweets for the holidays, it was very expensive. Now everyone eats a lot, whereas previously there was a fish day and a meat day and not everyone could afford it.

But I have moved away from the topic, and today I show you how to cook wholegrain pasta with cream of broccoli and walnuts. This is a very simple and quick recipe. You can try to cook this pasta for your the children))

You will need 2 portions:

• 300g of broccoli
• 70-80gr of wholegrain pasta
• 40g of chopped walnuts
• 1 small hot pepper, can be dry or fresh or in powder (optional)
• 20 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 50g of grated pecorino romano cheese
• salt and pepper

Break up the broccoli florets so the flowers are quite small. Put them to boil in salted water. 

When they are cooked, remove them from the water and leave it to boil pasta. Grind the broccoli with mixer, adding a bit of cooking water, pepper and olive oil.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions,  until the pasta is al dente. 

Meantime, chop garlic finely. Heat olive oil in a large pan, add garlic and fry for 1 minute, then add chopped walnuts (and hot pepper) and fry gently for 1 min. The final touch - add the cream of broccoli. If pasta is not ready, then turn off. Turn it on later before adding pasta.

When pasta is al dente, drain, leaving 1/2 cup of cooking water, and mix it with the broccoli cream. Gently stir on the heat for 1-2 minutes. Add pasta cooking water if necessary.

Sprinkle with the  pecorino romano before serving. IT's a really mandatory final touch!

As you can see, everything is very simple)

Millet and vegetables casserole recipe

A little bit about millet:

Many people think that millet is made from wheat. These beautiful golden seeds are unjustly forgotten "bread" of the East. In Russia, a couple of hundred years ago millet porridge was the main dish on the table. Our ancestors prepared from millet porridge, beer, cakes, brew, add it to soups and desserts.

Millet is one of the least allergenic grains. It is very easily digested, so it is suitable even for people with sensitive digestion. Millets are rich in B vitamins (especially niacin, B6 and folic acid), calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. Millets contain no gluten, so they are suitable for people with celiac disease or other forms of allergies/intolerance of wheat. It also contain the essential amino acids methionine, lecithin, and some vitamin E, it's rich in photochemicals including phytic acid, which is believed to lower cholesterol, and phytate, which is associated with reducing cancer risks.

This is russian recipe for healthy Millet and vegetables casserole 

you will need for tasty millet and vegetables casserole

• a cup of dried millet
• zucchini - 1 big or 2 medium
• onion 
• medium carrot
• 2-3 potatoes
• butter, vegetable oil or olive oil
• 2-3 eggs

You can add other vegetables if you want. 

Boil millet in lightly salted water. Onions and carrots finely chop and simmer a little in butter. Grate zucchini and simmer too. Boil the potatoes, then put a piece of butter and make puree.

Mix in a bowl - millet, vegetables, eggs and leftovers butter. Tast for salt. I add a spoonful of sour cream. Put in an casserole and brush the top with egg or sour cream. Better put a thin layer in casseroles, so if you get it a lot of porridge, then put in two casseroles. Put in a preheated 200 degree oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes. It depends on the ovens power. I first turn on the heating top-bottom, then grill for last 5 minutes just to get a nice crust.

Serve with sour cream or without it.

Bon Appetite))

Fish cooked in the oven in metalpaper with seafood

Today I write you Italian recipe for fish with seafood cooked in metalpaper in the oven. Ingredients may be all or partially, my advice is to put all vegetables, but the shrimps, scampi, mussels, can be escluded all or partially. 

You will need one serving:

• one dorado fish, common pandora or other similar marine fish. Take a small one of 500gr for one portion, or bigger one for two portions (in this case take ingridients twice).
• cherry tomatoes, 4-5 pcs
• celery, a small piece or a few leaves
• couple cloves of garlic
• 5-6 olives
• capers
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• scampi, shrimps, mussels, scallops - your choice
• aluminum metalpaper
• casserole

Clean fish (if it wasn't done in the fosh shop), cut tomatoes in half, peel and cut garlic

IT's time to prepare casserole - cut long strips of metalpaper and place on the bottom of the form, and then pour the olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Lay the fish and put it into 1-2 small pieces of garlic.

then put the rest of the ingredients around. Finish pouring a little water to get a tasty broth. Another bit of salt and pepper on top.

Close the foil and secure the edges and place in a preheated 200 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes (until fish will be cooked). I'm usually open the foil and put on the grill for the last 5 minutes , but it is not mandatory.

As you can see, the recipe is simple, requires minimal time to prepare and perfect for the holiday table or for every day.

Bon Appetite!

Salted codfish mousse recipe

Well, Christmas is already passed, Santa Claus brought our gifts, stomach is trying to digest all we ate, and I decided to write about one of the appetizers that I cooked for the Christmas table. It's easy and delicious and it is very simple to cook.

 In  this recipe salted codfish can be replaced with other fish.

You will need:

• 500g fish (soaked salted codfish)
• 700-1000ml of milk
• 1-2 cloves of garlic (optional, I do not put it45)
• 1-2 potatoes
• refined oil - about 200ml, salt, pepper
• lemon juice

Clean fish from skin and bones and put to boil in milk (with garlic) for about half an hour, milk should cover the fish, almost all milk should be absorbed at the end. Clean and boil a couple of potatoes. Then leave potatoes and fish to cool. When everything has cooled a bit, put all in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at high speed. Add oil in a thin stream, as for making mayonnaise. Then add a little of lemon juice, pepper and salt (salt, if you use other fish). At the end I used hand blender with wire whisk to make it moew creamy.

This time I got a piece of the tail, but if you take a shoulder, the mousse will be more airily. Serve it on toast.

Bon Appetite)

Italian traditional recipe for Immacolata - Baccala with potatoes in the oven

Yesterday in Italy was a great holiday, of course, religious, and even a public holiday. It is called Immacolata - Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. 

Usually at Immacolata or after it Italians decorate the Christmas tree and the house for the holiday. After that day, many people begin the search for gifts. By the way, I have gifts ordered online)) I for me and my husband Santa Claus will bring shoes Vibram Fivefingers for barefoot running))

So what is Baccala? - A salt codfish. Initially, it was a food for the poor people. It has to be soaked, changing the water several times, at least for 24-36 hours, or even more. Then, it can be cooked. In stores you can usually buy already soaked Baccala. In our region, it traditionally prepared for Immacolata, which was yesterday) that's why I'm writing you about this recipe.

So, you'll need

• soaked baccala, about 500g - not soaked 200gr 
• potatoes, 1-1.5 kg, whichever you prefer - more potatoes or not)
• 2-3 onions
• tomatoes, better cherry, about 0.5 kg
• garlic, 1-2 cloves 
• cheese to sprinkle on top
• parsley
• 100 ml of white wine
• olive oil, salt, pepper

Soak baccala, changing water several times. Peel potatoes, onions, garlic.

Onions and potatoes cut into half rings.

Mix the potatoes with sliced tomatoes, add olive oil, a bit of salt (very few), pepper and water, all mix well - leave it now.

Fry the onions until golden brown on low heat in olive oil. At the end add finely chopped garlic

Then add the sliced baccala (check it for bones). Fry for 2-3 minutes  on maximum fire. Then again, remove the fire to minimum, pour the wine and stew for another 2-3 minutes.

Take the dish for the oven, brush the bottom of the oil. Put a layer of baccala with onions, then add the potatoes on top. Pour the liquid from the potatoes. If it does not reach the level of potatoes, then add the water. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese.

Do not add the salt !!! Only the minimum amount of salt that we put in potatoes - baccla is salty itself and gives its salt to the dish.

Bake in preheated to 220° С oven until potatoes are cooked . I usually put in the bottom to heat up/down and then move higher and turn on the grill for a nice crust.

Bon Appetite))

Spicy pumpkin soup-puree

Since my childhood I did not like pumpkin and no tricks of mom could not get me to eat something with it. Passing the time, tastes change and at first I began to prepare risotto with pumpkin and then tried other recipes. Today I will introduce you my version of the recipe soup, mashed pumpkin. This soup is spicy and a little unusual, I hope you like it)

You will need:

• pumpkin, about a pound
• one or two potatoes
• onion
• red lentils (a little bit - optional)
• cream
• oil
• turmeric and chili powder
• salt

Cut or chop finely in a blender the onion and fry it until golden brown

Pumpkin and potatoes clean and cut into small or medium pieces, put to boil in salted water.

If you add red lentils, then put it when the pumpkin is already semi-cooked, because this lentils cooked quickly. When all is cooked, drain almost all the broth (broth can leaved for something else), add the onion and chop in a blender.

Add a bit of cream, a spoonful of turmeric and a pinch (or more, as you like) red pepper powder. Mix everything well.

I like to sprinkle flax seeds or sesame seeds and pour a spoon of good olive oil.

Italian recipe - how to cook roveja peas (well, the other legumes too)

Before I'd like to tell you what is roveja (or robiglio). I bought it by accident in the Organic shop.

Roveja peas - an Italian variety of pea Pisum sativum, now almost forgotten, displaced  by modern varieties. But, as I have already remarked, there is a tendency to return to the roots, to the indigenous local varieties of vegetables and fruits, so things like roveja, black chickpeas, etc. can now be found on store shelves, and at the sellers in the market.

Roveja came to Italy from Central Asia, where was cultivated since Neolithic times. Roveja grown in Italy for many centuries, especially in its middle part - Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria. It is also called "meadow peas" or "shepherd peas." Roveja is low fat and it's rich of fiber, carbohydrates, phosphorus and potassium.

So, the proportions look at yourself as someone like more vegetables. someone less and more water. You will need :

• roveja peas (or any other bean you like - lentils, beans, chickpeas)
• kombu seaweed
• onions
• garlic
• carrot
• green celery
• tomatoes (fresh or preserved)
• hot peppers
• olive oil, salt, pepper

So, first soak the peas with a piece of kombu in water, better for the night -  it shortens their cooking time. By the way, if you cook all the beans with kombu seaweed - it improves the taste and facilitates digestion of legumes. At the end, you can remove it from the pan.

I boil until roveja in a pressure cooker, for about half an hour. Then I open the lid, add prepared vegetables, salt, pepper and cook another 30-45 minutes. You can not prepare in vegetables, but put them all in a pressure cooker.

To prepare vegetables:

Chop the onion and garlic. Fry them until golden brown in olive oil. Then add the chopped carrots and cook for a little bit.

 Next in line is celery (I usually freeze it, then it is always ready) and hot peppers

Now add the tomatoes. If you like you can peel them

When vegetables are ready add them to the roveja, put salt and black pepper, and simmer in pressure cooker for about 30-40 min.

Bon Appetit)

Conchiglioni stuffed with ricotta, shrimps and zucchini

Once I bought the pasta in a store close to home and for big order received box with two huge conchiglioni. Conchiglione is the pasta in the form of shells, can be of different sizes, our were really giant. Such conchiglioni you can even eat one for two persons) 

In general, after searching on the internet and asking friends (oh yeah, Italians love to talk about food, men and women tak about recipes and restaurants), we chose a recipe by which never cooked. But I will tell you right now that it so delicious that we will cook it when we have guests. 

Ok, What you need:

• Conchiglioni (big ones - then one per person, medium - it can be two or even three, if you have a giant like in the photo - for two Conchiglioni all the ingredients have to be multiplied by two) 
• ricotta, about 200-250 grams 
• 200g of prawns 
• 1 medium zucchini 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• dry white wine 
• pinch of turmeric 
• olive oil, salt, pepper 
• cheese for sprinkling on top and bake in the oven (what you like, I took Parmigiano) 

So, to start, put the water in a large saucepan and when it boils put conchiglioni. They have to swim freely in the water. Boil them "al dente" - is very much !!! it is important because you have to put them then in the oven. Usually on the package you can find indicates (we boiled our conchiglioni 20 min)

Grate zucchini, chop peeled shrimps (leave one for each of the shells), clean the garlic. 

While the shell is cooking, fry the garlic and then remove it from the oil. 

Then add shrimps, after a minute pour a bit of wine. And a minute later put the zucchini, salt, pepper, and a couple of minuted you can turn off. If you poured a lot of oil (as my husband loves), then strain through a sieve into a bowl and let it cool. 

 Mix with ricotta. 

The remaining shrimps you should fry in olive oil for a minute, add a pinch of turmeric.

 Then take away shrimps and add a little of wine. Stew it for 1-2 minutes.

By this time, your shells have to be ready. Put them in a baking dish, pre-greased and Stuff. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the oven at 200 degrees until golden crust.

Serve on a plate, first pouring the sauce with turmeric. Then put the shell and decorate it with the prawn. 

Bon Appetit)) 

Fried rice with vegetables and eggs

The other day I had some boiled rice. So I made ​​a dish that I like so much in the japanese and chinese restaurants - fried rice with vegetables and eggs. Usually you can take it with fish, chicken or other meats. I decided that since I'm on a diet, it will be without meat)) 

Fried rice is easy to  prepare and does not require much time. 

You will need: 

• boiled rice, basmati rice is better, but any is ok - 350g for two portions - the rice should already be cold! 
• 1 onion 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1 carrot 
• half or a quarter of a paprika 
• green peas (I used frozen)
• 2 eggs 
• teriyaki sauce 
• sesame seeds
• oil, salt, pepper 

Better use, of course, wok, but I don't have it, so I used ordinary frying pan. 

Squeeze out the garlic and finely chop the onion, then fry them until onions became lightly golden and transparent. 

I pulverize carrot in a blender. You can cut it small pieces. Then add it into the pan. 

Then finely chop the paprika and add to the pan.  After a minute - put green peas. 

Add the rice and mix well. I also add a teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. 

At this time, beat up two eggs, and fry them muddling constantly. 

Then add to the rice. 

That's all done! Bon appetit!