Pasta with stracchino cheese and fresh tomatoes recipe

This is truly summer recipe! It's so quick too!
Stracchino is a type of Italian fresh cheese, typical of Lombardy, Piedmont, and Veneto, but you can easily find it in every supermarket. It's also known as Crescenza. The name 'Crescenza' is derived from the Italian word 'stracca', which means 'tired' in English. It is said that the cheese made from the milk of tired cows moving seasonally up and down the Alps, is rich in fats and more acidic in nature.
Crescenza is a very soft cheese with creamy, spreadable texture and no rind. It usually has a mild and delicate flavour. It spreads nicely on crackers, crostini or fresh bread.

You will need for two portions:

• 130-160 g of pasta (depending on your appetite)
• 200-300 gr of cherry tomatoes (better fresh from a local farmers market)
• 100 grams of cheese stracchino o crescenza
• 30g pecorino romano cheese (optional)
• 1/2 garlic clove (optional - personally I do not put it)
• 20 ml of olive oil
• salt

There are two variations of this recipe, both delicious. 

In the first put in a blender a cream of fresh tomatoes, add stracchino and everything else, including olive oil and make a cream. 

In the second rvariation put a half of tomatoes in a pot with a spoon of olive oi and stew a little. Other tomatoes use to make a cream as I wrote above then add to the pot.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions,  until the pasta is al dente. When pasta is ready, drain and mix it with the cream. 

Of course as always I used a wholegrain pasta, but you can use a normal one.

Goatling with vegetables - traditional piemontese recipe

At Christmas dinner we prepared a goatling with vegetables. Traditionally in our region people prepare lamb ribs on the grill or in the oven, but, to be honest, never liked the lamb. So when I came across a goatling in a butcher shop, we decided to change the menu.
This isnot complicated recipe, do not be afraid)) you only need a goatling and vegetables

So, you will need:

1kg of goatling (if take more - increase the amount of vegetables) 
100g of butter
celery about 200g
2 carrots
1 large or 2 medium onions 
3-4 cloves of garlic
100 ml - dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste.

If you take more adult goatling leave it few ours in wine with vegetables.
We already had the meat cut into pieces, but if you take one piece, then cut it into medium-sized pieces.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, put the meat and fry on a high heat.

Clean and chop the vegetables in a blender.

Constantly turn the meat until it is became golden.

Put the mix of vegetables into the meat, cook for 2-3 minutes on high heat.

Take the white wine and pour over the meat. 

Simmer on high heat for a few minutes, then add a glass of water and leave to stew on low heat for about an hour, close with the lid. Try the meat - when it's soft, it's ready. You may need a little bit more to cook the meat. See that is not burnt, add water as needed. 10-15 minutes until finish the cooking  put salt and pepper.

Bon Appetite)

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)

"Chocolate salami" dessert recipe

Today, I'd like to share one dessert recipe that is pretty much in Russia. I discovered that also in Italy people make it at home for excample for Christmas or other holiday. In Russia we call this desert "Chocolate Salami", but it's nothing about meat. The title is just because it looks like salami.

My friend Irina wrote the text and made nice photos of this easy to cook great dessert.
You can find it here

You will need:
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 table spoon of cocoa powder (you can use dark chocolate)
1 stick of unsalted butter (115 gr)
5 table spoon of milk
1 lb of cookies or biscuits
1 cup of walnut pieces

Who has Trader Joe's store nearby, can use "Cats cookies for people". Well, this is just cookie. :) In Italy I used "Classici frollini",  you can use any type of cookies that are pretty much crackly and sweet (not too much sweet).

First, the cookies should be powdered in blender, grinder or food processor.

Than add walnut pieces to the cookie powder and mix it. Set aside the mixture.

Put eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder in non-stick pot. I prefer non-stick because it's easier to clean it after the desert is ready, but you may use whatever you want. Just keep in mind that the pot will be heated up. Whisk all ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Than add milk and completely melted butter. Whisk again and place the pot on medium-high heat.

Whisk it continuously, and bring it to the condition when it just about to start bubbling. Immediately remove from heat. Don't let it bubbling! It should look like chocolate souse.

Pour the mixture into ground cookies with walnuts and mix it thoroughly.

It should look like wet clay but short-brittle.

Then put this "clay" into plastic bag; smash and press it until the "clay" become smooth.

In the end, the mixture should look like a smooth clay. Put it on a sheet of foil or plastic wrap, and form it as a salami... or log. :)

Wrap and roll for better result.

Than cover the "salami" with foil or plastic wrap and put it into fridge for several hours until it firm.

That's it. :) Time for preparation is 15-20 minutes and then few hours in fridge (I pur also half an hour in deep freeze). 
Enjoy it at your New Year party!!

Italian Polpette - meatballs

Italian Polpette (meatballs) - is traditional Sunday food in Brindisi. They can be made fried or braised in sugo (traditional italian tomato sause).

You will need:
1 lbs ground beef or veal
2 eggs
200 gr Parmiggiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese), grated
Parsley
Black Pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
White bread with no crust
Oil to fry (better olive oil)

In a bowl mix well ground meat, 2 eggs, pepper, parsley, pressed garlic and Parmesan. You may want to add third egg and some white bread, previously soaked in milk and squeezed out.

Shape small size balls. Warm up the oil (not less than two fingers depth in the pan to deep fry the balls). Fry a few polpette at a time, taking out on the paper towels to drip the extra oil. Cover polpette with another paper towel to keep warm. 

So, that’s all!
If you want to cook polpette in sugo you could fry them slightly and then stew 10-15 minutes in sugo. In this case they would be called “polpette al sugo”. 
Buon appetito!

Barley with smoked bacon

Many people did not have a very positive impression about pearl barley during his/ hers childhood. However, I know a way to make it taste great! 
I found this reciepe on one packing of barley and tasted it. It was so good that also my husband cleaned the plate with bread! So before wrinkle your nose, try to cook this reciepe. It's easy to prepare and does not require many ingridients.

You will need: 

1 cup of pearl barley

3 cups of water
2 lbs of tomatoes, chopped or 1 can (28 oz) of diced unsalted tomatoes

1/2 lbs of salted smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil

Wash the pearl barley several times. Leave it soaking in the water for at least 4 to 5 hours. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and continue cooking until the barley is tender and liquid is almost absorbed or use a colander to drain barley (reserve some cooking liquid). 

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and sauté the onions over medium-high heat until golden in color. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the tomatoes and simmer all together on a low setting.

Stir in the cooked barley and reserved liquid. Continue to cook over low heat until heated thoroughly.

Add some salt if needed. I is not use any salt in because the bacon is salty already. But if you feel you need to add some, feel free. 

Enjoy!

Sunday by the Ionian Sea

Today was wonderful day, warm and sunny. That’s why we decided to go to the Ionian sea (Brindisi is near Adriatic sea). It's about 40 minutes from Brindisi. 

Water was splendid and turquoise. It’s not cold already and I wet my feet. Sand was hot and gold. We passed 2 hours at the beach walking and reading. Of course I have done what I prefere at the beach – gathering of the shells.  And of course I payed for this my a little burned shoulders) I don't know where I will use these sheel but I like them very much!

In the evening we gone in the other town, Porto Cesareo, for walking and looking the sunset.

This town is very famous for fishermans and there are many fish markets. We bought many kind of small fish and the sea food to do wonderful “Zuppa di pesce” – Fish soup. This is very particular plate of our region. Today I show you some photos made in fish markets and next week I will post recipe for this famouse plate of South Italy. 

The sign of one fish market:

Sword-fish:

Tunnies (tunas) and other fish:

Differernt fish:

Mussels:

Risotto with pumpkin

Today I bought a pumpkin. It's been a long time since I wrote a post about Italian recipes. So today I decided to cook Risotto con la zucca for a dinner and write about it. I love the flavor of this simple recipe and this is why I would like to share it with you. It's very easy to cook! It takes approximately 30-35 minutes total!

You will need:
100 g butter/3,5 oz
1 onion
2 liters of vegetables broth/68 fl oz
400 gr of pumpkin/14 oz
350 gr of rice/12 oz
salt and pepper, to taste

Clean and cut the pumpkin.

Put cut pumpkin in a pot with water and cook about 10-13 minutes.

Remove pumpkin from water keeping the broth. I usually add some vegetables (onion, carot, smallage, potatos, tomatoes – whatever I have available) and cook a vegetable broth. Puree the pumpkin adding a little broth.

Add butter to a wide pot and heat up. Add the finely chopped onion and let it cook a little.

Now add the rice and fry it slightly. Reduce heat to low. At this point you can add a little  white wine. When rice absorbs the liquid add about 1/3 of the broth and and stir it with rice.

Then add pumpkin and stir it with rice.

When rice absorbs the broth again, add more broth (a little at a time) and cook until it reduces. Add salt and pepper. Stir it often till the rice will absorb all liquid. When the risotto is creamy and not al dente, cover the pot with a lid for one to two minutes. Risotto is ready!

Before serving you can grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir with risotto.