Spelt Pasta Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes & Feta

Lately I've been trying to be more mindful of what I eat by making changes in the products I purchase. I buy only organic meats, cheese, milk, eggs.  I try to buy wild fish as much as I can and I  make an effort to eat more whole grains such as spelt, rice, quinoa.  I buy all my fruits and veggies at the farmer's market where I know I get local fresh products.  Of course I  also eat white flour once in a while, like when I make delicious cupcakes or brownies :)

When your recipe calls for only a few ingredients, they should be the best you can find. Of course, many of us are careful with the budget (myself included) which is why I buy what's in season.

This recipe is perfect for a filling lunch that won't leave you feeling tired. 

                             

You can use as much as you want of your favorite ingredients.

Portions: 2 + leftovers

INGREDIENTS:

250gr of spelt penne    What is Spelt?

Heirloom cherry tomatoes 

1 cucumber

A bunch or Italian flat leaf parsley

Greek style 100% sheep's milk feta Sheep's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk

1 green onion

For the dressing 

Salt/pepper

1/2 lemon juice and zest

extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Bring water to a boil, add a handful of sea salt  (your water should taste like the ocean, that's when you know there's enough salt) 

Add your pasta and cook according to the box or until it's "al dente"

Drain but do not rinse the pasta. Instead, dump it onto a large-lipped cookie sheet, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and let cool (until it's at room temperature).

Cut up the rest of your ingredients and toss with your dressing

Enjoy today and bring to work for lunch tomorrow!

Letizia

xoxo

Featured on Today's top 9!!!!

My Fudge Brownies are featured on today's Top 9 on FOODBUZZ!!!!

Help me move on to the next FoodBuzz challenge by voting for me here

Eat your flowers

Vanilla Cupcakes with Violets

When I go the market I occasionally pick up a bouquet of flowers for the house, I find it ads so much warmth to my place. Yes, they are expensive and they don't last very long, but neither does that extra dark chocolate I like to splurge on once in a while!!! 

Yesterday my flower girl was selling edible violets, they have a sweet perfumed flavor and she told me I can candy them by brushing with egg white and sprinkling with sugar or use them as is to garnish a salad, to top a cake, to add some beauty to any martini!

They were quite pricey: $8 for 12 flowers but I wanted to make my mini cupcakes really stand out for my cousin's sweet 16.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Violets

                                                

                                                                                

I used Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes recipe   but used mini muffin tins to make 24 bite size cupcakes. I had enough left over to make an additional 12 regular sized cupcakes.

Prep Time:

5 min

Inactive Prep Time:

1 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

40 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

24 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

• Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Click here for a guide to edible flower  

FUDGING AROUND!

Oh F-U-D-G-E!!!!!!!

How many times have I said this to avoid the other F word. This time I really meant it! Well almost...I made fudge brownies. I got the recipe from a fellow blogger Chef in You but omitted the nuts .  Here's the result! They were rich and go-wee and oh so chocolaty!!!

Which picture you prefer: pink or blue???

                                                                                                                          

Ingredients – yields about 12-16 pieces
1/2 cup self-rising flour (see substitutes)
1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
2 eggs, lightly beaten (or 4 egg whites) See egg substitutes
3/4 cup butter, melted
6 tbsp cocoa
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sour cream

Direction

Preheat Oven 350F. Grease an 8 inch square shallow cake pan with wax paper. Mix the butter and cocoa in a pan and set aside.

Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix it along with cocoa mixture.

Stir in the nuts. (If you are adding some)

Sift over the flour and fold it along with the mixture.

Pour this mixture into the cake pan and bake for 20-35 minutes until risen. It will still look soft and wet but it will cook further while cooling. Let it sit to cool.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate chips and the butter together in a pan.

Mix it well until smooth, Now add the sour cream and beat it until smooth and glossy.

Let cool slightly and then pour it on topof the brownies.  Spread it well.

Let it set well. You can also refrigerate it for some time to speed up the setting process. Slowly cut it into pieces.

It would make about 12 large pieces. You can cut it into smaller pieces since its pretty rich.

The start of Letizia's "Friday Nights with Friends and Food"

Every friday night, I have friends or family over for dinner...I look forward to this night all week because I love sharing my passion for food with people who appreciate it :)

I have never before incorporated my friday night dinners on my blog because I did not think I could manage documenting my recipes, taking pictures and entertaining all at once.  Of course I was wrong, adding the blog element to that night just made it more interesting and fun for me and my guests. 

Last Friday we had friends coming over for dinner. I went to the market for inspiration and I decided to make something easy: veal cutlets topped with arucola salad with parmiggiano shavings. 

As i was looking for my parmiggiano I spotted some Burrata. Burrata is a specialty cheese from southern Italy, it's like a mozzarella ball that's creamy and buttery on the inside.  I couldn't resist it, I asked the clerk when it was flown in and he said that it arrived the previous night from Puglia. I picked it up along with a baguette to make crostini's on which we would later spread the cheese. 

I got some apples to make apple pie, beautiful veal cutlets from the butcher and my husband picked up some martini rosso (Italian vermouth) to serve as an aperitivo with some olives and cheese.

We had a wonderful evening and my guests were obsessed with the Burrata, as anyone who likes cheese would be.

Easy Aperitivo: Italian vermouth on the rocks with ripe orange slices

When I entertain, I want to enjoy my company. This being said, I  like to plan my meal knowing that I can to do most of the cooking before my guests arrive. Apple pie, or any pie can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. 

For this pie, I took a shortcut and used frozen store bought pie shells.

I peeled and cored 6 large Fuji apples which I then cut into 1/2 inch slices and tossed in a bowl with the juice of a lemon.

 

I cooked the apples in two batches over med heat for about 5min.  The first half with 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of packed golden brown sugar.

I placed the first batch of cooked apples on a baking sheet while I cooked the second half with 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

When the apples where cool I simply tossed them into a big bowl and added 2 Tbsp of all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

It's that simple! Now transfer the apples into your pie shell and carefully remove the dough from the second pie shell and place it over the apples. Pinch the edges together (I used the tip of a fork for this). With a knife, cut a few slits on top to allow air to escape. I cut out a HEART SHAPE in mine 'cause I'm cheesy!!! 

With a brush water on the top and sprinkle granulated sugar all over!

Refrigerate your pie for 30 minutes or until you are ready to bake. Preheat oven at 350'F (180'C), place your pie on a baking sheet and bake for 60-70 min or until the top in nice and golden. 

For the crostini:

Slice a baguette into 1 inch pieces, place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake at 400'F until golden ( about 8 mins) 

Here is "la piece de résistance" La Burrata. This wonderfully creamy cheese needs no alterations or enhancements, simply place in a bowl , cut open and enjoy with or without bread.

 Breaded Veal Cutlets

This is my setup when I make cutlets. Feel free to substitute veal for chicken, porc or fish. 

I ALWAYS make more on purpose because nothing beats a cutlet sandwich the next day and a cutlet salad the day after that!

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:

8 to 12 pieces of veal cutlets

For the egg bath:

3 eggs beaten

1/2 cup milk

Salt/pepper

A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Your veal can stay in this bath in the fridge until you are ready to bread and fry

For the breading combine all the following ingredients:

1 cups plain bread crumbs

1 cup panko crumbs

A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt/pepper to taste

1 sprig chopped fresh oregano

1 tsp cayenne pepper flakes

1/4 cup grated parmiggiano

Dip the cutlet in the eggs, then coat evenly with the breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess. Set on a baking sheet or plate and repeat with the remaining cutlet. 

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet (I like to do half olive oil and half vegetable oil), just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat and fry up the cutlets until they are golden brown (about 3-4 min on each side). Set on a baking sheet with paper towel to absorb excess oil. 

I served my cutlets with lemon wedges and an arugola salad simply dressed with olive oil, salt and lemon juice topped with parmigiano reggiano shavings.

Peaches & Vino

Every sunday my family gather's at my grandmothers house.  They are few things I enjoy as much as peaches in wine to end a wonderful lunch at my Nonna's house.

                                                                                                    


Simply slice up a ripe peach in a glass of red wine and enjoy.
xoxo

Fior di Zucchini

Ahhhh the pleasures of summer!!!!

I can't think of anything more summery then taking a bite out of a freshly picked and of course fried zucchini flower. 

The crunchy battered exterior gives way to the delicate petals that simply melt in your mouth.

Here is a five minute recipe for crispy zucchini flowers:
Zucchini flowers (about 24 flowers)
2 egg yolks (lightly beaten with a fork)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cold soda water
Salt/Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

In a mixing bowl: Pour the egg yolks and the soda water, add the flower salt and pepper to taste and mix all the ingredients. The consistency of the batter should be that of heavy cream.
Dip the zucchini in the bater and fry until golden in vegetable oil. Lay on brown paper towel to absorb excess oil and enjoy as is