Category Archives: Seafood

Special Stuffed Calamari (Quinoa Recipe)

February 22, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Pescetarian, SeafoodAppetisers, Calamari, Calamari Ripieni, Dairy-free, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Peas, Quinoa, Recipe, Seafood, Squid, Step by step, StuffedSerena @ foodfulife

Stuffed calamari (calamari ripieni) is a very popular dish in Italy. Normally, the recipe is made with bread stuffing and some variation on the other ingredients. This time, we are going to prepare a quinoa stuffing with peas, anchovies and garlic. It is a wonderful starter and a great main meal served with vegetables. It might seem a little complex to prepare, but it’s such a delicious full-flavoured dish that it’s worth a try!

Tip. Calamari ( squid) should be fresh and properly cleaned before you start the preparation. It’s very important not to over cook the seafood, because calamari can become very chewy and unpleasant to eat. If that happens continue to cook them until they become tender again (in this case, remember to add more wine and some vegetable or fish stock).

Stuffed Calamari (quinoa recipe)

Ingredients

for 3 servings

Preparation: 40 minutes

400g (14.1 oz) cleaned calamari (squid)

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 splash of white wine (non-acidic)

salt and pepper to taste

For the filling

50 g (1.76 oz) quinoa (uncooked)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

2 anchovies

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

20 g (0.7 oz) of frozen peas

1 egg

30 g (1.05 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

White wine (good quality)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Wash the quinoa, using a strainer under running water, for a few minutes (to remove the natural bitter taste).

2 . Cook for 15 minutes in 200 ml (6.76 us oz fl, 0.35 uk pt) of water, then cover with a lid and set aside.

3. Separate the tentacles from the top of the body of the calamari. Finely chop the tentacles.

4. Chop two cloves of garlic and two anchovies and gently fry them over a low heat with three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

5. Add the chopped tentacles with the peas and (after a couple of minutes) drizzle with a little bit of white wine.

6. Add the quinoa with two tablespoons of parsley, then stir and after a few minutes turn off the heat.

7. Combine the ingredients with an egg, the Parmesan cheese, some salt and pepper and mix well. Stuff the calamari using a teaspoon (and your fingers) or a piping bag ( fill only 2/3 to avoid braking the calamari during the cooking time) . Seal the calamari with toothpicks.

8. Put the calamari in a frying pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a chopped clove of garlic, a splash of white wine and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes at a medium heat, after 5 minutes add a tablespoon of parsley and stir. Serve warm.

Calamari ripieni con quinoa.

Ingredienti

per 3 persone

400 g di calamari puliti (senza dente)

1 spicchio d’aglio

2 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

1 spruzzata di vino bianco (non acido)

sale e pepe q b

Per il ripieno

50 g quinoa (cruda)

3 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

2 spicchi d’aglio

3 cucchiai di prezzemolo (tritato finemente)

20 g di piselli surgelati

Sale e pepe q b

1 uova

30 g Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato

vino bianco (non acido) q b

2 acciughe sott’ olio (alici)

Preparazione

1. Lavate la quinoa, utilizzando un colino sotto l’acqua del rubinetto, per qualche minuto (questa operazione serve a togliere il sapore amaro della quinoa).

2. Fate bollire per 15 minuti in 200 ml d’acqua, poi spegnete il fuoco, coprite con un coperchio e mettete da parte.

3. Usando un coltello, separate i tentacoli dalle tasche dei calamari. Tritate finemente i tentacoli.

4. Tritate e fate soffriggere a fuoco basso due spicchi d’aglio e due acciughe con tre cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva.

5. Aggiungete i tentacoli tritati con i piselli e annaffiate con un po’ di buon vino. Fate ritirare a fuoco lento.

6. Aggiungete la quinoa con due cucchiai di prezzemolo, mescolando per qualche minuto e poi spegnete il fuoco.

7. Unite agli ingredienti un uovo, del parmigiano, sale, pepe e mescolate bene. Riempite i calamari usando un cucchiaino o la saccapoche (riempite solo 2/3, per evitare che si rompano durante la cottura). Chiudete con degli stuzzicadenti.

8. Mettete i calamari in una padella con due cucchiai d’olio, uno spicchio d’aglio tritato, uno spruzzo di vino bianco e un po’ di sale e pepe. Fate cuocere per 10 minuti a fuoco medio, aggiungendo un cucchiaio di prezzemolo dopo 5 minuti. Spegnete e servite.

Steamed Salmon with Rocket and Oranges.

January 26, 2014Appetisers, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Low-fat Recipes, Pescetarian, SeafoodArugula, B vitamins, Dairy-free, Fish, Food, Fresh, Gluten-free, high protein food, Iron, Low fat, Omega-3 fatty acid, Orange, Recipe, Rocket, Salad, Wild salmonSerena @ foodfulife

This week we are going to prepare a light salad with salmon, oranges and rocket leaves. I love the way in which the buttery texture of salmon and the freshness of oranges work together, I think it’s a perfect match! There isn’t much I can say about it, you just have to try it!!! I added a few rocket leaves because the pungent and slightly bitter flavour of this lovely herb creates a pleasant contrast with the other ingredients, which balance the recipe nicely.

This dish is a real feel-good booster and is packed with health benefits! Salmon is considered an extremely healthy food due to the high content of protein, omega-3 fatty acid and B 6 and B 12 vitamins; while rocket not only contains plenty of vitamins but is also rich in iron… So, if you often have iron-deficiency problems like me, or you simply like healthy food (same as me, anyway!), you have plenty of reasons to enjoy this dish!

Steamed salmon with rocket, oranges and walnuts.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

for 2 servings

2 salmon steaks (250 g / 8.81 oz)

2 large oranges

50 g (1.76 oz) rocket (arugula), washed and cleaned

30 g (1.05 oz) walnuts, unshelled

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation method

1. Steam the salmon steaks for about 6-8 minutes.

2. With a sharp knife, peel the oranges, completely removing the white part. Then cut them into thin slices.

3. Arrange the rocket leaves on the plate, place the slices of orange on top with the salmon in the middle.

4. Sprinkle the walnuts on the ingredients, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with some salt and plenty of black pepper.

Enjoy your meal!

Steamed salmon with rocket and oranges (front view, close up)

Salmone con arance e rucola (cottura a vapore).

Preparazione: 15 minutes

Ingredienti

per 2 persone

2 filetti di salmone (250 g)

2 arance grosse

50 g rucola, lavata e pulita

30 g di noci, senza guscio

olio extra vergine d’oliva

sale e pepe q b

Preparazione.

1. Cuocete a vapore i due filetti di salmone per 6-8 minuti.

2. Con un coltello molto affilato, sbucciate due arance togliendo completamente anche la parte bianca.

3. Sistemate le foglie di rucola sulla base del piatto, ricoprite con le fette d’arancia e appoggiate al centro il filetto di salmone.

4. Distribuite le noci sopra gli ingredienti, condite con olio extra vergine d’oliva, un po’ di sale e pepe in abbondanza.

Buon appetito!

Steamed Prawn and Bell Pepper Kebabs.

January 10, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Low-fat Recipes, SeafoodAppetisers, Bell pepper, Citronette, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Light, Light meal, Lime, Lime sauce, Low-fat recipes, Parsley, Prawns, Recipe, Seafood, Starter, SteamedSerena @ foodfulife

Today I am publishing my first recipe of the year, after taking a little break.

Bearing in mind that many of you will be on a diet, just like me, after a full-on Christmas feast, I decided to go for a light and delicate starter made with seafood and vegetables . Experimenting in my kitchen, not long ago, I discovered that the delicate flavours of yellow bell peppers and prawns complement each other very well, especially if steamed. This recipe is very healthy and the preparation is quick and easy, however it’s important to get the cooking time right, because if you overcook the ingredients the final result won’t be any good, as the bell peppers will become too soft and the prawns will turn out hard, dry and chewy. In order to avoid this follow carefully the instructions and you’ll have the most amazing prawn kebabs!

Tip. As a light meal, serve the prawn kebabs with steamed basmati rice.

Prawn and bell pepper kebabs.

Ingredients

for 4 people ( for 8 kebabs)

2 big yellow peppers (or 3 small peppers)

450 g prawn tails, to clean

a few leaves of fresh parsley

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash the peppers, remove the core, pith and seeds, then cut them into 2 halves.

2. Wash and peel the prawns. Using a knife, remove the hard parts and the dark vein on the back.

3. Steam the peppers for about 10-15 minutes (external side facing down).

4. Remove the peppers from the heat, peel the skin off using a knife and cut them into small pieces (about 4 cm).

5. Steam the prawns for about 3 minutes.

6. Insert the skewers, alternating pieces of pepper with prawns.

For the seasoning (lime citronette sauce).

1. In a small bowl, mix 6 spoons of extra virgin olive oil with the lime juice.

2. Chop a few parsley leaves finely.

3. Mix all the ingredients together with some salt and pepper.

4. Season the prawn kebabs and serve them warm with the sauce.

Spiedini di Gamberi e Peperoni (cottura a vapore).

Ingredienti

per 4 persone (8 spiedini)

2 grandi peperoni gialli (o 3 piccoli)

450 g di code di gambero (da pulire)

alcune foglie di prezzemolo

6 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva

3 cucchiai di succo di lime

sale e pepe q b

1. Lavate, pulite e tagliate i peperoni in due.

2. Pulite e sgusciate i gamberi, eliminando completamente la buccia e il budellino nero.

3. Fate cuocere i peperoni a vapore per 10-15 minuti (con la parte esterna verso il basso).

4. Togliete i peperoni dal fuoco, sbucciateli delicatamente e tagliateli a pezzetti rettangolari.

5. Fate cuocere a vapore i gamberi per 3 minuti.

6. Infilzate gli ingredienti con degli spiedini di legno, alternando dei pezzi di peperone ai gamberi.

Per la citronette di lime.

1. In una piccola ciotola, mischiate 6 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva con 3 cucchiai di succo di lime.

2. Tritate qualche foglia di prezzemolo molto finemente.

3. Unite tutti gli ingredienti, aggiungendo anche un po’ di sale e pepe.

4. Condite bene gli spiedini di gamberi e serviteli tiepidi, accompagnandoli con il condimento.

Spring onion stuffed focaccia bread.

October 5, 2013Bread & Buns, Dairy-free, High-fibre Food, Pescetarian, Seafood, SourdoughAnchovies, Appetisers, Focaccia, Focaccia bread, Low-fat recipes, Olives, Sourdough, Spelt flour, Spring onions, Stuffed focaccia, Whole-wheat flourSerena @ foodfulife

My grandmother used to prepare this recipe for family dinners and celebrations. I remember eating a lot of this focaccia bread at every dinner we had. Of course, as usual, I made my own version using wholemeal flour and less anchovies and olives than in the original recipe. Anyway, it’s delicious and quite a versatile dish that you can have as a main vegan or vegetarian dish, or as a side dish with other courses.

I am very happy to share this recipe here, its flavour takes me back to some good memories.

Ingredients

500 g (17.6 oz) of well risen pizza dough (I made mine with 1/3 wholemeal flour, 1/3 wholemeal spelt flour, 1/3 sourdough, water and salt) . Also see the post on how to make pizza dough with yeast for the recipe.

500 g ( 17.6 oz) spring onions

4-5 anchovies in oil

50 g (1.76 oz) pitted green olives

extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

1. Divide the dough into two equal parts. Take one part and shape a disk slightly larger than 30 cm in diameter.

2. Take an oven pan (28 cm in diameter), grease with plenty of olive oil and roll out the dough.

3. Peel and slice the spring onions, including the tender green part. Fry the onions with plenty of olive oil over low heat, until they are tender.

4. Cut the olives, chop the anchovies and place all the ingredients evenly on the dough.

5. Make another disk with the remaining dough, in order to cover and seal the focaccia, then let it rise for an hour.

6. Season with some salt and a little bit of oil, then bake at 200 ° C (392° F) for 20 minutes.

Focaccia integrale ripiena con cipollotti e olive.

Ingredienti

500 g di pasta da pane ben lievitata (ho fatto la mia usando 1/3 di farina integrale, 1/3 di farina di farro, 1/3 di pasta madre, acqua e sale)

500 g di cipollotti

4-5 acciughe sott’olio

50 g di olive verdi snocciolate

olio extra vergine d’oliva e sale qb

1. Dividete la pasta in due parti uguali. Prendete una parte dell’impasto e formate un disco leggermente più grande di 30 cm di diametro.

2. Prendete una teglia da forno (di 28 cm di diametro), ungete con abbondante olio d’oliva e stendere la pasta.

3. Sbucciare e affettare i cipollotti, compresa la parte verde più tenera. Fate soffriggere con abbondante olio d’oliva a fuoco basso.

4. Tagliare le olive e tritate le acciughe. Stendete tutti gli ingredienti in modo uniforme sulla pasta.

5. Formate un disco con la pasta rimasta per coprire e sigillare la focaccia. Lasciate lievitare per circa un’ora.

6. Condite con un po’ di sale e olio, quindi infornare a 200 ° C per 20 minuti.

Spaghetti with prawns and trumpet gourds

September 14, 2013Main Dishes, Pasta and Rice, Pescetarian, SeafoodAlbenga, Cook, Cooking, Courgettes, Dragoncello, Family, Food, Gourds trumpet, Italian, Pasta and Rice, Recipe, Seafood, Spaghetti, Tarragon, ZucchiniSerena @ foodfulife

Today’s recipe is suitable for a special occasion like a romantic dinner (remember to halve the ingredients in this case) or an elegant meal. For this recipe I used italian trumpet gourds because, being very sweet, delicate and with a creamy, almost avocado-like texture, they work really well with the prawns in this dish. If you can’t find any gourds you can use some zucchini / courgettes instead.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3 medium-sized spring onions

1 sachet of saffron

1 large clove of garlic

a bunch of parsley

a bunch of tarragon

200 g (7 oz) trumpet gourds of Albenga , still green, with delicate skin (you can use zucchini / courgettes if you can’t find the gourds)

200 g (7 oz) prawns (washed and cleaned)

200 g (7 oz) spaghetti

2 tablespoons single cream

2 glasses of good white wine

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Finely chop the herbs with the spring onions and garlic.

Fry the chopped ingredients in a large pan with plenty of olive oil.

Add the gourds (cut into very thin slices). Cook, adding a little bit of water if necessary, until the grounds are tender.

Season with salt and pepper. At this point, add the prawns with the white wine.

Meanwhile, in a large pan boil the pasta with a little bit of sea salt. Now, add the cream and saffron to the prawns and cook over medium heat until most of the excess liquid evaporates (bearing in mind that the sauce has to be very creamy, almost liquid).

Once ready, drain the pasta and toss it directly in the frying pan with the sauce.

Spaghetti con gamberi e zucchine trombetta.

Ingredienti

per 4 persone

3 cipollotti di media grandezza

1 bustina di zafferano

1 spicchio d’aglio grande

un mazzetto di prezzemolo

un mazzetto di dragoncello

200 g di zucchine trombetta

200 g di code di gambero lavate e pulite

200 g di spaghetti

2 cucchiai di panna da cucina

2 bicchieri di vino bianco buono

3 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva

sale e pepe q b

Tritate finemente i cipollotti con l’aglio e le erbe. Mettete a soffriggere gli ingredienti appena tritati in una padella grande con abbondante olio d’oliva. Nel frattempo, fate bollire l’acqua per la pasta con un po’ di sale grosso. Aggiungete al soffritto le zucchine trombetta tagliate a spicchi molto sottili. Fate rosolare bene, poi annaffiate con un po’ d’acqua. Aggiungete sale e pepe a piacere e continuate a cuocere finché le zucche saranno tenere. A questo punto, aggiungete i gamberi e il vino bianco. A parte, buttate la pasta. Unite la panna e lo zafferano ai gamberi, facendo evaporare a fuoco medio il liquido in eccesso, tenendo presente che il condimento dovrà rimanere molto cremoso, quasi liquido.

Una volta pronto il condimento, scolate la pasta e conditela direttamente in padella.