Category Archives: Side Dishes

Rice Salad With Buffalo Mozzarella and Olives

A delicious variation of the classic recipe Insalata di riso, enriched with colourful seasonal ingredients. Quick and easy to prepare, this wonderful dish could be a great starter for a dinner party or a light summer meal.
In the recipe method I used a round pastry cutter to shape the rice with the ingredients, but you can mix all the ingredients if you prefer.

Rice salad with buffalo mozzarella and olives.

4 servings

Ingredients

200g arborio rice (you can use a parboiled rice)

4 ripe plum tomatoes

4 buffalo mozzarella

120 g of pitted black and green olives

a bunch of fresh basil

extra virgin olive to taste

salt and pepper

Method.

1. Cook the rice following the preparation method illustrated on the packaging. Then drain the rice and season with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.

2. Wash the basil and remove the stems. Roughly chop the basil leaves and slice the olives.

3. Drain the buffalo mozzarella well and then cut it into small pieces.

4. Place the rice on the dish and then cover it with the olives, the mozzarella and the basil. Season with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and serve.

Insalata di riso con mozzarella di bufala e olive.

Per 4 persone

Ingredienti

200 g di riso arborio

4 pomodori perini maturi

4 mozzarelle di bufala

120 g di olive nere e verdi snocciolate

un mazzetto di basilico fresco

olio extra vergine di oliva q. b.

sale e pepe

Preparazione.

1. Cuocete il riso seguendo il metodo di preparazione e il tempo di cottura indicato sulla confezione. A cottura terminata, scolate il riso e conditelo con un po’ d’olio extra vergine d’oliva.

2. Lavate il basilico e rimuovete i gambi. Tagliate le foglie di basilico e le olive.

3. Scolate bene le mozzarelle di bufala e poi tagliatele a cubetti.

4. Sistemate il riso nel piatto e ricopritelo con le olive, i cubetti di mozzarella e il basilico.

Condite ancora con olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale, pepe e servite.

Traditional Recipe: Easy Spinach Flan

This week we are going to prepare a light spinach flan, made with lots of spinach, fresh ricotta, eggs and parmesan cheese. It is an incredibly easy dish to make and so tasty, it can be served as a main vegetarian meal with some fresh salad on the side, but it is also a wonderful side dish.
My mother prepares this flan very often and we love it! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Easy spinach flan

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

500 g of fresh spinach, washed and ready to cook

80 g of Parmigiano Reggiano

2 large eggs

250 g ricotta

3 tablespoons of polenta (or breadcrumbs)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Soften the spinach in a large pan with two tablespoons of water, over a low heat for a few minutes.

2. Drain the spinach and let cool (as the spinach will release some water when they cook). Then vigorously squeeze the vegetables for a few minutes.

3. Coarsely chop the spinach using a knife.

4. In a large bowl, mix 250g ricotta with two large eggs, 80 g Parmesan cheese, then season with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well.

5. Line a small baking pan with a sheet of baking paper (I used a 22 cm x 6 cm round pan), then grease the base with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

6. Pour the spinach mixture into the pan, sprinkle with lots of polenta (or breadcrumbs) and bake at 180 ° C (356 °F) until the flan is golden brown around the edges. Serve warm or cold, as you prefer.

Follow foodfulife on Facebook for more mouth-watering recipes!

Sformato di spinaci (facile)

Ingredienti

per 4-6 persone

500 g di spinaci freschi in busta

80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano

2 uova medio-grandi

250 g di ricotta

polenta (o pangrattato)

4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

Noce moscata

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Fate ammorbidire gli spinaci in una pentola con due cucchiai d’acqua, a fuoco molto basso per qualche minuto.

2. Scolate e lasciate raffreddare gli spinaci, poi strizzateli energicamente.

3. Tritate grossolanamente gli spinaci usando un coltello.

4. Unite 250 g di ricotta a due uova con 80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano grattugiato, poi condite con sale, pepe, un pizzico di noce moscata e due cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva. Mescolate bene.

5. Ricoprite una teglia con carta da forno (uso una casseruola di 22 cm x 6 cm) e ungete la base con due cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva.

6. Versate il contenuto nella teglia, cospargete la superficie con abbondante polenta e infornate a 180° C, fino a quando lo sformato sarà dorato sulla parte superiore.

Artichoke And Leek Frittata

Frittata is basically a thick omelette packed with seasonal vegetables and freshly grated Parmesan cheese! it is a fairly easy dish to make and quite versatile, because you can be very creative with the ingredients and then you can serve the frittata either as a delicious side dish or a light vegetarian meal.

Feel free to personalise your frittata and let your creativity be the limit! Go wild with it!! 🙂

Notes.

There are two methods you can use, to properly cook the top layer of the frittata (see step 7 of the recipe).

Cooking method 1 (using a large dish on top of the pan)
In order to cook both sides of your frittata you might have to turn it upside down during the cooking time. To do that, you can follow these steps:

1. Place a large dish on top of the frying pan (as you do with a lid),
2. Then, firmly pressing the dish against the pan, turn the whole thing upside down and carefully place the frittata on the plate.
3. Finally, slide the frittata back onto the pan and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Cooking method 2
The second, and simplest way to cook the top layer of the frittata would be to place the frittata in the oven for 10 minutes with the grill on, at the end of the cooking process (see step 7 of the recipe). Of course, in order to do that you need a flat metal pan, without plastic handles.

Artichoke and leek frittata.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

2 cloves of garlic (peeled)

4 artichokes, washed and cleaned

1 large potato, peeled and washed

2 leeks, peeled and washed (remove the hard part)

6 eggs

4 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped marjoram (fresh or dried)

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

You need

a large frying pan (28 cm)

a large flat plate (same diameter as the pan)

a large bowl

Method.

1. Remove all the hard bits of the artichokes, then cut into slices.

2. Sauté the artichoke slices with 2 garlic cloves (coarsely chopped) and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

3. When the artichokes have softened, add the leeks (roughly sliced) and the potatoes, cut into small pieces. Then add some water and simmer over a low heat, keeping the lid on until all the vegetables have slightly softened.

4. Remove the lid, add the herbs and turn up the heat, until all the excess water evaporates. Turn off the heat and set aside.

5. In a large bowl lightly beat 6 eggs using a fork, then add the cooked vegetables, 4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.

6. Put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan, then pour in the egg mixture. Cook over a medium-low heat, until you get a nice crust underneath the frittata.

7. Turn the frittata upside down (using a large plate against the pan) and cook for another 5 minutes and turn off the heat.

Frittata di carciofi, porri e patate.

Ingredienti

Per 6-8 persone

2 spicchi d’aglio (senza buccia)

4 carciofi, lavati e puliti

1 patata grande, pelata e lavata

2 porri, lavati e puliti

6 uova

4 cucchiai di Parmigiano Reggiano

1 cucchiaio di prezzemolo tritato

1 cucchiaio di maggiorana tritata (fresca o secca)

olio extravergine d’oliva q. b.

sale e pepe q. b.

Cosa serve

una padella grande (28 cm)

un piatto grande ( dello stesso diametro della padella)

una terrina grande

Preparazione.

1. Rimuovete tutte le parti dure del carciofo, poi tagliate a spicchi abbastanza sottili.

2. Fate soffriggere i carciofi con 2 spicchi d’aglio (tagliati grossolanamente) in 3 cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva.

3. Quando i carciofi si saranno ammorbiditi, aggiungete i porri tagliati a fettine e le patate tagliate a pezzi (non tanto grossi). Aggiungete un po’ d’acqua e lasciate cuocere a fuoco basso, con il coperchio, fino a quando le verdure si saranno ammorbidite.

4. A fine cottura, aggiungete le erbe aromatiche, poi alzate il fuoco e fate ritirare l’acqua in eccesso. Quando tutta l’aqua si sarà ritirata, spegnete il fuoco e mettete da parte.

5. In una terrina grande, sbattete leggermente 6 uova con una forchetta, poi aggiungete le verdure cotte, il parmigiano, il sale, il pepe e mescolate bene.

6. Mettete due cucchiai d’olio extravergine d’oliva in una padella, poi versatevi le uova con la verdura. Fate cuocere a fuoco medio-basso, fino a quando si sarà formata una bella crosticina sul fondo.

7. Appoggiate un piatto piano sulla parte superiore della frittata, girate la padella (in modo da appoggiare la frittata sul piatto), poi fate scivolare la frittata delicatamente sulla padella (così la parte meno cotta sarà sul fondo). Fate cuocere ancora per 5 minuti e spegnete il fuoco.

Skinny “Fries”, My Way!

Low-fat and healthier than the real thing, oven-baked skinny “fries” can be even tastier than deep fried potatoes, if you add fresh herbs and garlic.
These skinny “fries” are super tasty and very crunchy!…None will know they are baked and not fried!!

Rosemary and garlic skinny “fries”.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

4 Servings

Ingredients

a bunch of fresh rosemary

8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in halves

4 medium-large potatoes

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

what you need

2 large rectangular baking trays

a big bowl

some baking paper

a knife

a kitchen cutting board

Method.

1. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into sticks.

2. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and mix with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Take 2 large baking trays, line them with baking paper and place the potatoes on the trays (not too many, otherwise they’ll stick together).

4. Top the potatoes with the rosemary and the garlic cloves, then bake for 30-35 minutes at 190°C (374° F).

5. Take the potatoes out of the oven, remove the garlic and rosemary and serve.

Patatine al forno con aglio e rosmarino.

Tempo di preparazione: 10 minuti

Tempo di cottura: 30-35 minuti

Per 4 persone

Ingredienti

un po’ di rosmarino fresco

8 spicchi d’aglio, puliti e tagliati a metà

4 patate medio-grandi

4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

sale e pepe q. b.

occorrono:

2 teglie grandi rettangolari

una ciotola grande

2 fogli di carta da forno

un coltello

un tagliere

Preparazione.

1. Lavate, sbucciate e tagliate le patate a bastoncini sottili.

2. Mettete le patate in una ciotola e mescolate con 4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.

3. Prendete una teglia grande, ricoprite con carta da forno e posizionateci sopra le patate, lasciando un po’ di spazio tra un pezzo e l’altro (altrimenti si attaccano).

4. Aggiungete il rosmarino e gli spicchi d’aglio sopra le patate, poi infornate a 190 ° C per 30-35 minuti.

5. Levate le patate dal forno, poi togliete l’aglio e il rosmarino. Servite subito.

Quick And Easy Recipe: Sautéed Carrots

November 5, 2014Budget-friendly Recipes, High-fibre Food, Quick and Easy, Side Dishes, VegetarianCarrots, Food, Gluten-free, High in fibre, Recipe, Sautéed Vegetables, Side dish, Under 30 minutes recipe, Vegetables, VegetarianSerena @ foodfulife

This is an easy and extremely delicious carrot recipe! You can add the quantity of extra virgin olive oil and butter you desire, or you can have a healthy dish with just a little extra virgin olive oil in it. You can adapt this recipe according to your taste.

Sautéed Carrots

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

For 6 servings

1 kg carrots, washed and peeled

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

salt to taste

a little bit of butter (optional)

Method.

1. Steam the carrots until a little bit tender.

2. Slice the carrots and then sauté (for 5-10 minutes) with the extra virgin olive oil, a little bit of butter (optional), the chopped garlic and parsley.

3. Add some salt and serve.

Carote saltate in padella.

Temo di preparazione: 5 minuti

Tempo di cottura: 15-20 minuti

Ingredienti

Per 6 porzioni

1 kg di carote, già pulite

2 spicchi d’aglio (tritati)

4-5 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva

2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato

sale q. b.

un po’ di burro (facoltativo)

Preparazione.

1. Cuocete a vapore le carote, fino a renderle più tenere.

2. Tagliare le carote e poi fatele rosolare (per 5-10 minuti) con l’olio extra vergine di oliva, un po’ di burro (facoltativo), l’aglio e il prezzemolo.

3. Aggiungete un po’ di sale e servite.

Quick And Easy: Chestnut Salad With Apples And Escarole

October 10, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, High-fibre Food, Low-fat Recipes, Quick and Easy, Raw / Mainly Raw, Side Dishes, Vegan, VegetarianCaldarroste, Chestnuts, Endive, Escarole, Food, Gluten-free, Pine nuts, Quick and easy recipe, Raw, Salad, Side dish, VeganSerena @ foodfulife

This week, as promised, I start a series of recipes dedicated to chestnuts. Chestnuts are a wonderful and versatile ingredient, full of fibre, nutrients and vitamins. Basically, they are carbohydrates, but they also contains some good proteins and are gluten-free. These fruits are usually roasted or boiled, sometimes used to enrich salads, stews or soups. Chestnuts flour is also quite popular, often used to make tasty breads and various desserts. Candied chestnuts are also an amazing ingredient when it comes to making desserts, but they are usually quite expensive.

Today I am publishing a salad with crunchy roasted chestnuts, escarole, pine nuts and apples, packed with vitamins (B1, B2, C etc…) and minerals, to boost the immune system with plenty of flavour and texture!

Salad with roasted chestnuts, escarole and apples.

Ingredients

For 4 people

400 g of roasted chestnuts (or boiled, if you prefer) see How to make amazing roasted chestnuts

160 g of escarole or curly-leaved endive, washed and dried

1/2 red onion (optional)

30 g of raisins

40 g pine nuts

2 gala apples, washed and dried

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

the juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Cut the apples and the escarole leaves. Peel and slice the onion then put it in a cup and fill the cup with water. Leave the onion in the water for 30 minutes and then drain (this operation will make the onion sweeter).

2. Arrange the escarole leaves on the plates, then add the chopped apples with the raisins, the onion and the pine nuts (divide into 4 servings).

3. Peal the roasted chestnuts then add them to the salad.

4. Season with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Insalata di caldarroste, scarola e mele.

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

400 g di caldarroste (oppure castagne bollite),

per fare le caldarroste seguite questo link: Come preparare ottime caldarroste a casa

160 g di indivia scarola (oppure indivia riccia) , lavata e asciugata

1/2 cipolla rossa (facoltativo)

30 g di uvetta

40 g di pinoli

2 mele gala, lavate e asciugate

3 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva

il succo di mezzo limone

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Tagliate le mele e le foglie di scarola. Sbucciate e affettate le cipolle. Mettete le cipolle a mollo in acqua per 30 minuti (per renderle più dolci), poi scolate.

2. Dividendo in quattro porzioni, sistemate prima le foglie di scarola e poi aggiungete i pezzetti di mele, l’uvetta, la cipolla e i pinoli.

3. Sbucciate le caldarroste e aggiungetele all’insalata.

4. Condite con olio extra vergine d’oliva, qualche goccia di succo di limone, sale e pepe.

Traditional Recipe: Baked Peppers Au Gratin

August 22, 2014Appetisers, Budget-friendly Recipes, Dairy-free, Side Dishes, Traditional Recipes, VegetarianBudget-friendly, Dairy-free, Food, Low carb, Peppers, Recipe, Vegetables, VegetarianSerena @ foodfulife

A great dish to serve if you have a large number of guests to feed, because it is so easy to prepare and cook. Baked Peppers Au Gratin are a wonderful appetiser and side, served with meat or seafood, but you can have them as a vegetarian meal, with a nice salad. You can prepare a gluten-free version of this Italian traditional dish using instant polenta, instead of bread crumbs. You can also make a vegan version without the cheese.

Serve Peppers Au Gratin hot or cold, they are delicious either way! But in the summer I prefer this dish cold, straight from the fridge, because the peppers need some time to absorb all the different flavours.

This is the right season to eat fresh bell peppers and there are plenty of choices when it comes to great traditional recipes with this wonderful ingredient.
Here are some other recipes using bell peppers that I have published recently on Foodfulife:

La peperonata

Roasted Bell Peppers with Garlic Vinaigrette

Baked Peppers Au Gratin.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

6 servings

Easy

Ingredients

3 large bell peppers (red and yellow)

6 tablespoons breadcrumbs

80 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, finally chopped

1/2 a tablespoon of dried oregano

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed and finally chopped

salt and pepper to taste

extra virgin olive oil

Method.

1. In a small bowl, mix the herbs with the breadcrumbs, the grated cheese, the garlic and season with some salt and pepper.

2. Wash and dry the bell peppers.

3. Using a knife, cut the peppers in half and remove the stem, the seeds and the white parts.

4. Place the peppers onto an oven tray, previously greased with a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. With a spoon, spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly onto the peppers.

5. Bake in the oven at 200°C (392° F) , until the peppers are tender and the breadcrumb mixture becomes very crunchy.

Peperoni Gratinati Al Forno.

Tempo di preparazione: 10 minuti

Tempo di cottura: 40 minuti

6 persone

Facile

Ingredienti

3 peperoni grandi (rosso e giallo)

6 cucchiai di pangrattato

80 g di Parmigiano Reggiano, grattugiato fresco

1 cucchiaio di prezzemolo fresco, tritato finemente

1/2 cucchiaio di origano secco

2-3 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciato e tritato finemente

sale e pepe

olio extra vergine di oliva

Preparazione.

1. In una terrina, mescolate il pan grattato con l’aglio, l’origano, il prezzemolo, il parmigiano e un pò di sale e pepe.

2. Lavate e asciugate bene i peperoni.

3. Con un coltello, tagliate e rimuovete la calotta superiore del peperone. Tagliate a metà gli ortaggi e rimuovete la parte interna, con i filamenti e i semi.

4. Disponete i peperoni sopra una teglia, unta con un filo d’olio. Riempite i peperoni con il composto di pangrattato e sapori, ma senza esagerare.

5. Condite con un po’ d’olio e infornate a 200° C. Quando i peperoni saranno morbidi e il ripieno croccante spegnete il fuoco.

Barley And Shrimp Salad In Red Cabbage Leaves

August 13, 2014Appetisers, Dairy-free, High-fibre Food, Low-fat Recipes, Pescetarian, Seafood, Side DishesAppetizer, Grains, Light meal, Low-cal, Pearled barley, Pescetarian, Salad, Shrimps, Side dishSerena @ foodfulife

Barley is a cereal that has been used in dishes for thousands of years. It’s a wonderful and versatile ingredient: it can be used in salads and soups or cooked like a risotto. Today we are going to make a light barley salad with lots of fresh vegetables and shrimps! This colourful salad could be a great side dish for a barbecue or a buffet, but could also be served on its own as a light meal.

Tips.

1. Pearl barley does not need soaking before cooking, it is simply boiled like rice.

2. Wash the barley under running water for a few minutes before cooking it, to remove its natural bitter taste.

3. For this recipe I am using a red Tropea’s onion, a delicious onion variety, available in Italy. If you don’t find it, you can use shallots instead. Shallots and Tropea’s onions are perfect for this recipe because they are naturally sweet and have a pleasant delicate flavour.

Barley and shrimp salad in red cabbage leaves.

5 – 6 red cabbage leaves (medium size)

90 g pearl barley

250 g frozen shrimps

1/2 sweet red Tropea’s onion (or shallots)

1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped

7-8 cherry tomatoes

1 large avocado

the juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable broth

Method.

1. Cook the pearl barley in vegetable broth (I used an organic stock), for 40 minutes (the cooking time will vary depending on the variety of barley).

2. Boil some water in a sauce pan, then turn off the heat and poach the shrimps for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Wash and dry the cabbage leaves. Peel and slice the onion and avocado, then set aside. Wash, dry and cut the celery and tomatoes.

4. Mix all the vegetables (including the chopped parsley) with the cooked barley and shrimps. Serve the salad in cabbage leaves and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Cestini di insalata d’orzo e gamberetti.

5-6 foglie di cavolo rosso

250 g gamberetti surgelati

1/2 cipolla rossa di Tropea (oppure lo scalogno)

1/2 gambo di sedano

7-8 pomodorini ciliegia

1 avocado grande

il succo di mezzo limone

2 cucchiai di prezzemolo fresco, tritato finemente

sale e pepe q. b.

brodo vegetale (uso del brodo fatto con del dado biologico)

Preparazione.

1. Fate cuocere l’orzo perlato nel brodo per 40 minuti (il tempo di cottura può variare a seconda della qualità di orzo).

2. Fate bollire una pentola piena d’acqua, poi spegnete il fuoco e immergetevi i gamberetti per 3-4 minuti. Scolate e mettete da parte.

3. Lavate e asciugate le foglie di cavolo. Pelate e tagliate le cipolle e l’avocado. Lavate, asciugate e tagliate a cubetti il sedano e i pomodorini.

4. Mescolate tutte le verdure (compreso il prezzemolo) con l’orzo e i gamberetti. Servite l’insalata nelle foglie di cavolo e condite con sale, pepe e il succo di limone.

Traditional Recipe: Roasted Bell Peppers With Garlic Vinaigrette

August 3, 2014Budget-friendly Recipes, How to, Low-fat Recipes, Side Dishes, Traditional Recipes, Vegan, VegetarianBell peppers, Food, Gluten-free, Ingredient, Recipe, Roasted, Summer recipe, Vegan, Vegetables, VegetarianSerena @ foodfulife

Bell peppers are delicious, rich in vitamin C and antioxidants and come in a variety of colours. In Italy we usually cook red and yellow peppers and we don’t use green peppers as much, because they are more acidic and bitter in taste. Bell peppers are usually roasted, fried, grilled or stewed with different ingredients. Today we are going to roast the peppers and season them with a light vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and enriched with fresh herbs and garlic.

Roasted peppers are a very simple but effective appetiser or side dish, I personally really like them and I could eat lots! If you prefer a more complex dish you can use them to make a sauce to complement or season pasta and meat dishes, or simply used them as a tasty ingredient in salads.

Roasted bell peppers with garlic vinaigrette.

medium difficulty

Ingredients

for 4 people

3 large bell peppers.

For the garlic vinaigrette.

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon of good balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Wash and dry the bell peppers.

2. Roast the whole peppers in the oven at 200°C (392° F ) on a baking sheet (The cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the peppers. When the skin starts darkening slightly and detaching from the flesh, the peppers are ready).

3. Once the peppers are slightly soft, turn off the oven. Put the hot peppers in plastic bags (or an airtight container) and seal well (In this way, the steam will make removing the skin from the flesh mush easier).

4. Let cool, then remove the pepper from the bag and throw away the water created from the steam. Remove the skin on each pepper, using a small sharp knife.

5. Slice the peppers vertically into two, then remove and discard the stem and the seeds. Slice each pepper vertically into 8 pieces and serve cold with the garlic and herb vinaigrette.

For the vinaigrette.

Mix 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with the herbs, the garlic and some salt and pepper. Season and serve.

Tip. For extra flavour you can add half a tablespoon of anchovy paste to the sauce.

Peperoni arrosto con vinaigrette all’ aglio.

media difficoltà

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

3 peperoni abbastanza grossi (rossi e gialli)

Per la vinaigrette all’ aglio

4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva

1 spicchio d’aglio, sbucciato e ben schiacciato

1/2 cucchiaio di origano essiccato

1/2 cucchiaio di prezzemolo fresco tritato

1 cucchiaio di aceto balsamico

sale e pepe q.b.

Preparazione.

1. Lavate bene i peperoni e asciugateli.

2. Mettete i peperoni interi a cuocere in forno a 200° C ( uso una teglia grande ricoperta da un foglio di carta da forno). Il tempo di cottura varierà a seconda della grandeza e dello spessore dei peperoni; quando la buccia si colorirà e si staccherà dalla polpa, i peperoni sono pronti.

3. Mettete i peperoni ancora caldi in un contenitore con il coperchio, poi chiudete bene e lasciate raffreddare (con questo metodo il vapore farà staccare con più facilità la buccia dalla polpa).

4. Aprite e buttate via l’acqua che si è formata per il vapore. Con un coltello, levate la buccia ai peperoni.

5. Tagliate a metà i peperoni e rimuovete la parte interna con i semi. Tagliate ancora i peperoni in verticale fino ad ottenere 6-8 fette lunghe per peperone.

Per la vinaigrette.

Mescolate l’olio extra vergine di oliva con le erbe, l’aglio, il sale e pepe. Condite i peperoni e servire.

Tip. Per insaporire ulteriormente si può aggiungere mezzo cucchiaio di pasta d’acciughe al condimento.

Traditional Recipe: La Peperonata

Peperonata is a delicious traditional Italian dish made with yellow and red bell peppers and a few other ingredients. It’s a dish full of character and flavour! It can be a great side dish and it can be a fantastic appetizer, when served with grilled rustic bread, like a bruschetta. The recipe I am publishing this week is my mother’ s peperonata. My mother made a few adaptations to the traditional recipe to achieve a creamier and very tasty dish. Nothing can beat my mother’ s peperonata! So sweet, flavourful and delicate at the same time; it really melts in the mouth!

While cooking, the onions will melt creating a lovely creamy sauce which works perfectly with the rest of the ingredients. Give it a try, you’ll love it!

Tips. For extra flavour you can use Ketchup instead of tomato paste. The cooking time might vary for the thickness of the peppers.

La Peperonata.

Ingredients

For 4-6 servings

Easy

Preparation and cooking time: 50 minutes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 bell peppers (2 yellow and 2 red)

1 tablespoon of capers (possibly in vinegar)

6 good quality pitted green olives

6 good quality pitted black olives

1/2 a tablespoon tomato paste (or tomato ketchup)

white wine (only if necessary)

a handful of pine nuts (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Cut each pepper into 4 pieces and then slice them horizontally into slices (2 cm thick). Cut also the onions into thick slices.

2. In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and the peppers with a clove of garlic in 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

3. Add the capers, the olives and the pine nuts.

4. Add some tomato paste (or tomato ketchup), then cover and cook for 40 minutes over a low heat (add a little of white wine if it’s too dry). Let simmer until the peppers get really tender.

5. Remove the lid and let most of the juices evaporate. Season with salt and pepper, then serve (you can serve the peperonata hot or cold).

La Peperonata.

Ingredienti

Per 4-6 persone

Facile

Tempo di preparazione e cottura: 50 minuti

3 cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva

2 cipolle tagliate grosse

4 peperoni, due gialli e due rossi

1 cucchiaio di capperi sott’aceto

6 olive verdi

6 olive nere

1/2 cucchiaio di passata di pomodoro (oppure ketchup, per una peperonata più saporita)

vino bianco q. b. (facoltativo)

una manciata di pinoli (facoltativo)

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Tagliate i peperoni in 4 pezzi e poi a strisce orizzontali. Affettate le cipolle grossolanamente.

2. In una padella grande, fate soffriggere la cipolla, i peperoni e uno spicchio d’aglio tagliato a metà.

3. Aggiungete ai peperoni un cucchiaio abbondante di capperi, 6 olive verdi, 6 olive nere e alcuni pinoli.

4. Aggiungete il concentrato di pomodoro, poi coprite e fate cuocere a fuoco lento per 40 minuti (se occorre aggiungete un po’ di vino bianco).

5. Quasi a fine cottura, levate il coperchio e fate ritirare un po’ il liquido. Aggiungete il pepe, il sale e servite. La peperonata è ottima anche servita fredda.