Tag Archives: Gluten-free

How To Make Amazing Roasted Chestnuts In Your Own Home!

October 10, 2014Gluten-free, High-fibre Food, How to, Low-fat Recipes, Vegan, VegetarianCaldarroste, Gluten-free, How to, In the oven, Low-fat recipes, On the stove, Recipe, Roasted chestnutsSerena @ foodfulife

This is the right season to enjoy some crunchy roasted chestnuts! Golden and crunchy, roasted chestnuts are simply delicious!! When my brother and I were kids, my father used to make some roasted chestnuts before bed time….We loved it!

In this post I’ll share the method to prepare amazing roasted chestnuts directly on the stove, just like my father used to do, but make sure you follow the instructions and you protect yourself with the proper equipment, in order to avoid disasters! :-). If you carefully follow all the steps this method is fairly easy and safe.

Tip. During the cooking time keep away from the fire as much as possible and wear oven gloves for extra safety.

How to make roasted chestnuts

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time:15-20 minutes

Ingredients

500 g of fresh chestnuts

just a small splash good quality white wine (avoid putting the bottle close to the fire when you cook and use it)

What you need.

a gas stove

a frying pan with holes to cook chestnuts (you can buy it or you can make your own, by piercing an old frying pan with a large nail, using a hammer)

a long stainless steel kitchen utensil (don’t use anything with plastic or wood)

Good oven gloves

Preparation.

1. Check, wash and dry the chestnuts.

2. Using a sharp knife, cut the chestnuts one by one, making a 2cm long incision on the round side (make an X or 1 long cut horizontally, either way it should be fine!).

This operation is necessary to release the steam from the nuts while they are cooking and it will also make them easier to peel (If you skip this step the chestnuts will explode during the cooking process, so make sure you cut them properly).

Cooking Method (on the stove).

1. Put the pierced pan with the chestnuts directly on the gas stove over a moderate-high heat. Stir constantly with a long stainless steel kitchen utensil.

2. Roast the chestnuts for about 10 minutes, then add a small splash of white wine (try to keep yourself and the bottle of wine away from the heat, while you do that) and continue to roast and stir for at least 5 more minutes.

3. Turn off the eat and put the chestnuts in a brown paper bag for a few minutes (this will keep them hot and moist). Peel the chestnuts while they are still hot, because once they are cool they become much more difficult to peel.

Tip. You can bake the chestnuts at 220° C (428° F) for about 20 minutes, instead of cooking them on the stove top; it’s probably a safer cooking method…However, I prefer the method above, because the chestnuts are much tastier and crunchier, when cooked directly over the flame!

Come preparare ottime caldarroste a casa.

In questo articolo vedremo insieme come preparare delle ottime caldarroste, cotte direttamente sul fornello, proprio come mio padre era solito fare, quando io e mio fratello eravamo bambini.

Seguite attentamente le istruzioni indicate e vedrete che questo è un metodo abbastanza semplice e sicuro.

Nota. Durante la cottura delle caldarroste, per quanto possibile, cercate di stare lontano dal fuoco e indossate dei guanti da forno per protezione.

Preparazione delle caldarroste.

Tempo di preparazione: 5 minuti

Tempo di cottura: 15-20 minuti

Ingredienti

500 g di castagne fresche

un dito di vino bianco di buona qualità (fate attenzione a non avvicinare troppo la bottiglia di vino al fuoco)

L’attrezzatura

un fornello a gas

una padella forata per caldarroste (potete farne una voi forando più volte una vecchia padella, con un chiodo grosso e un martello).

un cucchiaio grande di acciaio con manico lungo (non utilizzate plastica o legno)

guanti da forno

Preparazione.

1. Controllate, lavate e asciugate le castagne.

2. Utilizzando un coltello molto affilato, tagliate le castagne, una ad una, facendo un’ incisione di circa 2 cm sulla parte bombata. Questa operazione è necessaria per fare evaporare l’acqua dai frutti durante la cottura, se no le castagne col calore possono esplodere.

Metodo di cottura (sul fornello)

1. Mettete la padella forata, con le castagne, direttamente sul fornello a fuoco medio. Mescolate spesso, utilizzando un grosso cucchiaio di acciaio con il manico lungo.

2. Fate arrostire le castagne per circa 10 minuti, quindi insaporite con una piccola spruzzata di vino bianco (cercate di tenere la bottiglia di vino lontana dal fuoco). Continuate a cuocere le castagne per almeno altri 5 minuti.

3. Spegnete il fuoco e mettere le castagne in un sacchetto di carta per alcuni minuti (serve a mantenerle calde e umide). Sbucciate le castagne mentre sono ancora calde perché, una volta raffreddate, sbucciarle diventa molto più difficile.

Nota. È possibile cuocere le castagne nel forno a 220 ° C per circa 20 minuti, invece di utilizzare il fornello. Io preferisco cuocerle direttamente sulla fiamma perché, in questo modo, le castagne risultano molto più croccanti e saporite

Lots Of Roasted Chestnuts…Coming soon!

Two amazing years…

October 4, 2014PicturesBest, Blog anniversary, Food, Food photography, Gluten-free, Recipe collection, Recipes, The most viewed, VeganSerena @ foodfulife

This months we celebrate foodfulife’s second anniversary! I have to thank all of you, friends and bloggers, for supporting the blog and keeping me going! Blogging is an amazing experience!!! I hope to continue this journey with a lot of new ideas and recipes…

Here is a collection of the most viewed recipes from this year.

Enjoy your day!

Fried sage leaves

A traditional genoese starter.

Buckwheat gnocchi

Very tasty and soft gluten-free gnocchi.

Salmon with lime and balsamic vinaigrette

So simple and tasty! This is one of my favourite dishes!

Focaccia alla genovese

Focaccia prepared in the traditional way.

Torta Caprese

A wonderful dark chocolate cake made with almond flour…To die for!

Torta Paradiso (heaven cake)

A heavenly soft and delicate cake that kids simply adore!!!

Rich chocolate tart with fresh raspberries

A vegan dark chocolate tart, so rich and delicious!

Also very popular the how to series of posts…

Quick And Easy: Prawn Salad With Rocket And Pomegranate

September 27, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, High-fibre Food, Low-fat Recipes, Pescetarian, Quick and Easy, SeafoodCelery, Fennel, Gluten-free, High in fibre, Melagrana, Pescetarian, Pomegranate, Prawns, Raw vegetables, Recipe, Ricetta, SaladSerena @ foodfulife

Last but not least, today I am publishing a wonderful prawn salad with rocket leaves and lots of pomegranate seeds. Extremely easy to make and perfectly balanced, this dish is real treat!!!

It will definitely become a classic at my dinner parties!

Prawn salad with rocket and pomegranate.

350 g prawns tails

125 g rocket (arugula)

2 spring onions, washed and finely sliced (only the tender part)

half bulb of fennel, washed and finely sliced

2 stalks of celery, washed and finely sliced (only the tender part)

the seeds of a pomegranate

for the lime citronette

the juice of 1/2 a lime

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Peel and devein the prawns, then poach in water for a few minutes.

2. Drain the prawns and let cool.

3. Place the arugula, the fennel, the spring onions and the celery in the plates, then add the prawns and garnish with plenty of pomegranate seeds.

4. Make the lime citronette. Mix 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with the juice of half a lime, then season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the lime dressing over the salad and serve.

Also see Rice Flour Chocolate Cookies With Pomegranate and Light Sabayon With Pomegranate And Pistachios

Insalata di gamberi con rucola e melagrana.

350 g di code di gambero

125 g di rucola

2 cipollotti, lavati e tagliati finemente (solo la parte tenera)

2 gambi di sedano, lavati e tagliati finemente (solo la parte tenera)

1/2 finocchio, lavato e tagliato finemente

i chicchi di una melagrana

Per la citronette di lime

il succo di mezzo lime

4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

sale pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Sgusciate i gamberi e togliete il budellino. Fate bollire i gamberi per qualche minuto.

2. Scolate i crostacei e fateli raffreddare.

3. Mettete i gamberi con la rucola, i chicchi di melagrana, il finocchio e i cipollotti nei piatti.

4. A parte, preparate la citronette di lime. Mescolate 4 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva con il succo di mezzo lime, sale e pepe.

5. Condite l’insalata di gamberi con la citronette di lime e servite.

Rice Flour Chocolate Cookies With Pomegranate (Gluten-Free, Low-Sugar)

September 25, 2014Cookies, Desserts, Gluten-free, VegetarianAlmonds, Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts, Food, Gluten-free, Low-sugar, Melagrana, Pomegranate, Recipe, RicettaSerena @ foodfulife

To continue the series of recipes with pomegranate, this week I am publishing an easy cookie recipe, gluten-free and perfect for dark chocolate lovers! These cookies are garnished with a lot of pomegranate seeds, they are not very sweet and have a strong chocolate flavour ; I served them warm with plenty of honey on top! In this way, all the flavours and different textures really come together nicely!

Tips.

1. For the kids dip them in milk, because they have a strong dark chocolate flavour.

2. For a low-sugar recipe don’t add the honey on top of the cookies, just follow the recipe.

I hope you enjoy this autumn treat!

Rice flour dark chocolate cookies with pomegranate.

For two trays (16 cookies)

Preparation time: 20 minutes + the resting time

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

100 g soft butter

100 g rice flour

150 g almonds, peeled

15 g cocoa powder (I use organic and fair trade)

60 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa (I use organic and fair trade )

50 g cornstarch

the seeds of a pomegranate

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons maple syrup

a pinch of salt

a pinch of cinnamon

Method.

1. Bake the almonds at 160 ° C (320° F) for 5-10 minutes. Let cool then grind with a food processor.

2. Melt the chocolate using a bain-marie.

3. In a bowl, work the butter with the maple syrup, the honey and the ground almonds.

4. Add the melted chocolate to the almond mixture and stir well. In another bowl, combine the rice flour, the cornstarch, the cocoa, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, then mix everything together with the almonds. Knead for a few minutes then put in the refrigerator to cool for about 30 minutes.

5. Line the base of two baking trays with some baking paper, then shape the cookies and garnish with the pomegranate seeds.

6. Bake at 180 ° C (356°F ) for 20-30 minutes.

7. Serve the cookies hot with a lot of honey on top!

Also see Light Sabayon With Pomegranate And Pistachios and Prawn Salad With Rocket And Pomegranate.

Biscotti di farina riso al cioccolato con melagrana.

Per due teglie (16 biscotti)

tempo di preparazione: 20 minuti + il riposo

tempo di cottura: 20-30 minuti

Ingredienti

100 g di burro morbido

100 g di farina di riso

150 g di mandorle, senza buccia

15 g di cacao amaro (uso il fair trade e bio)

60 g di cioccolato fondente al 70 % (uso il fair trade e bio)

50 g di amido di mais

i chicchi di una melagrana

1 cucchiaio di miele

3 cucchiai di sciroppo d’acero

un pizzico di sale

un pizzico di cannella

Preparazione.

1.Tostate le mandorle a 160 °C per 5-10 minuti. Lasciate raffreddare e tritate finemente con il tritatutto.

2. Fate sciogliere il cioccolato a bagnomaria.

3. Lavorate il burro con lo sciroppo d’acero, un cucchiaio di miele e la farina di mandorle.

4. Unite il cioccolato sciolto al composto di burro e farina di mandorle. A parte, mescolate la farina di riso con il cacao, l’amido di mais, la cannella e un pizzico di sale. Unite tutto e impastate bene per qualche minuto, poi mettete nel frigorifero a raffreddare per 30 minuti.

5. Distribuite i biscotti su due teglie rettangolari (ricoperte da carta da forno) e guarnite con dei chicchi di melagrana.

6. Infornate a 180°C per 20-30 minuti.

7. Servite i biscotti caldi con tanto miele sopra.

Light Sabayon With Pomegranate And Pistachios

September 24, 2014Desserts, Gluten-free, High-fibre FoodDessert, Dolce al cucchiaio, Gluten-free, High-fibre food, Light, Sabayon, Sweet, ZabaioneSerena @ foodfulife

Autumn has finally arrived and soon Foodfulife will turn two years old! Yep, two years ago I decided to start this incredible journey and Foodfulife is still going strong! To celebrate I will dedicate three recipes to the pomegranate, a wonderful fruit that contains important nutriments that can help us to boost our immune system during this season.

Pomegranate is rich in vitamins A, B, C; it contains minerals including potassium and phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, iron and important antioxidants such as flavonoids and phytoestrogens. It has anti-aging, anti-oxidising and anti-cancerous proprieties and it may be effective in reducing the risk of heart related diseases.
Pomegranate is also a very versatile fruit to use in recipes; its delicate flavour is sweet and slightly sour and it can be used in sweet as well as savoury dishes.

Today I am sharing an easy recipe with a light orange sabayon, crunchy pistachios and lots of pomegranates seeds. This is a deliciously creamy dessert with an interesting texture and lots of flavour!

Light sabayon with pomegranates and pistachios.

For 4 glasses

the seeds from 2 pomegranates

40 g toasted pistachio nuts (toasted in the oven for about 10 minutes )

340 g greek yogurt

for the sabayon

6 egg yolks

130 g of brown sugar

1 tablespoon orange liqueur

Method.

1. In a stainless steel bowl, combine the eggs with the sugar.

2. Place the bowl over a bain-marie (with very hot water, but not boiling) over a very low heat, then whisk the mixture.

3. Add a tablespoon of orange liqueur, whisk for a few more minutes, then turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

4. Once the sabayon has cooled, mix gently with the yogurt.

5. Separately, chop the pistachios.

6. Take 4 tall glasses and fill with a layer of pistachios, then alternate a layer of pomegranate seeds with one of sabayon and another of the pomegranate seeds. Finish with a layer of sabayon and garnish with pomegranate and pistachios.

7. Place in the fridge to cool and serve.

also see Rice Flour Chocolate Cookies With Pomegranate and Prawn Salad With Rocket And Pomegranate.

Zabaione allo yogurt con melagrana e pistacchi.

Per 4 bicchieri

2 melegrane

40 g di pistacchi (tostati al forno per 10 minuti)

340 g di yogurt greco

per lo zabaione

6 tuorli d’uova

130 g di zucchero di canna

1 cucchiaio di liquore all’arancia

Preparazione.

1. In una ciotola di metallo, unite lo zucchero alle uova.

2. Mettete la ciotola a bagnomaria (a fuoco basso, con acqua molto calda che non deve bollire) e montate le uova fino ad ottenere una crema soffice.

3. Aggiungete un cucchiaio di liquore all’arancia, poi montate per qualche minuto e spegnete il fuoco. Lasciate raffreddare, mescolando di tanto in tanto.

4. Una volta raffreddato, unite lo zabaione allo yogurt.

5. A parte, tritate grossolanamente i pistacchi.

6. Prendete 4 bicchieri alti e ricoprite la base con uno strato di pistacchi, poi alternate uno strato di chicchi di melagrana con uno di crema, poi aggiungete altro melagrana e terminate con la crema. Guarnite con chicchi di melagrana e pistacchi.

7. Mettete nel frigo a raffreddare e poi servite.

Vedi anche Biscotti Di Farina Di Riso Al Cioccolato Con Melagrana e Insalata Con Gamberi E Rucola

Stuffed Vegetables (Gluten-Free and Vegetarian)

September 14, 2014Gluten-free, High-fibre Food, Main Dishes, VegetarianGluten-free, Italian cooking, Main Dishes, Recipe, Red onions, Steamed vegetables, Stuffed vegetables, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Vegetarian stuffing, ZucchiniSerena @ foodfulife

Stuffed vegetables are a typical genoese dish, which requires quite a long preparation and cooking time, but it’s worth it! In this case, I adapted my mom’s recipe to create a gluten-free, vegetarian dish, using ricotta, plenty of fresh marjoram (which is also in the traditional recipe) and some gluten-free breadcrumbs. These stuffed vegetables are incredibly tasty, soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside; a wonderful Sunday meal to share with family and friends!

My advice is to make plenty, keep them in the fridge and eat them the next day, they taste even better!

Stuffed vegetables without meat and gluten-free.

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Preparation time: 30 minutes

difficulty: medium

Ingredients

for 1 medium-large tray of stuffed vegetables

2 medium potatoes

4 medium-large zucchini (to be divided into 8 pieces)

2 onions, plus 1 small onion to sauté

1 clove of garlic

1 egg

50 g grated Parmesan cheese

125 g ricotta

3 full tablespoons of fresh marjoram, chopped

5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

some gluten-free bread crumbs to sprinkle on top and 2 tablespoons to add to the stuffing (or you can use pre-cooked polenta)

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Steam all vegetables, until they are cooked but still crunchy.

2. Slice the potatoes, then place the smallest slices in a bowl and set aside for the stuffing.

3. Using a spoon and a knife, scoop out the central part of the zucchini and cut the onions in half (from the centre, not from the roots). Remove the central and the outer layers of onions, then put them in the bowl with the rest of the vegetables for the stuffing.

4. In a frying pan, sauté the onion with a clove of garlic, both finely chopped (add the garlic after a few minutes, to prevent burning).

5. Remove the excess water, then using a food processor, puree all the vegetables for the stuffing. Fry over a medium heat, stirring well, until the mixture gets a little bit drier.

6. In a food processor, mix the ricotta with the Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons of gluten-free bread crumbs, the marjoram and an egg. In a large bowl, add the vegetables puree to the ricotta mixture, then mix and season with salt and pepper.

7. Grease a baking tray with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then place the vegetables onto the tray and fill them with the stuffing.

8. Sprinkle some gluten-free bread crumbs on top, season with a little more extra virgin olive oil and bake at 200 ° C (392° F), until the vegetables are well coloured (about 30-40 minutes).

Verdure ripiene senza carne e senza glutine.

Cottura: 1 ora e 15 minuti

Preparazione: 30 minuti

Difficoltà media

Ingredienti

per 1 teglia medio-grande

2 patate di media grandezza

4 zucchini medio-grossi (da dividere in 8 pezzi)

2 cipolle , più 1 cipolla per il soffritto da mettere da perte

1 spicchio d’aglio

1 uova

50 g di parmigiano grattugiato

125 g di ricotta

3 cucchiai abbondanti di maggiorana fresca e tritata

5 cucchiai d’olio extravergine d’oliva

pangrattato senza glutine q. b. (oppure potete usare della polenta istantanea)

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Fate cuocere a vapore tutte le verdure e toglietele dal fuoco ancora sode.

2. Tagliate le patate a fette, poi mettete le fette piccole e rotte in un contenitore per il ripieno.

3. Tagliate gli zucchini e scavate la polpa usando un cucchiaino e un coltello. Tagliate le cipolle a metà (non dalle radici ma dal centro), poi prendete la parte centrale e lo strato esterno delle cipolle e metteteli, con la polpa degli zucchini, nel contenitore per il ripieno.

4. In una padella, fate soffriggere 1 cipolla e uno spicchio d’aglio, entrambi tritati finemente (aggiungete l’aglio qualche minuto dopo, per evitare che si bruci).

5. Strizzate bene le verdure del ripieno per togliere l’acqua in eccesso, poi frullate e aggiungete al soffritto. Fate asciugare a fuoco medio e mescolando bene.

6. A parte, frullate la ricotta con il parmigiano, la maggiorana, due cucchiai di pangrattato senza glutine e un uovo. In una terrina grande, unite il purea di verdure passata in padella al composto di ricotta, poi mescolate e insaporite con sale e pepe.

7. Ungete una teglia con 2 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva, disponetevi le verdure tagliate a metà, poi riempitele con il ripieno e spolverate con abbondante pangrattato senza glutine.

8. Condite con un filo d’olio e infornate a 200°C, finché le verdure saranno ben colorate (30-40 minuti).

Traditional Recipe: Saffron Risotto

August 8, 2014Gluten-free, Pasta and Rice, Traditional Recipes, VegetarianFood, Gluten-free, How to make risotto, Italian cooking, Onions, Recipe, Rice, Saffron, Step by stepSerena @ foodfulife

Saffron Risotto (Risotto Allo Zafferano) is a Lombard recipe, much appreciated in the North of Italy for its wonderful delicate flavour and also because is one of the simplest risotto recipes to make. This amazing risotto is usually served on its own, without meat or fish and it has a lovely saffron flavour, well complemented with the Parmesan cheese, which is added at the final stage of the recipe, like in most Italian risotto dishes.

Saffron Risotto is often confused with Milanese Risotto (Risotto alla Milanese), another renowned Lombard recipe; in both these risottos we use saffron as a main ingredient but there are some differences in the ingredients.

Tips.

1. It is very important to only use good quality products, in order to make a delicious risotto.

2. Also see How To Make A Perfect Risotto

Saffron Risotto (Risotto allo Zafferano)

Medium difficulty

Preparation time: 5 minutes (not considering the broth)

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

For 4 servings

350 g (12.3 oz) Carnaroli rice or Arborio rice

a pinch of saffron (enough to colour the rice of a bright yellow)

1 large onion, very finely chopped

1 glass of good white wine (not acidic, this is very important!)

150 g (5.3 oz) freshly grated Grana Padano cheese

125 g (4.4 oz) good quality fresh butter

1 litre (33, 8 fl oz us) hot vegetable broth (see below)

For vegetable broth

1 large carrot

1 large onion

1 celery stalk (also use the leaves, if you have them)

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. In a large pan, prepare the vegetable broth. Wash, clean and roughly chop the vegetables, then fill the pan with plenty of water and cook the vegetables until tender. Season with some fine sea salt (do not exceed), then sift the broth and remove the vegetables.

2. Sauté the onion in 80 g of butter, over a low heat for about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the rice and fry for a few minutes over a medium heat, then pour in a glass of white wine and stir. Shimmer until all the wine evaporates.

4. Lower the heat and add the hot broth (a little at a time), stirring constantly. Let the broth evaporate and continue adding the broth and stirring, until the rice is creamy and properly cooked. During the cooking time add the saffron (diluted in a little bit of warm vegetable broth).

5. Turn off the heat and add the finals ingredients to the risotto. Add the rest of the butter, 3-4 tablespoons of grated Grana Padano and season with salt and pepper ( taste it and season only if needed), then stir and cover with a lid. Let the risotto rest for a few minutes and serve.

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: Torta Caprese

July 27, 2014Desserts, Gluten-free, Traditional Recipes, VegetarianAlmonds, Cake, Chocolate, Dessert, Gluten-free, Honey, Italian cooking, Recipe, Torta Caprese, Traditional recipeSerena @ foodfulife

As the name suggests, the Torta Caprese (Caprese cake) originally comes from Capri, a beautiful little island, near Naples.
Dark brown, a little bit crunchy on the outside but soft and moist in the centre, this delicious and decadent chocolate cake is widely appreciated all over Italy. It is also an amazing gluten-free cake, because it doesn’t contain any flour; although, in some recipes a little bit of flour might be used to dust the baking tin.

Tips.

1. The Torta Caprese is usually cooked in a large round baking tin (this is 26 cm wide) and shouldn’t be too thick.

2. This is a dark chocolate cake which suits better an adult taste, because it’s not very sweet. It is possible to adjust the recipe for the kids using a sweeter dark chocolate, adding 20 g of sugar to the ingredients and dusting with plenty of icing sugar.

Torta Caprese.

For 8 servings

easy

Cooking time: 1 hour

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

300 g (10.58 oz) almonds (without the skin)

170 g (5.99 oz) butter, softened

100 g (3.5 oz) brown sugar

45 g (1.5 oz) honey

200 g (7.05 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

4 eggs

icing sugar for garnish

cocoa powder to taste

a pinch of salt

Method

1. Toast the almonds in the oven for a few minutes at 180 ° C (356°F). Let cool then grind finely.

2. Cut and melt the chocolate in bain-marie for a few minutes.

3. In a large bowl, mix the butter with 4 egg yolks, honey, the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Then add the ground almonds with the chocolate and mix well.

4. Separately, whip all the egg whites until stiff, then gently mix with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Grease with butter and line the base and sides of a large cake tin (I am using a tin 26 cm wide) with baking paper (roughly cut down to size). Then fill with the mixture and bake at 150 ° C (302°F) for about 1 hour.

6. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool. Dust with some cocoa powder, decorate with icing sugar and serve.

Torta Caprese.

Per 8 persone

Facile

Tempo di cottura: 1 ora

Tempo di preparazione: 20 minuti

Ingredienti

300 g di mandorle sbucciate

170 g di burro morbido (e del burro in più per imburrare la teglia)

100 g di zucchero di canna

45 g di miele

200 g di cioccolato fondente al 70 %

4 uova

zucchero e velo q. b. per guarnire

un pizzico di sale

cacao amaro in polvere q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Tostate le mandorle nel forno per qualche minuto a 180° C. Lasciatele raffreddare e poi tritatele molto finemente.

2. Fate fondere il cioccolato a bagnomaria.

3. In una terrina grande, amalgamate il burro con i tuorli d’uova, il miele, lo zucchero e un pizzico di sale, fino ad ottenere una crema. Aggiungete anche le mandorle con il cioccolato fuso e mescolate bene.

4. A parte, montate gli albumi a neve e uniteli al resto degli ingredienti, mescolando delicatamente dal basso verso l’alto.

5. Imburrate la teglia (uso una teglia larga 26 cm) e ricopritela con della carta da forno (tagliata di misura). Versate il composto nella teglia e infornate a 150°C per circa 1 ora.

6. Sfornate la torta e lasciatela raffreddare. Spolverate con un po’ di cacao amaro, decorate con dello zucchero a velo e servite.