Tag Archives: Salad

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.

American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, a month-long campaign to raise awareness about the risk of heart diseases and unhealthy lifestyles; it is also a way to remind us that we have to take care of our hearts and ourselves on a regular basis. One way to do that is to improve our diets by adding more fresh vegetables, whole grains and limiting unhealthy fats, in order to lower the cholesterol levels in our blood.

We all know that these healthy foods contain a lot of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, which are extremely important for our system, more than this, they also contain fibre, another important element that helps maintain low cholesterol levels in our blood. As a consequence, we have to cut down on unhealthy fats like the ones contained in full-fat dairy products, heavily processed food and fatty meat… It doesn’t mean we have to completely avoid these foods, we just have to be a little bit more aware about what we eat.

Healthy eating doesn’t necessarily mean tasteless food…
I am a firm believer that healthy dishes can be tastier than unhealthy processed food. In fact, the less you cook, manipulate and process the ingredients during the preparation method of a recipe, the tastier the food will be, as you preserve the nutrients contained in it…As a consequence, your body will benefit with a boost of energy and good health!

Of course, today’s recipes are dedicated to this topic..

Fresh vegetable and shrimp salad.

Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

Serves 4

300 g of shrimps

1 large avocado

16 cherry tomatoes

150 g mixed salad (with fresh carrots and mixed salad leaves)

2 spring onions (optional)

the juice of a lime

a little extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Fill a small pan with water, then cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and poach the shrimps for 5-7 minutes (until they turn pink), then drain and set a side.

2. Wash, clean and dry all the vegetables. Cut the tomatoes into halves, the avocado into small chunks and mix with the salad. Slice the spring onion and add it to the vegetables.

3. Divide the salad into 4 equal portions, then add the shrimps and season with a little extra virgin olive oil, the juice of a lime, salt and pepper.

4. Serve the salad in bowls with a few whole spelt and oat crackers on the side.

See also the whole spelt and oat crackers recipe

Insalata con gamberetti e avocado.

Difficoltà: facile

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

300 g di gamberetti

1 avocado grande

16 pomodorini ciliegia

150 g di insalata mista (con carote fresche)

2 cipollotti (facoltativo)

il succo di un lime

un po’ di olio extra vergine di oliva

sale e pepe q.b.

Preparazione.

1. Fate bollire dell’acqua in una pentola. Spegnere il fuoco e immergetevi i gamberetti per 5-7 minuti (fino a quando diventano rosa), quindi scolate e mettete da parte.

2. Mondate tutte le verdure. Tagliate i pomodorini a metà e l’avocado in piccoli pezzi, poi uniteli all’insalata. Tagliate il cipollotto a fettine molto sottili e mischiatelo alle verdure.

3. Dividete l’insalata in 4 parti uguali, quindi aggiungete i gamberetti e condite con un filo d’olio extra vergine d’oliva, il succo di un lime, sale e pepe.

4. Servite l’insalata con dei crackers di farro e avena.

Vedete anche la ricetta dei crackers di farro e avena

Coming soon…

A healthy recipe, for a change! 🙂

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.

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.

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.

Gorgonzola Salad With Rustic Bread.

June 15, 2014Low-fat Recipes, Side Dishes, VegetarianGorgonzola cheese, hard-boiled eggs, Low-fat meal, Rustic bread, Salad, Side dishes, Summer salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, WalnutsSerena @ foodfulife

This week we have been hit by a heat wave and the thermometer has risen dramatically! With this hot, sticky weather, I really feel like having a lot of raw fruits and veg, but I don’t want to compromise on creativity or flavours….So there isn’t anything like a tasty gorgonzola salad when it comes to freshness and flavour!

This salad is a light, complete meal, but also as a dish that stands somewhere between healthy and comfort food…You will love it! I kept it simple, but you can add toasted walnuts for extra flavour. Walnuts and gorgonzola work perfectly together! So many things can be prepared with these two wonderful ingredients.

But, of course, if you don’t like smelly cheeses, then this dish is definitely not for you! So, look away now!!! 🙂

Gorgonzola Salad with Rustic Bread.

Ingredients

Preparation: 15 minutes

Easy

Serves 2

crispy lettuce leaves, washed and dried

2 hard-boiled eggs

2 stalks of celery, washed and cut into small cubes

2 large ripe tomatoes, washed and sliced

a few sliced of rustic bread

100 g (3.5 oz) gorgonzola cheese

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Bake the slices of bread in the oven (at 200 ° C , 392 °F), until very crispy.

2. Place the lettuce leaves, the sliced tomatoes, the celery and the gorgonzola on the plate (alternate all the ingredients). Slice the eggs in half and place them in the center.

3. Add the bread (cut into small pieces) and season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Insalata al gorgonzola.

Preparazione: 15 minuti

Facile

Per 2 persone

alcune foglie di insalata croccante (lavate e asciugate)

2 uova sode

2 gambi di sedano (lavati e tagliati a cubetti)

2 pomodori maturi (lavati e tagliati a fette)

alcune fette di pane rustico

100 g di gorgonzola

5 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Fate dorare le fette di pane in forno (a 200°C).

2. Appoggiate le foglie di insalata, le fette di pomodoro, il sedano e il gorgonzola sul piatto, alternando tutti gli ingredienti. Tagliate le uova a metà e sistematele al centro.

3. Aggiungete il pane croccante (tagliato a cubetti piccoli) e condite tutto con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.

Nota. Aggiungete delle noci tostate per arricchire ulteriormente l’insalata.

Crunchy and Colourful Salad (Low-fat And Packed With Vitamin C!!)

March 29, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Low-fat Recipes, Raw / Mainly Raw, Side Dishes, Vegan, VegetarianCrunchy, Egg-free, Fava beans, Fibres, Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, Insalata, Lamb's lettuce, Low carb, Low fat, Low-cal, Potassium, Raw / Mainly Raw, Recipe, Ricetta, Salad, Valerianella, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Vitamin CSerena @ foodfulife

Spring is here and with it comes the time of serious dieting! From this week on I want to dedicate a little time to preparing light recipes and meals.
To start with, I prepared a beautiful and super-healthy salad with only a little amount of calories, but full of crunchy flavours!

This salad can definitely be a very satisfying low-cal lunch, low in fat and carb, but rich in fibres, potassium, protein and vitamin C.
As a side dish, it goes well with several courses and you can serve it with feta cheese, if you prefer a richer kind of salad.
If I were to imagine this salad as a dress, it would be a feel-good garment made of a strong natural fibre, with a very cheerful but elegant floral pattern. Suitable for mid-season, with a comfortable slimming line. Definitely a perfect fit!… I know, It’s just a salad! 🙂

Corn salad with red cabbage, fava beans and apples.

Ingredients

Preparation: 15 minutes

For 2 servings

60 g (2 oz) corn salad (or lamb’s lettuce)

a handful of almonds, shelled

50 g (1.76 oz) fresh fava beans (with the pods removed)

2 small apples, washed

130 g (4.58 oz) red cabbage

the juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to taste

Method.

1. Wash, and clean and dry the corn salad.

2. Wash, and slice the cabbage finely and arrange it on the plates.

3. Place the fava beans over the cabbage, then add the salad leaves.

4. Cut and marinate the apples in the juice of half a lemon for a few minutes. Then, mix the apples and the almonds with the salad (breaking some almonds into pieces).

5. Season with plenty of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Insalata croccante con cavolo rosso, fave e valerianella.

Ingredienti

Per 2 persone

Preparazione:15 minuti

60 g di valerianella

una manciata di mandorle sgusciate

50 g di fave fresche, senza scorza

2 mele, lavate

130 g di cavolo rosso

il succo di mezzo limone

sale e pepe q.b.

4 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva q.b.

Preparazione.

1. Lavate e asciugate la valerianella.

2. Lavate il cavolo e tagliatelo finemente. Sistematelo sul fondo dei piatti.

3. Aggiungete le fave, posizionatele sopra il cavolo con la valerianella.

4. Aggiungete le mandorle (sbriciolandone solo alcune) con le mele tagliate a pezzetti e precedentemente marinate nel succo di mezzo limone per qualche minuto.

5. Condite con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.

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