Tag Archives: Side dishes

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.

Delicious Summer Veggie Kebabs

June 20, 2014Appetisers, Gluten-free, Low-fat Recipes, Pescetarian, Side DishesAperitif, Appetisers, Fiesta Friday, Gluten-free, Kebabs, Low fat, Low-cal, Pescetrian, Side dishes, VegetablesSerena @ foodfulife

Since the hot weather has finally arrived, it’s time to dust off the barbecue and eat plenty of fresh vegetables and delicious summer fruits! This time of the year we can be really creative with the dishes! Today we are going to prepare some fresh and light summer veggie kebabs and then, we are going to a party! It’s time to participate in Fiesta Friday, a lovely blog event hosted by my friend and talented blogger Angie, from the Novice Gardener, and co-hosted by other wonderful bloggers. This week, Fiesta Friday #21 is co-hosted by Elaine@Foodbod and Julianna@Foodie On Board.

This is a lovely light recipe, fresh and full of mediterranean flavours! It could be served as an aperitif, a side dish or a delicious light meal…You choose!

Enjoy!

Tip. You can remove the the bell pepper skin after grilling the vegetables, if you wish.

I left it because it’s quicker.

Summer Veggie Kebabs.

Ingredients

4 servings

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 small aubergine

2 courgettes

green picked olives

1 small fresh goat’s cheese (150 g)

anchovies

cherries tomatoes

8 wooden skewers

For the dressing

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 crushed clove of garlic

some dried or fresh origano

2 small fresh chillies, cut into slices

salt and bleck pepper to taste

Method.

1. Wash the vegetables, cut them into thin slices and grill them on an electric grill or on a grill pan, previously greased with a little extra virgin olive oil.

2. Roll the zucchini with the goat’s cheese in the center. Roll the yellow pepper with the anchovies and the red pepper with the olives in the center.

3. In a small bowl, mix the extra virgin olive oil and some dried origano with crushed garlic and chillies, salt and pepper.

4. Pierce the stuffed vegetables with the wooden skewers and make 8 kebabs. Serve cold with some garlic-olive oil sauce on the side.

Spiedini saporiti di verdure.

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

1 peperone rosso

1 peperone giallo

1 melanzana

2 zucchine

olive verdi snocciolate

1 formaggio fresco di capra (150 g)

acciughe sott’olio

pomodorini ciliegia

8 stecchi di legno per gli spiedini

Per il condimento

6 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

2 spicchi d’aglio (schiacciati e tagliati finemente)

un mazzetto di origano fresco o un cucchiaio di origano secco

2 peperoncini tagliati a fettine

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Lavate e tagliate le verdure a fette. Fate grigliare tutte le verdure su una bistecchiera (o una piastra elettrica), spennellata con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva.

2. Arrotolate gli zucchini con un pezzetto di formaggio di capra e le melanzane con mezzo pomodorino al centro. Arrotolate anche il peperone rosso con le olive e il peperone giallo con le acciughe.

3. A parte, mescolate 6 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva con l’origano, l’aglio schiacciato, il peperoncino a fettine, il sale e il pepe.

4. Infilzate le verdure con gli stecchi e create gli spiedini alternando i sapori. Servite gli spiedini freddi con l’olio aromatizzato.

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.

Pinzimonio (vegetable crudites) with yogurt and mustard sauce.

August 2, 2013Appetisers, Gluten-free, Low-fat Recipes, Raw / Mainly Raw, Side Dishes, VegetarianAppetisers, Crudités, Dips, Family, Gluten-free, Health, Light, Low fat, Low-fat recipes, Mustard, Pinzimonio, Radicchio, Radish, Recipe, Side dishes, Vegetable, Vegetarian, YogurtSerena @ foodfulife

This week we are going to prepare a lovely platter of Italian-style vegetable crudites (Pinzimonio) with a nice creamy sauce. Light and healthy, this colorful platter consists of a mixture of crunchy vegetables, usually cut into sticks and served with a dressing on the side. For this recipe I prepared a slightly chilled dipping sauce, made with yogurt and mustard.

Ingredients

4-6 servings

1 large tomato

3 medium carrots

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1/2 fennel

1 bunch of red radicchio leaves

1 bunch of radishes

3 stalks of celery

for the sauce

1 low-fat greek yogurt ( 170 g, 5.99 oz, unsweetened)

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons strong mustard

a pinch of honey

salt and paprika to taste

Method.

1. Wash and prepare all the vegetable, then cut them into sticks ( except the radicchio leaves and radishes). Put all the vegetable to soak in cold water for a few minutes and drain.

2. Separately, prepare a sauce combining the yogurt with mustard and the honey.

3. Add vinegar, olive oil, salt and paprika to the mixture.

4. Put the sauce to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

5. Serve the vegetables on a large dish (or two) with the sauce in the centre.

Pinzimonio di verdure con salsa di yogurt e senape.

1 pomodoro grande

3 carote medie

1 peperone giallo

1 peperone rosso

1/2 finocchio

1 mazzetto di radicchio rosso

1 mazzetto di ravanelli

3 coste di sedano

per la salsa

1 yogurt greco magro (170 g, non zuccherato)

1 cucchiai di aceto di mele

1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine di oliva

2 cucchiai di senape

pochissimo miele

sale e paprica q b

Preparazione.

1. Lavate, mondate e tagliate le verdure a bastoncino, tranne il radicchio e i ravanelli. Immergete le verdure in acqua molto fredda per qualche minuto.

2. A parte, preparate una salsa unendo lo yogurt alla senape e al miele.

3. Aggiungete l’olio, l’aceto di mele, il sale e la paprica.

4. Mettete la salsa a raffreddare in frigorifero per 30 minuti.

5. Servite le verdure in un piatto grande da portata (o due) , con la salsa al centro.

My Favourite Oven-Baked Falafels.

February 3, 2013Appetisers, Side Dishes, Vegan, VegetarianAppetisers, Baked, Beans, Broad beans, Chickpea, Cooking, Falafel, Fava beans, Food, Olive oil, Oven-baked, Polpette, Protein, Recipe, Side dishes, Vegan, Vegano, Vegetable, Vegetarian, Vegetariane, VegetarianoSerena @ foodfulife

Falafel is delicious middle eastern food, usually prepared with dried chickpeas or dried broad beans (fava beans). Broad bean falafel is a traditional egyptian recipe. Being rich in vegetable protein, this food is an excellent alternative to meatballs in vegetarian diet. In this recipe, I changed a few steps in order to get a little lighter dish. Falafels can be served with a yogurt and cucumber sauce, or with fresh tomato salad.

Oven-cooked broad bean falafels.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4 (16 falafel)

preparation: 20 minutes + 12 hours to soak the beans in water + 30 minutes (minimum) refrigeration

cooking time: 30 minutes

150 g (5.2 oz) dried broad beans

1 large onion

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds (ground)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (ground)

1 tablespoon wholemeal flour (or plain flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder or baking soda

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt (maybe a little less)

pepper to taste

Method.

1. Let the beans soak in a bowl overnight (12 hours, at least).. Lay a kitchen towel on a table and rub the broad beans to dry them up.

2. Put the beans in a food processor and chop finely with the onion, garlic and parsley. Add the seeds (already finely ground), flour , salt , pepper and baking powder. Mix well.

3. Place the mixture to cool for 30 minutes in the refrigerator (sometimes I leave it in the fridge for hours, I think my falafels taste even better afterwards). Form small balls with the mixture.

4. In a frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then fry the balls until they are golden on all sides. Place all the falafels in a greased baking tray and cook in the oven at 170 ° C (338° F) for about 20 minutes. Serve while still warm.

Falafel di fave cotti al forno.

Ingredienti

2-4 persone (16 falafel)

Preparazione: 20 minuti + 12 ore per fare ammorbidire le fave in acqua + 30 minuti (minimo) per far riposare l’impasto nel frigo.

Cottura: 30 minuti

150 g di fave secche

1 cipolla grande

1 spicchio d’aglio

2 cucchiai di prezzemolo fresco tritato

1 cucchiaino di semi di cumino tritati

1 cucchiaino di semi di coriandolo tritati

1 cucchiaio di semi di sesamo tritati

1 cucchiaio di farina integrale (o farina normale)

3 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva

1 cucchiaino di lievito in polvere o bicarbonato per uso alimentare

1 cucchiaino scarso di sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Lasciate le fave a bagno in una ciotola per tutta la notte. Stendete un panno sul tavolo e asciugate le fave strofinandole bene.

2. Mettete i legumi in un tritatutto e tritateli molto finemente con la cipolla, l’aglio e il prezzemolo. Aggiungete i semi ( già finemente tritati), la farina, il sale , il pepe e il lievito in polvere (o bicarbonato). Mescolate bene tutto.

3. Lasciate riposare l’impasto per almeno 30 minuti nel frigorifero ( lasciandolo riposare più a lungo, ho dei risultati anche migliori). Con l’impasto ottenuto, formate tante polpette di piccole dimensioni.

4. In una padella scaldate 3 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva, poi fate soffriggere le polpette facendole dorare su tutti i lati. Quando le polpette saranno completamente dorate, mettetele in una teglia leggermente unta e fatele cuocere a 170° per 20 minuti. Servite i falafel quando sono ancora caldi.