Tag Archives: Vegetarian

Spaghetti With Raw Tomato ‘Sauce’ (Vegan/Dairy-free)

This wonderful ‘sauce’ is so easy to make, can be prepared in advance and is a delicious refreshing summer recipe! My mum makes this sauce using a smaller quantity of tomatoes (without draining the juice from the tomatoes) and lots of Parmesan cheese, but I personally prefer a healthier version of the recipe with lots of tomatoes and no cheese.

This raw tomato sauce contains anti-oxidants, lots of fibre and is low-fat….you’ll love it!!
You could also have this sauce on a bruschetta or serve it with meat, if you prefer.

Spaghetti with raw tomato sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

320 g spaghetti

350 g tomatoes

2 garlic gloves

a big bunch of fresh basil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Method.

1. Wash the tomatoes and basil, then dry them using a kitchen towel.

2. Crush two garlic cloves (use a knife or a garlic press).

3. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and let them drain for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Then mix the tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Place the sauce in the fridge for at least half an hour.

5. Cook the pasta al dente, following the instructions on the packaging, then drain.

6. Mix the pasta with the sauce and serve chilled.

Spaghetti con “salsa” di pomodoro crudo.

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

320 g di spaghetti

350 g di pomodori

2 spicchi d’aglio

un mazzetto grosso di basilico

2 cucchiai di aceto balsamico

olio extravergine d’oliva

sale e pepe

Preparazione.

1. Lavate e asciugate i pomodori e il basilico.

2. Utilizzando un coltello, pressate e molto tagliate finemente due spicchi d’aglio.

3. Prendete i pomodori e tagliateli in pezzetti piccoli con il coltello, poi lasciate scolare per 10-15 minuti.

4. Mescolate i pomodori con 4 cucchiai d’ olio d’oliva, 2 cucchiai di aceto balsamico, il sale e il pepe. Mescolate ancora e mettete nel frigorifero almeno per 30 minuti.

5. Cuocete la pasta al dente e scolate.

6. Condite la pasta con il sugo e servite come piatto freddo.

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 : Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce (Sugo Finto)

I have to admit that since I stopped eating meat there are some traditional dishes that I really miss…Bolognese sauce is one of them! There is a very tasty vegetarian alternative though, which is as good as the original Bolognese sauce with all the flavour of an old fashioned classic! This amazing sauce is called sugo finto ( fake sauce), an old traditional recipe made using minced vegetables instead of meat. This sauce can easily replace the Bolognese sauce in many recipes such as cannelloni, lasagne or any other dish which requires a similar sauce.

The sugo finto is delicious and it has been on my family menu for generations! In fact, my mother remembers my grandfather’s aunty preparing the sauce for meatless family meals on Fridays.

The sugo finto is a must for vegetarians who love tasty traditional recipes!!!!

Try it and let me know what you think…

Vegetarian Bolognese sauce (sugo finto)

Ingredients

1 can of tomato passata (best quality)

1/2 an onion (medium size)

1 clove of garlic

1 carrot

2 stalks of celery

1 big bunch of fresh aromatic herbs (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, 2 bay leaves, oregano)

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

1/2 a organic stock cube

a large glass of water

Method.

1. Finely chop the rosemary.

2. Cut the celery, carrot and garlic in small pieces, then place the vegetables with the herbs (without the bay leaves) in the mixer and blend for a few minutes. Now add the onion and blend once more.

3. Fry the vegetables with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add two bay leaves.

4. Add 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, then add the passata and stir.

5. During the cooking time add a large glass of water and mix well.

6. Cook and stir until you get a Bolognese sauce consistency.

Tip. The cooking time may vary between 30 or 50 minutes, depending on whether you want a slightly milder sauce or dense sauce with a stronger flavour.

Ragù vegetariano (sugo finto)

Ingredienti

400 g di passata di pomodoro (di ottima qualità)

1/2 cipolla di media grandezza

1 spicchio d’aglio

1 carota

2 gambi di sedano

1 mazzetto bello grosso di erbe aromatiche fresche (maggiorana, timo, rosmarino, 2 foglie di alloro, origano)

4 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva

4 cucchiai di concentrato di pomodoro

1/2 dado biologico di buona qualità

un bicchiere d’acqua

Preparazione.

1. Tritate finemente il rosmarino.

2. Tagliare il sedano, la carota e l’aglio a pezzetti. Mettete quindi le verdure con le erbe (senza l’alloro) nel mixer e sminuzzate per qualche minuto. Aggiungete anche la cipolla e continuate a sminuzzare fino ad ottenere un tritato abbastanza fine.

3. Fate soffriggere le verdure sminuzzate con 4 cucchiai d’olio, per una decina di minuti. Aggiungete anche due foglie intere di alloro.

4. Aggiungete 4 cucchiai di concentrato di pomodoro, poi unite la passata al concentrato e mescolate bene.

5. Durante la cottura annaffiate con un bicchiere d’acqua e mescolate di tanto in tanto.

6. Fate ritirare il liquido in eccesso e lasciate cuocere fino ad ottenere un sugo con la consistenza del ragù.

Nota. Il tempo di cottura può variare da 30 a 50 minuti, a seconda se desiderate un sugo più delicato oppure più denso e dal sapore un po’ più deciso.

Chickpea And Potato Soup With Lots Of Rosemary!

I have to admit that this recipe comes from my mother’s favourite dishes. She was enthusiastic about this dish and as soon as I tasted it I could see why… Not only is it a delicious and tasty soup, but it’s also a recipe that anyone can make and with ingredients that are cheap and everyone has in the kitchen pantry.

For this dish I used ditaloni, which is a short pasta often used in soups in Italy. If you don’t find this particular kind of pasta you can replace it with some broken spaghetti (make them two-three centimetres long). You can also add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese to add some flavour and protein, however this soup is so tasty that you don’t really need to add any additional ingredients to flavour it…It is delicious!!!

Chickpea and potato soup with rosemary.

Preparation and cooking time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

3 sprigs of rosemary

2 cans of chickpeas

Vegetable stock made with organic vegetable stock cubes

2 large potatoes, washed, peeled and diced

220 g of ditaloni

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method.

1. Sauté the chopped onion with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, after a few minutes add the chopped garlic.

2. When the onion is soft and transparent, add the chickpeas with the diced potatoes and the rosemary sprigs. Cover with vegetable stock and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Stir quite often during the cooking time.

3. Cook the pasta separately and then drain when is al dente.

4. When the soup is ready remove the rosemary, then add the pasta and serve.

Zuppa di ceci e patate al rosmarino.

Tempo di preparazione e cottura: 30 minuti circa

Ingredienti

Per 4 persone

1 cipolla

2 spicchi d’aglio

3 mazzetti di rosmarino

2 scatole di ceci

Brodo fatto con due dadi vegetali biologici

2 patate grosse, lavate, pelate tagliate a pezzetti

220 g di ditaloni

3 cucchiai olio extra vergine d’oliva

Preparazione.

1. Fate soffriggere la cipolla tritata con tre cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva, dopo qualche minuto aggiungete l’aglio tritato.

2. Quando la cipolla sarà diventata morbida e trasparente, aggiungete i ceci, le patate e 3 rametti rosmarino. Ricoprite con del brodo vegetale e fate cuocere per 20-25 minuti, mescolando abbastanza spesso.

3. A parte cuocete la pasta, poi scolatela quando è al dente.

4. Quando la minestra è pronta togliete i rametti di rosmarino, poi aggiungete la pasta e servite.

Light Béchamel Sauce (Gluten-free White Sauce)

Béchamel sauce is a delicious white sauce, traditionally used to enrich various recipes like lasagna, cannelloni, crepes and other oven-baked pasta dishes. Usually made with butter and flour, today we are going to make a lighter gluten-free and Parmesan-flavoured version of this wonderful sauce.
It is a fairly easy and quick recipe to make, just mix the cornstarch with the milk and cook the sauce really gradually and slowly….Take your time with it, heat it gently and stir it constantly during the entire preparation method and you’ll be all right!

Tip. The béchamel sauce might thicken a little too much when it cools down. You can solve this problem by heating the sauce up with some hot milk over a low heat and then blending everything using a mixer. With this method you should get a smooth sauce with the desired consistency.

Gluten-free Béchamel sauce (white sauce with cornstarch)

Ingredients

600 ml of milk

80 g of cornstarch

4 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

a pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. In a pan, mix the milk with 80 g of cornstarch (add the milk very gradually).

2. Warm the milk up over a low heat, then bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly and vigorously. When the sauce has thickened, add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat.

3. Season with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of grated nutmeg (optional), salt, pepper and serve.

Also see the Crepes with swiss chard and borage filling recipe and the Buckwheat Crepes recipe

Besciamella con amido di mais (senza glutine)

Ingredienti

600 ml di latte

80 g di amido di mais

4 cucchiai di Parmigiano Reggiano

sale e pepe q. b.

un pizzico di noce moscata

un cucchiaio d’olio extra vergine d’oliva

Preparazione.

1. Mescolate il latte freddo con 80 g di amido di mais (aggiungete il latte molto gradualmente).

2. Mettete il latte sul fuoco e portate ad ebollizione, mescolando energicamente. Quando la crema si sarà addensata, aggiungete il parmigiano grattugiato e mescolate per qualche minuto.

3. Spegnete il fuoco, condite con un cucchiaio di olio extra vergine d’oliva, un pizzico di noce moscata, sale, pepe e servite.

Guardate anche la ricetta delle Crepes di grano saraceno e la ricetta delle Crepes con ripieno di bietole e borragine.

Coming soon….

Wondering what is going to be? 🙂

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.

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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.

Green Tomatoes On Blue Painted Wood

February 21, 2015PicturesFood, Food blog, Photography, Recipes, still life, Studio photography, Tomatoes, Vegetables, VegetarianSerena @ foodfulife

I am taking some time off from the blog, in order to work on my portfolio and personal website. I’ll publish the new recipes as soon as possible….In the meantime I share some photographs taken in studio. Your feedback is very much appreciated, as always 🙂

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.