Tag Archives: Wholemeal

Home-Made Pizza With Tomatoes, Rocket and Parmesan Cheese

August 21, 2014Main Dishes, Pizza, VegetarianArugula, Baking, Italian cooking, Parmesan cheese, Pizza, Recipe, Rocket, Vegetable, Vegetarian, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

A crunchy pizza base, topped with fresh Piccadilly tomatoes, some rocket leaves and Parmesan cheese…

An easy recipe, perfect for this season!

Enjoy!

Pizza with tomatoes, rocket and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

for 2 large pizzas

Buy 2 ready made pizza bases or follow this recipe

For the pizza toppings

2 fresh mozzarellas (or you can use stracchino)

300 g Piccadilly tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

60 g rocket leaves (arugula)

50 g Parmesan cheese (thin slices)

Extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method.

1. Wash and dry the rocket leaves and the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half.

2. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pizza dough and make two large pizza bases.

3. Bake the pizza bases at 200 ° C (392°F) until they are crunchy (I am using a use a pizza stone, but you can use a baking tray greased with olive oil).

4. Add the mozzarella cheese and put the bases back in oven for a few minutes, to melt the cheese.

5. Turn off the oven and garnish your pizzas. Place the tomatoes, the rocket leaves and Parmesan cheese onto the pizza bases, then season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pizza con pomodorini freschi, rucola e parmigiano.

Ingredienti

Per 2 pizze grandi

Per fare due basi per la pizza seguite questa ricetta

Per guarnire le pizze

2 mozzarelle (oppure stracchino)

300 g di pomodorini Piccadilly

60 g di rucola

50 g di scaglie di Parmigiano Reggiano

olio extra vergine d’oliva

sale e pepe q. b.

Preparazione.

1. Lavate e asciugate la rucola e i pomodorini, poi tagliate i pomodorini a metà.

2. Stendete la pasta con un matterello.

3. Infornate le basi della pizza a 200° C (uso una pietra per la cottura della pizza, ma potete usare una teglia unta). Fate cuocere fino ad ottenere una pasta croccante.

4. Aggiungete la mozzarella e infornate ancora per qualche minuto, per far sciogliere il formaggio.

5. Sfornate le pizze e spegnete il forno. Disponete i pomodorini, la rucola e il parmigiano sulle pizze, poi condite con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva, sale e pepe.

Mixed Seed Wholemeal Bread Recipe (High-Fibre Food)

May 30, 2014Bread & Buns, Dairy-free, High-fibre Food, Sourdough, Vegan, VegetarianBread, Dairy-free, Fennel seeds, Flax seeds, High in fibre, Home-made, Pescetarian, Recipe, Sesame seeds, Sourdough, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole grains, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

A delicious loaf of bread with a lot of tasty seeds inside! This is a great breakfast or sandwich bread,very tasty, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. I actually served it with a nice salad and I really enjoyed it!

You can prepare the dough in the evening and keep it in the fridge with a few tablespoons of water, it will rise slowly through the night. The day after you have to take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before you bake it.

Mixed Seed Wholemeal Bread.

150 g (5.2 oz) plain flour / unbleached all-purpose flour

100 g (3.5 oz) of durum wheat semolina flour

100 g (3.5 oz) whole spelt flour

100 g (3.5 oz) of wholemeal flour

135 g (4.76 oz) of sourdough (semi-liquid, made with plain or Manitoba flour) or 15 g of yeast

1/2 tsp of barley malt

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and some more to grease the tin

8 g (0.28 oz) of ground sea salt

1 tablespoon of flax seeds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 tablespoon of fennel seeds

Method.

1. Toast the seeds in a very hot oven for about 5 minutes (at 200°C/392 °F).

2. Sift and mix the flours. Add the seeds, the sourdough (or yeast), 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, the barley malt and the salt. Mix everything well until you have a smooth dough.

3. Let the dough rise until it doubles in volume (1-2 hours for the yeast, 3-6 hours for the sourdough).

4. Bake in a loaf tin ( 3.9 inches x 10.2 inches), lightly greased with extra virgin olive oil, at 200 ° C (392°F) for 25-30 minutes. Let cool and then serve with a nice salad.

Pane integrale ai semi.

150 g di farina 00

100 g di semola di grano duro

100 g di farina integrale di farro

100 g di farina integrale

135 g di lievito madre (semi liquido, con base di farina 00 o manitoba)
oppure 15 g di lievito di birra

1/2 cucchiaio di malto d’orzo

1 cucchiaio d’olio extra vergine d’oliva per l’impasto e un po’ di più per ungere la teglia

1 cucchiaio di semi di lino

1 cucchiaio di semi di sesamo

1 cucchiaio di semi di papavero

1/2 cucchiaio di semi di finocchio

Preparazione.

1. Fate tostare i semi per qualche minuto nel forno a 200°C, oppure in una padella.

2. Setacciate e unite le farine. Aggiungete i semi, il lievito, 1 cucchiaio d’olio extra vergine d’oliva, il malto d’orzo e il sale.

3. Fate lievitare fino a far raddoppiare l’impasto di volume (1-2 ore per il lievito di birra, 3-6 ore per il lievito madre).

4. Infornate a 200 °C per 25-30 minuti (ho usato una teglia profonda 10 cm x 26 cm). Fate raffreddare e servite con una buona insalata.

Tasty Pizza With Cannellini Bean Hummus And Mussels

May 25, 2014Dairy-free, Main Dishes, Pescetarian, Pizza, SeafoodBeans, Cannellini, Dairy-free, high protein food, Legumes, Legumi, Mussels, Parsley, Pescetarian, Pizza, Pizza con i muscoli, Sesame seeds, Tarragon, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

We love our pizzas! We love them with all sort of ingredients on top, as long as the ingredients are of the best quality! We have so many different types of pizza in Italy that is easy to get confused! I don’t even know all of them, I just know there are several recipes. Some of the most amazing pizzas are made with seafood and fresh herbs.

This is one of my recipes, a lovely pizza made with a creamy cannellini bean hummus and topped with mussels, full of flavours and really crunchy! You can call it pizza or you can call it focaccia, either way, it is delicious!!!
Cannellini beans are perfect with mussels, so I have adapted my hummus recipe with slightly different ingredients to suit this recipe best. It is a great summer dish, fresh crunchy and very tasty!

Pizza with cannellini bean hummus and mussels.

Ingredients

For 2 large pizzas (4 people)

500 g pizza dough (you can follow this recipe)

For the cannellini bean hummus

1 can of cannellini beans

1/2 clove of garlic

1 small shallot

the juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

a few crystals of sea salt

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive

2 tablespoons of water (if needed)

For the mussels

2 cloves of garlic, finally chopped

250g (8.8 oz) of mussels ( I used already cleaned and frozen mussels without shell, but you can use fresh ones if you like)

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of chopped tarragon

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

To garnish

20 cherry tomatoes, washed, chopped and drained

Method.

For the Hummus.

1. Using a small mortar and a pestle, crush 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds with a few sea salt crystals.

2. Rinse the beans well, then boil them for a few minutes in salted water and drain.

3. In a food processor, finely chop the beans with the crushed sesame seeds, the salt crystals, 1/2 a clove of garlic and a small shallot. After a few minutes, add the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons of water (only if needed) and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Process everything until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.

For the pizza.

1. Make 500g of pizza dough (follow this recipe).

2. Roll out the dough on two baking trays, greased with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and shape 2 large pizzas.

3. Pierce the dough using a knife and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C (392° F) for 15-20 minutes.

For the mussels.

1. In a frying pan, fry two cloves of garlic with the parsley and the tarragon (all finely chopped), over very low heat with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

2. After a few minutes add the mussels and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.

To garnish.

Garnish the pizzas with the cannellini hummus, then top with the tomatoes and the mussels.

Pizza saporita con hummus di cannellini e muscoli.

Ingredienti

Per 2 pizze grosse (4 persone)

500 g di pasta per la pizza

Per l’hummus di cannellini

1 scatola di cannellini

1/2 spicchio d’aglio

1 scalogno piccolo

il succo di 1/2 limone

1 cucchiaio di semi di sesamo

qualche cristallo di sale marino

acqua q. b.

2 cucchiai di olio extra vergine d’oliva

Per i muscoli

2 spicchi d’aglio

250g di muscoli ( ho usato muscoli già puliti, senza guscio e surgelati, ma potete anche usare quelli freschi)

1 cucchiaio di prezzemolo, lavato e tritato

1 cucchiaio di dragoncello, lavato e tritato

sale e pepe q.b.

3 cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva

Per la guarnizione.

20 pomodorini ciliegina, lavati, tagliati a pezzetti e scolati

Per la preparazione dell”hummus.

1. Con un pestello e un piccolo mortaio, schiacciate i semi di sesamo con qualche cristallo di sale.

2. Sciacquate bene i fagioli e scottateli per qualche minuto (in acqua leggermente salata). Quando saranno pronti, scolate i fagioli.

3. In un tritatutto, tritate finemente i fagioli con i semi di sesamo, il sale, mezzo spicchio d’aglio e lo scalogno. Dopo qualche minuto, aggiungete il succo di mezzo limone, un po’ d’acqua (solo se necessario) e 2 cucchiai d’olio extra vergine d’oliva. Tritate tutto fino ad ottenere una crema uniforme.

Preparazione della base.

1. Preparate 500g di pasta per la pizza seguendo questa ricetta.

2. Stendete la pasta su due teglie unte abbondantemente con olio extra vergine d’oliva e formate due pizze grandi.

3. Fate dei piccoli tagli sulla superficie della pasta e infornate a 200°C per 15-20 minuti.

Per la preparazione dei muscoli.

1. In una padella, fate soffriggere due spicchi d’aglio con il prezzemolo e il dragoncello (a fuoco molto basso).

2. Dopo qualche minuto aggiungete i muscoli e fate cuocere per circa una decina di minuti, poi spegnete il fuoco.

Preparate la pizza.

Con un cucchiaio spalmate l’hummus di cannellini uniformemente sulla base della pizza, poi aggiungete i pomodorini e i muscoli.

Vegan Menu (High In Fibre And Vegetable Protein)

This week I am inviting you to try this truly delicious vegan menu, for everyone who enjoys tasty and healthy food! Click on the pictures or links to view all the recipes.

A lots of wonderful colours and flavours in this menu!

A menu for 2-3 servings

Home-made Hummus

Insalapizza (Pizza-Salad)

Crunchy and Colourful Salad.

Rich Chocolate Tart With Fresh Raspberries.

Make The Best Pizza Dough ( Part 2)

April 30, 2014How to, Main Dishes, Pizza, VegetarianCheese pizza, Crescenza, Flour, Healthy, Home-made, How to, Italian, Lievito madre, Mozzarella, Sourdough, Sourdough recipe, Spelt flour, Step by step, Tutorial, Vegetarian, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

I already published a basic pizza dough recipe with normal yeast a few weeks ago, this is basically the same recipe adapted for sourdough. Before getting started with the recipe, let me say a few things about sourdough.

Why sourdough?
Sourdough is a natural yeast created by fermenting flour with water. It is a long process, which is not particularly complicated, but it takes some time and care.
Basically, you create the natural yeast, then you feed it and keep it in good shape, that’s really all there is to it! In exchange, your sourdough will reward you with a lot of flavour, leavening strength and satisfaction!
Moreover, sourdough is healthier and much more digestible than commonly used yeast. Another good reason to use it is the difference in taste, as sourdough’s flavour is much more delicate and pleasant than all the other yeasts.
So, don’t give up if you haven’t tried yet, instead give it a go and you’ll see the difference, I promise you!
To get started with sourdough you can follow the step by step recipe here.

Some things you have to know before you go on with the recipe:

1. The flour-sourdough ratio in recipes is usually 3 to 1 (3 parts of flour plus 1 part of sourdough). In order to prepare approximately 500 g of dough we will use 375 g of flour with 125 g of sourdough. You can use this recipe to make sourdough bread as well as pizza.

2. Semi-liquid sourdough contains a lot of water, therefore you have to add less water than in normal yeast pizza and bread recipes. My advice is to add a little bit of water gradually.

3. Sometimes it’s useful to make the dough in the evening and then keep it in the fridge with some extra water over night. The following day, take it out of the fridge two hours before you use it (knead the dough a little, then make the pizzas and let them rise for a couples of hours at room temperate). During this process the dough will rise much better and faster.

Sourdough Pizza Crust.

Ingredients

For 2 large pizzas

Recipe No. 1

210 g flour 00 (or plain, unbleached all-purpuse flour)

135 g whole spelt flour

30 g durum wheat flour (semolina)

125 g sourdough (semi-liquid and made with manitoba flour)

10 g salt

a pinch of barley malt (optional)

extra virgin olive oil to taste

water

Note.

If you use the sourdough starter made from flour 00 (or plain, unbleached all-purpose flour) the ingredient ratio changes slightly:

Recipe No. 2

130 g flour 00 (or plain, unbleached all-purpuse flour)

135 g whole spelt flour

80 g Manitoba flour

30 g durum wheat flour (semolina)

125 g sourdough (semi-liquid and made with flour 00 of plain, unbleached all-purpuse flour)

10 g salt

a pinch of barley malt (optional)

extra virgin olive oil to taste

water

Method.

1. Sift and mix the flour on a wooden board or a large bowl (use a fine sieve). Mix the flour with the sourdough and a little bit of water. Add the salt and, if you want, you can also add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a pinch of malt.

2. knead vigorously, until you get an elastic dough. Let the dough rise in a sheltered place for 3-6 hours (the rising time varies depending on different factors, the dough is ready when it has doubled in volume).

3. Take two large oven trays, cover them with baking paper and brush them with plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, make two pizza bases and then add the other ingredients (I am going to make a pizza with mozzarella cheese and crescenza, a nice sweet and creamy Italian cheese)

4. Let the pizzas rise for about 1 hour, then bake in a preheated oven at 190° (374°F) for 20-30 minutes.

Impasto base per la pizza con lievito madre.

Ingredienti

2 pizze grandi

Ricetta n°1

210 g di farina 00

135 g di farina di farro integrale

30 g di semola rimacinata

125 g di lievito madre (semiliquido, a base di farina manitoba)

acqua q. b.

10 g di sale

pochissimo malto d’orzo (facoltativo)

olio extra vergine d’olio d’oliva q. b.

Nota.

Se usate il lievito madre a base di farina 00 gli ingredienti variano leggermente:

Ricetta n° 2

130 g di farina 00

135 g di farina di farro integrale

80 g di farina manitoba

125 g di lievito madre (semiliquido con base di farina 00)

30 g di semola rimacinata

10 g di sale

acqua q. b.

pochissimo malto d’orzo (facoltativo)

olio extra vergine d’olio d’oliva q. b.

Metodo.

1. Mescolate, setacciate le farine e sistematele a fontana su una spianatoia o mettetele in una ciotola grande. Unite il lievito madre alla farina con un po d’acqua. Mescolate leggermente, poi aggiungere il sale con cucchiai d’ olio extra vergine di oliva e un pizzico di malto, se desiderate aggiungerli.

2. Lavorate energicamente gli ingredienti, fino ad ottenere un impasto omogeneo ed elastico. Lasciate lievitare l’impasto in un luogo riparato per 3-6 ore (il tempo di lievitazione varia a seconda di diversi fattori, l’impasto è pronto quando sarà raddoppiato di volume).

3. Prendete due teglie grandi, ricopritele con carta da forno e spennellatele con abbondante olio extra vergine d’oliva. Stendete la pasta con un matterello e fate due basi per pizza, poi aggiungere gli altri ingredienti (in questo caso faremo una pizza bianca con crescenza e mozzarella).

4. Lasciate lievitare le pizze per circa 1 ora, poi fate cuocere a 190° C in forno preriscaldato per 20-30 minuti (dipende dallo spessore della pasta).

Gluten-free Buckwheat Gnocchi (Step by Step)

February 28, 2014Dairy-free, Gluten-free, High-fibre Food, How to, Low-fat Recipes, Main Dishes, Pasta and Rice, Vegan, VegetarianBuckwheat flour, Egg-free, Food, Fresh Pasta, Gluten-free, Gnocchi, Healthy, Home-made, Low fat, Recipe, Soy-free, Whole grain, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

I adore gnocchi! Gnocchi with pesto has been my favourite pasta dish since I was a kid. In Italy there are numerous variations of this wonderful pasta, some of which are really colourful and tasty. Today we are going to prepare a gluten-free version made with buckwheat flour. This flour might be a little expensive, but I decided to use it because of the benefits that introducing gluten-free meals in our every-day diet have. Even though I don’t have intolerances or allergies, but also because I think it’s delicious. Of course, it is also a good alternative to traditional gnocchi for celiac people.

A few words about Buckwheat.

Buckwheat is related to sorrel, knotweed and rhubarb. The seeds are fruit seeds, not cereals, very similar to sunflower seeds, and with a distinctive triangular shape. They are rich in protein, important minerals ( iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and potassium.) and vitamins B. Buckwheat is normally used in flour or grains. The flour is very tasty and perfect for pasta recipes, in fact, in Italy it is widely used in many traditional dishes.

Ingredients

Preparation: 25 minutes

Potatoes Cooking time: 15-20 minutes + time to cool

Gnocchi Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4-5

1 kg (35.2 oz) large potatoes

200 g (7.05 oz) buckwheat flour (and a little bit more for dusting)

50 g (1.76 oz) potato starch

salt to taste

Tools

wooden board or table

A large pan (with a steaming basket or you can use a steamer if you prefer this cooking method)

a large sieve (to sift the flour)

potato ricer (or a potato masher)

a knife

a fork (or a gnocchi board)

Method

1.Wash, then steam or boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes (if you boil, put them in cold salted water and then, bring to the boil). Mash the potatoes and let cool. Once they have cooled down, add the flour and starch (previously sifted and mixed).

2. Combine all the ingredients, add some salt and work until you get a soft and smooth dough (adding some flour, if necessary).

3. Dust the board, then divide the dough into 4-5 equal pieces and roll each piece into long ropes (the ropes should be 1,5 cm [0.39 uk inches] high). Cut each rope into small pieces (3 cm [ 1.18 uk inches] long and 1,5 cm [ 0.39 uk inches] high).

4. Use a fork to indent the gnocchi by pressing the centre and roll each piece on the fork (watch the video below) , in this way the gnocchi will absorb the condiment better.

Watch the video:

5. Add more flour to prevent the gnocchi from sticking together and lay them a little apart from each other on a table, previously covered with clean kitchen cloths (I used a plate because I prepared only one portion). Cook as soon as possible.

Tips.

Boil in plenty of salted water for a few minutes. Once they rise, gently drain and season as you prefer (serve these wonderful gnocchi with pesto or with a nice tomato sauce. If you don’t follow a vegan or a low-cal diet I suggest you try them with a gorgonzola sauce).

Gnocchi di patate e grano saraceno.

Preparazione: 25 minuti

Cottura delle patate: 15-20 minuti + il tempo di farle un po’ raffreddare

Cottura degli gnocchi: 5 minuti

Ingredienti

per 4-5 persone

1 kg di patate farinose

200 g di farina di grano saraceno ( e un po’ di più per infarinare)

50 g di fecola di patate

sale q.b.

Utensili

una spianatoia di legno abbastanza grande

Una pentola grande (con cestello per cottura a vapore oppure una vaporiera, se preferite questo tipo di cottura)

un setaccio o un colino grande (per setacciare la farina)

uno schiaccia patate

un coltello

una forchetta

Preparazione

1. Lavate bene le patate e fate cuocere a vapore per 15-20 minuti (o lessatele mettendole in acqua fredda salata e portando a bollore). Schiacciate le patate e lasciate raffreddare. Aggiungete la farina e la fecola (setacciate e mescolate in precedenza).

2. Amalgamate gli ingredienti con un po’ di sale, fino ad ottenere un impasto morbido ed uniforme. Nel caso fosse necessario, aggiungete un po’ di farina.

3. Infarinate la superficie della spianatoia, dividete l’impasto in 4-5 pezzi uguali e rotolate ogni pezzo fino a formare dei filoncini molto lunghi e alti 1,5 cm. Tagliate ogni cilindro di pasta in piccoli gnocchi (lunghi 3 cm e alti 1,5 cm circa).

4. Usate una forchetta per rigare gli gnocchi (guarda il video).

5. Appoggiate gli gnocchi distanti tra loro su un tavolo coperto da strofinacci puliti, leggermente infarinati (nelle foto uso un piatto perché ho preparato una porzione sola).

Note.

Per la cottura consiglio di far bollire in acqua abbondante e salata per qualche minuto. Poi scolate e condite come preferite. Un ottimo condimento per gli gnocchi di grano saraceno potrebbe essere una salsa al gorgonzola, oppure condite semplicemente con del buon pesto o una salsa al pomodoro, se seguite una dieta vegana o a basso contenuto calorico.

Easy Fresh Egg Spelt Pasta (Step by Step)

February 16, 2014Dairy-free, High-fibre Food, How to, Main Dishes, Pasta and RiceEgg, Farro, Fibre, Food, Fresh Pasta, Home-made, How to, Integrali, Pappardelle, Recipe, Ricetta, Spelt flour, Tagliatelle, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

This week we are going to prepare home-made spelt (farro) pasta. In Italy there are several kinds of pasta, made with different ingredients, colours and shapes. Each type has its own precise measurements, name and tradition. Today we are going to make pappardelle. This pasta is very similar to tagliatelle, only a little bit easier to cut, with a thin and long rectangular shape (about 1,5- 2 cm wide).

Pappardelle is made by mixing flour (usually 00 or plain) with a few eggs. In the next posts I’ll show you how to prepare different kinds of pasta, some without eggs and some gluten-free recipes as well. First of all, let’s make a list of the things we need.

Spelt Flour (Farro) Pappardelle.

Preparation: 30 minutes +1 hour refrigeration

Cooking: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 servings

100g (3.5 oz) plain flour (best if you find 00 flour, which is very fine)

200g (7 oz ) wholemeal spelt flour (whole wheat farro flour)

50 g (1.76 oz) of plain flour, for dusting

a pinch of salt

3 eggs

Tools

a large knife

a large wooden board (or a large table will do)

a long rolling pin

Method.

1. Mix the flours with salt on a wooden board and make a well in the centre. Put three eggs in it, then mix them slightly using a fork.

2. Starting from the outside edges, slowly combine the flour with the eggs.

3. Work the dough until smooth.

4. Fold a kitchen cloth around the dough and place it in an airtight container for about an hour (during this time the dough becomes more elastic).

5. After an hour, take the dough (dust with some flour), divide it into two parts and using a rolling pin make two thin sheets of pasta.

6. Using a rolling pin, roll the pasta from the outside inwards (see the picture).

7. Cut the pasta (each cut should be about 2 cm, 0.70 inches, from the next). Roll and cut both sheets of pasta.

8. Dust with more flour and separate the pappardelle on the wooden board, then cook and serve.

Tip. Boil the pasta in plenty of hot water, with 1/2 a tablespoon of salt (no oil needed) for 10-15 minutes. Then drain and serve with fresh pesto or tomato sauce.

Pappardelle di farina di farro.

Preparazione: 30 minuti+1 ora in frigorifero

Cottura: 10-15 minuti

ingredienti

per 3-4 persone

100g di farina 00

200 g di farina di farro (preferibilmente integrale)

50 g di farina 00 (per non fare attaccare la pasta)

un pizzico di sale

3 uova

Utensili

un grosso coltello

una spianatoia in legno (abbastanza grande e con superficie ruvida)

un matterello lungo

1. Mescolate le farine e il sale su una spianatoia. Disponete la farina a fontana con tre uova al centro, poi sbattete leggermente le uova usando una forchetta. Unite gli ingredienti, partendo dal bordo esterno.

2. Lavorate fino ad ottenere un impasto omogeneo. Ricopritelo con un panno e mettetelo in un contenitore ermetico per circa un’ora (in questo modo l’impasto diventerà più elastico).

3. Dopo un’ora, prendete l’impasto (dividetelo in due) infarinate bene tutto e fate due sfoglie sottili con il matterello. Sempre aiutandovi con il matterello, arrotolare la pasta per tagliarla (vedi la foto).

4. Tagliate la pasta (ogni taglio deve essere distante 2 cm circa dal successivo). Infarinate e separate le pappardelle sulla tavola. Cuocete le pappardelle per 10-15 minuti e condite come preferite.

Spelt Chocolate Cookies With Seeds

December 15, 2013Cookies, High-fibre Food, VegetarianAlmond, Baking Powder, Biscotti, Biscuits, Chocolate, Christmas, Cioccolato, Cocoa solids, Cookie, Cookies, Fibre, Flax seeds, Food, Grain, leenseeds, Natale, Recipe, Whole grain, whole wheat, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

This week I am going to prepare an healthy treat, yummy chocolate cookies made with wholemeal spelt flour, almonds and flax seeds. These cookies have a rich chocolaty flavour, lots of fibre and all the health benefits of the almonds and flax seeds. In fact, this recipe is enriched with omega 3 essential fatty acids and calcium, contained in the seeds. They also give extra flavour, strength and crunchiness to the recipe.

Wholemeal Spelt Chocolate Cookies with Almonds and Flax Seeds.

Ingredients

for about 30 cookies

180 g (6.34 oz) wholemeal spelt flour

100 g (3.52 oz) of chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

50 g (1.76 oz) almonds

20 g (0.70 oz) flaxseeds (linseed)

1 egg

90 g (3.17 oz) butter

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

Method.

1. Toast the flax seeds in the oven for 5 minutes at 120 °C(248° F).

2. Grind the seeds and the almonds very finely.

3. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (double boiler).

4. Soften the butter, then add the egg, the melted chocolate, honey,sugar and cocoa powder.

5. Mix well then add the sifted flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt and the seeds.

6. Work the dough until smooth and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

7. Shape small balls (3 cm in diameter), put them on a large baking tray covered with baking paper and cook for 15 minutes at 160° C (320 °F).

Biscotti al cioccolato con semi di lino e mandorle.

Ingredienti

per circa 25-30 biscotti

20 g di semi di lino

50 g di mandorle (uso quelle con la buccia per le fibre)

1 uovo

90 g di burro

2 cucchiai di miele

3 cucchiai di zucchero di canna

100 g di cioccolato al 70 %

180 g di farina integrale di farro

1 cucchiaio di cacao amaro

1 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci

un pizzico di sale

Preparazione.

1. Fate tostare in forno i semi di lino per 5 minuti a 120°.

2. Tritare le mandorle e i semi molto finemente.

3. Mettete a sciogliere il cioccolato a bagnomaria.

4. Fate ammorbidire il burro, poi unite l’uovo, il cioccolato sciolto, il miele, lo zucchero e il cacao.

5. Amalgamate bene tutto e aggiungete la farina setacciata, le mandorle, i semi di lino,un pizzico di sale e un cucchiaino di lievito.

6. Impastate bene e lasciate riposare in frigorifero per 30 minuti.

7. Fate delle palline di 3 cm di diametro e mettete a cuocere in una teglia imburrata (o con carta da forno) per 15 minuti a 160°.

Deliciously intense chocolate and chestnut biscuits.

November 3, 2013Cookies, High-fibre Food, VegetarianBiscotti, Biscotti integrali al cacao, Biscotti ricchi di fibre, Biscuit, Brown rice flour, Chestnut, Chestnut flour, Chocolate, Cocoa powder, Cookies, Cooking, Flour, Recipe, Ricetta, whole wheat, Whole wheat chocolate cookies, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

This week we are going to prepare these delicious wholemeal chocolate biscuits with chestnut flour, a real autumn treat!

The chestnut flour, naturally sweet, is rich in minerals and gluten-free , therefore it can be used to prepare various dishes for celiacs. For this recipe I used this particular flour for its natural sweetness and the rich nutty taste that, in my opinion, enhances the intense cocoa flavour perfectly.

Useful tip. Use a round shaped cookie cutter to make the biscuits and cut them quite thick, as this dough can crumble quite easily. These biscuits can also burn easily, so be careful when you cook them and keep an eye on them.

Wholemeal chocolate and chestnut biscuits.

Ingredients

for 20-25 biscuits

40 g ( 1.4 oz) brown rice flour

60 g ( 2.1 oz) chestnut flour

80 g ( 2.8 oz) wholemeal flour

100 g (3.5 oz) softened butter

20 g ( 0.70 oz) cocoa powder

2 tablespoons and a half of honey

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

brown sugar to garnish (use plenty, as the biscuits aren’t very sweet)

Method.

1. Beat the butter, the egg and honey until creamy.

2. Mix the flours with the cocoa and baking powder.

3. Combine all the ingredients and work the dough until smooth.

4. With a rolling pin (and your hands) roll out the dough to approximately 5-8 mm thickness.

5. Cut the biscuits into the desired shape, top with brown sugar, pressing them slightly with your hands.

6. Bake at 200 ° C ( 392 ° F) on a greased baking tray for 10-12 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the biscuits, the cooking time may vary.

Biscotti integrali al cacao con farina di castagne

Ingredienti

per 20-25 biscotti

40 g di farina di riso integrale

60 g di farina di castagne

80 g di farina integrale

1 uovo intero

2 cucchiai e mezzo di miele

100 g di burro morbido

20 g di cacao amaro

un pizzico di sale

1 cucchiaino di lievito per dolci in polvere

abbondante zucchero di canna per guarnire

Preparazione.

1. Mescolate il burro con l’uovo e il miele.

2. A parte, mescolate le tre farine insieme al cacao e al lievito in polvere.

3. Unite tutti gli ingredienti e lavorate bene la pasta.

4. Con il matterello stendete una sfoglia alta approssimativamente 5-8 mm.

5. Tagliate i biscotti nella forma desiderata (meglio se rotonda) e guarnite con abbondante zucchero di canna.

6. Infornate a 200° C su una teglia grande imburrata (o con carta da forno) per 10-12 minuti.

Neither a salad or a pizza: Insalapizza! (no cheese)

July 26, 2013Dairy-free, High-fibre Food, Main Dishes, Pizza, Sourdough, Vegan, VegetarianBaking, Cooking, Flour, Food, Low-fat recipes, Mozzarella, Natural yeast, No cheese, Onion, Pizza, Seeds, Sourdough, Tomatoes, Vegan, Vegetables, wholegrains, WholemealSerena @ foodfulife

As refreshing as a summer salad and as tasty as a pizza! This is why I decided to call this dish insalapizza (salad-pizza). I often end up with no mozzarella cheese in my fridge, and this usually happens when I feel like having a pizza!…So one evening I came up with this nice and simple recipe. Since then I have had several occasions to try out and improve this dish. I hope you like it!

Pizza-salad recipe.

Ingredients

for 1 pizza

For the pizza dough

35 g (1.23 oz) wholemeal flour (whole wheat flour)

35 g (1.23 oz) whole spelt flour

20 g (0.70 oz) Manitoba flour

45 g (1.58 oz) plain flour sourdough (or you can use 5 g of yeast. In this case, you have to add 45 g of plain flour and more water to make the dough. the rising time will also vary)

1 or 2 tablespoons mixed grains (hulled oats, hulled barley, hulled spelt, wheat, rye, brown rice)

1/2 tablespoon flax seeds (linseeds), optional

1/2 teaspoon salt

a little bit of barley malt syrup (to increase leavening strenght, optional)

Pizza toppings and seasoning

1 big onion

3 plum tomatos

water as needed

some rocket (arugula) leaves, washed and dried

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons to grease the oven tray and 2 more to pour on the pizza toppings)

Method

1. Wash the seeds and soak them in water for 6-8 hours.

2. Mix the sourdough with the flours, some water and malt (or honey). Add the seeds and half a teaspoon of salt to the dough. Mix well and increase the amount of flour if necessary (the dough shouldn’t stick to your hands).

3. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in volume (3-6 hours, if you use sourdough).

If you use normal yeast (not sourdough) you have to increase the amount of flour and water ( in this case, add 45 g of plain flour) to the dough. Dissolve the yeast in a little bit of water with 1 tablespoon of flour. Then add the yeast to the mixture and let it rise for about an hour.

4. When the dough is ready, roll out the pizza base in a round baking tray (20-30 cm in diameter), greased with plenty of olive oil. Let the pizza base rise for another hour. Meanwhile, clean and cut the onion very finely and leave it to soak for an hour in water.

5. Wash, dry and cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Top your pizza base with the onion and the tomatoes. Season your pizza with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and bake at 200 ° C (392° F) for 30 minutes (until crispy).

Remove from the oven, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a few rocket leaves.

A few tips.

To shorten the preparation time, I usually make a lot of dough, I divide it into small quantities and store it in the freezer. In this way the dough is ready when I need it. Leave the seeds to soak at night, this also save some time.

Insalapizza.

Ingredienti per la base della pizza ai cereali.

Per 1 pizza

35 g di farina integrale

35 g di farina integrale di farro

20 g di manitoba

45 g di lievito madre (potete sostituire il lievito madre aggiungendo 45 g di farina 00 all’impasto con un po’ d’acqua e 5 g di lievito di birra da diluire con poca acqua e farina)

1 o 2 cucchiai di cereali misti (avena decorticata, orzo decorticato, farro decorticato, frumento, segale, riso integrale)

1/2 cucchiaio di semi di lino (facoltativo)

1/2 cucchiaino di sale

pochissimo malto d’orzo (per fare lievitare meglio l’impasto, ma è facoltativo)

un po’ di farina in più da aggiungere a fine impasto

acqua q b

Ingredienti per il condimento

3 pomodori perini maturi

1 cipolla dolce grande

un mazzetto di rucola, lavata e pulita

sale e pepe q b

Olio d’oliva abbondante (2 cucchiai per ungere la teglia e 2 in più per condire la pizza in superficie )

Preparazione.

1. Lavate e lasciate i semi a bagno in acqua per 6-8 ore. Nel frattempo, unite le farine e il malto al lievito madre, aggiungendo un po’ d’acqua, se necessario. Lavorate bene l’impasto. Aggiungete i semi, con mezzo cucchiaino di sale e aumentate la quantità di farina nel caso il composto risultasse troppo umido.

2. Fate lievitare fino a quando l’impasto sarà raddoppiato di volume (3-6 ore). Se usate il lievito di birra dovete aggiungere 45 g di farina 00 all’impasto, poi diluire il lievito di birra in un po’ d’acqua e impastare tutto. In questo caso, dovete lasciare lievitare per un’ ora circa.

3. Quando l’impasto sarà lievitato, stendetelo su una teglia rotonda (25-30 cm di diametro), ungendo la base con abbondante alio d’oliva. Lasciate lievitare per 1 oretta. Nel frattempo, tagliate la cipolla e lasciatela immersa in acqua per almeno 1 ora (per renderla più dolce). Lavate, asciugate e tagliate i pomodori a cubetti.

4. Disponete la cipolla e i pomodori sulla pizza e condite con abbondante olio d’oliva .Cuocete a 200 ° C per 30 minuti. Sfornate, condite con sale e pepe, aggiungendo qualche foglia di rucola per guarnire.

Consigli per la preparazione.

Per accorciare i tempi, generalmente preparo in anticipo una grossa quantità di pasta, la divido nelle giuste dosi e la scongelo in caso di bisogno. Questo procedimento facilità notevolmente le cose e funziona alla grande! Consiglio anche di lasciare i semi immersi nell’acqua tutta la notte, saranno più morbidi e i tempi di preparazione saranno più facili da gestire.