The need, or better empty fridge, is a mother of invention. I create my best recipies when I have almost nothing at hand. It was how I cooked for the first time this pasta. Spaghetti with olive oil and spinach is a very simple and fast to prepare dish. You can add chilli if you like spicy food, or not.
This year, quite unusual (maybe because it’s untypical year for me), I spent Christmas holidays in Italy. Instead of Christmas tree I prepared decorations of picea branches, despite traditional Polish dishes I cooked Italian risotto with funghi porcini (my recipe you can find below) and as a bonus I was enjoying wonderful views and warm, sunny weather…
An Italian cuisine is famous not only for pizza and pasta, but also for many types of risotto. Usually it’s popular in northern regions like Piedmont or Lombardy, where rice has been cultivated for ages becoming an important element of diet, especially in winter. You can choose between classical versions – with porcini (boletus), with saffron, with seafood, with different cheeses (Parmesan, Fontina, Gorgonzola) or rather you should try less popular risotto: with chicken or even decorated with rose petals… I use to prepare rice accompanied with radicchio and risotto alla zucca (with pumpkin). The last one takes some time (about 40 minutes) and you need to put some effort in dealing with pumpkin , but in exchange you will gain fancy orange, very healthy and nutritious meal.
Serves: 4 – 5
Ingredients:
800 g pumpkin already peeled
½ tea cup white wine
2 tea cups rise (short grain if possibile)
750 ml of stock
200 g freshly grated Parmezan cheese
½ tea cup butter
3 tablespoon olive oil (not extra vergine)
Salt to taste
Served with: white dry wine
Preparation method:
At the beginning you need to deal with the pumpkin, which has to be peeled, deseeded and chopped. In another pot prepare the stock. Heat olive oil and the half portion of butter in a large saucepan. Now add pumpkin and fry it on a low fire under the cover until it is almost tender. Then poor rise, fry it for 2 minutes. As it cooks keep stirring it so rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add wine, mix it well and wait until absorbed. Poor one ladle of stock, continue stirring until absorbed and repeat this operation until the rise is fully cooked. Add some salt. At the end take the saucepan off the heat, add left butter, stir it and wait for about 2 minutes before serving. The Parmesan cheese you can add directly to the dish or sprinkle on your plate. And voila’!
Green asparagus is one of my favourits vegetables, and that’s why when it comes its season I eat it as much as I can. Having a strong flavor it tastes the best accompanied with simply fried eggs. Spilled yolk perfectly wrap asparagus forming a delicate creamy sauce. The secret of this dish is a good quality egg, from organic farm will be the best. Continue reading “Asparagus with egg – spring on your plate”
It has been already a couple of weeks since my sunny Italy disappeared behind heavy clouds. One day I felt melancholy and I decided to cheer up a little bit with a good and easy to prepare dinner. It resulted greasy, caloric but so good! Below you will find a recipe for a successful marriage between spinach and gorgonzola cheese. And only these two ingredients with a touch of olive oil were sufficient to create tasty and aromatic sauce for Italian dumplings, called gnocchi. Continue reading “Green gnocchi in a gloomy day”
Radicchio is simply a variety of chicory. In Italy you can find it in a round or an elongated shape. It can be eaten both like a salad and served heated: baked or fried. The recipe below is quick and very easy to prepare. But it’s not a typical Italian dish, you should treat it more as an Italian inspiration. Continue reading “Radicchio – a red inspiration”
Halloween has already passed and you have no idea what to do with a pumpkin or even the whole collection of pumpkins? Why not just cook it? There are many ways of using this nice vegetable, but my favorite one is a cream soup. Firstly because of its optimistic color, secondly it warms-up in an excellent way and finally I love its thick and silky texture. Continue reading “Pumpkin soup”
