Here are some salad and starters recipes I posted on my previous blog from January 2010 till February 2015.
Sicilian Orange Salad
Sicilian Orange Salad
A typical Mediterranean dish
My grandmother (my mum’s mum, who did not live with us) used to make
orange salad every time I went to see her.
She knew I was crazy about it. She was from Cortona in Tuscany but she
had married a Sicilian man so she had learned some Sicilian recipes.
For four people you need four oranges, 50g. of black olives, oregano,
two tbsp of olive oil and black pepper.
Peel the oranges, slice them into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Put the
slices in a bowl and add the olives. Season with olive oil, oregano and pepper.
I love how the sweet, cold juice of the orange mixes with the deep, warm
taste of the olive oil.
Let me know if you feel the same.
Caprese
Our favourite
holiday dish
As I said
before, we often had Caprese during our summer holidays. We ordered it when we went to the restaurant
and I made it every day when we were in Rome and at the seaside. Everybody enjoyed it. It is a very simple, tasty dish, ideal in
warm or hot weather. So, keep it in mind
for next summer.
For four people
you need:
four tomatoes,
two mozzarella cheeses, four tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, salt, basil and
oregano.
Cut the
tomatoes and mozzarella in slices a quarter of an inch thick. Arrange them in a line on the plate, starting
with a slice of tomato, which you salt, and
then a slice of mozzarella. Continue
alternating a slice of tomato with one of mozzarella and insert a leaf of fresh
basil from time to time. You’ll end with
two or three lines on your plate (you can also set them in a circle if you
like). Pour on oil and sprinkle them with oregano.
If you like you
can add balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic and/or parsley.
A delicious
treat!
Salads
From time to
time I need to try new dishes or the children complain about “the usual
stuff”. Now that the warm season is
approaching there is nothing better than a fresh salad. Here are some good salad recipes I tested at
home. Try them and let me know what you
think.
Salad with mozzarella
For four
people you need:
250g
mozzarella, two boiled eggs, one lettuce, six tomatoes, ten pitted black
olives, ten pitted green olives, half of a yellow pepper, 20g basil, three
anchovies, salt, pepper, three tbsp of olive oil, one clove of garlic, wine
vinegar.
First
prepare the seasoning: mince the basil, garlic and anchovies. Put them in a
small bowl and add the olive oil, with thew salt, pepper and vinegar. Let it rest for about an hour.
Cut the
lettuce and the tomatoes in pieces of about an inch and mix them in a large
bowl. Add the mozzarella cut in cubes of
the same size, the olives and the pepper cut in strips, and the eggs cut in
slices. Finally add the seasoning and
mix well.
Salad with fruit
For four
people you need:
One lettuce,
one head of celery, two apples, two pears, one lemon, an orange or a
grapefruit, 100 g of natural yogurt, salt and paprika.
The
seasoning: mix the yogurt with a tsp of lemon juice, salt and paprika. Line a large bowl with four or five lettuce
leaves. Chop the rest of the lettuce, celery, apples and pears. Mix them in another bowl and add some lemon
juice so they don’t discolour. Cut the
orange, or grapefruit, in slices and cut the slices in pieces of about two
inches. Mix them with the fruit salad
and add the seasoning. Pour your salad
in the bowl lined with lettuce leaves.
You’ll impress your guests.
Salad with potatoes and tuna
For four
people you need:
500g new
potatoes, 100g spring greens, 100g tomatoes, 80g tuna, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp
olive oil and 2 or 3 pickled cucumbers.
Peel and cut
the potatoes in cubes. Cook them in
boiling water with salt. Boil the spring
greens as well. Chop the tomatoes and
mix them in a bowl with the tuna cut in little pieces. Add the potatoes, spring greens and pickles
cut in cubes, olive oil, salt, pepper and a few drops of vinegar to taste.
Chicken salad
For four
people you need:
250g chicken
breast, one lettuce, one head of celery, 150g mushrooms marinated in oil, 100g
of mild cheese, 2 tbsp of mayonnaise or 2 tbsp of mustard, salt, pepper, 1tbsp
of olive oil, half a lemon.
Seasoning:
mix the oil with 2tsp of lemon juice, salt, pepper and mustard or mayonnaise.
Cook the
chicken breast in water and cut it into strips.
Chop up the celery and mushrooms; add 2 tsp of lemon juice. Cut the cheese in strips and mix all
together. Add the seasoning.
Buon appetito!
Tuna
delicacies
You can have
these special titbits as a treat on a warm evening with a glass of cool Pinot
Grigio, in your garden or on a terrace, the moon casting its rays on your
sequined dress...just a suggestion.
For six
people you need: 240 g of tuna, 150 g of ricotta, three boiled eggs, one tbsp
of capers, 50 g capers, 50 g butter, the juice of one lemon, salt, pepper and parsley.
First mix
and blend the capers, eggs and tuna, then add all the other ingredients.
Let the mixture
cool in the fridge for an hour and then serve on canapés, crisp bread or
crackers.
Cheese
delicacies
This time a
red wine (Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino) would work better.
For the
titbits you need 150 g of ricotta, 50 g of Double Gloucester, 50 g of red
Leicester, 50 g of Mature Cheddar, two tbsp of parmigiano and 50 g of ground
nuts.
Blend all
the cheeses; add ricotta and parmigiano. Let the mixture cool in the fridge for one
hour. Form little balls and roll them in
the ground nuts.
Buon
appetito!
Bruschetta
Simply bread
I make
bruschetta frequently, especially at weekends when everybody in my family wants
something different. It is also a
perfect starter and an ideal snack for summer days.
You can prepare
the bread (slices of a white bloomer loaf are perfect but you can use whatever
kind of bread you prefer) inside in the oven or in the grill, or outside on a
barbecue.
The basic
traditional bruschetta is with garlic, salt and extra virgin olive oil: rub the
clove of garlic on the bread and then sprinkle salt and olive oil.
Tasty
alternatives can be with a seasoning or a sauce you spread on the bread. Here
are some examples:
·
Two
tomatoes, olive oil, salt, oregano. Cut the tomatoes in pieces, add salt,
oregano and abundant olive oil. Let it
rest for 10 minutes before topping the bread.
·
Two
tomatoes, 50 g of mozzarella, salt, olive oil and basil. Cut the tomatoes and the mozzarella in pieces
and add salt, olive oil and one or two leaves of fresh basil. Let it rest for 10 minutes before topping the
bread.
·
Two
yolks of boiled eggs, 80 g of tuna, 1tbsp of mayonnaise. Crush the yolks and the tuna, add the
mayonnaise and mix and then spread on the bread.
·
One
slice of smoked salmon and some drops of the juice of a lemon. Cut the salmon in little pieces, lay them on
the bread and sprinkle over a few drops of lemon juice.
·
One
tbsp of parmigiano, 50 g of ricotta, 50 g of cheddar. Grate the cheddar, add ricotta and
parmigiano, mix and spread on the bread.
·
50
g of brie or feta cheese, 50 g of sardines, olive oil. Cut the cheese and the sardines in pieces,
lay them on the bread and sprinkle over some drops of olive oil.
·
100
g of mushrooms, oil, parsley, salt, pepper, one peeled clove of garlic. Cut the
mushrooms in slices and cook them in a frying pan with oil and garlic. Add a little water and, after 10 minutes, all
the other ingredients. Stir and let them simmer for about 10 minutes. When they are ready you can cover the bread
or liquidise them and spread onto the bread.
·
20
g of anchovies, one tsp of capers, five black olives, five green olives, olive
oil. Chop all the ingredients, mix them
and spread them on the bread, then sprinkle with olive oil.
·
One
red pepper, salt, olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Cut the pepper into little cubes and cook
them in a frying pan. Add salt and the
juice of half a lemon, then pour over the bread.
·
One
tbsp of mascarpone, two slices of ham.
Cut the ham in pieces and mix it with mascarpone. Arrange them on the bread.
·
Some
leaves of lambs' lettuce and some parmigiano or cheddar, diced, salt and olive
oil. Season the lambs' lettuce with salt
and olive oil, lay it on the bread and top with the cheese.
Try all of them: they are worth it.
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