#178 Italy's Frittata with mushroom and spinach

This is so good to eat for breakfast! It has eggs, vegetables and fats in one baked dish. :) I love heavy cream and so I added it in my newly discovered Italian breakfast dish: the Frittata. This egg dish requires a little bit of work than simply boiling or scrambling your eggs in the morning, but it is beautiful and very tasty. I do not regret spending more time learning and cooking this awesome dish that the whole family enjoyed for a nice Sunday breakfast. :)

FRITTATA WITH MUSHROOM AND SPINACH 

Ingredients: 

6 large organic eggs
1 1/2 cups heaving whipping cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp sliced onions
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or you can use baby spinach whole
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a pan, heat olive oil, sauté onions and mushrooms until cooked, then add spinach until wilted. Drain the water that comes from the cooked vegetables, set aside.
3. In a bowl, beat eggs, add heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper, 2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Open the oven and add 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the frittata. Close  the oven and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is set.
6. Enjoy! 

An italian expression: "hai fatto una frittata", means I made a mess. This comes from the fact that in Italy, a frittata is made from left overs at the last minute when nothing else is available in the fridge. Now I also learned one more Italian sentence! I also learned that in Italy you will rarely see Frittata in its restaurant's menu, because to the Italians, Frittata is a dish that is commonly  made at home, nothing special and can be made with any meat or vegetables from left overs. It's funny how I thought it is some kind of a fancy national breakfast food in  Italy and I can order it anywhere in Rome when I visit this year. Good to know. :) This dish is good, it's very healthy, the cream is optional so you can remove it from the recipe. 

I love my Frittata! It tastes great and very satisfying! 

Hope you enjoyed this post! If you did, follow this blog as we will be posting 187 more recipes! 187  recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and share to complete the goal of 365! 

#141 Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I have a really good pancake recipe, but I am always looking for more. When I found this, I was curious! Lemon Ricotta Pancake sounds fancy, so I had to try this recipe. I like Ricotta cheese, it was my first time to try to make something with it,  we bought a small tub from the store, it's flavor is bland almost, with just a little hint of sweetness, but soft and just pleasant that I'm sure it will go well with anything sweet, breads, maybe even great on a pizza! This pancake recipe is not low in fat and  calories, but it is worth it. It's delicious! Although I wouldn't make it every morning, I plan to make it atleast twice a month, it's too good to forget. The refreshing taste of the lemons, and the moist the ricotta cheese brings are just perfect! So fluffy! We loved it!

Yield: about 16 medium sized pancakes

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
Powdered sugar, fruit, or maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Place butter small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted, add the milk; remove from heat and let cool slightly.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.
3. Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.
4. Add the reserved flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over mix); set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly). Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.
6. Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.
7. Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.
8. Lightly coat the pan’s surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit, butter, or maple syrup. 

Recipe adapted from here

Ricotta (Italian pronunciation: [riˈkɔtta]) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep (or cow, goat, or Italian buffalo) milk whey left over from the production of cheese. Learn more from here. 

Let me share  David Lebovitz's recipe for home-made ricotta cheese that I found here. Looks uncomplicated! :) Will make this soon too.

Yield: Makes 2 cups.

 

HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE

Ingredients:

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring the milk, yogurt, heavy cream (if using), vinegar, and salt to a boil. Very gently boil for one to two minutes, until the milk is curdled.
2. Meanwhile, line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and set it over a deep bowl.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth around the curds and squeeze gently to extract any excess liquid.

Storage: Homemade ricotta is best served slightly warm, although it can be refrigerated for up to three days, if desired.

We didn't need to use maple syrup, just a sprinkle  of powdered sugar on top. (^^,)

#124 Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata  is an Italian dish, it consists mainly of butterflied chicken breast, coated and served in butter sauce whisked in the same pan the chicken is cooked. Traditionally in Italy, veal is used for Piccata. Our delicious Chicken Piccata had capers which added a pleasantly intense flavor to our dish. Very easy, it cooked very fast, the taste? Very, very good!

Yield: Serves 4

CHICKEN PICCATA

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
3. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley. 

Recipe adapted from HERE

 

Capers are the salted and pickled caper bud of caper bush, also called Flinders rose. It is a common ingredient in  Mediterranean cuisines. It is also a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine especially in Sicilian and Southern Italian cooking. It is used in salads, pasta sauces, meat dishes, such as Chicken Piccata, the recipe featured above. READ MORE ABOUT CAPERS

Chicken Piccata is a delicious dish.

#123 Gnocchi in butter sage sauce

We made potato Gnocchi from scratch, and we learned that one of the best sauces to flavor the normally bland Gnocchi, is a simple sauce made with butter and sage. Luckily, I had fresh sage leaves, and so I used that instead of the dried variety. I pan fried the Gnocchi in butter until they are slightly brown. Depending on how you made it, sometimes Gnocchi can be really soft when heated again. So even if it was very tempting to stir it, I didn't until they are browned and firm enough again to retain it's shape. Then  I seasoned it and sprinkled thinly sliced fresh sage leaves. Delicious!

GNOCCHI IN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

Ingredients:

Gnocchi recipe here

2-3 tablespoons of butter

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt 

pepper

fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a pan, melt the butter, add the gnocchi, flip only once when they are slightly browned.
2. Once the gnocchi are slightly browned on all sides, add the garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese.
3. Add more butter is desired. Sprinkle fresh sage leaves before serving.

#121 Basic Potato Gnocchi

I don't remember trying this pasta ever. It looked very good and fancy in the photos, so it was about time to try and also learn how to make it. Gnocchi is an Italian thick and soft dumpling, of probable Middle Eastern origin since the Roman times. READ MORE HERE It is a traditional pasta eaten as a first course (primi piatto).  This recipe is of  basic potato Gnocchi,  you can also use white flour, semolina, wheat flour to make it and then add ricotta cheese, fresh herbs and spinach if you like. Once made, add sauces to flavor. I used two large russet potatoes for this recipe, it was super easy to make!

BASIC POTATO GNOCCHI

Ingredients:

2 russet potatoes
2 cups of flour
1 egg

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel potatoes and add to pot. Cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash with a fork or potato masher.
2. Combine 1 cup mashed potato, flour and egg in a large bowl. Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.

Recipe adapted from here

Very fun and delicious!

#115 One night, five different vegetable pizzas

 

Once you learn how to make your own pizza dough from scratch, the possibilities are endless. For very little cost, you can make any pizza that you want, even five different ones in one night! It's very quick and easy to do, even for a new baker like me.  Pizza dough keeps well in the fridge,  we had some uncooked dough that was a few days old so I decided  to experiment with different vegetables on mini pizza crusts,  the best tasting one will be made into a large pizza on the next pizza night. So I gathered all the vegetables that I had in the fridge, spinach, cherry tomatoes, arugula, onions, garlic, mushrooms and bell peppers. I also had some fresh and shredded mozarella cheese from the previous weekend, so I cut it into small slices and then joyfully worked on the dough- flattening and forming it is our favorite portion in the whole pizza making.

For our pizza dough, we used this recipe

FOR THE PIZZA SAUCE:

Ingredients:

8 ounces organic tomato sauce
24 pieces of sugar plum tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
4 pieces of large fresh basil leaves
6 pieces of fresh oregano leaves
1 small onion
1 small garlic clove
2 pieces of mint
1 tablespoon water
3 pieces of brown mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. In a food processor, blend sauce recipes until smooth, best if made in advance and chilled for 1 hour.

 

Pizza #1:

Pizza dough, pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese. Sprinkled with fresh baby spinach leaves and fresh basil before serving.

Pizza #2:

Pizza dough, pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh halved cherry tomatoes. Sprinkled with fresh basil on top before serving.

Pizza #3:

Pizza dough, pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, red onions, sliced olives and marinated artichokes.

Pizza #4:

Pizza dough, pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, sautéed garlic, red bell peppers, then topped with sliced fresh basil.

Pizza #5:

Pizza dough, pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, sautéed garlic, sautéed mushrooms in olive oil seasoned with salt and pepper, olives, artichokes, then topped with sliced fresh basil and arugula  before serving.

So, which one won? Hmm.. I love all of the above! While it is simpler to just mix all the vegetables  in one big crust, this was fun to make and eat. The smallest pizza in the group was big enough to divide into 3 slices, so it was really fun to have small sizes of 5 different kinds of vegetable pizza. All five won, so there will soon be another mini pizza night, I'll make it exactly like this but will most probably add more mini crusts topped with grilled meats and pineapples. :)

#104 Mother's Day weekend, Serving 10 and the much beloved Pizza Magherita

This weekend, I had a taste of how busy it is to run a bed & breakfast place. Haha! We had guests over, (Yay!) well, actually they were my good friend's guests, and we all kind of stuck together from Friday to Saturday. Very fun and chill. It was a great weekend spent with amazing and genuinely nice people who carry funny and very intelligent conversations, wear smiles- all the time, love laughter, love good food and love planet/star gazing. We brought the massive telescope out, and I saw the moon, Jupiter and it's moons, Saturn and it's rings and a few bright stars, all in one night..which I was told was rare. Cool stuff!  I also had the pleasure of making breakfast and lunch, for...10 people, who know a lot about good food. Taking on the big responsibility of being an instant chef for a day is a remarkable experience for a neophyte food blogger like me, did I say yes to it because of the blog? Well, yes- it was definitely something to write about and cherish for many years to come, but I mostly did it  out of love for  friends; it was really fun cooking, but mind you, it was very, very nerve wracking around 15 minutes before serving.. It's been ages since I cooked for more than 4! Although I was on the brink of a major panic attack making 5 different breakfast dishes: pancakes, eggs, sausages, bacon and hashbrowns and preparing the table with breads, fruits and yogurt and all others in 1 hour, I kept smiling because I already said early on that I did not want help!..haha..to my relief, everything went fine for breakfast. I used our pancake recipe, but added whole eggs, and everyone loved it! There was nothing on the breakfast menu that I want to write about because the dishes were very simple, so I will only post 3 dishes that we enjoyed for lunch and dinner this weekend. First off is Pizza, we served several with a variety of toppings, but the recipe that I will share is the one that everyone went gaga over. We made our own tomato sauce to use for our Pizza Magherita. A variation  of pizza that uses only tomato sauce and cheese. You can add any topping that you want, but I learned that making a good sauce and simply adding fresh basil leaves is more than what you need for a satisfying pizza. The fresh mozzarella cheese tastes very different from the shredded ones. Absolutely delicious! This is by far the best one I made to date, and the pizza dough that we used is perfect. You  can keep left overs for two days in the fridge, and it was still be tasty and the dough will be soft but not mushy. I was worried that we went overboard with the pizza sauce, but no, its a really great tasting sauce. We used sugar plum tomatoes that we got from Trader Joe's,  some fresh herbs and lots of love to make this fantastic Pizza Magherita.

PIZZA MAGHERITA

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough, recipe here
Fresh Mozarella cheese, sliced
Sugar Plum tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh Basil


FOR THE PIZZA SAUCE:

Ingredients:

8 ounces organic tomato sauce
24 pieces of sugar plum tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
4 pieces of large fresh basil leaves
6 pieces of fresh oregano leaves
1 small onion
1 small garlic clove
2 pieces of mint
1 tablespoon water
3 pieces of brown mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 F degrees.
2. In a food processor, blend sauce recipes until smooth, best if made in advance and chilled for 1 hour.
3. Form pizza dough into a circle, then spread a thin layer of the tomato pizza sauce.
4. Top with sliced fresh mozzarella cheese and halved sugar plum tomatoes. (you can use cherry tomatoes too)
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
6. Scatter fresh basil leaves over your freshly baked pizza.

 

 

Looks like Christmas, in the Spring. It really felt like it was Christmas time, it felt like I'm home with family being with these amazing people. There was Bob who said, "you're in the family now".  And there's the lovely ladies who said, "thank you, it was delicious" a million times. And then there's also the gentlemen who uttered the word "fantastic, outstanding, thank you" so many times. I heard and saw so much love and so much kindness  not just towards me, but towards everybody in a span of 6 hours, and more during dinner. Lunch ended with hugs. Simple things like kind words, touch and smiles can truly move hearts, it was a Saturday morning well-spent, indeed. :)

 

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms especially to my beautiful mother! 

It was one of the best Mother's Day weekend, what would have made it perfect is if I had my entire family together. Next Mother's Day will be the best one ever!

#55 Pizza Dough

 

The day I learned how to make pizza, I felt very powerful. :) There is no need anymore for me to spend a lot of money to enjoy a gourmet pizza. And it's so easy to make. It should be easy for you too. With a little bit of hard work and patience, you, your family and friends can enjoy a great Italian dish and put only the best ingredients in it. :) This pizza dough is great, it's crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Organic bread flour is the best ingredient to use for this recipe, because the all-purpose flour makes the dough chewy. We love marinated artichoke hearts and olives, so of course, we put plenty on top! 

Pizza Dough


Ingredients:

3 1/2 to 4 cups of bread flour, plus more
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of water, 110 degrees F
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons


Directions:

1. Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
2. Grease a large bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes.
3. Cut dough in 3 parts if you want a thinner crust. Flatten it to form into a round pizza. Add your favorite topping.
4. Bake in 500 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Food Network's Bobby Flay.

The sound of the crust, the finest shredded mozzarella, and the toppings that I like. Perfect!

#48 Chocolate Covered Kiwifruit

I learned that kiwifruit is native to China and that Italy is the largest global producer.

Did you know, that you can bite right in on its fuzzy skin? YES, the skin is edible!

This highly nutritious fruit can also be used as a meat tenderizer- nice to know!

CHOCOLATE COVERED KIWIFRUIT


Ingredients:

Ripe kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
Chocolate


Directions:

1. Melt chocolate, then coat the sliced kiwifruit.
2. Let it stand for a few minutes, allowing the chocolate to harden.
3. Or just eat go ahead and eat it!

 

 Irresistible. I surrender.

#38 Polenta with mushrooms, zucchini and mozarella

Polenta is ground cornmeal that is boiled with water or stock. An ancient food that originated in Italy, it is commonly eaten since the Roman times. I also learned that it historically has been a peasant food. It was only in the 16th century when corn was introduced to the New World. Before then, Polenta was made with farro, chestnut flour, millet, spelt or chickpeas.

Ground cornmeal is also enjoyed in many parts of the world, with many different names and cooked in a similar way to Polenta. Sometimes it is eaten directly after boiling, sometimes after grilling and baking. For this recipe, I bought my Polenta ready made from Trader Joe's. It is inexpensive, super easy to prepare, filling and delicious.

 

POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS, ZUCCHINI, AND MOZARELLA


Ingredients:

Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 8 slices
3 cups diced zucchini (about 2 medium)
1 (8-ounce) packaged pre-sliced mushrooms
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)


Directions: 

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add polenta rounds, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan; set aside, and keep warm. 
2. Add zucchini and mushrooms to pan; saute 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. 
3. Place 2 polenta rounds on each of 4 serving plates. Spoon vegetable mixture over polenta. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers 15 minute cookbook, 2007

#32 Deviled Eggs with Crabmeat (without mayonnaise)

 

I love eggs. I like 'em boiled, fried, poached and scrambled :)  I've never made Deviled Eggs before, so I searched and found recipes online but, since I don't like mayonnaise, I omitted it and used a less fattening substitute.  I experimented more, I added crab meat. It turned out really well, tastes great so I am sharing the recipe to you. I hope you will like it.

DEVILED EGGS with CRAB MEAT

(without mayonnaise)

Ingredients:

4 hard boiled eggs

5 tablespoons minced crabmeat

6 teaspoons light sour cream  

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

fine salt to taste

paprika, for garnishing

fresh parsley leaves, chopped, for garnishing

Directions:

1. Boil eggs. 
2. Drain and peel off the shells.
3. Cut all 4 eggs in half length-wise, and remove the cooked yolk (yellow part), set in a bowl. Set the cooked egg whites aside.
4. Using a fork or a spatula, break the cooked egg yolks into small pieces, add the crab meat, light sour cream, mustard and sweet pickle relish. Add a sprinkle of salt or to your taste. Mix well.
5. Scoop a teaspoon (or more if you like) of the mixture and place in each egg white.  Sprinkle paprika and fresh parsley leaves.
6. Store covered in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

Deviled Eggs originated in Rome. Very popular in all of Europe and the United States with so many variations. I will make variations from Sweden, Hungary, Germany and France very soon.