Thursday 26 August 2010

Eggplants Pizza

As usual, in August our vegetable garden is full of eggplants. Pietro grew 3 different varieties: the elongated dark purple, the round dark purple and the white ones.
We are eating eggplants almost every day.. it’s ok, because we really love them and I like to prepare them with different recipes…

So, here you will find a very easy and tasteful recipe, that mamma loves because it’s like pizza!!


Ingredients for 4 persons
• 4 medium eggplants (the round ones of any colour!)
• 2 mozzarelle
• 8 tomatoes (fresh tomatoes not too watery, like san Marzano or Pachino). If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes will be ok (chose the peeled tomatoes and not the sauce)
• anchovies fillets (in oil or salt – in the second case, remember to rinse them well before using and don’t add too much salt to the tomatoes!)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• basil or oregano - at your choice!


Preparation
• Cut the eggplants in slices (1/2 cm).
• Put them in a baking tin lightly basted with olive oil.
• Season with salt, ad the mozzarella cut in slices (if the mozzarella seems watery, cut it in dices and put in a colander to loose the water for 10 minutes before using).
• Cut the fresh tomatoes (or the canned ones) in dices (it the tomatoes – fresh or canned - seem watery, cut them in dices and put in a colander to loose the water for 10 minutes before using).


• Season with salt (don’t use too much salt!), add a fillet of anchovy and some oregano or 1 leaf of basil.
• Put the baking tin in the preheated oven (180°) till the mozzarella will be melted. You will need 20? Or more, depending on the quality of the eggplants (the white one , for example, get cooked in less time than the dark purple ones).
• Serve hot!! (they will be wonderful also cold….the next day… if any of them will be left over….

Now, taste them and let me know if they really taste almost as a pizza!!!!

P.S. if you use small eggplants or the long ones cut widthways (so that they can be eaten in one bite) they will be perfect for a buffet lunch/dinner!

Friday 13 August 2010

Risotto con asparagi



Ingredients for 4 persons
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped or 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 300 risotto rice (eg carnaroli or arborio or vialone nano)
- half glass of white dry wine
- 600 ml hot vegetable or meat stock (more or less, depending from the quality of the rice)
- 400 g of asparagus
- 40 g butter
- 100 g parmigiano, grated
- salt and black pepper




Prepare the asparagus, washing and peeling them, cut away 3 cm (depending on the size of the asparagus) of the hard white stalk at the bottom. Cut off about 5 cm of the tips and set them aside for garnish - as they are very tender, they will need less cooking!, then chop the remaining asparagus as shown in the picture.

Boil the asparagus stalks with the trimmings in the water for 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. When they are half cooked, add the tips. When they are fully cooked, strain the stock and keep it simmering. Separate out the asparagus tips and stalks and trimmings. Set the tips aside for garnish, and chop the stalks finely. Discard the trimmings.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or heavy-based casserole over a medium heat and add the chopped garlic or the onion and the chopped asparagus (except the tips) and gently cook them for 4-5 minutes, then add the tips, cook for further 3 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Take the vegetables apart.

In the same olive oil, add the rice and sautè for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until coated in the oil. The rice will be ready when it will become translucent.

Add half glass of hot white wine and simmer until absorbed by the rice. Remember not to add the stock before the wine has completely evaporated! Otherwise you will taste in your risotto an unpleasant flavour of alcohol.

Add the hot stock at little amounts at a time, stirring gently the rice until the stock is completely absorbed: after 10-14 minutes (depending n the quality of the rice) the risotto will be cooked. “ minutes before the rice will be cooked, add the asparagus and garlic or onion. Season it with salt.

When the rice will be ready , the rice must be tender but still firm (al dente) remove from the heat, add the butter and the parmesan, stir well, cover it and let it rest for 2-3 minutes till it will be “mantecato”.

To serve, divide the risotto in 4 dishes, garnish with fresh grounded black pepper and with the asparagus tips.