Tortellini with Basil

Tortellini with Basil

Tortellini with Basil is a dish that wants to create a fine blend of the culinary tradition of the north and the south. They are classic tortellini Emilia revisited with a savory filling of ricotta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, traditional Mediterranean flavors.

Ingredients for two people.
The pasta(dough) tortellini :
100 grams of flour
1 egg
a pinch of salt .

The filling:
150 grams of cottage cheese
10 to 12 dried tomatoes
10 basil leaves
salt







Process
It is advisable to prepare the dough first , and while this rest, take care of the filling.
Chop tomatoes and basil. Combine the ricotta with a pinch of salt .
Preparing tortellini : roll the dough thin enough . Cut into squares of 4 cm . Place the center of each a bit ' of the filling. Combine the two vertices to create a triangle. Fold towards the tip that is the base of this triangle . Put tortellini on your index, with its tip pointing upwards and with the fold of the base, resting on your finger. With the other hand , connect the two extreme points of the base making them turn around your finger . And the tortellini is ready. Cook the tortellini for a few minutes in boiling salted water , drain and season with a little 'butter . Finally Serve with a few basil leaves to decorate .

American Donuts

Colorful and delicious , the " Donuts " American donuts are covered with colorful glazes . Prepare them at home is easy and fun.

Ingredients:

500 grams of flour ;
Brewer's yeast ;
70 grams of sugar ;
250 ml of milk ;
2 eggs ;
75 grams of butter ;
Vanilla ;
Oil for frying.



For the icing :

Hot water ;
Food coloring ;
20 grams of butter ;
200 grams of powdered sugar ;
Colored tails .

Dissolve the yeast with sugar and warm milk . And mix them by pouring the flour , eggs , vanilla , salt and finally the butter one at a time . Knead until the mixture becomes smooth .
Let it rise wrapped with transparent film for two hours , after with a rolling pin lay down the dough with a thickness of 1 cm . With pastry rings derive the circles, then we're going to "pierce " in the center , resulting in the characteristic shape of a donuts. Then let them rise for an ' hour.
For the icing , mix the melted butter , sugar and hot water : this is the basis from which to obtain the colored glazes , adding drops of colorant favorite shades .
Fry the donuts and decorate them by soaking a half of donuts in the icing of your choice. If you wish, sprinkle with sprinkles or chocolate.

Difficulty: medium ;
Cooking time: 4 minutes ;
Preparation time: 1 hour and 3 hours for the leavening ;
Cost: Low .

Tiramisu Recipe

Why not? Tiramisu !
(sponge cake with coffee and chocolate)

Most accounts of the origin of tiramisu date its invention to the 1960s in the region of Veneto, Italy , at the restaurant " el Toulà " of Treviso. The legend says that the restaurant is located next to a closed house , serve the cake for , well, " pull up " the patrons .

Ingredients:

6 eggs ;
120 grams of sugar ;
500 grams of mascarpone ;(full-fat cream cheese)
400 grams of biscuits ;
5 cups of coffee ;
cocoa powder;
chocolate flakes.

preparation

Let's start by separating the egg whites from the yolks : In a bowl, add egg yolks with only half of the dose of sugar , Beat with an electric mixer until frothy . Add the mascarpone cheese and put aside .
Meanwhile beat the egg whites with the remaining amount of sugar . Once beaten  we will add them to the mixture gently previous mixture.
Now simply rest a spoon of this cream on the bottom of a glass tray . Bathe the ladyfingers in coffee and place into the pan to form the first layer .
Now put the cream over ladyfingers , and continue with additional layers until you finish the ingredients.
Well now level the last layer and complete with cocoa powder and chocolate chips to decorate .
Then place it in the fridge for a few hours and serve cold.

Serves : 8 people ;
Preparation time : 40 minutes ;
Difficulty: Easy ;
Cost: Low .

Ravioli with tomato sauce

Ravioli with tomato sauce

Ravioli is a type of Italian pasta dish. It is usually two layers of pasta dough with a filling between the two layers. There are many different recipes, with different kinds of fillings. The most common fillings are meat, vegetables or ricotta cheese.

Taste the ravioli with tomato sauce, especially in a day of celebration with the whole family , it is a great delight that it's nice to share with others. This dish is loved by both children and adults so that you will always  be manages to win the guests  despite being a quick and easy dish to prepare.

Ingredients for 4 people :

400 grams of ricotta and spinach ravioli or other stuffed
1 onion
200 grams of tomato pulp
30 grams of Parmesan cheese
3 small sprigs of basil
Extra virgin olive oil 
Pepper
Salt

Process

Preparation times are: 15 minutes for the sauce and the time indicated on the package for cooking ravioli.
After cleaning the onion , cut into slices and let it warm up in the pan when you put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil . When you need to add the onion fry the tomato , pepper and salt. Finally add the chopped basil that you have in hand and a little dilute ' the sauce with hot water . Then stir and simmer for fifteen minutes with low heat.
Meanwhile , heat a pot of water and when it boils , put the salt and the ravioli splurge . Cook them "al dente" , drain and place in the pan where the sauce .
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese , stir and put the ravioli in a large serving pact . Cover them with the other sauce , put on top of a sprig of basil and serve at the table.

A little trick :
Use ready-made ravioli , but those with a delicate taste , possibly with a filling made with ricotta cheese and spinach.

Variants:
if you want a more savory taste , use the cheese in place of Parmesan cheese.

Peruvian (Empanada) Pie

Peruvian Pie

The Peruvian  Pies are pastry parcels stuffed with meat, often served at parties creole in Peru. They are a great appetizer to serve at a dinner party or standing as a snack or even as a main dish for a dinner with a cold beer .

First, you must get the appropriate mold with a diameter of 12 cm . It is easier if you could use the machine that is used to pull the dough , otherwise use a rolling pin .

The ingredients for the dough are:

1 kg of flour 00
200 grams of margarine,
400 ml of water a little ' warm with 2 teaspoons of salt.

Pour flour and margarine in a bowl mixing with your hands, and add the water . Knead again and , after pouring the mixture onto a work surface , knead again until the dough is smooth and elastic.

For the filling , for 16 Pies (empanadas) , you need:

300 grams of ground beef,
salt 
pepper
spicy or sweet paprika
oregano 
cumin powder
1 tomato , cut into cubes
extra virgin olive 
half of an onion
4 cloves of garlic
a bit ' of chopped black olives
a bit ' of raisins
a bit ' of roasted peanuts

Put the meat in a pan with the garlic and onion and let it be lightly golden with a little 'oil . Add the spices along with salt and pepper, then stir without drying it . Add the other ingredients except the tomatoes which are put at last. The dough must eventually be juicy and soft.

With the dough balls make the size of a mandarin and insert them in the machine for pasta with a thickness much higher than that of the lasagne .
Lay the dough to be coated on the appropriate mold and fill with the filling. Close them well, then brush with beaten egg and bake at 190 degrees until they are golden brown.

Orecchiette with broccoli

Orecchiette with Broccoli
(pasta in the shape of ears )

Typical of the culinary tradition of rural Puglia, Italy, Orecchiette with broccoli is a simple dish but the taste that comes from the unique blend of flavors.
Calls in the local dialect as " dragged " orecchiette have a peculiar rough surface that holds the toppings well : we're going to prepare for this pleasure!

Ingredients:

• 400 Grams of handmade orecchiette ;
• 1 Kg of broccoli or " turnip " to clean;
• 1 Clove of garlic ;
•  salt ;
• chili powder;
•  virgin olive oil

preparation:

Let's start by cleaning up the broccoli in correct way , removing the leaves and the stems too spoiled and fibrosis. keep the most tender parts and florets . Wash them under running water.

Now we place a saucepan filled with very large salt water , when it comes to a boil , put the broccoli and cook them for 15 minutes, and the orecchiette for an additional 10 minutes, whereas, however, the broccoli should not be boiled too much , and orecchiette perfectly to the tooth.

In the meantime, we're going to prepare the sauce by placing the pan on the fire ( Large enough to accommodate the pasta later ) where we will pour the oil , a clove of minced garlic and chili powder . Let cook for a few minutes and turn off the fire .

Once the cooking of orecchiette completed  we're going to put it  , along with broccoli in pan. Mix well and cream it to flavor the dough with the flavors of the sauce .Serve the orecchiette with broccoli very hot , or steaming !

Serves 4 ;
Difficulty: Easy ;
Cooking time: 20 minutes;
Preparation time: 30 minutes ;
Cost: Low .

squid ink pasta recipe

Spaghetti with squid ink

The spaghetti with cuttlefish are a great classic , but discouraged by the " bon ton " because of its black mouth that you obtain and enjoy this particular dish ! Sicily has a very popular dish in restaurants that serve fish, as well in timeless variant with rice.
Let's see how to prepare this .

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 4 Medium-sized squid with its own ink containing the bladder ;
• 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste ;
• 1 / 2 cup white wine ;
• an onion ;
• 400 Grams of spaghetti ;
• extra virgin olive oil to taste ;
• chili ;
•  salt to taste ;
• 1 Sprig of parsley .

preparation

Chop the onion finely and put it in a small pan with some oil , let wither adding a small amount of water , until it not becomes transparent.
Meanwhile, wash and cut into strips cuttlefish, add onion browned , raising the heat slightly . Fry and deglaze with the white wine.
Then mix the tomato paste , red pepper and black cuttlefish extracted from the bladders (pay attention to them as ink stain ! ) . Mix the sauce that will color a very intense black and let it go for 15 minutes on low heat .
Add salt if necessary.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in salted water until to be firm to the bite and season with the black sauce with a little oil . Serve decorate with chopped parsley and serve spaghetti with cuttlefish hot.

Serves : 4 people ;
Difficulty: medium ;
Preparation time: 20 minutes;
Cooking time : about 30 minutes ;
Cost: average .

veal with tuna sauce

Veal With Tuna Sauce

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 3 hard-boiled eggs ;
• 1 carrot ;
• 500 gr. of beef ( silverside or rod ) ;
• 100 gr. tuna;
• 20 capers ;
• 2 cloves of garlic ;
• 1 stalk of celery ;
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil ;
• 1 onion ;
• 5 anchovy fillets ;
• 4 bay leaves ;
• cloves q.b. ;
• q.b. rosemary ;
• q.b. pepper ;
• half a liter of white wine ;
• balsamic vinegar ;
• broth or water.

Put the meat in a pot , along with the celery, cloves , laurel , rosemary, carrot and onion , in desired quantity to make it taste well . Then , add salt , add two tablespoons of olive oil , sprinkle the meat with white wine, and fill the pot with the broth. Let the meat cook for about two hours on low heat, then , remove from the fire. At this point , let the meat cool.
Then put the tuna , anchovies , capers and eggs (all chopped ) in a blender , to prepare the tuna sauce , add a small amount of meat broth , and then, add a little ' of balsamic vinegar. Then, when  the meat has become  cold , cut into slices , and cover the latter with tuna sauce realized previously . Decorated with some capers . Leave it a few hours before serving to allow the meat to catch flavor. The veal with tuna sauce can be kept in the refrigerator , within a container equipped with a hermetic closure , for not more than two or three days.

The Sicilian Caponata

The Sicilian "Caponata"

Main dish of Sicilian culinary tradition , the Sicilian Caponata is a widespread poor dish , made from fried vegetables (mostly eggplants ) and seasoned with tomato sauce . Let's see how to prepare it .





 
Ingredients for 4 people:1 kg aubergines ;2 onions ;1 stalk of celery ;200 grams of pitted olives ;500 grams of tomatoes ;50 grams of capers ;60 grams of pine nuts ;1 tablespoon sugar ;half a cup of white vinegar ;*. basil ;*. extra virgin olive oil ;* salt .

preparation

First wash and cut the eggplant into small cubes and leave them in salt to allow  to lose it's bitter pulp .In a frying pan Fry the onions in olive oil, then add the celery cut into strips , capers , pine nuts and olives : let it go for 10 minutes.Add the diced tomatoes , and cook for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile drain eggplant and fry in part in plenty of oil : use a large pan , in which we will go later to add the rest of the ingredients.Mix everything and cook at very low heat . Finally we are going to add sugar and vinegar , giving the characteristic note of the ingredients and sour . Let cool and serve with basil leaves .
The Sicilian Caponata lends itself to countless variations on the theme in Sicily is not uncommon to be able to enjoy with the addition of fried peppers , seasonal vegetables or fish as the dormouse .
Serves : 4 people ;Difficulty: Easy ;Preparation time: 30 minutes ;Total cooking time : 45 minutes ;Cost: average .

Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart 

The fresh strawberry tart is a feast for the eyes and a treat for the palate. Cook with the method of 'vacuum-cooking' that reduces the duration and temperature of cooking, manages to keep intact all the nutritional properties of these beautiful fruits , rich in antioxidants and appreciated by children . Perfect for a special occasion, the tart of fresh strawberries will look great and will be appreciated by the whole family!

The execution of the recipe is very simple : prepare  sufficient quantity of the usual pastry with flour, sugar, plenty of butter , a pinch of vanilla and then roll it out with the help of a rolling pin and then add pastry cream and garnish with strawberries.

Cook at low temperatures suggested by the vacuum cooking is really simple: just close the cake into the bag , seal it after creating the vacuum and transfer it in the oven , and adjusted for moderate temperatures . Once the heart of the cake(middle) reaches the temperature you set, then it's only to remains to remove the cake from the bag and give it a final browning in a convection oven .

The result is truly amazing and your dessert , perfect for a late meal, a breakfast or a snack , full of vitamins to ensure for your children and brighten the table with it's ​​beautiful red vermilion. Vacuum cooking , in fact, it's also manages to bring out the aromas and colors of the cooked food . Seeing is believing: the taste and color of the strawberries will surprise you !

Fillet of duck served with potato and truffle oil

Fillet of duck served with potato and truffle oil .

For a light main course and we offer a chic and simple recipe really special : fillet of duck with potatoes, and truffle oil .
The ingredients are the following :



- Duck fillets ( 1 per person )

- 2 potatoes per person
- 1 clove of garlic
- Pinch of rosemary and pepper (if you like )
- Drizzle of extra virgin
- Grated truffle



The procedure is not complicated once cleaned fillets from the excesses of the white parts (fat) grooving on the skin that is removed only later.
Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces and place everything in a pan lined with parchment paper , adding the sauce with salt and olive oil and cook in the oven 200-220 ° for about half an hour.

When cooking is finished allow to cool and continue with the removal of the skin and cut into slices of threads , so that in the moment of Serve , more aesthetically pleasing .

Put the slices in the pan and heat gently a few minutes before Serve.
Placed on each plate with a few slices of potatoes on the side pouring a little ' sauce.
After on the prepared dishes, spread dusted truffle evenly on the meat and potatoes which act as boundary , so that the flavor will be consistent with each bite.

Remember, however, that the truffle has a very strong flavor. so be careful not to overdo it to avoid covering too much of the sweet taste of duck fillet .
For those who love the contrasts a dash of balsamic vinegar can be sprayed before cooking.

Seafood salad with prawns, octopus and mussels.

Seafood salad with prawns, octopus and mussels.

The seafood salad is eaten cold and it's made ​​from shellfish . The preparation with this pleasing vacuum flow allows to shorten the cooking times and, consequently , to maintain the nutritional properties of this plate , in particular of the Omega 3 contained in it. (See Vacuum Cooking) This dishes tradition typically Mediterranean , it is cooked according to different regional recipes and using the vacuum cooking , the results are unique because the preparation brings out the flavors , remaining soft and perfect consistency.The seafood salad in itself  is a decidedly low-calorie recipe, but with this method of cooking that allows you to limit the addition of seasoning so it cooks with their own juices, making it even more suitable to deal with a diet without being forced to give up appetite.To achieve a good seafood salad with shrimp, octopus and mussels the only truly essential rule to follow is to choose and shellfish , fresh fish , turning to a trusted and wash them and clean them accurately. As a dressing will be enough drizzle of extra virgin olive oil , while herbs flavor too incisive, as  for example, the onion , garlic and peppers, should be avoided in order not to cover the captivating taste of the sea typical of fresh fish.The dish may possibly be joined by some Touch of celery that having a sweet and delicate flavor blends very well with that of molluscs and crustaceans .

VACUUM COOKING

 

ADVICE ON THE VACUUM COOKING

 

 The vacuum , although it is a technique known in particular as regards the preservation of foods , it can be successfully applied also for cooking and it offers many advantages. For example enables more even cooking at lower temperatures than normally required for other procedures culinary . This fact comes to the aid of the cook who is found to have on hand the use decidedly flexible that can be used for preparations of variety of different foods .Even the aromas and colors of the cooked foods are kept better and heat spread more evenly . In order to use this cooking technique must however bear in mind some basic rules.  
Let's see what it is . 
It's a good idea to use a machine with a dome that allows you to get a vacuum-packed bags , and you should only use cookware that is certified. It ' important to avoid water , greasy or bend these bags and avoid washing them or using them again for future food preparations . Of course you have to use bags that are appropriate measures of the quantity of products to cook. Within the container , the food must be relaxed and occupies more than half of the bag. Also avoid that the vacuumed sealed  products  staying too long in the refrigerator.And what if the bag begin to swell during cooking ? Don't panic , but you just keep in mind that , in this case,  you will loose the benefits of vacuum cooking and therefore you are cooking against your will, according to the traditional methods.
Orved S.P.A