Quick Pickled Peppers, Carrots & Onions

A favorite way to keep veggies a bit longer into the season is a quick pickle - that great briny flavor with a crunch without the wait of a month or more for a proper pickle. 

A Quick Pickle

Use any vegetables of your choice - carrots, greenbeans, peppers, onions, etc. Most often we use a mix of peppers, carrots and onions, sliced thin
water
strong vinegar like white wine, red wine or apple cider (don’t use a soft vinegar such as balsamic)
salt
fresh herbs/aromatics of your choice - thyme, rosemary, dill, peppercorn, cardamon, etc.
chili of your desired strength
honey or sugar
whole head of chopped garlic

This is a ratio recipe. In a pot on medium heat, combine 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Add a couple tablespoons of honey/sugar, a couple tablespoons of salt, aromatics, chili, etc. - everything BUT the vegetables.

Once the sugar and salt are dissolved give it a taste. Make sure its not too puckery or too bland - just nice and briny, slightly acidic with a nice taste. Adjust as necessary with more salt, water vinegar or sugar.

Bring to boil.

Begin adding your vegetables based on hardness - for example:  carrots first, after 20-30 seconds add onions, after  about 20-30 seconds add peppers.

Bring to a rolling boil.

Once soft but still with a crunch, shut off the heat and strain out the vegetables and herbs (Do NOT throw out the liquid!!).  Place on a baking sheet in one flat layer and place in the fridge to cool.

Keep the pickling liquid/brine in the pot to cool as well.
Once both the veggies and liquid are cool, place the veggies along with all the garlic and herbs into a jar and cover with the liquid. Keep in the fridge and it will be good for up to 2 weeks, getting better as it sits.

Scallopini with White Wine and Capers

photo from Foodie Lawyer

Scallopini with White Wine and Capers

Serves 4

4 slices of veal, chicken, turkey, pork loin or beef cut scallopini style (You choose the protein you prefer. Ask your butcher to slice it for you if you like.)
flour, enough to dredge the meat in
2 T of butter
olive oil
3-4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
2 T white wine
2 T chicken stock
pinch of fresh chopped herbs (whatever you have around: parsley, marjoram, oregano or sage)
spoonful of capers or olives
salt & pepper

Place your slices of meat between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound until they are thin and even.

Dredge them in flour.

In a frying pan on medium high heat, add a pad of butter with a bit of olive oil. When the pan is good and hot, add in your slices of meat. Saute for a minute or so on each side and season with salt and pepper. NOTE: The cooking time will depend on the type of meat you use - thin slices of veal will cook faster than chicken or turkey.

Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and place on the side on a warm serving platter.

Reduce the heat of the frying pan to low. Deglaze with white wine. Once most of the white wine is evaporated add in your capers and tomatoes, then raise the heat a bit. Saute the capers and tomatoes for 20-30 seconds.

Add in your chicken stock and reduce for just a moment and then shut off the heat. Check your seasoning. Toss in the herbs and swirl in a pad of butter. Once the butter has melted, check your seasonings one last time and pour over the meat. Serve immediately.

Cornflake Cookies - Biscotti ai Cereali

Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Classic Chocolate Chip and...Cornflakes?! Cornflake cookies are an easy to make, not too sweet dessert, perfect not only for the Holidays but any of time year! I had never seen/eaten these before we moved to Italy, though after a quick recipe search they are found all over from the States to Australia.

A cookie so simple, even I can make it! 

Buon Natale!

 Cornflake Cookies
Biscotti di cereali

makes 30 cookies

250 grams of flour
2 eggs
100 grams of sugar
100 grams of butter
4-6 tablespoons of raisins
tablespoon of vanilla extract
16 grams of ‘lieveto per dolci’ or baking powder
(handful of toasted pine nuts optional)
Corn Flakes

Preheat oven to 175 Celsius or  345 Fahrenheit.
Cream butter and sugar. Then add eggs and vanilla and blend. Sift flour and baking powder/lieveto.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients. Fold in the raisins and optional pine nuts.

Make small balls of dough and roll in Corn Flakes.
Bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Fresh Pasta with Formaggio di Fossa

For a rich, creamy, cheesy pasta sauce, skip the adolescent 'alfredo sauce' and try something more sophisticated: fresh pasta with formaggio di fossa (pecorino) or cheese from a pit, a pungent sheep's milk cheese from Le Marche, Italy.  Formaggio di Fossa is considered one of the most delicious culinary rarities from Romagna and Marche with a unique flavor, deep coloring & strong aroma. This cheese is best grated over pasta or eaten with fruit & honey as dessert.

Read more about our experience unearthing this culinary rarity: formaggio di fossa 

Fresh Pasta with Formaggio di Fossa

Serves 4

200 grams grated formaggio di fossa
500 grams of fresh pasta: spaghetti chitarra or tagliatelle
2 tomatoes - seeded, skin removed, chopped
2 glugs of olive oil, extra virgin
clove of garlic

In a frying pan on medium heat, add a couple of glugs of olive oil to the pan.
Add the whole clove of garlic (skin removed) and lightly fry for a couple of minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes, cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit.
Add in cooked pasta & add half he cheese in the pan. Toss. Add the other half of cheese & toss again.
Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
Put on a platter to serve & top with a bit more cheese.