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Trofie with Roasted Beetroot and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Since fall is basically here and I’ve been shivering for days, I tend to incorporate more autumnal flavors in my dishes. And what would possibly be this glorious season without its vegetables? I simply love fall and its delightful veggies, little pieces of hearty and flavorful jewels. Today I stumbled across some tiny yet flavorful blood-red beetroot so I decided to befriend them with some lovely pumpkin seeds and some grated Grana Padano. The result was a vibrant autumnal pesto. While my beets were gentle roasting in the oven, I boiled al dente some dry pasta. I usually prepare my own pasta from scratch, but now I offered a chance to a box of trofie which was sitting on a shelf for quite some time. The dish was so hearty, and colorful with an extremely interesting taste, a bold, rich, astringent, quite citrusy taste. It tasted like October.

Since Pesto alla Genovese, the original version of this pasta sauce goes so well with trofie, I was so curious to find out if these funny looking pasta resonates with my roasted beetroot as well. They do resonate and every bite is such a rewarding experience! Continue reading Trofie with Roasted Beetroot and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Tomato Confit

Confit is a French cooking technique used for preserving poultry (duck, goose, rooster) which also involves roasting the meat in its own fat. The meat is seasoned to perfection and roasted slowly on low temperature in duck fat. The meat becomes incredibly tender, so tender that it simply melts in your mouth. This technique is also used for fruits and vegetables. The main difference is the fact that the cooking liquid is not an animal fat, but a vegetable fat for veggies or a sugar-based syrup for fruits.

Tomato confit is a wonderful way to cook these lovely veggies. The tomatoes are seasoned generously with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. After that, they are slowly roasted on low temperature until they are tender, juicy and slightly caramelized on the edges. This technique brings out their own sweetness and concentrates their own flavor. This simple and humble ingredient can elevate almost every dish, from pasta, polenta or risotto, to sandwiches or crostini or can even be served as a side dish. Even though the tomato confit can be time-consuming, the effort definitely pays off! Continue reading Tomato Confit

Vegan New Potato Salad

I’m a new potato lover and I’ve always been. I love them boiled, steamed, fried, roasted, it doesn’t matter how are they cooked, as long as I can still perceive that lovely nutty flavor. It’s not spring until I make a new potato salad and I prepare it at least once a week. Who am I kidding, I make it every other day! My all time favorite new potato salad is unbelievably flavorful, very satisfying and (funny enough) vegan. In this recipe I used new potatoes, which I’ve picked from my own garden and I boiled them in vegetable broth (you can only imagine the flavor on these guys). I mixed them with radishes, onion rings and roasted tomatoes and I dressed them with a fresh herb, olive oil and vegetable broth emulsion. Let’s get serious, what’s not to like? Continue reading Vegan New Potato Salad

Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Spring pea soup is my favorite soup. Even though I’m not a soup person, I felt deeply in love with this spring pea soup. It has a special place in my heart not only because it’s delicious, but because this was my grandmother’s signature dish. During May, while spring pea is the star of the month, I prepare this soup almost daily. Honestly, this is the only dish I could eat every single day without getting bored.

It is a lovely soup, very tasty and satisfying, even though it is made from five or six ingredients, all fresh and springy. The soup part is extremely easy to prepare. You just have to saute some veggies in olive oil, you cover them with water and you let them cook. The flour dumplings are quite easy to make, too. The first and the second dumpling is trickier, but from the third on, their preparation becomes a child’s play. I might be subjective, but from my point of view, this is the perfect soup for spring! Continue reading Spring Pea Soup with Flour Dumplings

Strawberry-Banana Muffins with Honey-Vanilla Frosting (Dairy-Free)

Today I present you strawberry-banana muffins with honey-vanilla frosting, the best muffins I’ve ever tasted. They are simply addictive. If they sound complicated, I tell you that they are possibly the simplest dessert you’ll ever make. If they sound exquisite, you’re perfectly right. They are so tender and fragrant and they are perfect for breakfast or brunch. In case you want to dress them up a little bit, I strongly suggest you to frost them with this decadent yet healthy honey and vanilla cream.

Since I caught your attention I’ll proceed further and I’ll confess that this is a dairy-free dessert. Both the muffin and the frosting are dairy-free. The muffins contain flour, Demerara sugar, eggs, bananas, strawberries and olive oil, while the frosting is made from coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. As simple as that. Continue reading Strawberry-Banana Muffins with Honey-Vanilla Frosting (Dairy-Free)

Chocolate Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

When it comes to baking, I’m the laziest person on the planet. I’m (almost) never eager to make a 100-step dessert or a cake that requires to separate eggs / to beat egg whites / to melt stuff / to jump on one foot / to dance samba. I simply don’t get those recipes! From my point of view, if a recipe involves a few ingredients, a single bowl, a spatula and a tray, that recipe has my name on it. You’d never guess, but this particular zucchini bread is one of those recipes!

To make this recipe a little bit healthier instead of using butter I used olive oil and buttermilk and the result is an incredibly moist, almost fudgy, decadent, chocolaty zucchini bread. I tell you, this might be my all time favorite dessert! Continue reading Chocolate Olive Oil Zucchini Bread

Cornbread

I like my cornbread decently sweet and not “dessertly” sweet and I’ve never found a recipe on my taste. I’m not saying there isn’t, I just never came across one. So I had to make my own recipe. I knew my ingredients from the start, but getting the right proportions was the tricky part. So I had to experiment. Seven times, to be accurate. The final result was a moist cornbread with a mildly sweet taste and a strong, but not overpowering corn flavor. Continue reading Cornbread

Baked Milanese Pork Chops With Aïoli Sauce and Arugula Salad

I might have the perfect recipe for Milanese Pork Chops! Why do I dare to call them “perfect”? Because these beauties have a flavorful crispy crust, so crispy that you would never believe that they are baked and not fried. The juicy and tender meat is coated with a golden crust made from whole-wheat bread crumbs, parmesan and thyme. So, in my humble opinion, this dish is the perfect lunch: easy to make, satisfying and very healthy. Continue reading Baked Milanese Pork Chops With Aïoli Sauce and Arugula Salad

Baby Spinach Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Raw Zucchini Rolls

I have to make a confession: I don’t like salads that much. I’ve never liked them and I never will. I frequently eat salads because it’s the right thing to do, but I’m not a big salad lover. Anyway, this chickpea salad is pretty decent. Almost tasty. Fine! It’s very tasty, even though it’s a salad. It has lots of bold flavors and lovely textures and it’s quite addictive, to be honest.

Continue reading Baby Spinach Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Raw Zucchini Rolls

Focaccia with Roasted Garlic Sauce

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread, which is thicker than pizza dough and slimmer than regular bread. The thing about it is its flavorful and crunchy crust which has lots of tiny holes. These lovely holes give focaccia a rustic touch. The toppings for this tasty bread are endless, from sea salt, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and olives, to different varieties of cheese.
Continue reading Focaccia with Roasted Garlic Sauce

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