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Chicken with bell peppers

Chicken with bell peppers or pollo coi peperoni is a Roman dish, typically from the Castelli region. It is succulent and the smell while it’s cooking will make you salivate. It’s also very easy to prepare which is a bonus.

Prep time  10 min     Cook time  50-60 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 4-5
  •  1,2 kg (2.5 lbs) chicken cut into pieces
  • 3-4 big red bell peppers
  • 400g can of crushed tomatoes or fresh ripe ones
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 glass of white wine
  • extra vergin olive oil
  • basil
  • salt, pepper

1. Wash the peppers, remove the seeds and pith inside, cut in strips and dry.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan with garlic, add the washed and dried pieces of chicken and fry for a few minutes on all sides. Add some salt.

3. Add the wine and let simmer for a few minutes.

4. Add the peppers and tomatoes with some salt and pepper.

5. Cook at medium heat for 40 minutes with a lid on.

6. Add the basil and let the sauce reduce for 10 minutes without the lid.

tip: I sometimes use red and yellow peppers even though the original recipe calls for red peppers.

BUON APPETITO!

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Easy peasy oven salmon

I love fish and particularly salmon. This next recipe is so easy and fast that you’ll have a delicious meal in a pinch. No sauces nor heavy cream required so it’s also a healthy option.

Prep time  5 min     Cook time  20 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6
  • 1 kg salmon fillet
  • rock salt, rose pepper, dill

1. Place the fillet with skin under into a pan covered with wax paper.

2. Rub rock salt onto the flesh, add whole rose peppers or alternatively black peppers or lemon peppers and dill.

3. Place in a preheated oven at 200°C (390 F) for about 15-20 minutes.

4. Serve with baked or mashed potatoes, broccoli or a salad for a lighter option.

BUON APPETITO!

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Greek dakos

Here is another recipe for a fast and fabulous lunch. Greek dakos, also called koukouvaia, is made with few ingredients and requires no cooking. It can be used as an appetizer as I do when I hold a Greek dinner at my house, or as an easy and fast lunch. It is more appropriate in spring or summer but when I’m in a hurry and don’t feel like cooking, dakos is what I make as long as I find sweet tomatoes.

Prep time  10 min

63-365

INGREDIENTS FOR 2
  • 2  large round barley rusk (sometimes I use Italian frisella)
  • 3-4 ripe tomatoes, coarsely grated, discard skin (I chop them and leave the skin)
  • 4-5 heaping tablespoons of feta, crumbled or grated
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • oregano
  • (olives)

Run the rusk under a spray of water to moisten. Drizzle oil on it. Grate (or chop) the tomatoes and spread them on the rusk. Top with crumbled feta. Sprinkle a generous amount of oregano and drizzle with oil. Add olives if you like them.

A fancier alternative as seen on the main image is to use Greek mizithra cheese and add some pickled rock samphire also known as sea fennel (kritamo). I pick it every time I go to Crete and pickle it to use on my dakos, frisella or salad.

BUON APPETITO!

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Pork rib stew with carrots and potatoes

I love stews. They are usually easy to make and you have a one-pot dish at the end so less dishes to clean after the preparation. The only down size with the stews is the long cooking time, but not with this succulent pork rib stew.

Prep time 30 min      Cook time 1 hr – 1hr 30 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 6
  • 1,2kg pork ribs
  • 1 dl or 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion or 2 small
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2dl or 1/2 cup white wine
  • 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3cm slices
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 0,5l chicken or beef stock (or water)
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • dried basil. oregano, thyme, rosemary

1. Toss the ribs in flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Place half of the ribs in an even layer in the Dutch oven. Do not overcrowd. Brown for two to three minutes. Turn each piece and brown for another two to three minutes. Transfer browned pork to a plate. Repeat with remaining pork.

3. Add the chopped onion and garlic to Dutch oven and sauté the onion about 5 minutes until it is translucent . Add wine and stir to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove browned bits.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, chicken stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, dried herbs, two teaspoons salt, and one teaspoon pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, mixing well. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes.

5. Add pork to the stew, cover, and simmer on low for 45-50 minutes until the meat starts falling off the bone. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

tip: you can use other cuts of pork

tip: depending on the ribs or the cut you use, you may want to trim off some fat but NOT ALL. 😉

FOR A GLUTEN FREE OPTION: use appropriate flour

BUON APPETITO!

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Creamy cauliflower soup

These kind of creamy  soups or veloutés can be used as a light main course or as an appetizer.

Prep time 10 min     Cook time 30 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 500ml water
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper
  • curry powder (optional)
  • chili pepper or peperoncino oil
  • loose leaf parsley
  • grilled bread cubes (or croutons)

1. Add salt to the water and let it boil.

2. Put some oil in a large pan or pot and add the onion, garlic,  carrots and cauliflower and let simmer for a few minutes.

3. Add slowly the boiling water until the veggies are covered.

4. Add salt, pepper and curry powder and let cook covered for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

5. Take off the heat and blend with a stick blender directly in the pot.

6. Pour the creamy soup into your bowl and garnish with chopped parsley , olive oil or peperoncino oil and grilled bread cubes.

FOR A GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE: leave out the bread or use appropriate bread

BUON APPETITO!

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Tuscan bean and veggie soup

Soups are my go to in these gloomy autumn days. Today at the market I found black kale also called Nero Toscana and decided to pair it with beans for a hearty soup.

Prep time 20 min     Cook time 1h (less if using canned beans)
INGREDIENTS FOR 6
  • 300g beans cooked in their liquid (or canned beans)
  • a bunch of black  kale, stemmed and chopped
  • a small red cabbage, cut into medium size stripes
  • 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • peperoncino
  • 3-4 tomatoes, diced
  • extra vergine olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 125g of pancetta or bacon
  • grated Pecorino cheese
  • slices of stale bread

1. Fry the onion until translucent about 5-7 minutes, add the pancetta cut into cubes and some peperoncino. Start with a few seeds and a little bit of skin. You can add more later if needed.

2. Add the carrots and potatoes, cabbage and kale and  finally the tomatoes.

3. Cover the veggies with the liquid of the beans, check the salt and let simmer for about 25 minutes at low heat. If using canned beans, cover the veggies with water.

4. Blend half of the beans and add them to the soup. Continue to simmer for 25 minutes.

5. Add the remaining beans.

6. Put slices or cubes of stale (or grilled ) bread in the soup bowl and start ladling soup on top of them. Add some Pecorino cheese and let rest for a few minutes.

FOR THE VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVE leave out the pancetta

FOR THE GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE leave out the bread or use appropriate  bread

BUON APPETITO!