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Greek fava

I had a craving for Greek fava so I made it today. Fava is made with pureed yellow split peas. Not chick peas, not fava beans, not lentils (even though I have seen Greek fava called yellow lentils) nor white beans.

The best and most famous Greek fava comes from Santorini. This dish is served as an appetizer, a meze or a side dish, but it can also be a vegan main course. A part from being tasty, fava is really healthy, full of antioxidants and non-animal protein.

Every Greek mama has her own fava recipe just like every Italian mamma has her own tomato sauce recipe. Mine is a mixture of Cretan and Greek and having added some suggestions from the Internet.

Prep time  5 min     Cook time  1 h

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 (or even more!)
  • 1/2 kg (1 lb)  fava
  • 2  onions + some to serve
  • 1 peeled potato
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 dl (1/4-1/2 cup) EV olive oil
  • lemon
  • parsley
  • optional: kalamata or Gaeta olives, capers

1. Rinse the fava in cold water.

2. Bring the fava to a boil in 1.2 l  (5-6 cups) of water, skim the froth and add 2 quartered onions and a peeled potato cut into two or four pieces.

3. Let the fava simmer at very low heat for about an hour. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking. You might need to add a cup of water.

4. When the split peas are soft and the water has been reduced to leave a thick “porridge”, remove the pot from the heat and pass the fava through a food mill or use a stick blender or a food processor. I use a stick blender and blend the fava directly in the pot. You can puree it to a smooth cream or leave it more coarse.

5. Add the extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Put back on the heat and stir for 2 minutes but BE CAREFUL. The fava is piping hot!

6. Let the fava cool (it becomes considerably more solid) and serve it in a shallow dish. Add some chopped (spring) onion and parsley, some olive oil and lemon juice and alternatively olives or capers. Some use vinegar instead of lemon but I haven’t tried that yet.

BUON APPETITO!

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Green salad with fruit

Salads are the easiest side dishes. You can practically toss into your salad whatever you like. No cooking, no hassle. This is one of the more appropriate for autum since it has pomegranate and mandarin in it.

Prep time  10 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 bag of mixed salad greens
  • 2-3 mandarins
  • the seeds of a half a pomegranate
  • a handful of walnuts, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • salt

1. Add to the salad mix the peeled mandarin slices, the pomegranate seeds and the healthy nuts and seeds.

2. Prepare the dressing for the salad by mixing 3-4 tbls of oil and 2-3 tbls of vinegar and adding some salt and a dash of black pepper if it is to your liking. Toss the salad gently with the dressing. I always use this dressing for my salads. Nowadays I prefer the balsamic vinegar but I don’t mind a good red wine vinegar.

BUON APPETITO!

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Artichokes Roman style

I love carciofi alla romana : cleaned, trimmed, seasoned liberally with mint and parsley, and cooked.

A fresh Roman artichoke is a wonderful thing. The first ones to hit the stands – the cimaroli – are big and fat. They are the ones that grow from the main stalk of the artichoke plant, in early spring, pointing straight up. Not only are they incredibly fragrant and large, they are also amazingly tender, and have practically no choke (fine, fuzzy hair like filaments) or tough inner leaves. They are also quite expensive. Fortunately we find artichokes almost all year round in Rome so I don’t have to wait for their best season to enjoy them.

This is not a difficult recipe but it’s a bit time consuming especially the first time, but so worth your while.

Prep time 30 min     Cook time 30 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 4-5
  • 4 artichokes
  • a bunch of parsley
  • a bunch of mint (mentuccia)
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 lemon
  • extra vergin olive oil

1. Fill a big bowl with cold water and squeeze half a lemon in.  Keep the other half handy. Artichokes oxidize quickly, so you have to rub all cut surfaces with a lemon to prevent this. And if you don’t use gloves, you can rub your hands with lemon afterwards.

2. Take a bunch of parsley and a bunch of mint and 4-5 cloves of garlic. Chop finely and add 1/2 tsp of salt and about a 1/4 tsp of freshly ground pepper. (not exact measures)

3. Break off the tough, outer leaves of the artichoke, until you get down to the tender inner leaves. They are usually yellow on the bottom third, and pale violet at the top. When you break off the leaves, do your best to leave on as much of the root of the leaf as possible.

4. Once you have taken off the tough outer leaves, use a small knife and gently trim away the bright green parts from the stem. Turn the artichoke on its side, and cut off the top third (the pointy end of the artichoke). Make sure your knife is really sharp. Immediately rub the cut part with lemon, and immerse it in acidulated water. You can also halve the artichoke and remove the choke like I have done in the photo.

5. Lift an artichoke out of the water and  hold it with one hand, and carefully loosen the leaves, being careful not to break any off. Take a bit of the herb mixture and force it in between the leaves, and into the center of the artichoke. Keep doing this, until the artichoke is well seasoned. You want to use about 2 teaspoons of mixture per artichoke. Repeat for all the artichokes.

6. Choose a pot where the artichokes will fit very snugly, and place them, one against the other, with the tops (where the pointy end was) down or cut the artichokes in halves like I did and cook them side by side. If the stalks are big and thick, you can use those trimmed of the tough outer part to keep the artichokes from tipping over. In any case don’t throw the stalks away but use them. They are yummy too. Otherwise, you can use pieces of potato. Pour in about 2-3cm (an inch) of water but be careful not to pour the water directly onto the artichokes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle abundantly with olive oil. Place the lid on the pot and bring to a low simmer. Cook until done about 20-25 minutes. Keep checking to make sure the water hasn’t boiled away.

7. Let cool. Best served at room temperature.

BUON APPETITO!