helena – Page 15 – From Helena's Kitchen

November 6, 2018February 18, 2020

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!

November 5, 2018June 18, 2021

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

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!

November 3, 2018February 18, 2020

Pasta with pesto and tomatoes

One of the easiest pasta dishes and at the moment my favourite is pasta with homemade pesto and fresh tomatoes. If you don’t have homemade pesto I guess you could use store bought pesto, gasp! Just kidding, use whatever you have on hand.

Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 10-12 min

INGREDIENTS FOR 2

160 g pasta of your choice
3 heaping tbls of pesto
8-10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
3 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
salt

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Save a glass of the pasta water.

2. Meanwhile warm the oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat with the garlic clove. Add the tomatoes, stir to coat and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the pesto to the tomatoes – I used 3 cubes of my frozen pesto (I freeze my pesto in an ice cube tray) and warmed it in the micro wave before adding it to the skillet.

3. Drain the pasta 1 min before it’s cooked al dente and pour in the skillet, stir to coat and add a little bit of the pasta water that you have previously saved, and finish cooking.

4. You may want to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on your plate.

BUON APPETITO!

November 2, 2018May 30, 2020

Mascarpone mousse

Delicious and super fast dessert which makes it one of my favorite. It’s an all year round dessert which makes it even better.

Prep time 15 min + 2-3 hrs to refrigerate

INGREDIENTS FOR 6

500g mascarpone
200 g whipped cream
4 yolks
70g powdered sugar

to garnish

2 cookies
grated dark chocolate
almond slices and/or grated white chocolate

1. Whip the cream and set aside.

2. Blend the yolks with the powered sugar until smooth and creamy. Stir in the mascarpone gently.

3. Fold in the whipped cream and divide into 6 bowls.

4. Garnish with cookies, grated chocolate and almond slices.

5. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

BUON APPETITO!

November 1, 2018November 11, 2018

Spaghetti alla chitarra with lemon pesto

We love pasta and have it almost every day and I constantly need new pasta recipes. Lately I’ve tried different pesto recipes and this one was perfect for our evening pasta.

Prep time 10 min Cook time 8-10 min depending on your pasta

INGREDIENTS FOR 4

320g pasta alla chitarra (tonnarelli)
1 lemon – preferably organic
30 g between fresh basil, thyme, marjoram, parsley, mint
30 g peeled almonds
30 g grated Parmesan
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of coarse salt

1. While cooking the pasta, prepare the lemon-herb pesto.

2. Grate the zest of 1/4 of a lemon (avoid the white part, it will make your pesto bitter), squeeze the juice of a half a lemon, add all the ingredients in a bowl and use a mixer or a hand blender until the pesto is quite smooth. Check for taste. I grated too much of the zest therefore my pesto was too lemony at the end. I kind of liked it but will definitely use less zest the next time. Of course it depends on the size of your lemon. So start with less and add if needed.

3. Drain the pasta 1-2 minutes before it’s al dente and pour it into a pan. Mix the pesto with the pasta, add some pasta water and let simmer for 1 minute.

4. Sprinkle the Parmesan on your pasta.

Tip: keep always a glass of your pasta water to add into the pan if necessary while you mix your pasta with the sauce

Tip: no need to use all the above mentioned herbs or you could use others

BUON APPETITO!

October 31, 2018February 18, 2020

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!

October 30, 2018April 2, 2021

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!

October 28, 2018May 17, 2020

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!

October 26, 2018June 16, 2020

Homemade pesto

I make pesto every August from the basil from my “plantation” in my backyard.

You should actually use a marble mortar and a wooden pestle but I admit that I use a hand blender.

INGREDIENTS

150g basil
2 cloves of garlic
60 g grated parmesan
30 g grated pecorino
a pinch of coarse salt
1-2 tablespoons pine nuts
100 g extra virgin olive oil

Crush garlic, salt and basil leaves and “hack” until a green juice starts running – this with the mortar. With the blender I add the ingredients in the same order but don’t wait for the juice to run. Add the pine nuts and the cheese and at the end pour the oil slowly. Taste and adjust salt.

I like mine creamy and not too garlicky.

You can put the pesto in a glass jar and keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks. Wait until the pesto has settled and then add some oil if needed. The pesto has to be covered with oil.

Another method is to put the pesto in small plastic cups or in the ice cube tray and freeze it which is what I do nowadays. EDITED it is best not to put the cheese if freezing the pesto but to add it when you use the pesto.

BUON APPETITO!

October 24, 2018March 18, 2020