INGREDIENTES

Masa

• 5 Huevos
• 2 cditas Sal
• 2 cdas Aceite
• 500 g Harina de trigo 0000

Salsa

• Aceite
• 1 Cebolla
• 1 Pimiento
• 600 g Carne de ternera (paleta)
• 1 Zanahoria
• 1 k Pulpa de tomate
• 250 cc Vino tinto
• Sal y pimienta
• 1 pizca Azúcar
• Laurel
• Tomillo
• 1 cdita Extracto de tomate
• 60 cc Caldo

Relleno

• 300 g Salchichas parrilleras
• 500 g Ricota
• 4 atados Espinacas
• Sal y pimienta

Varios

• 6 cdas Queso provolone
• 200 g Mozzarella

PREPARACION

Masa

Batir apenas los huevos con la sal y el aceite. Añadir la harina, amasar, tapar y dejar descansar 30 minutos. Estirar la masa fina. Cortar rectángulos de 6 por 10 cm. Hervirlos en agua con sal y aceite de 10 a 12 minutos. Escurrirlos, enjuagarlos con agua fría y secarlos con un lienzo.

Salsa

En una cacerola con aceite rehogar la cebolla y el pimiento picados. Agregar la carne trozada y saltearla. Incorporar la zanahoria rallada, la pulpa de tomate, el vino y los condimentos; cocinar 5 minutos. Sumar el extracto diluido en el caldo. Cocinar a fuego lento hasta que la salsa espese y la carne esté tierna.

Relleno

Desmenuzar la salchicha, descartando la piel. Cocinarla a fuego suave en una sartén con algo de aceite y escurrirla. Mezclarla con la ricota, la espinaca cocida, exprimida y picada, sal y pimienta.

Armado

En una fuente térmica colocar salsa, lasañas, provolone rallado y relleno.

Continuar con salsa, lasañas, provolone y rodajas finas de mozzarella. Repetir las capas. Terminar con lasañas, salsa y provolone.

Llevar al horno moderado hasta calentar.

Began my weekend of near-constant indulgence simply enough – had a late meal at Le Pain Quotidien, ordered the red vert quinoa, with butternut squash and some kind of mushroom I couldn’t identify.

This colorful plate is Daniel’s chicken and mozzarella tartine, complete with pesto and assorted vegetables enough to ward off the scurvy for a good long while.

For dessert (besides my Belgian hot chocolate, which I sipped on throughout), found this hilarious gem at Barnes & Noble. Excellent!

All downhill (in terms of healthiness…) from Friday on…you shall see the parade of cupcakes and sparkles and food by the ton, very soon.

INGREDIENTES

Pasta

• 300 g Puré de remolacha
• 1 k Harina de trigo 0000
• 6 Huevos
• Sal c/n

Relleno

• 300 g Remolachas
• 50 g Manteca
• 10 g Azúcar
• Caldo c/n
• 300 g Mozzarella
• 100 g Tomates confit

Salsa

• 100 g Zanahoria
• 100 g Puerros
• 100 g Zucchini
• 2 dientes Ajo
• Queso roquefort c/n
• 500 cc Crema de lece

PREPARACION

Pasta

Realizar un puré con la remolacha cruda. Realizar una masa de pasta básica con el agregado del puré de remolacha. Dejar descansar la masa 30 minutos en heladera y luego estirar la masa hasta un espesor de 3 mm.

Relleno

Glasear las remolachas cortadas en cubos pequeños con manteca, azúcar y caldo.  Cortar la mozarella en cubos. Realizar una juliana de tomate confitados. Mezclar los tres ingredientes y reservar. Armar los ravioles.

Salsa

Sudar en manteca los vegetales, incorporar la crema al roquefort .

Una vez cocida la pasta mezclarla con la salsa.

INGREDIENTES

Masa

• 500 g harina 0000
• 10 g Sal
• 4 huevos
• 50 cc vino blanco
• 25 g aceite
• 1 clara
• Sal gruesa

Relleno

• 200 g mozzarella
• 100 g ricota
• 50 g queso roquefort
• 50 g queso parmesano
• 2 cdas perejil picado
• 1 yema
• Sal
• Pimienta

Salsa mediterránea

• 3 cdas aceite de oliva
• 1 diente de ajos
• 1 pimientos verde
• 1 pimientos rojo
• 2 berenjena
• 50 g aceitunas
• 50 g alcaparras
• 100 g tomates cherry

PREPARACION

Masa

Tamizar la harina dentro de un bol junto con la sal.  En otro bol colocar los huevos, el vino blanco y el aceite. Mezclar ligeramente los líquidos y comenzar a incorporar la harina de forma gradual mientras se mezcla con cuchara. Cuando la masa empiece a tomar forma, bajar a la mesada. Amasar incorporando el resto de la harina hasta lograr una masa lisa y homogénea. Envolver en papel film y dejar descansar 30 minutos.

Relleno

En un bol colocar la mozzarella rallada con la ricota, el roquefort desmenuzado y el parmesano rallado. Mezclar, incorporar el perejil, la yema y condimentar con sal y pimienta.

Armado

Estirar con máquina o a mano hasta lograr el espesor deseado. Pincelar la mitad de la masa con la clara de huevo, colocar porciones del relleno con una manga y tapar con la otra mitad. Sellar bien con un molde para ravioles cuidando que no quede aire dentro de los ravioles, luego cortarlos con una rueda o un cuchillo filoso. Reservar en la heladera.

Salsa

Colocar dentro de un wok con aceite de oliva el ajo picado, los pimientos verde y rojo cortados en bastones, saltear unos instantes e incorporar las berenjenas también cortadas en bastones. Cocinar a fuego suave hasta que todas las verduras estén tiernas.

Incorporar a último momento las aceitunas, las alcaparras y los tomates cherry. Calentar y condimentar.

Cocción de la pasta

Colocar los ravioles dentro de una cacerola con abundante agua salada hirviendo. Dejar cocinar hasta que la pasta esté al dente. Retirar del fuego y colar.

Montaje

Servir los ravioles inmediatamente luego de cocidos en una fuente, acompañar con la salsa mediterránea.

Akhir-akhir ini aku concern banget ke komposisi makanan ya, khususnya buat Lanafarra. Pake istilah mamaRaikhal banci komposisi gitu deyy Sejak tau Lana kena impetigo di kaki, kenapa aku mikir itu dipicu sama alergi makanan ya (diduga alergi teri medan ato unsalted butter). Eh ternyata alergi sama intoleransi makanan itu beda lho. Baca-baca di blog mamakokihandal, ternyata alergi itu: intoleransi itu:

Sekarang jadi kalo beli makanan atau minuman, suka merhatiin isinya apa aja siy, dibuat dari bahan apa aja siy. Jadi kalo mau buat sesuatu repot milih-milihnya, terutama kalo ke supermarket yang ada semua bahan dibeli hihi… Pengen banget deyy bisa terjun beneran ke dunia kuliner, selain bisa masakin keluarga masakan sehat yang gizinya dah pasti ketauan soalnya dipilih dan diatur sendiri. Kalo bisa siy pinter urusan baking juga manatau bisa jadi bakul kue online kek mba Yulia Maki ma Varrickmom *hasrat terpendam, tauk kesampean pa engga huekekek

Kayak yoghurt, setelah baca-baca ternyata sebaiknya pilih yang dari susu segar bukan susu skim, jadi sekarang lebih sering pilih Y*mmy ato C*mory, dulu pernah nyoba B*okul eh ternyata itu dari susu skim.

Gitu juga minyak atau butter untuk menumis ato menggoreng. Ternyata olive oil kalo dipanaskan bisa menjadi lemak jenuh yang akhirnya ga bagus untuk dikonsumsi. Wahh baru tau niy, ternyata lebih bagus minyak jagung ato malah minyak kelapa sekalian yang paling ok. Dulu Uwo (nenekku) sering bikinin minyak kelapa yang ditanak dari kelapa parut buat rambut cucu-cucunya. Walhasil rambut kakakku tuh tebal dan hitam. Tapi yah emang baunya jadi ga enak. Untung dijejelin gituan pas kecil, kalo udah gede bisa-bisa bikin minder kale kalo berambut bau minyak kelapa hwakakakakak

Brati sekarang bunda dah pinter dong soal masak memasak, eits tunggu dulu, bukan berarti pinter yaaa…tetep aja oon kalo ada yang ngomongin bumbu-bumbu ato jenis sayur aneh-aneh, daku kaga tau, kagak kenal, kalo yang umum mah dah tau deh, heibad hehe… *muji diri sendiri

Niy dibawah ulasan yang aku dapet untuk jenis-jenis keju. Mungkin nanti bakal ada juga posting beberapa jenis makanan yang saat ini aku penasaranin *ih bahasa apa ituyy kalo sempet posting yaaa hehe

Keju

Selaen postingan keju yang dulu, ini ada penjelasan tentang jenis-jenis keju dari pakar kuliner. Emang ya ternyata jenis keju tuh banyak bener. Kalo mampir ke rak dingin tempat majang keju di supermarket, ampe bingung ini keju untuk apa aja siy. Aku siy baru pernah nyobain keju cheddar, mozarella sama cream cheese buat bikin cheese cake jadi-jadian kemaren. Jenis keju laen blom nyoba, abis ga ngerti masaknya, tapi ntar kapan nemu resep okeh dan hasrat *a.k.a willingness untuk nyoba yang tinggi, boleh dah daku cuba si macam-macam kezu ini Baru tau kalo di Eropa keju dimakan untuk nemenin minum wine, hee…

Cheddar.  Salah satu jenis keju asal Inggris yang paling banyak dikonsumsi di seluruh dunia. Rasanya yang lezat dengan aroma tidak terlalu tajam menjadikan cheddar cocok digunakan untuk masakan apa saja. Sajian casseroles, soup, isi sandwich dan salad terasa lebih lezat dengan penambahan keju ini. Cheddar mengandung lemak 48% dengan masa pemeraman 9-24 bulan.

Mozzarella.  Mozzarella adalah keju Italia yang aslinya berasal dari susu kerbau liar. Termasuk keju muda/ lunak (soft cheese: keju dengan kadar air 36 – 40%) dengan kandungan lemak antara 40 – 50% ini sangat sepesifik sifatnya. Mozzarella akan meleleh ketika dipanggang, sangat cocok untuk topping pizza maupun campuran fritata.

Edam.  Salah satu keju asal Belanda yang popular. Teksturnya keras dengan aroma mirip kacang. Kandungan lemak keju ini sekitar 40%. Yang membedakan dengan keju lain adalah kemasannya yang selalu terbungkus lapisan sejenis lilin berwarna merah. Edam sangat cocok untuk campuran kue kering seperti aneka cookies atau taburan pada hidangan panggang.

Parmesan.  Salah satu jenis keju tua/ keras (hard cheese: keju dengan kadar air 25 – 36%). dari kota Parma, Italia. Pada umumnya berbentuk silinder dengan warna kuning muda. Teksturnya keras, cocok untuk keju parut. Aroma Parmesan cukup tajam karena proses pemeraman yang cukup lama, antara 14 bulan sampai 4 tahun. Keju ini sangat cocok untuk taburan pizza, soup maupun olahan aneka pasta. Kandungan lemak keju sekitar 61%.

Ricotta.  Keju Ricotta berasal dari Italia. Keju lunak dari susu sapi ini teksturnya sangat rapuh. Kandungan lemaknya termasuk tinggi, mencapai 65 %. kombinasi rasa yang gurih dan lezat dengan aroma harum menjadikan terasa pas dipadukan dengan aneka masakan pasta Italia seperti Lasagna dan Spaghetti.

Cream Cheese.  Di pasaran kita dapat menemukan dua macam cream cheese, double cream cheese adalah pilihan pertama dengan kandungan lemak 65% dan cream cheese (45% lemak) pilihan lainnya. Berbeda dengan jenis keju lainya, cream cheese memiliki rasa yang sedikit asam. Umumnya keju ini digunakan pada hidangan penutup, misalnya chesse cake, sebagai isi pie, atau dimakan bersama potongan buah-buahan.

Camembert.  Keju lunak dari Perancis ini pertama kali di buat pada abad ke-18 di desa Normandia. Comembert terbuat dari susu sapi, teksturnya sangat lembut dengan warna creamy yellow. Keju ini mengandung lemak antara 45% – 50%. Selain enak digado atau sebagai table cheese, juga cocok untuk campuran omelette, isi souffle, pancake atau apple pie.

Brie.  Brie termasuk kategori soft cheese dari Perancis. Ciri khas keju ini adalah kulit luarnya berwarna putih dan bagian dalamnya lembut meleleh. Aromanya tajam dan kandungan lemaknya tinggi (45%). Brie sangat cocok dipakai sebagai bahan campuran salad, dimakan dengan buah olive maupun pickle.

Emmenthal.  Asal dari keju ini berasal dari Swiss, salah satu keju keras yang cukup populer. Emmenthal memiliki karakteristik berbeda dengan keju-keju lainya, bentuknya unik karena jika dipotong akan terlihat lubang-lubang yang terbentuk selama proses fermentasi. Keju ini banyak disuka karena cita rasanya lembut dan aromanya yang kaya. Emmenthal cocok dihidangkan sebagai keju meja dengan disertai segelas anggur.

Le dimanche soir, on ne peut pas dire que je sois bien courageuse pour me mettre derrière mes fourneaux. C’est pourquoi plus c’est simple, mieux c’est! Et si en plus c’est bon…. Que demander de plus?

Je suis abonnée à la news-letter de CuisineAZ et de iSaveurs. Ces 2 sites envoient tous les jours des recettes de tous styles, pour tous budgets, pour tous les goûts et avec des niveaux de difficulté variables.

La recette qui suit est trouvable ici. Pour ma part je l’ai modifié, car dans la recette de base, il y a de la fêta et je ne suis pas fan.

Tarte à la tomate

- 1 pâte brisée

- de la moutarde

- 4 tomates

- 250g de Mozarella

- sel, poivre

- huile d’olive

- basilic

Étaler la pâte dans le plat et piquer le fond avec une fourchette. La badigeonner de moutarde. Préchauffer le four à 210°C (Th 6/7).

Couper les tomates en rondelles, les saler et les laisser égoutter.

Couper la mozarella en tranches.

Disposer sur le fond de tarte, les tomates puis la mozarella. Ajouter sur le dessus du basilic, poivrer et arroser d’un filet d’huile d’olive.

Mettre au four 30 min. Servir tiède.

C’est super simple et en plus c’est délicieux! Bon appétit!

Pentru ca celui mai mic negru mititel ii este muuult mai bine acum, pot sa postez poze cu haleala fara sa imi fie frica sa o intreb daca a vazut pozele.
Asadar, sa inceapa parada!

Prima e cea mai rapida gustare, cand ai in casa doar o rosie, un ardei, o ceapa verde si o punga cu mozarella.

Si mai jos ai cel mai usor peste, si anume in staniol, pe un pat de telina, cu ceva masline aruncate pe langa, si lime pentru gust.

INGREDIENTES

• 1 Huevo
• 200 g Jamón cocido
• 16 Masa para lasaña en tiras
• 400 g Mozzarella
• Nuez moscada c/n
• Sal y pimienta
• 200 g Queso rallado
• 1,5 k Ricota
• 250 cc Salsa bechamel
• 250 cc Salsa de tomates

PREPARACION

Hervir abundante agua con sal en una olla. Colocar las tiras de masa de a cuatro por vez, para evitar que se peguen. En cuanto estén al dente, retirar con espumadera, sumergir en agua fría para cortar la cocción y escurrir con repasador.

Condimentar la ricota con sal, pimienta y nuez moscada. Incorporar el huevo y el queso rallado y unir bien. Superponer dos tiras de masa formando una cruz. Colocar sobre el cruce una porción generosa de ricota, moldeada con ayuda de una taza. Doblar los costados de la tira horizontal para cubrir la ricota.

Colocar sobre la masa doblada una tajada de mozzarella de 1cm de espesor y una lonja de jamón plegada en cuatro. Doblar los extremos de la tira de masa vertical para encerrar el relleno.

Repetir los pasos 2 y 3 con las restantes tiras de masa. Acomodar las lasañas en una fuente térmica y bañarlas con las dos salsas. Gratinar en el horno bien caliente y servir.

Yesterday´s lunch was my monthly meeting with one of my best friends: Jeronimo. I know it´s not the healthiest lunch in the world, but for us is a tradition. We go like once a month to TGIF and order this dish called “Three for all” on it serving for four (is not that big, because is not a main course). We are buffalo wings lovers, and we love the buffalo sauce. I have a collection of bufallo wings sauce on my fridge. Everytime I go to USA, I bring my own dose. I love spicy, and as stronger it is, better it tastes. Well, the dish also comes with delicious fried mozarella sticks, potato skins with cheese and bacon, and thats it.

Hello and thanks to my followers in Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Taiwan, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Chicago, Bogotá, and all those everywhere else! Kepp coming, and enjoy life (maybe by having once a month your unhealthy dose of your favorite meal!)

Salmon en croûte © dan & tuesy

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe from the BBC GoodFood magazine (December 2009). Elisabeth at work loaned me the magazine and it is filled with wonderful recipes including the florentines I made yesterday.

But I won’t talk about the florentines just yet. Maybe next post. So about the salmon en croûte, you’ll need big piece of salmon fillet. I am lucky that I live just a couple of minutes walk to the central market in Cardiff which has a fishmonger. I asked for a piece of fresh salmon fillet and they cut me a lovely piece.

Black olive tapenade on salmon fillet © dan & tuesy

You need:

• 500g all-butter puff pastry
• about 800g salmon fillet
• black olive tapenade paste
• bunch of fresh basil
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 150g mozzarella cheese
• 1 large free-range egg
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Tools:

• rolling pin
• 2 large baking tray
• baking sheet
• pre-heated oven at 200˚C

Salmon en croûte © dan & tuesy

What to do:

1. Drizzle olive oil on the salmon fillet and sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and salt.
2. Flour a work surface and then roll out the puff pastry about the size of the large baking tray. Dust the large baking tray with flour then place the puff pastry on the baking tray.
3. Put the seasoned salmon fillet on top of the pastry, skin-side down.
   

   Working the pastry © dan & tuesy

4. Spread black olive tapenade on top of the salmon then the basil and tomatoes. Tear the mozarella into pieces and put it on top, too! Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Gather the sides of the pastry. Beat an egg and brush the pastry with egg.
6. Put the baking tray at the bottom of the preheated oven. Put a baking tray on the shelf above so that the pastry is not getting too much heat.
7. Cook for about 35-40 minutes and then serve with vegetables. We like roasted baby potatoes, steamed brocolli, and peas.

More photos here.

Salmon en croûte © dan & tuesy

INGREDIENTES

• 500 g Polenta
• 20 cc Aceite de oliva
• 100 g Aceitunas negras
• 200 g Tomates cherry
• 200 g Mozzarella
• 20 g Orégano
• 10 hojas Albahaca
• Sal y pimienta

PREPARACION

Realizar la polenta como indica el envase. En caliente, extender en una placa, dejar enfriar y luego, cortar de la forma deseada. Sellar de ambos lados, en una sartén con aceite de oliva y reservar.

Saltear las aceitunas negras en aceite de oliva. Agregar los tomates cherry y la mozzarella. Por último incorporar la albahaca, sal y pimienta.

Colocar las verduras sobre las bruschetas y servir. Espolvorear con orégano.

I asked Marc if he had any special requests for dinner and he blurted out “Lasagna!” before I had finished my sentence.  Talk about a delicious comfort food!  I used a recipe from the Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford.  This recipe is awesome.  It is titled “Classic Lasagna” and they don’t mess around with that name.  No fancy smancy alterations- just good old meat lasagna.  I did choose to make my own marinara sauce, because I think it tastes so much better than the stuff from the jar.  I realized tonight when I was making this that I don’t have a lasagna pan yet, so I had to improvise with a 8×8 glass Pyrex dish.  But it was not deep enough for me to finish all three layers of noodles.  After tasting this recipe, I know that I will be making it a lot in years to come so a lasagna pan officially goes on my wish list.  (Family members if you are reading… I just gave away the best Christmas present tip off ever!)

Classic Lasagna Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine in a large saute pan over medium high heat:

8 oz ground beef
8 oz Italian sausage links, removed from casings and crumbled

Season with:

1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cook until the meat is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl. Add and combine with meat:

6 cups marinara sauce

Set meat sauce aside. Mix together in a medium bowl:

8 oz ricotta cheese
8oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1 cup of the meat sauce. Arrange a single layer on top of the sauce:

uncooked no boil lasagna noodles

Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly on top. Add half of the cheese mixture by spoonfuls evenly over the meat sauce, then scatter fresh basil leaves on top. Top iwth a layer of lasagna noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, the remaining cheese mixture, and more fresh basil leaves. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, and a final layer of lasagna noodles. Spread the remaining meat sauce over the top, and sprinkle with  2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Roasted is better

Yes, I like fresh foods with no processing. But as always I slept over my fresh mozzarella until it was almost not fresh anymore. I had to do something drastic to salvage what I could and this is what it turned out to be.

So as I was saying, I bought fresh mozzarella to enjoy on a pizza. Unfortunately, I did not get around to baking the crust. I then tried to use it in a sandwich. Now that was good especially with the ciabatta but it didn’t help much in the finish-the-cheese department. So finally as I saw it moving towards the garbage grave I decide to rescue it in the form of the a roasted caprese salad, because if there were any micro organisms that were not to migrate from cheese to tummy, the oven would have taken care of them!

There is no particular recipe I followed, more like a technique.

6 Tomatoes

1/2 Lb fresh mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

4 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Teaspoons raspberry honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and raspberry honey in a bottle and shake vigourously. Set aside. Pre heat oven to 350 degree F.

Slice the tops of the tomato and scoop out the seeds. Let drain upside down on plate for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, cut side up, for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes seem tender and the skin is wilted.

Chop up the fresh mozzarella and stuff it into the roasted tomatoes. Shake the dressing once more and pour over each tomato. Place two basil leaves over each tomato. I used the basil that I had preserved with salt. You can read about that here. The basil still seem soft though the leaves are slightly wilted. My basil had salt so I did not add any more.

Put the tomatoes back into the oven for 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and stringy (don’t you simply love that about mozzarella?). Bring it out and concentrate hard on waiting till it is slightly cool so that you do not burn your tongue! I like this one better than the fresh caprese, possibly because the roasting concentrates the flavors and the contrast between the textures of the roasted tomatoes and melted cheese is simply too much to ignore.

Am avut pofta si de ceva rapid si bun. Nu am avut spaghete dar am folosit tortellini.

Am pus la fiert tortellini conform instructiunilor de pe pachet. Intre timp am dat prin razatoare mozarella, am curatat putin usturoi si am taiat kaizerul in bucatele mici. Voi puteti sa folositi si sunca afumata.

Puneti la prajit sunca cu usturoi si amestecati bine. Dupa ce se fierbe tortellini se scurge putin, se adauga foarte putin ulei si se amesteca cu 3 oua si mozarella. Se pune si sunca si se mai tine 2-3 minute pe foc.

Inainte de a se manca se pune pe deasupra busuioc. Rapid si delicios!

180 g tuna
1 egg white (stirred beaten)
30 g oatmeal
30 g of diced onion
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
20 g of mozarella
salt and pepper

Put all the ingredients (except the mozarella) into a big bowl. Heat the pan, add some olive oil , make 2 patties by just dumping half the mixture into each pile and sort of shape it much as you want to.Cook one side until brown (not long) then turn , when the second side is nearly done, sprinkle cheese over it. Place under grill for about 1 minute tops to melt the cheese.  Enjoy !

Tomatoes, Basil, fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, a splash of Olive oil, Balsamic vinaigrette, procuitto or sea salt, and I have created my favorite salad.

The sweet and tangy tomato, which is the centerpiece of this concoction, complemented by the minty, mighty Basil; balanced by the saltiness of procuitto with the delicate taste of fresh mozzarella, sprinkled in the earthiness of roasted garlic – and a resonance of orchestrated taste occurs, creating a symphony of deliciousness.  It is a mouth-watering delight of absolute freshness.

A couple of months ago, I would scoff at the thought of salivating over tomatoes and basil, not really a “family favorite”. I am a carnivore, and rib-eye steaks would be the epicenter of my epicurean fantasy. My gastronomic preferences do not include tomatoes, and yet, I discovered the brilliance of this vine, plump, juicy, Tomato. I just can’t wait to know which kind of tomatoes will become my favorite…right now I am a new Tomato fan.

Pentru ca am promis, here it goes: musaka … a la mada.

“A la mada”, inseamna ca nu am niciodata nici o carte sau nici o reteta in minte dupa care ma ghidez. Ma ghidez dupa gust, dupa ce imi place sau nu in mancare, dupa ce cred eu ca merge bine cu ceva, dupa ce imi spun intuitia, creativitatea si evident, frigiderul. Adicatelea, ce am in frigider. Nu stau sa ma gandesc la cumparaturi in detaliu la ce o sa am chef eu sa mananc in cateva zile. Am niste idei de baza, vreau peste, vreau paste, vreau prajitura, dar nu merg pana la capat cu ce fel de. O sa vad cand o sa vina timpul.

Asadar, am cumparat o bucatica de vitel, muschi si am rugat-o pe tanti sa mi-l dea prin masina. Sa tot fi fost vreo 350 de grame. Acasa, am aruncat in oala cu apa clocotita cartofii curatati si taiati pe rotund, cam in 3. In timpul asta am luat carnea de vitel (cica e mai buna decat cea de vita, ca deh e mai tanar, n-a apucat sa innebuneasca … oare e din cauza ca era un “el” de fiecare data? ) am pus-o impreuna cu patrunjel, marar, cimbru la imprietenit. Ceapa, si un patrunjel pierdut prin frigi au ajuns in tigaie la foc mic dar sigur. In timpul asta am curatat si morcovii si l-am taiat rondele. Verific cartofii, sunt gata, arunc morcovii si mazarea congelata acolo pun capacul si inchid focul. Nu vreau ca morcovii sau mazarea sa fie lesinate.

In timpul asta ceapa si patrunjelul si-au facut de cap si acum e mai mult un fel de pasta. Iau vitelul macinat, il arunc si pe el acolo si amestec. Pun putin vin (aici e un subiect care trebuie dezvoltat) eu am pus un roze, productie naturelle, di la mini di la Moldova (nu aia di pisti Prut). Nu ma intereseaza de care se pune, ca nu imi dau ei bani sa iau nush ce Chardonnay! Asta avem, asta folosim! Bun, am mai gustat oleaca din vin sa ma asigur ca totul merge bine. Mergea totul asa bine si eram asa relaxata incat nu mai stiam ce tre’ sa fac.

Mi-am revenit repede. Am luat vasul yena, (sarumana mama ca a insistat ca eu sa am vasul yena cu capacul lui, “ca nu se stie niciodata cand ai nevoie de el” – stia ea ce stia)am pus un strat de cartofi, pe unde a ramas loc liber am pus morcovi si mazare, apoi un strat de carnica, iar un strat de cartoafe cu morcov si mazare, iar carnica, si deasupra celebra mozarella.

Bagat la cuptorul meu ultrasmecher cu child protection something(adica daca nu tii de buton apasat, dupa ce i-ai dat drumul si pana se incalzeste el acolo, se stinge si tre sa stai cu degetu apasat din nou pana cand considera el ca nu te mai porti copilareste cu el!) si scos dupa nu stiu cate minute, ca nu ma uit niciodata la ceas, nici aproximativ, ca sunt incapabila sa retin. Ma uit prin geamlacul ala. Mare destept ala care a facut geamul. Ca daca nu avea geam, imi parleam un pic sprancenele pana cand se facea musakaua …

Overall, i-as da un 9 pentru carnica de vitel care putea fi mai frageda.
Voi ce ziceti … din poze?

So anyone who loves cheese and tomatoes (any sane person of course!)  would love this salad!!   I don’t make it a ton because Steve is not a fan of tomatoes (GASP!), but whenever I do have this salad it is a reminder of how much I LOVE it!! It is refreshing and very quick to make–plus not many ingredients which makes it on the cheap side!   The salad if very versatile and can be a side during dinner, appetizer, have it for lunch, or even a delicous snack!!

YUM-O!!

::Ingredients::

(serves 2)

4 tomatoes
1 large ball of mozzarella cheese
20 leaves of basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt + pepper to taste

::Directions::

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.  

Slice the mozzarella to 1/4 inch think.  

Arrange on a platter by tomato, mozzarella, basil leave.  

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

::Extra Extra::

To make it into more of a meal you can add grilled shrimp, chicken or kabobs for a medley off amazingness!!  Be creative!!

HAPPY EATING!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

My kids had a long first day of school yesterday, and I wanted to give them a little something fun for dinner. So, as I was browsing through my Food Network Magazine (my new favorite mag) I found this recipe and thought it would be a really fun way to get them to make their own dinner…hahahaha! You see, all I had to do was roll the dough out and cut it into the little triangles. The rest they did themselves! YEAH!!!

I urge you to give it a try…and make a few extras…they are really yummy!!!

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients
2 whole wheat or regular flour tortillas
200g frozen spinach, thawed
½ cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup mascarpone
4 tbsp pine nuts
1 cup organic tomato puree
Oregano

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix the tomato puree with oregano and spread over the tortillas. Place the spinach over the tomato puree and spoon mascarpone over the spinach. Roast the pine nuts on a dry pan. Top the tortillas with pine nuts and finish with shredded mozzarella. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes.

Ingredients
Mozarella
Pine nuts
1 courgette, sliced
Rocket salad
Mint leaves
Lemon olive oil
Raspberry vinegar

Method
Roast pine nuts in a pan until golden. Roast a courgette on a grill or put with 1tbsp olive oil in the oven for about 20 min. Cut mozzarella in blocks. In a salad bowl combine all the ingredients and sprinkle with lemon olive oil and raspberry vinegar. ENJOY!

Even though the no sandwich challenge doesn’t officially begin until Monday, I am happy to say that I did not have a sandwich for lunch today!

After I declared that I wouldn’t eat sandwiches for 7 days next week, my sister-in-law e-mailed me with several ideas of what I could make for lunch.  Thanks Lauren!

I received fresh basil on our produce delivery this week, and had sun gold tomatoes from the previous week, so I made a tomato, avocado, and mozzarella salad with fresh basil.  I had to make quick trip to the store for the avacdo and mozarella, but it’s literally across the street.

For the dressing, I mixed together

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• Dash of S & P

The avocado was my favorite part!

The best way to eat it was to get one of each component in every bite

I didn’t think the salad would fill me up, so I had a side of Kashi crackers.

With some spicy fire roasted five peppers hummus!

One of my favorite kinds.

And for an afternoon snack I had a large banana with ground almonds.

I added the almonds for some protein!

Did you know that 7 small changes to your diet can have aa big impact on your health?  Shape Magazine lists the best cancer fighting foods that will have an impact on your health.

1. Get your greens.
According to the American Cancer Society, Asian women have a breast cancerrate one-fifth that of U.S. women. While soy often gets the credit, cruciferous vegetables are also proving to be preventative. One study showed that Chinese women with the highest levels of isothiocyanate- a compound found in broccoli, kale, brussels sprout, and other cruciferous vegetables-cut their rate of breast cancer by 50 percent.

2. Make every day D-day.
Low vitamin D levels have recently been linked to an increased risk of everything from heart disease to depression. Now researchers have made a connection between the nutrientand breast cancer: A study in the Annals of Epidemiology found that pre-menopausal women with higher intakes of vitamin D had a roughly 30 percent lower breast cancer risk. Fish is your best dietary D source- try salmon, trout, and sardines.

 3. Get on the “A” list.
Carrots may not only help protect against eye disease, they also may slow the growth of cancer cells. Women who ate at least five servings a day of foods rich invitamin A and carotenoids, such as carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and apricots, reduced their risk of breast cancerby more than 20 percent. The effect was seen especially in pre-menopausal women with a family history of breast cancer.

4. Go herbal.
Compared with certain fruits and veggies, some herbs have more than 10 times the amount of cancer- and heart-disease-fighting antioxidants. So reach for that rosemary, oregano or thyme next time you cook.

5. Take a tea break.
Instead of grabbing a latte as an afternoon pick-me-up, go green-tea, that is. A recent study from Japan found that women with cancer who drank at least three cups of green tea a day reduced their risk of recurrence by more than 30 percent. Some scientists believe the reason is that green tea is high in the antioxidant epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which may halt cancer cell growth.

 6. Load up on lignans.
Some breast tumors are triggered by the hormone estrogen. But as it turns out lignans, or plant estrogens, may block the effect of estrogen produced by the body. (Lignans can also help lower your bad cholesterol, or LDL.) Flax and sesame seeds have the highest amounts, but whole grains and whole-grain bread, cereal, and pasta, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, broccoli, and tea are also good sources.

7. Marinate, marinate, marinate.
Using high-temperature techniques, like grilling, to cook meat can create potentially cancer-causing compounds to develop. But you don’t have to give up barbecues altogether. Sticking with lean red meat, chicken, and fish and marinating them for just a few minutes before grilling helps avoid charring, adds flavor, and keeps these foods moist.

One thing I know I don’t do enough is drink tea.  I should really alternate some of my coffee days with tea.  I need to work on that…

After work today I have plans to jog, swim, and go to a BBQ.  Let’s hope the weather holds up!