Tag: italian

Tiramisú

Ingredients for 8-10 people:

  • 500g mascarpone cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 about 1 inch chunk of lemon peel (for smell)
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • Cappuccino
  • Savoyard biscuits

Prep:

  • Beat 4 yolks with the sugar and lemon peel piece until the mixture is well mixed
  • Mix in mascarpone
  • Use an electric beater to beat 4 egg whites until light and fluffy
  • Gently mix egg white fluff into other mixture
  • Put a cookie in each bowl and soak in 2 tablespoons of coffee
  • Top with the creamy mixture
  • Dust with cocoa or finely chopped dark chocolate

Swordfish Rolls

Ingredients:

  • Thinly sliced swordfish, about 2-3mm thick – easiest if ask butcher or cut when frozen
  • breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 clove chopped garlic
  • big handful of parsley
  • A few capers if desired (Eric thinks not)
  • healthy sprinkle of oregano
  • 3 tablespoons regular olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Toothpicks

Making it happen:

  • Combine breadcrumbs, herbs and spices in a bowl
  • Put oil in a small dish/bowl
  • Take one piece of swordfish at a time and dip one side in olive oil
  • Then press the oily side of the swordfish in the breadcrumb mixture
  • Fold the breadcrumb side inside and into a square – hold with a toothpick
  • Pat square on both sides in breadcrumbs and pan cook in light olive oil only a couple minutes per side and pressing down with spatula

Good appetizer or for a light meal with salad!

Pesto from Liguria, Italy

Ingredients:

  • 100g basilico (basil)
  • 50g parmigiano
  • 30g pinoli (pine nuts)
  • 1/2 bicchiere d’olio d’oliva (1/2 cup olive oil – not extra virgin!)
  • 1 spicchio d’aglio (1 garlic clove)
  • Sale (salt)

Making those things turn into delicious Italian pesto:

Put all ingredients in a mixer and blend to a smooth cream.

Tricks and Tips:

  • Add about half the olive oil to start, once you see the pine nuts and garlic getting small, add the rest of the olive oil
  • Small leaves of basil are better – not bigger than about 2-3 inch leaves
  • Store in the fridge for about 1 week in a tupperware, but add a layer of EV olive oil on the top so the pesto doesn’t oxidize
  • Can store the same way in the freezer (with olive oil) for a long time
  • Serve creamy as is for bread or meat/fish
  • Add EV olive oil until smooth for pasta
  • Always cook with regular olive oil – not extra virgin
  • Always use EV olive oil for serving directly – for example after cooking over fish or over pasta

Eric’s Made-up Spaghetti Sauce

I made this in Nerja and it was pretty tasty:

  • Brown 1 onion in big pot in olive oil
  • Add about 5 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • Add 1 pound of ground meat, I used half pork and half beef because that’s common and cheap in Spain
  • Once the meat is cooked, add 2 large green bell peppers or Anaheim peppers finely chopped
  • Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes with only some of the juice
  • Add 1/2 a small can of tomato paste
  • Add 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes, diced
  • Add 1 cup red wine
  • Add a healthy amount of basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in to taste
  • Add 1 medium zucchini finely chopped
  • Simmer, stirring frequently for about an hour
  • Add about 1/2 cup almond milk just before serving to add some creaminess if desired

Yum! Served over whole wheat pasta for best effect