♧ STAIRWAY GARDEN ♧

Hello and welcome back on my blog! Climate has changed, temperatures have dropped: it is winter already! With such a cold and rainy weather I started taking in all the plants that I want to save for next year, starting with my eureka pepper! 

Many people think that chili peppers are just seasonal plants, and it is just their destiny to die when the seasons change. But that's wrong! You can keep your beloved chili pepper plant alive for several years if you take it inside your home (or you put it into a greenhouse, or at least you cover it with a TNT cover) when the temperatures fall under 10°C. 

In the building where I live, in winter, the stairway becomes a beautiful garden with all the plants that the many families who live here, bring in for winter! Personally I like to show off with weird shaped or colorful peppers! Also that's so much fun for my neighbour's cat, who usually spends much time playing on the stairs, because it feels like playing in a garden! 

But where is chili peppers there also come aphids -ALWAYS: somehow they know it and eventually they'll come. So this year I tried to plant inside, in another vase, tagetes or marigolds, and as you see, they might be already be sprouting. This summer they did wonders in keeping aphids away from my peppers and I didn't need to spray them not even once! 

Actually I planted in the same vase marigolds and arugula (I love arugula and in winter I so miss it, so I tried to make them grow together) so I do not really know who is actually sprouting there! 

Let's wait and see! 

Thank you for reading and wish you all a lovely new week! 👩‍🌾🌱  

♡ ZUCCHINE RIPIENE ♡

🔝🇬🇧FOR THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION SELECT THE LANGUAGE IN THE SLIDE OVER THE POST! 🇬🇧🔝

Oggi scriverò nella mia lingua, in italiano!

Prima di tutto... vi piace la mia nuova tovaglia? Tutta sulle sfumature di un bellissimo blu turchese brillante: a me piace moltissimo! Dicono che colori come il blu o come il verde non andrebbero usati in un contesto di cucina e ristorazione perché farebbero "passare la fame" o bloccherebbero la digestione. 

Direi <<meglio, così mangio meno!>>, ma alla fine, personalmente, non ho notato particolari differenze relativamente a una tovaglia rossa, o arancione! 

Invece il colore freddo e brillante di questa tovaglia conferisce serenità e distensione.

Comunque, veniamo alla ricetta di oggi!

Qualche giorno fa, mia mamma mi dice: <<avevo comprato queste zucchine tonde ma non trovo il tempo... Vuoi prepararle tu?>> 

E così, in una giornata in cui dovevo uscire a camminare, al rientro farmi la tinta, e andare a letto presto sapendo di avere una lezione la mattina dopo, tuttavia mi sono data da fare per riuscire a preparare anche quelsta ricetta prima che gli ingredienti andassero a male. Inutile dire che quando ormai avevo le zucchine tutte pronte in forno da mezz'ora, mia mamma si lamenta perché non ho eseguito questa e quella operazione che fa sempre lei e che io non sapevo di dover fare 😅

Ma al di là di queste sue iniziali critiche, il risultato finale è stato comunque delizioso e le critiche si sono rivelate soltanto preoccupazioni infondate dovute a un diverso approccio alla cucina! 😉

Dunque, ecco qui la mia ricetta: fatemi sapere se la proverete e se vi piacerà. Suggerimenti e critiche costruttive sono sempre bene accette! Ma ricordarevi: io non sono una chef, sono solo una semplice ragazza che si diverte a cucinare e condividere le proprie ricette! Un giorno mi però mi piacerebbe raccogliere in un libro tutte le mie creazioni,  per semplici e imperfette che siano, rendendole fruibili così a molte più persone. Perché la cucina è qualcosa che va condiviso. Perché va bene cucinare per sé stessi, ma quanto è più bello e divertente condividere un buon pasto in compagnia! Dicono anzi, che il cibo sia più buono quando consumato in compagnia! 

Ingredienti:

• 3 zucchine tonde (una zucchina per persona, nel caso aumentare le dosi)
• 300g carne macinata mista
• 30g provolone dolce (grattuggiato)
• 50g grana padano oppure parmigiano reggiano grattuggiato
• 3 cucchiai di cipolla dorata tritata
• 30g couscous secco
• 1 cucchiaio di pesto rosso
• 1 cucchiaio di olio evo + olio q.b.
• 3 cucchiaini di curry
• 2 cucchiai di salsa di soia (oppure sale q.b.)
• 1 cucchiaino di dado alle verdure (oppure 1 tazza di brodo di verdura)
• 2 cucchiaini di menta secca (oppure un mazzetto di menta fresca tritata)
•  Succo di limone q.b.
• 1 tazza di acqua calda (se non si usa il brodo)

🥕SE SEI VEGETARIANO: ti consiglio di sostituire la carne con 3 cucchiai di pangrattato e mezza scatoletta di funghetti trifolati, o pomodorini secchi!

Procedimento:

1. Innanzitutto prepariamo il couscous, magari con un giorno di anticipo. Io mescolo in una piccola ciotola il couscous, 1 cucchiaino di curry, 1 cucchiaio di olio evo, il pesto rosso, 2 cucchiaini di salsa di soia, una spruzzatina di limone e il dado di verdure (se non si usa il brodo); poi aggiungo acqua calda (o il brodo se non ho usato il dado), copro con un piattino e lascio riposare finché la parte liquida non sarà stata completamente assorbita.
2. Dopo aver lavato le zucchine, taglio via il cappello mettendolo da parte, e aiutandomi con un cucchiaio le svuoto lasciando un bordo alto circa 5mm. Online dicono di sbollentare le zucchine prima di questa operazione, ma io mi sono trovata benissimo anche senza sbollentarle
   
3. Passare con una goccia di limone l'interno delle zucchine per non farle annerire, e allo stesso modo aggiungere qualche goccia di limone alla polpa che avevamo scavato col cucchiaio.
4. Trito la polpa delle zucchine molto finemente ma grossolanamente con una mezzaluna. Deve essere molto fine ma non una "pappa" come diventerebbe con io tritatutto. Poi la sposto in una grossa ciotola con ancora una spruzzata di limone per evitare l'ossidazione.
   
5. Nella ciotola aggiungo alla polpa delle zucchine, il parmigiano, il provolone, il couscous, la cipolla, la menta, il curry rimanente e la salsa di soia rimanente (oppure aggiustare di sale). Io aggiungo anche una goccia di olio per mantenere il ripieno morbido. Amalgamare molto bene il composto che diventerà il ripieno. Se dovesse risultare un composto troppo molle vi consiglio di aggiungere un cucchiaio di formaggio grattuggiato o di pangrattato 
6. A questo punto mia mamma consiglia di massaggiare un pizzico di sale all'interno delle zucchine... 
7. Riempire le zucchine con il composto e spolverare con pangrattato e formaggio grattuggiato. Disporre in cima alla zucchina ripiena anche una nocciolina di burro o margarina 
8. Foderare una teglia con cartaforno e disporvi le zucchine SENZA il cappello
   
9. Secondo consiglio di mia mamma: a questo punto mettere un dito di acqua e olio o acqua e vino bianco sul fondo della teglia per creare umidità. Io dissento: per i miei gusti, acqua e vino bianco darebbe un sapore troppo forte e acido alla verdura, che mal si sposa agli altri sapori... al massimo acqua e olio o acqua e curry. Ma come potete vedere dalla foto, anche senza aggiungere umidità, le zucchine faranno fuoriuscire acqua in cottura. 
10. Cuocere in forno per 30minuti a 180°C - 200°C, poi coprire con il cappello e proseguire la cottura per altri 20minuti. Fare una prova stecchino per capire se la cottura è sufficiente e controllare che la parete delle zucchine sia diventata tenera prima di tirare fuori dal forno. Volendo si può lasciare in forno caldo spento fino al raffreddamento, oppure si può conservare in frigorifero e riscaldare il giorno dopo. A mio parere sono più buone il giorno dopo, servite calde!
    

Allora, che ne dite? Se volete fatemi sapere qui sotto nei commenti o su instagram! 

Buona settimana a tutti! 

♡ MY OKRA RECIPE ♡

Hi, and welcome back on my blog for this week's recipe! This is the last harvest of my beloved okra burgundy, so I prepared it in my favorite way, that I'm going to share with you because it is really easy but delicious. In Italy okra is not a common vegetable and most people, just by watching, end up mistaking okra for some kind of chili pepper. Also Italian people frequently find a little gross the peculiar stickiness of this vegetable, so even if they try it once, they won't eat it a 2nd time easily...
The problem is that the few Italians trying this vegetable for the 1st time, ask the grocer (who usually is not Italian) what this vegetable tastes like and how to cook it, and the grocer, in good faith, usually answers "like zucchini" on its own taste... but it is actually not like zucchini, and so, the Italian costumer gets a bad impression, when he cooks it like he would cook zucchini and gets such a different result, both in taste and consistency (not to talk about the stickiness).
On the opposite this vegetable is so good for many different reasons: it is very easy to grow, as it needs no specific cure, makes wonderful flowers, and most of all okra is rich in vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In particular,  it seems that it contains a good amount of folic acid! And this good nutrients are to be found in that sticky fluid that not everybody appreciate.

BUT there are also recipes to enjoy this vegetable without without that strange feel of stickiness, as this one that I'm going to share with you!
The result is yummy, soft inside and crispy outside, with a spicy but also delicate taste, that I bet you are gonna love!
For this recipe you will need to do everything quite quickly, so I suggest you to prepare all the ingredients near yourself before start.

Ingredients:
- fresh okra
- 1 little bowl of instant polenta (or corn flour)
- 1teaspoon of baking powder
- 2teaspoons of curry powder
- cold sparkling water or cold beer
- 1 little bowl of breadcrumbs
- oil for frying purpose q.s.
- salt and pepper q.s.

Recipe:

1. Get ready on the fire a little fryingpan with hot oil for frying purpose. I suggest you to use something very little because you will need to make a layer of oil, deep at least 2-3cm for a perfect fry. 
2. In a little bowl make a batter with instant polenta, 1teaspoon of baking powder, 1teaspoon of curry powder, salt and pepper q.s. and enough cold sparkling water or beer (even better!!!) to make the batter creamy but not liquid. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU USE CORN FLOUR OR POLENTA because other kinds of flour, unfortunately, will absorb too much the sticky fluid of okra, and you will get a dampish effect which is not very yummy...  
3. In another little bowl mix together some breadcrumbs and one teaspoon of curry powder.
4. When you have all your bowls ready, prepare a dish with some absorbent paper, and when the oil is hot you can start. 
5. Do all the following very quickly, but fry no more that 3 pieces at a time: cut your okra in small pieces, dip them into the batter one at a time, and then, very quickly, roll them into some bread crumbs (again one at a time). Then fry them in the hot oil no more than 3 pieces at a time, and take them out with a skimmer as they turn golden and crispy. 
6. Let them drain on the paper and serve immediately! 

No sticky fluids, just delicious crispy vegetable bites: will you try this recipe? Let me know if you like them in the comments!
Wish you a nice weekend!

♧ RISOTTO BLU ♧

No synthetic dyes, wonderful colours and a recipe made 4 hands with a dear friend.

When I 1st talked to my friend Rossana about my blue risotto she was just back from Japan, visiting her parents. The photo that I showed her was not that good, since my camera could not get the actual colour of the dish, but she got very interested anyway and told me that it reminded her of something that she had in Japan. It was "zomramen"(=zombie+ramen), a grey-is /blue-ish ramen of which colour gave the dish its peculiar name.
About me I had never thought about zombies while creating, instead I was thinking about the beautiful spring colours including blue, and the "magic" trick turning the risotto from pink to blue with a sprinckle of sodium bicarbonate!
But Rossana's observation gave me the idea to post this recipe during the halloween week! So here we are... trick or treat? 👻

Me and Rossana came out with 2different versions of the dish both very delicious... and actually, in my opinion, you could also mix both!

Let's start with my own version.
If possible use "vialone nano" quality rice, but if you cannot find this quality where you live, please use some rice for risotto purpose rice.

INGREDIENTS:

70g rice per person
Water double the amount of rice
A pinch of salt
A pinch of pepper
A lot of gorgonzola cheese according to your taste (I'd say around 30-50g)
Cooked champignon mushrooms (I used canned ones)
1 cup of thinly minced red cabbage
1/3 teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate

RECIPE
Actually there are two ways of cooking rice, the 1st one is simpler, the 2nd one is more difficult. Feel free to try the one you like more. If you have rice cooker you can just put in water, rice, salt, bicarbonate and cabbage and let the machine do the cooking.

Cooking way #1

• Prepare a pot with hot salty water
• In a fryingpan put the red cabbage, mix it with the sodium bicarbonate until it changes colour, add the rice, and mix
• In the fryingpan add the hot water one spoon at a time until the rice is perfectly cooked and creamy dry
• Add to the rice gorgonzola cheese and the mushrooms and mix well together until creamy. 
• If the colour gets pink again, you can add another pinch of bicarbonate (JUST A LITTLE!) and mix again.
• Decorate with mushrooms and serve.

Cooking way #2

• In a pot put water exactly double the amount of rice, with the cabbage, sodium bicarbonate and a pinch of salt
• When the water is boiling add the rice right in the middle of the pot to create a pyramid peeping out of the water of just one inch
• Let cook for the time reported on the box then turn off the fire
• Cover the rice and wait 10 more minutes until the water has completely dry
• Now add gorgonzola cheese, mushrooms and a pinch of pepper 
• Complete as in cooking way#1

When I talked with Rossana she pointed out that crispy bacon or crispy speck would have been great on it, and also she said that she didn't like gorgonzola that much, so she proposed to use taleggio cheese or camembert cheese instead

Rossana's version:

INGREDIENTS:

70g rice for risotto purpose (Roma rice) per person

Water double the amount the rice

Salt&pepper q.s.

A lot of Taleggio cheese or Camembert cheese (according to your taste)

1 cup of thinly minced red cabbage

Crispy bacon or crispy speck stripes

• Cook the rice as in cooking way#1
• Add the cheese you have chosen
• If needed add a little (A LITTLE!) more sodium bicarbonate to fix the colour
• Add the crispy bacon/speck stripes on top and serve!

Both versions are delicious, but which one did you like most? 😊

I really thank Rossana for trying and sharing with me not only the delicious version of my recipe that she made, but also for having allowed me to use the beautiful photograph of her dish that I posted as this post cover. Unfortunately I'm not as good as she is in taking photographs and even if I tried so hard my pictures were awful and absolutely couldn't get the actual colour of the dish. You can see my pictures down here: as you see it looks grey but it is actually blue! 😂

Let me and Rossana know which version you liked most or tried here in the comments! 

As always have fun and wish you a wonderful week! 😄

  

♡ LEFTOVERS RICE CAKE ♡

9 october is my dad's birthday, and I remember when I posted about dad's b.day last year 😊 this year we had a relaxed meal at home with dad's favourite foods. But we had no cake! Actually mom had bought one, but dad already ate it the day before for breakfast, the glutton! 😂 So I tried to cook something with what I had in the fridge: it was so delicious that we almost ate the whole cake at once! It is made with rice and glutenfree flour leftovers, so if you're celiac you can enjoy it too (but if you're not celiac you can use any flour 😉)! Recipe: mince one dish of about 150g of boiled rice (even if it is already seasoned with oil and a pinch of salt it's ok!) in the mixer until it is a sticky cream. You can add a drop of milk to help it mix well. In a bowl mix well 60g of ricotta cheese (or other cream cheese with light flavour) with 3spoons of cane sugar. Add 30g of bitter cocoa, the sticky rice, 4spoons of flour, baking powder, 2 spoons of oil, half glass of milk (more if needed), 30g of chocolate drops and 1 egg. Bake at 180°C, for 45mins then turn off the oven and wait until cold. It is very delicious but also light! Will you try it? If so let me know if you like it! Wish you a wonderful week!