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MAINS

Braised Baby Octopus

 Easiest recipe ever!

Ingredients

1kg baby octopus

half cup white wine

2 potatoes chopped

handful cherry tomatoes

2 garlic cloves chopped  fine

bay leaves

dill

parsley flat leaf

salt

chilli

olive oil

Method

In a heavy saucepan add your oil and garlic and sauté about a minute then on high heat add your octopus and sauté another minute or so. Then add your wine and bring to a slight boil. Turn heat to medium add rest of your ingredients,  stir and turn heat right down place lid and simmer for one and half hrs. The octopus will throw its juices so after an hr take lid off so some of juice absorbs and sauce is richer. Octopus should melt in the mouth, enjoy with fresh crusty bread……..

ENJOY!

Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

1kg of barbecue sausage meat

half a leek chopped finely

4 rashers of bacon chopped small pieces

paprika

salt

pepper

fresh thyme leaves

4-6 sheets of puff pastry thawed

2 cups of grated melting cheese

2 egg

poppy seeds (optional)

Method

Ask your butcher to give you prepared barbecue sausage meat, if he can’t just buy the barbecue sausages and remove from skin. they will already be seasoned but i just add a bit more to my liking.

In a pan sauté your leek and bacon till soften well.

Then mix all your ingredients together with sausage meat, you can omit or add any other ingredient you desire.

To your taste basically…

then cut your puff pastry in half and each half in threes .

Take some prepared mixture and place on piece of pastry like o sausage, brush the edge of pastry with egg and roll then brush top of sausage roll with egg also. Sprinkle poppy seeds at this stage if you desire.

Continue with all then bake at 200degs for 30mins or till they are cooked and golden..

Enjoy with sauce or chutney….🙂

Sang Choy Bao

A quick easy dish i make from Adam Liaw’s cookbook which is wonderful so i thought i would share  ;)

ingredients

4 dried shitake mushrooms

500gm pork mince

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp light soy sauce

2 tsp cornflour

pinch of pepper

2 cloves garlic chopped finely

2 spring onions chopped finely

1 good cup of mixed veges

2 tblsp  oyster sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbspn hoisin sauce

peanut oil

METHOD

soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20mins, then remove and chop them up, save the water.

To your pork mince add your shoaling wine, soy sauce  cornflour pepper and garlic and combine well.

Heat a wok or large pan and add your oil then add your meat and stir fry till browned then add your onions, veges

and mushrooms and continue stir fry for a few minutes then add your oyster sauce and dark soy sauce and continue to stir fry till meat is cooked and veges are tender.

If to dry add some of your saved mushroom liquid.

Serve in a bowl and have your washed lettuce cups ready to fill and drizzle with hoisin sauce.

Enjoy!

Carciofi ripieni
Stuffed artichokes

ingredients

6 artichokes trimmed to tender part

half a loaf of italian  crumbed (bread preferably day old)

1 cup of parmesan cheese grated

chopped parsley

1 garlic clove crushed

olive oil

salt and pepper

half a lemon

half a bottle of tomato puree (passata)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 cup of vege stock

Method

in a pot of boiling water with half a lemon squeezed place you artichokes and let them boil for good 5 mins.

drain gently squeeze excess water and  and lay on tea towel.

while they cool in a bowl place your bread, cheese, garlic salt and pepper and add enough oil so it comes together like stuffing,  about half a cup or bit more.

in the meantime in a pan add some oil your chopped onions and fry till soft, add your puree  and season and turn to simmer.

gently take 1 artichoke and carefully open the centre and fill with your stuffing, try and open the leaves also and fill. u do not need to fill each layer of the artichoke , fill as you please but start with the centre and pat the filling down.

once all artichokes are stuffed place in your sauce and add your stock and let simmer for about 45mins.

you can tell when they are cooked and have become tender………………….

enjoy and happy cooking🙂

( in our cookbook Saporito we have this recipe filled and cooked a different way which you also must try )

Pasta Aglio e Olio

simplicity at its best!!

500 gms of spaghetti

good cup of olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped fine

4 fillets of anchovy

1 or 2 red chillies depending on you tastebuds:)

good handful of chopped fresh basil

handful of dry breadcrumbs

salt

METHOD

in a pot of  salted boiling water add you spaghetti ,

in another deep saucepan place your oil, anchovies and chillies and on a medium heat heat through till anchovies have disintegrated and garlic browned…once you have reach that turn heat right down.at this stage your pasta should be ready, drain and add to your oil raise heat and toss your pasta till well covered , should sizzle very quickly. take off the heat and add fresh basil breadcrumbs and toss .

serve straight  away with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

hint…. if pasta a bit dry add a bit of pasta water, pasta should be slippery and delicious😉

extra virgin olive oil

 

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SALAD

Brown rice and Quinoa salad with tuna

ingredients

2 cups of raw brown rice

1 cup of quinoa

1 can of corn

1 can of mixed beans

1 can of chickpeas

half red capsicum chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

1 250gm tuna in brine

2 lebanese cucumbers deseeded and chopped

good handful of parsley leaves chopped

good handful of basil leaves chopped

1 lemon juice squeezed in a cup,  then chopped

small block of feta cheese (optional)

and basically any thing else you desire🙂

dressing

extra virgin olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper

method

cook your rice and quinoa, when cooled combine all ingredients and dress according to your taste

and thats it!

quick  healthy and easy salad and hardly any cooking!

 

Quinoa salad

 

ingredients

 

• 2 1/2 cups of Quinoa boiled and cooled
• 1x Tin corn
• 1x Tin mix beans or chick peas
• 1x Red capsicum chopped
• 2x Carrots chopped
• 3x Celery sticks chopped
• 1x Red onion chopped
• Spring onions chopped
• Goats cheese or soft feta crumbled
• Nuts ( toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds)
• Walnuts or sunflower seeds
• Lots of coriander or parsley chopped
• Olive oil and salt for dressing…..

method:

In a bowl place all of your ingredients, dress and season and toss gently………

 

Saporito!

 

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DESSERTS

Decadent Brownie 

ingredients

250 gms unsalted butter

400 gms 70% dark cooking chocolate chopped

500gms caster sugar

4 large eggs

2-3 tspns of pure vanilla extract

2 tblspn  cocoa powder

125 gms plain flour

glaze:

200 gms of 70% dark cooking chocolate

125 mls of thickened cream

Method:

in a pot melt your butter, once melted take off the stove add your chopped chocolate and let sit for a few minutes then stir till well combined. In a mixer mix your sugar and eggs and vanilla till thick and creamy. Combine this to your melted chocolate and mix till well combined then sift your cocoa and flour and fold into your mixture. Pour into a lined rectangle baking pan and bake for 30mins at 180′ oven or until the top of the brownie has formed crust .

Take out and let rest in pan till cool. In the meantime in a pot bring your cream to a slight boil then take off the stove ad your chocolate and mix well and let cool till its a consistency you can spread over your brownie……. Thats it serve with ice-cream and enjoy!🙂

Gluten free Beetroot Brownie
Ingredients:

300g fresh cooked and mashed beetroot
200 g of good dark chocolate 70%
150g butter
100 g cocoa
100 g coconut flour ( gluten free plain flour)
Pinch of salt
Vanilla essence
4 eggs
1 cup of sugar

Method;

1. Steam the beetroot and mesh through a sieve ( this can even be fine the day before). Set aside
2 . In a small pot, melt the butter and chocolate until completely dissolved.
3. Stir the beetroot in it and set aside to cool.
4. In a mixer, beat the eggs and the sugar until fluffy and thick, add the vanilla to this.
5. Fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
6. Soft the cocoa, salt and flour a few times and sift over the chocolate mixture, to increase more air. Fold and fold until all blended in.
7. The oven should be on at 150C.
8. I used a rectangular tin 20×30 cm, line it with grease proof paper. Pour the mixture in and let it cook for about 25-30. Don’t overlook it, just keep an eye to the crust on top.
Let it cook completely in the tin and sprinkle with a little icing. Enjoy with vanilla icecream or just by itself!

Zeppole a Vuot’

Absolutely divine!

Ingredients

1kg ooflour

4 medium boiled potatoes

1 tspn of sugar

1 tspn of salt

2 sachets of dry yeast

Vegetable oil for frying

Caster sugar

anchovies (optional)

Method

Basically peel and boil your potatoes in enough water just covering , once they are cooked in  keep the water they boiled in as this is what you will bind your ingredients together with. In a bowl sieve your potatoes and add the warm water kept.

Add all your ingredients and form a soft dough, like a pizza dough. If there is to much water add more flower or if too dry add more warm water.

At this stage let your dough rise till doubled about 1hr.

I make this dough also more runnier but still gluey enough to cook teaspoon fulls. It gives you a much lighter zeppole, if you make a thicker dough after risen you take a little piece roll into a ball and stick your anchovy in it if you desire and then cook it. If you make the runnier one once risen take teaspoon full and drop in hot oil, once golden drain then roll in sugar an enjoy!!

Yum! Yum! Yum! x

 

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

absolute decadence x

Ingredients for biscuit base

125gm chocolate biscuits

75gm butter

Filling

3 tspns gelatine

1/4 cup of water

500gm of cream cheese

1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs separated

1 cup of cream

150gm dark cooking chocolate

100 gm white cooking chocolate

method

line a 22cm springform tin

process your biscuits and add your melted butter, mix well and press mixture over the base of the tin, refrigerate for 30 mins.

sprinkle you gelatine over the water  in a heatproof jug then place the heatproof jug  in a pan of simmering water and stir till gelatine is melted.

Now beat your cheese, sugar, egg yolk until smooth. Beat in the cream then stir in the dark melted chocolate and gelatine.

Beat you egg whites till soft peaks form then fold into cheese mixture and mix well.

Pour into your tin then pour your melted white chocolate on top and with a skewer do some swirls to mix in the white chocolate to create a pattern.

Refridgerate overnight if you can resist😉

ENJOY!

Semolina slice

Chocolate fruit cake 

Wonderful old Womens Weekly recipe…. divine!

Ingredients:

500gm raisins

250gm pitted prunes

250gm pitted dates

125gm sultanas

200gm glazed cherries

1 cup of rum or (brandy)

1 1/12 cup dark brown sugar

1tbs Vanilla Essence

4 eggs

200gm dark cooking chocolate

1/2 cup apricot Jam

1/2 cup apricot nectar

2 cups plain flour

1/2 cup self raising flour

1tbs cinnamon

250g butter

Method:

1. mix the dried fruit in a bowl and add the rum (brandy) – leave for 1-2 hours

2. line a deep round cake tin with a double layer of backing paper on sides and base. wrap outside of tin with double thickness of brown paper and tie with string or secure with a paper clip. Preheat oven to 160degree

3. beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy then beat in the eggs one by one, beating well. add mixture to the fruit and mix well.

4.melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over simmering water or in the microwave oven for about 2 minutes and stir in the apricot Jam and nectar and pour over the fruit mixture and stir it all well.

5. Fold in the flour and cinnamon and tip the cake mixture into a prepared tin. smooth the top and tap the pan on the work top to settle the contents and remove air holes.

6. Bake for 2/3 hours (2-2 1/2 hours for smaller cakes) until the skewers test comes out clean. remove from the oven, leave in the tin, wrap in kitchen tea towels and leave overnight

7. day after remove from tin dust with icing sugar

preparation time: 30 minutes (plus soaking time)

cooking time:2/3 hours

TIP: cake can be wrapped in glad wrap or glad foil and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for it to last months.

Ferri di cavallo biscuits ( horse shoe biscuits)

Ingredient

400 g plain flour
100 g corn flour
100 g caster sugar
250 g butter at room temperature
6 egg yolks
Vanilla
200 g plain chocolate ( I used even orange lindt chocolate)

Method: turn oven on at 190C. 
Mix all ingredients ( except for the chocolate) in a bowl with an electric mixer, until all combined.
Use a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe out the biscuits on a tray with non stick paper on it. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until firm to hold. Cool on a wire rack.
In the mean time melt the chocolate ( I did it in the microwave), and dip the ends of the biscuits in the chocolate and let it set on the grease proof paper. When set p,ace in an airtight container. This mixture makes 40-50 biscuits, depending on how big you make them.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

These Zeppole can be filled with your favorite custard…….

makes about 10 depending how big you make them.

ingredients

500ml of water

140gm butter

300gm flour 00

6 eggs

50gm sugar

pinch of salt

vegetable oil for frying

glazed cherries

icing sugar

method

in a pot add your water and butter and salt and simmer till butter has melted. Then add your flour and stir with a wooden spoon tip it all comes together to form a soft ball ( very similar to choux pastry), take off the heat and add sugar and mix in well.  At this stage place the dough in a mixing bowl and let cool a bit.

Next add your eggs 1 at a time and beat into mixture till well combined and you have a soft  sticky dough.

cut baking paper  into 10  squares about 4inch square each.

In a piping bag with a patterned nozzle add your dough and on your baking paper pipe a swirl to create a circle and then one swirl on top. So as if you a creating a small dome.

In a deep fryer or deep pan heat enough oil to 170 degrees, fry your zeppole, place the zeppole in the hot oil with the baking paper. (it will just slide off and take the paper out with tongs).

Continue to fry till golden then drain on paper towel.

Once they have cooled fill with your favourite vanilla custard, add fresh fresh cherries or glazed on top and dust with icing sugar. Place in fridge for a bit before serving.

Alternatively and for a lighter version,  with this recipe the zeppole can  be baked. Preheat oven at 200′ and pipe your mixture on a lined baking tray and cook for  15mins then turn oven  down to 160′ and cook for a further 20min.

Once cooked let them cool completely and fill. If they cant be filled slice in half and fill them that way and just finish off with icing sugar.

🙂 happy baking x

BOMBOLONI

ingredients

500gms OOflour

250ml warm milk

100gms of melted butter

50gms caster sugar plus extra to roll your bomboloni in

10gms salt

2 satchets of dry yeast

zest of 1 lemon

vegetable oil for frying

nutella

METHOD

warm your milk and in 2 separate small bowls halve you milk.

in one bowl add your 50gms sugar and  yeast and stir and let froth, in the other place your salt.

now in your yeast mixture add 100 gms of sifted flour and the other milk mixture, mix well and let stand till double in size about 1hr.

now in a mixing bowl sift remainder of your flour, melted butter, lemon zest and  yeast mixture beat on medium speed for 10mins. till the dough has become smooth and spongey. cover with cling wrap and let rise for 2hrs in a warm place.

once risen , on  your Daniela and Stefania pastry board😉  sprinkle some flour and roll out the dough to 2cm thickness.

with a cookie cutter or glass cut out circles as you would scones, let rise another 30mins

excess pastry can be fried and rolled in sugar as is. (do not re roll and cut circles as it will not rise )

heat you vegetable oil to 170 degrees and fry your bomboloni turning as the brown golden.

drain on paper towels, them with a syringe insert your nutella and roll in sugar and mangia mangia mangia!!!🙂

ps. you may use custard , jam or simply plain

best eaten warm………….

BOCCALUPO xx

Kinder Slice

ingredients

120gm self raising flour

125gm icing sugar

20gm coco powder

3 eggs

1tspn vanilla paste

for filling  you will need

200 gm of whipping cream

1 tbspn honey

125 gm nestle condensed milk

method

in two bowls place your egg yolks in one and egg whites in another. in whites add a pinch of salt and beat till stiff set aside.

in your yolks add  your self raising flour and beat then add icing sugar and  coco , vanilla and beat till well mixed.

gently fold your whites into your batter till well combined.

in a  lamington pan lay a sheet of baking paper and pour you mixture in and spread evenly .

place in a preheated oven at 180 for 10mins. once cooked let cool.

in the meantime whip your cream , then add your condensed milk and honey  and whip more tip well combined.

when your cake slice has cooled trim the sides and ends neatly, cut slab in half length wise, spread you cream over one half then place on top with the other half as if to make a  giant sandwich. refrigerate at least 90min. once set sprinkle icing sugar slice and serve!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cartocci fritti….

troppo saporito and a breeze to make😉

ingredients

 

500gm oo flour

50gm  caster sugar

50gm lard (melted)

250ml of warm milk

1 egg 

50ml of liquer like  strega (optional )

half a sachet of dry yeast about 3gm

good teaspoon of salt

 

caster sugar to roll the Cartocci in 

vegetable oil for frying

 

for the custard i used our custard recipe in our cookbook “SAPORITO”

 

METHOD

in a mixer  place your flour, sugar, egg

halve your warm milk and in one half place yeast and the other half place the salt and stir till dissolved.

once dissolved add to the the flour also add your melted lard and beat on medium speed for 15mins.

the dough will become beautiful soft and smooth. if too sticky just add a touch more flour

once 15 mins have passed place in a glass bowl and let rise in a warm place  for 2hrs.

once risen cut dough into portions about 60gm, roll out into a sausage and wrap around your cane rods or whatever rods you have same ones as you make cannoli.

place on a tray and let rise 1hr in a warm place.

 

heat your oil to 160 and fry till golden. keeping the temp at 160 will make them golden and cook through, turn them as they cook 

drain on paper towels . they will cool quickly.

fill with custard, roll in sugar and ENJOY……………..

makes 12-14

 

Churros

simplest  recipe ever everyone, tried many this is the best for us, its a Nigella one …Ingredients:

 

• 125gm plain flour
• 125gm SRFlour
• pinch of salt
• 500ml boiling water
• 2tbspn oil 
• caster sugar to roll your churros
• vegetable oil for frying

method:

sift your flours into a heatproof bowl and add your salt.
make well in the middle ready for your boiled water.
add the oil to your water pour it into your flour whisking so you form no lumps. the consistency should be a soft and sticky one, not hard.
rest for 15mins then deep fry till golden and drain on absorbent paper and roll in sugar and MANGIA MANGIA MANGIA ;) 

enjoy xx

 

 

Biscotti con Mandorle e Pistachio

 

 

So these biscuits are technically the same difference between the two obviously is the pistachio.

I shall give you the ingredients separately but the method is the same…….

 

Ingredients for pistachio

300gm almond meal

200gm of pistachio meal

300gm of caster sugar

4 egg whites

icing sugar

green food colouring 

 

Ingredients for plain 

500gm almond meal

300gm caster sugar

4 egg whites

2 packets of flaked almonds

icing sugar

 

 

Method

Basically mix your meal and sugar and egg whites together, with the pistachio add green food colouring at your discretion, i think I used 4 or 5 drops? It will all come together as a paste.

Now with the pistachio meal form 20c balls and roll them in icing sugar and place on lined baking tray a bit apart. When you have filled a tray pinch the balls slightly with 3 fingers and place in 180dg preheated oven for about 10mins, depending on your oven.

With the plain version form a 2inch small log, roll in your almond flakes then icing sugar and place on a lined baking tray and place in preheated oven for about 10mins, depending on your oven .

 

Once they are done take tray out of oven and let cool as they will be soft to touch but they will harden as they cool. 

Place on wire rack to cool completely!

 

Enjoy😉 x

 

 

 

 

Martha  Stewarts Chocolate Crackles

 

Love Love these biscuits, I have Martha Stewarts Cookie book and I love and make so many of them.

This one is high on the list as a favourite🙂

 

Ingredients

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon pure mint extract
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
COOK’S NOTE
Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or rolled into balls and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Roll in confectioners’ sugar just before baking. Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring.
STEP 2
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and cocoa in a small bowl.
STEP 3
Whisk together granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in melted chocolate and mint extract until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.
STEP 4
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll tablespoons of dough into balls using your palms, then roll in confectioners’ sugar to coat. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart. Bake until slightly firm in the center, about 15 minutes.
STEP 5
Let cool slightly on sheets set on wire racks. Transfer cookies to racks, and let cool completely.

 

 

 

 

Brutti ma bouni (ugly but good)

Honey and Nut Slice

Ingredients

200 gms of honey

150 gms of sugar

assorted nuts and dry fruit of your choice

sesame seeds

Method

Melt your honey and sugar over low heat in a pot, once sugar has dissolved  stir in all your nuts and etc.

line a lamington tin  and spread your mixture evenly and cool till set well, you can place it in the fridge to set quicker. then chop into desired portions!

enjoy🙂