Raw Seafood Starter

I am spending my holidays in Italy, on the Adriatic sea cost. Here you can get the best seafood of the
region.... I am trying some starters for the New Year's eve dinner... here is a suggestion for you if you manage to get fresh seafood in your region... this is the best... simple and easy!

Serving 2
Ingredients:
8 Oysters
4 "Fasolari" or small scallops (coquilles Saint Jacques)
8 Venus clams (Tartufi di mare)
4 Lemons
Pepper to taste

Carefully open the seafood shells and place them on a serving plate, cut the lemon in quarters, cut the quarters in half. place them on the serving plate, sprinkle some pepper on the top of the opened seafood. Eat each shell with lemon juice..... Buon Appetito!

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Cocoa Ravioli with Ricotta & Lemon filling in Pistachio Pesto

Traditional Pesto, from Liguria, is made of fresh Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic, Pinenuts with the addition of Pecorino and Parmigiano cheese. This Pistachio pesto is from Sicily, the only Italian region where Pistachio plants are cultivated. The famous Italian Pistachio from Bronte is mainly used to make this pesto. Of course you can use any kind of (unsalted) pistacho to make it. I've served this Pistachio Pesto with handmade star shaped cocoa ravioli with a filling of Ricotta and grated lemon zest, an original recipe by Myitaliancuisine for Christmas. This could be your very special Italian Christmas or New Year's Eve original dish.  Cocoa, ricotta and pistachio are a very nice combination of flavours. I recommend to use pure unsweetened cocoa powder to make the pastry.

Serving 4
- For the Ravioli
Pastry:
100gr Durum semolina (Italian: farina rimacinata di grano duro, tipo 0)
200gr all pourposes flour (Italian: farina di grano tenero, tipo 00)
30gr Usweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
A pinch of salt
Filling:
250gr Fresh ricotta
1 egg
Grated zest of half organic lemon
50gr crushed pistachio nuts
Salt  and pepper to taste
- For the pistachio Pesto
200gr unsalted pistachio nuts
4 Tbs Extra Virgin olive oil
1 Tbs Grated Pecorino
1 Tbs Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste
Some extra Grated Pecorino cheese to serve

-Prepare the ravioli pastry. Mix the 2 flours and the cocoa. Place the flour mixture on a worktop, make  a hole in the middle, pour the eggs, and a pinch of salt. Beat the eggs, mix it with the flour with a fork. Work the pastry till you get a even mixture. Give it a ball shape. make it rest for 15 minutes.

-Prepare the filling. Mix the ricotta with a pinch of salt and pepper, the grated lemon zest and the crushed pistachio nuts.
-Prepare the star shaped ravioli. Place the pastry on a floured worktop, roll it out with a rolling pin.

Add flour when needed. Roll it out till you get a fine pastry disc.

Start to cut out the stars of pastry with a star shaped form (the same used to shape Xmas biscuits) Cut as much stars as you can.

Place a teaspoon of ricotta in the middle of a start, cover with another star.

 Make sure that the borders are well sealed, if necessary use a little water and help pressing with a finger. Proceed this way till all the pastry stars are filled.
-Prepare the pesto.

In a mortar (or in a  small food mixer ) smash the pistachio nuts together with the grated cheese, little by little pour the oil on the mixture, mix well.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the Ravioli.

 Your Christmas cocoa stars are ready! Place the ravioli on a serving plate and pour the pesto on it. add some grated Pecorino cheese, sprinkle some pistachio nuts. Buon appetito!
"Cocoa ravioli with ricotta and lemon filling" is an original recipe by MyItaliancuisine.  All right reserved ©MyItalianCuisine2011.

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Ricotta & Mortadella Bites (Mini panzerotti ricotta e mortadella)

This is my revisited mini version of the original "Panzerotti" from my auntie Maria. They remind me my childhood in Italy, those kind of things I will never forget... today I love to make these bites for my friends. The main ingredients are the wine pastry (made of flour, olive oil and white wine), ricotta and mortadella with a sprinkle of marjoram. A perfect appetizer, surprisingly tasty!

 Makes about 12 bites
Ingredients:
- For the pastry
200gr all pourposes flour
70 dry whiteh wine
50 Extra virgin olive oil
A good pinch of salt
- for the filling
200gr Italian Ricotta (better if sheep's milk ricotta)
150gr Mortadella chopped
2 eggs
50gr Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon of dried or fresh marjoram
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepepr to taste
- For the glazing
1 egg
1 teaspoon of marjoram

 Preapare the pastry Add all the pastry ingredients in a mixing bowl or in a food mixer and mix till you get the a mixture as you see it in the photo.

Pour the mixture in a floured workingtop and work it till you get an even ball of pastry. Cover with a kitchen towel and make it rest for 10 minutes. In the meanwhile preheat the oven 180C°(360F°) and prepare your ricotta filling.

In a mixing bowl add ricotta, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, marjoram, pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Mix till you get a creamy mixure, add the chopped mortadella. Reserve the mixture in the fridge.

Roll out  the pastry with a rolling pin.

Roll it till you get a large circle of 1cm height.



Cut the rolled pastry in the shape you need, I use the cups as you can see in the photo.



Cover the cup with the cut pastry, fill with the ricotta mixture.

Cover with another piece of pastry and fix the borders with a fork.

Glaze with the beaten egg and sprikle with the marjoram. Proceed filling all your cups. Place them in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes, untill the top gets gold brown. Take out and let cool.

Your ricotta & mortadella bites are ready! Serve warmish or cold. Buon appetito!

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Chocolate Banana Cake ( torta banana e cioccolato )

An amazingly good chocolate banana cake which will allow you to use those mature bananas left on the fruit basket nobody likes to eat anymore!

I want to dedicate this post to my friend Andrea, the chocolate addicted man, also known as "Poldo" because of his second addition...: sandwiches! Ciao Andre, questo fondente banana cioccolato è una forza! Facilissimo da fare, perfetto per Franza! Se segue le indicazioni non si puo' sbagliare, ma dille di usare il burro vero, please!

Ingredients:
3 mature bananas
2 eggs
80gr butter
120gr flour
30gr dark unsweetened powdered cocoa
100gr brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions:
Preheat the oven 180C°(360 F°). Melt the butter in the microwave for 30 sec.  Pour it in a food mixer, add the eggs and the sugar. Mix at medium speed for 20 sec.

Add the bananas cut in pieces mix again for 20 sec. Add the flour, the amandel powder and the baking powder.

Pour the mixture in a buttered cake pan. Place it in the oven 180 for 25-30 minutes. If neessary after 15 minutes of cooking reduce the temperature to 170C° (340F°).

This cake must not be completely dry inside. Is good if the middle is still soft when you take it out from the oven. (Mine was overcooked, to my taste). Make it cool a bit and place it on a rack, to complete cooling.

Decorate as you like...here is a Xmas decoration done with icing sugar. Buon appetito!

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Roasted Chicken with Red Peppers

 Very tasty Italian chicken recipie, very easy to prepare. Good for any occasion, always a great success with guests! Preferably use red or red and yellow peppers, they are sweeter and perfect for this recipe. I only had red ones this time...But isn't this dish a feast of colours?

serves 6-8

Ingredients:

8 -10 Medium red peppers (or red and yellow)

1 Medium chicken cleaned and cut in small pieces

2 Medium onions (or 4 small)

6-8 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Garlic clove

6 Spring onions (optional)

1/3 Cup of white dry wine (optional)

1/4 Cup finely cut parsley for decoration

Cut the chicken in small pieces. Set aside. Clean and finely cut the spring onions. Preheat the oven at 200C° (360F°).

Cut the peppers in half, take off the upper part, the seeds and white internal stripes. 

Cut them in about 10cm long stripes. Cut the onions in a fine julienne. Set aside.

Add 3 Tbs Olive oil in a frying pan, add the spring onions, the garlic and the chicken. Add pepper and salt. 

Cook for about 5 minutes till the chicken starts to change colour. Add the whithe wine. Evaporate the wine. Cook for few further minutes.

Remove the garlic clove. Transfer the chicken in an oven pan. Use the same frying pan to cook the onions and peppers for few minutes on the fire, add 3 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for few minutes stiring with a wooden spoon. Pour the lightely cooked peppers and onions in the oven pan, cover the chicken.

Cover the oven pan with an aluminium foil.  Place it in the oven 200C°(390F°) for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes take the foil off and reduce to 180C° (360F°) if necessary (depending on your oven). Cook for further 30-40 minutes.

 After 30-40 minutes your chicken with peppers is ready! Sprinkle with finely cut parsley.

Place the chicken and the peppers on a serving plate with the cooking sauce. Buon appetito!

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Dark Chocolate Truffles ( Tartufi al cioccolato fondente)

Belgium chocolate is worldwide famous. Since I live in this country I've started to appreciate specially dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is, when containing a decent % of  cocoa ( for me min. 70%) a very good source of antioxidants, magnesium and it is for sure a very natural antidepressant ; ) Every Christmas I prepare this "Truffles" made with Belgian dark chocolate and Italian Mascarpone cheese. A perfect mix which very well represents me and "MyItalianCuisine" from abroad! They are very easy to make, you just need to keep the chocolate-mascarpone mixture in the fridge before use, just to make it "workable". I have used grated coconut, unsweetened cocoa powder and crushed pistachio for decoration, you can use anything you like. Enjoy!

Makes about 70-80 truffles

400gr Dark Chocolate with a good % of cocoa
200gr Mascarpone cheese
160gr Powdered white sugar
2 Tbs Rum (optional)
3 Tbs Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3 Tbs Grated dried coconut
3 Tbs Crushed unsalted pistachio nuts

Cut your chocolate bars in small pieces, place it in a mixing bowl and melt it in a microwave or over a hot-water bath. There are a few fundamental guidelines to successfully melting chocolate, you can find them here: http://candy.about.com/od/workingwithchocolate/a/meltchocolate.htm
I always use the microwave:

  To melt 400gr of dark chocolate I proceed as following in my microwave: 2 times 30'' then I mix with a spatula, I repeat this process for 3 times always verifying that the mixture is not getting too warm.

After 3 times 2x30" your chocolate is well melted and shiny but not liquid!Stir well with a spatula. Let it cool.

When chocolate is cool you can add the Mascarpone and the icing sugar. Mix well. If you want, at this point you can add the Rum.

The final mixture should look like in the photo. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

After 2 hours, take the mixture out of the fridge. With a teaspoon take a small amount of chocolate and form a ball the same size as a walnut.

Roll the truffles in the pistacho or coconut or Cocoa.

Place each decorated truffle in a mini cupcake paper cup.

Your Christmas dark chocolate truffles are ready, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days...if you manage to don't eat all... Buon Appetito!

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Red Paprika with Tuna and Bread stuffing (Peperoni ripieni di tonno e mollica)

Filled paprikas are one of the most traditional recipes of my own town, my Grandma, Nonna Francesca, use to make the best I 've ever eat...will never forget the taste. Use Italian red paprikas, if possible, red cornetti. Normal thick square shaped paprikas will not make it! They are too thick to be cooked this way. The other ingredients are very simple, the most important is the bread... use 1 or 2 days old bread. Grate it or use a mixer. Use the white soft part the "Mollica". If you use "in salt" capers, wash them before adding to the other ingredients or they will be too salty.  I really hope you will enjoy making this dish ;)
Serving 4
Ingredients:
6-8 mediumpeppers, preferably red cornetti
250gbreadcrumbs from soft day old bread
8 capers
250 gr Canned Tuna (In water)
1 Small bunch chopped flatleaf parsley
6 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 or 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 largefresh tomato, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C /375°F. Prepare 6-8 medium red cornetti. Cut off the tops andremove the seeds and the trim the ribs on the inside. Wash out theinsides. Dry. Drain the tuna in a a small colander. Combineit together with all the ingredients in a large bowl mix it well ( you can use a food processor) and set aside for 15minutes or so for the mix to absorb the olive oil and to season. If the stuffing still feels a little dry (it depends on your bread)then add a little more olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Carefully stuff the peppersusing a spoon or your fingers to ensure that the stuffingreaches the tip of the peppers. Arrange thepeppers in a oven tray. Add 3 Tbs olive oil.  Bake for approx 45 - 60 min. During the cooking process,add a little water if necessary. The peppers will soften and start to brown and the stuffing will oozeout somewhat.

Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.

Serve hot or at room temperature. Buon appetito!

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