MariRecipes » Pasta/Rice/Bread

Spaghettini with Shrimps, Courgettes and Tomatoes

MariRecipes — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:46:01 +0000

I love spaghetti and when they are accompanied with sea-food even more! this is a perfect combination…and very tasty also! for fours:

. 400 g of spaghettini (kind of thin spaghetti very used with sea-food)

. 300 g of shrimps

. 2 medium green cougettes grated with the large grater

. 4 tomatoes peeled off without seeds and diced

. 1 clove of garlic chopped

. a small quantity of peperoncino pepper chopped

. chopped parsley

. extra virgin olive oil

. salt

First of all bring to boil water in a large pan to cook the spaghettini. In a non stick wok heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and golden the garlic. Add the peperoncino if you are decided to get a hotty flavour. Add the grated courgettes, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and salt and cook for another 2 minutes. At this point add the shrimps and cook in medium to high heat for 5 minutes (don’t overcook, as you will loose all the texture and flavour of the shrimps). Take the wok from the heat and add a little quantity of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped parsley. At this point you must have the spaghettini cooked “al dente” (generally 5 to 6 minutes of cooking). Add the spaghettini to the prepared sauce and mix very well. Divide into 4 plates and add more parsley if you like…delicious!

Gnocchi with courgettes, cherry tomatoes and tuna fish

MariRecipes — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 12:36:07 +0000

This is an easy and fast making summer dish, low cost, to eat at the sea…for 4:

. 320 g of dried gnocchi (Barilla has packages of 500g)

. 4 fresh green cougettes grated (with the large grater)

. 20 cherry tomatoes cut in halves

. 2 small cans of tuna fish without the oil (at about 140g)

. 2 cloves of garlic chopped

. olive oil

. fresh parsley and basil

In a large pan boil the water to cook the pasta. Meanwhile in a wok pan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, allow the garlic to cook until golden and add the grated courgettes. Cook for 2 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper and allow to cook for other 5 minutes. (the courgettes must remain a little crunchy). Turn off the heat add the chopped parsley and basil, the tuna fish into small pieces and a small quantity of extra virgin olive oil. When the pasta is cooked according to the package directions (at about 11 minutes) add it to the sauce and mix well. Divide into four plates and serve!

Homemade Baguettes

MariRecipes — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:44:25 +0000

I came to know this recipe in a internet short movie from Julia Child with a french boulangère. I’ve tried to do it with satisfatory results…I give you the recipe and also some changings I’ve done according to our taste…

. 600 g of wheat flour (I used 300 g of all purpose wheat flour and 300 g of semola)

. 15 g of fresh bread yeast

. 1 teaspoon of sugar (not present in the original recipe)

. 2 teaspoons of salt

. 1 tbsp of olive oil (not present in the original recipe)

. 300 ml of warm water (you may or may not use all the water, you have to observe the mixture and also the climate humidity)

On the table pour the wheat flour and make a “hole” in the middle. Pour a little quantity of water, the yeast and the sugar. Let it set for 15 minutes until starts to rise. Afterwards add a little quantity at a time of water, the salt solved in the water, the oil until incorporating all the flour. Continue to mix and “bang” the mix against the table until it’s smooth and elastic. (the boulangère said you must do it at about 800 times…I’ve lost the count when I was banging it for the 50th time…but the mix raised well). Let the mix set for 15 minutes uncovered and then covered it with a cotton table cloth for 1h and half in a warm place. (if it’s too cold I turn on the oven to 60°, TURN IT OFF and let the mix set in it, always covered)

After this 1h and half you must do the baguettes (they must have 350g each, so they will bake all well ), covered them again with the table cloth and allow to set another hour.

Afterwards you must do diagonal cuts on the baguettes, brush it with water and bake them in the pre heated oven (180°C) for 30 minutes until golden. Let them cool down for 20 minutes before eating…

Zucchini and Saffron Risotto

MariRecipes — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:03:35 +0000

As the World Cup Championship starts tomorrow for the Brazilian team I decided to make this risotto to pay homage to them (or to the South African team or the Australian’s as it’s all green and yellow like their national flag…

. 3 medium green zucchini (courgettes) diced into cubes of 1,5 cm

. 1 clove of garlic chopped

. 320 g of vialone nano rice for risotto

. saffron (about 0,130 g )

. vegetable stock (see pumpkin and zucchine risotto)

. grated parmigiano or grana padano

. 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Heat the vegetable stock. In a non stick pan heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until golden. Add the zucchini, mix well to flavour and add the rice, toasting it for 1 minute. Add a little quantity of stock each time and mix always and well. After 10 minutes, add salt, ground pepper and the saffron, dissolved in a small quantity of boiling stock. Continue to mix until the ultimate cooking (note that the rice must be “al dente”). Turn off the heat and add the grated parmigiano. Divide into 4 plates and add more grated parmigiano. I hope it will bring fortune to the brazilian team!!!

Rigatoni in Tomatoes, Leek and Codfish sauce

MariRecipes — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:20:49 +0000

This is a fast preparing recipe and I think that the taste of leek is great with the codfish and tomatoes….(for 4)

. 320 to 400 g of rigatoni pasta

. 2 leeks (only the white part) sliced

. 6 peeled of tomatoes without seeds cut into cubes

. 150 g of codfish desalated and unweaved

. 1 clove of garlic

. olive oil

Take to boil a large pan with water. Meanwhile prepare the sauce: in a non stick pan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and make the clove of garlic golden. Take the garlic off the pan and add the sliced leek in a low heat temperature until it gets “transparent”. Add the unweaved codfish and mix well. Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for at about 15 minutes until the tomatoes are almost dissolved. Taste and if necessary add some salt.

In the meanwhile cook the pasta according to the instructions in the package. Switch off the heat of the sauce, add a small quantity of olive oil and when the pasta is cooked add it to the sauce, mixing for some minutes vigorously. Serve immediately strewed with minced parsley.

Bread with herbs

MariRecipes — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:12:12 +0000

These are soft and spongy little breads…

. 500 g of all purpose wheat flour

. 25 g of bread yeast

. 5 teaspoons of sugar

. 2 teaspoons of salt

. 4 tbsp of olive oil

. 25 g of butter

. 150 to 200 ml of tepid milk

. some green onion minced (or fresh thyme leaves, or rosemary leaves if you prefer).

In a little bowl mix the yeast, sugar and some tbsp of the tepid milk. Allow to rise for 15 minutes. Pour the flour in a big bowl and make a depression in the middle. Add the yeast mixture and mix with your hand. Add more milk, a little quantity each time, and mix it with the flour. Add the olive oil, the salt, the butter melt within some milk and continue to mix. In the end mix the minced green onion and mix until you get a smooth mixture. Shape it like a ball and allow to rise in a warm place, covered with a cotton table cloth for 1 to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

After that divide the mixture into 12 pieces and shape your little breads. Transfer them into the baking tin and allow them to rise for one hour, always covered with the cotton table cloth.

After that you can make little cuts on the breads, brush them with water and bake them in the pre heated oven (180°C) for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Squash Soup with Ginger

MariRecipes — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:29:31 +0000

This is the squash soup that my mother usually made for us…for me it gives comfort and makes me feel better…

. 1 kg of squash peeled off and cut into cubes

. 1 potato, peeled off and cut into cubes

. 1 onion, finely sliced

. 1 clove of garlic

. 1 small node of fresh ginger, peeled and grated (you can use it in powder also, with care)

. 2 tbsp of olive oil

In a pan heat the olive oil and cook the onion until golden. Add the clove of garlic, allow it to golden and add the legumes, mixing well to incorporate with the onion. Add boiling water (or broth) until cover the squash, add salt, pepper (if you like it) and the grated ginger. Allow to cook for at about 30 minutes, in low heat (you can use the pressure cooker if you want), taste it, verify the salt and with the blender mix the legumes into a velouté creamy soup. Serve adding grated grana padano or pecorino cheese with crostini…

Bolognese Ragu

MariRecipes — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:52:21 +0000

This is a special sauce for tagliatelle, pappardelle, bavette and linguine and also to prepare lasagnas….This is the recipe I often prepare:

. 5oo g of minced beef (if it’s easy for you to get it try a mix of beef and veal)

. 1 onion chopped

. 1 carrot chopped

. 1 stick of celery chopped

. 1/2 glass of red (or white) wine

. leaves of a stick of thyme

. 1 jar of “passata” of tomatoes (or 700g of fresh tomatoes turned into “juice” with the mixer)

. salt, ground pepper (if you like it you can add 1/4 teaspoon of powder cinnamon)

. olive oil

In a big pan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil (or butter if you prefer), add the onion and cook until it’s transparent. Add the carrot and celery and mix for a moment. Add the meat and cook until it’s browny. Add the glass of wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomatoes “passata” (or the tomatoes juice you prepared with the mixer), the same quantity of water, salt, pepper (the cinnamon if you like ), the thyme and bring it to boil. When boiling, low the heat to very low and allow it to cook slowly, for 2 hours. Try the salt and if it’s necessary add more at the end of cooking time. You can use this sauce to flavour your pasta or to make tasty lasagna with béchamel sauce and parmigiano…

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Ricotta

MariRecipes — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:06:41 +0000

This is fast food! while you cook the spaghetti pasta, you prepare the zucchinis….For 3:

. 320 g of spaghetti

. 2 green zucchinis grated in the large grater

. 1 clove of garlic

. salt, pepper ground at the moment, olive oil

. leaves of 1 stick of thyme

. 2 tbsp of fresh ricotta cheese

Bring to boil a great pan with water. When boiling add 1 and 1/2 tbsp of coarse salt and add the spaghetti. Pour the ricotta into a bowl and squeeze it with a fork. In a wok pan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add the garlic until it’s golden and add the zucchinis, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 4 minutes and took from the heat (throw out the garlic, please!). At this moment you take a ladle of the pasta cooking water and add to the ricotta….it will become like a thick cream. (add more water if you prefer it more liquid…). The pasta must be cooked! (at about 7-8 minutes). Drain the pasta and add it to the wok with zucchinis and add the ricotta cream. Mix it well and serve immediately! (photo: penne with zucchini and ricotta…you can choose the pasta you want!

Leak and Potatoes Cream Soup

MariRecipes — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:20:03 +0000

Ingredients for 4:

. 1 tbsp of butter and a trickle of olive oil

. 2 leaks (use only the white part) sliced

. 1 carrot chopped

. 1 thick of celery chopped

. 4 or 5 potatoes diced into cubes

. 1 litre of good vegetal stock

. leaflets of fresh sage

Heat a pan and make melt the butter and olive oil. Put the sage and let them golden. Bring them out of the pan and add the carrot and celery. Cook for some minutes, add the sliced leak and cook in low heat until it’s transparent. Add the potatoes, mix for a moment and add the hot stock. Cook in low heat for 45 minutes. When it’s cooked, whip the soup with an immersion mixer. (it must be very creamy…). Serve it with chopped green onion, grated grana padano and /or croutons…