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She sells seashells, by the seashore…

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My dreams of a blue and white country style kitchen are still playing in my mind…until that one comes true! Not fun ripping out the entire kitchen to start again! I’ll play around the theme of blue and white, where I can add accessories and have fun with table settings, bathroom accessories, shells, sand, lighted candles and creative starfish giving a Summer ocean blue hue to my home.My Summer ocean blue table setting can be found in detail here

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Accessorizing in the bathroom, is made easy by changing coloured hand embroidered  ocean motif hand towels and shower towels, add some shells and scented perfume bottles giving freshness to the room.

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The talents of creative hands, just couldn’t resist him!

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Inclusion in any ocean theme, of course is fresh seafood. For the summer months the availability and variety of fresh fish and crustaceans is at it’s best. Passing the fish market today, I purchased some fresh prawns.Too hot,weather wise today for anything else.I thought I would make a fresh prawn salad.

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Recipe: Strawberry and Prawn Salad

Serves 4

100 grams fresh prawns (cooked,peeled and de-veined) keep 4 aside for garnishing

1/2 avocado (diced)

1 punnet strawberries (cut into halves)

Rocket or mixed salad leaves

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Preparation:

Wash and cut strawberries in half, cut avocado into small pieces,add to a mixing bowl.Wash and drain the rocket or mixed salad leaves, add with the cooked prawns to bowl. Mix. Prepare dressing.

Dressing:

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

6 walnut kernels (roughly chopped)

salt and pepper freshly grounded

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

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Place individual servings of salad on plates or as I’ve done in glasses. Add the dressing and serve garnished with a whole prawn.

A summer delight. Enjoy!

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Wheat Harvesting

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The green machine has been working hard the last couple of weeks and is finally on the  homeward stretch. The days start early and finish late, and the eyes on the weary faces tell a story on their own, as sleep is limited throughout harvest.The last days always seem to be the longest and the hottest, as we’re experiencing high temperatures at the moment.

The wheat fields at the beginning of the season are covered in red poppies as they stretch their stems to reach the first golden sun rays of the new spring days.

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With time, sun and our spring showers, the wheat fields change a bright green colour.

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And then change a dry golden yellow when ready to harvest.

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Ready for my winter garlands, I prepare and clean a new bunch of wheat, cleaning the stems,spray with lacquer to preserve it from any pests and leave to dry.

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Wednesday’s Word

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Introducing Wednesdays Word. I thought it might be interesting to introduce you to some unknown and known words of the Italian language. Words which we may use already without realizing they’re part of the Latin Italian language. In the cooking world of language there are so many universal words coming from different parts, French, German, Italian…and I know you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many you do know from the Italian language.

Today’s Wednesdays Word: Affogato al caffè

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Why start with this word. Believe me you’ll want to remember it. For all you coffee lovers, this is a caffeine blast. A strong “hot” espresso coffee, with a drowning, floating scoop of vanilla ice-cream. There’s the meaning of the word Affogato – “drowning”

You’ll find this coffee based beverage or dessert on every restaurant or bar menu. It’s your choice what you want to put in your espresso. A scoop of vanilla ice-cream.  A white or chocolate “tartufo” which is white or chocolate coated ice-cream. A touch of rum, whiskey or how we like our affocato al caffè with a touch of nocino, at the end of a Winters evening meal. For the recipe of  nocino see here.

It’s the same as an iced coffee but it’s served hot and with strong espresso coffee.

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How many of you know the word? How many of you have tried one?

Let me  know, I think we can have some fun learning “new”  words…and another language together.

Open Sandwich – Fantasy

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I’m glad the hot weather has arrived…and I mean hot.

Lunchtime again, what’s on the menu today? Although, I cook a hot lunch for my working man,usually pasta or rice with varying homemade sauces. I’m still use to having my salads or sandwiches.

Today I thought I’d try this recipe. And I’m glad I did. It’s light, different and with added vitamins in disguise.

Recipe: Open Sandwich – Fantasy

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Ingredients: for 4 servings

There was only me…so I more than halved the quantities…

1 tablespoon walnuts

2 tablespoon parsley

100 grams cream cheese or ricotta

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

salt and pepper freshly grounded

1 whole meal bread roll or 4 slices of bread

2 carrots

1 granny smith apple

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Preparation:

I used cream cheese, because that’s what I had available, but I think this would work well with any soft cheese.Cut the walnuts and parsley finely,add the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

With a peeler, slice long strips of carrot,(6)and grate finely the rest of the carrot.I used half an apple, wash,peel and grate finely. Add grated carrot and apple to the cream cheese mixture. Add another tablespoon of lemon juice,and mix well.

Slice the bread roll into medium slices, place the mixture on top, garnish with the carrot strips.

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Lunch my friends is ready. Healthy, light, and delicious!

Enjoy!

Potato and Zucchini Moussaka

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This recipe is a variant from the normal  Greek style moussaka. The main ingredient used in traditional moussaka is aubergine, or eggplant parmesan here in Italy. This moussaka is light,and a pleasant change, to the normal heavy tomato based moussaka.

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Recipe: Potato and Zucchini Moussaka (serves 4 people)

Ingredients:

2 potatoes

3 zucchini

2 garlic cloves, grated

200 grams minced ground beef

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 can cherry whole tomatoes

3 tablespoons lemon juice

grounded nutmeg

1 tablespoon dried oregano

parmesan cheese, grated

90 grams butter

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

500 ml milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven 200°C.

In a frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add garlic, cook until transparent, add ground mince and cook for about 15 minutes until brown. Add cherry tomatoes, oregano and a generous amount of ground nutmeg, simmer until cooked about 30 minutes until liquid has evaporated.Turn off heat.

Steam the zucchini for 2 – 3 minutes, slice long ways.Slice also the potato (raw) in thin slices.

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Prepare the béchamel sauce. Heat the butter, until melted. Turn off heat.Stirring continuously, add the flour and mix well forming a paste. While off the heat add the milk, stirring with a whisk. Dissolving the flour and whisking until there are no lumps. Place back on heat again, cook until thickened,bubbly and a creamy texture. If you make the béchamel sauce this way you shouldn’t have any problems, your end result will be creamy (no lumps) white sauce every time. The trick is to take the butter and the milk off the heat.

 

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Now, we’re ready to start layering.Using a casserole dish, start layering, first the meat mixture,then a layer of zucchini slices, add parmesan cheese, a layer of potato slices, add parmesan cheese,add some béchamel sauce.Repeat.

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For the final layer end with a layer of meat, béchamel sauce, a generous amount of parmesan cheese, and optional, add freshly grounded chilli flakes.

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Cook in oven for 20 – 25 minutes, testing that the  potatoes are soft. A liquid sauce will form due to the water content of the zucchini. So it’s important to cook the meat sauce until all liquid has evaporated.

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Lunch is ready my friends.!This is a meal on it own, served nicely with a chilled glass of white wine.

Enjoy!

Bruschetta: Figs and Burrata

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Ok, so today we’re not counting calories. Burrata is a soft Italian fresh cheese. A mozzarella, white with a  shiny coating outside and a mouthwatering creamy centre. Rich and high in protein it’s made from buffalo milk. It’s hand made like normal mozzarella, except in the centre it’s filled with strips of mozzarella combined with fresh cream. Did I mention we’re not counting calories today.!burrata 008

An indication of the freshness of burrata is from the Asphodel leaves that are wrapped around the cheese preserving it’s pear – like shape.The leaves and the cheese have the same freshness time limit of 3 – 4 days, so if the leaves are dry it’s a good indication that the cheese has passed it’s prime. I however have the opportunity of buying it from our local gourmet cheese shop, where now they wrap it in a paper,with compulsory date limits to it’s freshness.

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Burrata can be eaten fresh on it’s own with fresh bread or made into a salad, or served with grilled seasonal vegetables. I had a copy of this recipe that I made today, but to no avail could I find the original, I think it was a Maggie Beer recipe, however it turned out great anyway…that’s a good indication of no loss memory, isn’t it!

Recipe: Bruchetta of Figs and Burrata (for 2 servings)

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2 fresh figs

1 fresh burrata

thickly sliced bread, toasted

zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

grounded white pepper

Slice the burrata into medium sized slices, and place in a glass bowl. Add the milk, olive oil, the zest and juice of lemon and leave in fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.

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Toast the thickly sliced bread, place on top the marinated burrata, sprinkle ground white pepper, place sliced fresh figs on top and drizzle with a generous amount of honey.

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Enjoy!

Zucchini Flowers

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The gift of a flower has so many emotions attached to it. In gratitude,in happiness, in sorrow, in friendship, in Love.

I remember one cold day in Winter, December 28 to be precise, I had spent the day working outside, harvesting radicchio ready for market. As I didn’t have time to get anything for my husband as it’s the day of his birthday, I picked a bunch of  red rosettes of radicchio and set the dinner table. It looked and meant much more to me than ruffled radicchio leaves, this vegetable that survives our cold winter weather, had created a whole new warm atmosphere to my dinner table. Red rosettes of my affection.

Passing the vegetable patch earlier this week, my sister in law did the same thing. On her way to give me well wishes for another passing birthday, she picked three zucchini flowers in full bloom.

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She then added her recipe for stuffed zucchini flowers. Even after putting them in a vase of water, without sunlight they close straight away…so it was obvious that the result was to try her recipe.

Recipe: Stuffed Zucchini Flowers ( for 3 flowers)

3 fresh zucchini flowers

1 mozzarella

6 anchovies

2 eggs

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

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Delicately open zucchini flower and take out the centre. Slicing the mozzarella into medium slices, wind the anchovies around the slices. Then place inside the centre of the zucchini flower.

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Make breadcrumbs blending one or two stale bread rolls, you need about a cup. Lightly beat 2 eggs. The stuffed zucchini flowers are then double coated. Firstly in egg then the breadcrumbs. Repeat. Place on oven proof paper on a tray.

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Here’s where you have the option to fry or bake. I always go for the second option, place in a medium temperature oven and bake for 15/20 minutes.

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Serve hot, but be warned be careful of the mozzarella. A mouthwatering treat.

Enjoy!

Lunchtime Rush…

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You know those days when it’s just too hot, and you want to have something “light”.Try these Chicken rice paper rolls…

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They can be filled with anything really,vegetarian delights or even sliced cold cuts, prawns,or tuna, but if you like that delicate perfumed crunch with every morsel try this recipe.

Recipe: Makes 8 rolls

400 grams chicken breast fillets

8 sheets rice paper

1 cup bean sprouts

fresh mint leaves

1 red capsicum, seeded and sliced julienne

1 carrot, sliced julienne

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Preparation:

Grill chicken fillets. Allow to cool and slice long strips. Prepare rice paper. Fill a shallow pan with water and heat for 2 or 3 minutes,turn off heat. Place a rice paper wrapper into the water until it’s soft and pliable ( about 15 – 20 seconds).Remove from pan and place under cold running water, lay flat on a damp tea towel. Place the filling of your choice or from my recipe, in the middle of the rice paper wrapper…grilled chicken strips,carrot,red capsicum,bean sprouts and fresh mint leaves.

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Fold the bottom of the wrapper up over the filling, fold in the sides totally covering the filling, then roll the wrapper upwards to form a neat roll shape. Don’t overload!

Serve immediately with sweet chilli sauce and crushed peanuts.

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Enjoy!

Adapted from a recipe in the CSIRO total wellbeing diet, Book 2