I am back....

I was busy in shifting my house from Bangalore to Brussels, Belgium on new assignment. I will be blogging regularly soon.

Thanks for all the readers.

Homemade Fruit & Veggie Muffins

I cup shredded carrots
2 cups flour
1 small box of raisins
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger grated
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple drained

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and oil. Mix in carrots, raisins and pineapple. Gradually stir in dry ingredients until well combined. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes for regular sized muffins, 15 minutes for mini muffins.

A Nourishing Macrobiotic Breakfast

A traditional Macrobiotic Breakfast will include but not be limited to: Miso Soup, Grain Porridge and Greens

Miso Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups spring or filtered water

1 inch strip of wakame, soaked in cold water for 5-10 minutes
2 inches of Daikon, cut into thin Half Moons
1/4 cup of Leek sliced into thin Diagonals
1 to 2 tsp South River Barley Miso1/4cup of Tofu cut into small cubes (optional)
1/8 cup of Scallions thinly sliced

Directions:

Soak wakame by covering with cold water for 5-10 minutes.
Place soup pot on stove with water and bring to a boil.
Remove Wakame from soaking water, cut into 1/2 inch squares
Add to soup pot and simmer for 1 Minute
Add Daikon simmer for 2 Minutes
Add the leeks and Tofu simmer for 1 more minute

Dilute miso into a small amount of soup stock, mixing in bowl until smooth

Turn off heat and add diluted miso just before serving 

Miso should be heated all the way through but not boiled, as boiling will destroy beneficial bacteria and enzymes
*Garnish with thinly sliced Scallions

Grain Porridge

Ingredients:
1 cup precooked organic short or medium grain Brown Rice

Other choices could be Cooked Barley, Millet, Whole Oats

2 cups water
Vegetables: Winter Squash, Celery, Daikon, Corn (optional)

Directions:

Place the cooked rice in a sauce pan. 

Pour water in the pot 

If you are adding the Vegetables place them in the pot add Rice and Water 

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until creamy. 

*Garnish with Toasted Sesame, Pumpkin or Sunflower Seed

Greens

Ingredients:

Leafy Greens of choice: Boc Choy, Kale, Collards, Leeks, Broccoli

Method:
Steamed, Blanched or Water Saute for a few minutes. You want your Greens to be crisp and bright. From the energetic stand point, we eat greens in the morning because they are upward growing and this is exactly the type of energy we need to get up and go. Greens will also add lightness to your meal.


Next time a balanced Macrobiotic Lunch !

"Anelletti al forno", our scrumptious baked Sicilian pasta

 

Do you know what "anelletti al forno" are? Here in Sicily we have a typical shape of pasta that is called "Sicilian anelletti" which means little rings. We normally use them when we want to prepare our traditional baked pasta! 
You may find this little timballo of pasta in bars and diners in Palermo that goes with the most classic Sicilian ragout made of minced meat, tomato sauce, onions and pieces of vegetables like carrots and peas.

As this recipe is usually very rich we normally eat it in winter, while for summer we have a different version, considered absolutely "lighter" :-)
It is made of tomato sauce, fried eggplants or aubergines and Sicilian primosale cheese.

My family and I love this version of baked anelletti a lot more than the one with meat and we also add another ingredient: thin slices of Napoli salami, while other people prefer to add ham. 

This preparation takes a while (about 3 hours plus baking time), but the result is a scrumptious mouthwatering baked pasta that we normally have for the most important summer festivity: August the 15th, which is called Ferragosto (mid August term) but it is also a Catholic festivity that celebrates the Assumption of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary.
Baked pasta is something you do in layers, so read and follow the recipe carefully.

Ingredients and preparation for about 6 people:
600 gr. anelletti
2 aubergines or eggplants
200 gr. Napoli salami
250 gr. Sicilian primosale cheese
100 gr. Grated Sicilian caciocavallo cheese
1 bottle tomato sauce (about 750 ml)
breadcrumb
olive oil

1. First turn on the heat and put on a big pot for cooking the pasta. In the meantime 2. cut the eggplants in slices, not too thin, place them on a colander with salt on and leave them aside for about 15 minutes. It will make them release the bitterness and taste sweeter. After the time has passed just wash them under running water and they are ready to be fried in olive oil.

3. By the time you have finished frying, water in the pot will be boiling, so cook the anelletti as normal pasta, putting some salt in the water. They need about 20 minutes of cooking. 4. Stir the anelletti from time to time and prepare the tomato sauce in an appropriate sauce pan. 5. Cut the primosale cheese in slices or thin pieces and also the salami (you can either leave it in slices or cut it into pieces as well).


6. When the pasta is cooked (but careful not to overcooked it because it has to go in the oven as well!), drain it and add the tomato sauce plus the grated caciocavallo cheese.

Now it's time to start building the layers:
7. Take a large oven dish or tray with high rims and cover the space with some olive oil first, and breadcrumbs after, then put half the amount of anelletti mixed with tomato sauce and grated caciocavallo cheese on the bottom of the tin, then cover with a layer of fried eggplants, then primosale cheese and finally the third one with salami, just as shown in the picture below.

8. Put the rest of anelletti on top and finally cover with some more spoons of tomato sauce to avoid the pasta becoming too dry in the oven, then a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of breadcrumbs again to make the crust in the oven.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes or a little more, until it is golden and crusty.

10. Serve hot! On the right the final picture of how the whole thing should look before the baking phase. This is one of the best first dishes of all times... enjoy it!!!

Have a rest with a "Sicilian granita"

Hi everyone, do you know what the "granita di pistacchi" is? Granita is something very typical from Sicily and is basically what you probably call a shaved ice or similar. Nice, cool, refreshing, perfect when the sun is hot and you want to have a rest.

In the southern part of Sicily the granita is particularly good and they prepare it with so many different flavors: pistaches, figs, coffee, watermelon, mint, ecc... besides the most classic one that is made with lemon.

Thanks to the picture that my two friends Laura e Carlo sent me while they were visiting the town of Ragusa. If you are in that part of Sicily, or near Siracusa as well, don't forget to try one of this excellent granite!!!

Everyone is on holiday right now so I want to wish Happy Ferragosto (ferragosto is our Summer festivity: August 15th) and enjoy your Summer vacation wherever you are!

Plum cake

My pear cake recipe (here) works well with other fruits. Tonight, my daughter and I made a plum version of this cake with the following proportions:

• 5 ripe plums


• 4 eggs


• 180g (less than 1 cup) sugar


• 1 stick (114g) butter


• 170g (about 1 1/3 cups) flour


• 1 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp vanilla extract


• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

We beat the eggs and sugar until foamy. We added the melted butter, then the sifted flour, then the baking powder, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mixing well (with a whisk) while adding each ingredient.
We poured the dough in a buttered, round metal pan (the same old 10" x 2" I used in the pear cake recipe).
We placed the plums, halved and pitted, on the dough, cut side up.
We baked for about 50 minutes in a  340ºF oven.

Nourishing Fruit Compote

Berry season has been in full bloom here in Vermont so the other evening I decided to serve my guests a Fresh Fruit Compote of assorted Berries and luscious Pennsylvania Peaches. 

I simply washed the Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries and Peaches. Removed the pit from the Peaches, sliced them and tossed them together with the Berries for a quick and easy Dessert. 

Fresh Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

1 cup of each, Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, 

4 Cups of Sliced Peaches

1 Tbl of Agave, 

1 Tbl of Water 

1 Tsp of Orange Flower Water 

1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Method:

Wash the Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries and Peaches 

Removed the pit from the Peaches and sliced into half moons

Place all the Fruit in a Large Glass Bowl 

In a Small Bowl add  the Agave, Water Orange Flower Water and Vanilla Extract 

Toss together to coat Fruit with Marinade 

I prepared this right before my guests arrived and let it marinade in the Refrigerator till serving time!

Cashew Cream:
Ingredients:

1 cup Cashews, 2/3 cup Water, 2Tbl Agave Nectar, 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Method:

Soak Cashews for 4 to 8 Hours, drain and puree in Food Processor or Vitamix (which is what I used with) 2/3 cup of water, and the addition of the Agave Nectar and Vanilla Extract

The Fruit Compote was served after Dinner with a large dollop of Cashew Cream. It was quite Simple, Refreshing, and Nourishing!