Lovers of Italian Food Rejoice!!
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Salvation is here. You CAN have your Italian food and eat it too.
Come with me on a journey which will show you the easy and enjoyable ways to eat Italian food based on sound nutrition, whole foods, typical Mediterranean style eating, allergy/intolerant friendly recipes and super yummy meals. Recipes, videos, hints, ideas, demos, inspiration, shopping tips, and secrets all ready for you to start your Italian Food Journey. Open up your eyes to the wonderful world of real Italian food which will not leave you sorry or unsatisfied. Join me. Buon Appetito! |
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ZUPPA TOSCANA
TUSCAN FARRO, RED LENTIL AND VEGETABLE SOUP 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 1 brown onion finely chopped. 3 carrots finely sliced. 2 celery sticks finely sliced. 2 potatoes cut into small cubes. Small piece of pumpkin chopped into cubes. 1 bunch of silver beat or spinach finely chopped (or 1 packet of frozen spinach optional) 1 cup of dried red lentils rinsed. 1 cup of dried pearl barley (farro) rinsed. Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper. Organic vegetable, chicken or beef stock. Warm olive oil. Add brown onions, carrot and celery and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Add all other vegetables except the pearl barley. Stir vegetables well to coat in olive oil, add salt and pepper, then cover vegetables by 1/3 with the organic liquid stock. Pour in the pearl barley. Bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour, covered the whole time. Check liquid content during cooking time. Add more stock if required. Your soup should turn out creamy and hearty with a real earthy flavour. |
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CLASSIC TOMATO AND OLIVE BRUSCHETTA
1 Loaf of Organic Sourdough Ciabatta Bread. 4 Organic Sun Ripened Tomatoes diced. Small bunch each of Italian Parsley, Basil and Oregano finely chopped. 1 large Organic Garlic finely chopped. 1/2 cup of Black Olives. Sea Salt. Freshly ground Black Pepper. Good splash of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Splash of Balsamic Vinegar Reduction (optional). Grated Mozzarella Cheese (optional). Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the Ciabatta Bread into a large bowl and mix well. Sit for 20 minutes to allow for the flavours to combine. Slice organic ciabatta bread and place onto lined baking tray. Brush one side with olive oil and toast in oven until just toasted. (Times may vary). Remove from oven. Turn each slice of bread over. Top each slice of bread with a scoop of the tomato and olive mix. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and add a small sprinkling of grated cheese on each slice (optional). Return bruschetta to oven and bake for a further 10 minutes. Buon Appetito xo. |
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TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PANZANELLA (TUSCAN BREAD SALAD)
5 ripe organic Roma tomatoes 3 slices of organic sourdough casalinga bread (stale or toasted) 1/2 red onion very finely sliced Black olives - remove pips Bunch of Italian parsley Home made pesto (optional) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Chop tomatoes into roughly even size pieces. Tear or slice Casalinga bread into similar size pieces. Thinly slice onion. Remove parsley leaves from their stalk. Add tomatoes, bread, onion, parsley and black olives into a salad bowl. Toss through with 3 tablespoons of Everyday Cider Tonic, 6 - 7 tablespoons of the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well. Allow Panzanella to sit for 20 minutes before serving so that all the flavours and juices combine. Optional - I like to add a tablespoon of home made pesto on top for extra punch and flavour!! Buon Appetito! |
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ITALIAN CHICKEN BRODO
3 litres of cold water 1 small No 10 organic chicken 2 celery sticks roughly chopped 3 carrots peeled and roughly chopped 1 onion or leek roughly chopped (washed) 1 tablespoon of black peppercorns 1 tablespoon of sea salt ‘Best of the Bone’ Bone Broth – Italian Herbs (for serving) In a large stock pot add organic chicken, vegetables, peppercorns and salt. Cover with 3 litres of cold filtered water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour. At the end of cooking time, remove the whole chicken and take all the meat from the bones to use later in the soup or for other dishes. Strain the rest of the soup. Use the Brodo as your base for soup. Add pasta, homemade chicken dumplings and mini tortellini for serving. Stir through 1 tablespoon of ‘Best of the Bone’ Bone Broth – Italian Herbs into each bowl for extra added flavour and goodness. Buon Appetito xo. |
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SUMMER PESTO PASTA SALAD
The beauty of this salad, is the combination of the best of summer flavours all blended together. The secret is to use the best quality ingredients you can purchase. No store bought pesto please!! A delicious, fresh, home made pesto is used for this dressing, which can be whipped up in seconds and brings all the fresh flavours of summer home. My go to favourite good quality pasta varieties are either Barilla or Dalverde. Both excellent in quality. If using anchovies, make sure they are in olive oil, not vegetable oil and you can easily find good quality cherry tomatoes in abundance in summer. They are sweet, juicy and delicious. Pick an olive oil for the dressing which has a sweet, peppery flavour, but is not too twangy. Cobram Estate is a fail safe choice. Other than being a taste sensation, this recipe is full of antioxidant goodness (just what we need after Christmas), good omega 3 fats required for optimum health and flavour galore. I hope you will enjoy this as much as my family and I do?? Give it a go! Ingredients 250g of good quality pasta spirals (I use Dalverde or Barilla). 1 punnet of cherry tomotoes halved. 100g of pitted black olives. 5 anchovy fillets (optional). Soft cheese broken into chunks such as firm ricotta (from the wheel, not in the tub)! Home Made Pesto for the dressing. Salt. Pesto Dressing 1 bunch of fresh basil, leaves only! 1 small fresh garlic. 50g raw pinenuts. 1/2 teaspoon of pink salt. 1/2 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil (Cobram Estate is one of my favourite). 3 - 4 teaspoon of grated pecorino cheese (optional). Method Make pesto dressing by combining all ingredients except the pecorino cheese into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. You can add more olive oil if required. Remove from blender into a bowl and stir in the grated pecorino cheese if using. Boil 250g of pasta spirals in 3 litres of salted, rapidly boiling water according to packet instructions. Drain and while still warm, stir through the pesto dressing, reserving some for later. Pour dressed pasta out onto a platter to cool. Once cooled, in a large bowl add the halved cherry tomatoes, pitted black olives, sliced anchovy fillets and cheese. Stir well. Pour into serving platter, garnish with extra black olives, ricotta, a bit more pesto dressing and fresh basil pieces. Buon Appetito xo. |