pumpkin muffins

Ingredients

500 gr pumpkin, peeled and seeded
375 g flour
400 g white sugar
backing powder
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves)
some salt
half a glass vegetable oil (160 ml)
3 eggs

about one hour

Preheat oven to 175º. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
Split pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and strings. Place in microvawe for 20 minutes (otherwise in oven for about 90, covered with tin foil). Remove pumpkin pulp and puree in blender.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

aubergine balls

Ingredients

aubergines
bread crumbles
parmesan cheese
basil
garlic
one egg
salt and pepper
olive oil

Cut the aubergine in twoes, sparkle some salt and let them purge the water (and the bitterness) for about 20 minutes. It is a good idea to put them on a dish and cover them with kitchen paper and a weight on the top, so they lose even more water and bitterness
Cook the aubergines in the oven (40-45º) or in the microvawe. Mash them using a masher or chop them very finely, add one egg, some parmesan cheese, a lot of basil, some mashed garlic, salt, pepper and the bread crumbles (quantities may vary depending on the aubergines, just follow your instinct).
Fry the balls in some olive oil. They are delicious both warm and cold.

Pumkpin dumplings (gnocchi)

Ingredients

500 gr pumpkin.
some flour
one egg
250 gr ricotta cheese
one boiled potato


Remove the pumpkin seeds and cut it into chunks. Cook the pumpkin either in the microwave (about 10 minutes) or in the oven (200º, will take a bit longer), then peel it (it's easier to peel once cooked). Pass it in the vegetable mill or masher or whatever device meant for mashing potatoes. (here is one example). Do not use any electrical food processor because they will alter the texture. Mash the potato as well.
Incorporate the ricotta cheese, the egg, salt and some flour (the right amount will depend on the type of pumkin and other factors). The texture should be not quite solid, not quite liquid (you have to be able to form dumplings with a spoon without them sticking to the spoon).
Boil them in water till they come back to surface, then take them out of water, one by one, with a slotted spoon.

Serve them with melted butter and smoked ricotta (or parmesano cheese).

celiac-friendly chocolate brownie

Ingredients

100 gr finely chopped almonds (or other nuts)
100 gr sugar
3 eggs, yolks and whites split
150 very dark chocolate (the darker the better)
100 gr butter
some rhum or marsala or sherry or malaga (optional)


Mix almonds and sugar in a bowl, then add the yolks and stir. Melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave or au bain marie (do not let it boil or simmer). Whip the egg whites until hard peaks form.
Merge all ingredients together leaving the beaten egg whites for the end. To incorporate the stiff egg whites use a spoon and lift the batter clockwise slowly, otherwise they will lose their stiffness.

Bake on baking paper for about 30 minutes at 160º. It has to stay soft in the centre.

Wine: Sauternes, Pedro Ximenes, Marsala, Sherry Amontillado.

carrot cake

Ingredients

100 gr finely chopped walnuts
100 gr finely chopped almonds
350 gr carrots a la julienne
small canned sliced pineapple without syrup, raisins
300 gr all purpose flour
5 gr baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon, a bit of salt
4 eggs
300 gr brown sugar
250 ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp vanilla

stir the ingredients together , cook at 45/60 min 170/180 c

cream

250 gr philadelphia o cream cheese
60 gr butter
250 icing sugar
rasped lemon zest
vanilla essence

melt the butter with the cheese and stir in all the other ingredients.

salmorejo

ingredients

1 kg ripe tomatoes
2 green peppers
3 cloves of garlic
5-6 slices of old bread (without the crust)
olive oil
salt
pepper

Blend all ingredients together. Serve chilled with boiled eggs cut in bits, serrano ham in cubes, sliced tomatoes, chopped onions or shallots, or whatever you may prefer.

easy tagliatelle with salmon and shrimps

Ingredients (2 people)

200 gr tagliatelle
1 deep frozen salmon filet
120 gr shrimps
1 courgette
1 small onion
small package of cream cheese with herbs and garlic
a tablespoon of crème fraîche

about 20 minutes

boil the tagliatelle al dente.
chop the onions and the courgette, fry in a tbsp oil till golden brown, add the shrimps and the salmon filet in pieces. let it simmer for some minutes, then add the cream cheese and the crème fraîche, salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, it's better to sautée the pasta with the sauce for one/two minutes adding a bit of the cooking water of the noodles.

salade niçoise

Ingredients

sliced potatoes (with peel)
green salad
300 gr green beans (haricots verts)
1 tin tuna fish in oil
1 chopped red onion
artichoke hearts (canned)
sliced cherry tomatoes

for the French dressing:
oil, balsamic vinegar and mustard q.b.

about 15 minutes

fry the sliced potatoes seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper
boil the green beans for 8 min aprox.
put all the ingredients on a large plate or bowl and season with the French dressing.

moussaka

ingredients:

1 aubergine
3 bell peppers
3 onions
300 gr. minced
900 gr sliced potatoes
500 ml bechamel (done with butter, flour and aprox. 1 lt milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg)
salt and pepper
thyme
olive oil

about 1 hour and 20 min

Preheat the oven at 180º.
Chop the aubergine (salt them, let them purge the water for 10 min.), peppers and onions. Fry all in a pan for about 5 min.
Cook the chopped with salt and pepper and thyme q.b. for about 5 min.
in a deep oven dish, set the veggies, then a layer of meat, and finally the potatoes. Top all with abundant bechamel sauce and cook in the oven (about 45 min).


Fry the be

spinach quiche (aka torta pasqualina)

ingredients:

500 gr boiled and chopped spinach
200 gr ricotta cheese
50 gr parmesan cheese, rasped
50 gr pecorino cheese, rasped
6 eggs
deep frozen puff pastry
salt and pepper

about one hour

In a bowl stir the spinach, cheeses, salt and pepper and two eggs. prepare the puff pastry, extend it on a baking tin, place the filling on it and dig 4 holes where to put 4 raw eggs. Close the pie with more puff pastry, brush it with beaten egg yolk and bake it for around 40 min, 180-200º.

thai green curry tofu

ingredients: (x4)

2 tbsp green curry
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500 gr green beans (deep frozen)
400 ml coconut milk
300 gr fresh tomatoes
400 gr tofu
salt and sugar

about 20 minutes.

fry the green curry paste in vegetable oil, add the coconut milk and let it simmer.
add the green beans, the salt, the sugar and the minced tofu; let cook for 10 min. Add the tomatoes, let it simmer for other 5 min.
Serve with thai rice.