food styling
Healthy January 0.3
Sourdough wholemeal focaccia with onions and radicchio
Like many, I have been playing with sourdough since the beginning of the first lockdown in England. It kept me busy as it is like a pet to care for. Anthony Bourdain in his book Kitchen Confidential mentioned several chefs giving names to their starter. One of his colleagues used to call it the B****
Have you given a name to yours yet?
This recipe is sort of an adaptation of a regional recipe from my area in Sardinia, Pratzira with onions (Onions focaccia). Pratzira comes in different flavours and shapes, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms and so on.
I absolutely love the onions version with its sweet taste and slippery texture. Add some tasty radicchio leaves and you are in for a treat!
If you do not know how to make natural yeast, there are many resources online bit I will share the recipe with you in the near future. Check this space.
A bit about nutrition…
When I consulted my blog partner Giulia about this recipe for our healthy January. She said “Ok, we are halfway through our detox month and, therefore, we can allow ourselves to cook something scrumptious and slightly higher in carbs than our previous recipes. “
The star of these focaccine, though, are the veggies — radicchio and onions. The purple-and-white type of leaf vegetable can be eaten raw, mixed in into salads and contorno, but it is AMAZING also if cooked. Radicchio, also known as Italian Chicory is packed with plant compounds —especially in its red part— which act as antioxidants on free-radicals and can improve circulation.
Onions have been seen in research to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, to act as a prebiotic on our gut flora, and to be able to balance the immune system and improve heart health.”
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224407002282
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2011.646364
Prep Time: 45 minutes +
leavening time about 14 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 15 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
210g strong wholemeal flour
150ml water
10ml olive oil
5g salt
70g sourdough starter
360g white onion
170g radicchio
60ml olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
First thing you will need to activate your sourdough starter by feeding it on the night before using it.
The second step is often called by the experts as “autolyse”.
In a small bowl, mix the water, wholemeal flour, and oil. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set aside for 1 hour. This is to allow the enzymes in the flour to activate.
Then add in the natural yeast and knead for 5 minutes to form a smooth dough. Now add in the salt and knead for another 2 minutes.
Let it rest for 8-12 hours or until it is doubled in size. This time can vary significantly depending on the temperature in your kitchen and of your ingredients, and how active is your starter.
A generall tip is to check the consistency of the dough, it should be bouncy and light.
Slice your onions into thin rings. Then cook them in a pan with 30ml of olive oil for about 10 minutes or until translucent.
Stir constantly to avoid burning them.
Let the onions cool down. Keep some aside, you will need these to decorate your focaccine. Then gently incorporate the rest into your dough, folding the edges of the dough on top of it a couple of times.
Put the dough onto a floured surface and portion it into 8. Then shape each one into a small ball, tucking the sides in with your hands. Dust some flour all around and on the top of each ball rubbing it genlty with your hands. Cover them with a cloth and let them raise again for about one and a half hours.
Preheat the oven to 220 ºC
Now place each ball into a greased baking tray and flatten each one using your finger tips. Pressing genlty and avoiding knocking out all the air.
Cut the radicchio into small wedges to fit into your focaccine. Place some of the radicchio leaves on the top of each focaccina.
Bake for 10 minutes. Then drizzle the remaining olive oil on the top and cook for further 10 minutes or until is gold.
Healthy January 0.2
Artichokes in olive oil and parsley dressing
My obsession with artichokes goes as far as trying to smuggle two small plants with pot and soil in my suitcase from Sardinia to grow them in London. They arrived safely but suffered a few injuries on the way.
Sadly I also failed in my attempt to grow them in London, all of them died after one month of incessant rain.
The Sardinian variety is with spikes, which I found difficult to find in the UK. I have just recently seen that the brand Natoora sells them online. (This post is not sponsorised)
Some time ago I visited the Blue zone of Sardinia, an area with a high longevity rate among the inhabitants, and speaking with some of the oldest inhabitants it seems that many like to eat artichokes. So I consulted my blog partner Giulia, to know more about these delicious vegetables from the nutritional point of view.
“Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus is without any doubt one of our favourite flowers from the Mediterranean region, the area where Italy is located and where Jennifer and I come from.
Artichoke is an edible thistle (a flowering plant) and it is absolutely delicious —you can’t blame us for loving it so much!
When cooked artichoke has a succulent meaty pulp and a sweet and nutty taste. You can also eat it raw —mainly the inner part known as the heart— but the consistency is definitely more fibrous and the taste is bitter.
This chubby green thistle is also packed with nutrients and health-promoting benefits. Artichokes are low in fat and rich in fibre which make them a great food for our digestive system and our heart health. They also contain a good amount of antioxidants, vitamin C, K and folate, and important minerals, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron.
Medical research has found that this plant, which has been used for centuries for its benefits, may help balance cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Another great reason to consume artichoke as both a vegetable or an extract is the protective and stimulating effects it may have on our liver and gut health. The fact that this plant is also so high in fibre —especially a soluble fibre called inulin— makes it a prebiotic food, which can help improving the intestinal flora.
As we don’t waste anything in Jenny’s kitchen while we prepare our recipes, we used those inedible leaves we removed from the artichokes before cooking to make a tea. This tea has a bittersweet taste and it is a great drink to stimulate digestion and liver health. “
This recipe is great served as a starter to complement a cheese or cured meats board or even as a side dish.
This is the best season for Artichokes so make sure you don’t miss them!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30308247/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22435514/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26310198/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29520889/
Recipe
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 artichokes
1 lemon
1 tsp salt
50ml white wine vinegar
1l water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
a handful of fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
Artichokes oxidise when cut, therefore rub some lemon juice into your hands before touching them.
To prepare the artichokes remove about some of the harder outer leaves until you are left with the softer ones. Cut most of the stalk, leaving about 1 cm. Trim the stalk into a point and chop about 2-3 cm off the tips of the leaves.
Slice them in a half and then cut the so called “beard“ just below the leaves.
Place the artichokes in a large bowl with water and the juice of two lemons (this will prevent them from turning black).
In a large pan bring the vinegar and water and 1 tsp of salt to the boil. Add the artichokes and let them simmer for about 30 minutes.
Leave to cool down into their own liquid.
Now we will prepare our dressing. Finely chop the parsley. In a small bowl pour in the olive oil and spoon in your parsley.
Pat-dry your artichokes with a table cloth and pour some of the parsley oil previously made on the top.
You can add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra sharpness if you prefer.
Tortellini in brodo
On Christmas Day many Italian families will start their lunch with a “light” primo piatto. Tortellini (cappelletti, agnolotti…) are a common example of festive primo. They essentially are fresh pasta ravioli stuffed with a meat-base filling and served in a beef or chicken broth. But tortellini aren’t ‘tortellini’ in all areas of the Boot, they rather have different names and slightly different ripieno (filling) according to the city where they are made.
For our “healthier” Christmas menu, Giulia and I used the traditional recipe from Bologna which has a filling of meat, Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, etc… We only made two small changes to this filling while keeping its traditional flavour pretty much intact — we basically reduced the amount of cured meat used, and added a hint of fibre by adding sautéed Belgian endive.
As you may know, cured meat such as ham and sausage contains a number of preservatives which are not beneficial to our body. On the other hand, the fibre found in fruit and vegetable improves our digestion and helps us feeling fuller.
The main variation to this recipe, was to use beef bone broth instead of regular broth. This slow cooked food has an ancient tradition in our cuisine. Bone broth has also gained more and more visibility in the health industry over the past years due to its numerous properties, so Jennifer and I agreed to serve our tortellini with bone broth.
Drinking bone broth regularly can have a positive impact on our digestive system, skin appearance and joints health — the long cooking process of the bones releases collagen and amino acids such as glycine or arginine into the liquid, making bone broth a cheap and nutritious anti-inflammatory food.
The procedure is quite long although it is not too difficult. It is one of those recipes that brings families together to share the arduous task of preparing a large quantity of small tortellini.
The recipe can be easily converted into a vegetarian one, just by changing the filling to a ricotta and spinach and using a vegetable broth instead of a bone broth.
They can be stored for months in the freezer easily.
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3h 20 minutes
Serves 4 (about 120 tortellini)
INGREDIENTS
2L BONE BROTH
750g Beef bones
1 Onion
1tbs apple cider vinegar
2 celery sticks
2 Carrots
a bunch of rosemary
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 liters water
FOR THE PASTA DOUGH
110g 00 flour
1 egg (50g)
2g salt
TORTELLINI FILLING
20g butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped (70g)
50g minced beef
50g minced pork
40g Parma ham
40g Belgian endive, finely chopped
20g grated parmesan
a sprinkle of nutmeg
1tsp salt
2 twists ground pepper
1litre bone broth
INSTRUCTIONS
For the broth. Start by washing all the vegetables, then cut the onions in a half and peel the carrots.
Place all the ingredients in a large pot covered with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 hours. The broth can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.For the pasta dough place the flour in a large bowl put the flour into a mound. Make a hole in the middle and into it put in the saffron, water and salt. Mix it all together vigorously with your hands for about 7-8 minutes and knead until it forms a dough.
Put it into a container, cover with cling film and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
For the filling, start by melting the butter in a pan, add in the finely chopped onion, then add in your minced beef and minced pork. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until it is fully cooked or lightly coloured. Spoon in the finely chopped chicory and cooked for 1 minute further. Sprinkle some nutmeg, black pepper and salt.
Now add in the grated parmesan and grind everything in a food processor until you obtain a smooth cream. Cut the Parma ham into really small pieces and add in to the mix. Blend everything together one more time.
Now start the preparation for the tortellini.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pasta dough with a pasta machine.
Split the dough into four equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each one through a pasta machine, beginning on the thickest setting and working your way down to the thinnest.
If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thin
as possible.
With a pasta cutter, cut squares of approximately 5cm side.
Place about half a tsp of filling in the centre of each square.
Fold each square in a half to form a triangle. Press the edges firmly.
Mix the remaining egg yolk with some water. Brush each dough circle with this egg wash.
Fill each circle with a teaspoon of the ricotta filling.
Fold each circle into a semicircle, press the edges of the semicircle firmly. Refine the edges with a pasta cutter again to make the tortellini triangles all of the same size.
Now, bring the pointed ends together and press firmly to close them into a ring.
Set aside on a plate previously dusted with flour. Avoid stacking them all one above the other cause they might stick together.
In a pan bring the broth to a boil again and cook the tortellini in the broth. They are ready when they start to float.
Immune boosting
#4 Buckwheat risotto with asparagus and spinach
Since I was a child we would walk across the landscapes with my family in Sardinia during spring and late summer foraging wild asparagus. You would have hoped that nobody went there before yourself to harvest them all. And whenever one found a few would shout ‘two, three’ and so on, and your foraging companion would reply back with their numbers — it was like a challenge to prove who had the sharpest eyes!
I recently went to Sardinia and I brought a friend from London with me. We found so many asparagus that we renamed the place “The Asparagus Paradise”.
But luckily it is all a paradise in London if you wish to say so, we don't need to forage asparagus anymore as the grocery shops stock them all year round.
This is another variation of a tradition Italian primo piatto: risotto.
Giulia and I cooked buckwheat by following the exact same step you would follow to cook a regular risotto. We used buckwheat instead of rice as the first grain is high in fibre, phytonutrients and minerals such as copper and zinc. Low levels of zinc are linked to a weak immune system, therefor it is extremely important to increase consumption of zinc during winter months.
We picked asparagus for its distinctive flavour and because this vegetable —together with onion that in Italy is the base for almost every primo piatto— is packed with quercetin. Quercetin is a plant-compound that can help protecting the body from free-radicals, inflammation and viruses, on top of modulating the immune system.
Another great vegetable we added to the risotto is spinach which contains high levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene, also essential to our immune system and general health.
Buckwheat risotto with asparagus and spinach
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2 serves
INGREDIENTS
STOCK
600ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
RISOTTO
140g buckwheat
100ml white wine
1/2 onion finely chopped
130g asparagus
20g butter
40g baby spinach leaves
a handful of parsley
5 twists of black pepper
sea salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring some water to the boil and then break 1 vegetable stock cube into 600ml of water.
Chop the asparagus into pieces of about 1 inch long.
Heat the butter in a shallow saucepan over a medium flame. Add 1 finely chopped onion, then fry for about 5 mins until is translucent.
Tip the buckwheat groats into the pan and cook for 1-2 min. Pour over the white wine and boil until the alcohol fully evaporates.
Keep the pan over a low heat and pour in half of the vegetable stock. After about 5 minutes stir in the previously chopped asparagus, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook.
Simmer the buckwheat, stirring often. When it has absorbed all the liquid, add another splash of stock again and continue to simmer and stir.
Continue stirring until the buckwheat is cooked and the water fully absorbed. If it is still undercooked, add more water.
Take the pan off the heat, add in a handful of chopped parsley leaves.
Cover and leave for a few mins to cool down so that the rice can take up any excess liquid as it cools a bit.
Immune boosting
#3 Homemade oat & wheatgerm granola with goat’s yogurt and berries
The world is divided into two, between people that love breakfast and people that skip it all together.
I get very grumpy if for some reason I can’t have breakfast, it is my favourite meal of the day! My breakfasts vary from unhealthy options such as buttery croissants and ultra sweet jams every now and then, to healthier ones to redeem myself from my gluttony sins.
It is not until I arrived in London that I discovered granola, and I really liked it, although now you can find it anywhere in the world even in Italy. The problem with granola brands you find in supermarkets is that they often contain high amounts of refined sugars. That’s why me and Giulia decided to make our own recipe.
We put a spin to this recipe using rolled oats and wheatgerm. Wheatgerm is literally the germinating part of the seed that turns into a plant, it is often discarded during the milling process although it is a very nutritious ingredient, packed with minerals such as zinc —an essential nutrient for our immune system.
Nuts and seeds were also added to the mix for their beautiful texture and their vitamins, minerals and healthy fats content.
Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, those friendly microorganisms that help support our gut health and our immune system. If you are ok with dairy or you only have a mild sensitivity to it, you may want to try goat’s yogurt instead of a regular yogurt. According to research, goat’s milk contains less casein and lactose than cow’s milk, and it is high in nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, omega-3, vitamin B12, vitamin D.
Note: In case of a proper dairy allergy or a strong sensitivity, please use a plant-based yogurt alternative.
Fresh fruit is a very important part of a healthy breakfast —and you could add potentially more fruit to this recipe. We chose a variety of berries since they are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds and they are low in sugar.
Try out this version and let us know what you think!
You can make a large batch of it if you wish. If placed into an airtight container, it can last as long as one month.
Homemade oats & wheat germ granola with goat’s yogurt and berries
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 20 min
Servings: 2
INGREDIENTS
GRANOLA
30g wheat germ
30g oats
20g mixed seeds
20g almonds and walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1tbs honey
10ml water
25ml coconut oil
240g goat’s milk natural yoghurt
mixed berries
1 tsp honey
INSTRUCTIONS
For the granola. First thing preheat the oven to 200ºC
Roughly chop the walnuts and almonds. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat germ, mix seeds, honey, almonds and walnuts, cinnamon. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, honey and water. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and mix until evenly blended.
Spread the compost on a baking tray covered in parchment, to form an even layer. Cook for about 15minutes.
Split the yoghurt into two bowls and add in the berries.
Sprinkle some of the granola. Drizzle some honey on the top if you wish for extra sweetness.
Pronto!
Immune boosting series
#2 Roasted Sardines with peppers salad
Do sardines come from Sardinia? I have been asked this question several times. I always thought it was hilarious, it is one of these question people often used to break the ice as soon as they find out I am from Sardinia.
The straight answer is: No! Although there is some speculation that the word sardines derives from the Greek “Sardò”, indicating the island of Sardinia, there is no proven link between the two.
Another recurring question I am asked is “do you miss Sardinia being in London?” Of course I miss my island sometimes! What I miss the most is the long days and months of sun and very warm springs. In London I have suffer from Vitamin D deficiency before.
Talking to my friend Giulia from Cromonutrition I found out that it is extremely common to see vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency amongst people. The reason for this is the reduced day-light from autumn to early spring, which impacts the skin’s ability to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is one of the most important nutrients for the immune system, according to Giulia.
What you could do to increase your vitamin D level is to eat more fish such as salmon, tuna, sole… and sardines!
Sardines are also packed with essential fatty acids, low in toxins —as they are a small fish with a short lifespan— and they take 15 mins to cook, so you now have plenty of reasons why you should include them into your diet.
So together with Giulia we decided to make a pepper salad to go with our roasted fish because “yellow and red peppers are the fruits with the highest vitamin C content —yes, peppers and not oranges!” I’ve learnt from Giulia. “Bell peppers are also rich in vitamin E, betacarotene and flavonoids, so they do contain a wide variety of antioxidants. We also added capers for their quercetin content and parsley as it is high in betacarotene. The cherry on top of the cake for this healthy meal is Apple Cider Vinegar. Being a fermented food, ACV contains healthy probiotics which can improve our gut flora and, therefore, support our immune system.”
“I still remember the first time I ate sardines… It was many years ago, in one of my summer holidays in Southern Italy with my dad. The restaurants where we were having dinner had some Sarde a Beccafico on the buffet and I got tempted by their inviting appearance. Wow! Nothing was ever quite the same after I tried them.”
You can find Giulia on Instagram under @Cromonutrition
Roasted Sardines with yellow & red peppers salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2 serves
INGREDIENTS
6 fresh whole cleaned sardines
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp dried oregano
parsley
2 tsp salt
ground pepper
PEPPERS SALAD
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
10 black olives
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp capers
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
For the salad, cut the peppers in very small cubes. Then cut the black olives in a half and slice them into small pieces. Put these in a large bowl, add in the capers and toss with the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
For your sardines, first thing when you purchase them make sure to ask your fishmonger to clean them for you, unless it is something you enjoy doing.
Preheat the oven to 200 ºC.
Pat dry the sardines and place them on a oven’s tray with some baking paper underneath. Rub the sardines on the inside and outside with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano. Then chop the garlic cloves very thinly and do the same with the parsley. Place parley and garlic inside the sardines together with a small slice of lemon.
Cook the sardines in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, until well cooked and crispy.
Serve with the peppers salad and with a slice of bread if you wish.