Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Bellavitafoods: Spanakopita and tzatziki
Bellavitafoods: Spanakopita and tzatziki: When I moved to Canada , 10 years ago, I didn't know any english. Food was my way to connect with new people: everybody knows the words pas...
Spanakopita and tzatziki
When I moved to Canada , 10 years ago, I didn't know any english.
Food was my way to connect with new people: everybody knows the words pasta or pizza!!!!
Friendly Canadians always shared their kitchens with me, they watched me cook my simple meals and they always enjoyed eating my food.
So, as I shared my Italian recipes and improved my english, I made lots of good friends and all of them where willing to share their recipes.
My friend Pat gave me this "spanakopita" recipe in exchange of my "sweet and sour chicken wings"!
Of course this recipe is Greek not Italian but once in awhile it is good to change it up a little.
Phillo pastry might be a little intimidating for some people but there is nothing to be afraid of, my 4 year old daughter helps me with the folding and the brushing.... If she can do it you can too!
And for those of you who relate phyllo to an enormous quantity of butter.... Relax, this recipe uses only 1/4 cup of olive oil... I guess that's my italian version, ah ha!!!
These cute triangles of goodness are a great idea to bring to potlucks or to eat as appetizers.
You can make them way ahead of time, cook them and freeze them and use them when you need .
So why don't you give it a try?
Ueppa!!!
Spanakopita
1 pakage of phyllo pastry
2 pakages of frozen spinach (thawed) (you can use fresh too)
400gm of feta cheese crumbled
2 eggs
1 onion chopped
2garlic cloves chopped
1 tspn dry dill
1 tspn dry origano
1/4 cup olive oil for brushing
3 TBLS olive oil
In a frying pan heat 3 TBLSP of oil and cook the onion, garlic, dry dill and dry origano for 5 minutes, set aside.
In a big bowl mix spinach, feta cheese and eggs.
Carefully take the phyllo out of the pakage and unfold it.
Take one sheet and fold one third of it lenghtwise...
And fold the other third ...
Brush a little bit of oil everywere quickly...
Take a little bit of the spinach mix and put it at the end of the right side of the phyllo...
Taking the lower right corner fold up to shape a triangle...
Fold again horizontally from the top corner making sure not to loose any filling....
Keep folding until you are left with a triangle....
Brush again with olive oil...
Carry on until your phyllo is finished....
Cook in 350 oven for 25/30 minutes until nice and golden...
Enjoy with tzatziki!
Blend together
1cup greek yogur
1cucumber
1 garlic
1/2 tspn dry dill
1 tspn lemon juice
Food was my way to connect with new people: everybody knows the words pasta or pizza!!!!
Friendly Canadians always shared their kitchens with me, they watched me cook my simple meals and they always enjoyed eating my food.
So, as I shared my Italian recipes and improved my english, I made lots of good friends and all of them where willing to share their recipes.
My friend Pat gave me this "spanakopita" recipe in exchange of my "sweet and sour chicken wings"!
Of course this recipe is Greek not Italian but once in awhile it is good to change it up a little.
Phillo pastry might be a little intimidating for some people but there is nothing to be afraid of, my 4 year old daughter helps me with the folding and the brushing.... If she can do it you can too!
And for those of you who relate phyllo to an enormous quantity of butter.... Relax, this recipe uses only 1/4 cup of olive oil... I guess that's my italian version, ah ha!!!
These cute triangles of goodness are a great idea to bring to potlucks or to eat as appetizers.
You can make them way ahead of time, cook them and freeze them and use them when you need .
So why don't you give it a try?
Ueppa!!!
Spanakopita
1 pakage of phyllo pastry
2 pakages of frozen spinach (thawed) (you can use fresh too)
400gm of feta cheese crumbled
2 eggs
1 onion chopped
2garlic cloves chopped
1 tspn dry dill
1 tspn dry origano
1/4 cup olive oil for brushing
3 TBLS olive oil
In a frying pan heat 3 TBLSP of oil and cook the onion, garlic, dry dill and dry origano for 5 minutes, set aside.
In a big bowl mix spinach, feta cheese and eggs.
 |
Carefully take the phyllo out of the pakage and unfold it.
Take one sheet and fold one third of it lenghtwise...
And fold the other third ...
Brush a little bit of oil everywere quickly...
Take a little bit of the spinach mix and put it at the end of the right side of the phyllo...
Taking the lower right corner fold up to shape a triangle...
Fold again horizontally from the top corner making sure not to loose any filling....
Keep folding until you are left with a triangle....
Brush again with olive oil...
Carry on until your phyllo is finished....
Cook in 350 oven for 25/30 minutes until nice and golden...
Enjoy with tzatziki!
Blend together
1cup greek yogur
1cucumber
1 garlic
1/2 tspn dry dill
1 tspn lemon juice
Friday, 27 April 2012
Bellavitafoods: Tortellini with cream and sausages
Bellavitafoods: Tortellini with cream and sausages: My mom always thought that sunday's lunches had to be special because sunday was special. Sunday was the only day of the week where we were...
Tortellini with cream and sausages
My mom always thought that Sunday lunches had to be special because Sunday was special.
Sunday was the only day of the week where we were all home at the same time for lunch, the only day that we could actually enjoy our meal together without rushing to work or classes or weatever kept us busy from Monday thru Saturday.
Sunday was "cream" day, the day were the meal was white , didn't matter if it was pasta or veal as long as it was cooked with "panna" .
I didn't realize then that these dishes needed very little preparation, i thought that my mom was in the kitchen cooking all morning to make the special Sunday lunch that we all loved so much.
Cream is a very fast way to make food delicious while making it look nice and sofisticated.
My brother's favorite was "tortellini con panna e salsiccie", tortellini with cream and sausages and today this recipe is one of my family's favorites too.
Easy and fast to make, it is quite filling so you'll only need a nice salad to go with it..... After all, Sundays are special and you don't want to spend it working in the kitchen all day.
Go on then "cream it up".
Tortellini with cream and sausages
1 package of tortellini (700gm)
5 italian sausages
6 TBLSP olive oil
3 garlic gloves chopped
2 170ml can of thick cream
salt
chilli flakes or pepper
Peel off the sausages casings and brake the sausage meat with your fingers.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic.
Add the sausage meat and cook, try to crumble it up with a woodden spoon while it cooks.
When the meat is cooked add the cream , stir, add some salt and as soon as you see the cream boiling turn the heat off.
Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water, when ready mix them in the cream sauce.
Sprinkle with chilli flakes or pepper.
So Good!
Sunday was the only day of the week where we were all home at the same time for lunch, the only day that we could actually enjoy our meal together without rushing to work or classes or weatever kept us busy from Monday thru Saturday.
Sunday was "cream" day, the day were the meal was white , didn't matter if it was pasta or veal as long as it was cooked with "panna" .
I didn't realize then that these dishes needed very little preparation, i thought that my mom was in the kitchen cooking all morning to make the special Sunday lunch that we all loved so much.
Cream is a very fast way to make food delicious while making it look nice and sofisticated.
My brother's favorite was "tortellini con panna e salsiccie", tortellini with cream and sausages and today this recipe is one of my family's favorites too.
Easy and fast to make, it is quite filling so you'll only need a nice salad to go with it..... After all, Sundays are special and you don't want to spend it working in the kitchen all day.
Go on then "cream it up".
Tortellini with cream and sausages
1 package of tortellini (700gm)
5 italian sausages
6 TBLSP olive oil
3 garlic gloves chopped
2 170ml can of thick cream
salt
chilli flakes or pepper
Peel off the sausages casings and brake the sausage meat with your fingers.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic.
Add the sausage meat and cook, try to crumble it up with a woodden spoon while it cooks.
When the meat is cooked add the cream , stir, add some salt and as soon as you see the cream boiling turn the heat off.
Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water, when ready mix them in the cream sauce.
Sprinkle with chilli flakes or pepper.
So Good!
 |
| peel the casing |
 |
| brake up the sausages |
 |
| cook the garlic |
 |
| add the sausages |
 |
| cook the sausages |
 |
| Add the cream |
 |
| tortellini panna e salsiccia |
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Bellavitafoods: Stir-fry Italiano
Bellavitafoods: Stir-fry Italiano: Have you ever had one of those days where you open up your fridge and all you see is a lot of little amounts of different foods? And is 5:00...
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Stir-fry Italiano
Have you ever had one of those days where you open your fridge and all you see is a lot of little amounts of different foods, and it's 5:00pm, your kids are dirty and tired and certainly you don't want to take a trip to the store!?
Well, I had!
As a result I came up with this italian stir-fry, very easy to make and so fast too!
So, while your kids are in the bathtub, chop up some veggies and meat, and by the time daddy comes home, dinner will be ready, the kids will be settled and what looked like a nightmare at 5:00pm is a perfect life at 6:00pm.
So pour your self a glass of wine because life is good.
Stir-fry italiano
NOTE: i used these veggies and meat because it was what i had; but feel free to be creative with what you have in your fridge:)
1 big stake cut in strips
1 zucchini cut in strips
1head of broccoli
15/20 asparagus
6 garlic cloves (you can use less but i like it)
1/2 cup flour
1 tspn salt
6 TBLSP olive oil
3/4 cup beef stock
2TBLSP wine
2TBLSP agave (you can use brown sugar)
2TBLSP soysauce
pine nuts
cooked rice or noodles
Get your veggies and meat nice and ready.
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt and toss the meat in untill well coated.
In a big frying pan, heat the olive oil untill hot; put the meat in and cook.
Put the meat aside and put the veggies in the pan with the stock, cover and cook untill the veggies are ready , 10 minutes or so.
In the meantime mix together wine, agave and soy sauce.
Add the meat back to the pan with the wine sauce, mix and cook for 5 more minutes and you are done!
Put a good amount of stir-fry on top of rice or noodles and sprinkle with pine nuts and hot sauce if you
like.
Well, I had!
As a result I came up with this italian stir-fry, very easy to make and so fast too!
So, while your kids are in the bathtub, chop up some veggies and meat, and by the time daddy comes home, dinner will be ready, the kids will be settled and what looked like a nightmare at 5:00pm is a perfect life at 6:00pm.
So pour your self a glass of wine because life is good.
Stir-fry italiano
NOTE: i used these veggies and meat because it was what i had; but feel free to be creative with what you have in your fridge:)
1 big stake cut in strips
1 zucchini cut in strips
1head of broccoli
15/20 asparagus
6 garlic cloves (you can use less but i like it)
1/2 cup flour
1 tspn salt
6 TBLSP olive oil
3/4 cup beef stock
2TBLSP wine
2TBLSP agave (you can use brown sugar)
2TBLSP soysauce
pine nuts
cooked rice or noodles
Get your veggies and meat nice and ready.
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt and toss the meat in untill well coated.
In a big frying pan, heat the olive oil untill hot; put the meat in and cook.
Put the meat aside and put the veggies in the pan with the stock, cover and cook untill the veggies are ready , 10 minutes or so.
In the meantime mix together wine, agave and soy sauce.
Add the meat back to the pan with the wine sauce, mix and cook for 5 more minutes and you are done!
Put a good amount of stir-fry on top of rice or noodles and sprinkle with pine nuts and hot sauce if you
like.
 |
| get your veggies and meat ready |
 |
| coat meat with flour |
 |
| cook the meat in hot oil |
 |
| cook the veggies with stock |
 |
| add the meat to the veggies with wine sauce |
 |
| Stirt-fry italiano |
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
BellaVitaFoods: Pasta Amatriciana
Bella Vita: Pasta Amatriciana: They say that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". I think that that is a little bit true for my husband and I, he loves th...
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