Showing posts with label basil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basil. Show all posts

Saturday 2 January 2016

Recipes for Making Stracciatella and Mussel Soup

These recipes for making Stracciatella and mussel soup are prepared from low fat ingredients. They are Italian classics which are quick and easy to prepare.

Recipe for Stracciatella


Ingredients


* 130ml of orzo
* 300g of spinach
* 2L of chicken stock
* 50ml of grated parmesan cheese
* 1 egg, slightly beaten

Procedure


- Chop the spinach into very small sizes
- Put the chicken stock in a large saucepan and allow to it to boil over a high heat
- Add the orzo, stir and cook for 12 minutes in order for the orzo to become tender but firm
- Add the spinach and stir. Add the egg and stir continuously
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese into it and serve while hot.


Recipe for Mussel Soup


Ingredients


* 900g of mussels (small clams can also be used)
* 6 slices of bread that has been made to harden
* 1 medium size onion
* 380ml of chicken stock
* 120ml of white wine
* 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
* 15ml of tomato paste
* 4 garlic cloves
* 30ml of olive oil
* 1 teaspoon of dried basil
* 800ml of canned tomatoes
* salt and pepper

Procedure


- Chop the garlic and onion into very small sizes
- Scrub and wash the mussel properly, and remove beards. Discard any mussel whose shell has been cracked
- Put the white wine in a deep-bottom saucepan and allow to boil over high heat
- Add the mussels, cover the pan and allow to boil for about 2 minutes so that the almost all the mussels will be opened
- Remove the mussels from the pan and discard any mussel that is not opened
- Remove pan from heat. Sieve the broth (i.e. the thick wine) by using a cheese-cloth-lined sieve, and set the liquid aside
- Toast the slices of bread and rub one side of each slice with half of the garlic, and set aside
- Put the olive oil into another saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, basil and the remaining garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and the sieved broth that was set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for 2 minutes in order for the liquid to become thick
- Add the chicken stock and canned tomatoes, and then stir. Simmer over medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste
- Add the mussels, stir and cook for about 8 minutes
- Put 1 toasted slice of bread in a soup bowl used for serving, and add some soup. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley.

Get more recipes from recipes for making amaretto squash soup and Tuscan bean-pasta soup.

What do you think about these recipes? Let me know your views and suggestions through the comment box below. Your comments would be highly appreciated.

Wednesday 9 December 2015

Recipes for Making Italian Bean Dip, Pita Crisps and Grilled Polenta with Gorgonzola

Low fat ingredients have been selected here, for the recipes used for making Italian bean dip, pita crisps and grilled polenta with gorgonzola. These appetizers are quick and easy to prepare and are basically Italian classics.

Recipe for Italian Bean Dip

Ingredients


* 50ml of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
* 25ml of olive oil
* 25ml of lemon juice
* 2 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
* 2 garlic cloves
* A pinch of ground pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon of salt
* 540ml of canned white kidney beans

Procedure

- Chop the dried tomatoes into fine sizes
- Cut the garlic cloves into small slices
- Rinse the kidney beans and drain out the water
- Put the dried tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, pepper, garlic and salt into a bowl and stir them together
- Pour the mixture into a blender. Add the kidney beans and switch the blender on and off for about 12 times until the mixture becomes chunky.
- Serve with bread and crisps.

View picture of a dish of Italian bean dip and have an idea of its appearance.


Recipe for Pita Crisps

 

Ingredients


* 2 pitas
* 80ml of olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin

Procedure


- Preheat the oven to a temperature of 180oC
- Cut the garlic into small slices
- Put the pitas on a cutting board and cut each one into two parts
- Put the olive oil, garlic and cumin in a small bowl and stir vigorously to mix them properly
- Rub both sides of each of the pitas with the oil mixture above, and cut each of them into 10 slices
- Put the slices of pitas on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes until the pitas become crisp and golden
- The crisps can be preserved for about 2 weeks in an airtight container.

View picture of a dish of pita crisps in order to know how it looks like.


Recipe For Grilled Polenta with Gorgonzola

 

Ingredients


* 380ml of cornmeal
* 120g of Gorgonzola
* 1 teaspoon of salt
* A little amount of vegetable oil

Procedure


- Cut the Gorgonzola into about 40 cubes and set aside
- Put about 1.8 liters of water into a deep saucepan, add the salt and allow to boil over a moderately high heat
- Add the cornmeal slowly and in little amount at a constant rate, while whisking and stirring constantly to avoid lumps
- Reduce the heat to a moderately low amount and cook for about 25 minutes, while constantly stirring until it becomes thick and smooth.
- Pour it into a flat (about 13-inch wide) baking sheet that has the inside rubbed with the vegetable oil. Spread it all over the baking sheet. Allow it to cool until it becomes solid.
- Rub the inside of the grill of a cooker with the vegetable oil and preheat the grill.
- Put the solid polenta on a cutting board by turning the baking sheet upside down over the cutting board. Cut the polenta into about 40 cubes.
- Grill the polenta cubes for about 2 minutes until it becomes slightly brown. Turn over all the cubes.
- Put each of the Gorgonzola set aside, on each of the polenta cubes.
- Grill for about 2 more minutes until the Gorgonzola melt.

View a picture of a prepared dish of grilled polenta with gorgonzola and know how it looks like.

Get more on recipes for making focaccia, chick pea hummus and marinated olives.

What do you think about these recipes? Let me know your views and suggestions through the comment box below. Your comments would be highly appreciated.