The Fruitful Pantry

PEAS & CORN MEDLEY

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:51:00 +0000

A colourful side dish to go with many chicken, beef and veal entrees.

Serves 4

1 large onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, whole
1 can of peas, drained & rinsed
1 can of corn, drained & rinsed
1/4 piece of a bouillon cube
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tbsp of butter
salt & pepper to taste (optional)

In a skillet sauté garlic, onions & butter, until onions are soft. Then add the cube with water and add the peas, corn, salt and pepper. Simmer on low until water has almost evaporated, stir occasionally. Serve hot!

STUFFED CHICKEN FILLETS

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:35:00 +0000

A good way to dress up chicken, also it was very fast and simple.

Serves 1-2

2-3 chicken breast fillets
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
mustard, as desired
smoked cheese that will melt easily, cut into thin slices
6-8 slices of pancetta

Pre-heat oven at 400F. In the centre each chicken fillet put slices of cheese, onions and squeeze some mustard. Once the chicken is rolled, place the pancetta slices on top of the chicken fillets. Then use toothpicks to hold the pancetta and chicken together. Place in an oven dish and cook for 20 –25 minutes.

LENTIL SALAD

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:32:00 +0000

When it’s just to hot to cook, let alone eating a hot dish, like it is here in Naples, Italy. This main or side dish is perfect and nutritious. Also you can add more vegetables (there is no limit, go crazy!). Can be served with good crusty bread or garlic bread and treat yourself to a nice glass of wine.

Serves 2 –4

2 cans of lentils
2 carrots, chopped or shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 of red pepper, chopped
1/2 of a beet, chopped
parmesan cheese, shaved
olive oil and balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

Add all the ingredients together, tossed. Taste to see if it is missing anything. Let sit for at least an hour for all the flavour to incorporate.

MY STORY

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:21:00 +0000

After 8 months here in Naples Italy, I've decided to write a food blog on my ventures in my small Italian kitchen. My journey in Italy has been interesting to say the least. At the moment I don't care to get into my new Italian life but I will write this......I've never really cooked before coming to Italy, and having my husband enjoy my cooking is gratifying!

One day my mother spoke to Cris and asked him, in her Italian-English accent…..”how is the cook doing”, his responses was…..”I’m not dead yet!” It makes me laugh ever time I replay it in my head!

Ok so here I am not really sure where this food blog will take me but what else do I have to do here in Naples except for cooking, cleaning, enjoying a nice cappuccino and a warm croissant filled with Nutella at the local cafe bar?!….. With this blog, I’m going with the wind. Goodness I love that song “She’s Like The Wind”, even more I LOVE the movie “Dirty Dancing”. See what I mean, going with it!

The recipes I enjoy were given to me from family and friends as well as new ones I’ve concocted. I hope you will relish in these and perhaps come up with a new recipe, with your own twist!

I hope to hear your comments and views!

Ciao Ciao,
The Bean

VEGETABLE RICE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:46:00 +0000

This recipe is so simple & tasty. It’s great the day after, it remains moist. Don’t forget to grate parmesan cheese on top!

Serves 2

1 cup of rice 1 cup of water
1/2 bouillon cube & add 1 cup of water
1 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 tsp salted butter

Add all ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally until rice is done.

In a skillet add all,

1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 onion sliced
1 1/2 – 2 cups of mixed vegetables, chopped

Sauté garlic then onion with oil or butter. After onions have soften add the veggies, Cook on medium heat until they are soft and no moisture remains. Then add to rice and mix together. Enjoy!

MUSHROOM GRAVY RECIPE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:59:00 +0000

I’ve used this gravy on veal, fried pork chops and on baked chicken.

2 1/2 tbsp of butter, divide in half
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup diced zucchini
1/4 cup of white wine
1 cup of vegetable broth
1/4 tsp pork seasoning
1/2 cup of milk, room temperature
salt & pepper

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large pan, add onion. Sauté until soft, then add the mushrooms & zucchini, until there is almost no moisture. Remove mushrooms.

Melt remaining butter in the same pan and stir in flour. Cook on medium high, keep stirring until it has browned. Whisk in vegetable broth, let simmer for 5 mins or until thick. Stir in seasonings and milk. Then stir in the mushroom mixture. Once everything is incorporated, pour over meat dish.

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:26:00 +0000

These cookies are chewy and great with a cappuccino! I have added more zucchini, up to 1 1/2 cups because i wanted the taste and to make them softer.

3/4 brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1 to 1 1/2 cup zucchini shredded
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter, egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Than add all dry ingredients, including oatmeal until smooth. Once everything is smooth stir in coconut, chips and zucchini. On an ungreased pan put spoonfuls of the batter on to cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 F for 10 –12 mins.

ROASTED PEPPERS IN OIL & GARLIC

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:24:00 +0000

This is a classic in my mothers home. It’s a simple healthy starter! Make sure to toast some Italian bread and drizzle the oil from the peppers onto the bread. Yummy!

3 bell peppers, washed
2-3 garlic cloves, cut in halves
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste (optional)

Turn oven on at 400F,
On a baking sheet, place a piece of aluminum foil. Put peppers on baking pan & place in the oven. I turn the peppers every 10 to 15 minutes, until they have blackened. Once they are done, place in a bowl and cover it, so all the flavour and juices remain. Once they have cooled, for about 15 minutes, peel the chard skin. Pull the stem and clean the inside of the peppers. Cut the peppers into thin strips and place in a bowl with garlic, oil and salt. Mix all together. Also add a bit of the remaining juice from the roasted peppers. Let stand for a least 3 hours in fridge. Keeps up to 1 week.

PASTA WITH A ROSE SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:36:00 +0000

250g Linguine pasta
100ml of Panna Da Cucina or heavy cream
1/2 can of peas
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
4 or 5 mushroom, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp butter
2-3 slices of cooked ham, coarsely chopped
1 cup of tomato sauce
salt & pepper (optional)

In a skillet put mushrooms, onions & butter on medium heat. Sauté until soft. Then add peas and ham for about 10 minutes to incorporate all the flavours. Then add the tomato sauce & panna for another 10-15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Taste to see if it needs salt or pepper. Keep it on a simmer until pasta is done.

In the meantime, in a large pot add water and salt. Once water is boiling add the linguine pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and put it back in the pot, then add the rose sauce and mix together. Serve hot!

SHOWCOLATE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:12:00 +0000

What a great way to spend an evening at a chocolate show. So many types and flavors of chocolate, from cardamom flavor to dried fruit dipped, also chocolate pasta ( we just had to buy some!!). We had a great time trying so many different types.

A wonderful Christmas tree! I couldn’t believe some of the stuff they made.

Another Christmas Tree

Slabs of Torrone. Italian hard or soft nugget with glorious nuts caught in the middle of this candy.

Chocolate wedding cakes

This wedding was made out of white chocolate!

COCONUT THAI SOUP WITH MUSSELS

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:39:00 +0000

We were having friends over for dinner one evening and I wanted to make another cuisine besides Italian, we eat Italian every night and so do our friends. So this soup was a hit, well actually the meal was! We also made jasmine rice and bok choy for the side. If you want, you can add the mussel soup with the jasmine rice.

serves 4

1 can of coconut milk
1 tbsp red thai paste, (more if you want it spicy)
1 tsp fish oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 kg fresh mussels, cleaned & washed
good healthy bunch of fresh basil

Slightly fry the thai paste with olive oil, then add milk & fish oil. Let simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Then add the mussels and cover with lid, stir occasionally to incorporate all the flavors. Cook mussels until they have opened. For the jasmine rice……1 1/2 cup of jasmine rice with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, than reduce heat, cook until rice is ready.

CHEESE CHEESE CHESSE!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:28:00 +0000

On our adventure in London, we took a walking tour. These tours are not bad if you pick the right one and the right tour guide! On this particular tour, our guide was very small and very animated, she made us smile the whole 2 hr tour. As we are walking she tells us stories and performs little skits. On our stroll we noticed a cheese shop!

This was our tour guide her with her red beret hat.

As we were walking we pass by a cheese shop, massive cheese! We didn’t have time to go in and the pictures don’t do justice but we can hope.

MUFFIN TIME!

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:38:00 +0000

We were in London for a weekend and we loved all the colorful shops and pubs the city had to offer. On one of our many walks, we came across a muffin shop. Our eyes were transfixed on all the colors and rows of muffins, so we decided to go in and treat ourselves to a delicious muffin. This was our choice of the day, a Lemon Poppyseed Muffin!! It went down well with the tea I had bought earlier!

SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:40:00 +0000

This basic tomato sauce can be used for lasagnas, pasta, meat and rice. You can freeze the whole batch or freeze in portions.

1 garlic clove, whole
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar of strained tomato sauce
1/4 piece of green pepper (optional)
3/4 – 1 cup water
3-5 leaves fresh basil
1/2 onion, minced (optional)

In a large pot add garlic, onion & oil, sauté until lightly brown. Add tomato sauce, water & pepper. Let it simmer for about 1hr, cover the pot with the lid. Taste the sauce to see if it needs salt, if so add just a pinch. Then add the basil, cook until sauce thickens. If the sauce isn’t ready and the most of the liquid has evaporated, add more water, about 1/2 cup, place the lid back on the pot and let it simmer a bit longer. The longer you cook the sauce the more flavors are incorporated.

BECHAMEL SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I love this white sauce, it’s fresh, takes minutes to make and it can be prepared ahead of time. It can be used on top of chicken, lasagnas and pasta dishes.

1 garlic clove, minced serves 4
11/2 cup 2% milk, room temperature
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup shredded cheese, cheddar, fontina or gouda (your choice or mix them up)
pinch of salt & white pepper
250 grams bowtie pasta
parmesan cheese for topping

In a medium sauce pan on medium low heat, melt butter. than with a spoon add the flour and stir, making it into a paste. Make sure to get out all the clumps. Add milk & garlic, stir constantly on medium heat for about 5 min. Incorporate the cheese, salt and pepper, keep stirring until it thickens. Taste sauce to see if it needs more salt or cheese.
In a large pot add water and salt, bring to a boil, then add pasta. Cook until al dente. Strain pasta, place back in pot and add the Béchamel Sauce. Serve immediately. Don’t forget to grate parmesan cheese.

HOMEMADE SOUP

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:08:00 +0000

This easy, tasty homemade soup is made often in our home in the winter. We also grate some parmesan cheese onto it, or sometimes we add shredded mozzarella and it gets all gooey!

1 garlic clove, cut in half serves 4
1 celery stick, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bullion base
2 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp tomato paste (optional)
1/2 cup pastina (“little pasta”)

In a large pot add all the ingredients, except the pasta. Let simmer with the lid on, until the vegetables are soft. Once the broth is done add the pastina. When done, ladle into bowls. Top with parsley and cheese.

CHOCOLATE NUTELLA CAKE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:03:00 +0000

Oh, this chocolate cake is rich, it will sure satisfy that sweet tooth. The first time we made this cake, we all felt like we hit heaven for a few minutes. We were in Cancun and everyone was craving something sweet. After this chocolate cake came out of the oven, Cris sliced the cake in half & slathered half of the jar of nutella, inside and on top of the cake. My version is a bit different, the cake is a cross between chocolate and vanilla, you can omit the cocoa to make it a vanilla cake. As for the filling I used nutella (almost the whole jar)! For the topping I bought a powder chocolate glaze & mixed it with milk, they don’t have frosting in a jar, here in Naples, Italy. So when it comes to the topping of the cake, you can use nutella, buttermilk frosting or store bought.

11/4 cup flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches of salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
2 eggs

Grease a 9 inch pan. In a large bowl add all dry ingredients and stir. Then add all wet ingredients and with an electric mixer blend until smooth. Pour batter and bake at 350F, for about 30-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it’s done. Cool completely on a baking rack before filling or frosting.

This was before the frosting. Here in Italy they use these pretty paper doilies to display their cakes.

The glaze was so smooth and shiny that it looked fake! I loved it!

POTATO CORQUETTE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:21:00 +0000

This hot Crocchette di Patate (in Italian) dish always puts a smile on my face whenever my mother makes it. Most of the time it’s just her and I at the table, talking or just enjoying the silence of each other’s company. We finish the whole dish, with a glass my father’s homemade wine!
You can make this dish with just potatoes & cheese (mom’s recipe) or you can jazz it up!

serves 4

1/3 cup leeks, sliced
1/2 lb Portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
4 large potatoes, boiled
milk, volume depends on how creamy you want the potatoes
3/4 cup grated gouda, fontina or mozzarella cheese (your choice)
2 tbsp olive oil
bread crumbs & parmesan cheese for topping
3 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
8x8 inch oven proof dish

Skin and cut potatoes into quarters, place into pot of boiling salted water & cook until they are soft all the way through. In the meantime, in a skillet add olive oil, leeks, mushrooms & onions, sauté until soft & set aside. When potatoes are done, place in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of butter and milk. Mash the potatoes until it is smooth and creamy, you will need to play around with the milk volume. Place half of the mashed potatoes in the oven proof dish, then layer the veggies and grated cheese. Spread remaining mashed potatoes over top. Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dot with about 1 tbsp of butter top.
Place in an preheated oven to 350 F, for 1 hr, then turn the oven on broil, until the breadcrumbs have browned. Serve hot!

BEAN’S VANILLA CUPCAKES

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:59:00 +0000

These yellow cupcakes are so simple & delicious with a twist of adding real vanilla bean seeds. I enjoy seeing these little black seeds throughout the cupcakes. As for the topping, you can use many frostings, chocolate, buttermilk or strawberry. The one I used for this recipe was a yogurt concoction.

7oz of white sugar makes 6
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 inch of a vanilla bean
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 (16g) package of powdered yeast or 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Oven 350 F
In a large bowl, add butter & sugar. With an electric mixer, blend well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then add the vanilla extract & cut the vanilla bean in half and scrape the seeds into the batter, mix well. Mix in the flour, yeast & baking soda. Add the milk in slowly. Stir until completely smooth. Line or grease your cupcake pan. Fill each cup 1/2 – 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, insert a toothpick, if it appears clean, they are done. As for the yogurt topping….. I added 1 tbsp of full fat plain strained Greek yoghurt in a cup to 1 tbsp of honey & a couple of dashes of vanilla extract. Stir together until nice and smooth. Fold in another 2 tbsp of yoghurt. Amounts can be easily adjusted to your desire. Dollop onto the top of cooled cupcakes.

BRUSCHETTA WITH WHITE BEANS & SUNDRIED TOMATOES

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:13:00 +0000

After making this dish you must drizzle olive oil on it, it just adds much more flavor to this yummy appetizer. The first time I made them I had to make another round, Cris & I just devoured them.

serves 4

1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil, more for drizzling
1 rustic baguette
blue cheese for spreading
1 can of cannelloni beans
3-4 sundried tomatoes, marinated in oil, chopped
couple of pinches of red pepper flakes
pinch of each, salt & pepper
parmesan cheese, shaved

Drain some of the liquid from the beans.

Put onions & garlic in a small pot, sauté until soft. Then add beans and remaining liquid, bring to a boil. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stir occasionally and then add salt, both peppers & sundried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Spread the blue cheese over toasted slices of bread. Spoon beans over bread, top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if you wish. Oh….don’t forget the olive oil!!!

BREAKFAST SANDWICH

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:17:00 +0000

On Sunday mornings, Cris and I always make a good hardy breakfast. You can call it our bonding ritual but also we are not use to the 1 cookie and espresso, like these Italians are. We are Canadians! Hope you dig this!

2 eggs
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3-4 slices of pancetta or bacon
1 large rustic bun
salt, sage, rosemary & pepper to taste
4 slices of Gouda cheese

Trim the fat off the pancetta. Fry the fat to collect the oil. Remove fat, drain some of the oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, salt, pepper & herbs to the skillet and fry in the remaining oil. Once cooked, put aside & fry the pancetta. Drain excess oil and put pancetta aside.

Slice the rustic bread & fry in some of the remaining oil, until one side is crispy. Move the bread to one end of the pan making a sandwich with the mushrooms, pancetta and cheese with the “raw” side of the bread on the outside. Cook the eggs, sunny side up in the other half of the skillet (don’t worry if some of the egg runs under the bread). Once the eggs are ready (make sure the egg yolks remain runny, this is quintessential!), flip the sandwich to fry the other side and add the eggs to the top layer.

BABY SWISS CHARD & MUSHROOMS

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:15:00 +0000

This is a great side dish, we eat this often here in Naples & it is one of our Italian favorites. You can omit mushrooms. You can also put pine nuts or sesame seeds on top, but Italians love their food simple.

serves 2

2 garlic cloves, left whole
1 onion, sliced (optional)
1 bunch of Swiss chard (baby preferred)
8-10 mushrooms, sliced, (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste (optional)
1/2 cup water

In a skillet, on medium heat, add oil, garlic, onions and sauté, until onions are soft, then add mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are almost done add the Swiss chard & water, cover with a lid. Cook until softened. If there is too much liquid, just drain some of it. Serve warm.

CARAMEL SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:31:00 +0000

This is a tasty topping. It goes well with sliced apples, pie’s, ice cream & inside of a nutella sandwich!

2 tbsp raw sugar Makes 1/2 cup
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tbsp salted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small pot add butter & all sugars, on high heat, bring to a boil. Make sure you stir constantly for about 2 minutes or until all sugars have melted well. Add the cream & boil for 2 minutes. Place caramel in a small bowl and stir in vanilla. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs. Lasts 1 week in fridge.

BEAN’S CHAI

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:16:00 +0000

I enjoy drinking this in the cold mornings, here in Naples, where the houses are colder than the outside! This helps warm up my bones!

Per cup
milk
1 tea bag
cinnamon
cardamom seeds or ground
sugar (optional)

Place all in a pot and heat up. Strain and enjoy!

WHISKEY CHICKEN WING SAUCE

noreply@blogger.com (The Bean) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:56:00 +0000

I found a recipe, only to realize I didn’t have all the ingredients, so I managed to come up with my own sauce.

8oz ketchup coats 10 wings
1tbsp horseradish
1/2 cup whiskey
4 tbsp barbeque sauce
tabasco sauce (as much as you want)
worcestershire sauce ( few taps)
pepper flakes (optional)

Put all ingredients in a pot, on simmer, and stir occasionally until hot. You can fry or baked wings. If wings are baked cook them halfway & add some sauce, place them back in oven for remaining time. Place cooked wings in a bowl and add sauce, then toss. You can use the Blue Cheese Dip Recipe for these wings!