Swordfish Siciliana

In Sicily, my native land (I can say that even though I was born in Florida and I’m practically becoming an Aussie now…but that’s where my family roots are from and recently had my second wedding to my hubby...I have always been very proud of my Sicilian roots and the inevitable beauty and charm of the land and it’s people) one of the prides is their food; it’s serious business, as it is all over Italy. Sicily, being in the south is a bit lazier and laid back but is certainly firmer in keeping with old traditions. Shops close for lunch and everyone is home for lunch cooked by Mamma.  Maybe the Milanese opt for a quick bite near the office but the Sicilian’s, I am afraid, are not in the same rush to get back to work. We also have much better weather in the south; our land is rich in it’s people, the soil and it’s traditions. Living here in Sydney I come across many Sicilian people who are even from towns only a mile away from mine.

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, first settled by the Phoenicians and Saracens, we date our history back to Greek Mythology and in ancient times we were the bread basket of civilization.  We were also the last to come out of feudalism and of course Hollywood made us famous or infamous for the Godfather. Sicily is famous for it’s blood oranges, cassata Siciliana, arancini, tuna, cannoli and thousands of other dishes. In fact, this summer I was lucky to take the whole family to an original Sicilian restaurant few would ever come across, with original recipes that date back hundreds of years. If you are ever booking a trip to Italy and would like to visit the magical island of Sicily please do, you will only come back from your trip delighted. Oh, and if you rent a car there might be a little frustration; as my hubby would say they drive like crazy, and yes they do. I will tell you this, Taormina is a must, Catania, Palermo and Syracuse are beautiful, as well as the western coast of Trapani…if you are a boat lover you must go to the Eolie Islands right off the eastern coast of Sicily. The island of Vulcano has beautiful mud baths and just a hop away is Panarea, where you can party all night or Lipari, which is just the most beautiful of them all.

Now back to my recipe, I have decided to call it Swordfish Siciliana…

You will find many dishes in Sicily to be made with pinenuts, raisins, anchovies, etc.

This recipe, again, is a piece of cake and not messy at all...I don’t like cooking messy things if you haven't noticed. Go to your local fish market or fish shop and ask for a thick slice of Swordfish...some people think that swordfish meat is tough, but it is only true if you grill it and if the slice of fish is too thin.

Ingredients:

1 piece of swordfish per person

Pinenuts - handful

Raisins – handful

Olive oil

1 anchovy

4 capers 

1 glass of white wine

2 garlic cloves – coarsely chopped

Shallots

1 large vine tomato

Fennel herb – freshly chopped

Parsley – freshly chopped

‘Chefs Recipe Organic Sicilian Style Seafood Seasoning’ - I like using it because it has a nice blend of all the spices I need (garlic, basil, fennel seed, red pepper, lemon myrtle, black whole pepper and Himalayan Pink Salt)

First turn the oven on and pre-heat it to 180 degrees Celsius…in an oven safe tray lay some foil, then place the swordfish pieces and drizzle a bit of olive oil over them. Place the chopped tomatoes, pine nuts, raisins, parsley, shallots, the anchovy cut up, capers (washes and desalted) and garlic over the swordfish. Sprinkle an abundant amount of your ‘Sicilian Seafood Seasoning’, pour the white wine over and close the foil.

Place it in the over for 15 minutes and it’s ready (swordfish cooked this way will remain moist and not have that tough consistency.) If you feel that it has not cooked enough take a bite off one piece, close the foil back up again and put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

I like to serve this dish with less traditional Sicilian sides, so I made corn on the cob and baked potatoes. My baked potatoes are truly an American influence.

I wash the potatoes and wrap them in foil, leaving the skin on. I make a cross on them with a knife before I close the foil to allow the heat in. They take about 30 minutes, so it is the first thing I do.

Then when they are ready I add sour cream, small chopped bacon bits and shallots…

Here is our full meal before it got eaten… so sorry for the sloppy photo; I had to be quick before it was devoured…

MINI BUN-LESS VEAL BURGERS

This recipe is one of my favorites and it’s not just limited to veal, you can use any meat mince ( beef, pork, ostrich, chicken.) This is a dish high in protein, great for everyone and especially if like me you are training for a race. I have been very attentive lately to not eating too many carbs and keeping my protein intake higher so I can feed my muscles, this way I will be strong for the 9km challenge. I accompany the mini bun-less burgers with string beans, and lots of them. 

I like to make my own burgers and spice them up my own way as opposed to buying pre spiced mince that can be filled with preservatives. Feel free to use the concept of this recipe and adjust it to the flavours you like in a burger.  I keep the size of them relatively small so that I can have more mini burgers on my dish with the same amount of meat I would use for one patty. The key is no bread!!!

Minced veal - 500 g

1 egg

1 ½ Chunky garlic paste from ‘Gourmet Garden’ - about half a tablespoon

1 ½ tbsp. Moroccan herb & spice blend from ‘Gourmet Garden’ - about half a tablespoon (add more for stronger flavor)

Mixed seeds - 1/3 of a cup of sunflower, chia, sesame seeds, etc. (I use a brand called ‘KAPAI PUKU’, the seed of life, I buy it at the organic food store)

Cumin

Garlic salt

Olive oil - 1½ tablespoon

Raisins - hand full

Pecorino cheese - 30grams

Salt & pepper

Parsley – freshly chopped

Coriander – freshly chopped

* You may add anything else you like in the mince mix, if you would like to add shallots or onions go ahead it’s all a matter of taste. Maybe you have some left over vegetables you grilled the night before…if so, cut them small and work them into the mixture.  The cheese is also optional, if you would like to keep it a bit leaner you don’t have to put it in. The main thing is having a good seed mix that is high in protein…it will also make the mini burgers crunchy. One of the best flavorings for my burgers are the genius products from ‘Gourmet Garden’, they make my life so easy…I just squeeze the fresh herbs in and I’m ready to go. I have spoken with the company and they assured me that no MSG or other harsh preservatives are used in making them; and that is why they have to be refrigerated and have an expiration date. However some of their products in the range have gluten, but it is specified in the back so please check the packaging. I must admit that I’m very happy using them and they save me a lot of time in the kitchen whilst making my food tasty. They also have a Thai seasoning that is divine…

So put the mince, egg, olive oil and the rest of the above ingredients in to the bowl and mix…get in there with your hands to make sure the mince and the ingredients are blended well together…

Now make even meatballs and lay them on a sheet of foil, spray some olive oil on the foil beforehand so that they don’t stick …

Put them in the over at 200 degrees for 15 minutes…I try one just in case they are a bit raw in the middle and go from there…it’s then ready to serve…

I always like to serve some greens on the side so for this dish I made simple green beans.

Ingredients:

Green beans – 200 g

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Lemon

Cut the ends off the green beans and boil them for 10 minutes in water without salt, make sure you don't over boil them or you will loose all the nutrients.

Drain and serve. Now dress them with extra virgin olive oil  and lemon, add salt & pepper….Yummy and quick!

What may seem like burned little pieces of cardboard on my plate are actually really tasty onions I quickly cooked in a pan. I need to get a new camera ...My poor iPhone camera is not doing my food justice!!!

Here is a picture of the cooking process. They are just onions, a little olive oil salt and pepper...

XXX

QUICK & EASY TUNA PASTA

It’s lunch time, I have a million things to do and my hubby says "I’m hungry, but I don't have much time because I have to run to my next meeting…."

"OKAY" I say, "just sit tight I’ll make you the best pasta….AMORE MIO!!!"

This is the quickest pasta ever...you don’t have to cook anything, just boil the pasta…

I of course always have a house stocked with enough ‘Barilla’ pasta of every kind to feed an ARMY.

I like penne or fusilli for this recipe...

Either one is fine; they both cook for max 11 minutes…don’t use long pasta because it will get messy…

First, always put the pasta to boil in salted water because it takes 11 minutes to cook, and with this recipe it will only take you 5 minutes to make the sauce.

You need a can of tuna, here in Australia I’m completely obsessed with ‘Serena Tuna’ because they have lovely cans that come with chilly oil or lemon pepper...the best!!!

Ingredients:

Pasta - 150 g of either penne or fusilli ('Barilla' is my preference)

1 can of ‘Serena Tuna’ in chili oil – you can also use regular tuna in oil and add chili flakes

Parmiggiano cheese - 30g

Olive oil

1 tbsp Chunky garlic paste from ‘Gourmet Garden’

1 tbsp Basil herb mix from ‘Gourmet Garden’

1 tbsp Mediterranean seasoning from ‘Gourmet Garden’


please feel free to add more or less of each depending on your taste!!!

*See the website for were you can find their products in your area:

http://www.gourmetgarden.com/au/search/index

 In a bowl mix the tuna with all the oil from the can, in my case I keep the oil because it is chili oil. If you have regular tuna in water or don’t want the oil from the can then just add extra virgine olive oil (once the can has been drained), Parmiggiano cheese and all of the herbs (either fresh ones or the herbs from the 'Gourmet Garden'...either way is fine)...now just mix everything evenly. 

This is just how I made it for this occasion but feel free to add anything you like…maybe you have some sundried tomatoes, artichokes (in olive oil or canned) or olives in your refrigerator then add them in. The idea of this recipe is to make a quick and easy pasta with what you have at home, so get creative!!!!

When the pasta is ready and AL DENTE… drain the pasta, add it to the tuna mixture and drizzle in some olive oil at the end to really blend everything nicely… add some fresh basil and your are done (I didn’t in my picture as I was really in a rush!!!)

NOW IT IS READY TO EAT

A WELL FED HUSBAND = HAPPY HUSBAND!!!!

Prosciutto e Melone - Rockmelon and Prosciutto Appetizer

This is a great combo because the rockmelon and the prosciutto complement each other (salty and sweet.)

I bought Australian made prosciutto, which was a lot cheaper than the Italian one…the difference is that the Italian one was probably less salty than the Aussie, but I didn’t think it was enough to justify the difference in price. I do not recommend using the Spanish prosciutto because it is cured differently and has a different consistency.

Ingredients:

1 rockmelon
1/2 kilo of prosciutto (Australian or Italian)

First slice ¾ of a rockmelon into long strips and remove the skin. Then cut the slices in half because it can be overwhelming to eat a whole piece at a time.

Once you have all of your rockmelon ready and your thinly sliced prosciutto laid out, you roll the prosciutto onto the rock melon and voila, your done!

Easy and delicious!!!

Skinny BBQ RIBS

I went to the butchers the other day to stock up on meats...I haven’t always been a huge meat eater but living with an Aussie there is only so much pasta and veggies he will eat, so the days I indulge in meat I make memorable. My favourite is BBQ ribs, a good old American tradition. There are many ways, and certainly elaborate ones, to cook them...mine is by no means elaborate and does not involve a BBQ grill or any mess for that matter...

When I was single and living alone one of my all time favourite hangouts was Barnes & Nobles, a bookstore in the US with good coffee and great books you can read all day without having to buy any…Well one day I was cruising the aisles and a particular book cover caught my attention...the book is called Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin… I didn’t know what it was about but I thought, ohhh diet book, I want to be a Skinny Bitch too… I already had a massive collection of these genre of books that included: the South Beach Diet, Eat Right for Your Type, Atkins Diet, etc. etc....I have found them all useful but to be taken with a grain of salt. I ended up discovering that the only diet or lifestyle that will keep you thin is to eat everything in small quantities and MOVE…

So, I take the Skinny Bitch home only to find out in the first chapter that this book is about veganism. It’s a well written book, which I read in a day, hypnotized by the stories and “truths” about the meat industry, the slaughter houses, etc. Most importantly it mentioned that if I wanted to be a Skinny Bitch I had to completely eliminate all dairy, meat and who knows what else from my diet. After a day of reading I professed myself a VEGAN (what a strong word)… So for 6 months I ate bird food, tofu, veggies and even got conned into not drinking coffee (I don’t know why but I did.)  I then started to gain weight, which is when I should have picked up Eat Right for Your Blood Type (being an O+ it is highly recommended that I eat meat)…this was all too stressful, I couldn’t eat out, I started looking pale, I was not skinny but on the contrary I had put on 5 pounds.  All in all I was miserable….

One night I had a dream, the kind that makes you sweat at night. In this dream I was eating BBQ ribs, I could smell and taste them (oh it was divine)...I woke up thirsty, angry, confused and still dreaming of those ribs.  I drove to Tony Roma's, the house of ribs (it's a restaurant chain in the US)… sat by myself (I didn’t think I needed any company) just me, my baby back ribs, coleslaw and a baked potato… I finished off a half slab of the most tender, perfectly marinated ribs (the meat just fell off the bone)… oh it was so good! The staff was looking at me funny, but I didn't care, I licked my fingers and washed it all down with a glass of iced tea…LA BELLA VITA….
Expect wait...full stop…ouch ouch…massive stomach cramps kicked in. You can imagine my tummy had only been digesting beans, sprouts, tofu and veggies for six months...this was a fair effort if you ask me…so the shock of the ribs had me lying down on the booth for 30 minutes cramping and then went home to the have a double dose of Alka-Seltzer. It was worth it though, and never again have I gone down any extreme food path like that.

I love my meat and love animals, but if I trace my genes back to the caveman I was a hunter and not a gatherer. I like wearing leather so I feel that I cannot feel bad for eating meat and then go around wearing nice leather shoes and handbags…I now have a lovely friendship with ribs and all meat. My stomach is now accustomed to eating everything in moderation, and I’m far happier. It was a painful lesson I learned that day, but I can say with sincerity, especially to the kids, that yes we can eat everything, even if it’s junk food, but in moderation…
Enough of my babbling…let’s cook up some RIBS…

Ingredients for the BBQ ribs:

3 racks of pork ribs
Hoisin sauce
Foil

I buy a slab per every two people …and for my big guy; he is special, so he gets an entire one for himself…

The ones you are seeing in the photos of my recipe have been pre-marinated, from the butcher, with soy and honey…I place them in the sheet pan and rebase them with hoisin sauce…I love the flavor.

If your butcher has ribs that are not marinated the marinade is easy…

You can either use traditional BBQ sauce or you can marinate them in hoisin sauce, soy sauce and honey...there are thousands of tasty marinades on the market…However beware, most of the marinaded have preservatives (some marinades will contain hidden MSG sources) that may not suit everyone so check the packaging and read carefully in case any of your family members or guest have specific dietary needs.

I lay the ribs in foil, add the hoisin sauce and seal them in foil…by cooking them this way you keep the moisture and heat in so that they do not burn or become dry. Cook them at 200 degrees Celsius…I cooked 3 full racks for 35 minutes…the last 5 minutes I took the foil off the top and lowered the heat so they would brown even more…this keeps them tender and the meat will just fall off the bone (don’t worry if the juices on the foil become burnt.)

As a side, I will stick to my Skinny Bitch theory since ribs are not the most waist-friendly meal. I therefore accompanied them with brown rice and a nice vegetable stir fry.

BROWN RICE 

I use very little oil in my stir-fry, and to keep the veggies from burning I add a bit of water…I keep the flavours simple since the BBQ ribs already have a strong flavour… I make a stir-fry with whatever I have at home (so any veggies you have will do.)

Ingredients for the veggie stir-fry:

1 large white onion

1 carrot

2 bunches of asparagus

1 knob of ginger (sliced)

1/2 a head of red cabbage

4 mushrooms
Salt & pepper

(Please feel free to add or remove any veggies and create your own stir-fry)

Cut up all of the vegetables. Cook the onions, ginger and carrots first, when the onions are soft and the smell of the ginger is more intense add the red cabbage…once you see the cabbage begin to soften add the asparagus and finally the mushrooms…I think that in order to have an even consistency with vegetables you have to know what will take longer to cook and what will release more moisture into the stir-fry…now just add salt & pepper.

I also make a plain green salad: rocket and spinach mix, shallots and dress it with olive oil, fresh lemon and salt & pepper…this way I don’t eat too much rice.

So now we can sit down and eat my ‘Skinny BBQ RIBS’!

Please note that this post and its contents are not meant to offend vegans or any non-meat eating groups or individuals. I firmly believe that in life we have to choose the lifestyle that best suits us, and therefore eat what we believe is best for ourselves and our families. I learnt a lot from Skinny Bitch and to this day have altered some of my diet due to the issues raised in this book.  xx SARA 

Stuffed Artichokes

When I was a kid my favourite dish was stuffed artichokes. This is the way my mom used to make them. It can be a full meal and it is also a great vegetarian dish.  Artichokes are a great source of fiber, antioxidants and contain plenty of vitamins…(they are also a fun finger food.)

I’ll admit that they are not cheap, but if they are in season where you live, you can find them at a better price.

I serve one artichoke per person. The stuffing I make can be substituted with any stuffing recipe you have, and if you want to make this dish even heartier you can add chicken or another type of minced meat to the stuffing mix.

I think sometimes people get a little intimidated by artichokes but they are very easy to cook…the one rule is that once you have cut them and are waiting to stuff them it is important to let the artichokes soak in salted water during this waiting period (the same way you would soak potatoes), this way they don’t turn brown.

Ingredients:

4 raw artichokes

Ingredients for the stuffing:

1 cup of plain bread crumbs

1 garlic clove

1 shallot onion

Fresh parsley (plenty)
50-60 grams of parmesan cheese (grated)

Salt & pepper

1 egg (optional)

Olive oil

It is also optional to add some minced chicken or other sort of meat.

Clean the artichokes by removing the first layer of exterior petals.

Cut the top bit of the artichoke off so that you have an even height across the top.

Then cut the stems off, leaving a couple of mm’s so they are able to stand upright on the pan.

Once they are clean take your artichokes and smash them head down on the counter, so that the petals loosen. I do it about 3 -4 times…(it is fun.)

Now put them in salted water while you do the other rest of them.

In a mixer, mix all of the stuffing ingredients together.

Once this is ready take the artichokes out of the water, dry them and begin stuffing the insides of the petals (I start with the outside petals first and work my way in.)

When you are done stuffing all of the artichokes place them upright in a pot with enough water (about an inch of water)… make sure they are snuggled one next to the other, it doesn’t matter if they are tight…

Now drizzle a little olive oil over the top, have the heat on medium to low and cover the pot…

I cooked them for 30 minutes. You will notice when they are ready as they are nice and soft and the petals may come off... That wasn’t so hard...

Now eat and ENJOY!!!