Focaccia with Pears and Cheese

Focaccia is a traditional Italian leavened bread. The main ingredient is extra virgin olive oil, which make it soft and flavourful. So, if you decide to prepare this recipe, make sure to use a really good olive oil.

This focaccia version is two-layered with a filling of pear and Taleggio cheese. This filling is tasty but delicate at the same time. On the top the focaccia is spread with coarse salt and rosemary which give to the whole a crispy and aromatic touch. Perfect as an appetizer or a snack.

Focaccia with Pears and Cheese

Ingredients for the dough:

400 gr of all-purpose flour

25 gr yeast

3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

250 ml warm water

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of sugar

Ingredients for the filling:

1 ripe pear

150 gr of semi-soft and tasty cheese, like Taleggio or Blue Cheese

1 tsp of coarse salt

1 tsp of dry rosemary

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

How to prepare:

First prepare the dough. In a cup melt the yeast in 250 ml of warm water. On a worktop, make a well in the flour and add the melted yeast, the extra virgin olive oil, the salt and the sugar. Start to knead. If the dough is too dry little by little add some more warm water and continue to knead. Knead until the dough is smooth. The consistency should be slightly softer than that of bread dough. Then put the dough in a bowl previously dusted with some flour, cover with a wet cloth and set the bowl in a warm and not too dry place. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Peel the pear, cut it in wedges and clean it from the core. Then cut it into thin slices. Peel the rind off the cheese and cut it into small dices.

Grease a worktop with some olive oil. Transfer the focaccia dough from the bowl on the worktop. With a rolling pin roll out the dough in the shape of a rectangle, more or less 35cm x 50cm (it should be the double of the size of your baking tin). Spread half of the focaccia dough with the pears and the cheese. Then fold it in half, the filling should be between two layers of dough, and lightly press the surface with your fingertips.

Grease the tin with a little olive oil and set the focaccia on it. Sprinkle the focaccia with coarse salt, dry rosemary and the extra virgin olive oil. Then cover the tin with a wet cloth and let it stand for one hour in a warm place.

Preheat the oven at 180° C and humidify putting in it an oven dish half full of water.

Take the cloth from the focaccia and, again, lightly press the surface with your fingertips. Put the focaccia in the oven. After 15 mins, take the bowl with water out of the oven and bake the focaccia for 15 more minutes.

When the focaccia is backed take it out from the oven and let it cool for 20/30 minutes. Serve it warm.

More ideas for the filling:

- dried tomatoes and cheddar cheese

- ham and fontina cheese

- grilled vegetables

- tuna and oregano

- etc etc, use your fantasy :-)

Vegetables TarteTatin

The Tarte Tatin is a classical French cake usually made with apples, brisée pastry, butter and sugar. Its peculiarity is that it is baked upside down. Therefore, the filling becomes soft and caramelized and the pastry crispy.

This colorful Vegetables Tarte Tatin follows the same process, but I replaced the apples with some fresh vegetables. You can use any vegetable you prefer; in this case, I choose baby carrots, zucchini, yellow peppers and baby spinach. So, not only it is a tasty way of serving vegetables but it is also very quick and easy to prepare (to make it even quicker you can use ready to bake brisée pastry).

Vegetables Tarte Tatin

Ingredients for the brisée pastry:

200 gr all-purpose flour

100 gr butter

60 to 80 ml cold water

a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the tarte:

1 zucchini

100 gr baby carrots

1 yellow pepper, roasted

a bunch of coriander

80 gr baby spinach

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

First prepare the dough for the brisée pastry. Put the flour, the butter and a pinch of salt in a mixer. Mix for a few seconds until you obtain a sandy result. Turn the flour mix on a worktop and make a well in the middle. Little by little add the cold water and knead, until the dough will be smooth. Try not to knead the brisée dough longer than 2 minutes, because you should avoid the melting of the butter. Then wrap the dough in a piece of cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Now wash the vegetables. Cut the zucchini in sticks. Halve the baby carrots. Chop the coriander. Peel the yellow pepper and cut it in stripes.

Parboil the zucchini and the carrots in hot salted water for 2 minutes. Then drain and put aside.

Cover a round tin with baking paper. Brush it with the melted butter. Then sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Nicely arrange the vegetable in the backing tin, they will be on the top of your tarte: first the carrots and the pepper, then the zucchini and the coriander. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and, finally, cover with the baby spinach.

Take the dough from the fridge and on a clean worktop roll it out. Cover the vegetables with the dough and with a fork make some holes on the top of it. Then put the tarte in the oven for around 30 minutes.

When the tarte is ready, take it out from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then turn the tarte tatin on a serving plate and carefully remove the baking paper.

Serve warm with a perfumed white wine.

With this recipe I take part to the contest:

More information at: http://fiordirosmarino.blogspot.com/2012/04/io-le-verdureil-mio-nuovo-contest.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FiorDiRosmarino+%28Fior+di+rosmarino%29

Goat Cheese Salad

The Goat Cheese Salad can be a fresh appetizer or a light meal. With its bright colors it is a perfect dish for your Easter lunch table. Lamb’s lettuce is tender and sweet. Cherry tomatoes give freshness. Goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are tasty. Finally, the balsamic dressing perfectly matches the flavours.

Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients for 6:

100 gr of lamb’s lettuce, washed

100 gr of mixed tender leaf salad, washed

20 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

200 gr of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

200 gr of fresh goat cheese, cut in slices of around 1,5  cm

Ingredients for the balsamic dressing:

8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of honey, I used mint honey

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

First prepare the dressing. In a small bowl put all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk them with a fork until you have a homogeneous sauce. Taste and if necessary adjust salt and pepper.

Put the salads in a bowl and pour the balsamic dressing into it. Mix well. Then transfer the salad onto a large serving plate.

Now, nicely arrange the cherry tomatoes, the sun-dried tomatoes and the goat cheese on the top on the salad. Serve the Goat Cheese Salad with fresh bread or croutons.

Do not dress the salad earlier than 30 minutes before or it will become flabby and loose its volume.

Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls

A quick, easy and tasty snack for your weekend. Only 3 ingredients and 20 minutes in the oven. Have a lovely weekend :-)

Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls

Ingredients for 20 whirls:

1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry

200 gr of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

100 gr of cheese, like cheddar

How to prepare:

Preheat the hoven at 180° C.

In a blander put the sun-dried tomatoes and the cheese, if necessary add a drop of olive oil. Blend the cheese and tomatoes until they are reduced in small chunks.

Unroll the puff pastry and spread it with the tomatoes and cheese mixture. Now roll the puff pastry along the long side. Now slice the roll that you obtain creating small whirls of around 1,5 cm thickness.

Put the whirls on an oven dish covered with baking paper and bake them for around 20 minutes, until they are golden. Then take from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. The Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls are good both warm and cold. 

Salmon Sandwiches

These flavourful sandwiches are inspired from the Scandinavian taste. The mix of smoked salmon, cucumber and fresh dill is always successful and always turn on the appetite.

I served these Salmon Sandwiches in a buffet, but they are also a perfect snack or a meal to take out with you and enjoy in the open air now that the spring arrived.

Salmon Sandwiches

Ingredients for 20 small sandwiches (or 10 bigger)

250 gr of smoked salmon

2 medium cucumbers

2 large hard-boiled eggs

5 generous tbsp of mayonnaise

a spring of fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper

10 slices of whole wheat bread for sandwiches (preferably without crust)

How to prepare:

Cut the smoked salmon, the cucumbers and the eggs into small cubes (1-2 cm). Put them in a bowl and add the mayonnaise and the dill. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Spread a slice of bread with a couple of generous tablespoons of salmon mixture. Cover with another slice of bread. Slightly press the sandwich with your hands and then cut it into 4 small triangles (or 2 bigger). Proceed similarly until you finish the bread.

Present the Salmon Sandwiches on a serving tray garnished with fresh dill.

Mini Chicken Fajitas

A good-looking and tasty appetizer for a dinner party buffet.

Mini Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients for 40 mini fajitas:

40 small cups for finger-food

40 small forks for finger-food

1 chicken breast

1 white onion

2 tbsp of sunflower oil

2 red peppers

300 gr of cheese (like cheddar)

3 thin pita/tortilla breads

150 gr of sour cream

1 tsp of salt

Ingredients for the Guacamole sauce:

4 ripe avocados

1/4 red onion

1/2 clove of garlic

a small piece of fresh hot chili pepper

the juice of 1/2 lemon

50 ml sunflower oil

a pinch of salt

How to prepare:

First prepare the guacamole sauce. Cut the avocados in halves. Remove the seeds and peel the fruits. Put the avocados in a blender and add the red onion, the garlic, the hot chili pepper, the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and half of the sunflower oil. Start to blend. If you see that the ingredients do not mix well, add some more sunflower oil and continue blending. When the guacamole sauce is smooth, remove it from the blender and put it in a bowl covered with a piece of clingfilm (the clingfilm has to adhere to the surface of the sauce, doing this you will prevent oxidation). Let the guacamole stand for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Put the chicken breast in a small pot filled with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt and boil the chicken breast for around 20-30 minutes (depending on the weight). When it is well cooked drain it and put it aside for cooling. Once cooled, put it onto a chopping board and cut it into small cubes (1-2 cm).

Chop the white onion in thin rings. Put the rings in a pan together with the sunflower oil and brown it on the stove at low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Then take the pan from the stove and let the onion rings cool.

Wash the red peppers and put them on a grill in the oven at 250 degrees (°C) for around 20 minutes or until their skin is well roasted. Then take the peppers from the oven, let them cool, peel them, remove the core and the seeds and cut them in small squares (1-2 cm).

Grate the cheese.

Cut the pita breads in small triangles (3-4 cm) and toast them in the oven at 200 degrees for a few minutes until they are crispy.

Finally, assemble the Mini Chicken Fajitas. In each small finger-food cup put first one tablespoon of guacamole, then 4-5 cubes of chicken and 2-3 rings of fried onion. Top with a teaspoon of grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of sour cream and 3 pieces of red pepper. Garnish with one triangle of pita bread and then stick the little fork into the cup. When the Mini Chicken Fajitas are ready arrange them on a serving tray.

You can prepare all the ingredients in advance, a few hours or even the day before if you preserve them in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm. Make sure to assemble the mini fajitas only at the last moment, not earlier than one hour before serving. 

Chicken, Avocado and Apple Salad

The chicken salad is a versatile dish. It can be an appetizer or a light meal, and it is perfect for a buffet lunch or a picnic.

Chicken, Avocado and Apple Salad

Ingredients for 2:

1 chicken breast (around 500 gr)

1 Golden apple

1 ripe avocado

1 carrot

2 celery sticks

1 white onion

100 gr of lamb’s lettuce

1/2 red onion

2 pita breads

a pinch of salt

a pinch of ground black pepper

Ingredients for the dressing:

3 tbsp of olive oil

2 tbsp of natural yogurt

2 tsp of lemon juice

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

In a small casserole put the celery sticks (washed and cut in big pieces), the carrot (peeled and cut in big pieces) and the white onion (peeled). Add 2 l of cold water, and put the casserole on the stove at high heat. When the water in boiling add the whole chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, and cook it for 30 mins at low heat covered with a lid.

Then remove the chicken breast from the water and with a knife make a cut in the middle of the meat and check if it is cooked. If in the middle it is still pink, cook it for 10 mins more.

When the chicken breast is ready take it from the casserole, dry it, and let it cool. Cut it into small cubes (2-3 cm) and set it aside.

Wash the lamb’s lettuce and put it in a large bowl. Peel and cut in small pieces the avocado and the apple. Peel the red onion and chop it into slices. Separate the slices into rings. Add the apple, the avocado, the chicken and the onion into the salad bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

Pour the dressing onto the chicken salad and serve with the warm pita bread. One more idea: serve the salad inside the pita bread.

Red Caviar Mini-sandwiches

With this quick recipe you will certainly impress your guests. These mini-sandwiches are as delightful as good looking. You can serve them in individual portions or also on a large tray as finger food.

I found the inspiration for this dish during a romantic trip to the old town of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria. In a lovely restaurant with a bungler waiter I ordered a delicious starter made with smoked salmon, red caviar and fresh cucumber. It was so good that I tried to make something similar at home. The result was even better!

Red Caviar Mini-sandwiches

Ingredients for 4 portions:

6 slices of white sandwich bread without crust

200 gr of smoked salmon

1 small jar of red caviar (the better is the quality the better is the result)

1 cucumber

1 spring onion

a spring of dill

100 ml of fresh whole milk

100 ml of sour cream (can be replaced by plain yogurt)

100 ml of fresh single cream

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Put 2 slices of bread in a small bowl and pour the milk on them. When the bread has absorbed the milk squeeze it and put it in a larger bowl.

Wash the spring onion, the cucumber and the dill. Cut the cucumber in very thin slices. Put 8 slices aside for the decoration. With your hands squeeze out the water from the rest of the cucumber and put the squeezed slices in the bowl with the bread. Chop the spring onion. Add the white part of the onion to the bread mixture and put the green part aside for the decoration. Finally, chop the dill and put half of it in the bowl with the bread and the rest aside for the decoration. Season the bread mixture with salt and pepper and mix well.

With the four remaining slices of bread create two big sandwiches with the smoked salmon in the middle. On the top of the sandwiches spread the bread mixture and on the top of it the red caviar. Then cut the big sandwiches into 8 small sandwiches.

Prepare four plates. Pour on each plate some single cream (it should cover the centre of the plate). Arrange 2 mini-sandwiches on each plate and add a generous spoon on sour cream on one side. Then sprinkle with the spring onion and the dill and decorate with the slices of cucumber. Serve immediately.

Vegetables tart

This is a delicious way to eat raw vegetables. It is healthy, tasty and it looks beautifully.

It is an exceptional appetizer and it is perfect for festive days. I prepared this tart for the first time for a New Year’s Eve dinner party. It was a colourful centre piece for my table and the guests just loved it.

Here is the recipe.

The Vegetables Tart

For the brisee pastry:

200 gr white flour
100 gr butter
70 ml cold water
a pinch of salt

For the filling:

250 gr cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
250 gr sweet gorgonzola (or soft blue cheese)
3 cherry tomatoes
5 radishes
A few clumps of broccoli
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 small leek or 2 spring onions
1 Belgian endive
Chives

How to prepare:

To prepare the brisee pastry: make a well in the flour. Add the butter in small pieces and a pinch of salt. Start to knead. When the butter and the flour are mixed add the water and knead until the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in a piece of clingfilm and put it in the fridge for cooling (40 mins).

Heat the oven at 180˚.  With the help of a rolling pin roll out the pastry on a piece of baking paper. Then put it on a round thin of 20-25 cm diameter. If needed cut the borders (you can use the exceeding pastry for preparing some small biscuits in the shape that you prefer and later use them for the decoration of the tart). Cook the tart in the hoven for around 20-25 mins checking it from time to time. Then take the pastry from the hoven and let it cool.

To prepare the filling: in a bowl mix the cream cheese with the gorgonzola (you can change the proportion in function of your taste). Wash the vegetables. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves. Cut the radishes in four. Grate the carrot. With a potato peeler slice the zucchini by its length. Cut the leek in clumps. Pluck the leaves of the endive.

To assembly the tart: put the brisee pastry tart on a serving plate. Fill it with the cheese mixture. Then arrange the vegetables on the top. Finally, garnish with the chives and the little brisee biscuits.

You can prepare the tart even several hours before and then store it in the fridge until 30 mins before serving.