Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts

Monday, 10 April 2017

Sformato di ceci con la zucca...

Sformato di ceci con la zucca
chickpea tart with a winter squash crust

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
3 sage leaves, lightly crushed
Leaves of 1 sprig rosemary
1 small winter squash, quartered,
or 1 wedge of a large winter squash, peel
left on, seeds and strings removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 (15-ounces) cans chickpeas
2 large eggs
About 1/2 cup whole milk
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated aged cheese such as
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated on the 
large holes of a box grater. 

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Combine the olive oil with the garlic, sage, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Cook gently over low heat to infuse the oil, then set the mixture aside.

2. Cut the whole squash or large wedge of squash into slices, wrap them in aluminum foil, and roast them until soft, about 40 minutes. Leave the oven on when the squash is cooked. 

3. Butter a round or oval springform pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper as well. Cut the cooked squash into thin slices and use them to line the bottom and sides of the pan, bending them slightly to fit and overlapping them. 

4. Drain the chickpeas, rinse, drain again, and puree in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, along with the eggs and enough milk to make a thick puree. (Gradually drizzle the milk in through the feed tube with the machine running.) Season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the olive oil through a small sieve to remove the garlic, sage, and rosemary. Pour the flavored oil into the chickpea mixture and puree or blend to combine.

6. Transfer the chickpea mixture to the springform pan and spread it evenly over the squash. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and bake until the top is browned and crusty and the chickpea mixture is set, about 40 minutes. Allow the tart to cool slightly before un-molding it. Serve it warm or at room temperature. 


Serve 8     Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

~Bella

Monday, 12 December 2016

Joyful month...

Happy Holidays!

It is finally this time of the year away! Cannot get enough of the Christmas joy, the smell of all the candles or even the Christmas tree. Can't enough of all the decorations,the little cookies shaped like snowmen, the hot chocolates... Can't get enough of the beanies, the big sweaters, jumpers, scarves.
My season may have ended, all the autumn little pieces of joy may be gone, but let's be honest, a lot of people love winter! 
You've got the chilly cold days... You've got Christmas... You've got the new year that comes along quickly after Christmas!

December is such an amazing month for everyone, no matter where you are on the planet. I know I adore December! The decorations, the warm blankets are out again ( I always have them out no matter what...), the scented cinnamon candles, the big socks, and my wonderful beanies! 
It's that time of the year where the music is enjoyable enough to turn on the radio, the shopping mall has the fake snow little moments in the evening. Christmas parties all month long, little gifts, pastries, sweets... Shortbread! 
Can't get a single December day without joy! 


Now, it's also a stressful month as we all have to run everywhere to find Christmas presents!
I gave up trying to find the perfect mix of presents, to make everyone happy... It's hard! So this year I shared one of my brother's gift with my mum, and the youngest of my brothers... Well, I'm also his godmother, so each year he gets one or two gifts from me. It gets tougher each year!

So here are a few great Christmas gifts examples that I would absolutely love to receive, it's cheap and easy!





* Scented Candles (Can't go wrong with that one)








*A cookbook or a Q&A book
I love to cook (invent a lot of recipes but still cook)

*Socks, scarves or beanies (It's useful whenever it's cold, it's not lost)
*A notebook (I've got plenty but I can never have enough, everyone should have one in their bag)

*A jar full of candy or tea bags (Everyone deserves to have a jar of candy next to their beds)




*A LUSH product (You can find some amazing bubble bath products, cream)





*A photo album that you created yourself with quotes, photos that represent the relationship you have with the person! (Cheap, creative, and homemade gifts are usually the one that everyone love because you cannot say "No, I don't like it")

Buying for someone either it's a family member, a friend, a partner, or a coworker can be stressful. You may never know what they truly enjoy doing, or even like. I know that a gift card or a box of chocolates is an easy way to go, but sometimes we want to give something more. Don't get overboard with presents, don't take forever to find the right Christmas card... 

Enjoy the holiday spirit, the scented candles, the nice cold weather. 


"Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little more." - The Grinch

~Bella