Spinach and Ricotta Frittata - Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Low Fat

This great recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, and low fat. It is a great main dish to just serve with a salad or some sweet potato fries! It is super easy to make, it's a tasty alternative if you're trying to cut down on meat.

It could also be your fancy appetizer for your next dinner party or romantic dinner (hint hint).

For the sweet potato fries recipe click here

For salad ideas visit the "Recipe" page of this blog, I have many suggestions!

Ingredients: 

4 eggs from free to roam hens
two big bundles of spinach (you may substitute for any other kind of leafy green)
some grated parmigiano cheese
freshly ground nutmeg
a little bit of salt
half of a small canister of MAGGIO ricotta, easily found at the grocery store. Let's face it, it's never going to be as good as in Napoli, but at least this one is not awful.
Some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat the pan

Utensils: 

non stick 9 inch/22cm pie pan
a whisk
a bowl

STEP BY STEP: 

1. If you haven't done so already, clean wash and cook the spinach in a large pot with some water at the bottom. Set the oven to 400F/200C
2. Meanwhile whisk the eggs, the ricotta, salt, nutmeg, parmigiano cheese.
3. Squeeze all the water out of the cooked spinach and whisk away with the rest
4. Coat the pie pan in olive oil (watch the video above for this step)
5. Pour the ricotta/spinach mixture in the pie pan.
6. Bake for 20/30 minutes.

I love it, it's one of my latest favorite fast lunch/dinner solutions, and I say fast because I usually prepare my cooked greens ahead of time. You can also put it in the oven while the oven is warming up and that will cut 10 minutes down from cooking time.

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The song playing in the background of the video is one of my originals called "I never talk about love", I took the vocals out so I could use it in the cooking video. You can find the full version here:

Enjoy!!

How to make Frittata with Zucchini and Potatoes

A simple frittata can really get you all set for a great light lunch or dinner! Or breakfast... I guess...!

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed making it and eating my grandma's Frittata!

 Valentina and Mimmi'
Real Italian Kitchen

Steak Salad with Parmigiano and Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is a fantastic way to enjoy an old classic such as a grilled piece of meat and a salad.

As I was saying in one of my previous blogs, I rarely eat red meat and when I do I buy the best possible kind. This was an amazingly tender filet!

Ingredients: 
Fresh salad
Cherry tomatoes
a good piece of Parmigiano cheese
Steak or filet
Soy sauce
Balsamic vinaigre
Extra virgin olive oil (evo)

salt

1. I start with a very simple marinade for the meat: salt, soy sauce, evo, and pepper if you like it.
 Let it sit for a few minutes then grill it. I use a cast iron grill that I bought in the camping department (it's cheaper...!). Remember that meat should always be cooked when at room temperature. If it's too cold it becomes tough and..well...raw...!

 2. In a plate prepare the salad, the cherry tomatoes cut in half and very thin slices of Parmigiano cheese. I use a carrot peeler to achieve those thin slices.

3. The vinaigrette is 2 spoons of olive oil and one (or less) of balsamico. Salt to taste.

4. Cut the meat thinly and place it on the salad, then sprinkle with the vinaigrette.

Enjoy!!

Valentina
RealItalianKitchen

Butternut Squash Mini-Quiche with homemade Pecorino Crust

This is a new spin on an old recipe of mine, the Butternut squash and pecorino quiche. 

I made a salty shortbread crust using grated pecorino cheese. And then I decided to make them bite size, for the joy of my fiancé!

Ingredients for a life time supply of mini quiche:

THE FILLING
1 butternut squash
1 cup of grated pecorino
1/2 an onion chopped finely
2 eggs
1tbsp butter, 2 cups milk and 2 tbsp of flour for the Bechamel Sauce


1. Clean the squash (long and painful procedure, buy it clean if you don't have the patience), cut it in little flat pieces and put it in the oven, where it will cook at 300F for about 20 minutes. You know it's cooked when you can squish it down with a fork.

2. Make it into a puree (I used the food processor) and while you do that let the onion cook in a pan with a little bit of butter. Once the onion is transparent and looks cooked, throw in the squash and mix it well.

3. Add the béchamel and half of the pecorino but leave some on the side to put later on top of the quiches.

FOR THE SHORTBREAD PECORINO CRUST:
300 gr (3cups) flour
1 whole egg
2 yokes
170 gr of butter (2 sticks)
30 gr of grated pecorino (half a cup)

1.Mix all the dry ingredients together, add the butter and start making little crumbs with your hands.

2. Add the eggs and work the dough till smooth. Let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Flatten the dough with a roller pin. I like my crust thin and crispy, it also cooks better if it has stuff on top of it. With a round cookie cutter cut out your circles and put them on a muffin tin. With your hands give it the shape of the bottom of the tin, so that the edges rise up a little.

WE ARE READY FOR THE FILLING!
I tried putting just a little bit of filling or A LOT of filling and both were fully cooked and delicious, so it's up to you to decide! Sprinkle some pecorino on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, oven set to 350 F, or until the edges appear to be golden brown. Once they're cooked let them rest for a minute (the shortbread has to harden) and then scoop them out of the tin with a fork.

Enjoy!
Valentina
RealItalianKitchen

Easy, fast, cheap Italian Appetizer Recipe

Finally a new video! It's so old I was still wearing winter clothes! ahhahahaha!
Well, this recipe is perfect for the warmer weather, no stove needed.

Bresaola, Rucola, Parmigiano... oh my! Try this exact thing on top of a pizza, it will change your world.

Hope you enjoy it!
Valentina
RealItalianKitchen