Ercolina's zucchini

This is a recipe that a relative of my mother proposed to us when we went in the mountains, in summer, to visit her. It is a salad of zucchini sliced thin and fried, seasoned with vinegar. Very good and tasty, you can also prepare the night before, so take even more taste.

Ingredients for 2-3 people:

• 3 zucchini

• oil for frying

• flour for dusting

• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

• ½ cup of white vinegar or apple wine

• 1 clove of garlic

Time: 30 min + seasoning

Difficulty: easy

Clean the zucchini, slice them finely and let them drain the water placing them in a colander with 2 tablespoons of salt.

Rinse thoroughly and dry them with paper kitchen. Flour them with care, more quickly take a paper bag (like those used for bread) and pour a little flour and a bit of zucchini, shake and repeat the process.

Heat the oil (or deep fryer) and fry them few at a time, place them on a paper towel to remove excess oil and then pour into a bowl.

Season with vinegar and a clove of garlic, stir and let stand for at least an hour.

Enjoy your meal.

See the recipe in printable PDF

Rice salad # 1

Too hot to eat anything? Try this alternative salad with rice, which can also be prepared early in the morning or the night before and refrigerate. You can also vary the vegetables or use a different type of rice.

Ingredients for 2 people:
120 gr. “long & wild” rice
1 zucchini
4 tomatoes piccadilly
½ cup peas (even frozen)
1 carrot
1 boiled egg
1 mozzarella cheese
2 slices of melon (optional)
some sliver of grana padano
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon spicy mustard (optional)
a few basil leaves
salt

Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Cook rice and peas together in salted water. Meanwhile, put the egg to thicken.
Dice the carrot and zucchini and after 5 minutes cook with the rice. Cut into little cubes tomatoes and mozzarella and place in a large bowl. After 15-18 minutes of cooking, drain rice and vegetables, thoroughly under cool running water and drain again eliminating all the liquid. Add the rice in the bowl with slices of melon cut into cubes, crumbled hard-boiled egg, the shards of parmesan and basil leaves. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and mustard, mix well and let stand in refrigerator at least half an hour. Enjoy your meal!
 

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Monday's diet: salad with barley!

A single dish and lightweight, but rich in nutrients thanks to barley. Complete even for the addition of mozzarella cheese and eggs, which, depending on personal tastes you can be replaced with parmesan cheese or other light cheese. Barley, generally little used, has anti-inflammatory and mineralizing propriety.

 Ingredients:

• ½ red radicchio or chicory
• 1 zucchini
• 1 tomato
• 1 egg
• 4 small mozzarella
• 1 handful of barley
• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon 1
• salt q.b.

Time: 15/30 minutes
Difficulty: easy

First you cook the barley, if you prefer the integral one it need to soak the night before, rinse and cook for 40 minutes, instead of the barley pearl does not need soaking and cook in half an hour. If you have super fast on the market there are also cereals and legumes "rapid" cooked in 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the barley to firm up the egg from boiling water for 8 minutes and clean the vegetables with care. Cut zucchini and tomato into thin slices and,cut the salad, add the diced mozzarella and the egg when it is cold. Once cooked barley, drain, cool under water and drain again. Add to salad and dress with olive oil, a pinch of salt, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Enjoy your meal.

See the recipe in printable PDF

Mixed spring salad

Ingredients for 2 people:

• asparagus (advanced by rolls)
• 6 cherry tomatoes "cherry"
• 2 eggs
• 1 mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons oil EVO
• salt q.b.

Time: 10 min
Difficulty: Very easy

Cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 minutes.
If you are not already cooked, cleaned asparagus removing the tough parts and wash them well.
Boil, after being tied up in a bundle, in lightly salted water. Remember that it is better to a pot high and narrow and let the tips (most sensitive) facing upwards.
After 10 minutes of cooking, drain well and dry thoroughly.
Wash the tomatoes and cut a cross leaving the bottom attached.
Cut the mozzarella into slices.
Arrange on a serving dish asparagus, sliced ​​hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes and mozzarella. Season with olive oil and salt, cook for few minutes left.
Enjoy your meal!

See the recipe in printable  PDF

Monday's diet! winter salad with daikon and oranges

After yesterday's cake today you can eat a special salad , also suitable as a light appetizer.
Daikon is a white radish "giant" by purifying and digestive properties, with a slightly spicy flavor.

 
Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 daikon
• 2 carrots
• 2 oranges
• 1 cup of rocket
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of half a lemon
• salt

Clean, strip and wash the vegetables.
Boil for 2 minutes in unsalted water daikon, then cut into thin slices.
Grate the carrots and after peeled oranges, remove the fine white skin and cut each slice into 2 or 3 parts.
In a bowl mix the vegetables prepared in this way, add the rocket  and season with an emulsion of olive oil, salt and lemon.
Enjoy your meal!

See the recipe in printable  PDF

Autumn salad in crispy rice

The return of some warm sunshine reported a desire to salads at the beginning of the meal, like the one that I propose today, served in a crispy rice cup. Could be proposed as a light appetizer. If you wish, you can change the vegetables or add others.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 4 wafer of rice 
• 2.82 OZ (80 gr.) frozen broad beans 
• 3.53 OZ (100 gr.) of mixed salad 
• 2.82 OZ (80 gr.) rocket 
• 1 courgette 
• pepper 
• salt 
• EVO oil for seasoning 
• 1 organic lemon

Time: 1/2 hour
Grill oven 392 °F

Cut the courgette in thinly sliced and put it to marinate in a plate with a pinch of salt, pepper, a tablespoon of oil and 1/2 lemon juice.
Turn on the oven grill to 392 °F.
Boil the beans in boiling salted water for 10 minutes and drain.
Wash the lettuce and the rocket and spin it, put it in a bowl and season.
Take the rice waffles (you can find them in the in the department of ethnic products), dampen a cloth and place them on one at a time. When they become soft, take a bowl that can go in the oven, flip it over, brush with a little oil and place over 2 waffles moistened.
Put under the grill for 5 minutes or until crispy.
Turn it upside down and place it on a plate.
Repeat the same procedure for all the cups, I use two wafers of rice instead of one so that they are less fragile.
In each cup to put the salad sauce, courgette on the board, the beans and season with lemon juice, salt and a little olive oil EVO.

enjoy your meal and eat everything ... even the cup!

 See the recipe in printable PDF

Summer salad of spelt

Here is a summer dish that can be a great dish for the evening, or an alternative to rice salad for a summer lunch.

Ingredients for for two persons:

• 1 cup of spelt
• ½ cup of beans
• ½ cup of peas
• ½ hot pepper round
• 1 small onion
• 15 pearls of mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons of parsley
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Cook the spelt in salted water for the time indicated on the package.
If you use frozen peas and beans you can boil them together.
After cooking drain and let cool.
Put in a bowl the spelt, if not already cooked together, add the peas and baked beans.
After add the pearls of mozzarella and mix them together with the onion and chilli finely chopped.
Season with olive oil, parsley and season with salt if necessary.
You can serve immediately or let sit for a few hours in the refrigerator, but remember to keep out for 15 minutes before serving.

See the recipe in printable PDF

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 red sweet pepper,
• 3 tomatoes
• 8 fresh or pickled onions
• 1 whole chicken breast
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 80 gr. salad like lettuce
• ½ lemon
• salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• mayonnaise if you want

Time: 30 minutes

Boneless chicken breast and cut into cubes of about 1 inch.
In a frying pan  put a little oil and cook the chicken and sprinkle it with  a  lemon juice.
Add salt after cooking.
Cook the eggs.
Meanwhile, it cools the chicken, wash the peppers, remove seeds and cut into squares
Clean and wash the tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into four pieces and then in half again.
Wash the lettuce.
Put in a dish or into a large bowl:
lettuce, peppers and chopped tomatoes, finely sliced ​​onions, the chicken  and boiled eggs into slices.
Dress with extra virgin olive oil, salt and if you want a little mayonnaise.
The salad will be tasty if allowed to stand at least half an hour.

See the recipe in printable PDF