|
|
Favorite
Recipes
|
|
|
Developed by a Dr. Bircher, this is, or at least was, meant to be a health food. The original recipe contained only oats, water, condensed milk, lemon juice, nuts and apples. What follows is roughly the way Ed and Julie make it ... though we 'play it by ear' each time. Roughly 4 servings 6 Tbs rolled oats, 1-2 containers of yogurt - flavored or unflavored, milk, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 C honey, 1 apple coarsely grated, 1 banana peeled and sliced, 1 orange sectioned into bite-sized pieces, 1 package of slivered almonds or other nutmeats, 4 Tbs wheat germ, small handful of dark raisins, small handful of white raisins, small handful of currants. It is preferable to mix the oats with the yogurt and/or some milk the night before preparation to give the oats a chance to fully absorb the liquids. Yogurt is optional; plain milk (whole, 2% or skim) works just fine. Just before the meal add the lemon juice to the oats/milk/yogurt and then the honey, fruits and nuts. Add milk as required to obtain the desired consistency. We typically eat this as a breakfast dish, but it makes a healthy light supper as well. ItalyOne of our principal pleasures in visiting Italy, and especially Rome, is the food. Books can be, and have been, written arguing which of the several regional Italian cuisines is 'best'. That's not an issue we'll come near to debating. It is clear to us, though, that Roman food seems to take good advantage of Rome's central location, often representing a 'fusion' of what's best from the various regions. With so much enjoyment for virtually all Roman cuisine, it's more than a bit hard to pick a few 'favorites' ... so many dishes could be so described. Nonetheless, we'll pass on these recipes to you since they're enjoyable, not something you'll find in most American versions of Italian restaurants, and generally easy to prepare. Saltimbocca is a not uncommon dish, mainly seen in the north. It can be most closely compared to veal cordon bleu. The Roman version deletes the cheese. Saltimbocca translates as 'jump in the mouth'. We think you'll agree that this dish is so good it will just jump right into your mouth! Serves 4 If you cannot find scaloppini you can, of course, pound your own using a mallet or similar and placing the veal steaks between sheets of waxed paper or cling wrap. Whether you find scaloppini's or pound your own, 2-3 smaller pieces per serving is preferred to one large piece. If necessary, however, you can 'knit' small pieces together to make a larger piece by overlapping before pounding. You can substitute skinless chicken breast for veal in this dish for lower cost and slightly fewer calories. Take care in pounding the chicken not to break it up. Pork would work in principle, though probably less well than in the Geschnetzeltes. Top each veal slice with a piece of sage covered by a piece of prosciutto. Affix the topping either with a toothpick or a light pounding with the mallet. Season the slices with salt, pepper and a light dredging in flour. Quickly sauté the veal pieces in the hot butter. Spend more cooking time on the non-prosciutto side so as to not toughen the ham. You will probably have to do this in shifts without a very large pan. Place the cooked veal on a plate, cover and keep warm in the oven while you complete preparation. Deglaze the pan using the Marsala or lemon juice, reduce and pour over the plated veal. Tthe name may imply the source of this recipe is the 'charcoal gatherers', the humble peasantesses who, for a living, go into the woods, collect small dried branches and make charcoal. Or, 'the coal man's wife'. In any event the name really derives from the pepper ... "freshly ground pepper to taste" means lots of pepper, so that the dish look as though it's been prepared by a cook with lots of charcoal dust or coal dust on their clothes. The beaten raw egg makes this a very special dish. You may use any type of pasta you wish; spaghetti is most common. We prefer bucatini, a round pasta similar to spaghetti with a tiny hole through the center, or perciatelli, almost identical but a shade thicker. (How do they get that hole there?!) Serves 4 Remove casings from sausages. Finely chop the prosciutto and divide into halves. Begin cooking the pasta as directed. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large, wide frying pan over medium heat and add the sausage and half the prosciutto. Stir until the sausage is lightly browned and prosciutto is somewhat frazzled. Add the uncooked prosciutto and set pan aside off the fire. Arrange the remaining ingredients so they may be quickly added when required. As the pasta nears the al dente stage put the pan of meats back on the burner to rewarm at a medium-high level. Drain the pasta well. Take the pan off the fire and add the drained pasta, then the butter, parsley, eggs, cheese, and pepper, tossing all the time to thoroughly mix. This mixing exercise must be done rapidly in order that the pasta not cool, and have a chance to partially cook and melt the egg and cheese. This Roman egg drop soup is simple to prepare, though you want to watch your technique. Serves 4-6 first-course Bring the stock/broth to a full rolling boil. Blend the eggs with the cheese and parsley and pour quickly into the boiling liquid and immediately remove from heat; do not stir. Ladle into bowls. Often called tomato and mozzarella salad or mozzarella salad, this dish is the height of simplicity. One trick, however: fresh mozzarella is required. The rubbery softballs that pass for mozzarella (handy for pizza) in the grocery will not do. It's becoming easier to find fresh mozzarella in the US ... and you can make your own, which is what we do now. This makes a fine first course/salad, and we occasionally have for a main course, whether at home or in Italy. We've never been turned down when we've asked for this plate in restaurants even when they don't show it on the menu. For each person, 3 slices of ripe, red American tomato, approximately 1/2" thick and an equal number of mozzarella slices, fresh basil leaves. Either layer the tomato and cheese slices like fallen dominos or place a cheese slice on top of each tomato slice. Atop each drizzle a bit of olive oil and top with fresh basil leaves. Many will enjoy a dash of balsamic vinegar. We top ours with a balsamic/mustard vinaigrette. Like the caprese, a peasant dish, but fit for a king. Similarly, may be served as a first course or as a main course of a light meal. For each person, 3 slices of very hard-crusted bread (e.g. peasant or sourdough), 2-3 red, ripe Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves, olive oil and fresh basil leaves. Cut the tomatoes to a small dice. Toast the bread to a light brown under the broiler. Rub the bread lightly with fresh cut garlic cloves to taste. Drizzle olive oil over the bread; cover with the diced tomatoes and top with basil leaves. We usually lightly dress our tomatoes with a balsamic/mustard vinaigrette. And just for the fun of it... Here's a favorite and very easy recipe. The hardest part of thsi menu is shopping for it. The only thing simpler to prepare is boiling water. Taco Soup 1 pound ground beef optional: for optional garnish at table: We usually use 1-1/2 to 2 pounds of ground beef and three or four cans, total, of beans (adding kidney or pinto or both), along with a medium size onion. That usually makes about enough for a total of three meals for the two of us. If you extend it in this way you may want to add another can of diced tomatoes. The directions should be obvious, but just in case: Brown the beef and sauté the onions 'til transparent. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes to blend flavors. Add hot water as required for desired consistency. This is not a gourmet recipe, so feel free to adjust quantities and ingredients to match your preferences. At least one of our family uses soy burger as the meat base. Complete Index
of Ed and Julie's Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 2000-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
|
