my pavlova

Sunday 3 July 2011

Tomatoes stuffed with rice and roast potatoes




Hi there!!!
here I come with a real delicious recipe,a classic of our Roman cuisine:tomatoes stuffed with rice and roast potatoes.So easy to make and so good to eat just out from the oven,chilled or the day after:-)


ingredients:

8 ripe large tomatoes, washed and dried
320 gr rice,I used parboiled is just perfect for this preparation!
1 Kg potatoes
1 garlic clove
some basil leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and black pepper



method:

First of all roughly chop the basil and put it into a large bowl, do the same thing with parsley.
Now peel the garlic clove and put it into the bowl with basil and parsley.
Using a small knife, cut around the cups of the tomatoes,
carefully scoop out the pulp and the juice of the tomatoes with a spoon and put them into the bowl, then place the hollowed tomatoes in the baking dish.
Now peel the potatoes, cut them in fat cubes and arrange them around tomatoes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and pulse on high speed.
Once well mixed transfer the mixture to the large bowl then add the rice, season with salt, add black pepper and olive oil, toss well and stuff all tomatoes with the filling.
Cover each stuffed tomato with his cap, sprinkle with salt, black pepper and some olive oil.
Place the baking dish in preheated oven at 180 C (356 F)
and bake for about 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove the baking dish from oven.
You can eat them hot but they are also delicious
served chilled.

Friday 1 July 2011

Apricot and cinnamon cake

As I looked in the fridge I found some beautiful apricots and so I thought why not find a recipe that has among its ingredients apricots? here's a fantastic creation from Bill Granger's book Everyday ... it's a tempting recipe especially for the fact that there is cinnamon in the batter and in the crumbly topping..mmmmm I really like it! I can't wait to taste it, the smell that comes out of the oven is pretty amazing I'll tell you how it'll turn out!!;-)I swear lol

ingredients:
140g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
50g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tblsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g unsalted butter, melted
350g apricot halves

look at this stage....gorgeous beauties!!!

topping:
40g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
35g caster sugar
35g unsalted butter, chilled and diced


method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F).
2. Grease and line the base of a 20cm (8 inch) round baking tin.
3. Sift flour and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir in the sugar.
4. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg, milk, vanilla and melted butter. Mix with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth, then spoon into the tin.
5. Arrange the apricots, cut-side up, evenly over the batter and then press gently down.
6. For the topping, put the flour, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter with your fingertips until 'crumbs' form. Put the crumbly topping over the apricots.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is light golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing from the tin.


ready to taste it!!!!ok I'll wait until tomorrow morning..it'll be my fabulous breakfast and..it's made even with seasonal fruit yum