Recipe: Bresaola with Rocket, Artichokes and Parmesan

Bresaola, which originated in Valtellina, Lombardy, is made by salting beef and allowing it to air-dry for several week until it becomes hard and turns a dark red. It is leaner than prosciutto, which is cured in much the same way, and has a sweet aroma and rich flavor.

For our Italian themed dinner last week,  I made several antipasti and one of them is this bresaola with rocket, marinated artichokes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. No cooking required, just good simple ingredients put together. Love it!

Recipe video can be watched here (click here for full screen)

Bresaola with Rocket, Artichokes, and Parmesan
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves 2-3


Ingredients
15-20 thin slices of bresaola
30g rocket leaves
Parmesan
4 antipasti citres carciofi (marinated artichoke hearts)

For the dressing
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Salt


1. Mix the dressing ingredients well, then toss the rocket leaves in the dressing.

2. Arrange the bresaola around the edge of plate, and mound the rocket leaves in the centre of the plate. Then, arrange several slices of marinated artichokes next to the rocket. Grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese all over. Enjoy!

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Recipe: Shakshuka with Mushrooms, Parmesan and Basil

Both my children LOVE eggs, so you would often see us eating eggs in various cooking styles, such as half boiled egg, fried egg, scrambled eggs and hard boiled eggs. Earlier this week, I made shakshuka for them for brunch.

Shakshuka (or shakshouka) is a dish of eggs poached in tomato, with bread on the side to mop up the sauce. Here is my version with sauteed mushrooms and topped with Parmesan cheese and sweet basil leaves which I served with a crusty loaf. The eggs were still slightly runny in the centre. The dish is ready once the egg white has set. Simple and delicious! Suitable for vegetarians too.

The boy enjoying his eggs ;)

Watch this easy step-by-step video on how to cook shakshouka at home (full screen here)

Shakshuka with Mushrooms, Parmesan and Basil
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
100g grey oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/2 can tomato puree (approx 200g)
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp vegetable stock granules
4 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese
Sweet basil leaves


1. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until lightly golden.

2. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 1 minute. Then, stir in the tomato puree, water and chicken stock granules and bring to the boil.

3. Once boiling, reduce to low heat. Break in the eggs into the pan, (be careful not to break them), season the eggs with salt and pepper, then cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the egg whites have set.

4. Remove from heat, and grate Parmesan cheese all over. Garnish with sweet basil leaves and serve with some crusty bread.

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Green Mac & Cheese

I swear to God, my children once ate vegetables.  They ate fruit, and healthy grains, and fish and lean meats and foods that came in all different shapes, sizes, textures and COLORS.  Then, each of them hit 18 months, and they were all, "nah... OVER IT... I'll just eat chips and Skittles until I'm out of college and my palate returns to normal, thanks."  My son (who turns SEVEN today!) was always a little better (maybe because I had time to actually focus on one, single child?) but my girls are trying to turn me into a mental patient.  As a mom, I keep trying.  That's my job, to feed them healthy foods.  So I keep trying.  Like yesterday, I made this Green Mac & Cheese, assuming I could trick them into thinking a magical leprechaun turned it that color.  That's fun, right?!  

Me: Hahahahahahaha, look lasses and laddy, a wee little leprechaun has played a trick on us, ohhhhh, aren't we lucky little Irish children!?!

Them: (Blank, disgusted stares)

Cut to THREE different-sized meltdowns over dinner.  My middle kid ran from the table, the baby just screamed "all done, all done, all done, all done" and my seven-year-old took a bite, plugging his nose and choking back tears, like I was feeding him poison.  

My take on this creamy, cheesy pasta full of pureed spinach and broccoli (which I decided to throw into the blender with the spinach so there were NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF VEGETABLES)... it's delicious.  It's so, so good.  Carson loved it as well.  Which is good, because we will be eating it for lunch every day this week.  You should make it too, because your kids are probably better than mine.

Recipe!

*Look, I even melted cut-up string cheese on the top because I ran out of cheddar and I wanted it to be EXTREMELY GOOEY AND CHEESY.  

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Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Bites

I have a tendency of getting on random food kicks where I eat the same thing every day for months.  Back in my 20's when I worked in an office, I ate a banana and peanut butter literally at the same time each day (if the office was out of bananas I would hyperventilate).  I'm nearing the end of my latest kick, which is the Wheat Spinach Savory Fold-Over Thingy (you'd think I'd know the official name of it) from Starbucks.  It's low in calories, it's the perfect mid-day snack, it's flaky and buttery and salty and delicious.  I've had puff pastry in my freezer for awhile in hopes of recreating it, and I sort of got around to it last night.  This is definitely a variation of the Starbucks version, but it's just as salty and buttery and delicious.  I followed this recipe but altered it by using puff pastry sheets instead, and cutting them into small circles before molding them into cups in a mini cupcake tin.  I baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until they were bubbly and golden.  

So what should I eat every day for the next few months?

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Garlic Herb Cheese Pull Apart Bread

Once upon a time, there was some garlic and cheese and it married a loaf of sourdough bread. Fairy Tales can be a good thing, especially when they involve food.  

Bread has a special place in my heart. I'm in deep like with carbs.

No.

I love carbs.

I really love carbs.

 I never met a piece of bread, cake, cookie, pie, cracker or a chip I didn't like. Is that bad? I think my son inherited my love for a great bread because we usually fight over the last piece of bread in the bread basket when we dine in restaurants. If you enjoy a great bread like I do, I have the perfect recipe for you. This delicious bread is bursting with buttery garlicky goodness and if nobody sees you eat it, it has no calories. Just kidding:-)

The flavor dimension in this bread is so excellent that it is worth that extra jog it's going to take to burn the calories. Piping hot from the over this bread has lots of ooey gooey mozzarella and is perfect for your next party, a great snack and it is amazing dipped in a hot bowl of tomato soup. Any way you slice it, it is pretty tasty. This is an easy recipe and does not require baking the bread from scratch. Just pick up a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and you will be munching and smiling in about 20 minutes:-)

Ingredients

1 loaf fresh sourdough bread

1 stick melted butter

1 garlic glove minced

1 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning

1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme minced

1 tablespoon chives finely chopped

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Mix the butter and herbs in a bowl. With a large knife cut the bread vertically and horizontally making a cross hatch of deep cuts without cutting all the way to the bottom. Use your fingers and open the bread in each section and put butter and a little cheese in each crevice of the bread.

After the bread is filled with the butter and cheese. Brush the remaining oil on top of the bread. Cover the bread with foil and place in the oven on a cookie sheet for about ten minutes. Uncover the bread and let it cook for approximately another five minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

 This is what the herb mixture will look like before you place it in the bread

Generously stuff the bread

 And in about 15-20 minutes...

 You can have a party in your mouth

Who knows. you might just turn into a bread lover like me.

Bon Appetit!

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Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

I'm big on textures when it comes to eating, and I aim to strike a balance with each meal.  I want something smooth and creamy alongside something crispy or crunchy (like potato chips in a nice, soft turkey sandwich).  That said, it seems necessary to have something mashed with our protein.  But meat and potatoes can get boring, and heavy.  Mashed cauliflower, however?!  It's light, fluffy, unique and ALERT: your kids might eat it (2 out of 3 in my house, at least).  Of course, I add a teeeeensy bit of cream (and a good amount of cheese), but it's a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.    

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

(Serves 4-6)

Printable Recipe

2 heads cauliflower, florets removed

1 cup shredded white cheddar

1/4 -1/3 cup heavy cream or milk

Salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with an inch or so of water.  Place cauliflower florets in and cover, venting lid slightly to let out steam.  Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork.  Turn off heat, drain water and place cauliflower back in pot.  Using a handheld blender, puree cauliflower until smooth (if you don't have a handheld blender, place cauliflower in a blender to puree, and then place back in pot).  Add cream and cheese and stir until cheese has melted (you may need to turn heat back on to low).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.    

More creative ways to eat cauliflower:

Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower Critters

Cauliflower Meatballs

Cauliflower Quesadilla

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