Have you ever eaten fennel?

Have you ever eaten fennel?

Fennel is crisp and tender at the same time. Its taste is slightly sweet and amazing delicious and refreshing. It is very healthy, it is an excellent source of vitamins and fibers. In the Italian cuisine, it is very popular to add a sliced fennel to the green salad.
I am glad to have found fennel also in the grocery stores in Usa but I don't understand why it is so expensive; in some grocery stores the price is absurd: about 3 $ each!!!

Raw Zucchini salad

Insalata di Zucchine crude

This raw zucchini salad is fresh, quick and delicious. When very thinly sliced, raw zucchini marinates great, especially in lemon juice. Then, the addition of olive oil and other raw ingredients makes a great healthy dish.

Preparation time: about  40 minutes
Cooking time: -
Class: cheap, very healthy

Serves  2-3

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
2 tsp. salt
5-6 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
An handful chopped sun-dried tomatoes
6-7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini into thin strips. Place the zucchini into a bowl, add salt and lemon juice, mix well and let sit for 30 minutes. Then squeeze the zucchini by hand to remove the water.

2. Transfer the zucchini to a salad plate and combine with sunflower seeds and dried tomatoes. Add the extra virgin olive oil and gently mix all together. At this point, taste the salad and add more salt if needed. Squeeze more lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately.

Cabbage and Chard salad

Insalata di Cavolo e Bieta

I love cabbage! For the meat free week, here a delicious rich salad that you all should try: it’s rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and other essential vitamins.
You can use spinach instead of chard.

Preparation time: about  10 minutes
Cooking time: -
Class: cheap, very healthy

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 head cabbage
5 oz. (approximately 150 g) chard (or spinach)
1/2 cup (approximately 120 ml) shelled walnuts, coarsely crumbled

6-7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
a pinch of salt
black pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cut the cabbage and the chard into very thin strips. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, chard, walnuts, oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and gently mix all together. At this point, taste the salad and add more salt if needed.
Let rest for 20-30 minutes, then, transfer to a salad plate and serve.

 

Avocado salad

Insalata di Avocado

This salad is rich and tasty. It’s a quick and easy meal which is a welcome diversion from the most popular salads.

I like to serve this salad into the avocado peel. To preserve the peel, my method is the following: With a knife, carefully cut the avocado in half lengthwise around the seed. Holding the avocado in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist, rotate and separate the two halves apart. Remove the seed and discard. You can use your fingers or a spoon to scoop out the seed. At this point, you can either scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon or take a small knife and gently make cuts in the avocado flesh. Then use a spoon or your fingers to separate the avocado segments from the peel.

Preparation time: about  10 minutes
Cooking time: -
Class: cheap, very healthy

Serves  2

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
fresh chives, chopped (optional)
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 tbsp. sunflower seeds
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
6-7 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt
black pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

1.    Peel the avocado, then slice it and put into a bowl. Add onion, chives, egg, sunflower seeds, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and balck pepper, and gently mix all together. At this point, taste the salad and add more salt if needed.
2.    Then, transfer the salad into the avocado peel or to a salad bowl and serve immediately.

 

Crunchy Salad

Insalata croccante

Try this delicious healthy raw salad.

Ingredients:
1 yellow Bell Pepper
1 green apple
a bunch of spicy arugula leaves
2 tbsp. flax seeds
6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
a pinch of salt
black pepper to taste

Method:

1.       Finely slice the bell pepper and the green apple. Put them into a large serving bowl. Add arugula, flax seeds, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and balck pepper, and gently mix all together[1].

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[1] At  this point, taste the salad in order to decide if to add more salt.

Barley salad

Insalata di Farro

Barley salad is a delicious cold dish that’s easy to make and it looks and tastes great. You can use rice in place of the barley. There is a nice mix of flavors and colors in this recipe: many vegetables, tuna, eggs, barley, etc! It can be made ahead of time and it can just be taken out of the refrigerator and served. It’s a meal with low fat and extremely healthy. I have taken this salad to many picnics and my family and friends always loved it!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 50 minutes

Serves  7-8

Ingredients:

Water, about 16 cups (4 liters)
½ cup (120 milliliters) white vinegar
Salt, about 2 tablespoons
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup (120 milliliters) frozen or fresh peas
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ pound (220 grams) green beans, snapped
1 pound (approximately 450 grams) pearl barley
¼ pound (110 grams) smoked cheese, diced
1 can best-quality tuna in olive oil, about 4 ounces (110 grams), drained
7 green olives, pitted and chopped
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring 6 cups (1½ liters) water to a boil in a large pot. Add white vinegar and ½ tablespoon salt.
2. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and boil for 12 minutes. Lift the vegetables out with a strainer and set aside.
3. Add the peas and zucchini to the same pot and let boil for about 6–7 minutes. Lift out with the strainer and set aside as well.
4. Repeat with the red bell pepper and green beans. Boil them about 8–9 minutes, lift out, and set aside.
5. In another pot, bring 10 cups (2½ liters) water to a boil. Add 1½ tablespoons salt. Add the barley and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the barley with a colander and rinse it under cold tap water. Drain well again.
6. In a large bowl, combine the barley, carrots, celery, onion, peas, zucchini, red bell pepper, green beans, cheese, tuna, olives, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and gently mix. At this point, taste the barley salad and add more salt if needed.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Serve or refrigerate.

 

Portulaca salad

Insalata di Portulaca

Today I ate this one! It's the portulaca grass! It grows up spontaneous in my back yard! It's absolutely organic! I seasoned it with extra virgin olive oil, salt and fresh lemon juice. For what I know, the portulaca is one of the most powerful antioxidant.