Gratinated Bell Peppers

Peperoni al Gratin

The gratinated bell peppers is a great side dish, healthy, simple to make and perfect if accompanied with slices of whole grain bread. This is my mother's recipe. I think it is the best one!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about  50 minutes
Class: economy-healthy

Serves  3-4

Ingredients:
6 large red and yellow bell peppers

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

6–7 black olives

3 tbsp. capers, well rinsed

1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt, about ½ tsp.
3 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil

3-4 tbsp. bread crumbs

Method:

1.     Preheat broiler to high and place the peppers below the broiler, turning them often until blackened all over. Remove from the oven, put the peppers in a glass bowl and immediately cover it with aluminum foil. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

2.     Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, then tear into strips and place in a bowl. Add the garlic, olives, capers, oregano, salt and oil, and gently mix all together. Then, add the bread crumbs and mix again. At this point, taste the peppers and add more salt if needed.

3.     Again preheat the oven to 390° F (200° C).

4.     Arrange the peppers and all the ingredients on a baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the surface browns a little.

5.     Allow to cool before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggplant boats

Melanzane a barchetta

Have you ever tried to cook the eggplants in a way so simple? This summer recipe is very popular and as simple as delicious! Serve the eggplants with sliced whole grain bread and chilled white wine if desired.

 Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: about  20 minutes
Class: economy-healthy
Serves  2-3

Ingredients:

3-4 medium eggplants
About 8-9 tbsp.  extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

Salt to taste
About 2  garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
About 2 tsp. dried oregano
A bunch basil leaves, chopped

Method:

1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, then with a knife make crosswise slits on the pulp.
2. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large pan and cook the eggplants on each side until golden brown.
3. Place the eggplants into a serving plate, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.  Add a sprinkle of garlic, oregano and basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Chestnuts

Castagne arrostite

In this season, here, in South Italy we eat a lot of chestnuts.

This is the secret recipe of my mum:
The day before to roast the chestnuts, soak them. After inspecting and rinsing them, with a sharp knife, make an incision through each chestnut shell, just into the flesh of the nut. Then transfer them to a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave overnight. In the morning, rinse and drain.
Preheat your oven’s broiler to 390° F (200° C).
Place the chestnuts  into a baking pan and spread 1\2 glass of white or red wine on them. Broil the chestnuts about 3 inches (7–8 cm) from the heat for 20–25 minutes (depending on the kind and the size of the chestnuts). Take care to turn and mix them several times with a wooden spoon. At this point, taste the chestnuts to make sure they are cooked (when they are cooked they taste slightly sweet and have a buttery texture. Undercooked chestnuts  are hard and taste bitter). Serve the roasted chestnuts when they are still warm, so that your guest can peel and eat them as soon as they are cool enough to handle.