Orange Risotto

This is not a very traditional dish, but such an experiment I did last weekend: I love orange taste and so I tried to join it with a Risotto. Well the result was amazing and I really liked it. I made a Vegan version so I didn'n use butter or sour cream: do the same, you will be surprised!

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) - Party of 4

• 350g (12 oz) of Risotto Rice
• Half Onion, and the other half finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery 
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 45g (3 tablespoons) of Extra Virgin olive oil
• 4 oranges
• Pepper (the white one is better for this recipe)
• Salt

Method:

• Grate the oranges
• Put in a big pot half onion (not the chopped one), the carrot and the celery,2 pinches of the orange's skin and half-fill it with fresh water, turn the flame on and let it boil for half an hour: this will be the soup with which we will cook our risotto.
• While it boils, squeeze the oranges and put their juice in a jar
• When your soup is ready, put in a large pan the oil and the chopped onion, let it fry for 1 minute and then add the rice, slowly mixing it: in this way it will not stick to the pan.
• After 1 minutes add the orange juice, always mixing (slowly): never forget mixing please!
• When the rice will become a little bit dry, add some of the soup you have just made and...guess...continue mixing!!
• 2 minutes before the rice cooking time (see the instructions on the package) add the remaining orange skin, saving some for the final decoration, and add salt and pepper on your taste.
• Once well cooked, serve it adding some orange skin as decoration

Pasta with Fish, Artichokes and Cheese

My friends,
lets' see how to make this tasty dish, that mix seafood with garden products, like many dishes of Italian cuisine.  Your beautiful dish will be enriched with a cheese :I used salted Ricotta but you can use Parmesan or Pecorino cheese as well.

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) - Party of 4

• 400g (14 oz) Spaghetti
• 4 medium clean artichokes, divided in 4
• 45g (3 tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil 
• 400g (14 oz)of Fish fillets (choose your favourite one)
• 1 clove of garlic,finely chopped
• 240ml (1 cup) of Beer
• 15g (1 Tablespoon) Salt for boiling water + 1 pinch for the sauce
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)
• Grated cheese  (the quantity depends on your taste)

Method

• First of all, finely slice the artichokes
• Put into a nonstick pan the oil and the garlic and put the pan on a low flame
• When the garlic becomes a bit darker, add the artichokes and the ber: cover the pan with its top.
• After 10 minute, add the sliced fish fillets, they will cook in 2 or 3 minutes
• Boil spaghetti (or the type of pasta you've chosen) in salted water. You've to stop cooking them 2 minutes before the instruction of the packet says. At this time strain them out of the water (saving a glass of it) and pour it in the pan with high flame, mixing them  with the sauce and ending the cooking time in there. The right way to cook them is firm to the bite ( “al dente", in Italian). If they become a bit dry, then add a little quantity of cooking water while mixing.
• Add some salt and pepper (your taste will guide you for the quantity, serve on your plates,and grate your cheese on the top.

SALT-OVEN

 

Have you ever heard something about salt-oven cooking? It's an interesting cooking technique, it's easy and you will cook your dishes in a very healthy way. I use it expecially to cook fish fillets, just like the big salmon fillet in the pictures.  You have to half-fill  a pan or a pot (it depends on how many fillets you have to cook) with coarse salt mixed with the spices you want to use. To cook this salmon I mixed the salt with onion, pink pepper and oregan. Turn on a medium flame and when the salt will be HOT, put the fish (only the UNFLAKED skin will be in contact with the salt, so the fish won't become too salty). 

Cover the pan\pot with its top: the spicy steam will raise from the salt and drop on the fish, making it very tasty; it will be well coked in a time between 10 and 20 minutes depending on fillet's thickness (This salmon took about 15 minutes)