Risotto with Prosecco and Raspberries

Let's talk about another RISOTTO: here in Italy we eat RISOTTO very often and we prepare it in lots of different versions. The one I'm explaining you is not so usual or common, but you'll surprise your guests with a nice bitter taste, given by PROSECCO and Raspberries.

Ingredients (metric and imperial) party of 4

·        

• 350g (12oz) of Rice for RISOTTO
• 50g  (2oz circa) of cream cheese (we call it PHILADELPHIA)
• 50g (2oz circa) of butter
• 2 carrots, divided into 2 parts
• 1 onion divided into quarters
• 2 sticks of celery, divided into two parts
• Some pinches of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)
• 250ml (1 cup) of PROSECCO
• 1 litre(4cup) of  water
• 30-40 raspberries (you can do it also with strawberries)

Method:

• First of all we have to make our  broth: have to put in a big pot the water, the carrots, the onion and the stick of celery. Turn on a high flame and boil for about 15 minutes. 
• Now we are ready to start with our risotto: in a large pan, put the butter and turn on a very low flame
• When butter becomes liquid and starts to fry, add the rice and start mixing with a  big wooden spoon (in Italian CUCCHIARELLA). The most important thing is NEVER STOP MIXING, slowly but steadily. This will toast the rice, and it’s very important for a perfect result
• After 2 minutes add the prosecco and after another minute start adding some tablespoons of your broth : remember DON’T STOP MIXING. You mustn’t drown your rice, but it must always be half-covered by the broth. When it starts to become dry, add the broth spoon by spoon until the end of cooking time
• 3 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the raspberries, saving 7-8 of them for the final decoration.
• When cooking time is over, turn off the flame, add the creamy cheese, the optional pepper, mix and  cover the pan with the top.Leave it covered for 5 minutes.

Serve it on the plates, adding on the top some raspberries if you want

Variaton of PARMIGIANA

Today we will see how to prepare a very light but tasty dish, eggplant based. It's a variation of the more traditional PARMIGIANA, that's with fried eggplants, mozzarella and so on. Let's see how to prepare it:

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) - Party of 4

• 2 big eggplants, sliced horizontally
• 2 big tomatoes, sliced
• Some pitted black olives
• 240 ml (1 cup) of warm milk
• 200g (7 oz) of Ricotta cheese (or a spread one if you don't find ricotta)
• salt
• pepper
• Some leaves of  Basil

Method:

• Grill your slices of eggplants
• mix the milk, the Ricotta (or the other cheese you've found), a pinch of salt: you have a milky cream now
• Build your dish: put some teaspoons of milky cream, then a slice of eggplant, a basil leave, a slice of tomato and so on, until you reach your desired height

Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes, Black olives, almonds and green peppers cream

This is a very good recipe for people who loves VEGAN cooking and philosophy: It's a spaghetti dish, with sundried tomatoes, chopped almonds, black olives and a tasty cream of green peppers. Let's see how to prepare it

Ingredients (Metric and Imperial) Party of 4

• 400g (14 oz) Spaghetti
• 100g (3oz circa) of chopped almonds
• 2 medium green peppers
• 45g (3 tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil 
• 20-30 black pitted olives
• 1 clove of garlic,finely chopped
• 10-15 under olive oil sundried tomatoes, sliced.
• 120ml (1/2 cup) of white wine
• 15g (1 Tablespoon) Salt for boiling water + 1 pinch for the sauce
• 1 pinch of pepper (optional)

Method:

• First of all, peppers cream: Just clean and slice them, put in a mixer with some hot water and salt: mix them for 2-3 minutes until you get a cream (if it's a it dry, add water)
• 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 olives, the wine and 1 pinch of sault.
• After 1 minute, add the sundried tomatoes and almonds and cook everything for 3-4 minutes 
• Boil spaghetti 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.
• Serve on your plates,putting 4-5 tablespoons of peppers cream  at the bottom and then  add spaghetti.