Category: Mediterranean

Homemade Limoncello Recipe: Easy Steps & Tips
Italian · Mediterranean

Homemade Limoncello Recipe: Easy Steps & Tips

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Limoncello is a delicious way to end a big meal. Meant to be drunk in very small quantities after your meal, it supposedly settles your stomach, but that of course is up for debate. It makes a wonderful holiday present and is very simple to make. The trick is being attentive enough to swirl you peels for 20 days and using alcohol with as high a content as possible. In the United States, this would most likely be grain alcohol. Using this means the limoncello won’t freeze when you store it. But for those of you who can’t get grain alcohol, use vodka instead. It will be slightly less potent and will freeze when you store it. Just set it out on the counter for a half and hour before you plan to consume it. Always be sure to store limoncello in the freezer, because it is best consumed very, very cold.

For limoncello, you will need 10 organic lemons and grain alcohol (ex: everclear). Having several large mason jars is also a must, as well as some santized bottles to pour the mixture into.

Ingredients:

  1. 10 organic lemons, cleaned
  2. One liter of grain alcohol or vodka
  3. 1 Mason jar, sanitized
  4. 3-4 santized bottles for storage
  5. Sugar (3 and 1/2 cups) or Honey (1 and 1/2 cups)

Steps:

  • Clean your lemons to make sure your peels don’t have any additivies or dirt.
  • Next, Peel your lemons with a peeler being careful to avoid getting too much of the white on the rind.
  • Place the lemon peels in a mason jar. Cover the lemon peels in the alcohol leaving a little room at the top. Store the lemon peels in a cool, dark place, such as a cupboard. Shake or swirl the peels every day for 20 days and put the jar back in the cupboard.
  • After 20 days, boil 6 cups of water in a large sauce pot. Add 3 and 1/2 cups of sugar (or 1 and 1/2 cups of honey).
  • After the water cools, strain the mason jar above the pan so that the liquid is added to the sugar water, but the peels are strained. You can add a little water to the rinds to get the rest of the alcohol out. I push them down with a wooden spoon to get every drop.
  • Add your limoncello to sanitized bottles. Leave a little room at the top, especially if using vodka because it will freeze and expand.
  • Store in the freezer.
  • Enjoy!

Homemade Flatbread: Easy Prep, Endless Options
Baking · Italian · Mediterranean

Homemade Flatbread: Easy Prep, Endless Options

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I love making these and the best part about these is that you don’t have to knead it. These are incredibly versatile – you can use it as a pizza base, or add vegetables to make it Catalan style or Roman flatbread. You can make it as a base for antipasti or pesto-prosciutto. I have used these several ways: to make individual pizzas for children, or to make my own inventions. I usually whip these up on a Friday night after school and work for a very low effort-delicious alternative to pizza. I would let the children each have their own flatbread to decorate as they wish. These are also a savvy appetizer item for company. The recipe is rather simple, and there are endless ways to showcase ingredients.

Prep: 10 minutes

Time to Rise: 45-60 minutes

You will need:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 2/3 cup warm water

Steps:

Coat a medium bowl with olive oil. Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add olive oil and water until dough forms.

Shape into a smooth ball and roll around to coat it in oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes until double in size.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil or spray and sprinkly with cornmeal. On a lightly floured surface, roll and strech dough until it is your desired size. Transfer dough to the baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil. Bake 12- 15 minutes until golden brown.

Top with desired toppings and serve.

Easy Flatbread Ideas:

  • Roman style – olive oil, arugula, fresh grated parmesan cheese, dash of salt
  • Basalmic glaze & goat cheese – caramelized onions, basalmic glaze, goat cheese
  • Baba Ghanoush – baba ganoush, cherry tomatoes, toasted hazelnuts, fresh mint
  • Tomato Antipasti – sun-dried tomato pesto, tomato slices, prosciutto, arugula, basalmic vinaigrette, provolone cheese
  • Greek style – olive oil, feta, mint, tomatoes, black olives
Chicken Meatballs & Orzo in a sundried tomato sauce
Italian · Mediterranean

Chicken Meatballs & Orzo in a sundried tomato sauce

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This is a 100 percent comfort recipe and is part of the series of my finding solid weeknight one-pan recipes to enjoy after a long workday. There are many shortcuts you can take with the this recipe – using premade meatballs or switching meatballs for another leftover protein (shredded chicken, sausage), or if you prefer to make it all homeade, you can do that, as well.

This pasta sauce would work with many types of proteins (shrimp, chicken, beef, pork sausage). I opted for chicken meatballs because I wanted meatballs, but lighter. I also added mint and parlsey, rather than just basil because I think it is a good combination and I already had it on hand. Also, I like to use red chili flakes in sundried tomato sauces for additional flavor.

Another practical aspect of a one-pot meal, is that you can add other vegetables into the dish. I always like to sneak in as many vegetables as possible when cooking for my family. In this particular instance, I took some frozen spinach, patted it dry, and stirred into the sauce for an additional source of nutrition.

You will need:

Ingredients for the meatballs

  • 1 pounds ground chicken
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup minced onion
  • 1/4 breadcrumbs, italian style
  • 1 egg
  • 2-3 tbsp chopped basil leaves (5 leaves), 1 tbs chopped mint (3-4 leaves),* 1 tbs chopped italian parsley*
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking

Ingredients for sauce and orzo

  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 16 oz dry orzo pasta
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried red chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Steps:

  • Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2 tablespoon-sized balls. It makes for about 18 meatballs.
  • Heat oil and butter over medium in a large skillet or pot. Add meatballs and brown all over. Remove from skillet. They don’t need to be cooked through because they will finish cooking when returned to the sauce.
  • Add a little more olive oil to the pan if needed. Add shallot and garlic, cook for until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add orzo and toast for 2 minutes while stirring. Stir in salt, peppers, oregano and tomato paste and mix it together.
  • Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Cook uncovered while stirring occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking, until almost al dente and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
  • Add cream, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Add lemon juice and stir in Parmesan. Return meatballs to the skillet, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Appetizer · Italian · Mediterranean · Spanish

Pan con tomates Italian style – garlicky bread & tomatoes

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This is a very rustic, simple breakfast, yet it remains a family favorite. It seems ridiculous to write out this recipe or suggest this as a breakfast idea, but after seeing it on several tapas menus, I thought it might be worthwhile. This is ideal when you have some good, crusty bread laying around and a ripe Campari or Roma tomato.

You will need:

  • Slice of a baguette or ciabatta bread
  • Splash of olive oil (1 tbs)
  • 1-2 ripe Campari or Roma tomatoes
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Scrunch of fresh ground salt

Steps:

  • Heat a sauté pan or skillet to medium and add olive oil when hot
  • Heat bread in olive oil, making sure to allow the side that will have tomatoes to develop a nice crust
  • Add garlic and tomatoes. They should get blisteringly hot and soft. You can do this beside the bread if your pan is large enough.
  • Smear the crushed tomatoes across the top of the bread and add the tiniest scrunch of salt to bring out the tomato flavor.
  • Serve and enjoy!
Pasta Arrabbiata with sun-gold tomatoes
Italian · Mediterranean

Pasta Arrabbiata with sun-gold tomatoes

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Pasta arriabbiata refers to a tomato, red chili peppers, and garlic-based sauce. I found this recipe* using sun-gold tomatoes and butter and found it absolutely simple, yet delicious. You can use dry pasta, but we made homemade and the flavor made all the difference. You can also use traditional cherry tomatoes, but we absolutely loved the flavor of the sun-gold tomatoes, cooked down. Fresh parmesan, of course is preferred, but store-shredded is also fine. In the end, the sauce itself is very simple – both in ingredients and assembly. If you prefer to make this vegetarian, simply leave out the anchovy paste and add a bit more salt to taste.

If you are going to make homemade pasta, you will need to do so about 2 hours ahead: for assembly, and hour and 1/2 to rest and dry. If not, any shape will do. We made ours with orecchiette, but it is truly your preference. The recipe is here: Pasta – Orecchiette.

You will need:

  1. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  2. 2 pints sun-gold cherry tomatoes, halved
  3. 4 tbs butter, unsalted
  4. 1 tsp anchovy sauce
  5. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  6. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, dried
  7. 1 cup shredded parmesan
  8. Handful of fresh basil, torn
  9. Kosher salt, as needed
  10. 1lb dried orecchiette or
  11. 3 cups semolina flour (fine) & salt for fresh orecchiette (for making fresh pasta)

To make the sauce

  1. Heat olive oil in heavy pot (like a dutch oven) over medium heat. Also heat separate pot with salted water for your pasta.
  2. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes)
  3. Mix 1 pint of the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and cook until tomatoes burst and become saucy (about 8 -10 minutes)
  4. Cook fresh pasta in salted water (2-4 minutes, depending on type).
  5. Using slotted spoon or tongs, transfer pasta to tomato pot. Be sure to save a little starchy pasta water as a reserve.
  6. Add butter, anchovy sauce, and remaining tomatoes to the pot and stir. Cook until glossy, adding pasta water as needed, until it is creamy. Season with salt and stir in parmesan. Top with fresh basil.

*Pasta recipe is my own. The recipe for the sauce is from Bon Appetit.

Fra Diavolo – spicy shrimp & linguini
Italian · Mediterranean

Fra Diavolo – spicy shrimp & linguini

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This fiery shrimp and tomato pasta is easy to make and very satisfying. The name Fra Diavolo translates to “brother devil.” The origins are southern Italy where there is abundant seafood, herbs and fiery peppers. If you know this blog, we also often make shrimp Diablo (a Latin American iteration with cilantro and avocado) when I have some good avocado. I love this dish when it is getting cold – the pasta comforts you and the chilis warm you up. They say not to put cheese on this because its seafood, but I often put a little fresh parmesan on top because it makes me happy.

This sounds means it’s about to smell amazing in your house 🏡

You will need:

  1. 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  2. 1 lb linguini
  3. 1 sweet bell pepper (yellow or orange), sliced thinly
  4. 4 roma tomatoes, halved – then quartered
  5. one 28 oz can, whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), with juice
  6. juice of 2 limes
  7. 2-3 tbs olive oil
  8. 2 tbs salt
  9. 4 cloves garlic – crushed*
  10. 3 bay leaves
  11. 2 tsp dried oregano
  12. 1 tsp thyme
  13. 2 tsp crushed red pepper
  14. 2 tbs capers
  15. 2 tbs anchovy paste
  16. 2 tbs butter
  17. 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Steps:

  1. Marinate the shrimp in lime juice and a bit of salt for 20-30 minutes.
  2. Fill a large pasta pot with water and bring to a boil.
  3. Heat large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil when warm. Add garlic and saute for a minute or so. Add pepper slices and stir and cook for 3 minutes until they soften a little.
  4. Add oregano, bay leaves, thyme and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add crushed pepper and capers, saute for 5 minutes until fragrant. Add roma tomatoes, saute for 5 minutes.
  5. Add canned tomatoes, you can crush them with your fingers beforehand or break them up with a wooden spoon, cook for 5-7 minutes. Add anchovy paste, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add butter halfway through to add richness and depth.
  6. By now, the pasta water should be boiling. Add remaining salt and pasta. Cook until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water before draining (about a cup).
  7. While the pasta is cooking, add shrimp and cook until it just turns pink (4-5 minutes). Add parsley to finish. Use reserve pasta water if needed when you add noodles to the sauce and work it in.
Marinating the shrimp
Liquid gold ❤️❤️ and secret sauce weapon

*Note – if you have difficulty peeling fresh garlic, soak them in a dish of hot water for a few minutes. Voila! Easy to peel!

Soaking for 4-5 minutes will help

Italian · Mediterranean

Sunday Sauce

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Sunday sauce is a rich meaty traditional sauce to serve for a big family meal. It is best cooked low and slow for several hours. You can also add Italian sausage and or meatballs to the sauce, depending on the size of your meal. This makes a very double portion. I use it for a meal for 5-8 people, and freeze the rest for another meal in the future.

You will need:

  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
  • 4 pork short ribs (around a 1lb)
  • 1/4 pound pancetta
  • several Italian sausage links, spicy or sweet depending on preference*
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium onion chopped 
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 5-6 fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup red wine
  • Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes.
  • 2 pounds penne, ziti or pasta or your choice (one that can support a hearty meat sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste* if needed
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
  1. In a large enameled cast-iron pot, heat 2 Tbs olive oil until shimmering. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and add them to the casserole in a single layer along with the sausage links. Cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, around 10 minutes. With tongs, transfer the short ribs and sausages to a plate and set aside..
  2. Pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add 2 more Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions & carrot, and a generous pinch of salt; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, pancetta and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the vegetables and pancetta with 1/3 cup red wine until the liquid is evaporated.
  3. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Be sure to rinse a little of each can with some extra water to get all the bits, swirl it around and add to the pot. Season with red pepper flakes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
  4. Return the short ribs, sausages and their juices to the pot, cover partially and simmer over low heat, turning the short ribs occasionally, until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
  5. 30 minutes before serving: Set a large pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. For your Sunday sauce – add fresh basil leaves 30 minutes before serving. Add more oregano or salt as needed. If necessary, add tomato paste in the last half hour to thicken the sauce as needed. Finish off the sauce with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
  6. 20 minutes before serving: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. and set aside
  7. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the pasta and toss well with some of the sunday sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add some of the reserved pasta water and work it in. Top with additional cheese and pieces of meat from the sauce.

.

Bolognese Sauce
Italian · Mediterranean

Bolognese Sauce

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You need a lot of time to make a proper Bolognese sauce, as it is best left to simmer for around 3-4 hours. As a result, this is a perfect Sunday sauce – leaving it to simmer all day and fill the house with good aroma:) What sets a Bolognese apart from other meat sauces is the sofritto (onion, celery and carrot) and the addition of milk or cream. You can use wine here two ways – deglaze the vegetables before you add the meat, or deglaze the meat before you add tomato. I have done it both ways, but this recipe will be incorporating the wine with the meat. This portion should make a double batch for a family of 5-6. We use half, and then freeze the other for a day we don’t feel like cooking. Always serve with a great loaf of bread and pasta.

You will need:

  • 3-4 Tbs olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup small onion, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • Salt, 3-4 tsp (divided)
  • Black pepper, 1 tsp
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Fresh basil (7-8 leaves)
  • 1 pounds ground beef (85 or 90% lean)
  • 1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 quart or large can (28 oz) peeled tomatoes (I prefer Cento San Marzano)
  • 1 quart or large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • 1 pound wide pasta – Pappardelle or Tagliatelle
  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Steps:

  1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until softened. Add celery and carrot, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and saute for an additional 4-5 minutes.
  2. Add meat and break up with a wooden spoon, stir and mix the sofritto (onion, celery, carrots) until browned. Season with another tsp of salt. Add red wine and cooked until it is reduced and the liquid is mostly evaporated (around 7 -8 minutes).
  3. Add tomatoes, breaking them up and incorporating them into the mixture. Add remaining salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Fill one of the tomato cans with water (getting all of the tomato juice mixed in) and add to the pot. Fill the other tomato can with water and set aside, in case you need to add more liquid to the pot later on.
  4. Reduce and simmer the sauce for 3 and 1/2 hours. The goal is that the water should be almost evaporated and the sauce should be thick* (use extra water if needed as it simmers) or if it is too liquid, add some tomato paste to thicken it up. After 3 and 1/2 hours, add the fresh basil on top and stir into the sauce.
  5. In another pot, heat salted water and cook your pasta until al dente. Before you strain it, reserve one cup of pasta water and set aside.
  6. After four hours, your sauce should be thick enough that when you move the wooden spoon across the bottom of the pot, you should see it the bottom. Taste the sauce and add more salt, if needed.
  7. To finish, add 1/2 cup of milk or cream, and cook for several more minutes.
  8. Using a clean large sauce pan, heat it over medium-high heat. Add half of the portion of Bolognese sauce and cooked pasta and incorporate. Add 1/2 cup pasta reserve water and work it through – add more if needed. Incorporate the Pecorino Romano cheese and serve.
Pistachio Cardamom Cake
Baking · Dessert · Mediterranean

Pistachio Cardamom Cake

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This recipe is recipe based off one from Martha Stewart, although I strongly doubt she was intrinsically versed in Middle-Eastern baking. Pistachio is ever-present in Southern Italian baking, and rosewater to a certain degree, but most likely those are due to the influence of the Moors and Middle-Eastern traders.

The more I learn and read about baking and cooking, the more I believe it is important to be aware of ingredients and their origins and give credit where it is due. i.e. I can’t pretend I just “discovered” cardamom or these flavor combinations. Rather, I am already a pistachio lover and come by it honestly, but have really been enjoying baking new recipes and exploring cardamom in my desserts.

You will need:

  • 1 cup unsalted pistachios
  • 2 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • Topping
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp rose water

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan. In a food processor, grind pistachios until finely ground.
  • Prepare dry ingredients: Whisk pistachos, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cardamom in a bowl and set aside.
  • Prepare wet ingredients: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
  • Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour in two batches, alternating with buttermilk. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.
  • Cool cake pan on a a wire rack set over parchment paper. After 30 minutes, turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. While the cake is cooling, whisk confectioner’s sugar,milk and and rose water until smooth. Use milk to adjust desired consistency. Pour over the top of the cake.

Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)
Dessert · Mediterranean · Spanish

Almond Cake (Tarta de Santiago)

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This is a flourless almond cake that we love with coffee or tea, or in the evening after a rich meal. The appeal is how very easy it is to make, and how it is so simple and yet so decadent at the same time. The recipe was given to us by a dear friend of the family, and we have been enjoying it ever since.

Tarta de Santiago has origins in the middle ages in Spain, where it was often topped with a cross in powdered sugar for St. James.

  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 eggs, separated.
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 small orange
  • For the topping:
  • dusting of confectioners sugar
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds, slivered or sliced.

You will need:

  1. Roast slivered almonds for 4-6 minutes at 200 degrees in a pan, and then set aside.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. You can use either a greased springform pan or a greased 9 inch cake pan. Dust with flour.
  3. Whisk vigorously or use a mixer to blend sugar and eggs yolks until creamy. Beat in zest and extracts. Add almond flour and salt and mix well. With a clean whisk or mixer, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold egg white mixture into the almond flour mixture until well-combined. Pour batter into the pan and bake.
  4. Bake until deeply brown (40-45 minutes). Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes on a rack. After, turn the cake out and let it cool completely on the plate before serving. Top with confectioner’s sugar and roasted almonds.