Crescent Almond Cookies

These crescent almond cookies are quick and super easy to make. 

Filled with sweet nutty flavor. Crumbly and crunchy on the outside.

No school today for the kids, so we spent the morning at the beach with lots of our friends. With the last effects of Hurricane Marie, even today, the waves were amazingly big and a bit scary. Probably not 15 feet high as the other day, but definitely not safe enough for the kids (or me) to boogie board. Anyways, with this perfect warm and sunny weather, a nice ocean breeze and great company, we all had a blast.
I'm now a bit exhausted, ready to relax and cook something delicious. Yes! Baking is a great form of relaxation for me!
I had some leftover almond flour from a couple of weeks ago, when I made some delicious, chewy and sticky almond cookies. I really love those cookies, and I was almost tempted to bake the same today. My kids have also been begging for more! But I decided to change recipes and try something new.
These cookies are quick and super easy, filled with sweet almond flavor, crumbly and crunchy on the outside. Perfect for a nutritious breakfast with cappuccino or milk. Great for your kids' snack - they will love you even more! And a delicious idea for your afternoon tea. Enjoy!

Ingredients: to make about 18 cookies                          Printable Recipe

• 2 oz (half stick - 55 gr) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (60 gr) of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 of teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1.5 cups (150 gr) of almond meal/flour
• 1 cup (120 gr) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (75 gr) sliced almonds to decorate
• powder sugar to decorate (optional)

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Directions:
Step 1:  In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, salt, almond extract and the egg, until smooth.

Step 2: Add the almond meal and all-purpose flour and mix well.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll pieces of dough into the sliced almonds, and shape in crescent shapes, as shown in my picture.

Step 4: Place the cookies on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper over baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 20-25 minutes until slightly golden on top.

Let the cookies cool down and decorate with powder sugar if you like.

Enjoy! And have a great weekend :-)

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Do you have a lot of zucchini this summer? If so, this is a great way to use it. This treat is super chocolate-y, super moist (in fact it gets even more moist on day two), super easy to make and freezes very well.

(2) one ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate (melted)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry then measured)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 + 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Things to do first:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Toss the chocolate chips into the measured flour to get them well coated,that way they won't sink to the bottom of the bread as it cooks.
3. Grease two large (9" x 5") loaf pans. I lined mine with parchment and then greased the parchment (this bread tries to stick to the pan if you go light on this step, but with the parchment paper, the zucchini bread tips right out.

4. Shred the zucchini then squeeze some of the water out of it (with your hands) before you measure it.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

Next, add flour (that you've stirred the chocolate chips into), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined, smooth and shiny (just takes a 30 seconds or so).

Pour batter into 2 well greased large loaf pans and bake at 350­° for 60 to 70 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 60 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into tallest part of the bread comes out clean. Don't over cook.

Cool in pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap while they are still hot.  This keeps a lot of the moisture inside of the zucchini bread as it cools.  Don't slice the bread until it cools down completely.

If you are going to freeze them, cool completely, then double wrap them or wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a Ziploc freezer bag.

FUN TIP: If your children are picky eaters, just peel the zucchini before you shred them, that way you won't hear "Mom, what are these green specs?" They won't even know that the zucchini is in there!!

ENJOY !!

Old-fashioned Veal Stew

Warm and comforting, fork-tender veal stew.

For tonight, a simple, old-fashioned veal stew filled with lots of flavor. Perfect for these warm Californian summer days... well, not really!! But, around here, if I have to wait for chilly nights to cook a stew for dinner, it might never happen.
Since I moved to sunny Southern California, I don't pay attention to the weather when cooking. Back in Italy you have meals that are season appropriate. Fresh and light in the summer. Hearty, spicy and warm in winter. Here, not so much! But it makes sense. With an average yearly temperature of  65 degrees it's hard to do. So when I'm in the mood for stew, and it's 80 degrees outside, I make stew! And enjoy it :-)
As you probably noticed from all my posts, I'm not a big meat eater. But once in a while it's great to have some tender veal, cooked with delicious tomatoes, sweet carrots and, of course, some Italian white wine!
Make sure to always have a cheap bottle of wine in the refrigerator to use for cooking. I bought mine at Trader Joe's this morning for less than $4. And guess what?!? The cashier asked me for my ID! That really made my day :-)
Here is the recipe for you!

Ingredients: Serving about 4

• half onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• around 2 lb of veal, I bought shoulder chops which I cut in pieces
• 5-6 leaves of fresh sage
• 14 or so small carrots
• 1 cup of crushed tomatoes (canned is fine)
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• salt to taste

Preparation Time: 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook

Directions:
Step 1: In a large pan, saute' the chopped onion in the olive oil.

Step 2: Add the meat, carrots, sage, crushed tomatoes, white wine and half cup of water to the pan. Cook over medium-high flame until boiling.

Step 3: Season with salt, cover and simmer over medium heat for about one hour and 15 minutes, or until the meat is fully cooked. Check and stir every once in a while, adding some water if the sauce gets too dry. Simple, right?

Buon Appetito!

Fettuccine Pasta with Zucchini, Eggplants and Peppers

Super healthy, vegetarian fettuccine pasta packed with tons of nutrients.

Are you ready to try an incredibly tasty pasta loaded with veggies? Easy to make, ready in no time, super healthy and so colorful! It even tastes more delicious than it looks!
Here is the nutrition label for this recipe.
This pasta is packed with vitamins, especially C and A, fibers and anti-oxidants. As you can see,  there are less than 450 calories for a big plate of pasta. Amazing, right? And the only fats presents are from the Parmesan cheese, which is optional, and the olive oil that, as you probably know, is one of the few "good" fat and the healthiest of the cooking oil. Olive oil is rich in mono unsaturated acid fatty, which lower the bad cholesterol and increase the good one, and seems to prevent  heart diseases. This is why, as you probably have noticed, I only use olive oil in my recipes!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• half onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 zucchini
• 1 pepper (I used half red, and half yellow pepper)
• 1 small eggplant (or half of a large)
• 2 large tomatoes (I used one yellow and one red tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (optional)
• salt to taste
• 12 oz fettuccine or linguine pasta or similar

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: In a large skillet, saute' the crushed garlic and the chopped onion in the olive oil for one minute. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta when boiling.

Step 2: Cut the zucchini, the eggplant and the peppers in long thin strips. Add to the skillet, and cook covered for a few minutes at medium-high heat.

Step 3: Peel the tomatoes (if you like!), by running them under hot water, or placing them into a small pot of boiling water. Cut the tomatoes in small strips removing most of the seeds. Add to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are as soft as you like them to be. You will need to stir the veggies, but be careful not to mix too much and make them mushy. If ready before the pasta, keep the vegetables warm at the minimum heat.

Step 4: Drain the pasta and mix well in the large skillet with the vegetables. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

Nutella and Coconut Pralines

You won't believe how quick and easy is to prepare this no-bake dessert. 

Deliciously nutty and chocolaty. And look at the list, only 4 ingredients!!

Last night I made the fettuccine with mascarpone and prosciutto for dinner. If you haven't tried it yet, it's really fast, easy and delicious! For that recipe I only used half of the mascarpone cheese I bought, so today I wanted to finish the rest of the container before it spoils. And here is what I did:  I mixed the mascarpone with some crumbled cookies, a bit of shredded coconut and some delicious nutella, and voila': dessert for tonight is ready!!
You will see that this recipe is similar to the other coconut pralines I've already posted. At least the finished product looks the same. But today's recipe uses mascarpone cheese and nutella. While the other pralines are made with ricotta cheese and cocoa. Both deliciously good. These are probably my favorite though, a little sweeter, nutty and chocolaty. And you can really taste the nutella. As you might know: I adore nutella! I can eat it with anything: spread on bread or crackers, on top of crepes or pancakes, sprinkled over ice-cream or yogurt... or just plain nutella. All by itself! Sure, why not?!?
My only mistake today: I have not made enough of these pralines. So I will have to run out to the store and buy some more mascarpone and prepare another batch :-)
Ingredients: to make about 16 pralines                Printable Recipe

• 3 oz (85 gr) of cookies (10 petit beurre cookies or similar)
• 8 oz (113 gr) of mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons of nutella
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill

Directions:
Step 1: Crumble the cookies, using a food processor or, like I did, by placing the cookies in a ziplock bag and crushing them, using a cup, a rolling pin... anything works really!

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the crumbled cookies, the mascarpone cheese, the nutella and 1/4 cup of shredded coconut. We will use the rest of the coconut in the next step.

Step 3: Roll small balls (about 1 tablespoon each) with your hand and roll them around in the shredded coconut.

Let chill for one hour or more. I doubt it, but if there are any leftovers, remember to store them in the refrigerator.

Enjoy :-)

Lasagne with Duck Ragu'

A delicious combination of exquisite, braised duck ragu', and delicate and rich besciamella sauce.

Make your dinner special with this delicious lasagne with duck ragu'. This is the perfect recipe, whether you want to wow your guests at a fancy dinner party, or you want to show your loved ones how special your family dinner is. Everyone will love this lasagna!
The ragu' in this recipe is not your standard bolognese sauce. It's a white sauce (no tomatoes) made with delicious, dark duck meat, braised in white wine, and shredded in pieces, not grounded. This gives a distinctive and exquisite taste to the lasagna, and it perfectly combines with the delicate flavor of the cheese and the besciamella sauce.
This is not one of my usual 30 minutes-or-less recipe. But this dish is worth every minute of your time! Trust me :-)
Just turn on some music and make it fun! I'm listening to The Neighbourhood. I absolutely LOVE their Sweater Weather song! If you like, check out their video here.
LA friends: do you recognize any of those places in this video? How about the bridge over PCH and my beach? :-)


Ingredients: oven pan measuring 8 x 11 in. Serving about 6 people

• two duck breasts, about 1.25 lb                                 Printable Recipe
• 2 garlic cloves
• one rosemary sprig
• 5 or so fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• one cup of white wine
• 10 oz of fontina or other mild cheese like mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded or cut in small pieces
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 box of oven-ready lasagna pasta - you won't use it all! I like the Barilla
• salt and pepper

For the besciamella (white) sauce:

• 2.5 cups of whole milk
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
• half cup of all-purpose flour
• about 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

Preparation time: About 30 minutes to prepare, 1.5 hours to cook

Directions:
Step 1: In a large enough pan with two tablespoons of olive oil, over medium heat saute' the rosemary, the sage and the garlic cloves crushed (by pressing down with the flat blade of a large knife).

Step 2: Add the duck breast with skin and the white wine. We will remove the skin only at the end, this way it keeps the meat nice and tender while cooking! The wine should about cover the meat, unless the pot is too large, in which case you can add a bit of water (maybe half a cup!). Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and let simmer over medium-low heat until ready, about 45-60 minutes based on the size of the duck breasts. Remember to check and turn the meat every 15 minutes or so. Add water if it gets too dry... but it shouldn't!

Step 3: Prepare the besciamella sauce as described here.

Step 4: Remove the skin from the duck breast, and shred the meat by cutting and pulling the meat apart with a fork, helping yourself with a knife if necessary. Place the meat back in the same pan with its sauce (after removing the garlic and some of the rosemary and sage if you like).

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Now we are ready to start with the lasagna. In an oven pan, start with a couple of tablespoons of besciamella for the bottom, add a layer of pasta, topped with a third of the meat, one third of the fontina cheese, one quarter of the besciamella (you will need an extra layer of besciamella for the top!).

Step 6: Repeat the same layers two more times: pasta, meat, cheese and besciamella.
Then on top: only pasta, and last  the besciamella and all the Parmesan cheese.

Step 7: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 8: Let cool down for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This will allow the besciamella sauce to set a little, and not run off the plate making the lasagne too soft. You can also prepare the lasagna ahead of time, and only warming it up (really hot!!) before serving. In this case you don't need to wait before cutting and serving.

Buon Appetito!