Author: Monica

Savory Christmas Star with Camembert

Go to the store and get frozen puff pastry because this will be your go to centerpiece for this years’ holiday gatherings! Easy to make and all you need is a baking tray 🙂 That crunchy pastry dipped into the melted cheese is a-ma-zing! So Versatile, I used my tomato jam ( http://thepestogodmother.com/2020/10/02/my-spicy-tomato-jam/) but you can absolutely use your favorite spread – whether homemade or not – like pesto either traditional or rosso, pizza sauce, marinara etc… Ingredients: – 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed – 1 camambert– Tomato jam as much as needed– 2 eggs yolks + 2 tbsp of water TIP: sprinkle on top a mix of sesame seeds, rosemary & thyme before baking. Method: Shape the puff pastry into equal circles using a regular plate. (TIP: Don’t throw away leftover dough but shape them as u like and bake alongside the star) Place one sheet in an oven pan lined with baking paper and spread as much tomato jam (or chosen spread) as needed to cover all the pastry. Now place the …

Scaloppine al Vino Bianco

Scaloppine al vino bianco are usually made of thinly sliced veal rump but you can also use thinly sliced chicken breast. The addition of the white wine makes a delicate sauce that is hard to resist. A classic Italian dish that is easy and quick to prepare and will surely make everyone happy. Serve it with crusty bread or silky mashed potatoes & a light salad as a side. Ingredients: – 200 gr thinly sliced veal rump or chicken breast – Flour as needed– 3/4 cup white wine– A knob of butter– A drop of olive oil – Salt & pepper to taste Method: – In a frying pan add the butter and oil. -Meanwhile season some flour with salt and lightly coat the chicken with flour shaking off any excess. – Place the chicken in the pan and let cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides. – Add the wine and stir turn off the heat once a light creamy sauce will form. Buon Appetito!

Poached Peaches & Apricots

Perfect dessert for last minute cravings or guests…comes together in 20-25 minutes. You can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge as well as it keeps well for 3-5 days! For me the most important and beautiful part of this recipe is that pale peachy color the simple syrup takes…ah so wonderfully satisfying! And the green pistachios on top for a bit of a crunch…dunno what more to add honestly. You could even place the cooked fruits in jars, top them with all the syrup and reserve these favorite summer fruits for a gloomy cold day when all you crave is sunshine 🙂 Ingredients: 125 gr sugar 300 ml water 2 strips lemon rind, cut into thin strips 2 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tsp vanilla essence 5 peaches, halved and pitted 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp rosewater A handful of pistachios, preferably peeled, roughly chopped Vanilla ice cream or plain greek yogurt to serve Method: Start by placing a large bowl in the freezer to chill. In a wide saucepan add …

Panzerotti

Panzerotti are little pockets of heaven. Also known as ‘calzone’ wildly popular from Lazio to Sicily but everyone knows the best ones are made in Puglia. Simply filled with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil or origano they are typical Italian street food but also very easy to make at home! You can definitely fancy them up by adding ham, salami, olives, spinach and even eggplants!! Make them and let me know! Recipe makes 10 panzerotti Ingredients: For the dough: 2 cups all purpose flour 2 cups strong bread flour 1 ¼ cup lukewarm water 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp instant yeast 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt For the tomato sauce: 5 medium sized ripe tomatoes, peeled and deseeded 1 clove of garlic, finely minced 1 tsp dried origano A generous glug of extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste To assemble: 150-200 gr mozzarella, cut into small cubes Fresh basil leaves Vegetable oil for frying Method: For the dough: In a medium bowl add the water and sugar. Stir …

Savory Thumprint Cookies

I’m gonna be honest and say that these aren’t the lightest cookies in the history of cookies BUT they are absolutely out of this world…crispy with a bit of a crumb and topped with spicy tomato jam…what else can I say? Perfect for entertaining as an appetizer and for impressing 😉 The cookies might loose their shape a bit but its ok, they will still be pretty and delicious. You can do these without the tomato jam but who wouldn’t want tomato jam? Find the recipe here http://thepestogodmother.com/2020/10/02/my-spicy-tomato-jam/ Ingredients: 170 gr butter, at room temperature 75 gr grated parmigiano 1 tbsp chopped rosemary 1 tbsp chopped thyme 1/2 tsp salt 1 small egg 225 gr all purpose flour tomato jam for topping, optional Method: In the bowl of your stand mixer add the butter, parmigiano, rosemary, thyme, salt and whiz to incorporate everything together. Add the egg and incorporate. Add the flour and mix till a dough forms. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Gently press down to form disks and, …

Pesto di Pistacchi

Pesto as we all know is an aromatic blend of fresh basil, parmigiano, evoo and in this case pistachios. Ideally, for this recipe, you should quickly blanch the pistachios to get rid of the skin but you can also skip this step if you are in a hurry. When making pasta al Pesto, the latter should be loosened with a bit of pasta water and added to your warm pasta making sure not to place it on the stove at all. The word pesto in Italian comes from the word “pestare” which means  to “pound or crush” and that’s also why it is traditionally done using a pestle and mortar but many these days use a food processor. I would also like to highlight the fact that true Pesto alla Genovese is done exclusively with pine-nuts, Genovese Basil and a pestle and mortar. Now, let’s do some pesto with pistachios!!! Recipe will make 200 gr of Pesto Ingredients: 100 gr pistachios, unsalted and shelled 15 fresh basil leaves 50 ml extra virgin olive oil 20 …

Mixed Berries Cobbler

I’m always torn as to how I can write introductions to new recipes…introductions that don’t start with “Oh my this is so delicious” as I always end up doing lol but honestly, if it’s so delicious, how else can I introduce it? I am not a fan of cooked fruits, specially if in a cake, call me crazy right? But I once saw someone doing a cobbler on tv and my mouth literally watered and I couldn’t resist it, I had to try and I absolutely fell in love with every single bite!! I have done cobblers with prunes, strawberries, apples but this last one topped the list: mixed berries! Oh yammm!! I honestly used frozen and let me tell you it was so much cheaper and easier and it tasted equally delicious and on top of that, with frozen berries, you can have this even if they aren’t in season so basically whenever the mood strikes! You can use this same recipe with fruits that you have on hand so get creative! The biscuits …

Italian Savory Pie

Perfect as appetizer or main dish with a side of crunch lemony salad and a chilled glass of wine this pie will steal your heart, that’s how good it is! I made a sweet onion jam and it elevated the flavors so much so don’t skip the step! It takes little time and you can make more and store in the fridge to use in sandwiches and burgers…yammm!!! Make the onions first so they have time to cool, then the pastry and finally the ricotta filling. The crust is so flaky and easy to make. A tip I want to give you regarding the pastry is, before placing it in the fridge to rest, shape it as a disk and not as a ball , this will make shaping much easier. Also, make sure the ingredients are all very very veryyy cold 🙂 let me know if you try it!! For 2-4 people Ingredients: For the Pastry: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup grated parmigiano, optional 1/2 teaspoon salt 100 gr butter, very …

Jam Cave Cookies

Crumbly butter cookies filled with your favorite jam in the center. Mostly known as ‘thumbprint cookies’ after doing a little research on google, I found out that they are also known as hallongrotta, which means “raspberry cave” in Swedish. They have also been called bird’s nest cookies, butterballs, or Polish tea cakes. I loved the ‘raspberry cave’ the most mainly because they do look like little caves with a delicious filling!! After baking try sprinkling some sea salt on top of each cookie for an extra kick of flavor! Ingredients: 3 cups all purpose flour, leveled 1/2 tsp salt 200 gr butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla your favorite jam, I used lemon jam and strawberry jam Method: In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until well combined and fluffy. Meanwhile in a bowl sift together the flour and salt. When the butter mixture is ready add the sifted flour & salt and using your stand mixer, mix until a dough forms. Scoop rounded tablespoons of …

Fish with Orange & Fennel Salad

I remember having this salad countless times back when I was living in Italy and I remember enjoying each bite of juicy orange and crunchy fennel so much! I paired this salad with grilled fish, it can also be baked of course, and I used Sea Bream but any fish that you love will do! All I can think of is outdoors, sun kissed skin, cold drinks, BBQ on , sunset and this recipe to wrap up a summer Sunday with loved ones <3 Recipe is for 4 Ingredients: For the fish: 4 Sea Bream fish 2 Lemons, sliced in half circles Fennel fronds Salt to taste fresh thyme, optional For the salad: 2 big oranges, peeled and sliced 2 fennel bulbs, very thinly sliced 7-8 fresh basil leaves, sliced julienne 1 medium garlic clove, very finely chopped A squeeze of orange juice A squeeze of lemon juice Extra Virgin olive oil Salt to taste Method: Use a sharp knife to lightly score the top of the fish in diagonal lines, sprinkle with salt and …