Cicoria e rise - Dandelion and Rice - Vegan Options

Bisnonna Alcina’s

Cicoria e Rise - Dandelion and Rice
https://youtu.be/fNAvf8LR0E0

Gluten free, dairy and egg free, vegan. And made in one pot!!!!

My mother taught me how to make this dish. It’s something that we ate regularly as kids growing up. I remember helping my mother and her sisters forage for dandelion in the fields. Super  healthy!! You should give it a try. It is bitter when eaten raw but you can remove most of the bitterness by preboiling. I like the bitterness, so I don’t boil it too long. Maybe a couple of minutes so it’s tender. It will continue to cook in the pot too.

Begin by washing and trimming your dandelion discarding any dark or damaged leaves, you can refer to my Dandelion Salad video for a closer look at how to wash and trim dandelion.

Super Green Dandelion Salad
https://youtu.be/Ctrc_D5I4Sk

Boil it for a couple of minutes and drain. Squeeze water out and chop into one inch pieces.

Back in the same pot, add three and a half cups of cold water with half a cup of Passata, or jarred, crushed tomatoes. You can also use fresh crushed tomatoes or canned. Bring all to a boil.

Add one bouillon cube, chicken or vegetable. You can also cook this in your own homemade chicken or vegetable broth. Refer to my video on how to make your own broth.

How to make easy Chicken Broth - Brodo Di Nonna
https://youtu.be/agH3VD-XLQI

How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
https://youtu.be/AJz-wu40v1E

Then add half a chopped onion, one cup Italian rice, the precooked dandelion and drizzle it all with extra virgin olive oil. Let it simmer stirring often. Salt and pepper to taste. Remember the bouillon cube is already salted.

That’s pretty much it. It will take about 20 to 25 minutes for the rice to cook. Taste for seasoning and add water as needed, if it gets too dry. This should be soupy style dish, not too dry.

Top with your favourite grated cheese. Yum!

Amaretto Iced Espresso - Dairy Free

Amaretto Iced Espresso 

https://youtu.be/VH6Hgh8fHcU

You need your coffee but it’s way too hot for a regular coffee. Let’s make iced coffee. Very refreshing.

There are so many options when making this. Mine is dairy free and not too many calories.

First you need to decide what coffee you want to use. This works great with regular coffee or espresso coffee,  flavoured coffee and decaf coffee.

I made a huge pot of decaf espresso and instead of throwing the leftovers down the drain, I chilled it.

To the coffee, which is about one cup, I added half a cup of almond milk. You can use cream, you can use soy milk, oat milk, regular milk...........any kind you like.

Then if you happen to be hanging around the pool, you may choose to add a little shot of Amaretto.

You can also try Sambucca or Baileys Irish Cream. By the way, for those of you who have dairy allergies but love Baileys Irish Cream ( this has dairy in it) I’ve recently discovered that Baileys makes an Irish cream using almond milk! Very good!!

Now if you want to make it a little more special, add whipped cream and top it off with a cherry.

I used coconut cream!!

Enjoy!! And stay cool!

Dandelion Salad - Dairy Free, Egg Free, Vegan Options

Cicoria or Dandelion Salad Two Ways

Super Green Dandelion Salad
https://youtu.be/Ctrc_D5I4Sk

This green is super healthy for you. You can eat it raw in a salad or cook it. It can be very bitter and tough which is why I like to buy organic. They tend to be younger and more tender. I planted some in my garden and once they  start to grow I pick them while still young so I can eat them while tender and not so bitter.

I bought one bunch of organic dandelion and I am using half of it. I soak them in water and wash thoroughly.

I then cut off two to three inches off the bottom of the stem as they can be tough.

I then cut into bit sized pieces. 

I split them in half so that I can make a non dairy version.

The first salad has sliced Vidalia  onion, one sliced hard boiled egg, 2 - 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsps or more of wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Toss.

For the second version, and for those of you who can’t eat dairy or egg, I replaced the egg with half a diced avocado  and I added a tsp of vegan mayonnaise to make it a little creamy.  

I hope you try this green. If you like bitter, you will love this.

Rhubarb and Berry Cobbler - Dairy Free, Egg Free

Rhubarb And Berry Cobbler - so delicious and dairy and egg free! WHAT!!  Flavour and texture is incredible! You can also bake this on the “Q” in a cast iron pan.....at a 350 degree temperature!!

Rhubarb .......makes delicious pies when mixed with berries. It is a vegetable but it is used as if it were a fruit. Strawberries, blueberries or raspberries all work great when mixed with rhubarb.  I have rhubarb growing in my garden and June is the time to harvest. 

I have about12 thin stalks of rhubarb. This is enough for one pie or cobbler. If your stalks are thicker, then reduce how much you use.

You cut the leaves off and trim the bottom ends off by at least two to three inches making sure you cut the white parts off. Then wash and cut rhubarb into one inch pieces.

You will also need two cups of berries. I am using a combination of blueberries and raspberries. Your combination of rhubarb and berries need to be heeping...as it will all shrink once cooked.

Put rhubarb and berries into either a large pie dish or an 8 inch square pan. To that you will add half a cup each of brown sugar and regular sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Stir well until all evenly coated.

Place all into your dish.

I lined the pie dish with pastry dough but this is not necessary. You can place berries directly onto dish.

 

For the topping combine the following in a large bowl

2 cups flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add 1/2 cup butter - I used vegan margarine and use a pastry blender to cut it into coarse crumbs

Then you will need to stir in 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk. I substitute this with almond milk and add 1.5 tsps of white vinegar to give it that buttermilk flavour.

It will be a wet dough

Spoon onto rhubarb and berry mixture.

Place into preheated 350 F degree oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until bubbly and golden.

You will want to put foil underneath to catch the drippings.

Oh my!!!!😋

Quick Polenta with Tomato Sauce - DairyFree And a Vegan Options

Quick Polenta with Tomato Sauce
https://youtu.be/o9Ph6rzgpBw

How to Make Marinara Sauce Recipe
https://youtu.be/KBCZGHFdDK8

How to Make Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild)
https://youtu.be/BtVgCWP-CWw

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free and vegan options!! And all in one pot!!
Makes a great side dish or you can make it your main meal!
There are many options when making this dish and the reason it’s quick is that I use instant polenta.
Instead of using corm meal and stirring for at least half an hour while cooking it in a pot, I now buy the pre cooked cornmeal. It also comes in a bag and looks exactly like the regular corn meal but on the bag or box it states that it cooks in one minute. Some other brands will say it cooks in two or three minutes...buy it. It’s instant.

Let’s begin with the ingredients needed for this dish.

You will need 3 cups of water, one cup of instant polenta and one tsp of salt or to taste. Very simple.
I am using water because I will be topping it with tomato sauce which will give it its flavour.
If you want to eat it plain without the sauce then you can replace the water with either vegetable or chicken broth for flavour. Salt to taste if your broth is salted.

Bring your water to a boil. Add salt. Remove pot from heat and whisk in your polenta.
Lower heat and return pot to heat. Continue whisking until thickened.
Be careful. It will splatter as it bubbles and may burn your hand as you stir.
Remove from heat as soon as it thickens. Add one tbsp of butter, margarine or vegan margarine and stir in about 3 Tbsps of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. If you need it to be dairy free then add vegan cheese instead.
Top with a simple marinara sauce. I also added Italian sausages.
You can also top it with fava beans and leave out the meat. You have many options.
Creamy and delicious!! Enjoy!

Asparagus Risotto with Saffron- Dairy Free and Vegan Options

How To Make Asparagus Risotto with Saffron
https://youtu.be/qO0bgpa2OC0

How to make easy Chicken Broth - Brodo Di Nonna
https://youtu.be/agH3VD-XLQI

How to Make Homemade Vegetable Broth
https://youtu.be/AJz-wu40v1E

This is a gluten free dish and can easily be modified to make it dairy free and vegan. Creamy and delicious!! It’s asparagus season and I try to incorporate fresh, locally grown asparagus into as many recipes as I can.  If you love asparagus, you will love the risotto recipe.
Start with 6 stalks of asparagus....or more if you like. You can pile it on. Wash it because asparagus grows in sandy earth so you can find sand on it.
In your pan, start with a few tbsps of olive oil and fry your asparagus until fork tender.
Remove asparagus from pan and set aside.
Drizzle pan with a few more Tbsps of oil and over medium heat add your half chopped onion and one medium size garlic, minced. Cook a little then add your one cup of Arborio rice and stir and cook until rice is opaque. This should take a few minutes. Add your half a cup of dry white wine and stir until wine is absorbed.
Add a splash of broth....you can use chicken or vegetable broth. Stir then add a pinch of saffron, which you’ve soaked in a bit of warm water. If you don’t have saffron, leave it out.
Stir and let the rice absorb most of the liquid, then add more broth. And repeat this process until you are happy with the texture of your rice. It took me 25 minutes of stirring to get the rice creamy as I like it.
Remove from heat and stir in your asparagus and 3 tbsps of Romano or Parmesan cheese. You can substitute for vegan Imitation Romano cheese.
So delicious and creamy! You can substitute asparagus with mushrooms, peas or butternut squash.
Rice continues to cook after you’ve removed it from heat, so you can add liquid before serving if necessary. I recommend serving immediately.
You control the salt content of this recipe. My chicken broth has 30% less salt. Taste the rice as it’s cooking and determine whether or not you need to add more salt.
Enjoy!!

Perfectly Roasted Potatoes - Dairy Free, Vegan

Perfectly Roasted Potatoes With Italian Seasoning
https://youtu.be/ZB7bG4Al6F0


Make your own seasoned roasted potatoes at home!!
So easy and surprisingly quick!
Preheat oven to 425F and coat a sheet tray with parchment paper.
I like to keep the skin on so I use a potato with a thin skin. I use a white potato here.
Wash and cut up into large chunks. You can also cut into wedges if you prefer.  I have fresh Rosemary growing in my garden so I pick a few sprigs and remove the leaves from the stems and coarsely shop. You can certainly use dried Rosemary if you don’t have fresh.
Then to the potatoes you add:
2 to 3 Tbsps of olive oil, or any oil of your choice
Half a tsp of pepper
One tsp is salt or to taste
Half a tsp of garlic powder
Half a tsp or more of Dried Oregano
Mix well and place on parchment paper, spreading the potatoes apart from one another.
Bake for half an hour and “voila”.
This is where you get creative here. There are so many possibilities for toppings.
Paprika, cayenne pepper, Parmesan or Romano cheese.... just to name a few.

Mussels in Marinara Sauce - Dairy Free

Mussels in Marinara Sauce

https://youtu.be/zSjKnDMSrYY

How to Make Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs - Dairy Free

https://youtu.be/-dy9bSWDyf4

This recipe is so quick and easy! The most time consuming part of this recipe is cleaning and removing the beards from the mussels. And even this process takes about 5 minutes depending on how many mussels you buy.

I bought 2 lbs or 900 grams of fresh, organic PEI mussels at my local grocery store.

Make sure that if you are not cooking them right away, you keep them refrigerated and allow them to breathe. If they came home in a plastic bag, remove the plastic. You can wash them before hand, then return to fridge.

I washed each one individually and removed any beards.....that’s the fuzzy part that grows from the opening of the mussel. If you find a mussel that is open, tap it lightly. If it’s alive, it will close back up. If after a little while it does not close, throw it out. Also discard if damaged or cracked.

Time to start my marinara or easy tomato sauce.

For 2 lbs of mussels you will need:

2 cups of crushed tomatoes, you can use whole canned tomatoes if you prefer a chunky sauce

2 medium garlic cloves sliced....or finely minced if you don’t like larger pieces of garlic

Half a medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp or more of hot peperoncini, or hot chili flakes

1/4 cup white wine

1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

A handful of Italian seasoned bread crumbs 

2 tbsps of freshly chopped parsley, or 1 tsp dried parsley

Over medium heat, drizzle olive oil in your pan, enough to coat it

Add onion and fry a little until it begins to soften then add your garlic and continue to fry

Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt as mussels are already naturally salty from the ocean water.  Let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened.

Drop in your cleaned mussels, stir and close lid tight. It will take about 5 minutes to cook the mussels. You will know they are cooked once they are all open. 

Once all open, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Serve Immediately.

Don’t overcook or they will become chewy.

 Serve with garlic bread to soak up all the delicious juices. Just toast some bread, drizzle with olive oil and rub with fresh garlic. Add salt to taste.

Smells amazing!!

HOLI MOLI CANNOLI !!! With Dairy Free options

How to Make Limoncello Cannoli

HOLI MOLI CANNOLI !!!
https://youtu.be/Uw9iJ0pSEq8

This is definitely “La piece de resistance”!!This is a thing of beauty and not to mention.......sooooooooo good!

I can show you how to make the cannoli shell but that’s a whole other video.
This is the quick and easy way. You can buy the shells at most Italian grocery stores, Italian Bakeries or Italian cheese shops. The shells that I bought are dairy free and egg free which is a bonus for those who have allergies. You can fill it with dairy free whipped coconut cream. Just as delicious.

You will need ricotta cheese. The drier the better. If you feel that it’s too wet, just let it sit in a colander for a while and let it drain. You want the mixture to be thick so it will hold its shape.

1/2 container of ricotta cheese, or 1 cup - This will fill 8 small to medium cannolis
2 Tbsps of sugar
1 Tsp grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp of Limoncello

Pastry bag with #8 tip or cake decorator

Begin by whipping the ricotta cheese and sugar so it becomes creamy in texture. Just a minute or so,
Stir in grated lemon and Limoncello.
Done! You are now ready to fill the cannolis.

Put the prepared ricotta cheese into a pastry bag with a wide nozzle with ridges if possible. I used a #8. If you don’t have a pastry bag you can use any cake decorating tip.
Squeeze cream into each side.
If you like, you can garnish with lemon zest and a sprinkle of ground pistachios. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

This is one of those desserts that you can’t make the day before. If the filled cannolis sit in the fridge overnight or even too long the same day, they become soggy. Fill them as late as possible. A couple of hours before should be fine.
Very pretty and very appetizing!!

Breaded Cutlets- Dairy Free , Egg Free Options

BREADED PORK CUTLETS 

Breaded Cutlets using Pork Loin
https://youtu.be/c2CcC81hkWE


How To Make Pasta al Aglio e Olio - Pasta with Garlic and Oil
https://youtu.be/0mduCsDrwH4


How to Make Your Own Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs - Dairy Free
https://youtu.be/-dy9bSWDyf4


I love to make breaded.....anything! Anything that’s breaded and fried is delicious.
Whether it’s meat, fish or vegetables. You will find my Italian Breadcrumb Recipe in link up above and it can be used to fry a variety of different foods.

For this recipe, you can use pork, chicken or veal. I used pork loin.

4 cutlets - I am using pork loin and I flattened them out a little for even and quick cooking.You can use the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a heavy duty bottle.

1/2 cup of lightly salted flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten ( or vegan liquid egg)
If you have a dairy and egg allergy - use my vegan mayonnaise mixture that’s diluted with water
3/4 cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder and parsley

Dredge cutlets in flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumbs.

Fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.

If you are using chicken, make sure you thoroughly cook the cutlets.
If you are using veal, don’t overcook veal as it becomes tough.

Pasta al aglio e olio - Dairy Free Options

Pasta al aglio e olio
Pasta with garlic and oil
Recipe for 3 to 4 people

How To Make Pasta al Aglio e Olio - Pasta with Garlic and Oil
https://youtu.be/0mduCsDrwH4



This is definitely the quickest pasta dish you will ever make. The length of time it takes to cook pasta and “voila” you are done! All you need is garlic, a good olive oil and either Parmesan or Romano cheese, or combination of both. Oh yes......and any pasta of your choice. Long pasta works best for this. I use Linguini in my recipe.

Step 1: Bring a pot of water to boil
Step 2: Add a tsp of salt to boiling water and add your pasta
Step 3: Drizzle 4 tbsp of of good olive oil in your pan and warm on low heat
Step 4: Add 2- 3 small cloves of garlic, thinly sliced and let the oil slowly infuse with the garlic flavour over low heat.  If you are a fan of hot and spicy, then you can add 1/2 a tsp...... or more of peperoncini or hot chilli  peppers
You can also throw in your garlic whole, and let it flavour your oil while cooking over low heat. Remove cloves when oil is infused.
Set garlic and oil aside after cooking for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat.
Be careful, don’t burn your garlic!! Keep heat low.
Step 5: Once your pasta is cooked, drain well and toss it into “aglio e olio”.
Step 6: Add a handful of Parm or Romano cheese and toss!
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Add a piece of breaded pork cutlet and you’re all set.
Recipe for pork cutlet coming soon. Stay Tuned.

Done!  If you don’t want dairy, then add Romano imitation vegan cheese.

Limoncello Cookies for Grownups - Dairy Free Options

Limoncello Cookies for Grownups!
https://youtu.be/H8SvCl8_CXM

It’s time to treat ourselves! Find a quiet spot and devour!
Limoncello is a delicious liqueur from Italy. Tastes delicious by itself and soooooo good in a cookie that is not to be shared with the kids. These cookies have an intense lemon flavour and the limoncello icing is delicious.
You don’t need a stand mixer. You can use an electric mixer or a whisk.
These are dairy free, but they do contain eggs.
You will need: 1/2 cup olive/canola blend oil. If you don’t mind the dairy then you can use same amount in butter or margarine. You can also use vegan margarine or any type of vegetable oil.
To the oil or butter, add 1/2 cup sugar and mix well scraping sides.
Add one egg at a time and mix at medium speed. Lower speed and add 1/4 cup Limoncello.
Continue on low speed and add your dry ingredients- 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, zest from one lemon. Stir until all combined and a dough has formed.
Let dough cool  in refrigerator for one hour.
Place parchment paper on your tray. Form walnut sized balls with your dough and place them 2 inches apart on tray. Flatten them with slightly wet hands.
Preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 10 minutes.The tops of cookie should remain pale and bottom slightly golden.
Cool cookies on wire rack and prepare your glaze.
Mix 1.5 cups of icing sugar with 4 Tbsps of Limoncello. Hold some Limoncello back and continue to add until you’ve achieved a slightly runny texture. Balance between thick and thin that will not all run off cookie.

This recipe makes 25 medium sized cookies.

Easy to make!! Your challenge now will be to find a quiet place in the house to slowly savour this treat without interruption. Good Luck!

How To Make Sourdough Bread at Home - Dairy Free, Egg Free

Make Your Own Sourdough Bread at Home

How to Make Sourdough Bread at Home
https://youtu.be/k5qsFUIUZXQ



This recipe is geared towards people who already have a starter yeast at home, whether you’ve made it yourself, bought it, or received some from a friend.
If you would like to make your own starter yeast, there are many YouTube recipes that you can access on line. You will need flour and filtered water, a scale, and at least 10 days of your time.It needs tending to on a daily basis but once you have it, it will keep in your refrigerator for years.
I made mine two years ago and I still have it and have shared it with others. I feed it once a week and make bread once a week.
This is the recipe that I use:

First Step is to make a sponge with your starter yeast.
In a bowl you mix 100grams of starter yeast with 300 grams of unbleached all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt  and add 300 ml of warm filtered water. I highly recommend using filtered water as chlorinated water is not good for your yeast. Stir vigorously ensuring a smooth texture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let ferment in warm space for 3 to 4 hours until bubbly and doubled in volume. The longer it takes to ferment the more of a sourdough taste it will have.

Step 2: to your sponge - Add 300 grams of unbleached all purpose flour and 2 tsp fine sea salt.
Stir until it forms a ball. Turn dough onto your board and knead until smooth. Refer to video for slap and fold method of kneading your sourdough.
Put back into a lightly oiled bowl and let rise for 3 to 4 hours until doubled in a warm space.

Once risen, split your dough in half and place into bannetons to proof for 1.5 to 2 hours.
If you don’t have bannetons, you can refer to my other bread making video that shows you how to shape bread.

How to Make a Crusty Loaf of Bread
https://youtu.be/HmmORP1tmBI

Preheat oven and baking stone to 425 F. You can use regular baking tray if you don’t have a stone.
Once oven ready, drop your loaves onto stone and score. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Let sit on a cooling rack to cool before you cut into it.

This is a lot of work. Sourdough starter needs a lot of tending to, you need precise measurements using a scale, filtered water......but once you’ve made your starter and you get going with it, you will love the taste and texture of your bread.