Roast Pork

Ingredients:

- 1 kg of pork loin
- 1/2 kg of roasting potatoes
- salt/pepper/paprika
- 2 garlic cloves (sliced)
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Ahead of time:

The day before (or a few hours before), place the pork on a dish with the white wine, the sliced garlic, salt and pepper and let it marinate.


Preparation:

Peel the potatoes (or leave it with the skin) and give it a little cut, so it cooks evenly.

Take the pork from the marinate and place it on a roasting pan. Place half of the slice onions under the pork and the other half on top. Place the potatoes around the pork and drizzle everything with the olive oil. Add a little bit of salt/pepper and paprika.
Roast in a preheated 250º oven (depending on the oven). Make sure to turn the pork and the potatoes at least once.
If needed you can add a little of the marinated sauce to your roast.

I like to serve it with a tomato salad seasoned with salt, oregano and a little olive oil.

Stuffed Squid 

Ingredients:

- 4 squids (cleaned)
- 250g of pancetta (bacon), cut in little pieces
- 1 carrot (chopped)
- 1 cup of white wine (remember - if its not good to drink its not good for cooking)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (without the skin)
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt and pepper

Preparation:

In a pan, place 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the onion. Let it cook until the onion is transparent. Add the chopped garlic, stir for a few seconds and add the can of tomato.
Set aside.

In a frying pan place a tablespoon of olive oil and the bacon. Let is fry a little and add the carrots and the peppers. Cook until soft.

Assembling:

Open the squid (one by one) and stuff with the bacon mixture. Close with a toothpick. Repeat with the other squids.

Finishing cooking:


Place the squids in the tomato preparation and add the white wine, salt and pepper. Let it cook on a medium heat until the squids are tender. (you can always add a little more wine if needed). Don't forget to take out the toothpicks before serving.

Serve:

Best served with boiled potatoes, but you can also serve it with white rice.

Tip: You can add some cooked white rice or/and ground beef to the stuffing.

My  Lasagna

- 1 package of pre-cooked lasagna noodles (easier then have to boil it)
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I make my own, but why complicate it)
- 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
- 250 g of thin sliced  low salt ham
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese (optional)

Preparation:

In a large bowl mix the tomato sauce with the ricotta cheese. Set aside.

In the bottom of a baking dish place a layer of the mixture of tomato sauce and ricotta. Top it with a layer of lasagna sheets. Place some sliced ham on top and after, another layer of the tomato/ricotta mixture. Sprinkle some mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Be generous with the mozzarella but gentle with the parmesan. Parmesan cheese can be over powering.
Repeat the procedure until the last layer of lasagna noodles. Top the last layer with the tomato/ricotta. Add mozzarella cheese to cover the top and sprinkle some parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Temperature and time depends on the oven. Take it out of the oven wen the top is golden brown.

Let it cool for a few minutes then serve.

Tip: if you cut it right after taking out of the oven, it can fall apart. By letting set for a few minutes will help to set the cooking procedure. Not only will be more tasting but more firm.

All the recipes you see here are homemade by me. I have no intentions of calling myself a chef or pretend to be one. One thing is true, I love cooking and have spent all my adult life watching cooking shows and buying cooking books. All I know I have done it buy trial an error and I continue to have fun trying new ideas.
It is hard for me to give exact quantities of this and that, because I do all my cooking by "eye". I know that a  little bit of this and a little bit of that makes the best taste combination. I am trying my best to give the exact amounts for the recipes. I am sure that I am not that off.
Suggestions are very welcome and I will reply to all the questions been placed here. What I don't know, I will try to find out. This way we will all learn and I will be the one doing the leg work...

Fettucini Alfredo

 

- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream

- 5 tablespoons olive oil or butter (I prefer olive oil)

- 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

-  half a pound of cubed ham

- salt/pepper 

- 1 pound of egg fettucini (fresh or dried)

- 2 minced garlic cloves (optional)

Preparation:

Place a large pot with water and salt to boil. Add the pasta and let cook while you preparing the rest. Don't over cook the pasta, should be al dente (still a little firm).

In a saucepan place the olive oil (or butter), the garlic and the cubed ham. Let it cook for a few seconds (if you let the garlic get dark it will give the food a bitter taste). Sprinkle some salt and pepper.

Add the heavy cream and some of the parmesan cheese (save some to sprinkle over the pasta when you plate it).

Stir for a few minutes and add the drained fettucini. Turn the stove off right after you added the pasta otherwise will dry the pasta and the cream.

Serve with a nice tomato salad.

Stuffed Eggplant

 

- 1 eggplant 

- 2 slices of mortadella (also known as Bologna sausage), cut in small pieces

- 1 tomato cut in small pieces
- 100g of fresh mozzarella cut in small pieces
- 50g of shredded mozzarella
- 50g of shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil/salt/pepper

Preparation:

Cut the eggplant in half and set aside. Spoon out the inside of the eggplant and cut into small pieces. Make sure to leave a rim on the eggplant to be able to hold the filling.
On a saucepan place the olive oil and the onion. Let it cook until transparent. Add the eggplant pieces, the mortadella, the tomato and fresh mozzarella. Add salt and pepper and stir gently to coat.
Take out of the stove and stuff the mixture inside each eggplant half.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.  Drizzle the top part of the eggplant rim with a little olive oil and bake on a 200ºF preheated oven until golden brown. Approximately 25 minutes depending on the oven.

Eggplant Parmesan

- 2 large eggplants

- 200g of shredded or sliced Mozzarella cheese

- 100g of shredded Parmesan cheese

- bread crumbs

- tomato sauce (see recipe below)

- 2 eggs

- salt/pepper

- oil to fry

Preparation:

Slice the eggplant in thin slices. 

Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl

On a separate bowl, beat the eggs

Pass the eggplant in the egg and after, coat with breadcrumbs 

Place the oil on a skillet and fry the eggplant until golden brown. Make sure to turn it once

Place on paper towels to drain the excess moisture

Assembling:

In a baking dish place a layer of eggplant. Spread some tomato sauce on top. After, sprinkle with the Mozzarella and the Parmesan. Repeat the order until you finish. Make sure your last layer is the tomato and the cheeses. 

Bake on a 350º F preheated oven for about 25 minutes (temperature may very according to oven), or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Tomato Sauce:

- 2 cans of peeled and chopped tomatoes

- 1 large onion chopped)

- 2 garlic cloves chopped)

- olive oil

- oregano/salt/pepper 

- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)

- pinch of sugar

Preparation:

In a pan place the olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and the sliced onion. Let it fry until transparent. Add the garlic. Don't let the garlic get dark or will give a bitter taste to the sauce.

Add the tomatoes, the oregano, the salt and the pepper. Stir for a while and add the pinch of sugar and the wine.

Let it simmer for about 15 to 25 minutes.