tattum's kitchen

::The Garden::

You must see this...

These zucchinis are the first to come from our new garden. I wanted to try the zucchini flowers in tempura, but we let them grow too much and we lost the chance... but we've got much more!! Eggplants, red and green peppers, tomatoes, (all of these are about to start growing...) pumpkins

fennel

Alvaro is taking care of them everyday, this is something he loves, like his own big baby.

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna

This weekend we had the feeling that the autumn had arrived. We had low temperature, very windy and a little cloudy sky. The weather is being quite strange this year...so I really felt like having a nice plate of pasta would make my day. While we watched the most exiting Formula 1 races we tasted this absolutely delicious Lasagna.

I always prepare the Lasagna the same way, and this time I wanted to try something new. Looking in my cooking books I found this recipe, easy, creamy and mmmm...

Looking now to my old post, I have just realized that I cook Lasagna in autumn days...

Ingredients:

Dry pasta for Lasagna

1 1/2 kg Spinach (I use frozen spinach)

500gr Ricotta

2 onions

1 can of crushed tomato

7 or 8 dried sun tomatoes

200gr corn

100gr mushrooms

Parmesan

25gr flour

25gr butter

milk

salt and pepper

nutmeg

Chop one of the onions and fry till it's transparent.

Also chop the dry tomatoes, and when the onion is ready add them to the pan. Stir for 5 min and add the can of chopped tomatoes. Add a little sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

 

In another pan fry the other chopped onion, and once it's transparent add the spinach, the corn and the mushrooms, and the nutmeg.

Now you have both prepared, take a oven pan, maybe 5cm high...add the first layer of dry pasta. the ones we have here in Spain ( I suppose you may find the same everywhere) has to by hydrated first, we do this with the tomato sauce.

Now you can start with spinach layer, and on top of the spinach you can add the ricotta. You can also mix it previously in a bowl but this is up to you!

Now on top the another dry pasta layer, more tomato sauce on top and more spinach with ricotta. and after that the last layer with dry pasta and what you have left of the tomato sauce. Put the oven to 200º.

For the bachamel sauce. On a deep frying pan, melt the butter, once it's starting to boil, add 2 spoons of flour. Stir till you have a paste and add slowly a little of milk. Don't stop moving the spoon. Add more milk, nutmeg and salt. Add milk till you have an almost liquid sauce. Now the last thing you need to do is to add the grated Parmesan to the sauce and stir well. Add the sauce to the lasagna, and sprinkle some Parmesan on top.

enjoy!!!

Wok

this dish is one of my favourites. It's very easy to cook and it's very, very healthy. you only need many veggies, and maybe if you want to add something else, you can try maybe shrimps, chicken breats or meat. I will give you the basic recipe, but it's up to you to add anything you like.

1 zucchini

3 or 4 carrots

1 onion

1/2 leek

1 can of bamboo roots

7 or 8 shiitake mushrooms

1 piece of sliced ginger

100gr of soy bean sprouts

transparent rice noodles

sesame oil soy sauce

lot's of cilantro

if you don't have a WOK, use a simple frying pan.

The WOK, as it has a very small base, you can cook anything with very little fire. So good for you if you have a fire kitchen. the most important thing is that you slice all the vegetables in thin long pieces. this way the vegetables will cook sooner. in the base of the wok add the sesame oil, just enough to cover the base. Once the oil is really hot, add first the onion and the leek. Wait for the onion to become transparent and then add the ginger, the carrots and the zucchini. Cook till the zucchini is nearly cooked (10min aprox) and add the bamboo and the mushrooms. Now you can add a little of soy sauce, and keep cooking for another 10 min. the last thing to add is the soy bean sprouts, as they cook really fast. in a separate pan you will cook the transparent noodles, once they are done (you only need boiling water, salt and a deep pan + 5 min) you can add them to the WOK. Add a little more soy sauce and you will be done! let it stay in the fire for 5 min more, and you can serve. add the chopped cilantro on top. As I said before this recipe can be even better with a little imagination like if you add cashew nuts, prawns... I hope you enjoy it!

Torta Pascualina

Like I've told you many times, Argentinians have a very interesting mixture of cultures. I just love that. If you could get to know the country and the people a little more, you just wouldn't believe how wonderful they are. Well, la Torta Pascualina, is one of those dishes that everyone does at home, easy to make, with veggies, and something that kids adore...
This Torta is named Pascualina because of "Pascua" or Easter in english.
And well, you may know why, but I'll explain it a bit, the Catholic tradition says that during Easter you can't eat meat, so there are many plates special made for these days. In Spain one, very well known, is the Potaje de Vigilia. Made with spinach, chickpeas, cod and carrots.
And in Argentina, la Torta Pascualina. My father learned it from her mother and I learned from him. 

The recipe.

Torta Pascualina

1kg spinach
1/2 chard (or is it swiss chard)
2 eggs
1 big onion chopped
2 already made pie doughs
2 teaspoons nutmeg
200gr breadcrumb (the soft part of the bread)
200ml milk

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. In a small bowl mix the breadcrumb with the milk, salt and nutmeg, and set aside while you work with the other things.
Fry the onion, and once it's transparent add the spinach and chard. Stir and add salt.
When you see that the bread has absorbed the milk, put it in the blender. Add this to the spinach and stir till everything is well mixed.

Prepare 1 of the pastries in a mold and add the mixture. On top add the eggs, better if you make two little holes and put the eggs on them. Close with the other dough the tart. Cook for 30 min, or until the top in brown.

Hope you like it!! Besos desde Marbella

Artichokes with Garlic and Parsley Sauce

          

My mum used to make this recipe very often.  We just loved it, because it was quite easy to make and because it was like eating "pipas" (sunflower seeds).
Now, I would like to ask a question. Are the sunflower seeds an important snack in your countries? Well it is in Spain. If you're watching a football game , if you're watching a film at home, if you're hanging out with friends, seating  in the park and you're spanish, for sure you will be eating "pipas". I think it's a quite dirty custom, 'cause the people that eat them, usually throw the husk to the floor and don't  sweep afterwards...but that's another story...

Now my artichokes. I added mushrooms, because I love mushrooms, but you can  make the recipe without them .

I use 2 artichokes per person. But it really depends on how big they are. Here,in Spain, they are quite small, but I've seen them in England, in the USA and in France, and they are amazingly huge! I was wondering, do they taste good?

Recipe:

4 artichokes and  their little trunk
1 or 2 garlic cloves
200gr of mushrooms
1/2 cup parsley
1 liter of boiling water
150gr of breadcrumb
2 dry consomme cubes
3 tablespoons of olive oil

In a deep saucepan, add the olive oil, and just before it starts boiling add the garlic and parsley minced.
After 2 min add the mushrooms and sauté. Add the breadcrumb and stir well so that it doesn't stick to the bottom, and add the water. Slow to medium heat. Add the dry consomme cubes (or salt if you prefer)

Now is the moment of adding the artichokes, but before, open them a bit from the center (so that the sauce will get to the heart). Close the saucepan and cook for 3o or 40min. It usually gets sticked to the bottom, so stir from time to time.
You can have them with rice or with my favourite, cous cous.

* To eat this, you must tear the leaves, one by one, and with the front teeth drag the part of the leaf that's nearer the heart. I think this sounds a little complicated...But it's the way of eating this because the leaves will be to hard to eat them completely. So that's why I  compared them to "pipas" you eat them one by one, till you get to the heart and you eat the whole of it.   Ok, if you don't understand this (and that woudn't be strange) email me, and I'll try to send you a photo of my teeth doing a simulation...wow! It sounds like you have to do a Master's degree to eat this, ijijiji ;))

C 'est Tout! Bon Appétite!