Recipe by Silvia Baldini — The Italian version of eggnog liqueur is known as VOV, derived from the Venetian-dialect term 'vovi,' meaning 'eggs.' This energetic and boozy bomb will warm you up and invigorate you. VOV was invented in 1845 by Gian Battista Pezziol, a confectioner from Padua specializing in nougat production, which required only egg whites. Pezziol decided to use the remaining egg yolks with Marsala wine, alcohol, and sugar, creating a zabajone liqueur and energy drink tonic. Drinks made with eggs have long been considered rejuvenating; many ancient recipes attest to their special power to 'awaken' love, revive the sick, and boost energy in general.
Ideally, you should sip it on the rocks by a fireplace after a day on the slopes, but it’s great anytime at room temperature as a garnish for ice cream or for dipping dry biscuits when you need a pick-me-up. Take your VOV to the next level and transform it into a 'Bombardino,' the original Après-Ski cocktail of any Italian mountain holiday. Just add a splash of brandy, a dollop of whipped cream, and a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — The Italian version of eggnog liqueur is known as VOV, derived from the Venetian-dialect term 'vovi,' meaning 'eggs.' This energetic and boozy bomb will warm you up and invigorate you. VOV was invented in 1845 by Gian Battista Pezziol, a confectioner from Padua specializing in nougat production, which required only egg whites. Pezziol decided to use the remaining egg yolks with Marsala wine, alcohol, and sugar, creating a zabajone liqueur and energy drink tonic. Drinks made with eggs have long been considered rejuvenating; many ancient recipes attest to their special power to 'awaken' love, revive the sick, and boost energy in general.
Ideally, you should sip it on the rocks by a fireplace after a day on the slopes, but it’s great anytime at room temperature as a garnish for ice cream or for dipping dry biscuits when you need a pick-me-up. Take your VOV to the next level and transform it into a 'Bombardino,' the original Après-Ski cocktail of any Italian mountain holiday. Just add a splash of brandy, a dollop of whipped cream, and a dusting of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
2cups grain alcohol, EverClear or unflavored vodka
1/2 cupcognac
Servings: quarts, 1 gallon
Instructions
Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds in to the milk, add the vanilla pod, the lemon zest. Bring the milk to a bare simmer over medium heat, without letting it boil. Remove from the heat and set aside. Discard the vanilla pod
Whisk together the egg yolks and the sugar until thick and light in color. Add a couple of tablespoons of the scalded milk to the egg yolks, whisking vigorously to prevent the yolks from curdling. Continue to whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until you have added it all. Gently whisk in the Marsala, the grain alcohol and the Cognac.
Pour the liqueur through a funnel into clean 750 ml glass bottles with a metal closure hinge. Refrigerate and rest for at least 3 days before serving the Vov. It will last for a month in the refrigerator. Remember to shake well before serving.
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes 4 quarts of Vov and it will fill at least five 750 ml bottles. A Vov bottle is a great present or stocking stuffer. You can halve the recipe for a smaller batch.
1bunchasparagus, cleaned and cut in 1/2 inches sections
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
1/2cupspeck or pancetta, diced
1/2mediumwhite onion, diced small
1/2cupwhite wine
1poundspaghetti or mezze maniche
sea salt and black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
1medium finely grated lemon zest
3tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
Servings: people
Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil add salt and blanch the cut asparagus for a minute or two. Drain and set aside.
Heat a medium size pan with the olive oil, add the speck and slowly render with out burning. Add the onion and cook until soft and transparent. Add the blanched asparagus, cook for a minute or two then add the white wine to deglaze. Reduce for a couple of minutes then turn the heat off. Pulse half of the cooked asparagus in a blender until creamy and set aside. Reserve the other half of the cooked asparagus.
Cook the pasta in large pot of salted water. Drain and reserve a glass of the cooking water.
Mix the drained pasta with the blended asparagus, the Parmesan and the reserved cooking water. Add the remaining cooked asparagus with the speck, mix gently. Add black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan and finish with the lemon zest and the fresh parsley.
1/2cupuncooked long- or short-grain brown rice, rinsed
1/2cupuncooked oatmeal, rinsed in a strainer
3cupscups almond milk or coconutplus more for serving
1/4teaspooncardamom powder
1/4teaspoonfine sea salt
3cupscold water
1 to 4 tablespponsgranulated or turbinado sugar, honey, lemon curd or marmalade
fresh seasonal fruit, such as figs, berries, or sliced stone fruits
almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans, toasted
Servings: people
Instructions
Dump the rice, oatmeal, milk, cardamom, salt, water, and sugar in a large saucepan set over medium heat and stir to combine.
Let the ingredients warm until the liquid starts to bubble around the edges of the pan. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently so the grains don’t stick, until the rice is broken down and the porridge has a soupy consistency, 60 minutes. You want to be careful to not let the porridge boil.
Spoon the porridge into bowls and, if desired, stir in some sugar or top with curd, fruit, nuts, and/or a splash more milk. (You can cover and refrigerate any leftover porridge for up to several days and serve cold or warm gently in a small saucepan, covered, over low heat. You may need to add a splash of water or milk as the porridge thickens when cold.
I’m in love with this dish.
♥
A sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of iron clad spinach. I suggest Crown prince pumpkins (the large gray Cinderella ones with shiny skin) because they have the best texture and deep autumnal flavor but butternut squash works well and will still taste great.
Spiced pumpkin wedges with spinach, apple & pine nuts
Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini—
A lovely sustaining and tasty fall salad. Sweet roasted and spicy pumpkin is topped with layers of crunchy apples, woodsy pine nuts and a load of spinach. I'm in love with this dish.
1medium pumpkin, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 6-8 wedges
SPINACH
3tablespoons pine nuts
2tablespoonsolive oil
1red onion, sliced
1/2teaspooncrushed chilli flakes
1tart apple (Granny Smith or similar), peeled, cored and diced
2garlic cloves crushed
1teaspoonground cumin
2 teaspoons runny honey
1poundwashed spinach sliced in ribbons
5tablespoonsdouble cream
1tablespoonchopped fresh cilantro
1pinchsalt
1pinchfresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400F
Put coriander, cumin, fennel, cinnamon and chilli with the salt into a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground. Add the garlic and olive oil and pound to a paste. Rub this spice mix evenly all over the pumpkin wedges. Arrange in a single layer in a roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
Make the spinach topping when the pumpkin is nearly done. Toast the pine nuts in a dry heavy frying pan over the low heat, shaking the pan once or twice, until nutty and golden, about 5 minutes.
Put the oil in a large pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion and chilli and cook until soft and wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the apple and garlic ad cook until the apple starts to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, honey and two tablespoons of the pine nuts. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes, then pour in the cream and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the roast pumpkin onto a serving platter, pour over the spinach sauce and sprinkle over the chopped cilantro and remaining pine nuts. Serve at once.
Recipe Notes
THINK AHEAD
You can bake the pumpkin a day ahead; reheat gently in a 300F oven, about 20 minutes. The spinach sauce is best made just before serving as it loses its bright green colour if you leave it sitting around but it takes only a few minutes if you have your pine nuts ready and toasted and your spinach chopped.
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This soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini —
I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Recipe By Silvia Baldini —
I'm big fan of eggplant and this soup is made with an unexpected combination of healthy and powerful ingredients that taste sublime together. Eggplant, toasted almonds, dried soft apricots and turmeric. Grilling and charring the eggplant gives smoky flavor while the apricots and the almonds bring sweetness and a lovely texture. A sprinkle of turmeric and cumin gives a mediterranean touch to the soup and a hefty squeeze of lemon brightens it up. I serve the soup hot or even better at room temperature, in big bowls for supper or a sustaining lunch.
Heat a grill pan to fairly high. Spread the eggplants out on a rack over the grill pan. Brush lightly with oil and season. Grill on both sides for about 12-20 minutes until golden. You can also use the oven broiler.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin seeds and turmeric. Cover and sweat for 10 minutes.
Stir the grilled eggplants into the onion mixture with the stock, apricots, Marsala, honey and lemon juice. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the almonds and simmer for 5 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly before puréeing until smooth. Check seasoning.
Return to the rinsed out pan and re-heat slowly. Divide between warmed serving bowls and serve.
Just glancing at the news makes me tired. One glass of my mango smoothie and I’m back into full gear. This delicious and quite incredible-tasting drink is easy as can be to make with a mango, a small papaya, a heaping spoonful of turmeric, a splash of vanilla extract and a glass of almond milk. The turmeric is the secret weapon. It has potent anti-inflammatory properties and and it quickly reboots your immune system. #resist
Prunes, chickpeas and ginger combine their forces in to this crammed with hearty flavors slow cooked pot, a perfect combination for a jolt of much needed energy to help us sustain our daily actions.
Prunes for fiber, chickpeas for nutrient-rich energy, ginger as an antioxidant and a generous amount of fork tender bits of beef; this pot is a darling at my house on wintery Sunday family dinners, when warmth and restoring strength are very much a necessity. Let’s put power back in to the right hands and the force of sustenance in to our family bellies.
Beef, Prunes, Chickpeas and Ginger Slow Cooked Pot
1poundcubed lean beeflamb, chicken or pork would work well
1cupcanned chickpeas draineddried chickpeas could be used, but must be soaked overnight
1large 28 ozcan crushed tomatoes
4cupschicken or beef stock
3/4cuppitted prunes
1/2cupdiced eggplant
1/2mediumlemon, juiced
1/2cupfresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, heavy pot or slow cooker. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion softens.
Add the ginger, cinnamon and the salt and pepper. Stir and add the saffron threads; cook always stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and cook for 5 minutes until browned.
Add the chickpeas and the crushed tomatoes and stir. Add the stock, cover and gently simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
Add the prunes and eggplants, cover and gently simmer for 1 hour.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the juice of the lemon and stir. Then add the chopped cilantro leaves and serve.
Recipe Notes
Add some chili flakes or harissa to kick up the heat. Freeze any leftovers. Serve with long grain or brown rice.
Every mother is a working mother. This veggies concoction is lunch in less than 15 minutes. That means less time in the kitchen, more time to call our respective senators and to spread love and kindness to our beautiful families. The eggplant is a major brain food and the pine nuts, besides boosting energy, suppress appetite, helping us staying in tip top shape.
Grilled Eggplant, Red Peppers and Pine Nuts Crostone
1 mediumred bell pepper, grilled and diced(a jar of marinated red bell peppers will work fine)
1/4cupblack olives, pitted and chopped
1tbspdrained and rinsed capers
3tbsptoasted pine nuts
1/4cupshredded fresh basilplus more for garnish
6thickbread slices
2tbspolive oil
salt and pepper
Servings: bread slices
Instructions
Quickly grill the eggplant slices on a hot griddle or grill pan until you see dark grill marks, about 3 minutes per side. Then chop the slices into a nice bite-size dice.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Add the eggplant, the red bell pepper, olives, capers, pine nuts and basil to the onion mixture and mix well.
Grill the bread slices on both sides and then brush the surface of one side with the olive oil. Top the grilled bread with the eggplant mixture, season with salt and pepper and add more fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
Quadruple this recipe and keep it in airtight container in the fridge or freezer. It's a low-calorie, full-of-might meal when you combine it with pasta or rice.
