Bruschetta, recipe - my insights for you!

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Bruschetta, the very best Antipasti recipe!

If you guys are into Italian food, check this out - easy to make and ready in only 15 minutes! Say ciao Italia!

Hey guys,

just came back from a wonderful trip to Italy and Im fully inspired by all the great ingredients they use for making such great dishes.

Most of the dishes the Italians serve are really fresh, healthy and with simple but high quality ingredients.

This one is for me the perfect starter or goes perfectly along with a glass of wine on hot summer days. Its really easy to make and you only need 15 minutes of your time to get it done. 

The food is called in Italy "Bruschetta" (pronounced bru-sketta) and is vegetarian, pure veggie recipe. Think of it as the Italian version of the perfect summer toast :-) 

Things you should have around in your kitchen before starting - a contact grill, I use the CaterPro available on Amazon. Of course you can also use your grill to prepare the bread, or your oven. 

Ingredients for Bruschetta (2 Persons):

2-4 fresh tomatoes (suggestions is to use tomatoes with more flesh as they are not that juicy - depends on the size if you have 2 really big ones thats enough, if you have just only middle ones better be on the safe side and buy 4)

Basil (a full hand of Basil leaves)

2 shallots 

2 ciabatta rolls (French or Italian bread)

5-6 spoons of olive oil 

Salt & Pepper

How to make Bruschetta? 

For me its all about the tomatoes you use. As written before I suggest you to use tomatoes with less juice and less seeds and thick flesh. 

1. Preheat the contact grill or grill for the bread.

2. Peel the tomatoes and quarter them, put away the seeds and chop the tomatoes into thinly slices. There are many ways to prepare Bruschetta, but I only use the thick flesh of the tomatoes without the seeds and the skin. 

3. Peel and chop the shallots into small slices. 

4. Thinly slice the basil leaves as well.

5. Put it all together and add the olive oil, pepper and salt. Be aware that tomatoes do need more salt then you would expect normally. 

6. Mix it all together and let it rest for some minutes, as the  flavor will need to develop some minutes.

7. Use a bread knife to slice the bread into two pieces. Then place the bread on your contact oven or grill, depending on the heat the bread needs about 5 minutes (if the contact grill was pre-heated) to get a fine toasted tan. 

8. You can now take the warm bread and place it on a large plate, put the topping on top and if you would like you can add some basil leaves for decoration. Make sure you serve it right away when finished. 

If you would like to bring the topping to a party or event, no problem - you can bring it along and the people just can use it as a dip.

BOUN APPETITO (BOUN APPETIT!) !

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Asparagus risotto - recipe, my insights for you!

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Asparagus risotto - easy and ready to be served in 30 min, vegetarian! my insights for you!

Hey guys,

asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and finally its asparagus season again.

I have to admit that Im only into the green asparagus, so today I will write about one of my favorite recipes with asparagus "risotto with asparagus".

Its vegetarian and totally easy to make, ready to be served in 30 min.

Ingredients (2 persons)

Asparagus (you only need the half for two persons, 250 g)

Risotto rice (you only need the half for two persons, 250 g)

Onion (you only need the half for two persons)

White wine (I prefer "Lugana", around 2 cups, the rest you can save for yourself for drinking later when dinner is ready)

Parmesan (60 g)

Not pictured: Butter (slice), pepper, salt and 1/2 liter of vegetable stock.

Recipe (2 persons)

1. Chop your washed asparagus stalks into tiny discs,
    keeping the tips whole.
2. Chop your onion into small pieces. 
3. Bring the vegetable stock to simmer in a sauce pan.
4. Put the butter in a separate large pan, add the onion and 
    the asparagus and cook very gently for about 5 minutes, 
    without colouring, until soft. Add the rice (it will sizzle) 
    and turn up the heat. Don't let the rice or veg catch on 
    the bottom of the pan, so keep it moving.
5. Quickly pour in the wine. You will smell the alcohol 
    immediately, so keep stirring all the time until it has 
    evaporated, leaving the rice with a lovely perfume.
6. Add the stock to the rice a ladle at a time, stirring and 
    waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the 
    next. Turn the heat down to low so the rice doesn't cook 
    too quickly, otherwise the outside of each grain will be 
    stodgy and the inside hard and nutty (you don't want to 
    cook it too slowly either, or it will turn into rice 
    pudding!) and continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it   
    has all be absorbed. This should take about 14 to 15
    minutes and give you rice that is beginning to soften but
    is still a little al dente. 
7. Turn off the heat, beat in your parmesan and a slice of
    butter. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if
    needed. 
8. Put a lid on the pan and leave the risotto to rest for a 
    minute.
9. Serve with a bit of fresh pepper and a block of parmesan
    on the table.
  
I prefer to serve the white wine, which I used for cooking with the dinner.  

Enjoy your asparagus risotto!

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com

Avocado Salad - 30 min ready, my insights for you!

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Avocado veggie salad recipe, quick and healthy in only 30 min ready to be served! Vegetarian! 

Hey guys,

I just love Avocados, for me they are always on the list when it comes to a healthy dish.

Beside the fact that this is definitely something for Avocado lovers - Spring is already here and as everybody knows summer will follow, this is a great quick recipe that will make you look good in your beach outfit.

Its ready to be served in 30 min and really easy to make. Please click on the link to my facebook page and instagram feed for the making of video.

As this dish is only existing out of a few ingredients, please make sure you buy high quality and use only high quality products. 

Ingredients (2 persons)

Avocados (2, I always buy 3 to have one in spare if one is after cutting not the right quality)

Red bell peppers (2)

Buffalo mozzarella (2, if you haven't eaten buffalo mozzarella before, try this one instead of the "normal" one - its really delicious)

Pine nuts (50 g)

Recipe (2 persons)

1. Preheat your oven to at least 200 celsius.
2. Put the pine nuts in a dry skillet and cook over medium
    low heat, stirring frequently, until golden in spots, about
    2 minutes. Make sure the skillet is not to hot, as the pine
    nuts are getting quick burned - also they burn after, so
    after roasting take them on a plate for cooling down. 
3. Cut the red bell peppers into squares.
4. Place the red bell pepper squares cut side down on a
    rimmed baking sheet, use parchment paper, in the oven
    - about 25 minutes. Check to make sure peppers have
    fully roasted.
    The skin should be charred and soft, and the peppers
    should look slightly collapsed. If they don't look ready, let
    them roast for a few more minutes. 
5. While your peppers are roasting you can take care 
    cutting the avocados. Start by cutting the avocado in two
    pieces. Make long one cut into the seed, all around the
    avocado. Use the knife to make a grid in the avocado 
    meat, make sure you only cut the meat not into the peel 
    or shell. Use a tablespoon to scrape along the inner steel
    of the avocado, the diced avocado pieces will easily fall 
    out. Place the pieces of avocado into a bowl.
6. After that you can cut the mozzarella in eatable pieces.
7. Now mix the mozzarella pieces, avocado pieces and pine
    nutes in a bowl.
8. Take the bell peppers out of the oven. Im always using a 
    wet kitchen towel, place this wet towel right after you 
    took them out of the oven and squeeze it on them for a
    bit. Make sure your fingers don't get burned, as they are 
    still hot. After taking away the wet towel you can start
    peeling of the skin of the peppers with a knife, which 
    should be now really easy because of the wet towel 
    technique. After peeling the skin away you can start 
    cutting the peppers into small slides.
9. Mix the slides of the peppers into the bowl with the 
    avocados, pine nuts and buffalo mozzarella. 
10. For the dressing I always use 2 spoons of native high 
     quality olive oil, some pepper & salt and the juice of
     a half lemon (which has a nice effect on the avocados,
     as the avocado doesn't get any ugly dark spots) or 
     balsamico if you like. 
11. Now its ready to be served - if you like you can serve 
     baguette with spices along. 

ENJOY!!!!!!

Cheers,

Melaines-Insights

www.melaines-insights.com