[pavellina]

i saw around the forum that many persons are in touch with mediterranean diet and love mediterranean food like italian one...
so, just because it seems to me i'm the only italian here (or i suppose so), i'm glad to share with you some low fat recipes i use in my daily routine if you agree.
i've never been in usa but i know your way to cook and eat is really different from ours...
for istance, i red surfing around that not so many of you use fresh ingredients to cook...and i asked myself what do you use so : freezed ingrediends?can ones?
sorry to seem courious but it's so different...
here cans and freezed foods are the exception, surely because of habits but also because that things are expensive compared to fresh ingredients...
so please enjoy these simply recipes

[pavellina]

TOMATO SAUCE
(to be used with pasta-don't overcook it cause overcooked pasta is heavier on your stomach - or if you like with meat-and if you add mozzarella cheese it will become pizzaiola meat)

in italy many families do themselves tomato sauce preserves, it's not easy and it's a hard work, personally i use preserves made by my aunt or my grandma in law or supermarket sauce)

tomato sauce (don't know how much, i just add as much as i know it's right-probably i wrong this phrase )

extravirgin olive oil (2 spoons for 3)

fresh basil

salt

onion (half onion is enough for 3 persons sauce)

1 "piece" of garlic

a sprinkle of red pepper


the tasty way to cook is to put chopped onion and the the whole piece of garlic into the oil, let it fry lightly then add tomato sauce and salt...
if you want the lighter version don't fry the garlic and the onion in oil but just in a finger of water, then add tomato sauce and only at the end you will add 2 spoons of oil.
anyway you mush cook this sauce slowly slowly for at least one hour...possibly one and half because it's the only way to give tomato the right taste
just few minutes before the end of the cook add basil ( whole leaves!)and red pepper...

[pavellina]

HOMEMADE PIZZA

for 2 big eaters or 3 normal eaters

400gr manitoba flour

1 "brick" and half beery yeast (1 brick is 25gr)

salt enough

extravirgin olive oil (the more you use the more the pizza is tasty...but fatty )


mix everything (i use the mixer)with a little water, just enough to make the dough smooth but stitchy then spread it into the owen tray (you must grease it well with the oil)using your hands (i know it seems you can't fill the whole tray cause the dough "come back" but you must persevere )
then cover the tray with a napkin and put it in a dark and quiet place(the leaving dough is like a baby sleeping it's wath grandmas teach
it must stay quiet for at least 4 hours!
then prepare a tomato sauce with extravirgin olive oil chopped basil and salt, you mustn't cook it, but it must rest for some hours to be tasty.
before dinner time light the owen at 250C at least (professional pizza owens arrive to 300-310C but domestic ones don't, not here at least)when the owen is hot spread the tomato on the base and the mozzarella cheese(not in slices but in very tiny chops)and put it in.
it will be ready in 10min if the owen is really hot, just 2 min.before the pizza is ready add your favourite topping.
a tasty but light kind of pizza is the marinara: nothing on the base apart from that tomato sauce in with you had add some garlic smashed pieces...
at the end of the cooking add a little extravirgin oil...
soooo gooood!

[Jayde]

Pavellina,

There is nothing as good as a home made pizza! The aroma of the dough and sauces cooking together in the oven make my mouth water before I can even see the shiny olive oil glistening on top of melted cheese.

I will try your tips... gotta luv homemade pizza with fresh ingredients.

[Suzanne 3FC]

Thank you so much for sharing your recipes! My mother and I have become very interested in learning about good Italian food. A lot of what is served here is often overseasoned. Your tomato sauce sounds simple yet wonderful. I can smell it already

[pavellina]

thanks everybody
here you are a little recipe for meat...

ROASTED MEAT

take a piece of meat (beef, pork or wath you want, ready to be roasted in a large pot)

chop in quite big pieces 2 onions and 3 medium carrots, put 'em in the pot with 2 spoons of extravirgin oil switch on the fire under the pot and let it fry for 2 min.
put into the meat and let it colour on every side
then add a glass of white wine(in cooking the alcol evaporate, so it hasn't calories as much...)and 2 finger of water.
at the end of the cook the onions and the carrot will be really soft, almost smashed, take off the meat (to slice it well it must be cold)add a spoon of flour in the pot where there's the roast sauce and cook for two minutes then put the sauce in a mixer and make a sort of cream...
put it again in the pot with the meat, roll the meat in the sauce and put in fridge for a day...the day after slice the meat and serve it hot with the sauce
it's fantastic

[Jayde]

Pavellina

I have a question about your pizza dough. After mixing it you spread it out right away and then let it rise? I always let the dough rise first in the bowl, punch it down, spread it out, and then let it rise again before putting toppings on it.

When I did this by hand (once upon a time) it took quite a long time but was worth the trouble. So I usually only made it on my day off. Now I use a dough machine to preheat, mix, and let the dough rise. It saves me a lot of trouble so I can have pizza even in the middle of the week if I want.

Do most cooks there only let it rise once?

[pavellina]

there are 2 ways to make pizza, you follow the way of 2 rises
i use the 1 rise way, it saves time and the results are good as the other way...
and you mustn't need a lot of time cause in 15 minutes you mix the dough in the mixer, spread it in the tray, cover and leave rest untill evening then when the time is arrived put on toppings and cook.
apart the case your house is really cold you don't need to put the dough in a warm place like the preheated owen, you can put it on a table everywhere...
just if you live in a very dry place just wet a little the napkin you use to cover the dough into the tray

[Jayde]

Ah.. had I known this years ago when I first got married, we might have had pizza more often. Thanks.

[pavellina]

you're welcome!