sandwich

Tomato Bruschetta And A Little Bit Of Sunny Tuscany

August 29, 2014 by Zizi

In the last few years we traveled to Tuscany a few times – thanks to our friends, Giulia’s and Emiko’s invitations – but I didn’t write about these experiences on my blog. Two years ago we spent a few days in Cecina with our dear foodie friends: Emiko, Giulia, Karin and Regula.

Cooking together with friends is always so much fun and it’s a great way to learn something new. I gained so much inspirations from these trips, I learnt many new recipes so I would like to share a few of them with you (step by step). The first one is bruschetta… one of the best ways to enjoy the bounty of summer. A delicious and easy appetizer that captures the flavors of ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and good quality olive oil.

I’m so sad because it looks like summer is really over here in Hungary… We can still buy sun-ripened tomatoes at the markets so until the season is over make sure to make tomato bruschetta at least once!

Tomato Bruschetta
(Recipe: from Giulia’s second cookbook, I Love Toscana)

Ingredients

– few slices of sourdough bread, toasted
– 400 g riped tomatoes, chopped
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– extra virgin olive oil
– fresh basil, chopped
– salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the chopped tomatoes into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, the chopped garlic and basil, plus add a few tablespoons of olive oil. Make this well in advance, allowing a few hours to let the tomatoes infuse the flavour. Leave the bowl covered in the fridge.

If you are ready to serve the bruschetta, spoon the tomatoes over slices of toasted bread. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.

*****

Few photos of the trip…

Making authentic bruschetta

Cecina

Grilled Carrot And Carrot Green Pesto Sandwich

April 15, 2013 by Zizi

Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work, school, or picnics to be eaten as part of a packed lunch.

Do you know what the predecessor of open sandwich was? During the Middle Ages in Europe, thick slabs of coarse and usually stale bread, called “trenchers”, were used as plates. After a meal, the food-soaked trencher was fed to a dog or to beggars at the tables of the wealthy, and eaten by diners in more modest circumstances. These trenchers were the precursors of open-face sandwiches. Initially perceived as food men shared while gaming and drinking at night, the sandwich slowly began appearing in polite society as a late-night meal among the aristocracy. The sandwich’s popularity in Spain and England increased dramatically during the 19th century, when the rise of an industrial society and the working classes made fast, portable, and inexpensive meals essential. It was at the same time that the sandwich finally began to appear outside of Europe. In the United States, the sandwich was first promoted as an elaborate meal at supper.

The most famous or known sandwiches are: BLT (bacon-lettuce-tomato), peanut butter & jelly/jam, Reuben, Croque Madame / Monsieur, Tortas de Carnitas (Mexican), Banh Mi (Vietnamese), etc.

What is your favourite one?

Grilled Carrot and Carrot Green Pesto Sandwich
(Recipe adaptation: Happyolks)

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 1 bunch carrots with greens
– 3 cloves garlic, peeled
– 1/4 cup olive oil + more for the carrots
– juice of 1 small lime
– 150 g Cheddar, cut into thin slices
– 4-6 slices of sourdough bread
– butter
– salt, pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (356F). Remove the greens from the carrots and set aside. Place carrots on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until it gets brown.

Meanwhile transfer carrot greens to a food processor, add olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and pulse until it gets smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

First spread butter, then pesto on one side of each slices of bread, layer with cheese slices and a few grilled carrots. Finish with another layer of cheese and cover with the other slices of bread. Place these sandwiches in a hot non-stick pan and grill on each side until they get golden brown.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Bruschetta

December 4, 2012 by Zizi

Isn’t this mushroom beautiful? Its name is cloud funnel, a type of wild mushroom. It appears both in conifer-dominated forests and broad-leaved woodland in Europe and North America. When it’s cooked it has a strong, spicy aroma. Mixing with button mushrooms, fresh herbs and lemon juice it gives a tartish ragout. You can use any kind of wild or farmed mushrooms or a combination of both.

This bruschetta is a quick weekday dinner. Use good quality of sourdough bread and it’ll be perfect!

Mushroom Bruschetta
(Recipe: Jamie Oliver – Jamie At Home)

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 300 g mixed mushrooms (I used cloud funnel and button mushroom), wiped clean, sliced
– 2 cloves garlic, chopped
– 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
– 6 sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
– 20 g butter
– 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
– juice of 1 medium lemon
– salt, pepper
– olive oil
– 4 slices of sourdough bread + 1 clove garlic

Method

In a large pan heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil. Add mushrooms to the pan, give it a shake. Add the chopped garlic, thyme and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, chilli and leave to fry for 5-6 minutes.

Once the mushrooms have got some colour going on, add butter and lemon juice. Toss again and add 2-3 tablespoons of water into the pan to make a creamy sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes more until you have a simple sauce.

Toast the bread slices, rub them with garlic. Pile the mushrooms with the sauce on top of the bread.

Serve immediately!

Zucchini Cherry Tomato Ricotta Toast

August 20, 2012 by Zizi

This zucchini ricotta toast is really an easy to make summer dinner we ate one night at Lake Balaton. Lighting candles in the terrace, “listening the silence”, breathing in the fresh air and drinking a glass of white wine made the evening perfect.

We spent a relaxing-reading a lot of books-life without Internet-laying in the sun-swimming a lot in th lake week at the “Hungarian sea”. Lake Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe. The mountainous region of the northern shore is known both for its historic character and as a major wine region, while the flat southern shore is known for its resort towns. If you’re in Hungary, don’t miss the Balaton experience!

I adapted the recipe from Sprouted Kitchen but I also added cherry tomatoes to the toast. Sara’s wonderful new book The Sprouted Kitchen – a tastier take on whole foods has been published. Watching her cookbook trailer makes me want to hold her book in my hands.

Hope my boyfriend, I. is reading this and getting the idea which cookbook(s) he should surprise me with for my birthday in October. 🙂

Zucchini Cherry Tomato Ricotta Toast

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 1 medium size zucchini, cubed
– 20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
– 250 g ricotta
– 1 small red onion, chopped
– 2 teaspoon Dijon mustart
– 1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
– 10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
– couple of slices whole wheat bread
– salt, pepper
– extra virgin olive oil

Method

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F).

In a bowl mix together zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Spread this mixture onto the parchment paper and roast until golden brown for about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile in another bowl mix together ricotta with chopped red onion, Dijon mustard and a bit of salt and pepper. Toast the bread slices, spread two tablespoons of ricotta mixture, pile roasted zucchini and cherry tomatoes on top and sprinkle with the fresh herbs (parsley and basil).

Enjoy!

Weekend Crumbs

April 23, 2012 by Zizi

Just a few crumbs… I had to work on Saturday morning so I missed the market. I spent the rest of the day and Sunday in the kitchen. I cooked together with my friends. We had so much fun and the food was magnificent! 🙂

Saturday lunch… made by I.