Ingredients for 2 flatbreads :
100 g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
Water, as needed
Ingredients for 2 flatbreads :
100 g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
Water, as needed
Leeks (cleaned and trimmed into 2 cm pieces) are cooked with olive oil, salt, garlic, and oregano, along with just enough water so it doesn’t fully cover them. Let them simmer on the stove over low–medium heat.
When the leeks are tender, remove the garlic and oregano, then add the lentils mixed with lemon juice, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Stir gently — or even better, shake the pot — and let everything cook together for another 10–15 minutes.
Serve it as a cold salad or as a vegan main dish alongside boiled potatoes (seasoned with za’atar, sumac, and olive oil) or mashed potatoes (with butter, salt, lemon juice, and zest).
Nella nostra famiglia abbiamo sempre chiamato questo dolce Prajitura Gheorghe — “la torta di Gheorghe” — dal nome di mio zio, che la preferiva a tutti gli altri meravigliosi dolci che preparava zia Mara. È diventata la sua torta, e da allora quel nome è rimasto.
In our family we always called this dessert Prajitura Gheorghe — “Gheorghe’s Cake” — after my uncle, who loved it more than any of the wonderful sweets Aunt Mara used to bake. It became his cake, and the name stayed with us ever since.
Make the dough by mixing the flour, butter, and milk until smooth, then let it rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and preheat the oven.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the ground walnuts and rum, mixing with a spoon. Finally, gently fold in the stiff-whipped egg whites.
Roll out half of the dough into a sheet and place it in your baking pan. Spoon the filling over it and spread it evenly. Roll out the second half of the dough, place it on top, and prick it all over with a fork.
Bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the filling passes the toothpick test — it should come out dry.
Let the cake cool completely, then cut it into rectangles and dust generously with powdered sugar.
Per questa ricetta ho usato le patate affettate, ho aggiunto meno di un cucchiaino di fecola di patate solo per spolverarle e mescolarle bene. Aggiungete sale e se vi piace anche pepe e abbiamo finito gli ingredienti principali .
In una padella unta di olio mettiamo le patate a strati intersecandole/intrecciandole leggermente e aggiungendo fino a 3 strati. Sul fuoco medio basso, con la padella coperta per quasi 15 minuti o quanto basta, verifichiamo se le patate sono cotte, diventate morbide e soltanto allora mettiamo un coperchio con il diametro più piccolo o un piatto come per le frittate e facciamo girare le patate per poi cuocerli ancora 10 minuti o quanto basta per fare una leggera crosta.
Ho preparato questa ricetta il 28 aprile 2021 e da allora ancora più volte perché molto facile, veloce e buonissima.. Il 7 dicembre ho provato invece alternando fette di patate con fette di zucca seguendo la stessa ricetta con meno strati. La zucca era meglio tagliarla un po' più spesa delle patate cosi non rischia di bruciacchiarsi come si vede nella foto.
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| potato and pumpkin |
Julia Child’s famous Pommes Anna recipe, in a vegan/fasting version (without butter) and a quicker stovetop method. The original recipe calls for peeled potatoes, sliced very thin—almost transparent—brushed with salt and melted butter, layered, and baked in the oven. The result is crispy edges with a very creamy, tender center. You can achieve the same texture (with a slightly different flavor, of course, since the absence of butter changes the taste but brings out the natural flavor of the potatoes) by cooking them in a skillet.
I washed and peeled the potatoes, then sliced them using a mandoline into large, whole, very thin slices. These potatoes MUST NOT be washed at this point—they need to keep their natural starch. For the potatoes I used, I sprinkled less than a teaspoon of potato starch (or flour) over them and mixed them with a bit of salt. Then, in a non-stick skillet lightly greased with oil, I arranged the potato slices, slightly overlapping them until the bottom of the pan was covered, and then continued with another layer. I made three layers. Cook over medium-low heat, covered with a lid, for about 15 minutes or as long as needed—check with a toothpick to see if they are soft, and lift them gently with a spatula to see if a crust has formed. Then place a lid smaller than the diameter of the pan (so it touches only the potatoes) or a plate on top, and flip it just like an omelet. Cook for another 10 minutes, and it should be ready. Check to be sure. Cooking time varies depending on the stove, the pan, and the amount of potatoes.
Since we loved this recipe, I’ve made it several times and even modified it by alternating layers of potatoes with slices of pumpkin. In this version, the starch or flour is absolutely necessary for the pumpkin slices, which do not have their own natural starch.
What I learned from this experiment is that the pumpkin slices need to be cut slightly thicker than the potato slices—they cook faster and can easily burn, which is exactly what happened to me.
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| foto: 27 ottobre 2020 |
Clean the pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds, and slice it very thinly—just enough to cover the baking dish three times (we will make 3 layers of pumpkin).
Season the pumpkin slices with salt and coat them lightly with flour.
In a buttered baking dish, place a first layer of floured pumpkin slices, sprinkle with Parmesan, then add a layer of cheese of your choice (cubes of caciotta, slices of an easy-melting cheese, spoonfuls of cheeses like Gorgonzola—which I love—grated cheese, or whatever you think pairs well with pumpkin).
Continue with another layer of pumpkin, another layer of cheese, and finish with a final layer of pumpkin slices sprinkled only with Parmesan and dotted with small pieces of butter.
Cover the dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes. Remove the paper and continue baking until it’s fully cooked and nicely golden.
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. It’s also very good cold or at room temperature.