All Posts By: NANCY DeLUCIA REAL

Shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables at Farmers’ Markets brings me back to my days in Italy. As I accompanied my grandmother or “Nonna Annunziata“, the maestra advised me on how to choose the best ingredients for our meals.

Right now, it’s time for easy, no-fuss summer meals. The simplest side or vegetable that works for me is roasted potatoes. This classic recipe made with rosemary and garlic pairs well with any grilled meat, poultry or fish. Add a green salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. Buon appetito!

Ingredients:
2-1/2 to 3 pounds mixed, small potatoes (white, red and purple potatoes)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped rosemary leaves
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.  Meanwhile, wash and dry the potatoes.

3. Place potatoes in a 12X16 rectangular baking dish.

4. Add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary leaves, salt and ground black pepper to the potatoes.

5. Using your hands, toss all ingredients together until the potatoes are evenly coated.

6. Place the baking dish with potatoes on an oven rack set in center of preheated oven.

7. Roast the potatoes for 25 minutes.

8. After 25 minutes, toss the potatoes.

9. Roast the potatoes for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until they are tender.

10. To test doneness of potatoes, insert a fork into one of them. If the potato is tender, it is done.

11. Serve Roasted Summer Potatoes immediately.

Text & Photograph ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 (as a side dish)

How many of you love lentils? FYI, lentils been around for about 13,000 years and are an important staple o the Mediterranean diet. You can find different varieties of lentils that range in color – orange, brown, black, yellow and green.

For this recipe, I prefer the green variety. After cooking for a few minutes, the lentils are combined with tomatoes, garlic, parsley and olive oil. Pretty healthy, right? Check it out…

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
1 medium yellow or white onion
2 cloves garlic
3 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces green lentils, soaked in cold water for 3 to 4 hours
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped Italian, flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes in half; discard seeds and pulp.

2. Chop tomato flesh into ¼-inch pieces; set them aside in a small bowl.

3. Finely chop the onion; set it aside in a separate bowl.

4. Peel the garlic cloves and split them open; remove & discard the hearts.

5. Using a garlic crusher, crush the garlic over the chopped onion in bowl; set aside.

6. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 3 to 4 tablespoons of the olive oil (do not let it smoke).

7. Using a wood spoon, stir in the chopped onions and garlic mixture.

8. Stir fry the onion-garlic mixture over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent.

9. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. Meanwhile, drain the soaked lentils in a colander; add them to the tomato mixture in skillet.

11. Cover the lentil mixture with cold water.

12. Bring the lentil mixture to a boil and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat (it should simmer-boil). Stir occasionally.

13. After 15 minutes, stir in the salt and pepper; taste the lentils. If lentils are a little raw, cook them for an additional 5 minutes.

14. After 5 minutes, taste the lentils and adjust seasonings. They should be cooked. If not, cook lentils 2 to 4 minutes longer.

15. Transfer the cooked lentil mixture to a colander set over a bowl.

16. Let the lentils drain and cool for about 30 minutes.

17. After 30 minutes, transfer the lentil salad to a porcelain or glass bowl; stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and, if preferred, add a little more olive oil.

18. Serve this lentil salad as a side dish to chicken, meat or fish. Alternatively, it can be served alongside other vegetables.

Text & Photograph of Lentil & Tomato Salad ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real
Photograph of Lentil Varieties ©2014 en.wikipedia.org

Last week, I stumbled across these fresh cranberry beans at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. These beans really captured my attention. Just look at them!

They’re fresh and this means that they take less time to cook than packaged dry beans. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’re makin’ some frijoles refritos or refried beans. You can add these creamy beans to tostadas and tacos or serve them as a dip with tortilla chips. I’m sure you won’t forget the Tequila shots and/or the Margaritas… y andale! Or, just go for it!

Inactive Prep Time: Overnight soaking, plus 45 minutes to boil the beans
Prep Time: 15 minutes (for refrying the beans)

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh cranberry beans (if using dried beans, allow 20 to 30 minutes more for cooking)
1 yellow or white onion, peeled and halved
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 strips of bacon (optional)
3/4 cup peeled and finely chopped yellow or white onion
Half a Serrano chile, finely minced
4 to 6 tablespoons Half n’ Half cream
1 Chipotle chile in adobo sauce, mashed*
Salt, to taste

Soaking & Cooking Directions:

1. Place beans in a 4-quart glass or porcelain bowl; add enough cold water to cover the beans.

2. Cover the bowl and let beans soak overnight.

3. After the beans have soaked overnight, drain them completely.

4. Transfer the beans to a 6-quart sauce pot; add the peeled and halved onion and the bay leaves.

5. Cover the beans with about 2-1/2 to 3 quarts cold water (there should be 3 extra inches of cold over surface of beans).

6. Bring the beans to a boil.

7. After beans come to a boil, set heat on low. Simmer the beans for about 45 minutes or until they are tender, but not broken.

8. Set the sauce pot with beans aside to cool.

9. After the beans have cooled to room temperature, drain them, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

10. Discard onion and bay leaves.

11. Transfer the drained beans to a food processor; process beans into a puree.

Refry the Beans:

1. In an 8-quart sauce pot, heat the oil.

2. When oil is not, add the bacon strips, finely chopped onion and the minced Serrano chile.

3. On medium-high heat, stir-fry the mixture until onion is translucent and bacon turns crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove the bacon strips and discard them.

5. Using a wooden spoon, carefully stir the pureed beans into the stir-fried mixture.

6. Constantly and quickly stir the beans, bringing them to a boil – stand away from stove to avoid hot splatters.

7. Immediately lower the heat setting. If the boil is too strong, cover the sauce pot to avoid hot splatters once more.

8. Constantly stir the beans for about 2 to 3 minutes.

9. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the Half n’ Half cream and the mashed Chipotle chile; continue stirring until the refried bean mixture is uniform.

10. Stir in about 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust seasonings.

11. Serve immediately.

*NOTE: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are sold in cans. They can be found in the international foods section of standard supermarkets or in Latin American grocery stores.

Text & Photographs ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

During the winter months, we either eat comfort foods that are super-rich or we grab snacks that turn into extra pounds very quickly.

To get back into a low-fat regime, try this delicious cucumber salad. The cucumbers are marinated in distilled vinegar, water and honey. This Marinated Cucumber Salad takes just a few minutes to prepare. It’s a non-fat recipe and you can also enjoy it as an appetizer or a snack.

Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 cup cold water
1/2 cup distilled vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
Dash ground black pepper
8 to 10 Persian cucumbers
1 medium carrot
1/2 cup thinly-sliced red onion, soaked in cold water and squeezed dry

Directions:

1. In a 2-quart glass or porcelain bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, honey, salt and black pepper; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, rinse the cucumbers in cold water. Cut off and discard cucumber tips.

3. Peel the cucumbers and slice them into 1/8-inch thick circles.

4. Add the cucumber circles to the marinade in bowl; set aside.

5. In the meantime, rinse the carrot in cold water. Cut off and discard tips.

6. Peel the carrot and slice it into 1/8-inch thick circles.

7. Add the carrot slices to the cucumbers in bowl.

8. Add the drained onion slices to the cucumber mixture in bowl.

9. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

10. Refrigerate the cucumber salad for 2 hours – this will allow time for marinating the salad.

11. At serving time, drain the salad and transfer it to a serving bowl or platter.

12. Serve Marinated Cucumber Salad immediately.

Note: Should the Marinated Cucumber Salad stay in refrigerator overnight, the cucumbers will become soft and watery.

Text and Photograph ©2014 Nancy DeLucia Real

Symbolizing fertility, eggs are featured in the traditional foods of many cultures during Springtime.

In Italian gastronomy, colorful eggs are used to decorate baked delicacies at Easter. They are reminiscent of rebirth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Celebrate Spring or Easter by making this festive bread known as pane di Pasqua. – Italian, for Easter Bread!

Active Prep Time: 45 minutes (for making dough & coloring eggs)
Inactive Prep Time: 90 minutes (for two dough risings of 45 minutes each)
Bake Time: 30 to 35 minutes

Prepare the Yeast Starter:
1/2 cup water
1 envelope (7 grams or 1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1. In a 1-pint metal bowl, combine the dry yeast and the sugar; set aside.

2. In a 1-pint sauce pot, heat the water until it is warm, but not hot.

3. Pour the warm water over the yeast-sugar mixture.

4. Swirl the bowl slightly to mix the dry and wet ingredients gently.

5. Cover the bowl and place it on a wood board for 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, assemble the dough ingredients as follows:

Prepare the Dough:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons rum (light or dark)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose, unbleached organic flour

1. Heat the water and milk together in a 1-quart sauce pot until the liquid is barely lukewarm; set aside.

2. After the yeast mixture has risen for 15 minutes, it will look puffy. Transfer it to a 6 to 8-quart mixing bowl or a stand mixer.

3. Whether using a hand mixer or the stand mixer, on low speed, stir in the water-milk liquid, egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and salt.

4. When the mixture is smooth, gradually stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time.

5. Each time you add 1 cup of the flour, make sure the batter that forms is smooth and uniform.

6. After adding about 3 cups of the flour, a dough should form. It will be thick and sticky.

7. At this point, use a wooden spoon to mix in an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour.

8. The dough should amalgamate and become semi firm, but soft and easy to handle.

9. Transfer the dough to a smooth, lightly floured wood board and knead it lightly until dough is uniform. [When kneading, to prevent dough from sticking to the board, lightly add flour to top of dough and wood surface.]

NOTE: Do not place the dough on marble, granite or tile, as these surfaces are too cold and will halt the rising process of the dough.

10. When the dough is smooth, set it aside.

11. Oil an 8-quart bowl; transfer the dough to the oiled bowl.

12. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel; set bowl away from draft and let dough rise for 45 minutes.

13. After 45 minutes, punch down the dough and, with a knife, divide it into 3 equal pieces.

14. Shape each of the 3 dough pieces into a ball; set them aside.

15. Take one dough ball and place it on a lightly-floured wood board. Gently begin rolling the dough ball, stretching it to out, to the sides.

16. As you roll the dough ball, it will elongate.

17. Continue the rolling and stretching process until you have made a strand of dough measuring 23 to 24 inches in length. Set the dough strand aside.

18. Repeat the above rolling and stretching technique for the remaining two dough balls. You should now have three strands of dough.

19. Place the three strands of dough next to each other, to form three rows (they will be parallel to each other):

20. At one end of the dough strands, press them into each other so that they hold together. Begin forming a braid:

21. After completing the braid, shape it into a wreath. Press edges together to close the wreath (it will be a circle). Set the dough wreath aside:

22. Meanwhile, line an 18-inch X 12-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

23. Gently lift and quickly transfer the wreath onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

24. Cover the wreath with a clean kitchen towel; set baking sheet with wreath aside on a wood surface or in a cold oven to rise for 45 minutes.

25. After 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 375°F. In the meantime:

Prepare Egg Wash & Decoration:
3 colored Easter eggs (made a day ahead, per instructions on one Easter egg coloring kit)
1 egg yolk, mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water (this is the egg wash)
Nonpareils candies

1. Place the colored eggs, spaced evenly, over wreath; gently push them into dough until they are snug.

2. Brush top of wreath with egg wash (DO NOT BRUSH THE COLORED EGGS).

3. Sprinkle the wreath with nonpareils candies:

Bake the Bread:
1. Place the baking sheet with wreath on a rack positioned in center of preheated oven.

2. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, insert a pointed knife in the bread. It should come out clean. If not, bake the bread for 5 more minutes.

3. After 30 to 35 minutes of baking, transfer the baking sheet with bread to a counter to cool (at this point, marble granite or tile counters can be used).

4. Serve the Easter bread warm or at room temperature, but cutting it into 2-inch thick slices.

TO STORE: After the bread has cooled completely, cut it into 4 sections. Wrap each section in plastic wrap and place it in double freezer bags. Freeze the sectioned bread for up to one month.

TO THAW: Remove bread section(s) from freezer bags and unwrap. Place the bread section on a plate, covered with a new sheet of plastic wrap, to thaw for 1 to 2 hours. Slice the bread and serve.

Text & Photographs © Nancy DeLucia Real