Eggplant Feta Cream

Another "put everything in a blender" recipe, but real tasty:

For one portion:
about 50g eggplant, diced and cooked with salt, pepper, thyme
parsley
30g feta cheese

Calories: 90

Reaaaal good with pasta, but I guess it could make a wonderful spread on your bread, too!

Wheat and Kamut with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

For the pesto (one portion):
10g pumpkin seeds, roasted
1 tbsp ricotta
1 tsp mint
salt and pepper to taste
Calories: 85

Pour everything in the blender and press the button! :D (but leave some of the seeds out for garnish)

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Feta and Rocket Pesto

You will be surprised by this pesto. It's really easy, really good, and makes your pasta smooth and creamy (although you can't tell from the picture, but trust my word!)
So here's the recipe for one serving:
30g feta cheese
rocket (as much as you want)
nutmeg, pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice
a little water
Calories: 85

Just mix everything in a blender and that's it. You're ready! Just remember to put a little less salt in the pasta water, since feta's very salty.
Enjoy!

Light Apricot Crumble, two ways

Too lazy to write something other than ingredients and calories :D ...these are easy to do anyway, just put together "bottom" ingredients, sprinkle "top" on...well, top, and put in the oven at 175 °C for 15 minutes. enjoy!

Number 1:



Bottom:
3 apricots
a squeeze of lemon juice
4 drops sweetener
cinnamon
Top:
1 tbsp oats
cinnamon
sweetener

Calories: 90


Number 2:




Bottom:
3 apricots
a squeeze of lemon juice
4 drops sweetener
cinnamon
Top:
1 big amaretti cookie (or any cookie)
1 tbsp coffee
sweetener
Calories: 90

The "Light-as-a-feather" Carrot Cake

First of all, let me explain something.
You would expect "Light-as-a-feather" to refer to the texture of the cake, wouldn't you?
You would be wrong, yes. It refers to the calories!
This cake is just so light you may even have three slices for breakfast. I'm not kidding! Three!
Oh, and did I mention it's delicious?



For a cake (12 slices):
220g carrots
140g flour
1 tbsp baking powder
60g fructose
the zest of one lemon
2 large eggs

Calories per slice: 125

Peel and grate the carrots; put them aside.
Whisk the eggs and fructose for a couple minutes, until the eggs turn pale. Whisk in the carrots and the lemon zest too.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then add them slowly to the eggs mixture. Add a little water if the batter is too dense, then put in the oven at 180°C for about 20-25 minutes.

Tortelloni with cheese & pine nuts

pretty, huh? :D
I'm quite proud of these babies, they were so good...

One serving:
60g whole wheat flour
water, as much as necessary
30g philadelphia balance
50g ricotta
10g pine nuts, toasted
salt, nutmeg, pepper (you can see I use very little pepper, yes)
Calories: 375

ooh you know how these are made. it's no rocket science!
let me tell you, you will have a teaspoon or so of filling left (philadelphia+ricotta+smashed pine nuts) but you won't mind cause it's so soo good even on it's own! try it!!

A Peachy Breakfast

Can you say "peachy"? Does this word exist?
I swear I don't know!

Anyway, my kitchen is filled with peaches, so I started to use them for... pretty much everything! Yes, breakfast too!

Ingredients:
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 peach
50 g ricotta cheese
Calories: about 270, but it depends on the bread you use of course

well....this ain't hard! just take the bread, arrange pretty peachy flowers on them and let a snow of ricotta fall over them. And put in the oven. Yumm....

Eggplant Gnocchi

Hello! I made gnocchi again! :D

I really liked my first attempt with carrots, so I decided to try with eggplant this time...
I think I have to modify the flour/eggplant ratio. My gnocchi were waaay too sticky and two of them even got somehow "destroyed" while boiling them, but the taste of these, paired with a simple tomato sauce, was SO good that I am definitely going to make them again so no problem!

Ingredients:
80g whole wheat flour
150g (I think I'll try with 100 next time) eggplant
salt, pepper, thyme, parsley
2 tbsp tomato sauce
5 or 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
Calories: about 380

First, cook the eggplant, however you want (I just put it in a pan with some water and herbs), until it's soft. Remove the peel and mash the green (now brown actually :D) part. Add the flour and form the gnocchi (mine were no-shaped things as usual... I'm soo bad).
Prepare the dressing putting tomato sauce, tomatoes and herbs together and cooking for five minutes or so, meanwhile boil the gnocchi in salted water. That's going to take very little time, mine were ready in 3 minutes or so!
All you have to do next is put gnocchi and sauce together, stir, put in a plate and eat!
You're going to thank me later ;)

Best Breakfast Ever

jam+ricotta+nuts+dried fruit

do I need to say more??

(p.s.: please, if you try it too, don't pour ricotta all over the place like me. see how bad it looks? so bad, so bad. shame on me. DO try it, though. it's GORGEOUS!)

Cocoa Pasta

Yes, it's pasta with cocoa in it!
Yes, ok, it's not such great news. Lots of foodbloggers did it before. But they did tagliatelle. I did pretty squares. I actually wanted to make dainty little hearts, but I couldn't find the stamp. umpf!

Anyway, the cocoa flavor doesn't stick out very much, but the pasta's good. It looks good, most of all. And you know you are somehow managing to eat chocolate on a diet! How great is that?!


Cocoa Pasta




One serving:
67g flour + 3g cocoa powder
water (as much as necessary)

30g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Balance)
pepper, schinus, cardamom, orange zest

Calories: 320

Do I need to tell you how it's made? No, I don't think so. It's easy, intuitive.
And nobody reads this blog anyway! :D

Carrot Gnocchi

my first carrot recipe! finally, I live up to my name :D

Carrot Gnocchi




For one serving:
60 g flour
150 g carrots
20 g parmesan
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Calories: about 350

Boil the carrots until they are soft (this could take a while... I think I let them boil for... uh... 40 minutes maybe? I wasn't really paying attention haha), then dice them or mash them, and add them to the flour. The batter will be a little sticky, so wet your hands before forming the gnocchi.
I did spheric gnocchi. Yes, it is an odd shape for gnocchi. Yes, they look like tiny little meatballs. But yes, they are pretty so why not do it??
Anyway, after you formed the balls, just cook them as for every pasta, in salted water. Mine took about 10 minutes to be ready.
Sprinkle them with pepper, nutmeg and parmesan and voilà!

Millet Stuffed Zucchini

hello! I'm back!
Paris was beautiful... sunny, hot, full of roses, smells, people, colors, life... but enough!
this blog is about recipes, so a recipe is what I should give you, non? :)

Millet Stuffed Zucchini




For six servings (a serving is a halved zucchini):
3 big zucchini
60g millet, boiled in salted water
50g cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
parmesan cheese, pepper, parsley

Calories: about 80 per serving

Cut in half the zucchini and scoop out most of the white interior.
Combine cooked millet, parsley, pepper, oil and diced tomatoes in a bowl, then place the mixture on the halved zucchinis. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook in the oven (or grill) for about 10 minutes, until the edges of the zucchini start turning brown.
It's that simple! Try try try!

Cinnamon-scented Yogurt Mousse

Really quick post before I start packing! I'm off to Paris for a week, yippie!!!
Sorry but I don't have a picture of this! -you'll have to trust my word when I say it's delicious...


Cinnamon-scented Yogurt Mousse

For two servings:
170g low-fat greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
an egg white
cinnamon
orange peel (optional)
10 drops of liquid sweetener

Calories per serving: 65

Beat the yogurt until it's creamy, then add the cinnamon, orange and sweetener.
Beat the egg white until fluffy, add it to the yogurt mixture. Mix well, then divide the mixture between two cups, and put in the fridge to rest for at least 3 hours.
That's it! Simple, super low-calorie... try it!

Millet Spinach Salad

Have you noticed millet is almost never used?
This poor cereal is highly underestimated, in my opinion!
It cooks in ten minutes, it's pretty, it's yellow, it's good for your health... what's not to love?

Millet Spinach Salad

50g millet
50g spinach
5g almond thins, toasted
parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg
Calories: 220

There isn't much to say about the preparation here :) I guess you all know how to make this... let's say I'm just here to inspire you!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

I had never had chickpeas before today. yep, that's true.
You know, I actually don't mind them! :)

Ingredients:
65 g dried chickpeas
70 g cherry tomatoes, halved
parsley, salt, pepper, chili powder

Calories: about 230

Cover the chickpeas with water and let them rest overnight.
The next day, drain the water and pour the chickpeas in boiling water (not salted!). Let them simmer for about one hour.
Line a tin with parchment paper and pour the chickpeas in there, with the cherry tomatoes and the spices, cook in the oven at 170°C for about 20 minutes.
They would need a little olive oil too: feel free to add it if you're not following a strict diet!

Love,
Serena

Leila's Heavenly Cheesecake

Ok, I know.
It was just two days ago that I said mine would be a "light" kitchen blog... and it will be, I promise!
But for today, just for today, let's go crazy.
I haven't touched sweets in two months now, it was about time for a break. And I have Leila Lindholm's book sitting on my shelf, and I have her New York Cheesecake sitting in my brain... not a good combination!

Everybody who knows me, knows I love cheesecake. I ate it for the first time two years ago, in London, and I hopelessly fell in love.
I tried to recreate the perfect cheesecake many, many, many times. It would never come out as I wanted it to.
Not until today.
This cheesecake, Leila's cheesecake, is it. It's the King of Cheesecakes. It's just downright perfect.
Try it, please.
Even if you then have to live off salad and vegetable soup for the rest of the day, as I did.
Just serve yourself a generous slice and be happy. This cake is pure happiness.




For the base:
300 gr digestive cookies
150 gr melted butter

Filling:
600 gr cream cheese
250 ml ricotta cheese
90 gr granulated sugar
50 gr cornstarch
2 tsp icing sugar
3 eggs
100 ml heavy cream
200 gr white chocolate
75 gr berries

Smash the cookies until they turn to dust, add the butter and press everything on the bottom of a 26 cm-diameter cake pan. Bake at 170°C for 10 minutes, then let cool.

Whip cream cheese and ricotta until creamy, add the sugar, cornstarch and icing sugar. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate.
Whip the eggs, one at a time, then add the heavy cream and incorporate it into the cheese mixture. Stir well.
Add the melted chocolate, stir, and pour over the cookie base.
Sprinkle with the berries (fresh or frozen, whatever. I used frozen and it came out perfect!)
Cook in the oven at 170°C for 40 min, covering it with aluminum foil for the last 20 min.
Then turn off the oven and let rest for 30 minutes after taking it out.
Let cool on the counter, then eat eat eat!

Zucchini Ravioli

My first recipe! My first ravioli! I'm so excited!

Today, I woke up wanting to make ravioli... I actually was thinking of much weirder stuffings (strawberries, anyone?) but that project didn't quite come out right... don't worry, I will try again!
For now, let's enjoy some simple zucchini...



The pasta here is very simple. Just flour and water.
The filling is very simple, too (after a failed project, one wants to be sure the next is going to be all right, non?): just zucchini, diced and cooked with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and mint (I love mint in my zucchini... am I using too many parenthesis maybe?)


The most difficult part was trying to make them look pretty. Hell, it's my first time guys!
I thought the result wasn't too bad looking... surely it did not taste bad!


So, if you want some no-fuss, simple recipe... go with it! You won't be disappointed ;)

Love and carrot stews,
Serena

An Introduction

Well, hello world!

Before starting this blog, I think I ought to write a little introduction to its owner.
So... where to start? My name is Serena, I am a silly little (at heart) girl from Ferrara, Italy. Despite being italian, I'm going to write in english just so I can stalk my favourite food bloggers from all around the world! :)
Oh, did I say 'food' by the way? Yes, this is (hopefully) going to be a recipe blog.
The title comes not from my love of carrots (you're not going to see me use them often, actually), but from the dichotomy love of good food vs. love of good looks which forces me to ditch chocolate and ice cream and try to come up with healthy, but still full of flavour recipes instead.

If you want to follow me on my search, well then keep reading!
Let's share opinions, ideas, and let's be friends! If a friendship cannot be constructed from good food, then I really don't know how else it can!

Love and carrot stews,
Serena