Mangia Con Elena

  Springtime Pasta with Pesto and Peas IG: @mangia.con.elena The calendar says Mid-April but it sure doesn't feel like it outside. The last few weeks have been cold, snowy, rainy and windy.  If it wasn't green outside, then I needed to make something that would perk me up and get me thinking "Spring." This pesto pasta is the perfect dish to brighten your spirits.  There are many variations of pesto depending on the herbs and greens that are used to the different nuts.  I go into more detail in an earlier blog post where I shared a recipe of "arugula pesto pasta." This pesto is a combination of basil, parsley, toasted walnuts and grated Pecorino Romano along with the traditional ingredients of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The result is a flavourful, fresh and creamy pesto to add to your pasta.   Never heat the pesto before adding it to pasta. The  heat will cook the basil, destroying its aroma and the cheese will clump. We definitely don't want that

  Wine and Lemon Poached Haddock with Asparagus and Grape Tomatoes IG: @mangia.con.elena This  quick and easy poached haddock recipe is delicate and packed with Mediterranean herbs and spices.  I have several different ways that I like to prepare white fish and this is definitely one of my favourites. It works well with fresh Spring asparagus and ripe grape tomatoes. It is light and perfect for Lenten Friday dishes or for whenever you have a craving for some Mediterranean goodness. This can be made without the addition of asparagus or switch it out for other veggies such as yellow and green zucchini.  This recipe works best with white fish such as cod, haddock, sea bass, flounder or sole.  I prefer haddock as it has a mildly sweet taste and is a leaner white flesh. It has tender flakes and a firm texture which holds up well with poaching and becomes milder as it cooks. Rich in protein, nutrients and minerals, fish is the perfect Mediterranean staple. I like to serve this over a grain s

  Pork Braised in Tomato Sauce IG: @mangia.con.elena Are you looking for a delicious and quick one pot dinner? Then look no further than this fork tender, fall off the bone braised pork dish. Pork loin chops seasoned with oregano and flavoured with tomatoes and red wine. Left to slowly simmer in a dutch oven for a minimum of 1 hour, this meal really does make itself. Bone in is preferred as the bones will add a deeper flavour to the sauce.  It can be served with a side of egg noodles, rice or a grain of your choice. There will be lots of delicious rich sauce for you to stir into your grain. Alternatively, you can serve as is and save that sauce for another dish such as risotto, pasta, fish. Rule number one in the Italian kitchen is nothing goes to waste! As with all of my recipes and in keeping with the traditional Italian way of cooking, my measurements are just estimates and my spices are just recommendations. QB or Quanto Basta in my recipes means as much or as little as you would l

Italian Beef and Barley Soup  IG: @mangia.con.elena  I am soup obsessed. Ask anyone who knows me and they will agree wholeheartedly. If you scroll through my blog you will see a variety of soup recipes. Soup in my childhood home was a regular occurrence. It wasn't just for the winter months as often my mother would use all of the veggie leftovers in a soup because in our Italian household nothing ever went to waste. My parents taught us an appreciation of food and gratitude for every meal that graced our table.   My mother made the most delicious soups and never followed a recipe. Her base was always the same- home made chicken, beef or vegetable broth depending on what the ingredients for that night's soup was going to be used. I definitely am the same way when it comes to most of my cooking but especially soup.  When the craving hits for soup, I first go in the freezer to see what meat and broth I have and then into the fridge to see what vegetables will best compliment the c

Nonna's Italian Meatballs/Polpettone IG: @mangia.con.elena The other day I made a large batch of meatballs.  I make them very simple with few ingredients,   keeping with my Italian upbringing and the way my mother taught me. I then lay them flat on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper, freeze them, place them in freezer bags and store for when I want to make pasta, lasagna, pasta al forno or this delicious wedding soup. I will always make a large batch of regular sized meatballs and mini ones. As I do, my mind wanders to the hours that I would spend rolling meatballs with my mother at the little kitchen table. What I didn't know then was that I was making memories that I cherish deeply and hopefully pass these traditions on to my children.  Typically, the meat is a combination of ground pork, veal and beef. I prefer to use chicken or turkey instead of the veal but that of course is up to you! Let your taste buds be your guide! The ingredients are just guidelines as this really d

Classic Italian Tomato and Cucumber Summer Salad A classic summer Italian salad that is a staple at the nightly dinner table. This salad tastes better when given time to marinade on the counter allowing the ripe, juicy tomatoes to release their incredible flavour. It is easily transportable and therefore the perfect salad to bring along to a barbecue, picnic or gathering. A true Mediterranean classic and so healthy!  As with all of my recipes and in keeping with Italian way of cooking my measurements are just estimates and my spices are just recommendations. QB or Quanto Basta in my recipes means as much or as little as you would like and need. Cook by eye  👁(ad occhio) and let your taste buds be your guide.  Remember to season as you go along and build the flavours slowly. Taste test frequently to make sure it is to your liking and adjust if needed! Serve with lots of crusty bread so that you can soak up all the juices!!!! You can see this delicious salad being created in my reels on

  Pasta with Eggplant with Ricotta and Tomatoes IG: @mangia.con.elena    Eggplant is an Italian vegetable that is incredibly flavourful and used in many authentic Italian dishes. It can have a strong flavour that may be a bit too intense for some palates. Some dishes require you to generously salt the eggplant first, place on a colander and let some of the bitterness leech out. This dish does not require you to do that because the eggplant is peeled and diced into smaller cubes allowing the eggplant to become jammy and milder tasting. It also makes the sauce creamier as well. I used fresh herbs but you can definitely substitute dried- just remember to use less as dried herbs are more aromatic. I also would recommend you use full fat ricotta as it makes the sauce incredibly flavourful.  As with all of my recipes the measurements and ingredients are just estimates and suggestions. Don't like a spice? Then leave it out! If you feel you want more of one ingredient then add more! When i

  Meat filled Cannelloni IG: @mangia.con.elena Pinterest: mangia con elena Cannelloni is one of our family's favourite dishes and a popular feature in my mother's kitchen. We like to call them "Mamma's famous cannelloni" because her reputation for fantastic cannelloni quickly grew in our neighbourhood. She eventually started making them for an Italian restaurant and for the local Italian Club. She also started a small business making trays of them for others. The grandkids and great-grandkids love them and it was always an assumption that we would be served a large tray of meat and cheese cannelloni on every special occasion or celebration. When we would make the trek up North to visit them or they would come here there was always a cooler full of bags of cannelloni. I made sure to make them last until their next visit. They can be a bit time consuming to make so I would recommend that you make a large amount and you can freeze them for later use. You can freeze t

Cime di Rape (Rapini) filled Calzone   IG: @mangia.con.elena Pinterest: mangiaconelena Growing up in our Italian household we ate a great deal of pizza. My mother would whip up pizza dough quickly and in no time there would be pizza on the table. Her toppings were not very fancy, a simple tomato and basil, potato and rosemary or salami and onions. Sometimes anchovies or roasted peppers. They were delicious. Her dough was thick and moist and the crust perfect.  She was known for her pizza. When my siblings and myself had people over she made pizza for us. When there was a special celebration there was always pizza on the table, cold or hot. The one pizza we all fought over was her filled pizzas with rapini. We never called them calzones. Calzones are a traditional pizza originating out of Naples and named after the Italian word for the leg of trousers or pants. In our region they are just called "Pizza ripiena con rapini" meaning rapini filled pizza. My  mother's version o

  Pasta with Tuna, Olives and Capers IG : @mangia.con.elena Pinterest: Mangia Con Elena Good Friday is just around the corner and with that comes many traditional foods to mark this significant event in the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.  Good Friday signifies the end of Lent, the crucifixion of Jesus and Easter Monday celebrates his resurrection.  On each Friday during the Lenten season many Catholics abstain from meat and traditionally eat fish. Good Friday in my childhood was a day of fast that would be broken at dinner with a meal consisting of fish. The dish my mother served frequently was spaghetti with tuna and olives in a rich and spicy tomato sauce. Along side the pasta there was usually a pinzimonio which is cut up vegetables, olives, cheese and other finger foods as well as pizza filled with rapini and a salad.  I have always loved my mother's pasta con tonno. I loved the smell of it and the taste is incredible. I know that it is not for everyone, however I would highly r