Mangia Con Elena

  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies These cookies check off all the boxes for me. They are soft, moist and a healthier option than most oatmeal cookie recipes. This recipe uses natural peanut butter, coconut oil in lieu of butter or vegetable oils and is flourless. It does contain a bit of sugar, but you can definitely substitute coconut sugar. While oats are naturally gluten free, they become contaminated if processed in the same facilities as wheat, rye and other grains. If you are keeping this recipe gluten free then make sure that the oats you purchase are "certified gluten-free". I like to use a small ice cream scoop to form the cookies. Use your fingers to lightly press down on the cookie batter when in the scoop, this way they will be firmer and will set better.  I hope you give these delicious cookies a try! They will be sure to become one of your favourites. Ingredients This recipe will yield 2 dozen cookies. 2 cups   rolled oats ½  cup sugar...

  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies @mangia.con.elena I wish I could take the credit for these buttery and moist oatmeal cookies but my brother deserves the recognition for these. He has been telling me about these amazing cookies for a long time.  Now I understand what the fuss was about! If you are an oatmeal cookie lover, I promise you that this will be your new favourite recipe. Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for raisins or add cranberries and walnuts. Pecans and coconut would also be amazing in these cookies. Let's get started! Ingredients 1.5 cups (375 ml) All purpose flour 1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda 1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt 1 cup (250 ml) room temperature unsalted butter 1.5 cups (375 ml) packed brown sugar 1 egg 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract 3 cups quick oats 1.5 cups (375 ml) chocolate chips OR/AND… 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries 1/2 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup raisins Directions Preheat oven to 350º and line two cookie sheets with parch...

  Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fennel/Pasta con Salsiccia e Finocchio IG @ mangia.con.elena Fennel is as Mediterranean  as the sea itself. Eaten raw it has a slightly black licorice flavour and a crunchy texture. When cooked, the flavour becomes  more delicate and the texture is softened. It can be sautéed, baked, braised and added to pastas, soups and stews.  Fennel tea is a great digestive tea when your tummy is feeling upset.  Fennel  is a large part of the Italian Mediterranean diet as it is packed with  plant based nutrients and aids in digestion, bloating and inflammation.  My mother always served fennel as part of the antipasto platter that stayed on the table throughout our meal. We snacked on it between courses and afterwards. Another exceptional pairing with fennel is Italian sausage when cooked with caramelized fennel, toasted tomato paste, spicy peperoncino and a good sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano. I first tried this pasta dis...

  Cabbage, Potato and White Bean Soup IG: @mangia.con.elena I have never really been one to plan meals a week in advance. I know many that do, but it just does not  work for me. Even when the children were little, when I know that it would have alleviated so much stress, I just didn't. I tried, but it never stuck.  I do my meal planning in the grocery store. I start with the fresh produce and if something looks good that week, I will buy it and decide what to make with it while in the store so that I can get the rest of the ingredients if needed.  That is exactly how this delicious soup came to be this week. I saw a gorgeous savoy cabbage and put it in my cart.  knew I needed carrots so as I went to grab them, this soup popped into my head and voila!  This is a simple soup with few ingredients and a unique flavour.  The trick to its success is to saute the cabbage slowly for a lengthy time until it caramelizes. It becomes buttery and melts in your mout...

  Lentil and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry IG: @mangia.con.elena If you are following my blog, then you know that I am a lentil lover. There are many different lentil recipes to choose from. If this is your first time here, then welcome and I am so happy you landed here! Make sure to take a look at some of the other Mediterranean- Italian recipes I have featured here. Lentils are one of the world's oldest health foods first grown in the  Middle East in 8000 BC. Lentils are a definite staple in the Mediterranean diet  and one that I have readily available in my pantry in dried and canned.  There are a variety to choose from and each with their own goodness, flavour and texture profile. If you are looking to add sweetness and creaminess to a dish, then red lentils are the ones you will want. They are perfect for soups and curries where they dissolve adding incredible creaminess and flavour. Brown and green lentils have an earthy flavour and maintain their shape so they ar...

 Mediterranean Couscous Salad  IG:@mangia.con.elena Couscous is a versatile grain that is a staple in North African, Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisine. It is said to have been invented by the Berbers of Algeria (nomads of North Africa) as far back as 238 BC and then introduced to the Mediterranean when Berber dynasties began to expand into Portugal and Spain in the 13th Century. It was the traditional food of the poorest and the nomads because of their ease of preparation with little ingredients.  Couscous is made from semolina. It is already processed and cooked which is why it only takes 5 minutes to absorb hot water and turn into tender grains.  There are three different kinds of couscous. Moroccan couscous is the smallest of the three types and cooks in minutes (it is the one I use for this salad). Israeli couscous is larger and takes a bit longer to cook, whereas Lebanese couscous is the largest and takes the longest.  Couscous has a lovely nuttiness...

  Roasted Kabocha Squash Gnocchi IG: @mangia.con.elena If you are visiting this page then chances are you are a lover of gnocchi like me! Just like every other Italian dish, the way they are made varies from region to region. It is typically made with potatoes and flour but if you ask any Italian it's almost a guarantee that they will share a different recipe than the last. Some are adamant about adding eggs and others say no way. Some use semolina flour only and others use all purpose flour or double zero.  Each flour of course will result in a different consistency.  I prefer my gnocchi with a bit of a chewy consistency. I love the pillowy soft ones and will gladly eat them but I most definitely prefer ones that don't melt in my mouth. Chefs and Italians everywhere will probably disagree with me and say that gnocchi should be pillowy and light and airy. Most definitely, but being Italian, I believe that is entirely a personal choice (and I will gladly defend that!) 🤣 ...