11316 Healthy italian cooking

It is always easier to adapt some recipes we already know to low-fat cooking and we can get excellent results.
We all love Italian olive oil and it is very healthy; however, it has a fat content that we should monitor or limit if we are trying to go on a healthy diet.
In order to better control the amount of oil we use, the best thing is to buy a special spray bottle for oil, which is available from shops that sell kitchen utensils. If we do not use olive oil all the time we should buy a different spray bottle for each type of oil we use.
Always buy glass bottles and avoid plastic.
For desperate cases, those who have to go on a very strict diet because of cholesterol levels or heart disease, you can make a mixture of oil and water using your spray bottle. You can go as low as 1/8 of oil for 7/8 of water but I would rather do a 50/50 proportion.
You can spray baking trays and pans, saucepans, skillets, etc. with the bottles and then use your well known and trusted Italian recipe which asked for 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil.... This will reduce enormously your intake of fats.
I have a few more tips and recipes, but what about your own experiences?

Olive oil, because of its high oleic acid content, actually combats high cholesterol. However as part of a calorie controlled diet, yes use it in moderation. Grill/bake/roast meat or fish wherever possible rather than fry.

This article actually says that olive oil consumption helps stave off hunger pangs between meals - [url=http://goldshield.co.uk/news/article-601/Olive-oil-may-aid-weight-loss.htm]Goldshield - Olive oil may aid weight loss[/url]

Gala, my doctor told me to use MORE olive oil. It contains the good type of cholesterol and all sorts of other things, which are essential to a healthy balanced diet.

I used to cook with butter in the UK but now use very little.

Yes, it is correct, olive oil is good for you... but in moderation, because it is basically fat, although the good one. If you haven't got a weight problem you can use more, but if on top of high cholesterol you also have a few pounds to shed, then you have to cut down even on olive oil. Butter is an absolute "no, no" and other oils, particularly palm oil, which is used in commercial bakeries are just artery cloggers.

p.s I just found my book on calories, etc. Each tablespoon of olive oils contains 120 calories. The recommended amount per day is no more than 2 tablespoons if you want to control your weight. Granted, it is monounsaturated fat, which fights cholesterol... but it is fat.

Thank God I have very large tablespoons! :bigergrin:

Never mind, JC, we all cheat regarding food intake....

We are lucky that in Italian healthy cooking we have two great allies: Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano. With small amounts, always watching the number of calories we are adding, we can get great flavour and both, in reasonable quantities, are very healthy. But we should strive to get top quality cheese, even in smaller amounts, as this makes a big difference health wise. Grana Padano has sometimes been considered the poor cousin. But an aged Grana Padano can be as good as Parmigiano; however, it must be top quality.
Here you have some complementary information on both:
[url=http://www.mangiabenepasta.com/Parmesan.html]Parmesan Cheese - All about Parmesan cheese[/url]

With regards to pasta you could try using the Italian portion size of 80g rather than the UK one of 100g (I'm basing this on the suggested portion sizes you see on pasta packets in each country) to cut down on calorie & carbohydrate intake

As Helen rightly says, trying to go on a healthy diet also implies eating less. Another trick that works is to start serving food on smaller plates. It is cheating... but it works. Get rid of all the large plates that will give you the feeling that you are eating a very small portion.
Also, pasta generally needs a sauce (forget butter or cream if you are on a diet) and depending on the contents of the sauce you may end up adding lots of unnecessary calories and fats. Here is a very healthy Italian sauce that contains negligeable amounts of fat and zero cholesterol with a total count of about 55 calories per serve.

SICILIAN VEGETABLE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
1 large onion (preferably red) roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 small aubergine, roughly chopped
1 zucchini roughly chopped
1 chili, chopped
4 dried tomatoes,chopped
6 black olives, sliced
1 tablespoon capers
1 bulb of fennel roughly chopped
1 red pepper, previously baked in the oven and peeled (you can also use bottled ones)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
the juice of 1/2 orange
4 tomatoes without seeds, peeled and cut in slices (used tinned ones outside the season)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
(You can also replace the fresh oregano and basil by using 1 1/2 tablespoons of the dried mixture of herbs called "Herbe Toscane"

PREPARATION:
Spray a large wok or skillet with a bit of the olive oil (or olive oil diluted in water, see previous post). Add all the ingredients except the fresh tomatoes and the herbs. Allow to cook and reduce very slowly. When the vegetables are tender, add the tomatoes and allow to cook for a further 10 minutes until the tomato pieces break up easily and the sauce starts getting thicker. Adjust condiments according to taste and add some extra lemon juice, if needed. Add the herbs and cook for 5 more minutes (less time if you are using fresh herbs).
Enjoy!

You can use this sauce not only with pasta but to flavour and accompany many other dishes.

[quote=HelenMW;107274]With regards to pasta you could try using the Italian portion size of 80g rather than the UK one of 100g (I'm basing this on the suggested portion sizes you see on pasta packets in each country) to cut down on calorie & carbohydrate intake[/quote]

True, but it's probably based on the fact than in Italy the pasta will only be part of the meal whereas often in the UK it might be the main dish. I often just have a plate of pasta with a side salad and I certainly have 100g!:-)

On a more general point, my diet here is not necessarily healthier than I ate in the UK. I live in a cheese producing area and I love cheese, plus I eat more meat here. Let's face it, if you are offered salumi as a stuzzichino with your apperitivo, it's difficult to refuse! My breakfast today was porridge, which I think is healthier than the average merendina, although the kids at the scuole elementare where I work always have fruit mid-morning.

Porridge is excellent and everyone should start the day with a bowl of it. It is a low glycaemic carbohydrate which releases sugar very slowly into the system, giving you energy over a sustained period of time. It does not make you fat, on the contrary.

New Year - New Eating!

I used to teach food and health in the UK and was constantly on about healthy eating to my students, not much appears to have sunk in nationwide as Nanny State UK is now to tell people how to eat. This is after they stopped all food lessons in schools and allowed junk food to be served in school canteens. We now have a generation or two of children who are the products of parents who missed out at school and at home when working mums were too busy out at work to cook and they relied on instant/take-out food.

One of the activities I used with my 16-18 year olds, was to pose this question "Why do we eat the foods we eat?".

When they had got to around 40 reasons then I knew they had really got to grips with the subject!!! If you have spare moment its quite an interesting question.

As for my New Year's eating, yes have put on a little weight since I left the UK but that is probably age and alcohol related. However,saw an article on timesonline which gave tips on loosing weight, and nutrients needed for healthy skin, hair and nails, PLUS a good muesli recipe so I went off to my local health food shop in Arezzo and found everything I needed to make a fab. cereal.
Found I have not tolerated weetabix well recently so trying this.

Was tested by Birthday boy OH this morning and he proclaimed it much better than Jordan's no added salt/sugar healthy version.

So 500 grm rolled oats /Fiocchi di Avena
250 gm toasted soya /Fiocchi di Soia tostati
150 gm toasted barley /Fiocchi d'orzo croccanti
150 gm pumpkin seeds /Semi di Zucca
150 gm sunflower seeds /Semi di Girasole
100 gm linseed seeds / Semi di Lino
150 gm sultanas /Uvetta Sultanina
150 gm dried cherries/cranberries /Amarene or Mirtilli rossi
100 gm hazlenuts, chopped / Nocciole
50 gm brazil nuts chopped /Noci di Brasiliane

You could also add /Wheat Flakes,Fiocchi de Frumento around 150 gms. if you want.
plus some chopped dried apricots, bananas etc. when serving with milk or yoghurt

Should be enough for at least a month

But the beauty of muesli is that you can just make it up to your taste. It wont necessary be much cheaper than an own brand but the quality is so much better.
And like porridge, it has a low GI index plus lots of soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. ie. The soluble is good for general health maintenance etc. and the insoluble keeps your digestive tract in good working order.

And like porridge, not too fattening if the portions are reasonable and you dont load it with sugar.
Gala, I have yet to dissuade my OH not to put sugar and butter on his porridge, so in his case porridge is most definitely fattening. Could be worse it used to be golden syrup as well!

Forgot sultanas Aretina??? lol I would be happy if manufacturers omitted them too in their products.

[COLOR="red"]Porridge is excellent and everyone should start the day with a bowl of it. It is a low glycaemic carbohydrate which releases sugar very slowly into the system, giving you energy over a sustained period of time. It does not make you fat, on the contrary.[/COLOR]

Better too is to eat a protein based breakfast instead. Protein has an even lower glycemic index.

Also eating three meals at the same times daily with a small dinner in the evening. Dinner not too late as you don't burn up the calories before bed. The passagiata is great for not only for chatting up regazzi but for aiding proper digestion and also burning off a few calories.

I came across this article in which a leading French doctor said it was okay to eat cheese for breakfast and that it actually keeps cholesterol down!!!

[url]http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/3081024/Cheese-for-breakfast-keeps-cholesterol-down-says-French-doctor.html[/url]

It is a bit confusing at times with so many theories concerning nutrition. I believe in a balanced diet and smaller portions... if you can do that. Too much fat or too much sugar are both dangerous. And a kind of food can be good or bad according to the amounts you eat. For this reason, I intended to show through this thread that you can eat Italian food without adding extra pounds.
Your home made muesli, Aretina, is great. I use a similar one and you can keep on adding ingredients according to what you like. As you said, it is not cheaper than commercial muesli, on the contrary, but it is much healthier as commercial brands add fat and sugar to their products.
I also add sometimes 1 tbspn of lecithin and 1tbspn of wheat germ to my serving.
My husband always likes a piece of wholegrain toast with a bit of olive oil as a topping. Many Italians and Spaniards have this at breakfast time.

[COLOR="red"]It is a bit confusing at times with so many theories concerning nutrition. I believe in a balanced diet and smaller portions... if you can do that. Too much fat or too much sugar are both dangerous. And a kind of food can be good or bad according to the amounts you eat. For this reason, I intended to show through this thread that you can eat Italian food without adding extra pounds.
Your home made muesli, Aretina, is great. I use a similar one and you can keep on adding ingredients according to what you like. As you said, it is not cheaper than commercial muesli, on the contrary, but it is much healthier as commercial brands add fat and sugar to their products.
I also add sometimes 1 tbspn of lecithin and 1tbspn of wheat germ to my serving.
My husband always likes a piece of wholegrain toast with a bit of olive oil as a topping. Many Italians and Spaniards have this at breakfast time.[/COLOR]

Yes seeded or/and whole grain/meal bread, bread with nuts like walnuts, with olive oil - gnummy. (Beware wholemael though as it raises blood sugar substantially) I don't ever buy butter as all kinds of wonderful "healthy"organic breads are so easily obtainable in London.

Italy has wonderful bread but so far I have failed to see similar healthy" breads and wondered if there was a region where they make them, and not sweet ones for feste.

Italian cereals are very poor too. The concept of muesli in Italy is unknown to them it seems. The Co-op do stock their own version. I didn't like it.

Ah! Golden syrup. The good news is that I don't use it on my porridge, the bad that I use it to make flapjacks. A block of flapjack is ideal to take skiing with me as it gives both a short term and long term energy boost. I can't afford to stop at mountain restaurants very often and a flapjack is a portable alternative. It would be good for long walks or cycles too. I recently had my signing on for a local football team confirmed, so a tray would be a good snack for our sometimes long drives to away games.

PS In the UK Gala you can buy mueslis that don't have added salt or sugar.

[COLOR="Red"]Ah! Golden syrup. The good news is that I don't use it on my porridge, the bad that I use it to make flapjacks. A block of flapjack is ideal to take skiing with me as it gives both a short term and long term energy boost. I can't afford to stop at mountain restaurants very often and a flapjack is a portable alternative. It would be good for long walks or cycles too. I recently had my signing on for a local football team confirmed, so a tray would be a good snack for our sometimes long drives to away games.[/COLOR]

Add some mixed seeds and nuts to your recipe Sue if possible. Far healthier. Bananas too are great for sports men and women.

Hi

Have just added the italian terms for homemade muesli.
Sue, if only I had half as much physical energy I could eat?? or have an extra glass without putting on weight.
I always used to say that if I looked at a chocolate I put on a pound and if I ate it I put on 2.

Sally, as for the concept of muesli being unknown, I think you will find that in the north, esp. in the alpine region, muesli has slipped over the border from Switzerland. And, here in Arezzo, there are a number of excellent health food shops and the one I was in yesterday was doing a roaring trade. Customers of all ages so clearly not a yuppy thing. As for bread we get a wonderful 'Panda' bread at our local coop, loads of mixed seeds etc. and our wonderful Esselunga also do seeded and integrale breads.

Sally you can also buy muesli (Jordan's organic) without added sugar or salt here in Italy at wonderful wonderful Esselunga.

This is also a great time of year to be making winter warming soups to which you can added various beans,lentils,chick peas etc.
Start with a good stock if poss. (if you have roasted a chicken - boil up the bones with the classic italian odori of carrot, onion, celery, parsley and bay + seasonings). After 2 hours or so slowly simmering, strain and stock is ready to use.

In a large pan, gently saute a good mix of chopped veg. in some olive oil for 10 mins. or so. Add the strained stock and gently cook until the veg. are just tender. Add the cooked/tinned beans etc. at the end of the cooking time. (Veg.could be just what you have left in the fridge or what's in the orto/veg. garden) Onion, carrots, celery, leeks, cavolo nero, tomatoes, spinach, celeriac, courgettes, etc etc etc.) Serve piping hot sprinkled generously with grated hard italian cheese, padano or parmesan and some good bread.

The basic soup which could be a meal in itself! And much nicer if we make our own stock as we can control both salt and fat content. Also, it is a good way, as you say, Aretina, to use all those vegetables left over. Whenever our two girls come home on holidays they always ask for the same dish.... some home-made soup with plenty of vegetables.

My healthy (alpine) recipe for today is home made leek, carrot, garlic and onion soup...

I just cleaned and sliced 1kg of carrots, 1kg of leeks, one large onion, three cloves of garlic and a small sprig of fresh rosemary from the garden (which is currently under more than a foot of fresh snow - with even [I][U]more[/U][/I] still falling!).
[IMG]http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg287/turtl3-73/Emoticon/snow_falling.gif[/IMG]

I chopped the onions and garlic and fried them in two desertspoons of EVO until golden brown. Cooked the leeks and carrots and rosemary, with a half a 'Liebig' stock cube, in my pressure cooker with a nice piece of 'bianco costato' [IMG]http://www.alimentipedia.it/Carne/Foto_carne/Foto_biancostato_pancia.jpg[/IMG] for about 90 minutes. Then removed the meat and bones and placed the saucepan in a cold place (for me - covered - on my windowsill at minus 4°C), to let the fat from the meat solidify before [U]carefully removing it all.[/U]

Then the veg and some of the stock is all put into the blender to make a nice tasty smooth soup. When blended put it into a saucepan to heat and then add the fried onions, garlic and EVO!

You can't beat a big bowl of that with a sprinkling of parmesan and a chunk of crusty bread to accompany it!

The boiled beef is great with 'salsa verde' [U]and[/U] provides good, inexpensive meals for the pooch too! [IMG]http://msn.mess.be/data/thumbnails/104/office_dog.jpg[/IMG]

I'm glad you mentioned this Carole. I ask at the butcher the best way to cook certain cuts of meat and quite often the answer is to boil it.

Last week I did a soup with stock from some boiled beef and we had some delicious, melt in the mouth boiled beef and carrots to follow. It needs mustard but it was wonderful and very low in fat as I did the same as you, cooked it one day, cooled and removed the fat then ate the next.

Boiled meat used to be a lot more popular, now everything seems to be fried, roast or grilled.

I also make an oxtail stew, with loads of pulses and barley. That too really needs to be done the day before so that you can remove all the fat, it’s wonderfully warming for a cold day.

For weight loss there really is only one solution…eat less, exercise more.

Nothing can beat the old pot of soup and as you rightly say, Carole, boiled beef is great with a variety of sauces both in winter and in summer. Hot sauces in winter, vinaigrette style in summer with a nice olive oil and aceto balsamico.
Our "Tequila" also enjoys eating leftovers from the soup and vegetables are very beneficial for pets. She likes her bowl filled with a few tablespoons of the stock as well. The poor things must be sick and tired of the so called "pet food". For Tequila, gourmet heaven is a bowl of spaghetti with some sauce and grated parmesan cheese..... She is a dog, but a very clever one. Never sick in spite of my vet's advice that I should give her pet food only!!!!

[quote=Nielo;107334]I'm glad you mentioned this Carole. I ask at the butcher the best way to cook certain cuts of meat and quite often the answer is to boil it.

Last week I did a soup with stock from some boiled beef and we had some delicious, melt in the mouth boiled beef and carrots to follow. It needs mustard but it was wonderful and very low in fat as I did the same as you, cooked it one day, cooled and removed the fat then ate the next.

Boiled meat used to be a lot more popular, now everything seems to be fried, roast or grilled.

[B][COLOR="Red"]I also make an oxtail stew, with loads of pulses and barley. That too really needs to be done the day before so that you can remove all the fat, it’s wonderfully warming for a cold day.[/COLOR][/B]

For weight loss there really is only one solution…eat less, exercise more.[/quote]

I was amazed when I first saw whole ox-tails at my butchers - and even more so when I found out how inexpensive (cheap) they were... I did insist though that he should NEVER sell me a 'horse/pony' tail. Don't think I could face that. The pooch loves oxtail - when I've taken some of the larger bits - he has the 'tiddley' bones and they keep him quiet for hours!

Surprising too how little (compared to what I remember in the UK) fresh ox kidney costs... I love kidney if it is purged of all impurities and then cooked with EVO, parsley and garlic (trifolati). Divine on a nice bit of hot polenta when it's cold outside. (Like now....)

Oh yes - the cost... Well, I threw caution to the wind and just asked for a [I]whole[/I] kidney - there was no price showing. You know how large a whole ox kidney can be - well I checked when I got home and it cost just [B]€2.15!!!! [/B] Can you believe that? Real value for money.

My dogs are excellent student of cooking, they watch my every move with great attention.

They get quite excited when the big stew pot comes out because they just[I] know I’m [/I]going to end up cooking too much.:laughs:

Hi All

Agree about the dogs enjoying Italianish food, Vaz has just had 3 days of pasta/turkey meat cooked in turkey broth made from the turkey carcass from our late Christmas Lunch (New Year's day). He was feeling a bit poorly over the weekend having come down with a cold (thank god, touch wood, so far...not kennel cough) on his return from the kennels.

It would be great if tcc came in on this thread is she is the Soup Queen of Tuscany.:yes:

[FONT=Arial]Thank you, Aretina. :reallyembarrassed: Not sure what to say really as I just use whatever veg I have to hand :wideeyed:
The one you had is just a little olive oil, leeks, celery, courgettes, broccoli stalk, garlic and ginger - oh, and of course, stock. I think the secret is the stock - I've been using one for years and friends in the UK and visitors manage to keep me supplied - Marigold Swiss Bouillon. It's also excellent for risotto :yes:
[/FONT]

Carole - the soup sounds wonderful (if only we had that freezing weather here!), but sorry to be ignorant, what's EVO?
tcc- I love that marigold stock too, but yes, have to get it "imported" regularly! Having said that, I have started making my own veg stock for making my baby food - I just boil up carrots, onions, leeks, bay, oregano and thyme and even without salt (for baby) it's a really good stock - add salt and pepper for adult consumption!

Sorry Katier... never thought when I wrote EVO. It just means Extra Virgin (olive) Oil!

Easy when you know the answer :reallyembarrassed:

Soups are so easy and filling, I make quite a few.

Minestrone –with any vegetables to hand and tiny pasta.

Tomato and basil delicious with crusty bread. I freeze the tiny cherry tomatoes whole and use then, you get the taste of summer even in the depths of winter.

Leek and potato – OH favourite.

Ham and lentil.

Mushroom with a dash of cream and last but by no means least French onion soup, poured over some bread, which has been rubbed with garlic and topped with cheese.

Made myself hungry now!

Soups are wonderful and I like to transform them into a full meal. Make a large amount and everyone can have seconds. Or you can freeze the leftovers.
Here is a delicious recipe from Tuscany:

PAPPA AL POMODORO (TOMATO SOUP WITH FRIED BREAD)

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped thinly
3 garlic cloves chopped thinly
750 grams of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
1 litre chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
250 gr day old Tuscan bread or any white bread, sliced and cut into small cubes (remove the crust)
some basil leaves to be chopped before serving the soup.

Using only 2 tablespoons of oil, sauté the onion and garlic. Then, add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Add the stock, the salt and pepper and boil for some 30 minutes.
Using a frying pan add the remaining oil and fry the bread cubes. (Eventually, you could toast the bread, but it tastes better if it is fried)
Serve immediately the soup, with the pieces of fried bread and some chopped basil on top.

Another thing I like to do with any soup - [I]especially[/I] a home made minestrone -
[IMG]http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2082169/minestrone-main_Thumb.jpg[/IMG]
is use the 'left overs' (making sure there is some left in the saucepan) and make a 'risotto alla paesana'.

To do this I fry a little more chopped bacon and onions, add the rice and stir, then gradually add the (hot) minestrone a ladleful at a time (as when you add the stock to any other risotto). Don't forget to check and 're-season' the soup or the risottto will be too bland. I rarely use any tomato in my minestrone - I prefer just the good, clear beef or chicken broth.

I'll do this too if I make a ham and pea soup, but I'll add some extra bacon at the beginning and peas at the end of cooking [I]that[/I] risotto!

Muesli should always be soaked overnight before eating as it can cause indigestion eaten "raw" (witout soaking).One tends to put more than needed to in a bowl and then it swells to twice the amount needed. Whilst travelling it came about that I eventually ate muesli with water and not milk, the oats add there own creaminess, hence cutting down on more calories.
Bunch

[quote=Bunch;107781]Muesli should always be soaked overnight before eating as it can cause indigestion eaten "raw" (witout soaking).One tends to put more than needed to in a bowl and then it swells to twice the amount needed. Whilst travelling it came about that I eventually ate muesli with water and not milk, the oats add there own creaminess, hence cutting down on more calories.
Bunch[/quote]

And if a little more flavour is required you could add some chopped cardboard:laughs:

Carrot, Coridander and Pineapple soup - yes, Pineapple - don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

Boil up the carcass of a chicken for the stock (or cheat and use decent bouillion)
Peel and chop about a kilo of carrots
Peel and chop a couple of onions
Peel and chop a couple of cloves of garlic
Chop half a bunch of coriander
4 or 5 slices of fresh pineapple - the tinned stuff is far too sweet and if you can get an unripe (green) pine - even better.
Salt and black pepper to taste.

Simmer the all ingredients in the stock for at least half an hour, then add the pineapple and simmer for another 15 minutes - then liquidise until very smooth and thick. Add a dash of single cream if you like it - and serve. The pineapple gives another dimension and depth to the flavour - it balances an otherwise too "carrotty" taste.

Very easy, cheap and delicious.

A trick I learned from Lynn Rosetto Kasper, a cookbook author featured on National Public Radio, is to wash and save the rinds of parmesan cheese. Keep refrigerated for future use and add a small amount to any soup you are making. Afterwards, remove, rinse, pat dry and put back in the fridge to reuse. It imparts umami, the definition of which is:

"Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. As the taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavours, most people don’t recognise umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious."

"When humans eat, they use all of their senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste) to form general judgments about their food, but it is taste that is the most influential in determining how delicious a food is. Conventionally, it has been thought that our sense of taste is comprised of four basic, or ‘primary’, tastes, which cannot be replicated by mixing together any of the other primaries: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. However, it is now known that there is actually a fifth primary taste: umami."

Lisa, is this why parmesan is used as a general flavouring as well. i.s. pastas, soups, risottos, salads etc. to enhance the basic dish.
A sort of 1+1 = 3 effect.

Another Soup - which uses lovely, sweet winter veg. Great served with a wholemeal soda bread. Celeriac seems to be easily obtained now both here in Italy and the UK. A 'swede' sized type of veg which tastes of celery.

Carrot and Celeriac

3 tbsp Olive Oil or mix of oil and butter (butter for the taste)
350gm or so Carrots - peeled and chopped
350gm or so Celeriac, peeled and chopped
1 white onion peeled and chopped
pinch of cayenne or peperoncino
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (freshly ground if poss.)
800 ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper
300 ml of milk
Natural yoghurt, cream and chopped parsley to garnish if you want.

1. Heat oil or oil/butter mix in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, onions and celeriac. Cover with lid and 'sweat'/cook gently for about 10 mins. to bring out the flavours.
2. Add the cayenne or peperoncino and coriander. Cook for a minute more.
3. Add the stock and seasoning and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for about 40 mins. until the veg. are tender.
4. Cool slightly and then puree - either in a blender or through a sieve.
5. Return to the clean pan and add the milk. Reheat gently.
6. Check the seasoning and serve garnished with a swirl of cream or yoghurt. etc and a lovely hunk of crusty bread.

Yes, I think so. Lynn mentioned a book that sounded interesting "The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami" but I haven't read it yet. You might want to listen to the program if you're able to. It's the March 25th addition. Here is the link

[url=http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/listings/shows06_03.html]Program Listings March 2006: The Splendid Table[/url]

Fish soup is great and it also makes a complete meal if you serve it with crusty bread and sauces. Here is a recipe from Liguria, the "Burrida", very similar to the French version, called "Bourride" served in many restaurants along the French Riviera, particularly at Antibes.

INGREDIENTS:

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 kg onion cut into thin slices
2 garlic cloves cut into thin slices
500 g. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into dice
1 kg fish fillets (use different types of fish)
500 g seafood (prawns, small calamari, baby octopus,etc.) all cleaned
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
1 large glass dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped.

PREPARATION

Heat about 4 tablespoons ofthe oil in a saucepan, add half of the onion and the sliced garlic. Sauté on low until they become transparent (do not burn) .
Make a layer in the saucepan with the sauteed onion and garlic.
Add the fish and the seafood in layers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover with the rest of the onion and the diced tomatoes and add some more salt and pepper.
Add a layer of chopped parsley and oregano on top.
Pour the white wine and a little bit of olive oil.
Allow to cook on low until the soup thickens.
The secret is slow cooking so all the flavours develop.

I've been wondering what the point is of the "Recipe" section under Groups as we seem to have a lot more traffic here.

I think that here, in the sub-forum for Food and Drink, we tend to concentrate more on Italian recipes, while the Recipes Group is open to any kind of recipe. At least this is the way I see it.

[quote=Ghianda;107790]And if a little more flavour is required you could add some chopped cardboard:laughs:[/quote]

What a good idea. But it would have to be the cardboard from kellog's cornflakes box. I hear it said that the box contains more nutrition than the product itself.
Bunch

[quote=Bunch;107822]What a good idea. But it would have to be the cardboard from kellog's cornflakes box. I hear it said that the box contains more nutrition than the product itself.
Bunch[/quote]

Quite possibly Bunch but that's why you should load your bowl of cornflakes with sugar, full fat milk and sliced banana. Even better Frosties!:bigergrin: With apologies for going further off thread, I once read/heard that both celery and rabbit meat require more calories to eat than they offer. Is that true?

You could be right, Ghianda:
Raw Celery, 1 stalk, less than 5 calories
Rabbit, roasted, 2 calories per gram.
But if you add blue cheese to the raw celery and you cook the rabbit in plenty of sauce.... the calories go up....

This - in a quirky sort of way - might get this thread back on topic - OK, it [I]might[/I] be like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic (that is - a total waste of time...). But for what it's worth and because it DOES answer the points Gala made in her opening post, I think it will stimulate us towards a healthy diet...
[quote]By Gala Placidia..."Now that the festivities are over... or almost (we still have La Befana), it is time to think about healthy meals in an effort to shed those extra pounds.
Italian cooking can sometimes contain a large nurmber of carbohydrates, which does not help those with a weight problem "[/quote]

[SIZE=6][COLOR=green][COLOR=green][SIZE=2]Twas the month after Christmas, [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me,
not even a blouse. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[IMG]http://f1106.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f1257646%5fAMUNw0MAAXZOSWoZuA1VHErIsKQ&pid=1.2.2&fid=Inbox&inline=1[/IMG][SIZE=6][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]The cookies I'd nibbled,
the chocolate I'd taste
[/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]and[/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green] the holiday parties
had gone to my waist. [/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
When I got on the scales
there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store
(less a walk than a lumber), [/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[IMG]http://f1106.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f1257646%5fAMUNw0MAAXZOSWoZuA1VHErIsKQ&pid=1.2.3&fid=Inbox&inline=1[/IMG][SIZE=6][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]I'd remember the marvellous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please." [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]As I dressed myself up in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt...
I said to myself, as only I can,
"You can't spend all winter, disguised as a man!" [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[IMG]http://f1106.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=1%5f1257646%5fAMUNw0MAAXZOSWoZuA1VHErIsKQ&pid=1.2.4&fid=Inbox&inline=1[/IMG][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.
[/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. [/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE][SIZE=2][COLOR=green][COLOR=green]
[SIZE=2]I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore...
But isn't that just what January's for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, [U][B]and to all a good diet.[/B][/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR][/SIZE]

[quote=Gala Placidia;107829]You could be right, Ghianda:
Raw Celery, 1 stalk, less than 5 calories
Rabbit, roasted, 2 calories per gram.
But if you add blue cheese to the raw celery and you cook the rabbit in plenty of sauce.... the calories go up....[/quote]

That's what we like, calories. Thanks GP