Tag: advice

How to prepare the perfect salad: the advice of the naturopath – Italian Cuisine

Boredom, with exotic spices and imaginative condiments. The suggestions to turn the salad into a good dish in every sense

Also that of thebig salad perfect can be considered in all respects a refined culinary art. Yes, because to put together a few leaves of salad, a few slices of tomato cut at random, two cubes of cheese and a handful of croutons, to then go over everything – maybe – with a little olive oil, the vinegar of order, salt , pepper and so on, it is certainly not enough to transform our bowl of vegetables & co. in a lunch worthy of being called such. The Italian-American knows it well Jessica Haase and the Milanese naturopath Eleonora Borgo, which together inaugurated the salad bar in Milan Muzzi, a pretty place in via Pasquale Sottocorno. With a very specific goal: to show that a carefully prepared salad is not worthy of being considered a punitive meal. Rather.

"Our entire project was born inspired by the legendary salads of Jessica's mother, who always managed to amaze and satisfy every type of guest," Eleonora tells us. "Because yes, it's worth remembering: the salad doesn't have to be boring and tasteless. On the contrary, it can become a wonderful white canvas for play with seasonal products, with different cuts of the products, with crunchy elements. Arriving to satisfy and satisfy the palate, while remaining light and rich in nutrients . Here then some valuable advice (and a "made in Muzzi" recipe) to better prepare our next salad.

We are looking for balance

Like any other dish, the dear old salad also requires the right balance between its different ingredients. So we favor vegetables – and why not, even fruit – in season, and then we go to balance it all in relation to all the non-vegetable additions: feta, for example, is a very tasty cheese, but it risks making all excessively stringy; it is therefore good to moderate the quantity and combine it with something fresh, which releases water.

Boredom banishment

Who said that the salad should consist exclusively of various leaves? We leave the imagination free and look for new ingredients. Fruit, for example, but also cereals, capable of giving an excellent supply of energy. Or the flowers. Fish is also perfect, perhaps with citrus fruits and the like. And then away, among aromatic herbs, seeds and spices, for a truly out-of-the-box recipe.

The courage to dare

The salad can not only become a perfect test for unusual combinations, but also to experiment with ingredients that normally remain on the bottom of our pantry. Or that we never even used. Any examples? The Mitmita, a fragrant blend of spices based on cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and so on, typical of Ethiopian cuisine. Or again the Sommaco, with a sour taste particularly used in Lebanon, and with a high antioxidant power.

Let's play with the condiments

Oil, vinegar, salt, pepper. Ok, the basics are these, but there is no reason to ask us any kind of limit. Who is looking for a strong taste for their salads, but does not want to abuse garlic or onions, can for example resort to flavored oils: to press firmly on the flavor pedal, but without weighing it down too much.

The importance of touch

That of the salad is first and foremost a tactile experience. On the palate, of course, when the crunchy components create the perfect harmony with the rest of the ingredients. But the sensory dynamic begins even before, during the preparation phase: we must not be afraid to use our hands, to chop, season, mix, portion. This will help us to make the dish really ours, built according to our needs.

The special recipe

Each salad can have a specific purpose. Like that of the Lady of Iron prepared by Muzzi, who wants to give energy and precious nutrients to our body, guaranteeing at the same time, a lot of taste. To prepare it we therefore use beetroot, Williams pears, watercress, endive, fenugreek sprouts, walnuts and poppy seeds. We balance the various ingredients according to our taste and then complete with a ball of goat covered with pollen, and a dressing made with olive oil, mint, honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

advice and alternative recipes to make it delicious! – Italian Cuisine

Which rice should I use? How much should you cook? How do you make it cool and what condiments to use? Here are all the answers to your doubts about how to prepare the rice salad

The cold rice it is a must-have course on the summer table. From a certain point in the year on, in fact, due to the high temperatures, one is forced to greet the risotto to welcome the tablerice salad. Easy to prepare a little early, fresh, and even light, it is the ideal dish to take to the office, but also to the sea or in the mountains for a packed lunch. And then keep in the fridge for two or three days. To avoid turning rice salad into a shapeless and sticky ball, here are some tips on how to prepare it and what are the ingredients that best match it.

Tips for preparing rice salad

First, it is essential to choose one type of rice that keeps cooking well. The best are the Ribe, the Basmati and the Venus, which with its black color will make the dish, as well as good, even scenographic. Avoid the Carnaroli, more suitable for risottos. Another important step for the success of the recipe is the rice cooking. Better boil it in boiling water and drain it al dente, if not even a couple of minutes before the time indicated on the package. For cool the rice do not rinse it in cold water but drain it, pour it into a baking dish and place it in a bain-marie in the sink. As for i condiments, should be added only when the rice is completely cold. It is also advisable not to exceed and avoid pre-packed in oil or vinegar, but to favor fresh ingredients. The mayonnaise, instead of putting it in the rice salad, it is better to add it with a teaspoon to your plate. Here are three recipes for cold rice where taste and calories are in balance with each other.

Cold rice with lemon-flavored tuna and zucchini

For the cold rice with tuna and zucchini flavored with lemon, get 300 grams of rice Basmati, three zucchini, 150 grams of tuna in oil drained, a lemon, a bunch of thyme, oil, salt and pepper. Boil the rice and let it cool in a bain-marie. Meanwhile cut the zucchini into cubes and make them jump in a pan with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper, cook for a couple of minutes and deglaze with the lemon juice. When both the rice and the courgettes are completely cold, pour them into a bowl, add the tuna in oil, the thyme, the lemon rind and mix everything.

Cold rice with grilled vegetables

With this cold rice with grilled vegetables bring the vegetable garden to the table. To prepare it you need 300 grams of rice Ribe, a pepper yellow, one aubergine, one zucchini, a slice of garlic, salt, oregano and pepper. Wash and dry the vegetables. Cut the courgettes and aubergines into thin slices lengthwise and grill them on the previously heated cast iron plate. Cut the pepper into strips and roast this too. Then put them in an airtight container, after dressing them with oil, salt, oregano and garlic and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours. Boil the rice and when it is completely cold, add the vegetables. Mix everything well and let the rice salad rest for another half hour before bringing it to the table.

Venere rice with salmon, rocket and citrus fruits

THE'Venere rice salad with salmon, rocket and citrus fruits it is not only good, but it is also light and healthy. To prepare it you need 300 grams of Venere rice, 120 grams of smoked salmon, 30 grams of rocket, the juice and rind of an orange and a lemon, oil, salt and pepper. Boil the rice and before cooling it in a bain-marie season it with the oil and the juice and the lemon and orange rind. Cut the smoked salmon and coarsely the rocket into thin strips. When the rice is completely cold pour the ingredients into a bowl and mix everything together.

Flavored iced tea: ideas and advice – Italian Cuisine

In summer you have to drink more. Yeah, but what? For example, a good flavored iced tea: here are some recipes based on how you want it. Energizing, anti-aging or detox?

In the summer it is a classic: you too happen to stay in front of the open door of the refrigerator in search of something refreshing from drinking, that is not simple water or the classic sugary drinks that make you get even more thirsty? If the answer is yes, know that you are in good company and that there is a solution: they are the flavored cold teas.
Making them at home is easy: you can proceed with the help of the practical sachets or by adding fruit, to enrich the flavor. Below you can read some refreshing recipes and above all discover all the benefits of tea.

The benefits of tea

We all know the rule of drinking at least 2 liters of water per day to keep the body hydrated, especially in summer. If you are among those who find it hard to follow this advice or "forget" to drink, sip cold tea can help increase the urge to hydrate. Depending on the type of tea chosen and the added fruit, these teas can become beverages cleansing, which therefore help to detoxify the body, e antioxidants, with precious anti-aging qualities. Not only that, in summer they can help fight that sense of exhaustion, thanks to their action mineralizing.

The trick to a good iced tea

It will also happen to you: after letting the tea infusion cool and putting it in a jug in the refrigerator, after a few days it has become even more bitter. The trick is in Preparation. Here is the basic recipe, to which you can add fruit at will. In a liter of water, boiled in a steel pot, add 3 tablespoons of cane sugar. When the water boils, infuse 3 sachets of your favorite tea for 5 minutes or 5 tablespoons of the leaf mixture. At the end, strain, pour into a jug or a glass bottle and place it in the fridge.

The flavors of flavored tea: some ideas

Tea is never simply tea: according to taste, it has a precise function. For example, you want to stimulate the diuresis, quenching your thirst? To black tea, add in infusion elderflower, mint and fennel seeds: you will get a very refreshing and purifying drink. If you are betting on aanti-aging action, use green tea – known for its antioxidant properties -, to add jasmine flowers and, at the end, blueberries, rich in anthocyanins, substances able to renew collagen production, inhibiting that of free radicals, and to protect blood capillaries. You wish a burst of energy, to face the long afternoon in the office? To the classic green tea, infuse half ginger root, lemon juice and a few mint leaves. Sweetened with honey, to make the drink more effective also from a nutritional point of view. Finally, you want one really refreshing but also nutritious drink? To the classic black tea, add in hibiscus flowers and pieces of your favorite fruit, such as apple slices, peach or even strawberry. Not just a drink, but a snack with something extra.