Tag: shape

Wellness in the shape of an artichoke – Italian Cuisine

Artichoke: everything you need to know about an ancient plant with a thousand beneficial properties

Feeling an artichoke is an offense for many. But basically, it would be enough to know more about this plant, according to most historians born in Sicily and now also cultivated in Egypt, Spain and California in particular, to realize that there is no reason to sulk when it is defined in this way.

Matter of cinarina

Already consumed at the time of the Romans and of the Greeks, the artichoke is a food with various beneficial properties for our organism. Surely, in fact, it is a plant capable of guaranteeing the well-being of different organs of the body, to the point of preventing even numerous illnesses. Thanks to cinarina, polyphenol derived from caffeic acid and present in large quantities in artichokes, it can contribute significantly to the health of liver and kidneys. But not only. The artichoke boasts numerous properties: detoxifying, depurative, digestive, diuretics, slimming and draining. And then it promotes bile secretion, the diuresis and digestion by eliminating toxins and powerfully meeting the desires of those who need a hand to lose weight.

Still property

The artichoke is also indicated for those suffering from irritable colon and in case of nausea, vomiting and food poisoning represents food to always keep in stock. The already mentioned abundant presence of cinarin, combined with that of inulin (macromolecule also present in chicory) makes artichokes particularly suitable for those who need to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood. Chlorogenic acid, silymarin, caffeic acid and ferulic acid, on the other hand, give this product of the earth important antioxidant properties capable of counteracting free radicals andaging mobile phone. And therefore also the right antibodies to prevent the onset of different types of cancer, as well as arteriosclerotic and cardiovascular pathologies.

Nothing is thrown away from the artichoke

Excellent source of potassium, in addition, the artichoke also plays a fundamental role in combating the rise in blood pressure: it is useful for balancing the levels of sugar in the blood and is therefore indicated even for those suffering from diabetes. Since products like this you never throw anything away, even the leaves artichoke can be useful in the kitchen in search of physical well-being: thanks to their extract it would be possible to counteract the growth of leukemic cells, according to recent studies.

There is everything

With considerable quantities of vitamin K, then, the artichoke is certainly useful in the prevention ofosteoporosis, while beta-carotene and lutein are instead able to protect the view. In addition to cinarin, also the basis of their flavor, artichokes are also rich in various other important substances for our body. Some examples? Carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, lots of water, potassium, zinc, calcium, copper, sodium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese, flavonoids and vitamins, like A, those of group B, C, E, K and J. Precisely thanks to such a long list, and in particular thanks to the excellent doses of fiber and water, the artichoke is also particularly suitable for those you suffer from constipation and need a hand to get your gut working properly again. Finally, for those who have just completed one pregnancy, the consumption of this vegetable is not recommended, as it reduces milk production.

5 recipes

But let's get to the facts! Here are five recipes you need to try.

Chocolate salami … in the shape of a cake! – Italian Cuisine

The goodness of chocolate salami, but presented as a cake: the shape changes, but not the substance! A different idea for the snack

We all know the chocolate salami, a delicious dessert perfect even for one snack accompanied by hot tea on cold winter afternoons.
Preparing it is really simple and takes little time. But if we told you that it is also possible to propose it in the form of a cake? Yes, instead of in the canonical form of salami, therefore cylindrical and elongated, serve it as a classic cake. A purely aesthetic question, which does not affect the goodness of the ingredients.

Below, we provide you ingredients and procedure to prepare it at home, while in our gallery, many advice to taste it at its best and make it even more delicious.

Chocolate salami cake: the recipe

Ingredients

To prepare your cake chocolate salami, you need: 300 grams of dry biscuits, 200 grams of dark chocolate, 100 grams of sugar, 150 grams of butter or margarine and 30 grams of bitter cocoa powder.

Method

Preparation takes about 20 minutes. First, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and the chocolate in another. Meanwhile, crumble the biscuits, then place them in a bowl with the sugar and add the melted butter and chocolate. Knead with your hands. At the end, add the bitter cocoa to the mixture. Line a cake pan with plastic wrap, pour the mixture and level it with the help of the back of a spoon. Place the pan in the fridge for a couple of hours, in order to compact the dough. Before serving, sprinkle with other bitter cocoa.

Christmas snacks in the shape of a tree – Italian Cuisine

If you are looking for an idea to immediately amaze guests, these themed appetizers perfectly target the goal: they are simple to prepare and truly original and scenographic to see

Who starts well is halfway through the work, an ancient saying goes. So what to bet on if you want yours New Year's Eve dinner or the Christmas lunch succeed perfectly if you don't give them appetizers that will open on menu? To take your guests by the throat, choose some appetizing and scenographic appetizers that the guests will not be able to resist (despite numerous courses await them). A nice idea could be to bring to the table one of the most famous symbols or theChristmas tree, which can be done in different ways, all simple and rather fast, which is no small thing when you have to prepare many dishes.

Christmas tree of puff pastry

L'Christmas sapling of puff pastry it is easy to make, beautiful to look at, and even the little ones will like it. Roll out a roll of pasta puff pastry and cut strips 2 cm wide. Cut the salami in strips, arrange it on the puff pastry and sprinkle with the parmesan. If you don't like salami, you can also use other cured meats, the result will be excellent all the same. Fold the strip over itself, giving it the shape of a tree, and insert a toothpick, previously wet under water. Arrange the saplings on the baking paper, brush the surface with the milk and bake in a preheated fan oven at 220 ° for about 15 minutes. Once baked, let them cool. Cut some cubes of parmesan, which you will use as a base for the trees, and stick the toothpick inside. At the top, place aolive to decorate.

Christmas snacks: savory saplings with olives and parmesan

The savory Christmas trees made from olives and parmesan are an original and nice idea to open the party menu. Not many ingredients are needed but the result will be mouth-watering. Add 150 g of flour white and 100 g of parmesan cheese grated. Add 100 g of butter cut into pieces. Take two eggs, separate the yolks from the whites. Pour the two yolks into the mixture and keep the egg whites aside. Chop 100 g of black olives pitted and combined with the other ingredients. Knead and give the mixture the shape of a ball. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. After half an hour, take the dough and roll it out, until it has reached a thickness of about half a cm. Cut the saplings with a special shaper. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, brush with egg whites and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° for about 20 minutes. Let them cool and then serve to your guests.

Savory canapes in the shape of a Christmas tree

Perfect for the Christmas holidays, the savory canapes in the shape of a Christmas tree they are a really appetizing appetizer and go well with both meat and fish lunches, depending on the filling you decide to use. Here we propose the version with the Ham. Pour 220 g of the into the robot flour, half sachet of yeast instant, 10 g of butter or oil and 5 g of salt. Start kneading, add 1 egg and continue to mix the ingredients. Take the dough and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Spread it out and make the saplings with one shaper. The molds must be in even numbers because then you will have to overlap them. Take a mold, fill with cubes of cooked ham and cheese of your choice and close with another mold. Seal the edges with a fork to prevent the filling from coming out and decorate with pink peppercorns. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° for about 15 minutes.