Panada - Venetian Style Bread Soup Recipe

Panada is a bread soup that has porridge like consistency, it is smooth and delicate in flavour, it is perfect for colder months as it is filling, and great when you want to use up and recycle all that stale bread you are not quite sure what to do with it.

It is similar to other types of soups, where stale bread is used as a main ingredient, like Soupe valpellinentze (Valle d'Aosta), Suppa cauta from the Italian island of Sardegna and Tuscan Pancotto (pancotto literally meaning cooked bread) just to mention a few.

In all honesty, this dish would not quite qualify to fall into a category of the most appealing of dishes at a first glance. The recipe for this soup only calls for three main ingredients, stale bread, broth or stock and extra virgin olive oil, and the success of this dish, as it is so simple, really lies in using exceptionally good quality ingredients.

It is hard to imagine that this incredibly humble soup that fed the poorest of the poor was created in today's one of the wealthiest regions of Italy, Veneto. This was not always the case as Veneto used to be one of the least prosperous regions of Italy where people had to be incredibly resourceful and creative with the ingredients they had. This is the dish that older generations, including my nona, remembers with both great fondness and melancholy, as it was prepared very often in their youth, during the World War II, but also during the years that followed.It was ideal for small children and the elderly, and it was traditionally also prepared during the Lent.

My nona shared with me that in Slovenian Istra, Panada (without the use of cheese) used to be a common site on the dinner tables. This would come as no surprise as this part of land used to be ruled by the Serenissima, ‘The most Serene Republic of Venice,’ which significantly shaped the gastronomic habits in this region.

Nowadays, Panada is one of those dishes that most of the younger generation have never heard of or even never tasted. This is an almost forgotten dish, in this day and age, it is a rarely cooked soup in homes, and most certainly not offered, or found on the menus in restaurants.

I am sharing here this much treasured family recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400g stale bread (rustic type of loaf is particularly indicated)

• extra virgin olive oil, a generous drizzle or to taste, and some extra to serve

• 1.5 litre beef, chicken or vegetable broth (preferably homemade but you can use a really good quality store bought stock)

• sea salt

• black pepper

• grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, to serve, optional (you can use any hard cheese you like)

Method

Thinly slice stale loaf of bread.

Place the slices in a pan in layers.

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Cover with beef, chicken or vegetable warm broth or stock, and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.

Leave to stand for about 40 minutes and allow the bread to thoroughly absorb the liquid.

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Place the pan on a stove and cook on a very gentle heat for about 45 minutes stirring quite frequently but gently.

When is fully cooked you should end up with a smooth, creamy and velvety bread soup.

Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Serve hot with grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese or other type of hard cheese of your preference, optional, and a drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Just a thought

If you want to make this recipe intentionally, and not because of the left over bread, you can also buy a fresh rustic loaf from the shop and keep it out until it dries a bit, and then use it.

Classic Tomato, Cucumber, Pepper and Onion Summer Salad Istrian Recipe

This colourful cucumber, tomato, pepper and onion salad is very refreshing, and it is made during the summer when the vegetables are at their best and in abundance.

It is absolutely delicious, so easy to make, it hardly takes any effort.

It is traditionally served as a side dish to accompany grilled meats, but can be enjoyed as a main meal on a hot summer's day when you want to keep things easy.

To make it more substantial, I simply toast a piece bread, cut it into cubes and mix it into the salad (resembling a concept of Italian, Tuscan, Panzanella salad).

If you ever had a chance to travel along the Istrian coast or Dalmatia (in Croatia) and asked in the restaurant for a side salad, it is most likely that you were brought this one. It is an absolute classic during the summer season as the vegetables in this salad have a very high content of water and therefore the salad is very cooling.

This type of salad has been on the dinner tables of the locals – well, since forever, during the summer months almost on a daily basis.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4 (as a side salad)

• 1 yellow bell pepper (can use orange, red or green bell pepper)

• 1 medium-large cucumber

• 2-4 tomatoes (depending on the size, I used vine tomatoes each weighing roughly 170g) Make sure you use in season, ripe and juicy tomatoes (can use San Marzano tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, beef tomatoes, grape tomatoes or a variety of your preference).

• red onion or salad onion (about 40g), sliced

• a few fresh basil leaves, torn, or dry oregano (optional)

  For the dressing

• extra virgin olive oil, generous drizzle

• red or white wine vinegar, a drizzle

• sea salt, to taste

• black pepper, to taste

Method

Peel and slice the cucumber into coins and place into a big salad bowl.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the bowl.

Slice the bell pepper and the onions and put into the bowl.

Mix gently all the vegetables.

Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, a drizzle of vinegar, season with sea salt and black pepper.

For extra dimension, in terms of flavour, sprinkle the salad with a bit of dried oregano or with a few freshly torn basil leaves.

Toss and serve.

Summer Risotto with Fresh Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

This light and fresh summer risotto is made with juicy and ripe tomatoes that are in season, and it is a great alternative to a very much loved and more common pasta with tomatoes sauce.

It is low in budget, healthy, incredibly easy and simple to make, an ideal solution for a midweek lunch or dinner, it can be served as first course or as a main paired with grilled or pan fried fish or meat.

During the whole of the summer season, and especially during the summer holidays, my mother would make this colourful risotto quite often, this is the time of the year when the the tomatoes are at their peak, the ripest and the sweetest, and they are in abundance.

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for this humble and delicious summer tomato risotto served with freshly torn fragrant basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, you will come back to this recipe time and time again.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped

• 500g vine tomatoes or other variety of ripe and sweet tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped

• 300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)

• a few fresh basil leaves

• 1 litre of hot vegetable broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable stock powder)

• a bit of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• sea salt

• ground black pepper

• a handful of Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, optional

• a knob of butter, optional

Method

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable stock ready to hand for later.

Put extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add finely chopped onions, a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes on a gentle heat until cooked down and soft.

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Add roughly chopped tomatoes, a few basil leaves, put the lid on and cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes should be fully cooked and broken down.

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Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

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Pour or ladle a bit of hot vegetable stock and cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed.

Start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more (you might not need all the stock).

There should be enough liquid just to cover the risotto, the Italians say that a risotto should be smooth and runny enough to be described as all'onda, on the wave.

Cook on a medium heat, siring almost constantly, until the rice is cooked al dente (meaning fully cooked but still a bit firm when bitten).

It should roughly take between 15-18 minutes for a risotto to be cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with black pepper (if using) and sea salt, but this might not be necessary since the stocks from the stores generally speaking contain salt already.

Stir in finely chopped fresh leaf parsley.

For even creamier texture and a slightly richer flavour you can finish cooking the tomato risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase (as soon as the risotto is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a knob of cold butter to the risotto, and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously).

Serve immediately while the risotto is still hot and a bit runny in consistency.

Ladle the risotto onto the plates and sprinkle with some roughly chopped fresh parsley and a few basil leaves for garnish and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Valle Isarco Müller Thurgau DOC "Sass Rigais" 2021 - Manni Nössing

Austrian Style (no mayo) Potato Salad Recipe

This recipe for Austrian style potato salad uses sliced boiled potatoes and a simple dressing made with olive oil and vinegar and no use of mayonnaise, which makes it very light and fresh.

It can be enjoyed as a main dish and it is most commonly pared with a famous Wiener schnitzel and breaded fillets of fish.

Great dish to add into your picnic baskets and great side dish to barbecued meat, fish and vegetables, and a great addition to any selection on a buffet table.

This potato salad is best made ahead allowing the potatoes to soak and absorb the light vinaigrette, this makes it very juicy and succulent.

The beauty of this salad is that it can be enjoyed and eaten warm, at a room temperature or chilled in the fridge (perfect for hot summer days).

In Slovenia, up and down the country this is a dish (Krompirjeva Solata) that is prepared in the households and canteen on a regular basis and sometimes found in local family run restaurants.

I am sharing here the recipe for this humble and very tasty potato salad that has been prepared and enjoyed for generations in my family.

To this basic potato salad you can add hard boiled eggs and other types of raw vegetables, this is not however the way it is traditionally eaten.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g waxy potatoes (like new or baby potatoes, Jersey Royal, Charlotte and similar, they have smooth and dense flesh that holds its shape when cooked; for this recipe I used miniature potatoes)

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 50ml white wine vinegar (can use cider vinegar)

• onion (about 30g or to taste), peeled and finely chopped, optional

• fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped roughly or finely to your preference

• 100ml cold water

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Wash the potatoes, place them into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil, cover with a lid and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked and tender (for small, baby potatoes it should take between 8-12 minutes).

Alternatively, you can cook the potatoes with your preferred method like steaming or microwaving.

Drain well and peel the potatoes when still warm (as soon as you can handle them).

Slice them and transfer into a serving salad dish.

Pour over cold water and let the potatoes cool completely (pouring cold water over warm potatoes stops the potatoes absorb too much dressing, therefore the potato salad stays nice and moist).

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While the potatoes are cooling, prepare the dressing.

In a small bowl pour olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, black pepper and whisk well. Add finely chopped onions.

Pour the dressing over sliced potatoes and mix very gently so the potatoes do not break completely (some will break, and this is normal).

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Taste and adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Spinach Roll made with Potato Gnocchi Dough Istrian Recipe

This classic dish is absolutely perfect in its simplicity, it is Austro-Hungarian in origin, and it represents a great comfort food. It is also vegetarian friendly, and looks quite impressive, but in reality is not that difficult to make. What you need is a bit of extra time to spare in the kitchen. It is the dish that will with no doubt impress your family and friends, whether you serve it as a warm starter or as a main dish.

Potato gnocchi dough roll is filled with spinach, boiled, sliced and traditionally served with the gravy or the juices left after roasting a piece of meat, different types of meat ragù, sage butter sauce and freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, and it can be served in a less traditional way with a tomato sauce.

This dish is typically found in the territories that once belonged to Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Slovenian Istria, where I come from, neighbouring city of Trieste in Italy and the surrounding areas and it used to be prepared exclusively during the festivities. My nona told me that the characteristic filling for this dish along the Slovenian coast would be caramelized onions and pancetta a no use of ricotta cheese in the spinach filling.

This special plate of food is a perfect example of ‘recipes without the borders’ in terms of the ingredients and the name of the dish itself, a true testimony of a gastronomic osmosis between different border cultures.

The name of the dish in standard Italian is Strucolo, which is the Italianization of the Slovenian word štrukelj, which itself has originated from a German word strudel. In fact, in German this dish is known as savoury Potato and spinach Strudel, and has very often a ricotta cheese and sliced cooked ham as a filling.

What is particular about this dish is the way it is cooked, the roll gets wrapped in an old piece of kitchen cloth “straza in the local dialect” and then gently boiled in hot water, hence its name Strucolo de spinaze in straza (Rotolo di spinaci cotto nel canavoccio in standard Italian).

Sadly this dish is very rarely found in the restaurants and almost exclusively prepared in households with a wide variety of fillings, (sautéed mushrooms and sliced cooked ham) and very often fresh pasta is used instead of potato gnocchi dough, and there are also a number of sweet variations using different types of fruit and nuts.I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this very special and traditional spinach roll made with potato gnocchi dough and simple spinach filling that still today is prepared during festive periods or to mark a special occasion.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 people

For gnocchi pasta dough

• 500g floury, yellow fleshed potatoes e.g. King Edward, Maris Piper, red skin potatoes (avoid new potatoes and choose the potatoes that are more or less the same size)

• 150g all purpose flour, plus some extra

• 1 small egg (can use just egg yolk of a medium or big egg)

• sea salt, a pinch

For spinach filling

• 450-500g fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed

• 15g butter

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt

• nutmeg, grated

For sage butter sauce

• a few fresh sage leaves, roughly torn

• 150g butter

• Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, for serving

Recipe

Method

Potato gnocchi dough

Wash the potatoes, with the skin on,  under cold running water.

Place the potatoes, with their skin on, in a pot or in a large saucepan, add plenty of water so the potatoes are completely submerged in the water and bring to boil (you can use boiling hot water directly from the kettle to reduce cooking time).

After the water has come to a boil,  cook for about 20-30 minutes or until tender.  Cooking time will obviously vary depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. You  can check that the potatoes are fully cooked by inserting the toothpick into the potato, it should easily enter the pulp of the potato.  Alternatively, you can steam the potatoes or cook them in the microwave oven.

While the potatoes are cooking prepare the spinach filling (see below).

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and let them cool enough to handle, then remove the skin.If the potatoes are still quite warm to handle, the best way to remove the skin is to stick the fork through the potato and peel it using a knife.

On a working surface or on a large wooden board (you can use a pasta board if you have one), pass the potatoes through a potato ricer.

Make a well, add the flour and a pinch of sea salt.

Make another well in the middle of the flour and crack the egg in it.

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With the fork slightly whisk the egg inside the well, and as you do so pick up the flour as you go around the well.

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Mix together and form a soft dough which should not stick to your fingers or the surface. If this is the case add a little flour at a time.

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Spinach filling

Put the washed spinach in pot with hot boiling water and blanch it for a few minutes.

Drain in the colander and let it cool down a bit. When cold enough to handle, squeeze out by hand as much as liquid as you can.

Place the spinach on a chopping board and finely chop.

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Put the butter and olive oil in a non stick frying pan and let the butter melt. Add the spinach, a pinch of sea salt and a good grating of nutmeg.

Sautéed for a few minutes, stirring frequently then turn the heat off and set aside.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Allow to cool completely.

Cut a piece of a non stick baking parchment into a 50 x 40cm rectangle and place it on the working surface and sprinkle it lightly with the flour.

Place the gnocchi dough on the baking parchment and, with the help of slightly floured rolling pin, spread out the gnocchi dough roughly in the shape of a rectangle 38 x 29cm.

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Spoon the spinach mixture over the dough and spread it evenly.

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With the help of baking parchment start rolling up the dough into the shape of a log from a long end (as if you were making a Swiss roll).

Press down each end to seal, and wrap the paper around the roll.

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Tight the ends with the kitchen twine, alternatively you can wrap the roll in an aluminium foil to help the roll keep its shape.

Place the roll in a pot, making sure you choose the pot big enough to accommodate the roll sitting horizontally without bending it (use a fish pot if you have one or an oval shape pan).

Fill it with water, can be boiling hot straight from the kettle, so the roll is almost completely submerged, the water should just cover the roll.

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Bring to boil, turn the heat down, cover with the lid, and gently simmer for 30 minute.

Remove the roll onto a chopping board and allow to cool for a few minutes.

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Cut the twine, unwrap the roll and remove the baking parchment.

Slice the roll with a very sharp knife (slicing will be easier if you wet the knife with cold water).

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Place the slices onto serving plates and spoon over a few tablespoons of sage butter and sprinkle with plenty of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, and a little bit of finely freshly grated nutmeg, this is optional but it really does enhance the delicate flour of the dish.

Alternatively you can also gratinate the dish. Arrange the slices in a previously buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with plenty of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, spoon over a few tablespoons of melted butter and gratin in a previously hot oven at 200C, for about 20 minutes, or until nice golden in colour. This is a great option if you want to make the dish ahead of a time (simmer the roll, wrap it in aluminium foil and keep it in a fridge for up to a day before slicing and baking).

Sage butter

Put the butter in a small saucepan, heat it gently and add the sage leaves. Cook on a gentle heat until the butter begins to colour and the foam has subsided.

Wine suggestione

Colline Pescaresi Passerina IGT "Chronicon" 2021 - Zaccagnini

Sliced Fennel and Rocket Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon Dressing Istrian Recipe

This simple and fresh salad makes a full-flavoured side dish and will sit nicely along side any main course. It is quick and easy to make, all you need is a few fennel bulbs, rocket leaves and uncomplicated olive oil and lemon dressing. It can also be enjoyed as a main salad if you are looking for a nutritious and light meal recipe.

Raw fennel can be quite fibrous, but when sliced very thinly and mixed with some salad leaves it really makes a wonderful salad.

Wild rocket has been used as a culinary herb since Roman times, and this peppery leaves was a little known weed.

Fennel and wild rocket salad has been popular along the coast of Slovenian Istria, where I come from, long before wild rocket became “fashionable” and mass produced for the supermarkets and food stores.

Along the Slovenian coast and inland Istria wild rocket grows naturally on the fields and other areas with dry and poor soil (close to typical Istrian dry stone walls), and has been foraged by the locals since – well, since forever, and they mixed wild rocket leaves with other types of salad leaves to make a variety of different salads. My 96 year old nona remembers very vividly picking it.

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I am sharing here this traditional and unpretentious shaved fennel and rocket leaves salad recipe that will bring freshness to your dinner table, and for extra flavour and a bit of crunchy texture you can top this salad with walnut kernels or lightly toasted pine nuts.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 2 fennel bulbs

• pack of rocket leaves (about 60-100g)

• juice of ½ of lemon, or to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, a drizzle, or to taste

• sea salt

• a handful of walnut kernels, optional

Method

Wash fennel bulbs under cold running water and dry them with kitchen paper or kitchen towel.

Place the bulbs on the chopping board and cut off the hard hollow stalks from the bulb which are quite tough and very fibrous.

Cut the feathery fronds from the stalks if you are using them for this dish for adding extra flavour and garnish.

Trim off a thin layer of the root end of the bulb (the base of the fennel bulb).

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Thinly slice the bulb using a sharp knife or ideally mandoline slicer, if you have one.

Transfer the fennel slices into a big salad bowl and add rocket leaves.

Season with sea salt, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Toss together, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Sprinkle and scatter a few walnut kernels and fennel fronds, if using.

Serve immediately directly from a salad bowl or pile onto plates.

Szegedin Goulash – Hungarian style Sauerkraut and Pork meat stew Recipe

This traditional, Hungarian in origin stew, is flavourful, hearty and comforting, made by slowly simmering sauerkraut with pork  and enriched by adding sweet ground Hungarian paprika and caraway seeds. If you are a lover of a sauerkraut, this stew could not be more perfect during colder months,  and it can easily become a vegetarian and vegan friendly dish, just by omitting the meat , however, Rosl Philpot in her book, Viennese Cookery, Hodder and Stoughton Limited 1965, indicates that this dish, “It's definitely not for dainty appetites, nor for those who dislike Sauerkraut”. 

Although this particular type of goulash is well known and famous in Hungary, it is also very popular in Germany and Austria, where it is called Szegedinergoulash,  and in all the other countries that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including Slovenia, where this stew has established itself, and it is a very much loved dish and simply called Segedin. 

It is cooked, up and down the country with slight variations, mainly in households, although it is sometimes found on the menus in more informal family run restaurants where more rustic dishes are served. 

Variations of this stew could include the use of smoked or unsmoked lardons or sliced bacon which is fried together with the onions and the garlic and sometimes all-purpose flour would be used to thicken the stew. 

The origin of this dish is disputed and it is believed that the stew was originated in the Hungarian town of Szeged, hence the dish is called 'Szeged goulash,' the other theory leads us to believe the legend that says that the dish was accidentality invented  by the famous 19th century Hungarian poet, lawyer, and journalist  Jozseff Székély, and consequently the name of the dish could also be called Székelygulyása or  Székely Gulyás.  

The legend says the poet once walked into a guest house where he was told, due to late hours, they only had some sauerkraut and some cooked meat left. He ordered them to mix the two together and to heat it up, and this is how the sauerkraut goulash was born. 

I simply love this stew and grew up with it. My mum would always make a huge pot of it, ideally a day in advance, so all the flavours can mix well and absorb. This dish has such a distinctive aroma that when I was coming home from school, I could smell it even before I walked through the door. I knew very well that I would soon be having a very warm, comforting meal, especially welcome on cold days.   

This is an old peasant food at its very best and I am sharing here my mother's recipe. 

Recipe

Ingredients 

• 4 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil 

• onions (about 200g), peeled and finely chopped 

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 

• about 500g pork shoulder or pork shoulder steaks, trimmed off excessive fat and diced 

• 1 jar of sauerkraut (about 650g drained sauerkraut) Taste the sauerkraut before cooking it, if too acidic for your liking, put it in a colander and give it a quick rinse under cold running water. 

• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dry 

• 1 Tbsp sweet ground Hungarian paprika, or to taste 

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste 

• ¼ Tsp caraway seeds, crushed in pestle and mortar (can use whole caraway seeds if you do not have pestle and mortar) 

• 5 black peppercorn or juniper berries 

• sea salt 

• black ground pepper 

• sour cream, for serving, optional 

Method 

Put the oil in a fairly large pan, stewing pot or casserole dish. Add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a pinch of sea salt and cook, on a medium-low heat stirring occasionally,  until golden in colour and soft. 

Add diced pork and brown the meat on all sides. 

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Lower the heat and add sauerkraut, bay leaf, sweet paprika, tomato paste, crushed caraway seeds, peppercorns or juniper berries, a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of ground black pepper. 

Add enough water to completely cover the sauerkraut and pork, stir with a wooden spoon. 

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Bring to a boil, partially cover with the lid and gently simmer for about two hours, giving it a little stir now and again. 

Sauerkraut and pork meat stew is ready when you achieve the desired consistency, most of the liquid should evaporated but you should not end up with a dry dish. 

If you think the stew is too thick simply add some more water. If on the other hand you like your stew thicker cook further without the lid. 

Serve hot with mashed potatoes, cooked rice, bread dumplings, fried potato gnocchi crescents, boiled or oven roasted potatoes or simply with some nice rustic crunchy bread. 

Just a thought 

For this stew you can use different quantity of meat and sauerkraut, it really is a question of preference, you cannot get the recipe wrong. 

Sauerkraut and pork meat goulash will keep well in the fridge in the airtight container for up to four days and is suitable for freezing. 

If serving with a dollop of sour cream do that just before serving. 

Wine suggestion

Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva DOC “Senes” 2017 - Argiolas

Sautéed Mushrooms with onions, garlic and fresh parsley Istrian Recipe

Sautéed mushrooms in olive oil with onions, garlic and fresh parsley is super delicious in its simplicity, it is vegetarian and vegan friendly, and one of the most versatile dishes.

The Slovenian coast, where I come from, this is the most traditional way of eating sautéed mushrooms. It can be served on a bed of soft cooked or grilled polenta or with scrambled eggs and some rustic crunchy bread to go with it.

This nourishing delicacy with its intense flavour is a fantastic side dish alongside roasted chicken, pan fried chicken breast, steaks or other grilled meats.

Mushrooms, in terms of flavour and texture, are a great substitute and alternative to a meat dish and therefore make a very satisfying main course served with mashed potatoes or cooked rice, on toasted bread or bruschetta, as topping on a pizza, as a base for a risotto, a soup, a stew, or a sauce, used in a sandwich, and is a great topping for a canapé.

This dish would be traditionally cooked with wild mushrooms picked by the locals in the late summer and in early autumn in the fields and in the shadows of the dense woods and forests.

Most commonly picked mushrooms would be porcini, chanterelles and parasols, the latter being a real treat when coated in breadcrumbs and shallow fried. Wild mushrooms would also be preserved in olive oil, dried and frozen to be enjoyed during the months when they are no longer in season and impossible to forage.

Slovenians are a very keen and passionate mushroom hunters and local authorities impose increasingly strict limitations about the quantity of the mushrooms allowed to be foraged.  

I carry with me very fond  childhood memories of long walks with my maternal grandparents, close relatives, or family friends, and returning home with a wicker basket full of wild mushrooms. It was rather magical, despite the fact, that as a small girl, I never quite managed to encounter in the woods any wizards, elves, or dwarfs featured in many European folk tales for the children.

I am sharing here this simple but super tasty recipe that you can make with wild or store bought mushrooms.

Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 800-900g mixed mushrooms of your choice (I used a combination of chestnut mushrooms, baby button mushrooms, Oyster, Shiitake, King Oyster and Portobello mushrooms), cleaned and sliced

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• onion (about 90g), peeled and finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

• fresh flat leaf parsley (about a handful),  finely chopped

• sea salt

• black pepper

Method

Put olive oil in a fairly large shallow cast iron dish or frying pan, add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a pinch of sea salt and cook for a few minutes on a gentle heat until the onions become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

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Add sliced mushrooms and stir in with the onions and garlic. Add sea salt and black pepper.

Cook the mushrooms on a medium heat, for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, or until all the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are fully cooked, but still firm (al dente).

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.

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Turn the heat off and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.

Serve hot or at room temperature on a bed of soft cooked or grilled polenta, mashed potatoes, on a toasted bread or bruschetta, as topping on a pizza, as a base for a risotto, a soup or a sauce, and excellent with scrambled eggs and some rustic crunchy bread. 

Just a thought

Keep sautéed mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for no longer than 2-3 days.

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

Djuvec Rice with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

Djuvec (frequently spelled Ðuveč and pronounced Joo-vetch) is a one pot rice dish, and a bit of a hidden gem in the gastronomic world.  It is very commonly found in South-Eastern Europe in countries like Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and other Balkan countries, and  perhaps it is not very well known to the rest of the world. 

This vegetarian and vegan friendly dish is one of my absolute favourites, it is incredibly simple and quick to make, healthy, and is really delicious. It is also a very practical dish. It can be prepared ahead of time, and it makes a fantastic addition to more familiar picnic foods and buffets at parties. 

Djuvec is always a big hit with friends and family at the barbecue gatherings, as it is  traditionally served at a room temperature as a side dish, and makes a great paring to pan fried or grilled vegetables, fish or  different type of meats like Ćevapčići (small pieces of rolled grilled mince meat) and Ražnjići (grilled pork meat on skewers). 

It can also be served hot or warm as a main mail, maybe with a side salad, as an alternative to a tasty, and perhaps,  more frequently cooked, well known and much loved a classic Italian risotto. 

It is often made during the summer, end of summer and early autumn with main ingredients being onions, red, orange or yellow bell peppers and tomatoes, and often peas, ajvar (sweet roasted red pepper spread) and powdered paprika is added to a basic recipe to create a very common variations of this dish. 

I am sharing here my mum's super delicious one pot pepper and tomato rice dish that she used to make time and time again, just try it, I promise you, you will came back to this “off the beaten track recipe” that my family and my friends simply adore, and cannot get enough of it. 

Recipe

Ingredients 

Serves 4-6 

• 3 Tbsp virgin olive oil or olive oil 

• 1-2 onions (about 250g), peeled and finely chopped 

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 

• 2 red bell peppers (about 400g), wash, dry, remove the seeds and white filaments and cut into small cubes (for this recipe you can also use yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination) 

• few vine tomatoes or other types of ripe and sweet tomatoes (about 300g) washed, quartered and roughly chopped 

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste 

• 300g long grain rice 

• 600ml vegetable stock or instant vegetable stock powder 

• sea salt 

• black pepper 

• fresh flat leaf parsley for serving, roughly chopped, optional 

Method 

Place olive oil in a fairly large shallow cast iron casserole dish or frying pan, add finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, a generous pinch of sea salt and  cook for about 10 minutes on a gentle heat until the onions become soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. 

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Add small cubes of bell peppers and stir in with the onions and garlic, cook further for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

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Transfer roughly chopped tomatoes to the pan, add tomato paste, mix and cook for 10 minutes or so  or until the tomatoes are soft and cooked down, stirring occasionally. 

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Add the rice to the pan, stir with the onion, pepper and tomato mixture 

Toast the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

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Pour vegetable stock in the pan and bring to boil. 

Turn the heat down to a minimum, put the lid on and cook for about 20 minutes without stirring. 

Halfway through cooking time, very gently move about the rice with the fork. 

Serve hot or at room temperature. 

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Sprinkle some roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, optional.

Just a thought 

This dish is not suitable for freezing and will keep in an airtight container in a fridge for a few days. 

Wine suggestion

Alto Adige Valle Isarco Kerner DOC 2021 - Pacher Hof

Sautéed Aubergines with garlic and parsley Istrian Recipe

This simple and rustic aubergine side dish is light and full of flavour. It can also be enjoyed in less traditional way, spread on bruschetta, toasted bread, as a topping on a pizza, and it can be mixed with rice, or used as a base for a pasta sauce. 

Sautéed aubergines in garlic and parsley infused oil is an unpretentious dish, very easy to make and typically prepared in the households along the Slovenian coast, where my nona lives. She told me that her family had a lovely vegetable garden where aubergines grew during the summer months and early autumn. The best ones were picked and sold on the market, just across the Italian border, in Trieste, where they fetched good money. Only the wonky and imperfect ones, but most certainly not less tasty, were left behind for domestic use. They were cooked in delicious home-made extra virgin olive oil flavoured with garlic and fresh parsley and accompanied by potatoes or polenta. 

This is not the dish that you would normally find in restaurants, with the glimpse of sadness in my nona's eyes, and a slight sense of embarrassment, she explained to me that this dish is “too simple” and  is part of what  “the modern world” defines as “the food of the poor” (more widely known as the Italian concept of Cucina Povera). However, it is slightly intriguing, since without her realizing it, this is precisely one of the kinds of dishes that are becoming increasingly popular and appreciated by many people. 

What is interesting about this dish is that visually cooked aubergines resemble more closely mushrooms than aubergines. This is why Italians call a very similar and typical aubergine side dish from the Campania region in southern Italy, Melanzane a Funghetto (Mushroom-style aubergines ). 

I am sharing here my nona's recipe for this delicious and humble sautéed aubergines with garlic and  fresh parsley. 

Ingredients 

Serves 4 

• 1 kg aubergines 

• 5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled 

• handful of fresh flat leaf parsley (about 13g) plus some extra for garnishing,  finely chopped 

• sea salt 

• black pepper, optional 

Method 

Wash the aubergines and dry them, remove the stem. 

Cut each aubergine into quarters lengthwise and check for the amount of seeds. If there is a considerable amount of seeds, eliminate and remove the central part containing the higher concentration of the seeds.   

Cut the rest of the aubergine into a fairly small and thin regular-sized chunks. 

Transfer the aubergine pieces into a colander, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and place it over a bowl or into the sink so the bitter juices can drain away (avoiding the aubergines to taste bitter) during a sweating process (about 30 minutes).  This phase will help to loose the liquid avoiding the aubergines tasting bitter.   Squeeze very gently. 

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Pour the oil in a fairly large frying pan and sauté a whole garlic until golden in colour . 

Stir in chopped parsley and add aubergine pieces. 

Mix well so all the aubergine chunks are coated in oil and parsley. 

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Simmer in an open pan, on a fairly gentle heat, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking at the bottom of the pan and burn, or until they release most of their liquid and the skin starts to have the same kind of texture as mushrooms. The aubergine pieces should be nice and  soft but not mushy. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper. 

Fish out and remove garlic clove, discard. 

Sprinkle with a bit of roughly chopped fresh parsley. 

Serve hot, warm or at a room temperature. 

Just a thought

Aubergines cooked this way are mainly served as a side dish but they can also be enjoyed in less traditional way, spread on bruschetta, toasted bread, canapes, as a topping on a pizza, and they can be mixed with rice, or used as a base for a pasta sauce. 

Wine suggestion

Collio Friulano DOC 2021 - Ronchi di Cialla

Crispy Breaded Courgettes Istrian Recipe

Crispy breaded courgettes is one of the most most loved dishes and a total crowd pleaser. It consists of slicing the courgettes, dredging them into a flour, then dipping them into whisked eggs, coating them with breadcrumbs and quickly shallow fried them until golden and crispy, which makes them utterly delicious, irresistible and scrumptious, you just cannot stop eating them! This dish will become an instant hit and breaded courgettes will disappear from the serving plate in no time!

Try to prepare courgettes this way when they are in full season and abundant, I can almost guarantee you, that the most reluctant courgette eaters will be converted in eating this summertime vegetable with delight.

This dish is also fun to make, and if you have children, try to involve them in the breading process, they will absolutely love it, but make sure they are as far away as possible, in a nicest way, during frying.

Breaded courgettes are ideally eaten hot as soon as they are fried with some mashed potatoes, a seasonal salad, but also incredibly delicious at the room temperature and offered as a part of a buffet, great used as a filler in a sandwich (add a bit of fresh rocket salad and spread a slice of bread with a bit of mayonnaise, basil or vegetarian pesto, and you will have a sandwich that is to die for).

This dish can be made ahead and stored which makes it an ideal picnic food, you bring this dish with you on a picnic, and you will stand out from the crowd and have no chance to bringing back home any leftovers...

I am sharing here my mother's recipe for crispy breaded courgettes, one of whole family's absolute favourite plates of food.

I simply adored this dish as a child, and nothing much has really changed since...

Ingredients

Serves 4

• fresh courgettes, medium size (approximately 700-800g)

• 2-3 eggs (the number of the eggs needed depends on their size and on the quantity of the courgettes you are using)

• dry breadcrumbs

• plain flour

• sea salt

• black pepper, optional

• oil for frying

Method

Wash the courgettes under cold running water and dry them with the kitchen paper or a clean kitchen towel.

Place the courgettes on a chopping board and cut off the ends.

With the knife or a mandolin slicer, slice the courgettes into a 4-5mm thick slices (if the courgettes are big, and you find them difficult to slice vertically, cut each courgette in half first, and then slice).

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Prepare three dishes for flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.

Put the flour in a wide shallow bowl, dish or on a plate (I just use a piece of baking paper, fold it when I finish, and use it the next time)

Put the eggs in another shallow bowl or dish (big enough to accommodate one or two slices of courgettes at the same time) whisk lightly and season with sea salt and black pepper, if using. I suggest you use two eggs to start with, and crack another one, if two are not enough.

Put the breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl, dish or plate.

Start the breading process.

Dredge each slice of courgettes into flour making sure everything is coated and gently shake off the excess.

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Dip the floured slice of the courgette into a whisked egg, turn to coat, make sure all the sides are covered in egg, and let drip off excessive egg.

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Coat in breadcrumbs and press a bit so the breadcrumbs adhere well and shake off gently the excess.

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Repeat the process until you have used all the courgette slices.

Breaded courgettes can be shallow fried or baked in the oven.

Frying method

Pour oil into a large frying pan, about 1cm, and heat it over a medium heat (how much oil you need will depend on how big your frying pan is)

Once oil is hot, add breaded courgette slices, a few at time without overcrowding the pan (this will bring the oil temperature down)

Fry for about one minute on each side or until the breadcrumbs turn golden-brown in colour.

Transfer fried courgettes onto a dish lined with kitchen paper to allow excess oil to be absorbed.

If the slices are lined in layers, make sure you put a kitchen paper between every layer.

Baked in the oven method

Line large baking tray with a non stick baking parchment and place sliced bread courgettes on a tray, one next to each other, spray or drizzle with olive oil and bake in a preheat oven at 200 C static or equivalent for about 20 minutes or until golden-brown in colour.

Just a thought

I have shared here the basic recipe for crispy breaded courgettes, but if you wish to add additional flavour to the dish, you can add some fresh finely chopped flat leaf parsley in whisked egg and some grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese in breadcrumbs.

You can store crispy breaded courgettes in an airtight container in the fridge for about two days.

This dish is not suitable for freezing.

If you wish to prepare this courgette dish in advance, it is a good idea to store the uncooked and not fried breaded slices of courgettes in an airtight container in the fridge, and just before frying, “refresh” the breadcrumbs coating by covering the slices in breadcrumbs once again, this will give you a crunchy coating.

A vary tasty variation of this dish is using mushrooms or aubergines instead of courgettes.

Wine suggestion

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut - Nino Franco