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

July 20, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, dinner, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, Salads, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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

Beans and Sardines

June 21, 2023 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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.

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.

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

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

Djuvec Rice with Bell Peppers and Tomatoes Istrian Recipe

October 05, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, Appetizers, Autumnal dish, Autumnal recipe, Balkan dish, brunch, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, main course, main dish, main vegetarian course, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, one pot meal, Rustic dish, Side Dishes, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetable side dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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.

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

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.

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

Toast the rice for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

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.

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

Risotto Primavera Venetian inspired Recipe

Beans and Sardines

July 27, 2022 by tina oblak in Adriatic Recipe, child friendly dish, child friendly meal, dinner, Easy recipe, entrée course, family friendly dish, family friendly meal, first course, first course dish, first course meal, Healthy, healthy mael, hearty dish, Istrian cuisine, Istrian dish, Istrian food, Istrian gastronomy, light meal, main course, main dish, main vegetarian dish, main vegetarian meal, Nutritious, Nutritious dish, recipe from Northern Ital, Risotti, Risotto, Rustic dish, simple recipe, Slovenian cuisine, Slovenian food, Slovenian gastronomy, Spring dish, Spring recipe, Starters, summer dish, summer recipe, supper, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This classic spring vegetable risotto, using any seasonal spring vegetables, must be one of the most loved and popular dishes for all generations. This risotto is rustic, simple, and filling, and represents a genuine plate of food that puts a smile on anyone's face with the array of colours on the plate offered by the vegetables.

It can be enjoyed as a first course meal, which is traditionally what it is in Italy, or as a main course with a nice salad on the side.

This vegetarian risotto really celebrates the new season of vegetables, it is light but full of freshness and flavour and it is very satisfying. You can vary the recipe using different vegetables and combinations according to what is in season, just mix and match the vegetables that are your top favourites, add a handful of fresh roughly chopped baby spinach or broad beans a few radishes for example.

My mother has made this risotto time and time again, it was a regular mid week meal, we knew we had risotto primavera but it would be slightly different every single time depending on the variety of vegetables she would find available in the season from the market or from my paternal grandfather's vegetable patch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

300g risotto rice (like Vialone Nano, Arborio or Carnaroli)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 celery stick (about 30g), finely chopped
1 medium courgette (about 113g), sliced or diced
1 medium carrot (about 90g), peeled and sliced or diced
1 medium onion (about 100g), peeled and finely chopped
green asparagus (about 100g), wash, trim off the wooden ends and finely slice the stalks leaving the tips whole
green beans (about 50g), sliced
fresh peas in pods (about 300g), remove the peas from the pods (can use frozen petits pois, about a handful)
1 tomato (about 170g), roughly chopped
sea salt
fresh flat leaf parsley (about 4g), finely chopped
1 litre hot vegetable or chicken broth or stock (you can use instant vegetable or chicken stock powder) or hot water
Parmiggiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese, finely grated for serving, optional

Method

Before starting making risotto have your boiling hot vegetable or chicken stock (or just hot water) ready to hand for later.

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

Add all the other vegetables (except asparagus tips, if using).

Add the parsley, and cook on a gentle heat for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

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

Pour or ladle ½ litre (500ml) of hot vegetable or chicken stock, or hot water.

Cook until the first amount of liquid is absorbed then start gradually adding ladles of hot stock, one at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more.

Cook on a medium heat, stirring 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.

Add the tips of the asparagus, if using, a few minutes before the end of cooking time.

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

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

Ladle the risotto onto the plates, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese and garnish with some roughly chopped fresh parsley.

Just a thought

For even creamier texture, you can finish cooking the asparagus risotto with a typical Italian mantecare phase. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add grated cheese and a bit of cold butter or cream to the risotto when is almost finished and stir with a wooden spoon quite vigorously in order to develop that delicious creamy texture.