Sprout to be rice

Greening rice? I tried with this two ingredients risotto. Again, I know, but it's cold outside, and since I haven't got any fireplace, I have to use every mean I have to get warmer. 

Here in Brussels, the place where these lovely small sprouts come from, nobody really likes them. So, I thought i should try and make them more appealing. Boiled? Or braised with that greasy bacon, you still hide in your fridge? I don't think so. Try with some rice, split peas ( although they tend to stick together, so I think they're not really convinced about their choice to separate). Enjoy your greens!

Ingredients

fall risotto

 If you read the title of this recipe and thought " where is it going to fall?" or " oh no!", well maybe I need to set things straight. It's an autumn /fall risotto, as in a dish typical of the season, since I'll be using mushrooms and pumpkin, if there's any left after you're done carving for Halloween. No need to use butter, parmesan ( with mushrooms, are you crazy?!)..just stir in some mushrooms, fresh or dried you decide ( I used porcini, a special treat I have in my cupboard), and then add some diced pumpkin, since "orange is the new black". Enjoy your fall..er, autumn!

Ingredients 

All saints bread

 It's that (spooky) time of the year. And on this day, in Siena, my hometown, we usually eat this traditional dessert, " All saints bread", walnuts and sultanas being "the saints". While waiting for trick or treating, or for children to knock on you door, you can take your bowl, mix some flour, raisins and nuts, and then go out until, once the dough has proven, you can bake the whole mix, watch it while it rises in the oven. Not sweet nor savoury..salt and pepper make the trick!

Ingredients

200 g flour

100g sugar

100ml Tuscan extra virgin olive oil

8g dry yeast / 15g fresh yeast

 Vin santo ( dessert wine)

200ml  water

100g raisins

50 g walnuts

10g salt

ground pepper

Rehydrate raisins in wine (or hot water) and, then, drain them. Stir fry roughly chopped walnuts. Meanwhile, mix the yeast with water, till it becomes frothy. Let it sit for one hour. 

In a bowl stir together  the yeast with flour, sugar, salt, pepper, walnuts, raisins, and oil. Knead to form a smooth dough. Put it on a baking tray, make a cross on top of it and bake for 30-40min at 200°.