Tigella Bread of Modena ( Italy)

Modena is located in Emilia Romagna, known as the culinary bread basket of Italy. Tigelle are the quintessential food of Modena, a symbol of pride. 

In Modena, many people own a cast iron tigelliera (see photo) to make their tigelle stovetop. It is also common there to have an electric tigelliera cooking device. You can also use your griddle on the stove top.. Since I do not own a cast iron tigelliera, made this on a stove top sandwich toaster .  Don't worry, the result will still be satisfying.

   

This week for BM I choose International Flat Breads.  When I was looking up wiki I found this name.  Looked up google to find more about it.  I was easy to make since it uses the normal bread dough.  But as you read above it requires a special mold. One look at it and I decided to use the stove top sandwich toaster and let me tell you got amazing results.. Once baked, tigelle have a soft center, and a crisp crust. To be eaten, they are split open with a knife, then filled in a variety of ways.

You  must try this recipe its keeper and can be had with any filling as a brunch too

Ingredients

1.1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1.1/4 Teaspoon Instant yeast
2 Tablespoons Oil
1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water and more to knead into a soft dough

Method

Mix the yeast into the warm water and stir.
Add the salt to the flour and then the oil. Mix the oil into the flour first,  till it looks like bread crumbs.  Add the yeast, sugar, water and mix to make a soft dough. Knead the dough until smooth. Cover and let rise for an hour. I kneaded the dough in the previous morning and kept it in the refrigerator.  The next day it had risen perfectly.

Roll out the dough to about 3/4 ” high. Use the top of a water glass / katori or bottle cover to cut disks. ( make sure it fits in the gas sandwich toaster mold).

Cover and let rise again for about 10 to 15 minutes.  I made half of the dough and  then started cooking them.  By the time I finished this lot the remaining had risen perfectly.  

Lightly grease the mold and lay in the tigelle. Cover with top and cook on low flame until brown spot appears and it puffs up. Flip the mold so both sides cook. If using a griddle, just flip them. When cooked, cut open and fill.

Traditional filling is Italian prosciutto minced with garlic and fresh rosemary. or cheese or nutella. We had it nutella. It is amazingly delicious, we enjoyed this for our breakfast.

This is my entry for the BM #50 week 2 day 1, theme International Flat Breads

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50.

Labels : Breads, Blogging Marathon, Continental Cuisine, Italy

Salsa Sauce - How to make Salsa Sauce

A super easy salsa in a delicious taste and this salsa is  bursting with fresh flavors.  You just dump everything into a blender and then you pulse it to your desired consistency.


Ingredients

2 Large Ripe and Firm Tomatoes - diced
1 Small Onion  - chopped
2 Cloves Garlic  - minced
1 Tablespoons Jalapeño pepper  - roughly chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black pepper powder
1/4 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1 Tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons  Coriander - roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Blend tomato in blender then add all the other ingredients except the coriander and blend again. Now add the coriander and blend again until get desired consistency. Add / adjust salt and pepper according to your taste.

In  pan add the oil and the this mixture and cook for 5 minutes till thick.  Store in a air tight container in  for 2-3 days in refrigerator  or for 15 days in the freezer.

I used this to make spaghetti and it tasted even more awesome. Click here for the recipe

An Update on the recipe with pics :

To serve with Nacho Chips I added 1/4 Cup of Tomato Ketchup or according to sweetness you would like and mix it well. Serve with it Nacho chips. 

Labels : Chutneys & Dips, Continental Cuisine, Mexican

Cheesy Pasta Noodles in Salsa Sauce

I had made Salsa sauce to eat with Nachos and had about 1/2 a cup remaining, I had to make my third recipe for this month BM.  The thought just came to my mind why don't I marry off Spaghetti with Salsa.  So I took out the spaghetti made the pasta dish ready and served it to my daughter,  packed a tiffin full for my beta.  They both enjoyed it and asked me what sauce and cheese did I use.  This was really delicious and yum.  So here's the recipe...

Ingredients

A packet of  Spaghetti
1/2 Cup Salsa Sauce - I used home made
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Capsicum  - sliced
Black Olives for granshing
Cheese according to your taste

Method

Boil the pasta as per the packet instructions drain and keep aside. Reserve a cup of water.

In a big wok heat oil add the capsicum and salsa sauce stir fry for 2 mins add the pasta water and let it boil add salt to taste and when it boils add the pasta and stir fry it for a minute.

Serve it black olives and cheese.  This cheese that is used a roasted chicken flavored and herbed cheese cubes.  My brother gave me a big box of different flavored cheese and all of them taste awesome.

This is my entry for the BM #50, theme Pasta with different sauces.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50

Labels : Pasta & Noodles, Blogging Marathon, 

Pasta with Tomato Sauce

My daughter loves pasta.  This is a very simple,  tomato sauce in the authentic Italian way.  Buying ready tomato pasta sauce is so expensive and the next time you go to use its past the expiry date so all that goes into the bin.  Making this sauce at home is so easy and quick. Try it without any preservatives its healthy and yummy.

Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce
5-6 Red ripe tomatoes - diced
1 Teaspoon Garlic - minced
1 Onion  - finely chopped
1/2 cup Water
1 Bay leaf
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil 

To make the sauce
1 Onion - finely chopped
1 Teaspoon  Garlic - minced
Salt to taste

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil or 4 -5 Fresh Leaves
Oil  - to saute
1 Cup Farfale Pasta
Water as required by the pasta to boil
Pinch of salt

Grated Cheese for serving

Method

Place the tomatoes in a pressure pan. Add the garlic, onion and bay leaf to it.  Add water and then season with salt and sugar.  Close the pressure pan  and take 3 whistles, switch off the flame.  Cool, remove the bay leaf, then puree it.

In a separate pan, heat oil, add chopped onions and chopped garlic saute for a minute. Add the tomato puree. Cook till its reduces to half.  Add basil leaves or  dried basil and keep aside. Tomato sauce is ready.

Boil the pasta water with salt, let it boil. Drain when done

Transfer in a serving dish and serve with the tomato sauce, top it with cheese and parboiled veggies,  just dig into it and enjoy hmm m yum.   The flavor of the sauce is so delicate, fresh and sweet that it needed nothing at all because I had it without cheese.

This is my entry for the BM #50, theme Pasta with different sauces.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50.


Labels: Pasta, Blogging Marathon.

Pasta in Cauliflower Cream Sauce

This was my daughter's New year resolution: eating healthy! After a few days she just comes to me and says that she wants to eat pasta but a healthy one?  Now what's healthy in pasta I wondered.  Anyway since she wanted I, made this recipe and served her without any cheese. She looked at it and said Maa you forgot to grate cheese, I smiled,  took the bowl from her, grated  cheese and gave her. Healthy New year resolutions are made to be broken isn't it!!!

This is a creative way to use cauliflower and give proteins, fiber and other nutrients to your kids without them noticing it.   Try this and your kids or even adults will happily relish this and give thumps up for the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Medium size Cauliflower - cut into florets
1 Onion - chopped finely
4 cloves garlic - minced
1.1/2 Cups Vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Cup Elbow Pasta
1 Teaspoon Mixed herbs
Cheese to grate over top
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Olive oil

For the topping
1 cup Fresh Bread crumbs

1/2 Cup Cheese  grated ( I used Gouda)

Method:
Place the cauliflower in a steamer and cook until tender.

While that's cooking, heat butter in a frying pan, add the onion and sauté till soft.  Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes till it emits an aroma. Set aside to cool.

Once cauliflower is done, drain the water and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Place the following in your blender, cauliflower, onion/garlic mixture, salt and pepper and enough broth to make a smooth sauce. Add a little at a time and then blend.

Cook the pasta. Time it so that everything is done at the same time, at this stage I am multitasking.

Heat the frying pan you used for the onions, add the butter and pasta, toss it for a few minutes, add mixed herbs salt and pepper to taste and stir fry for 2  minutes.  Take off flame and keep aside.

In another pan heat the olive oil, add the bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon of mixed herbs and stir fry till well coated, take of flame and add the cheese and give it a quick stir.  Keep aside the topping is ready.

Now to put it all together, pasta and add the sauce to the it and stir to combine. 

To serve, plate the pasta in a dish.

Top with the seasoned cheese bread crumbs.

Then grate cheese over the top and serve.My daughter enjoyed this for lunch. After she finished her lunch, casually asked her how was it, replied yummy. Revealed that this sauce was made with cauliflower, no flour and milk is added. She was suprised, said that this was yummy, next time prepare the sauce for the pasta from cauliflower only Maa.

This is my entry for the BM #50, theme Pasta with different sauces.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50.

Labels: Pasta, Cauliflower, Blogging Marathon.