SugarLoveSpices

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli in Tomato Sauce

Nicoletta February 21, 2020

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli in Tomato Sauce. A classic pasta dish that we typically make for a Sunday lunch. Tender, beautiful, homemade noodles, stuffed with a creamy mixture of ricotta, spinach and nutmeg. Served with a simple basil tomato sauce and topped with grated Parmigiano, these ravioli will transport you to Italy at your first bite.

Song of the day: A Sunday Kind Of Love – Etta James

Making homemade pasta dough on a Sunday morning to have it ready for our Sunday lunch is one of my most beloved and recurrent memories. Whether fettuccine, spaghetti, gnocchi, lasagna, or ravioli, it just wouldn’t be Sunday without a traditional homemade pasta dish. I am keeping this tradition alive, and today I present you with a wonderful classic: Ravioli Ricotta e Spinaci, Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli in Tomato Sauce.

Gluten-free, Soups, Stews and Sandwiches, Vegan/Vegetarian

Red Curry Coconut Baby Potato Stew

Loreto February 17, 2020

Red Curry Coconut Baby Potato Stew. The colors will lift you, the texture will tantalize you, and the flavor, well, hold on to your socks, because this dish has so much flavor that it will take you on the most amazing exotic tasting excursion you have ever had! Hence the smitten smile on my face!

Song of the day: “You Got the Look” by Prince.

A taste and texture extravaganza!

Red Curry Coconut Baby Potato Stew, imagine soft billowy potatoes nestled in a wonderful curry coconut sauce with amazing Thai spices and for texture bamboo shoots and red peppers. As a result, we are on the flavor train again! Do I have your attention yet? I hope so!

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Breakfast and Brunch, Cookies, Dessert

Olive Oil Spelt flour Cookies with Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Nicoletta February 12, 2020

Olive Oil Spelt flour Cookies with Chocolate and Hazelnuts. Delicious and fragrant, these cookies are butter-free, egg-free and have no yeast nor baking powder. The olive oil, cocoa, dark chocolate, and hazelnuts give these cookies a rich taste while keeping them light. They have little sugar (raw cane sugar) and spelt flour which provides an additional nuttiness and wholesomeness.

Song of the day: Love – Imagine Dragons

If you are looking for cookies that are light and yet do not give up on taste, try this recipe for Olive Oil Spelt flour Cookies with Chocolate and Hazelnuts. Fragrant and wholesome, they are butter-free, egg-free, and have no leavening. They are delicious, perfect also for those who don’t like sweets that are too sweet (me!). They are crumbly, with a beautiful crunch from the hazelnuts and the dark chocolate chunks. Try them at breakfast or with an afternoon tea!

Appetizers and Snacks

Supplì (Roman Rice Croquettes) with Squash and Bacon

Loreto February 9, 2020

Supplì (Roman Rice Croquettes) with Squash and Bacon. Want to know what to do with that leftover risotto? Well, here’s an idea that, as a result, it is going to take your table by storm. Beautiful crispy fried ovals filled with luscious rice, squash and crispy morsels of bacon. However, if that is not enough, how about a pocket of melted Gouda hidden in the center? Do I have your attention now!

Song of the day: “Nell’Estasi o Nel Fango” by Michele Zarrillo.

Supplì (Roman Rice Croquettes) with Squash and Bacon, a rendition on the classic croquette with a real Italian risotto twist. Furthermore, an interior full of delicious starchiness and melted cheese for a result that blows your taste buds into flavor and texture frenzy!

Pasta, Pizza, Risotto, Vegan/Vegetarian

Homemade Potato Gnocchi

Nicoletta February 6, 2020

Homemade Potato Gnocchi. Pillowy soft, made with potatoes and flour, these are the gnocchi my mom and grandma taught me to make. Gnocchi are simple to make but require some practice. The main mistake is to keep adding flour, the one responsible for gummy and hard gnocchi. Follow the tutorial and you’ll have the perfect texture!

Song of the day: Memories – Maroon 5.

If you already love gnocchi, then you’re in for a treat. My mom’s potato gnocchi have the perfect light texture, not too soft, not too hard, they just melt in your mouth and compliments any type of condiments. We dressed them with a simple tomato sauce, you can choose any sauce you like, white or red.

Appetizers and Snacks, Meat and Poultry

Albondigas, Spanish-style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Loreto February 2, 2020

Albondigas, Spanish-style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce. Good quality ground beef lovingly treated, with free-range chicken eggs, Italian-style breadcrumbs, milk-soaked stale bread, Parmigiano Reggiano, and lots of paprika and seasoning. Taking over the top with a rich sweet tomato sauce. Have I got you hungry yet? I hope so because these meatballs are the real deal! Talk about super rich and flavorful, tender morsels of love!

Song of the day: “Hearts” by Yes.

Valentine’s Day is coming and I am laying out many wonderful appetizer recipes for that special night with the one you love. But you know what? Any night can be a Valentine’s celebration, after all, it is a celebration of the heart!

Cakes, Pies & Tarts, Dessert

Hazelnut Sbrisolona Cake with Chocolate Spread

Nicoletta January 30, 2020

Hazelnut Sbrisolona Cake with Chocolate Spread. ‘Sbrisolona‘ is a typical crumb cake from Mantua, in the North of Italy. A humble recipe that peasants used to make with common local ingredients like corn flour, coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and lard. Today, it is usually made with a mix of corn and white flour, almonds or hazelnuts, and enriched with butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest.

Song of the day: ‘Yummy’ by Justin Bieber.

Pure bliss, this Hazelnut Sbrisolona Cake combines the richness of a buttery, almost streusel-like dough, the nuttiness of hazelnuts, the luxuriousness of the dark chocolate spread. Serve it at the end of a meal with coffee, and you will have your family or guests ranting and raving about it…

Appetizers and Snacks, Vegan/Vegetarian

Spinach and Feta Pinwheels

Loreto January 26, 2020

Spinach and Feta Pinwheels. Moist, tender spinach meets green onion, goat feta, dill, nutmeg, Parmigiano, egg, and a whole lotta love all spiraled in a light flaky buttering rich puff pastry! Why not make tonight an appetizer party night with this amazing baked parcel!

Song of the day: “Dance of the Clairvoyants” by Pearl Jam.

Spinach and Feta Pinwheels, similar to a Spanakopita, however with a buttery puff pastry twist in a finger holding nibble pleasing bite! I love appetizer foods for dinner, how about you?

Cakes, Pies & Tarts, Dessert

Quince Jam Tart (Crostata con Marmellata di Mele Cotogne)

Nicoletta January 22, 2020

Quince Jam Tart (Crostata con Marmellata di Mele Cotogne), a dairy-free short pastry made with vegetable oil, eggs, flour, lemon zest, cane sugar and a teaspoon of baking powder, meets a luscious homemade quince jam. Want to bring to the table a classic, evergreen Italian dessert? Why not make this easy and delightful Quince Jam Tart. Crostata in Italy is the perfect end to a meal and also good at breakfast, just sayin’…

Song of the day: Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.

Crostata is the quintessential Italian dessert. The simplest, most popular cake made with a shortcrust pastry and jam. It is a classic that, in pure Italian style, is ideal for dessert, breakfast, snack, or to accompany a tea. It is a dessert that you can prepare all year round, perfect on many occasions.