Mediterranean Savor: Macaroni

▪  The pasta of durum wheat semolina is cooked in a few minutes from the moment the water begins to boil, between 7 and 9 minutes.

Once cooked the pasta, pour it into a colander to drain the hot water and rinse it with cold water.

▪  In a large skillet, cover the bottom with a little extra virgin olive oil to sauté a Hokkaido squash (of sweet-flavor), cut into small dices; when it is nearly tender, add the pine nuts and raisins , stir and allow the pine nuts to brown. Then, add the macaroni, stir to heat it and ready. 

At serving time, we can give a special touch to the dish with some drops of balsamic vinegar of Modena (to taste).

                   

Combination of sautéed spinach with chickpeas

◼  Sautéed spinach with raisins and almonds accompanied by cooked chickpeas.

◼  When I cook chickpeas to prepare Hummus, I cook them with an onion and some bay leaves; I usually cook more than I need to prepare the chickpea paste; so, on the one hand, I prepare hummus and on the other hand, another dish like this combination of sautéed spinach.

◼  In addition, I reserve the stock from cooking the chickpeas to prepare other recipes, for instance, a noodle soup.

◼  Spinach is cooked fast, in a saucepan with a little water and salt (to taste) or steamed. In a skillet, first sauté in a little extra virgin olive oil the raisins and almonds (or pine nuts, according to what you have on hand) and then add spinach, stir and ready to serve.

                   

Mediterranean Savor: Nuts

⚫  One of the most evident properties of nuts is its energy supply; that´s why its consumption increases during the winter.

⚫  Another property, and really very important, is that they are a source of vitamin E, a powerful cell regenerator.

⚫  In the past, nuts available were almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts, without forgetting us, besides, chestnuts, cooked or roasted, so popular when autumn begins, at least in the areas of the north both in Spain and Portugal.

Nowadays, we have access to other varieties of hard shell fruits that come from the four corners of the earth, with the information that they are varieties with better properties, which is simply a good sales technique; since what we have in our area provide us with everything we need and they are sources of nutrients of excellent quality.