Sicily, yet again. The way they make vegetables in Sicily is beyond imagination. Here a very quick recipe, perfect as a side or even bette ras an appetizer with a nice glass of white wine – better if Inzolia or a Sardinian Vermentino.

Serves 4

Ready in 1H

3 aubergins/eggplants medium size

200 grams breadcrumbs

80 grams pecorino cheese, grated

1 tbs minced parsley

1 minced garlic clove

salt and peper

Extra-virgin Olive oil (as needed)

White wine vinegar (as needed)

Slice the eggplants vertically into 2 mm thick slices.

Heat a pan and grill each slice 3 minutes on both sides (make sure you add some salt to the empty pan before you add the eggplants).

Meanwhile in a conatiner mix all the remaining ingredients, add 5 tbs of olive oil, mix well adding water until the mixture is compact but crumbly.

In a small container mix tigether 5 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs white vinegar. Coat every slices with the olive oil-vinegar mixture, put each slice on a board, with your hands make small balls with the breadcrumb mixture and roll the slices around it.

Put each roll into a baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 200°.

Serve warm or cold.

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Those are the moments in which I regret I do not own a brick oven. But modern houses, it’s clear, are not for this old-fashioned ovens. The schiacciata should taste of stone and wood, like things well made, like grandmothers would. I tried to transfer as much as possible the taste of it and baking them at two different temperatures helps (in a brick oven in fact the heat is not constant but slowly decreasing since you put the schiacciate inside).

This is Rosa’s recipe, certified 100% wonderful Sicilian woman, who taught me patiently all secrets and tricks, including the typical spiral sealing. I am still a dummy when it comes to sealing it but “with practice – Rosa says – sooner or later I will succeed”. Lol.

Makes 7/8 schiacciate

Ready in 1H+proofing

Circa 700 grams of pizza dough made with:

400 grams semolina flour

100 grams bread flour

7 grams dried yeast

2 tbs sugar

Lukewarm ater (as needed)

Salt

Check instructions here: Pizza Dough

800 grams curly salad

400 grams mozzarella cheese grated

600 grams fresh (fennel) sausage meat

1 big onion

2 potatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Slice finely the onion and the potatoes.

Open the sausage and cut it in chunks.

Wash the salad and chop it roughly.

Grate the mozzarella cheese.

Pre Heat oven at 220° C.

After first proofing is concluded. Punch the dough, knead for a couple of minutes and divide it into balls 150 grams each circa. Roll each ball with a rolling pin to 1mm thick (dust the surface with flour).

Put the potato slices and the sliced onion on a half of the rolled dough.

Add one or two handfuls of salad, onions, and top with the sausage and finally with the grated mozzarella.

Season with salt and pepper and with 2 tbs of olive oil.

Fold the schiacciata with the other half of the rolled dough and seal it well (if you can with the typical decoration – refer to the pictures below).

Bake for 10 minutes at 220° C (conventional oven NOT fan-assisted). Reduce heat at 150° and bake for further 15 minutes (leave the oven door slightly open to let the steam out).

Ok, not really a diet solution but hey, this is incredibily awesome. Easy to make and so tasteful that you can organize an entire dinner with rivers of beers and fried sfincitelli. You can also substitute the cooked ham with anchovies, or salame or any other filling yo might like (cheese too).

500 grams ready pizza dough (Recipe here)

150 grams cooked ham (or 10 anchovies fillets)

500 ml frying oil

After the first proofing, punch the dough and divide it into 10 balls 50 grams each. Divide the ham into 10 portions of 15 grams each. Take each dough ball in your hand palm and press at the center one portion of ham (or one anchovie fillet). Close the dough and seal well.

Let it proof again for further 20 minutes before cooking.

Meanwhile heat the frying oil to 180° C, plunge gently the balls onto the hot oil. Deep-fry them for 3 minutes all in all (always keep the ball in movement by turning the oil into the pan with a spoon).

1 kg pumpkin

300 ml frying oil

4 tbs white vinegar

1 tsp sugar

10/15 mint leaves

salt

Clean the pumpkin and slice i tinto half cm slices.

Fry the slices in hot frying oil until the borders are getting brown.

Put all the fried pumpkin slices in the same frying pan, stir fry for 4/5 minutes, add the sugar, the vinegar and let evaporate for 3/4 minutes more. Add the mint leaves, season with salt and serve. Cold are good as well.

Serves 4

1H

350 gr pasta (short maccheroni)

4 aubergines

3 anchovies or 2 cm anchovies paste

2 garlic cloves

half glass of olive oil

100 grams grated pecorino cheese

ground dried chilli peppers

500 ml frying oil

Heat the frying oil. Dice che aubergines into small pieces  max 2 cm long.

Fry the aubergines in the hot frying oil until golden brown. Set aside.

Bring enough water to boil. Meanwhile stir fry the garlic (minced or full cloves at your choice) along with the anchovies (or anchovie paste), and add the aubergines, mix well. Set aside.

Cook the pasta as per directions. Once ready add the cooked pasta and stir it on high heat for a couple of minutes. Serve and sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese.

Cavolfiore al Vino

Serves 6

1H

1 kg cauliflower/broccoli/etc

100 gr anchovies

150 gr grated pecorino cheese

half glass of red wine

1 garlic clove

half glass olive oil

breadcrubs as needed

Clean the vegetable and retain the ‘flowers’ as full as possible. Pour half of the oil on the base of a baking pan. Add breadcrumbs, some anchovies, a bit of minced garlic and salt

Now add a layer of cauliflowers. And repeat step one adding breadcrubs, anchovies, garlic and salt.

Continue until the cauliflowers are all into the baking pan. Pour the remaining olive oil. And the red wine.

Cover with aluminium foil and Put a weight on it and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool down 10 miutes.

Turn the pan upside down onto a plate and serve.

Parmigiana

1 kg melanzane / 1 kg aubergines

400 gr pomodoro / 400 gr tomato sauce

Basilico fresco / fresh basil

4 mozzarelle / 4 mozzarellas

200 gr parmigiano / 200 gr grated parmesan cheese

500 ml olio di semi d’arachidi / 500 ml frying oil

2 spicchi d’aglio / 2 garlic cloves

sale e pepe / salt and pepper

olio d’oliva / olive oil

Pulire e tagliare a fette le melanzane. Metterle a strati salando ogni strato. Porre un peso sopra e farle sgocciolare per almeno 5/6 ore.

Clean and slice the aubegrines into half cm thick slices. Put them in a colander and spread salt on every layer. Put something heavy in top and let loose the water for 5/6 hours.

Nel frattempo soffriggere l’aglio con 5/6 cucchiai d’olio d’oliva. Unire la salsa di pomodoro, 1 cucchiaino di zucchero e aggiustare di sale e pepe. Cuocere per 15 minuti. Aggiustare di sapore ancora se necessario e aggiungere il basilico. Togliere dal fuoco.

Meanwhile fry the garlic with 5/6 tbs of olive oil. Add the tomato sauce. 1 tbs of sugar, salt and pepper. Cook at medium heat for 15 minutes. Season again if necessary, add the basil and set aside.

Scaldare l’olio di semi d’arachidi in una casseruola (o nella wok). Friggere le melanzane finché non saranno dorate e soffici.

Heat the frying oil in a large casserole or a wok pan. Deep fry the aubergines until golden and soft.

Ora mettere le melanzane a strati nella teglia, e ad ogni strato aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro, dadini di mozzarella, abbondante parmigiano e qualche foglia di basilico. Continuare finché non finiranno le melanzane. 

Now put the aubergines into the baking pan and alternate each layer with the tomato sauce, diced mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan and some basil leaves. Continue until you finish the aubergines.

Cospargere la superficie con abbondante parmigiano. E infornare a 200° per circa 45 minuti.

Spread the top with abundant grated parmesan. And bake for 45 minutes at 200° C.

Caponata

Per 4 persone / Serves 4

Pronta in 1h / ready in 1h

800 gr melanzane a cubetti / 800 gr eggplants diced

300 gr sedano a tocchetti da 1 cm ca. / 300 gr celery in 1 cm long pieces

30 gr capperi / 30 gr capers

1 cipolla media / 1 medium size onion

100 gr pomodorini / 100 gr cherry tomatoes

100 gr passata di pomodoro / 100 gr tomato sauce

100 gr olive a fette / 100 gr olives sliced

3 cucchiai d‘aceto bianco / 3 tbs white wine vinegar

1 cucchiaio di zucchero / 1 tbs white sugar

olio d’oliva / olive oil

sale e pepe / salt and pepper

Mettere le melanzane a cubetti in uno scolapasta, salarle e mettervi sopra un peso (con il peso il processo di gocciolatura è più rapido), lasciare sgocciolare per 1 ora circa.

Put the diced eggplants in a drainer, add salt, and cover them with a board and put a casserole filled with water on top (this will help increase the weight on the eggplants and make them drip the water quicker).

Bollire per 7/8 minuti il sedano in acqua salata.

Boil the celery for 7/8 minute in salted water.

Soffriggere la cipolla affettata finemente con olio d’oliva. Aggiungere olive e capperi.

Fry the sliced onion with some olive oil. Add olive and capers.

Ora aggiungere il sedano.

Add the celery.

Ora aggiungere lo zucchero e l’aceto e fare evaporare bene. Poi salare e pepare.

Now add the sugar and the vinegar and let evaporate well. Then add salt and pepper.

Unire i pomodori e dopo 5 minuti unire la salsa. Fare evaporare l’acuqa in eccesso. Mettere da parte.

Add the cherry tomatoes first and after 5 minutes the sauce. Let evaporate the water. Set aside.

Ora, soffriggere le melanzane in abbondante olio. Una volta morbide e dorate, unire il composto preparato in precedenza. Lasciare insaporire per 5 minuti (aggiustare di sale se necessario). Pronta.

Now fry the eggplants in abundant olive oil. Once soft and golden, add the mixtures above. Simmer for 5 minutes (adjust in salt if necessary). Ready.