Sweet corn ice cream

Food bloggers love sharing recipes and I am no exception – I have made tons of recipes from other blogs and it’s a huge pleasure for me when people try the recipes I post here. It’s a great exchange and I feel lucky to be part of it.What makes me even happier is being able to show my foreign readers a bit about the food we eat here in Brazil, or at least in the region I live. I once got an email

Chickpea Flour Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Filling

When I saw this recipe for Chickpea Flour Fritters with a Creamy Filling of Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives at Lucullian's lovely blog, I immediately decided to try them as I never can resist olive, sun-dried tomato pairings, especially when there is cheese thrown into the mix. In fact, I made them twice, as the photos didn't turn out the first time and it took little to persuade me to make them again. The crispy little fritters make for a delightful meal and my sweetie said it was almost like eating a savory dessert for dinner. The possibilities for toppings and fillings are endless, and I'm thinking of trying them with goat cheese next time, or a creamy mushroom filling. I should also note this recipe is gluten free, so consider this as an alternative to traditional flour based fried savories.

This one goes to Bookmarked Recipes, a weekly food event started by Ruth focusing on recipes inspired from other sources.

Chickpea Fritters with a Creamy Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Filling

For the Fritters:

1 cup of chickpea flour, sifted
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
freshly cracked black pepper
a pinch of sea salt

olive oil for frying

For the Filling:

2/3 cup of ricotta cheese
6 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained, and finely chopped
1/3 cup of black olives, finely chopped
dash of sea salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, black pepper, salt and paprika. Let the mixture sit for a few hours.

In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling.

Heat a few teaspoons of olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, pour in roughly 1/4 cup of the batter. Cook until the fritter is browned and crispy, flip and cook for a few minutes more. Repeat until the batter is gone, adding more oil as necessary. Drain the cooked fritters on paper towels.

To serve, spoon some of the filling onto a fritter. Top with another fritter, and spoon more filling on. Top with another fritter. Repeat the process with the remaining fritters.

Yields 2 - 3 servings (roughly 10 fritters).

More fried savory recipes you might enjoy:
Rice Flour Pancakes
Chickpea Flour Pancakes with Crushed Peas and Cilantro
Savory Rice and Urad Dal Pancakes

Savory Olive Muffins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese

Savory biscuits and muffins are an ideal solution for filling out a meal to share with friends. These flavourful olive muffins with sun-dried tomatoes and ricotta and cheddar cheese are roughly based on a savory muffin recipe I found at Sunita's place. I served them with Spicy Green Lentils and Yellow Split Peas for a most satisfying meal.

Savory Olive Muffins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese

3 cups of whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of crushed red chili flakes
6 sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup of grated extra old cheddar cheese
1/3 - 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
1/3 - 1/2 cup of black olives, pitted and chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups of yogurt mixed with 1/2 cup of water (or reserved liquid from the soaked sun-dried tomatoes)

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 minutes. Chop into small pieces, and reserve the soaking liquid.

Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt, red chili flakes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, ricotta cheese, olives and olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and 1/2 cup of water (or 1/2 cup of the reserved sun-dried tomato soaking liquid instead of the water).

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir until just combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the muffins are nicely browned. Cool for a few minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

More savory muffin recipes:
Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Muffins
Savory Dill Ricotta Muffins
Cornmeal Muffins

Chocolate ice cream with macadamia brittle

I’ve already told you how much I love blogging and the several reasons for that – being you, the people who read me, an amazing one.Another favorite reason is that I’ll write what I want, about what I want... About people I find beautiful and talented, or ugly and shallow – it is MY blog, after all. You have the right to disagree with me and we can have a nice “conversation” this way - because

I'm in a marshmallow state of mind...

Quoting – I mean, sort of – Billy Joel reminds me of the day I saw him and his teeny-tiny wife on Oprah. Katie Lee Joel was showing their apartment and telling how she had gotten Nate Berkus to decorate it, after watching him on Oprah one day. When the cameras got to her room, I was in complete shock – the doors of her (huge) closet were all covered in gold. Yes, people, GOLD. Seriously – I found

White Cabbage and Bean Minestrone

Packed with vitamins, proteins and fibre, this simple Italian winter minestrone adapted from Martha Rose Shulman's delightful Mediterranean Harvest is as nourishing a lunch or light dinner on a cold day as it is warming, comforting and delicious.

White Cabbage and Bean Minestrone

1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney) beans
4 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, diced
small handful fresh parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large head of green cabbage, cored and chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup shell or tube pasta
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
fresh ground black pepper

To serve:

thick toasted slices of fresh crusty bread
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Rinse the beans under cold running water and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water. Drain and rinse, and place in a medium saucepan. Add 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are just tender. Drain and set aside along with the cooking liquid.

Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl around to coat the pan. Toss in the onion, carrot, celery and parsley, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in half the garlic and cook for another minute or so, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until they have reduced a bit. Stir in the cabbage, then add the beans, the reserved cooking liquid, vegetable stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1/2 an hour.

Add the remaining garlic and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or until the beans are soft. Now add the pasta and cook until done, 10 minutes or to desired teeth. Remove the soup from heat, discard the bay leaf, and season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, toast bread and add slices to the bottoms of wide shallow flat-bottomed soup or pasta bowls. Ladle soup over the toast, scatter fresh grated Parmesan cheese over top, and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Other winter bean and vegetable soups you might enjoy:

Chickpea and cabbage soup
Romano bean and vegetable soup

Lollipops

What should one do when feeling a desperate urge to make something sweet but has no time to wait for the butter to come to room temperature, not to mention there is something else in the oven? Candy. In my case, bright red and very, very sweet lollipops.

These might look tricky, but believe me, they are not. The lollipops were fun to make and I think they would be a great treat for birthday