July, and the table is filled with the flavors and colors of summer.
It's time to eat peppers, aubergines, courgettes, cold dishes and ice creams ... 5 recipes for the July diet, with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Eggplant parmigiana without baking
Okay, classic eggplant parmigiana is one of the most delicious dishes of the Mediterranean tradition.
However, sometimes, when the heat is unbearable, turning on the oven can be an epic undertaking. Have you ever thought of making an eggplant parmigiana without having to put it in the oven ?
Ingredients for 4 people :
> 800 grams of eggplant,
> 300 grams of peeled tomatoes,
> a few leaves of basil,
> a clove of garlic, salt,
> extra virgin olive oil,
> lots of Parmesan.
Preparation . Fry the aubergines in extra virgin olive oil. Meanwhile, prepare a light sauce by frying a clove of garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil and then adding the diced tomatoes and a pinch of salt. After a half hour add some fresh basil leaves and turn off the heat.
To make the parmigiana, pour a few tablespoons of sauce into a baking dish and make the first row of aubergines. Season with lots of Parmesan, a few leaves of basil and another sauce. Proceed in this way until you finish sauce and eggplant. Sprinkle the surface with plenty of Parmesan and decorate with a few fresh basil leaves. Wait a couple of hours before serving.
The secret to obtaining this parmigiana is the sauce, which must be hot and not too thick.
For a lighter variant, grill the aubergines instead of frying them .
Pepper cake
In this case the oven is really essential, but it's worth it.
Ingredients for four people :
> a sheet of salted pastry or home made pasta brise
> 3 large peppers, preferably of different colors,
> a teaspoon of capers in vinegar,
> Parmesan,
> breadcrumbs,
> extra virgin olive oil, salt.
Preparation . After washing the peppers, cook them whole, in the oven, at 180 degrees, for about 50 minutes. Then let them cool, peel them, cut them into strips and season them with salt, capers, extra virgin olive oil and lots of breadcrumbs. Roll out the shortcrust pastry or brisè in a non-stick pan, prick with a fork, add the peppers previously seasoned and finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan. Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
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Spelled salad with seasonal vegetables
Cold dishes are an excellent solution to face the heat.
Ingredients for four people :
> 320 grams of spelled,
> 300 grams of zucchini,
> a large pepper,
> an eggplant,
> an onion.
Preparation . Cook the spelled. Separately, in a non-stick pan, cook all the vegetables cut into strips or diced in a little extra virgin olive oil. Clearly, it is necessary to put in the pan the vegetables with a longer cooking and, finally, the courgettes. Allow to cool and add the already cold spelled.
Those who like it can add some raw tomatoes and some basil leaves.
Courgette filled with bread
A very simple dish, but just as tasty.
Ingredients for 4 people :
> 8 zucchini,
> a couple of slices of stale bread,
> salt,
> 2 or 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs,
> a teaspoon of pickled capers
> 4 or 5 dried tomatoes cut into rather small pieces.
Preparation : cut the zucchini in half, for the length. Empty them and prepare the filling with the portion of zucchini pulp you have obtained, the bread crumbs and all the other ingredients. Fill the courgettes, dress with oil and bake at 180 degrees for 20/25 minutes.
Homemade ice cream with melon base
The favorite dessert of the summer is ice cream. Do we try to do it at home? For an optimal result, however, you need the ice cream maker.
Ingredients for 4 people :
> 500 ml of fresh cream,
> 2 tablespoons of icing sugar,
> 80 grams of condensed milk,
> chopped melon .
Preparation . Whip the cream with the sugar; it should not be mounted too much, it should be little more than half mounted. Add the condensed milk and whisk again for about 30 seconds, just long enough to mix all the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and let it go until the desired creaminess is obtained. Prepare 4 small cups with the melon in small pieces on the bottom and the ice cream on top (or vice versa, according to taste). Of course, you can use any other seasonal fruit or even mixed fruit.
If you have time and desire, you can have fun with ice cream with melon in an original and creative way, like in the picture.
Homemade vegan ice cream: the recipe
