Tuesday 17 January 2012

Dolce & Gabbana Eat your Heart Out! Peperoni Ripieni Aromatici- Mozzarella Filled Peppers

 




Christmas seems just a distant memory. As I look out of the window,  a ray of sunshine over the frozen lawn and pond and the loud sound of birds singing, fill me with hope. Spring must be round the corner... I need light, I need colour and I need warmth and hope.
I went out and bought some "happy" food: tiny, sweet little peppers, in warm colours, ranging from bright red to yellow, a jar of big capers in vinegar and two deliciously milky white mozzarelle. I needed to fill the house with the smell of happy times, the warmth of eternal love and colour!


 
Colourful food to cheer me up


So, I made dish that my mother used to make, using beautiful, big, thin fleshed yellow, peppers, sweet tenders peppers which smelt of Summer and love.
I used six quite small peppers for my dish, but the recipe can be adapted ( 3 large peppers cut into halves, instead, to make six portions... nothing needs to be measured... just feel and taste the food!)
The aroma of dish dish is incredible, and so is the taste. Dolce & Gabbana, eat your heart out!


Peperoni Ripeni Aromatici
Delicious  Mozzarella Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
6 small peppers
or 3 medium sized ones
1 white bread roll
1 egg
grated Pecorino Romano or
Parmigiano Cheese
small bunch of fresh Italian parsley
1 egg
1 mozzarella
2 cloves garlic
some capers in vinegar
six or seven cherry tomatoes
(can use tinned instead)
olive oil
salt
black pepper


Preheat oven ( 200 C, 400F, Gas 6 )


Before you start, wash or wipe your peppers and cut each of then in half, lengthways. Discard stalk and seeds.
Cover the bottom of an oven proof earthenware dish with some oil, add one finely chopped clove of garlic, some grated cheese, three or four chopped cherry tomatoes, some parsley, salt and pepper, and reserve until later.
In a small bowl, soak your bread roll in water or milk. Once softened, squeeze most of the liquid out and add: 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 1 egg, some grated cheese, salt, pepper and your mozzarella, cut into smallish pieces. Mix all the ingredients, add some chopped fresh parsley, and... here's your stuffing!


1) ingredients for stuffing 2) the stuffing is ready 3) olive oil at the base of my oven dish


My peppers were really quite small, so I used just one tbsp of stuffing to fill each of the halves. If you are using big peppers, you'll need more- the stuffing is so easy to make, so if you need more... make more of it! (And please... don't fill peppers with rice, it's so heavy, unrefined and just not nice!)
Once the peppers are filled, place them in the oven dish, over the olive oil, garlic, cheese and the rest of the ingredients I listed before. Now... all you need to do is place a small piece of tomato (you can use tinned) over each pepper and sprinkle a generous spoonfull of capers all over the dish, followed by an equally generous sprinkling of cheese, all over the peppers, followed by some olive oil. Add half a glass of water to the base, to make a sauce, and bake until golden.


My peppers before and after baking


I had mine with a lovely mixed peppery salad with poppy seeds and some Italian taralli.


Olive Oil Taralli are fantastic!


 But...  a bread roll or some delicious crusty bread would allow you to soak up and enjoy the delicious juices at the bottom of plate.
And "Here's one I made earlierl!"


BUON APPETITO!

27 comments:

  1. OMG...not just the pictures...the description and I so needed this recipe...you made my day Anna! xx

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm glad you like my post... now, you and your lovely cats will have to go and cook the dish!

      Nice to see you!

      ANNA

      xx

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  2. Yummie, Anna! Another gorgeous recipe which needs proof from my side... Grazie mille! Christa

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    1. Hi Christa! It's really good to know that someone actually tries out my recipes! Increase the quantity of stuffing and use normal size peppers. They're yummier!

      CIAO

      ANNA

      xx

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  3. Anna, these just look so scrummy! My son loves peppers roasted with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes but your stuffing looks SO much tastier!I'm sure he won't mind me experimenting on him! Jane xx

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    1. Yes, Jane... it's a good one and you should try it very soon! I give you permission to experiment.

      Hugs

      ANNA

      xxx

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  4. Si, Anna! I'll do that! I am looking forward to it! Thanks for your today's comment. Yes, I am very fortunate - also that I know you! Happy day! Christa

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    1. Christa, dear Christa...

      You are such a sweet lady... so very nice!You make me feel very good about myself... WOW!

      Anyway... try the recipe. I'm having it tonight. Have a cosy evening...

      HUGS

      ANNA

      XXX

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  5. Wonderful pic -
    wonderful dishes -
    wonderful recipe!

    ♥ Franka

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  6. Franka, I so love it when people say they like my photos, as I am not a photographer, but I try so very hard to take nice, artistic pictures.

    Take care and enjoy the rest of today...

    CIAO

    ANNA

    xx

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  7. I have just become your 40th follower - your lovely blog oozes the colours and smells of Italy which I love so much.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Rosemary... what a fantastic comment! Thank you so much and welcome to Anna's little Italian corner.

      Thank you for becoming my follower. Please do comment (bad comments welcome, too, if constructive and... just a little bit "bad!")

      BENVENUTA!

      ANNA

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  8. Hello Anna, Happy New Year to you. I love the food and the colours. You must really miss the sun and all those sunny flavours at this time of year. Mind you I think we all do!

    Thanks so much for participating fully in my little bit of dreaming fun. You made me laugh out loud with all the men you were inviting! It would be a good party though wouldn't it? Much love to you, Linda x

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    1. Yes, Linda... they were my footmen at Helen's "party"
      Unfortunately, Richard Burton (the voice) and my beloved Marcello are in Heaven and Alain Delon... the very handsome Alain Delon is no longer young, but still good enough to look at while you're eating your profiteroles!

      Thank you for allowing us to have a bit of fun!

      What I miss about Italy is just my past life there, as I was growing up, the sounds of my street, the traffic, the voices and the sound of joyful laughter... we had a very happy home I will always miss.

      CIAO

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  9. Buona serra Anna! Grazie mille for your ideas for my visit to London! I am planning to go to the Tate Modern (I've been there and I would like to show it to my boys) and Greenwich. Notting Hill is a new idea although I had seen the movie with Hugh Grant. If I meet him I'll certainly not wrap him up and send him to you. I'll enjoy him myself!!! Thanks a lot for your words! I'll let you know what I saw! Ciao! Christa

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    1. Christa, don't go to Notting Hill. It was all fiction and Hugh Grant has funny teeth, anyway! I do love his voice though and the "bit" in Love Actually, where he dances. So funny!

      PS: Does your husband know you fancy Hugh Grant and that you are hoping to meet him? My husband is very jealous of Hugh and Colin Firth! He's so sweet! But he knows he's my only pin up!

      Buona notte cara Christa!

      ANNA

      XX

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  10. Hello Anna, many thanks for your visit and kind comments. I do agree with you about Laura Ashley clothes, they are not for me either. Lots of love, Linda x

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    1. I "watch" your blog closely, Linda... you have so many fantastic idea to share! I loved what you did with the Laura Ashley blind. You made the bathroom look really pretty and "countryfied!"

      Hugs to you and Ciao to Northern Ireland!

      ANNA

      xx

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  11. Hello dearest Anna
    This recipe has me salivating. I love all the ingredients and will certainly make it. You are such a natural cook and I love the simplicity of your recipes. I see some flirting has been going on. Now I must go to Linda's (Flowers on my table blog) and see what shenanigans you two have been up to.
    Flirting is good for the soul
    Helen xx

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    1. Hi Helen! Glad you liked my recipe. It's simple, but really delicious and very traditional (my mum's recipe: no meat, no rice!)

      Helen, I have to admit, I do have fun with Christa and Linda, because they can take a joke and understand my sense of humour, and so do you. Why do you think I brought Marcello Mareoianni (very dead!) and Alain Delon (very old!) to your "party?" I know you have a sense of humor and that, to me, is fantastic!

      CIAO

      ANNA

      xx

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    2. Sorry, Helen! I meant to say Marcello Mastroianni, but I forgot to wear my glasses, so I hit the wrong "buttons!" You know who I'm talking about: the good looking paparazzo in " La Dolce Vita" by Fellini.

      CIAO!

      ANNA
      x

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  12. Dear Anna, It is always so much fun to read your comments! I am sorry I haven't been responding a lot - I am busy with getting ready for London! Tomorrow morning we are leaving and I am so excited! I hope your week has inspite of the bad start improved to a better one - I guess buying the tickets for Italy helped a lot! I love your humor I am often telling my friends about you and you are quite familiar to all of them... famous not notorious... Have a good time. I'll keep on posting during the time I am away... bye Christa

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  13. Dear Christa... son't worry about posting: just have a lovely time running round London.

    If you look up a pub called "The George", in London, you should be able to locate it. I can't remember where it is, but it's IN london. It's a place where W. Shakespeare and his Company used to stay and perform, and it's still as it used to be in those days... a very long time ago! The outside of the pub is constructed like an Elizabethan stage, where the actors performed and the audience watched, even from a long balcony! Go there if you can, as it's an experience! Good English Ale and food is served.

    Have a fantastic time! Not wearing glasses, so excuse any mistakes!

    HUGS

    ANNA

    xx

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  14. Hi Anna

    Thankyou for visiting my blog and becoming a follower, which has led me here to this happy place!

    The bright colours of the peppers and tomatoes are a real tonic on this grey day, and thank you for sharing your Mother's delicious recipe - it looks divine! As a lover of homemade roasted peppers in oil I just know I'm going to love this!

    have a great day!
    Gill xx

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    1. Hi Gill! And welcome to my blog! Yes... it has been a gray day, but it's over and time to go to bed!

      Thank you for becoming a follower and please do comment whenever you feel like it. Good and not so good comments are welcome (good ones much preferred!)

      Good night!

      ANNA
      x

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  15. Dear Anna,

    I have been abscent ..but hope to be back again..just "gliches" with blogging..comes with getting older..!!
    This is a most fantastic blog.. My mouth is watering.. i will be doing this over the weekend.
    I like the idea of the smaller peppers.. Its an inviting dish.. Great photos Anna..
    I love reading your happy lovely blogs..
    best wishes.. stay well val

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    1. Hello Val! How are you, my dear? I've missed you and I commented on your last post, but it came back!
      Thank you, Val, for the kind comments. Let me know how the peppers turn out!

      I am afraid to make any changes to my blog, in case another feature disappears! Here on AOL, I can't see my followers, or any info regarding them. On Mozilla I can. Lately, I have also been unable to reply to comments on AOL, lately, as I have lost the ability to do so. Again: Mozilla works! It's a bit frustrating, Val! but Do come back, please!

      MOLTI ABBRACCI

      ANNA

      xx

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