Classic Italian pizza dough

Our family has one delicious tradition - every Saturday night we all bake homemade pizza :-) I knead the dough, my husband rolls it out and our child puts the stuffing. Of course you can buy a ready-baked pizza almost everywhere (especially here in Italy), but believe me, a homemade one tastes completely different. And it's so easy to make! We have tried many recipes for pizza dough and finally we have chosen our favorite one (it was given to us by a pizza chef Pino - a childhood friend of my husband). So, open the flour, take a rolling pin and make this delicious pizza for your family :-)

To make a classic Italian pizza dough you need:

Smoked salmon and zucchini quiche

When it's sunny outside food should be bright too! This smoked salmon and zucchini quiche is just the right thing :-) Delicate zucchini and flavorful smoked salmon make it irresistable and perfect for any occasion: a holiday party, buffet table or a usual everyday lunch or dinner. I use ready-made shortcrust pastry for this pie, so it's super quick and easy to make. Enjoy it!

To make snoked salmon and zucchini pie you need:

Stuffed Italian double pizza recipe

Do you like pizza? Just imagine its soft dough, delicious tomato sauce and chewy cheese ... nobody can resist it! This stuffed pizza is a must-try for all pizza lovers. Trust me, it's a real double pleasure :-) 

To make stuffed pizza you need:

Italian green beans salad (Insalata di fagiolini)

This is a recipe of my husbund. Robert doesn't cook very often, but if he does he won't leave kitchen without a culinary masterpiece! Yesterday he made this delicious green beans and tuna salad. It's my family's favorite - simple, healthy, incredibly tasty, original and really beautiful :-)

To make Italian green beans and tuna salad you need:

Rice and salami soup with cheese triangles

In Ukraine we usually eat soups as a first course. We've got so many soup recipes that I can't even count them all! Since I moved to Italy I've got used to pasta and risotto but anyway soups are always in my heart (and stomach eh eh), and I cook them rather often for my Italian husband too. Here is one of our favorite recipes - a creamy rice and salami soup with cheese triangles :-) 

To make this soup you need:

Potato cutlets with peas filling (Ukrainian potato zrazy)

Potato zrazy is a popular Ukrainian dish. They are made with potato puree and can be filled with minced meat, mushrooms or mashed peas. When I was a child my mum and granny used to cook them very often and now I make them for my family (my Italian husband just adores this dish), zrazy are very quick and easy to make, you'll need only few simple and cheap ingredients and the result will surprise you:-) Zrazy are traditionally served with some sour cream or tomato sauce. Here is the recipe of my favorite zrazy with mashed peas filling.

To make Ukrainian potato zrazy you need:

Pumpkin meatballs in a red sauce

My son adores meatballs so I always try to invent new versions of this dish. Here is one of my family's favorite plates - pumpkin meatballs in a red sauce, loved by kids and adults. Easy to make, original and yummy. Perfect for both lunch and dinner. Bring a little of Italy to your table :-) Buon appetito!

To make pumpkin meatballs in a red sauce you need:

Quick ham and ricotta pie

This pie saves me when I have unexpected guests or if I am too lazy to cook something - it's easy and quick to make and really yummy, made with few ingredients you have at hand. Your guests will be impressed! 

To make quick ham and ricotta pie you need:

Italian baked rice casserole (Timballo di riso)

Timballo di riso is one of traditional Italian rustic dishes. It has a lot of varieties, but the most popular one is made with minced meat, mozarella and tomato sauce. This dish is very rich in taste, flavorful and original. Give it a try - you'll love it! Tastes even better if cooked one day ahead.

To prepare Italian baked rice casserole you need:

Corn and leek fritters

Yesterday I made these corn and leek fritters for dinner and it was love from the first sight bite :-) They are delicious, fluffy, beautiful and very easy to make. Good as a snack, appetizer or even main dish. Give them a try :-)

To make corn and leek fritters you need:

Mushroom lasagna (Lasagne ai funghi)

If you are tired of a classic meat lasagna, try a mushroom one. It's really delicious and flavorful. Champignon mushrooms combined with beshamel sauce make it very delicate, light and original. Quick and easy to cook. Tastes even better the second day.  

To make mushroom lasagna you need:

Dinner

Today we had this crochet food for dinner :-) A sausage, lettuce, tomato slices and fried egg - zero calories and lots of fun! http://it.dawanda.com/product/98239543-colazione-alluncinetto

Potato cake (Gateau di patate)

This potato cake is really delicious, quick and easy to make. Just a few simple ingredients and your super tasty dinner is ready! It can be also an original alternative to usual mashed potatoes. Try it and you'll love it :-)

To make this potato cake you need:

Panzerotti Baresi

Panzerotti are super tasty deep fried stuffed mini-pizzas. Together with  Focaccia Barese they are the most popular dishes from Bari (my husband's native city). They can be stuffed with a great variety of fillings, like mozarella and tomatoes, ham, minced meat... no metter what filling you use - they are always DELICIOUS! One is never enough :-)  Here is the recipe of panzerotti with minced meat filling. Bon appetit :-)

To make panzerotti you need:

Khachapuri recipe

Khachapuri is a typical Georgian cheese-and-egg bread. The real Georgian khachapuri is made with sulguni cheese that is impossible to find in Italy. So I've adapted this recipe to Italian ingredients. The result is simply amazing! Try it and you'll fall in love:-)

To make 5 khachapuri you need:

Stuffed meat rolls recipe

If you are looking for some delicious, easy and creative idea for a dinner this is your lucky day:-) These stuffed meat rolls are super tasty and you'll need only 4 ingredients.  Learn how to make them in easy steps and surprise your guests:-) 

You need:

Meatloaf with egg and carrot in the middle

Here is another recipe that my husband adores. This simple meatloaf with boiled eggs and carrot in the middle is great for a family dinner. You won't need to buy lots of ingredients and it won't take you much time to make it but the result will surprise you and your guests!

You need:

Ham and cheese quiche recipe

If you are looking for a simple and tasty quiche recipe this one is for you:-) It is good as an appetizer, main dish, party food, Christmas food... well, it is perfect for any occasion eh eh. It's made in no time and super DELICIOUS! 

You need:

Chickpea flatbread recipe (Cecina Toscana)

This chickpea flatbread is typical of the Italian region of Tuscany. You need only 4 simple ingredients to make it (no eggs and milk). But the result will sure surprise you because it's super delicious!!! Ideal as an appetizer or healthy snack. And then, it's gluten-free:-)

You need:

Chicken and sweet pepper stew recipe

This tasty chicken and sweet pepper stew makes for a perfect dinner meal for the whole family. It will warm you up in cold evenings:-) It's quick and easy to cook, healthy and delicious:-) Then, this plate is light and nutritious at the same time. Try it and you'll love it!

You need: