VLAD'S MENU WITH ANCHOVIES FILETS - SUNDRIED TOMATOES - SICILIAN CAPERS
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A day old Lentils with aceto and sun dried tomatoes - Very simple and tasty amuse/starter. I love cooking and eating lentils, thus I always make too much. Having some leftover lentils, cold from the fridge, they are best mixed with strong and real aceto balsamic, any green herbs you might have and sun-dried tomatoes. A few capers finish this little starter. A spoon per person in highly recommended to start the dinner
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Salty-greeny mediterranean salad - potatoes, soya beans, anchovies, herbs, lime, and capers.
I love potatoes, especially the new potatoes that one can find in the good stores in the spring and early summer. They are best cooked with the skin but peeled are fine too. Start a big pan with plenty of sea salt, get it to boiling point and blanch the beans for 2 min and drop them in ice cold water. Use the saem water to boil the potatoes for about 7-8 minutes or soft when pinched with a small paring knife. Drain, dry, and transfer to a large frying pan with olive oil. Cook the potatoes over high heat until golden, add the beans and plenty of green herbs (or just dill, my favorite with new potatoes). Cook for another 2-3 min and serve hot, by adding anchovies and capers, as many as you like. Don’t use any salt as the anchovies take care of it. Drizzle with lime (or good Sicilian lemon) and enjoy the fresh and hot mediterranean taste with the coldness of Chiara’s anchovies.
3. Sun-kissed cannelloni - I learned this recipe of all places in a French high end restaurant, where it was a constant part of the menu. To start, get the best lasagna pasta (pre-cook it according to the descriptions of the box or if fresh, about 1 min and then store chilled and covered). Meanwhile, take a big piece of taleggio (you need about 100-120 grams per cannelloni, clean the other, orange part and cut in small cubes (best is to cut next to the sink and have the water running hot, dip a fillet knife in the water and cut). Put the cubes in a bowl, add sliced sun-dried tomatoes, roasted pine nuts and plenty of green fresh herbs (sage, mint, parsley), roughly chopped. Mix all well with a bit of olive oil and lots of pepper. Make the cannelloni and roll in baking paper. Place in a hot oven (180 degrees) and roast for a few minutes. They are ready when the cheese is melting. Take out, remove the paper and serve how. They go best with paprika coulis, black olives sauce, pesto or just in its own cheese. Bon appetit.