Today I would like to share one of my all time favourite salad recipes from Sicily. It's super simple yet really delicious and even a little bit sophisticated, if you ask me. 

For this specific bread I used the retard method, meaning I proofed the dough overnight in the fridge. I'm not super strict with timing. Usually I bake it when I finish my breakfast and coffee, but I guess you could easily leave it to proof for 24h. Apparently the longer you leave it, the more intense the pinkish read colour from the beetroot.

You can either use cooked beetroot, like I did, or roast the beetroot like suggested in the "The Sourdough School" book. Puree it and add enough water to give it the consistency of applesauce. 

I added 1 tsp of cracked black pepper which gave a pretty mild flavour. If you want more kick, double the amount.

Beetroot, black pepper and honey sourdough with rye

makes 1 small loaf

1 egg
90 ml milk (or 45 ml water, 45 ml milk)
40 g coconut oil
70 g runny honey
2 medium ripe bananas
1 small apple
20 g whole rye flour
200 g all purpose flour
35 g almond meal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt

serves 2-3

2 large eggplant
50-75 g firm Ricotta cheese
50 g Parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp olive oil

for the tomato sauce
1 tsp olive oil
400 ml passata or one can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
1/2 yellow onion
a small handful of basil leaves
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop basil leaves, add them to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar if it still tastes too sour.

Lightly brush the aubergine slices with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Once they are done, take them out of the oven and start assembling the Parmigiana.
In a small baking dish start layering tomato sauce, a single layer of aubergines, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Start with the tomato sauce to avoid the aubergines sticking to the bottom of the dish. Finish off the parmigiana with sauce and both cheeses on top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the cheese is melted.
Serve hot as main dish or with meat and potatoes. It is also fantastic cold on toasted ciabatta. 

makes 4 small teacakes

50 ml milk
50 ml luke warm water
175 g high grad flour (strong bread flour)
3 g dry yeast
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp spice mix (1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground mahlepi, 1 small rock mastic gum crushed, seeds of 1 cardamom pod, crushed)
35 g dried fruit (e.g. raisins, chopped apricots)
1 egg for the eggwash

makes 6 small or 4 large Arancini

for the saffron risotto 
225 g risotto rice (such as Arborio)
1/2 yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
600-700 ml beef or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp saffron threads 
25 g grated parmesan cheese
125 ml dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp butter (optional)

for the ragout

150g minced beef 
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 yellow onion
200g chopped tomatoes from a can
1/2 cup frozen peas
a splash of balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried oregano or a spring fresh rosemary 
sugar, salt and pepper to taste


a few slices of Cacciocavallo or Mozzarella cheese cut into cubes

Prepare the risotto: Finely chop the onion. Put the saffron threads in a tablespoon of very hot water and leave to soak.
Heat a wide pan over low heat, add olive oil, butter and add the onion. Fry until soft and translucent, stirring constantly. Turn up the heat to medium. Add the rice and fry for about a minute until fragrant. Deglaze with the white wine. Boil stirring frequently until the wine has dissolved. Add a ladle of broth, season well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and boil really slowly stirring occasionally.  
Continue to add the broth, one ladle every time the risotto looks dry and stir well. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. Continue to try the rice as you go as it should be al dente and not too soft. 
Once the rice is almost cooked, stir in the the saffron and water and mix well. Continue to boil until the rice is cooked al dente. The risotto should be fairly dry and "sticky" so that it can easily be rolled into a ball and hold its shape.
Finally, take the risotto off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and butter. I usually leave out the butter to save calories. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave the risotto to cool completely before using it.

Prepare the ragout: Finely chop the onion. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until they just start to brown. Turn up the heat to high and add the mince. Break up any big chunks. Leave the meat to brown without stirring too much. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes. 
Add the herbs and vinegar and stir well. Add the peas and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Make sure that the ragout is quite dry. 
Taste and season with salt, pepper and finish off with a little bit of sugar to bring out the tomato flavour. Leave to cool. 

Make the Arancini: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C top/bottom heat). 
Mix the egg with the flour until it forms a smooth paste. It needs to be runny enough to coat the Arancini with. Add a splash of hot water to loosen it if necessary.
Divide the risotto into 6 even portions. 
Either on a plate or in the palm of your hand, flatten out a portion of the risotto. Put about 1-2 tablespoons of the ragout and a few cubes of cheese in the middle. Shape the risotto into a tight ball around the filling so that there is no filling leaking out. Repeat until you've used up the risotto. Don't worry if you have leftover ragout, it makes for a fantastic pasta sauce. 
Coat the rice balls first with the egg and flour mixture and then with the bread crumbs. Roll them in your hands to make the crumbs really stick to the Arancini.
Spray with olive oil. I don't have a spray bottle so I usually pour a little bit of olive oil in my hands and roll the Arancini again with my oiled hands.
Place them on an oiled baking tray. Space them out so that they can brown evenly. Bake until golden brown and the crust is crispy, about 25-30 minutes. 

Enjoy, for example with a glass of good Italian wine!



Variations

If you don't like saffron risotto, you can use risotto bianco. I encourage you to play around with the filling, for example vegetable ragout or fennel and salmon. 
For a sweet variation, use rice pudding and nougat and pistachio or hazelnut filling. Coat with breadcrumbs mixed with ground nuts.