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Fresh and light: Un-tuna veal

Are you looking for light summer recipes? This Un-tuna veal will not disappoint you. But why un-tuna? Because it looks like veal with tuna sauce, which is a very traditional north Italian dish, but instead of tuna I have used an aubergine cream prepared only with vegetables and grated Pecorino cheese to prepare the recipe.

Aubergine cream is an idea that you can use not only to accompany veal, but also to top delicious Bruschettas, as a cream for vegetarian lasagna or as a sauce for a pasta dish, perhaps complemented by other diced vegetables. In this way, we can avoid using mayonnaise, which, although fresh and tasty, is very high in fat and calories, which, especially in summer, makes us very ‘uneasy’.

The final touch to the dish is definitely given by the capers: try Salina capersa product that has also become a Slow Food Presidium and give a flavour boost to all preparations.

More light summer recipes? Try Cherry tomatoes with bread and anchovies.

Un-tuna veal

negligible carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 6-8 servings

  • 900g rump of beef
  • 2 large aubergines (approx. 500g pulp once cooked)
  • 40g Pecorino cheese, grated
  • 35g onions
  • 1 clove garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • capers
  • salt and pepper
  • vegetables for cooking the veal (1 carrot, 1 celery leg, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, parsley)

Preparation

  1. Cook the meat loin in salted water with the vegetables cut into large pieces for about 1 hour, skimming off the stock from time to time. Let it cool down.
  2. In the meantime, cut the aubergines in half lengthwise, score the flesh to form a sort of grid and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Lay the aubergines on a baking tin covered with parchment paper with the cut side down. Bake the aubergines in a convection oven preheated to 200°C for 40 minutes.
  3. In a small non-stick pan, put a little oil with the chopped onion and the clove of garlic and brown them lightly; remove the garlic and put the cooked onion in a blender.
  4. With a spoon, scoop out the aubergine flesh and put it in the blender with the onion; purée, then add the grated Pecorino cheese and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Slice the rump and arrange the slices on a serving platter or individual plates, then season the meat with the aubergine cream and desalted capers. Serve with a grinding of pepper, a drizzle of oil and, if desired, fresh vegetables.

Finto vitello tonnato

Version with gluten of Un-tuna veal

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Herb-marinated chicken salad

You know those recipes you can no longer do without? Herb-marinated chicken salad is definitely one of them. I therefore decided to share it at the beginning of summer because it will be the ideal solution for many occasions, from a trip to the mountains, to a lunch on the beach or in the office, this cold dish has an irresistible aroma and a flesh as soft as tuna.

Another not insignificant aspect is that you can prepare the chicken and marinate it in the aromatic oil even one or two days in advance and the result will be even more extraordinary because the meat will be even tenderer.

In addition to the courgettes in the marinade, serve the Chicken Salad with any other seasonal vegetables and you will have solved a naturally gluten free and virtually carbohydrate free meal. A possible pairing could be Cherry tomatoes with bread and anchovies.

Herb-marinated chicken salad    

negligible carbohydrates per 100g

 Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 800g boiled chicken breast
  • 300g courgettes
  • 150g extra virgin olive oil (which you will re-use once you have eaten the chicken)
  • 30g Pantelleria capers in salt
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 star anise berries
  • 1 tuft of thyme
  • oregano
  • chili
  • salt
  • lettuce and mixed leafy greens to taste

Preparation

  1. Cut the courgettes into ribbons with a mandoline and grill them for a few minutes on a grill or in the oven at 200°C on a baking tin covered with parchment paper. Put the oil in a saucepan, add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, thyme, salt, chilli and peeled garlic in fillets. Let everything gain flavour on a low heat for about 10 minutes, taking care not to fry the spices.
  2. Desalt the capers, cut the cooked chicken into pieces, put it in an airtight jar with the capers, the still-warm aromatic oil and the courgette ribbons, possibly adding more oil to cover the chicken; close the container and refrigerate for 24 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator a few hours before serving, mix well, season with a pinch of oregano and serve accompanied with lettuce and other mixed leafy greens to taste.

Note: the marinade oil remaining in the container will be excellent for dressing other salads and as a base for preparing other dishes.

L'insalata di pollo pronta per essere gustata

Version with gluten of Herb-marinated chicken salad

The recipe contains only naturally gluten free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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Vegetable omelettes with herbs

Nature is coming back to life all around us with an explosion of flowers and plants, including edible wild herbs and aromatic herbs, so what better idea than to prepare irresistible Vegetable omelettes with herbs?

They are the perfect solution for preparing a healthy, naturally gluten free and carbohydrate freedinner to accompany other seasonal vegetables and a slice of fragrant fibre rich bread: don’t you think so?

Furthermore, if you find some dandelion or some wild hops do not hesitate to pick some to add to your vegetable omelettes or to prepare other vegetarian recipes.

Vegetable omelettes with herbs   

negligible carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4 omelettes

  • 8 eggs
  • 170g Swiss chard (just the green part)
  • 140g Tropea red onions
  • 120g peeled tomatoes
  • 60g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 1 clove garlic
  • dried oregano
  • a few marjoram and thyme leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Preparation

  1. Clean the red onions and slice them. Wash the Swiss chard and cut them into strips.
  2. In a non-stick pan, brown the garlic in a little oil, then add the onions and Swiss chard, season with salt and pepper, then cook with the lid on for a few minutes.
  3. Coarsely chop the peeled tomatoes and add them to the vegetables in the pan; cook for another 5 minutes to completely dry the water from the vegetables and remove the garlic.
  4. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley, oregano, aromatic herbs and the cooled down vegetables. Finally, add the grated Parmesan cheese.
  5. Heat a non-stick frying pan of 18-20cm diameter with a little oil and pour in one fourth of the mixture, cooking the omelettes for 2 minutes on each side.
  6. Serve the omelettes accompanied by raw and cooked vegetables to taste.

Frittatine di verdure alle erbe

Vegetables omelettes with herbs ready to be enjoyed

Version with gluten of Vegetable omelettes with herbs

The recipe is naturally gluten-free, so no adaptation is needed for the version with gluten.

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Tuna loaf with green sauce

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Tuna loaf with green sauce is the dish that answers my question ‘what to cook for dinner in the summer‘. If there are many cold dishes that can bring us pleasant relief when the heat is almost unbearable, tuna loaf does it very well (here is how to prepare it).

To prepare it, you need six ingredients and they are all ingredients that I generally have in my pantry at home: tuna, anchovies, capers, olives, egg white and Parmesan cheese.

It also meets dietary requirements: all ingredients are naturally gluten free and the amount of carbohydrates is well below 1g per 100g of finished recipe. Furthermore, the recipe is lactose free (Parmesan is lactose free, but remember that in case of dairy protein intolerance you will have to buy Parmesan matured for at least 36 months), so it is also suitable for those who cannot consume dairy products.

As it is suitable for using creativity when plating, this recipe is perfect if you have guests. You can also prepare it the day before so you can devote yourself to other dishes and then slice the meatloaf at the last moment.

Finally, the green sauce is very quick to prepare and is also excellent to accompany other dishes or to be used as a dip for vegetables!

  

Tuna loaf with green sauce

carbohydrates per 100g negligible

 Ingredients for the tuna loaf for 4-6 servings

    • 400g tuna in oil
    • 2 egg whites
    • 20g anchovy fillets
    • 20g pitted green olives*
    • 20g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
    • 10g salted capers
    • pepper

    Ingredients for the green sauce

    • 50g extra virgin olive oil
    • 30g pitted green olives*
    • 10g parsley leaves

    *Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

    Preparation

    1. Drain the tuna and put it in a blender or robot with the egg whites, capers fully desalted under running water, anchovy fillets, olives, Parmesan cheese and lemon peel. Blend everything together to obtain an even mixture.
    2. Take a sheet of baking paper, wet it and wring it out, then roll it out and pour the tuna mixture in the middle, forming a kind of cylinder. Wrap the cylinder with paper and close it at the ends with two metal hooks.
    3. Put the meatloaf on a baking dish, cover it completely with water, then bring it to a gentle boil and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes. Pour off the water and let the meatloaf cool down.
    4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Put parsley and olives on a cutting board or in a food processor and chop everything to the desired size. Transfer the mince to a small bowl and coat it with extra virgin olive oil.
    5. Slice the meatloaf, arrange the slices on a serving platter, season with a teaspoon of sauce and serve with fresh vegetables or pickles.

Polpettone di tonno con salsa verde affettato

Version with gluten of Tuna loaf with green sauce

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients, so no adaptation is necessary for its version with gluten.

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