Venere Rice with Smoked Salmon and Pomegranate // Riso venere con salmone affumicato e melagrana

2016 has finally come to an end, and as a last recipe to round off this year - although it has been more of a negative than positive year to me - I want to share with you this festive salad.

Spicy Basmati Rice with Red Cabbage // Riso Basmati speziato con cavolo rosso

Because of its colour, red cabbage is simply the perfect vegetable for holiday season. At least it is for me. And my favourite way to enjoy it is eaten raw in a salad. But it's officially winter now, and since I'm cold all the time, eating cold food doesn't sound very appealing to me.

Bok Choy Stir Fry // Stir fry di pak choi

If you have celebrated Christmas, chances are you have eaten too much on the past few days. There's nothing wrong with that, I'm the first that has been eating more than usual lately, especially sweets. What can I say, cavallucci, the typical Christmas treats from my town, are so good I just can't resist.

Salmon over Potato and Beet Purée // Salmone su purea di patate e barbabietole

Christmas is just around the corner, and even though I'm atheist, I always end up "celebrating" this day with my family. And it's tradition - because of religion - to have fish on Christmas Eve.

Prawn and Bok Choy Risotto // Risotto con gamberi e pak choi

Does it ever happen to you that you absolutely want to eat something in particular? Well, I've been stuck with the idea of having a creamy risotto for days, the only problem was that I didn't have the right ingredients.

Red Lentil Soup with Turnips // Zuppa di lenticchie rosse con rape

Soups are just the best way to keep you warm or warm you up, and they also are the easiest way to eat healthy. If you don't add any heavy cream or a lot of fats, of course.

Millet and Tofu Maki Sushi // Maki sushi di miglio e tofu

Japanese is easily my favourite cuisine. What can I say, they use fantastic ingredients, they have an obsessive attention for foods' aesthetic and raw fish is so delicious, I will never understand how so many people find it gross.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate // Cavolini di Bruxelles arrostiti all'aceto balsamico con melagrana

Brussels sprouts, those cute little cabbages that many people seem to hate. As you probably guessed, I love them, still I totally understand why they are so detested. If too big, old or overcooked, they tend to have an unpleasant flavour and some people don't like it.

Pasta with Broccoli, Pistachios and Cottage Cheese // Pasta con broccoli, pistacchi e fiocchi di latte

I know it's quite uncommon for someone my age, but I love every single member of the Brassica family, from the delicate white cauliflower, to the incredibly stinky yet delicious Romanesco broccoli, to the colourful and crunchy red cabbage. Among them all, broccoli will always have a special place in my heart because it's with them I've first fallen in love with.

Cabbage and White Bean Soup // Zuppa di cavolo e fagioli bianchi

It's getting pretty cold here and since I'm one of those people always freezing, there's nothing I love more than a warm bowl of soup. Lunch, dinner, breakfast, I don't care. I'd have soup even as a snack!

Baked Sea Bream // Orata al cartoccio

On an August evening last summer I had dinner at a seafront restaurant. A rather disappointing dinner, in part because after reading the menu I wanted to order the tuna with pistachios but at first the waitress told me they had no tuna, then, after asking, she told me they were out of pistachios, and thus I was forced to order something else, in part because some of the courses and especially the service left much to be desired.

Roasted Broccoli and Quinoa Bowl // Bowl con broccoli arrostiti e quinoa

 If you haven't noticed already, I love broccoli. And quinoa. So when I saw Kate's Broccoli, Cheddar & Quinoa Gratin, I immediately saved the recipe. Of course I wanted to try it. I mean, how do you even beat a warm, comforting and cheesy meal on cold days?

Lacinato Kale Mezzi Rigatoni with Butternut Squash // Mezzi rigatoni al cavolo nero con zucca butternut

 Yes, I'm back with another pasta recipe. What I can say, I wanted to make a sauce with lacinato kale and nothing goes well with a creamy sauce like pasta.