Vegan & Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men // Omini di pan di zenzero vegan e senza glutine

(Italiano sotto) It's only a few years back that I ate gingerbread cookies for the first time (they are not a tradition here in Italy) and I completely fell in love with them. Other than being incredibly adorable and reminding me of that cute gingerbread man in the Shrek series, I was completely sold by their texture and flavour.

Bergamot Rosemary Quinoa with Roasted Purple Cauliflower // Quinoa al bergamotto e rosmarino con cavolfiore viola arrostito

(Italiano sotto) Soups with whatever I can find in my kitchen are what I have for lunch almost every day. There are some exceptions here and there. I made pancakes not long ago, and this time I made this bowl with quinoa and cauliflower.

Red Lentil Pancakes // Pancakes di lenticchie rosse

You want what's something that I haven't done in a while other than not posting on here? Pancakes. I don't know why, but I haven't made them in months, since last April to be precise, when I remade my blueberry buckwheat pancakes for my birthday. And to be honest, although I love pancakes, I haven't been missing them.

Ginger Beef Stew with Shiitake Mushrooms // Stufato di manzo allo zenzero con funghi shiitake

I haven't been very present on the blog lately, and I'm sorry for that. The past week I was incredibly busy with my other blog that I had to leave something behind. Also, and I said this in the past, I haven't been feeling a lot like writing for Inglourious Bananas lately. And I haven't been very creative in the kitchen either.

Buckwheat Tortiglioni with Brussels Sprouts and Lacinato Kale // Tortiglioni di grano saraceno con cavolini di Bruxelles e cavolo nero

Remember when I told you I was trying to avoid gluten? Well, it isn't going very well. It's just so hard to stay away from barley, spelt and rye. Not to mention pasta, which I'm craving a lot lately. The latter, however, isn't much of a problem because gluten-free pasta exists and today I'm sharing another recipe using my favourite, buckwheat pasta.

Quinoa and White Bean Soup // Zuppa di quinoa e fagioli bianchi

One of the reasons I haven’t had a lot of time to post is that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen lately. It got pretty cold and I love getting all that heat from the stovetop and the oven. However, there’s nothing able to warm me up as a steaming bowl of soup, and that’s pretty much all I’ve been eating these days. Both for lunch and dinner.

Stuffed Butternut Squash // Zucca butternut ripiena

I've been so busy last week, mostly editing this video, that I couldn't find the time to write. To be honest, I'm incredibly lazy lately and kinda feeling down that I don't feel much like writing which means there's plenty of recipes waiting to be posted, and this stuffed butternut squash is one of them.

Herbed Quinoa and Lentils with Maple Balsamic Oyster Mushrooms // Quinoa e lenticchie alle erbe con funghi ostrica allo sciroppo d'acero e aceto balsamico

Just like I did last year, I went to Lucca for the Lucca Comics last Saturday. I love cosplays and the city is very beautiful, but what I look forward the most when I travel is food. I'm obsessed with food and I always try to eat typical dishes. Among the many things I ate, I had tagliatelle with Porcini mushrooms, a terribly executed dish with overcooked mushrooms drowned in oil. This quinoa and lentils with oyster mushrooms is my way to clear mushroom's name.

Apple Pie Bars // Barrette alla torta di mele

I don't know why but lately my body has been craving sweets like there's no tomorrow. I just don't seem to be able to control myself. So to avoid to become the human version of nice Majiin Buu (if you don't know who Majiin Buu is, you should probably question your life choices, just saying), I went on a quest to find healthy sweet treats that have more than refined sugars and unhealthy fats in them.

Chili con carne

The only thing that comes to mind to most Italians when they think about food from the States is junk food. Hamburger, hot dogs and fries. Fast food, basically. And steaks. They completely ignore all the delicious foods they have to offer. Just think about Creole and Cajun cuisine. Or Texas cuisine that has to offer one of the most delicious meat-based dishes I've ever eaten, Chili con carne.

Squid Ink Tagliatelle with Mussels and Pumpkin // Tagliatelle al nero di seppia con cozze e zucca

Can you believe October has already come to an end? I can't. I'm kinda happy though because that means Halloween is here too. I've always loved this day. The dressing up, the trick or treat, the eating tons of candies. I'm a grown up now and I don't do that anymore, so I thought to make this day special with food, and this spooky pasta is just perfect.

Pickled Avocado // Avocado sotto aceto

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has sliced into an avocado before it was ripe enough to eat and had absolutely no idea what to do with it. Because let's be honest, unripe avocado is disgusting. I could be okay with it being a little too hard, but definitely not okay with its bitter and pretty awful taste.

How to Make Applesauce // Come fare l'applesauce

I don't know why since I'm not a baking person, but I've been feeling the need to bake lately which ended up in me looking for delicious and healthy recipes on Pinterest. And I've found a lot. The problem is that most of them called for an ingredient I didn't have in my pantry, applesauce. As you maybe know, I live in Italy and applesauce isn't something we use and I doubt you can even found it in stores.

Buckwheat and Squash Gnocchi with Kale // Gnocchi di grano saraceno e zucca con cavolo nero

I don't think anyone even noticed, but I didn't post anything last Friday. Don't worry, nothing bad happened, I was just too lazy and tired to write a post so I took a day off. But now I'm back and I have a pretty delicious recipe for you, these vegan and gluten-free buckwheat and squash gnocchi with kale.

Avocado Mayo // Maionese di avocado

It's truly amazing how one person's tastes can change. I used to love mayonnaise. I would always pick it over ketchup for my fries, drown my boiled eggs in it because I just couldn't stomach the dry yolk, and I even remember spreading it on bread. I've never been on my brother's level though, he once mixed it with Nutella. And he threw up, of course.

Pumpkin Linguine with Chanterelle Mushrooms // Linguine alla zucca con finferli

Every single year, I complain about not being able to find decent fresh mushrooms in supermarkets. Button and oyster are always there, but the most interesting ones, like porcini, shiitake and chanterelle, are never in the markets. This year is different though, and I was able to get my hands on some delicious chanterelle mushrooms. Some of which ended up in this very healthy and easy pasta dish that tastes like autumn.

Autumn Beef Bowl // Bowl autunnale di manzo

My mother bought a lot of ground beef last week. A part of it was meant to become delicious moussaka, the rest Bolognese sauce for my picky eater brother. I took some of the rest to make Korean beef but then I remembered I can't eat soy right now and that resulted in me spending half a day thinking about something I could make with it.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries // Patatine di patata dolce al forno

I challenge you to find someone who doesn't like fries, especially the crunchy ones. They are like heaven on earth. Regular fries, however, other than not being very healthy, are quite bland because let's be honest, white potatoes don't have a lot of flavour.

Buckwheat with Kabocha Squash Cream and Porcini Mushrooms // Grano saraceno con crema di zucca Kabocha e funghi porcini

I just love pumpkin or squash and mushrooms together, especially around this time of the year because I can enjoy them fresh instead of frozen. Also, they recall the colours of autumn which make me love this pairing even more (so expect to see a lot of recipes with them in the next weeks).

Asian Baked Sea Bass // Branzino asiatico al cartoccio

The first time I ate sea bass was at a restaurant in San Marino -- it was the only thing on my dish that was properly cooked -- and I realised it is probably the worst fish to order at a restaurant because it's got a lot of thorns and cleaning it in a plate full of food isn't easy. At all.

Sweet Potato Toasts with Gorgonzola, Arugula and Walnuts // Toast di patata dolce con gorgonzola, rucola e noci

There's plenty of things you can make with a sweet potato. Salads, pies, smoothies, fries, gnocchi and more. And toasts. Yep, that's the trend at the moment. Or maybe it was months ago. Or around this time last year. I really don't know. I remember seeing these lots of time ago and I've given them a try just now, and they blew my mind.

Lentil and Okra Curry // Curry di lenticchie e okra

Okra season has come to an end - at least for me since my plants are pretty much dead - and I've realised I haven't made as many recipes as I wanted to make with this wonderful vegetable. The reason? I simply eat most of them raw, as soon as I picked them.

Wasabi Chocolate Beef Stew // Spezzatino di manzo al cioccolato e wasabi

As much as I'd like to eat tenderloin steaks all the time, they are quite expensive and they are not always available at the store. But it's not a big deal since it got pretty cold lately which means I can finally make stews and not look like a freak. To be honest, I made some during Summer as well, but it just wasn't the same.

How to Make Coconut Butter // Come fare il burro di cocco

(Not so) funny story. I discovered the existence of coconut butter a couple of years ago. I walked into a health food store looking for coconut oil, and instead of wandering through the shelves for hours I went straight to the lady working there and asked if they had any. She said they did and I ended up buying two jars. I did the mistake to not read the label, so you can guess my surprise and frustration when I went home and opened a jar only to find out it was coconut butter.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad // Insalata di patate dolci arrostite

I've never been a fan of the traditional potato salad. There's simply too much mayo and mushy and pretty much tasteless white potatoes. Not to mention how boring it is.

Beef Tenderloin Steak with Mint Chimichurri and Braised Purple Cabbage // Filetto di manzo con chimichurri di menta e cavolo viola brasato

I've learned a lot by watching MasterChef US, and one of those things is that steak and chimichurri is a popular pairing, and I decided to try it. Only after doing some researches about chimichurri though because I wasn't very familiar with it. To be honest, before MasterChef, I didn't even know it existed.

Blackberry, Orange and Banana Smoothie // Smoothie alle more, arancia e banana

There's definitely something wrong with me. I love smoothies and yet this Summer I've barely made them which means there still are a lot of frozen bananas in my freezer. And you know what? I'm using them now before Autumn comes because I don't want to keep them in there until Spring 2018.

Crunchy Zucchini and Tomato Pasta // Pasta alle zucchine croccanti e pomodoro

I don't know how many of you have read my first post, so to recap I said my recipes would have been easy and that's what I've been doing. I use pretty basic cooking techniques and it usually doesn't take a lot of time to make the recipes either.

Rye Berry Salad with Salmon // Insalata di segale con salmone

Organic stores are my wonderland for two reasons. The first is that the foods are clean and have way more flavour; the second is that there I can finds foods I can only dream of finding in regular stores. And one of those foods being rye berries, the star of this dish.

Avocado Toast and Poached Egg // Avocado toast e uovo in camicia

Didn't I tell you I was trying to eat avocado every day? Well, sometimes I add it to my salads, sometimes I blend it to make a dressing or a pasta sauce, and sometimes, actually most of the times, I make avocado toasts.

Blueberry Quinoa Salad // Insalata di quinoa e mirtilli

I'm pretty lazy lately. I don't feel like doing anything, really. I just want to eat, watch movies and TV shows, and that's pretty much it. But yesterday it was different. I have had this recipe in mind for days, and I really wanted to make it. And you know what happened? It rained all day long. And it was also very cloudy.

Turmeric Roasted Zucchini // Zucchine alla curcuma arrostite

I'm one of those people who just can't stay away from the oven and as such, I've been roasting vegetables all Summer long. Actually, I've been roasting zucchini all Summer long because my garden was filled with them.

Roasted Purple Yam and Maple Chickpea Tofu Bowl // Bowl con batata viola arrostita e tofu di ceci allo sciroppo d'acero

In the past few days, we basically went from tank-tops to hoodies, so there's really nothing I'd enjoy more than turning on the oven and cooking. Actually there's something I enjoy more, it's eating huge amounts of food which is why I made this rich bowl that has everything you need for a delicious and nutritious meal that won't make you feel heavy afterwards.

How to Make Chickpea Tofu // Come fare il tofu di ceci

Since I've started eating healthy and incorporating more plant-based foods into my diet, tofu has become of my best friends. I just love its taste, the different consistencies it can have, its versatility and how simple it makes to add proteins to a meal.

Roasted Okra // Okra arrostite

 At the beginning of this week I told you I would talk a little more about okra and here I am, keeping my promise, with these delicious roasted okra, my favourite way to enjoy them cooked.

Beet and White Bean Dip // Dip alla barbabietola e fagioli bianchi

I love hummus so much that a couple of weeks ago I didn't simply make a hummus but two. One was a fava bean and spirulina hummus; the other a sun-dried tomato and wheatgrass hummus. Why am I talking about them? Because they had something in common with this beet and white bean dip, they all were delicious!

Super Summer Pasta Salad // Super insalata di pasta estiva

August has already come to an end and soon Summer will be over soon and I realised that I've been short on salads this year. I did pasta, fish, meat, snacks and desserts, and I (almost) completely forgot about salads. It's probably because that's what I've been eating most of the time and I wanted to do something different for the blog.

Pink Peppercorn and Lime Dogfish // Palombo al pepe rosa e lime

Last winter, my mother bought a lot of different species of (frozen) fish to make a soup if I'm not wrong. But that's irrelevant. My point is that she bought too much of some fishes and dogfish was one of them and since she had no idea whatsoever to cook it I claimed it as mine. As if somebody else was interesting. But who cares, right? More delicious dogfish for me.

Buckwheat Bread // Pane di grano saraceno

I've been trying to stay away from gluten for a couple of weeks now to find out whether or not it is the cause of some health issues I have (I'm still trying to figure that out, to be honest) and that brought to my attention how hard to it is to find good gluten-free bread. They are usually low in everything - especially fibers and proteins - but carbs. Another thing I've noticed is that most recipes online call for ingredients such as xanthan gum, tapioca starch, or other ingredients I don't have in my pantry and that are not very easy to find where I live.

Greek Yogurt Banana Split // Banana split allo yogurt greco

I don't think I need to tell you how much I love bananas. I love eating them like a monkey. I love making ice-cream with them. I love them as a sweetener in my desserts. And I obviously love them split.

Deconstructed Moussaka // Moussaka destrutturata

My French mother who is obsessed with Greece and Greek cuisine would often make moussaka during my teenage years and having been the typical Italian teenager who hates vegetables, I would never eat it. I've given it a try only 3-4 years ago and fell in love with it.

Lupini Bean Salad // Insalata di lupini

I've always been fascinated with lupini because of their yellow colour. Then one day, about 5 years ago, I decided to try them and their taste ruined them for me. They were disgusting. Now I don't know if that's normal with store-bought lupini or if my tastes have changed over the years - I bet it's the latter though -, but I do know what I love them. And I also love preparing them myself.

Tagliatelle with Tempeh and Mushrooms // Tagliatelle con tempeh e funghi

It's been months since I first tried tempeh and now it's my new obsession. It tastes so good, I don't even know if I'm ever going to eat tofu again. Why even bother, right?

Salmon with Mango and Radish Salsa // Salmone con salsa di mango e ravanelli

Salmon with mango and radish salsa.... sounds delicious right? Well, trust me, it really is!

Raw Peach and Coconut Mini Cake // Mini torta crudista alla pesca e cocco

I know that I said I don't believe in desserts made almost entirely of fats - even if those fats are the healthy ones - and yet here I am with a dessert made almost entirely of fats. To my defence, I wanted to have something sweet, fresh and raw for breakfast and this was the easiest way to get what I wanted.

Buckwheat Penne with Zucchini and Zucchini Blossoms // Penne di grano saraceno con zucchina e fiori di zucca

Buckwheat is one of those grains I love so much I would eat every day. So you can imagine my joy when I saw on the supermarket's shelf buckwheat pasta made of, guess what, buckwheat! I know it sounds pretty obvious, but believe me when I tell you that finding 100% buckwheat pasta where I live is a real struggle since there always are other flours such as corn and rice.

Chickpea Pizza with Zucchini Blossoms and Cherry Tomatoes // Pizza di ceci con fiori di zucca e pomodorini

I can't believe how long it has been since the last time I made pizza and the reason is quite simple: there's a restaurant very close to my house - it's only a 5 minutes walk away - that makes the best pizza I've ever eaten. Still, as delicious as it is, it's not the healthiest of the foods which is why I decided to make another unusual pizza, this chickpea pizza, so that everyone can enjoy it, from those on a diet to those who can't eat gluten. And basically all you need to make it is chickpea flour.

Ginger Lime Roasted Chickpeas // Ceci arrostiti allo zenzero e lime

When it comes to snacking, I prefer sweet over savoury. It's just that having some fruit is way easier and faster than having to prepare a savoury snack like popcorns, for example. Unless it's microwave popcorn which I obviously don't eat. So I usually have an apple with some yogurt as a morning snack and some other fruit with some nuts as an afternoon snack. The problem? Apples aren't in season anymore.

Raw Coconut and Beet Bites // Bocconcini crudisti al cocco e barbabietola

Since those raw carrot cake bites I made a while ago turned out to be a great snack because a, they were refreshing, b, they were delicious and c, they were ready to be eaten, I decided to make more. Not more carrot cake bites, more bites. And, since I had already tested the coconut and beet pairing in the past, I went with those two. Needless to say, they were delicious.

Mixed Roasted Vegetables // Verdure miste arrostite

Temperatures have dropped a little – it’s still pretty hot though – which makes this the perfect moment to share with you my favorite Summer “recipe”, mixed roasted vegetables.