Focaccia with Grapes / Schiacciata con l'Uva

"Schiacciata con l'Uva" is a traditional flatbread made in Tuscany-what everyone else in Italy calls "Focaccia", in the autumn. Nicely golden and crisp on the outside, laid with juicy sweet red grapes and sprinkled with brown sugar, this focaccia tastes wonderfully delicious with a glass of Chianti! Don't you love its rustic look!

Recipe Sources:

dajana-bakerscorner

epicurious

kingarthurflour

• 300 ml Water, lukewarm
  
  
• 30 g Honey
  
  
• 400 g Spelt flour #1050©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 7 g Instant dry yeast
  
  
• 500 g Seedless red grapes
  
  
• Extra virgin olive oil
  
  
• 50 g brown sugar
  
  

1. Place water, flour, caster sugar, salt and instant dry yeast in the order they are listed into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for dough, and press "Start".
   
   
2. While the dough is rising, rinse and dry the grapes. When dough cycle is complete remove the dough from machine. Take 2/3 of the dough and roll it out thin on a baking paper greased with olive oil. Place 2/3 of the grapes on the dough and sprinkle with 30 grams of brown sugar.
   
   
3. Roll out the remaining dough and cover the bottom sheet with the grapes on it. Lift the edges of the bottom sheet over the upper one and press lightly to join them. Move the focaccia together with the baking paper to a baking tray. Brush the surface with oil, place the remaining grapes on top and sprinkle with the remaining 20 grams of brown sugar.
   
   
4. Bake the focaccia in an oven preheated to190C/375F for 25 to 30 minutes utill it is golden brown. Serve it warm with a glass or two Chianti.

Peach Nougat Spelt Cake

A slightly dense, moist butter cake with ripe, fresh, and juicy peaches and rich, gooey nougat atop makes a truly succulent late-summer delight with a glass of sparkling wine.

Batter	Topping
250 g Spelt #630 flour©angiesrecipes 2 tsp Baking powder 100 g Sugar 2 Eggs 150 g Butter, softened 6 tbsp Milk	6 Fresh peaches©angiesrecipes, peeled, halved and pitted 200 g Nougat Some raspberry jam Some pistachio, chopped

1. Peel and halve the peaches. Gently fan out the top of halves whilst still keeping them all together. Line a 30x.33cm baking tray with paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the nougat in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until it is melted and smooth.
   
   
2. Whisk the spelt flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add in sugar, eggs, butter and milk. Beat briefly with a hand mixer on slow speed, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until a smooth dough forms.
   
   
3. Press the dough evenly onto the prepared tray. Arrange the peach halves, fanned-out side up, in 4 lines, setting them 1 inch apart and pressing each gently into the dough. Spoon the melted nougat to fill the gaps between lines.
   
   
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Strain the raspberry jam through a fine sieve into a bowl. Remove the cake and cool on the wire rack. Brush the peach halves with the jam while it’s still warm, and scatter the chopped pistachio on the nougat. Slice the cake and serve.

Thank you, kitchen flavours and alwayswinner786, for passing the awards to me.

Kitchen Flavours	Tips for Delicious and Healthy Cooking

Chicken with Lee Kum Kee Plum Sauce / 苏梅酱汁鸡

This light brown sauce is made from preserved Chinese plums, quality ginger, and chilies. This is an excellent dipping sauce for any roasted meat dishes and for stir frying.

	Sauce
200 g Chicken breast 1/3 tsp Salt 1/5 tsp Chicken bouillon 60 g Cornstarch 1/2 tsp Baking soda 1/2 Egg Some water 1 tsp Minced garlic 1 tsp Sesame seeds©angiesrecipes	2 tbsp Sweet plum sauce©angiesrecipes 30 ml Water 1 tbsp Sugar 1/2 tsp White vinegar 1/5 tsp Salt 1 tsp Cornstarch

1. Cut the chicken breast into 2cm dices, marinate with the salt and chicken bouillon and set aside for 15 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and baking soda, add in egg and some water to make a thick batter.
   
   
2. Heat up a wok with enough oil until hot. Dip the diced chicken into the batter. Shake off the extra batter and deep-dry the chicken for 2 minutes. Scoop out and drain. Return the chicken to the wok and deep-fry until very crispy.
   
   
3. Fill another skillet with a little of oil, add in garlic and stir until fragrant. Combine all the sauce ingredients and add into the skillet. Return the fried chicken to the skillet and stir until the chicken are completely coated with the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle some sesame seeds over.

Pear Financier Tea Cake

These delicious, moist tea cakes were named long ago by a pâtisserie near the Bourse, the Parisian stock exchange, who cleverly baked them in the shape of gold ingots to please their wealthy clientele. The basis of the cake butter, egg whites, powdered sugar and almond meal. While delicious on its own, the Financier can also be flavoured with seasonal fruits such as raspberries, peaches or pears. Financiers are often baked in the rectangular mould.

• 2 Pears, peeled and cut into 1cm dices
  
  
• 100 g Butter, melted
  
  
• 80 g Almond meal©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 40 g All-purpose flour
  
  
• 80 g Icing sugar
  
  
• Pinch of salt
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Almond extract
  
  
• 3 Egg whites, lightly beaten
  
  
• 1 tbsp Pistachio, chopped
  
  

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Thoroughly butter the financier moulds and place them in the freezer to resolidify the butter and make the financiers easier to unmould.
   
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, flour, icing sugar and salt. Mix to blend. Fold in the lightly beaten egg whites, almond extract and melted butter.
   
   
3. Fill each mold almost to the rim and place some diced pears on top. Bake for 12 minutes or until the financiers have become light brown on top and are springy to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle the top with some chopped pistachio.

Peach Rucola Salad with Mozzarella

With all the healthy and fresh summer fruits and veggies available in local supermarkets, it's easy to brighten up a bowl of tedious lettuce salad. I used peach (now in full season), cherry tomatoes, strawberries, rucola (simply the best, well, for me) and finally a little of Mozzarella di Bufala. Sprinkle some croutons over if desired and serve with Champagne dressing or any of your favourite vinaigrette. A perfect light lunch. I had them 3 days in a row. The possibilities for a sensational salad are endless, so be creative!

Recently I have received a set of Girard’s Salad Dressing, which was the prize that I won at the Summer Salad Challenge- Girard's Salad Dressing Giveaway hosted by Catherine at Living The Gourmet. The package contains 3 new Girard's salad dressing flavours: Apple Poppyseed, Creamy Balsamic, Peach Mimosa as well as their signature Champagne Dressing.

• 2 Ripe peaches
  
  
• 80 g Rucola
  
  
• 150 g Mozzarella, cut into smaller pieces
  
  
• Strawberries, optional
  
  
• Cherry tomatoes, optional
  
  
• Girard’s salad dressings
  
  

1. Wash peaches, rubbing to remove fuzz. Cut in half and remove pits. Thinly slice peaches. Place peach slices in a serving plate. Add rucola and Mozzarella to plate with peaches. Add dressing and toss.

Peppery Peanut Coloured Conchiglie

I simply love this colourful conchiglie-sea shells pasta dish. The creamy black peppery peanut sauce naturally fills the shells while you are tossing them all together and coarsely cracked black peppers gives off a warm and spicy flavor and adds a depth to any dish. To give the whole pasta dish a little extra kick of fresh flavour, you might also sprinkle some fresh chopped basil leaves on the pasta.

• 80 g Black peppered peanuts
  
  ©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 1 Ripe tomato, chopped
  
  
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
  
  
• 80 ml Water
  
  
• 150 g Coloured conchiglie
  
  
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
  
  
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Salt
  
  
• 1 tsp Black peppercorns, coarsly cracked
  
  
• Some basil leaves, chopped

1. Place peppery peanuts, tomato, tomato paste and water In the container of your blender. Process until it becomes smooth.
   
   
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the conchiglie according to the packet. When pasta is cooked, drain.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and stir-fry the minced garlic until aromatic. Pour the peanut puree into the pan and bring it to a boil. Season with salt and coarsely cracked black pepper. Add in the drained conchiglie and chopped basil leaves. Toss together.

Chicken Papaya Salad with Herb Parmesan Vinaigrette

Papaya--"Fruit of the Angels", is a nutritional tropical fruit that is packed with vitamins. Not only does the fruit aid in digestion, it is also full of vitamins A, C and E, which are three powerful antioxidants that help reduce cholesterol and prevents heart disease. Some papaya extracts are even used to treat sports injuries and muscle strains. Papaya is a great ingredient to use for wrinkle prevention.

Papayas, when ripe, are most commonly eaten fresh or in salads. They're also great in smoothies. Unripe papaya is never eaten raw because of its latex content, but can be used to make the curries or stews.

Salad	Herb Parmesan Vinaigrette
1 Chicken breast, boned and skinless Salt and black pepper 1 tbsp Olive oil 1/2 Ripe papaya©angiesrecipes, seeded, peeled and cut into slices 1 handful Rucola salad A few of strawberries, halved (optional)	2 tbsp Olive oil 2 tbsp Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated 1 tbsp White wine vinegar 1/4 cup Plain yogurt 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp Dried oregano Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the skillet until hot. Add in chicken and cook until tender and nicely golden brown. Remove and slice. Peel the papaya, and discard the seeds, then cut into slices.
   
   
2. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a blender until creamy and smooth.
   
   Assemble the salad by arranging a bed of rucola on the salad plate. Arrange the chicken and papaya slices on top. Garnish with the sliced strawberry halves if used and serve with the prepared dressing.

Avocado Chicken Parmigiana

This is one variation of Southern Italian dish "Parmigiana", which is made with shallow-fried eggplants slices topped with tomato sauce and cheese. It is then baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Some recipes use hard grated cheeses such as Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, while others use softer melting cheeses like Mozzarella, or a combination of these. I just used Parmesan (that's all I had when I made this dish) will definitely use the combination next time.

• 220 g Chicken breast fillet, halved lengthways
  
  
• 30 g All-purpose flour
  
  
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
  
  
• 100 g Dried breadcrumbs
  
  
• Olive oil
  
  
• 4 tbsp Tomato pasta sauce
  
  
• 1/2 Avocado, sliced
  
  
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
  
  
• Salad leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F fan-forced. Place chicken between 2 sheets plastic film and pound to 1/4-inch thick with a rolling pin.
   
   
2. Coat the chicken first in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in the beaten egg and finally coat well with breadcrumbs. Place on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining chicken, flour, egg mixture and breadcrumbs.
   
   
3. Spray chicken with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top each with two tablespoon pasta sauce. Arrange avocado over sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

These crispy buttery oatmeal cookies are so delicious and dangerously addictive. Enjoy them with some green tea or serve with ice cream!

• 100 g Rolled oats©angiesrecipes
  
  
• 75 g Dried flaked coconut
  
  
• 120 g All-purpose flour
  
  
• 100 g Caster sugar (more if you have a sweet tooth)
  
  
• 1/3 tsp Salt
  
  
• 100 g Butter
  
  
• 25 g Inverted sugar syrup (or corn syrup)
  
  
• 1 tsp Baking soda
  
  
• 2 tbsp Boiling water
  
  

1. Heat the oven to 150C/300F and prepare two baking trays covered with parchment. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, coconut, flour, sugar and salt. Meanwhile melt the butter and syrup together in a small pot over low heat.
   
   
2. Stir the baking soda into the boiling water, then stir this into the butter and syrup mixture. And pour all of it over the flour mixture. Mix well, then shape the mixture into 32 balls and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Press down to flatten the cookie balls with your palm.
   
   
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, switching the pan around if you need to for even baking, until the cookies are golden brown. Leave them on the baking trays for 5 minutes before removing them with a spatula to cool on a rack.