Living on my own: Brown rice, lentils and red cabbage / Living on my own: Riso integrale, lenticchie e cavolo rosso

From this month onwards, slowly and not in too categorical way, my blog will adapt to a new lifestyle I find myself forced to adopt due to health reasons. Many things will be banned from my kitchen, some of which are not such a big deal (such as red meat, that I already eat very rarely), and others that will be very difficult to accept and implement (cheese and dairy products, and most shockingly baked goods). Despite the general ban on leavened and baked goods I will continue to post recipes for bread and the like, which will be put to the scrutiny of my faithful guinea pigs. Stopping my kneading routine? No sir! I will not deny that right now, as I am typing on the keyboard my mood is anything but positive. While recognizing that a change is necessary acceptance is still very far from my landscape. Funnily enough this recipe, which I had cooked a little before knowing about this major change, aligns itself very well to the diet I will have follow probably for the rest of my life (even thought some occasional transgression will surely occur). Sure a change of diet doesn’t mean I won’t be having good food and this recipe is proof. But let us read more about the beneficial properties of the ingredients employed in this recipe.

Living On My Own, The Ultimate Comfort Food: Fried Polenta bites and Butternut Squash / Living On My Own, il cibo coccola per eccellenza: Cubetti di polenta fritta e zucca butternut

Autumn is finally here, with its warm colors and scent of damp earth, burnt wood and hot soups. Even though it is my favourite season I can’t deny its characteristic cold weather and leaden skies can have a melanchonic effect on the mood. Today’s recipe is mostly a remedy against autumnal melancholy, the ultimate comfort food for singles. Something you might want to eat on one of those lonely nights when you feel a bit down after a bad day at work, when its cold all around and inside your heart too. As a single woman sometimes I speculate about relationships, especially on those cold and lonely nights, envying a bit my friends who have a partner waiting for them at home.

Living On My Own: Green Beans, Celeriac and Feta Tart / Living On My Own: Torta fagiolini, sedano rapa e feta

Here we go again with the Living On My Own column with it’s easy and fast recipes. This recipe is the closest you can get to an Ikea table (at least the table is one of the few furniture pieces we are all able to assemble on our own, isn’t it?). The main ingredients are simply boiled, blended together and poured into a ready to bake tart dough, easy peasy!

Living on my own: Swiss Chard, Beetroot and Feta Salad / Living on my own: Insalata di coste, barbabietola e feta

I’m back with a fast, healthy and tasty recipe for you single friends! Swiss Chard is a vegetable rich in vitamins, fiber, folic acid and minerals. The higher concentration of vitamins and carotene is in the green outer leaves, but that does not mean that this vegetable can not be consumed entirely. In fact the stem is my favorite part, it’s so crisp and fresh! Beetroot is one of the vegetables I love the most because of its versatility.

Living on my own: Spelt and spicy eggplant salad / Living on my own: Insalata di farro e melanzana speziata

And here we are for the second episode of my new blog section, Living on my own, which collects simple, healthy and fast recipes especially thought for people who like me live alone and want to have a varied diet without having to spend too much time at the stove. This time the main ingredient is spelt, one of the most ancient type of wheat which has been in use in the human diet since the Neolithic times. Spelt is low in fat, rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and iron. It is also one of the less caloric type of wheat, in short, it is a very healthy alternative to the usual pasta dish. The eggplant, a vegetable originally from India, is distinguished by its slightly spicy flavor and a soft pulp which contrasts with the crispiness of the skin. Its flavor goes well with sumac, a spice very much in use in Middle Eastern cuisine which has a light sour taste (slightly lemony). It will take you very little to make this simple but tasty dish, you will not be disappointed I promise!