Sun-dried tomatoes and olives muffins

I've been baking many muffins lately, and trying different varieties...
I would say that muffins are my newest field for baking experiments. I made several tests and experiments with other baked goods - tarts, cakes, cookies, breads, focaccia, and more - but muffins were not in my repertoire yet. Until I discovered how good, tasty and pretty they can be....and absolutely easy to make, and super fast too.
I've always liked muffins - not all of them actually, as I had also the unlucky chance to see, and eat, muffins with the same specific weight as bricks and others so flattish to resemble more a sweet pizza - but I had somehow undervalued their potential. And in fact muffins, when properly made and baked, are a really delicious treat, very good-looking too; and the funny thing is that the less you work the batter, the better muffins come out: the only trick for moist, soft and domed muffins is to mix the ingredients (to be precise add the liquid mixture to the dry mix), as less as possible, just to roughly combine everything. Not a secret though: everyone seems to know it, it's written on every cookbook, magazine, website, blog; it's important just to put in practice this simple advice.

Bulgur with roasted vegetables and feta

I admit I have periodic - let me say - affairs with some food. I explain better: I sometimes become smitten with a particular ingredient, or even a dish, and then I prepare it with a very high frequency, not every day but maybe at least once a week, often in the same way (I precise I am the kind of person who doesn't like monotony at the table). So I had the period of "paccheri", and most of the pasta recipes I prepared was made with paccheri; then came the period of "pappa al pomodoro" (a typical dish of the Tuscan cuisine made with tomatoes and bread, which is as simple as delicious) and now that I recall it I think I could get back in love; then I had the "ratatouille" period: how many dishes had a ratatouille as a side, when not the leading role, at that time! There were also sword fish, ginger, anchovies, shrimps, bottarga (an Italian specialty made from fish eggs, salted and dried, mostly produced in Sardinia), scallops, sesame, barley (with which I used to make "orzotto", a dish prepared like a risotto but using barley instead of rice), spaghetti and more.
Now it is the bulgur time. Bulgur is a quite recent discovery for me; before I used to prepare couscous, that I like very much too, and since in shops bulgur and couscous are usually displayed on the same shelves, I noticed it and, being always very curious to try something new, I decided to buy. I loved it since the first time I prepared it; for sure I make it much more often then I make pasta (I admit, even if I am one-hundred percent Italian, I do not need to eat pasta every day, not because I do not like it but because I think that many other things are good too, so I prefer to vary and make every day something different).
I prepared it in several way and this is my favorite: easy to make, full of colors and flavors, healthy, light and tasty, it is perfect for summer. It can also be prepared in advance and served at room temperature, therefore it is a good solution for several occasion: a family lunch or dinner, a buffet supper, an outdoor picnic, the lunch-box.

Mediterranean tart (eggplant, cherry tomatoes and ricotta)

Fast post today, just to share the recipe of a very nice savory tart that inspired me as soon as I saw it on the cover of the Food magazine's May issue.
Since I had invited some friends for a dinner at home, I decided to try it for the occasion. I think that a quiche is a perfect start for an informal meal with friends and has many advantages too: it can be prepared in advance, and served hot, lightly warm or at room temperature, especially during summertime; it is very beautiful and, even more important, delicious.
And if there is any leftover, you have the lunch ready for the day after: all you need is a green or mixed salad and a slice of bread (and - why not? - a glass of beer).
Since I liked the combination of ingredients suggested in the recipe I did not make any modification, except for reducing a bit the quantity of halloumi cheese to put on top; but both the pastry and the filling are suitable for a big range of variations and future experimentation.