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Hummus

This is the best basic hummus recipe ever. This Middle Eastern dip is traditionally made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Once you have mastered the basic recipe, you can flavour it with whatever takes your fancy: black olives, paprika, cumin, coriander seeds, red bell pepper or sun dried tomatoes.

prep time 10 min
ingredients for 6-8 as a starter
  • 2 x 400g cans of no-salt-added chickpeas (reserve the liquid)
  • 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 garlic clove crushed (most recipes call for 2)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
  • 6-7 tablespoons reserved liquid from chickpeas
  • 4 tablespoons squeezed lemon juice
  • parsley or coriander to garnish (optional)

1. Rinse the chickpeas in cold water and tip into the food processor. I use an immersion blender. Take out the germ/core  of garlic, the green shoot in the middle which makes it bitter especially if the garlic is older.

2. Add the crushed garlic, tahini, salt, the reserved liquid, the lemon juice and blend them. Pour slowly in the olive oil while you are blending.

3. Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. When the mixture is fully combined and smooth, tip it into a serving dish.

4. Drizzle with some olive oil, and decorate with a few whole chickpeas. Sprinkle with paprika and finely chopped parsley.

BUON APPETITO!

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Stir fried yellow bell peppers

Peperoni alla Nonna is one of the all time favourites in our home. The recipe is from my late mother-in-law hence the name Grandma’s peppers. Super easy to make and can be used as an appetizer or a side dish.

prep time 10 min     cook time 20 min
ingredients for 4
  • 3-4 yellow bell peppers
  • 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • handful of Gaeta olives
  • salt
  • 4-5 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1. Cut peppers into strips and pat them dry.

2. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Start frying your peppers in batches. Do not crowd the skillet. You may find a splash guard useful at this time.

3. After 4-5 minutes on high heat, turn the heat to medium and turn the strips. Season with salt. The peppers need to start turning brown.

4. Keep cooking until peppers are soft, about 8-10 minutes.

5. Move the first batch onto a plate and repeat with the others.

6. When done, put all the peppers in the skillet once more and add the olives, pitted if you want. Now add the “secret” ingredient which is the grated Parmesan. Stir to coat and turn off the heat after 1-2 min.

7. Serve warm or cold.

BUON APPETITO!

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Stuffed mushrooms

When I use the term mushrooms, I usually mean white button mushrooms, sometimes portobello mushrooms. This was my lunch but these are really good for appetizers too, just prepare one per person.

Prep time  5 min     Cook time 20 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 3 FAIRLY BIG MUSHROOM
  • 3 button mushrooms
  • 100g Philadelphia or other cream cheese
  • parsley
  • 1 garlic clove
  • grated parmesan
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper

1. Wipe the mushrooms with a wet paper towel, cut the stem and slice off the very end. Chop the stems.

2. Put the garlic in a pan with oil and add the chopped stems. Add some salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Blend the stems, the cream cheese and the parsley.

4. Stuff the mushrooms with the cream, sprinkle parmesan on top and put in a preaheated oven at 170 °C (340F) for 15 minutes until the parmesan is golden  brown.

BUON APPETITO!

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Greek dakos

Here is another recipe for a fast and fabulous lunch. Greek dakos, also called koukouvaia, is made with few ingredients and requires no cooking. It can be used as an appetizer as I do when I hold a Greek dinner at my house, or as an easy and fast lunch. It is more appropriate in spring or summer but when I’m in a hurry and don’t feel like cooking, dakos is what I make as long as I find sweet tomatoes.

Prep time  10 min

63-365

INGREDIENTS FOR 2
  • 2  large round barley rusk (sometimes I use Italian frisella)
  • 3-4 ripe tomatoes, coarsely grated, discard skin (I chop them and leave the skin)
  • 4-5 heaping tablespoons of feta, crumbled or grated
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • oregano
  • (olives)

Run the rusk under a spray of water to moisten. Drizzle oil on it. Grate (or chop) the tomatoes and spread them on the rusk. Top with crumbled feta. Sprinkle a generous amount of oregano and drizzle with oil. Add olives if you like them.

A fancier alternative as seen on the main image is to use Greek mizithra cheese and add some pickled rock samphire also known as sea fennel (kritamo). I pick it every time I go to Crete and pickle it to use on my dakos, frisella or salad.

BUON APPETITO!

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Creamy cauliflower soup

These kind of creamy  soups or veloutés can be used as a light main course or as an appetizer.

Prep time 10 min     Cook time 30 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6
  • 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 500ml water
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • olive oil
  • salt, pepper
  • curry powder (optional)
  • chili pepper or peperoncino oil
  • loose leaf parsley
  • grilled bread cubes (or croutons)

1. Add salt to the water and let it boil.

2. Put some oil in a large pan or pot and add the onion, garlic,  carrots and cauliflower and let simmer for a few minutes.

3. Add slowly the boiling water until the veggies are covered.

4. Add salt, pepper and curry powder and let cook covered for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

5. Take off the heat and blend with a stick blender directly in the pot.

6. Pour the creamy soup into your bowl and garnish with chopped parsley , olive oil or peperoncino oil and grilled bread cubes.

FOR A GLUTEN FREE ALTERNATIVE: leave out the bread or use appropriate bread

BUON APPETITO!