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One pot peach chicken

I wanted to try this sweet and savoury combination of peaches and chicken. It turned out delicious. It really tastes better than it sounds, or that was the general consensus in the house. I had no doubts 🙂 It really has such an incredible flavor combination with the fresh peaches, (I actually used nectarines) fresh basil and the reduced balsamic vinegar. I wasn’t sure about the tomatoes but they really gave more dimension to the flavor of the sauce.

prep time 10 min cook time 25 min

ingredients for 2

  • 250 g chicken breasts
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium ripe peaches or nectarines
  • 8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • salt and pepper
  • 50 ml balsamic vinegar
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add thinly sliced onion, sauté for a few minutes and push to the side.
  2. Add chicken breasts, cut into bite size bits or a bit bigger, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  4. Add balsamic vinegar and cook about 1 minute, then add peaches cut into thin wedges and tomatoes and toss. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  5. Return chicken pieces to skillet nestling between peaches and tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until chicken has cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
  6. Top with fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced.
  7. Serve with basmati rice or couscous.

BUON APPETITO!

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Fluffy lemon ricotta bundt cake

Moist and fluffy lemon ricotta bundt cake is perfect for a dessert or even for a Sunday brunch or why not, for a sweet breakfast. The ricotta makes it super moist and airy. For a fancier version you can drizzle lemon glaze on top instead of sprinkling powdered sugar. Up to you.

prep time 15 min     cook time 50 min + 15 min cooling time
ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 220 g sugar
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 100 g sunflower or peanut oil
  • 250 g ricotta
  • 80 g potato starch/corn starch
  • 260 g flour
  • 16 g baking powder
  • powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

1.  Preheat oven to 180 C. Oil and flour a 24-26cm bundt cake pan.

2. In a large bowl cream together the eggs and sugar until well combined.

2. Add zest and juice of lemon, beat some more, add the oil and then ricotta and beat until light and fluffy.

3. Keep beating and add potato starch and then in a few batches the flour where you have mixed the baking powder.

4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 min before turning out onto a wire rack.

5. When the bundt cake is completely cooled, sprinkle the powdered sugar (or drizzle the lemon glaze) on top.

BUON APPETITO!

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Ham, cheese and potato pie

Want to try this easy ham and potato pie recipe? You need only a few ingredients and about an hour. You can serve it as is or add a green salad for a more complete meal.

prep time 15 min     cook time 5 min + 50 min
ingredients
  • 370g ready rolled puff pastry
  • 100g ham, diced
  • 3+1 medium size potatoes
  • 200g mozzarella (or provola), diced
  • sprig of rosemary
  • salt and pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C

2. Peel and dice 3 potatoes. Fry them with a sprig of rosemary in a pan with a little bit of oil for about 5-6 min. Season with just a dash of salt. Don’t worry if the potatoes are not cooked through, they will cook in the oven.

3. Unroll the puff pastry with its baking parchment onto a baking tray. A spring pan will work too. Layer the potatoes, then ham and mozzarella.

4. Slice the last potato into thin slices with a mandolin or a knife. Layer the slices  on top of the pie slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, a few fresh rosemary needles and a little bit of oil on top.

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden.

BUON APPETITO!

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Fusilli with fresh salmon

Salmon and pasta are a match made in heaven. It’s all about simplicity and freshness. With fresh dill, sweet cherry tomatoes, zucchini, lemon zest, olive oil and fresh salmon, you practically have summer on a plate. I went with fusilli for this recipe but you can use any kind of pasta you like: spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, pappardelle or other tube-type pastas. If you want it even healthier, sub with whole wheat pasta instead.

prep time 10 min     cook time 10 min
ingredients for 3
  • 180g fresh salmon, cut into cubes
  • 270g fusilli pasta
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 150g cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 small zucchini cut into sticks
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • handful of fresh dill, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions or until al dente.

    2. Meanwhile cut and slice the vegetables..
    3. Heat some oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-heat. Start by cooking the onion for 2 minutes, add zucchini and after a few minutes the salmon cubes. Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes until salmon is cooked.
    4. Drain the pasta reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water and add to the pan with the cooking liquid. Gently toss to combine.
    5. Divide onto plates and top with fresh dill and lemon zest. Enjoy with a glass of chilled white wine.

BUON APPETITO!