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Beet hummus

Hummus is a spread made from ground chickpeas, ground sesame seeds (tahini), olive oil, lemon, garlic and cumin, originating in the Middle East. There are many variations, and this time I used beets to give it a vibrant pink colour and a slightly sweet taste.

INGREDIENTS

  • 350 g cooked or roasted beet, chopped
  • 1 can (400 g) chickpeas
  • 5-6 Tbls tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5-6 Tbls reserved liquid from chickpeas
  • 5-6 Tbls squeezed lemon juice
  • pomegranate seeds
  • parsley or coriander
  1. Combine the beet, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, salt, liquid from chickpeas and lemon juice in a bowl and blend drizzling the oil in until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking. I like my tahini very lemony so I always add more lemon juice.
  2. Place in a serving bowl or dish and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Other toppings for hummus could include smoked paprika, lemon zest, chopped pine nuts or almonds, big salt flakes or even roasted garlic.

BUON APPETITO!

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Tuna pasta bake

This was the first time I tried to make oven pasta without pre-cooking the pasta. I was skeptical, but it turned out great. You mix all the ingredients in your oven proof dish where you cook your casserole. No additional dishes to clean. The pasta takes naturally more time to cook since it isn’t pre-cooked.

PREP TIME. 10 MIN. COOK TIME. 50 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 6

  • 500 g penne or fusilli pasta
  • 240 g can tuna, preferably in oil
  • 400 g can crushed tomato
  • 250 g cherry tomatoes
  • 2-3 Tbls of capers
  • 2 dl heavy cream
  • 5 dl water
  • 2 Tbls olive oil
  • origano
  • basil
  • salt and pepper
  • 150 g shredded mozzarella
  1. Preheat oven to 200 °C
  2. Swipe an oven proof dish with oil and add the pasta, crushed tomatoes, tuna chunks and halved tomatoes leaving a handful to put on top.
  3. Now add the water, heavy cream, the capers, the herbs and the seasoning and mix well. Try to get all the pasta covered. Sprinkle the cheese and the rest of the tomatoes on top. It doesn’t look pretty at this point but wait until it’s done.
  4. Cook for about 50 min until golden with some crusty bits.

BUON APPETITO!

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Roasted peppers

Italian style roasted peppers with their smokey flavour can be used as an appetizer, or on focaccia, pizza, bruschetta or in a sandwich. The Italian way to dress roasted peppers is simply with good olive oil, sliced fresh garlic, loose leaf parsley and a sprinkle of salt. You can roast the peppers in the oven or over a flame on the stove top which I did. You can also roast the peppers on a barbecue which I have done when I had 4-6 peppers to roast.

PREP TIME 10 MIN. COOK TIME 10-15 MIN/PEPPER

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 red and 1 yellow pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • loose leaf parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • salt
  • peperoncino
  • white wine vinegar (optional)
  1. Wash and pat dry the peppers.
  2. Roast one at a time over a flame until it is charred. Be careful and use tongs to rotate the pepper until it is charred on all sides.

3. After you have roasted both of them, place them in a bowl covered tightly in plastic or in a plastic container with a lid. The peppers will begin steaming which helps to loosen the skin and soften them a bit more. Let the peppers sit in the bowl for 15-20 min until cool enough to handle.

4. Meanwhile prepare the condiment with oil, parsley, garlic, peperoncino and salt, and vinegar if using.

5. After steaming, peel and deseed the peppers. Rub the charred skin off (preferably over the sink). Be careful when slicing open the peppers since they have steaming liquid inside. Do not run water over them even though the peeling might get a little messy. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

6. Slice them and place in the dish with oil and seasoning to marinate. If you want to store them place them in a container or a glass jar and add enough oil to cover them. They should hold in the fridge for about 7-10 days.

BUON APPETITO!

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Creamy chicken

This fabulous creamy chicken recipe is loaded with tomato flavour and has a pop of baby spinach for freshness. The sun dried tomatoes and coconut cream give depth of flavour to this dish. And it’s all made in one skillet for easy clean up.

PREP TIME 15 MIN. COOK TIME. 25 MIN.

INGRIDIENTS FOR 4

  • 750 g chicken breasts or wings
  • a small onion, diced
  • 2,5 cm piece of ginger, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 200 g sun dried tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Tbls green curry paste
  • 1/2 glass white wine
  • 3-4 Tbls lemon juice
  • 400 g can of coconut cream
  • 100 g heavy cream (optional)
  • 150 g baby spinach
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dried oregano
  1. Rub the breasts or wings with salt, pepper and oregano.
  2. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil to pan along with the chicken. Cook 6-9 minutes (wings take longer).
  3. Remove chicken from the pan. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent, then add garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the wine and then the sun dried tomatoes, green curry paste, lemon juice and coconut and heavy cream. Bring to a boil.
  5. Add chicken to the cream sauce and cook for additional 10-15 min. Add the baby spinach and cook for another two minutes. Check the seasoning.
  6. Enjoy with basmati rice or couscous.

BUON APPETITO!

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Ricotta and spinach lasagne

A healthy vegetarian alternative to the classic lasagna with ragù is this lasagna with spinach and ricotta. Also a classic in the Italian cuisine but maybe less known. This creamy, cheesy, spinach lasagna flavoured with a hint of nutmeg and a combination of besciamella and fresh ricotta makes my heart sing. You can use fresh store bought lasagna like I did or use no-boil lasagna or make your lasagna noodles.

PREP TIME 20 MIN. COOK TIME 40 MIN.

INGREDIENTS FOR 3-4

  • 250 g fresh lasagna sheets
  • 400 g spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • 1 small onion or shallot
  • 250 g fresh ricotta
  • 400 g besciamella, homemade or store bought
  • 50 g grated Parmigiano
  • 200 g mozzarella, grated or cubed
  • nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  1. Heat a few Tbls of oil in a pan and cook the diced onion until translucent. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add salt and pepper. At this point I usually cut the spinach with scissors. Drain the excess liquid.
  2. Mix the spinach with ricotta, add a dash of nutmeg and the besciamella. You might want to add a little bit of salt and pepper.
  3. Start assembling your lasagna: first a few spoonfuls of ricotta spinach cream, then lasagna noodles, more ricotta, a handful of mozzarella and sprinkle the Parmigiano. Repeat for 3/5 layers depending on the size of your pan.

4. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-35 minutes. When the lasagna has a nice golden crust, it is ready to come out of the oven. Let the lasagna settle for a few minutes for best texture before serving.

BUON APPETITO!

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Whipped Feta with Roasted Tomatoes

Feta and tomatoes are a match made in heaven. This ultra-creamy whipped feta dip with roasted tomatoes bursts with flavour and has become my new favourite appetiser to prepare. So far it’s been a hit amongst my guests. It is very easy to make but it takes a little bit of time since I like my tomatoes roasted well in the oven.

PREP TIME 15 MIN. COOK TIME 1h

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 g feta
  • 300-350 g plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • salt and pepper
  • 400-500 g ripe cherry or piccadilly tomatoes, red and yellow
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • dried oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • lemon zest, lemon juice
  • fresh basil leaves
  1. Preheat the oven to 160° C
  2. Wash the tomatoes, pat dry and cut in two. Place them cut side up onto a large baking tray on top of parchment paper.
  3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, crushed garlic, oregano and sugar and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 30-40 min. Increase the oven to 200° C and cook for another 15-20 min. Let the tomatoes cool.
  4. Meanwhile prepare the feta dip. Blend the feta with yogurt, honey, salt and pepper, 2-3 Tbls of oil and a little bit of lemon juice. No need to blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust if need be.
  5. Transfer the whipped feta to a serving dish. Top with the roasted tomatoes and garnish with a little bit of lemon zest and fresh basil leaves. Serve with crostini, pita bred or any kind f crackers.

BUON APPETITO!

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Cauliflower potato soup

This soup is easy to make and full of flavour. It’s especially nice in the colder months but you can make a lighter version leaving out the pasta. For protein I used chickpeas but you could add cooked chicken or turkey. Use any mixture of your favorite herbs for this soup recipe. I’ve gone for rosemary and parsley, but you can use fresh thyme, oregano or even mint or sage.

PREP TIME 10 MIN COOK TIME 25 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 4

  • a small cauliflower, trimmed of leaves and stalks and cut into small florets
  • 2-3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • peperoncino flakes (optional)
  • 750 g vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 can (400 g) chickpeas, rinsed
  • 200 g orzo pasta (risoni) or other small pasta of your choice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • grated Parmigiano
  • rosemary and parsley
  1. Heat a few Tbls of oil in a large soup pot and fry the chopped carrot and onion gently for a few minutes and then add the crushed garlic and the peperoncino if using.
  2. Tip in the cauliflower and potatoes, stir and then pour in the stock.
  3. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  4. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes before adding the rinsed chickpeas, parsley and rosemary.
  5. Add the pasta, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Plate and add grated Parmigiano on top.

For VEGAN option, leave out the Parmigiano

BUON APPETITO!

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Ratatouille

Ratatouille, this delicious (summer) vegetable dish of French origin, is tasty and healthy and easy to make. There are plenty of variations, some include tomato sauce, some béchamel sauce, some are cooked in a pan on a stove, some in the oven. This is my take.

PREP TIME 20 MIN COOK TIME 45- 50 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6

  • 2 small eggplants
  • 2 peppers, one yellow and one red
  • 3 zucchini
  • 4 potatoes
  • 3 red onions
  • 4 tomatoes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • handful of bread crumbs
  • handful of grated Parmigiano
  • basil and parsley, chopped
  1. Pre-heat oven to 190 C.
  2. Wash, pat dry and cut all the veggies into rounds, about 1/2 cm wide and peppers into chunks approximately the size of the veggie rounds. I used new potatoes so left them unpeeled.
  3. Line a baking dish with a sheet f baking paper, drizzle some oil and place all the sliced veggies in the dish in rows or in a circular pattern in an upright position. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the veggies.

4. Add now the breadcrumbs, grated Parmigiano and chopped herbs and drizzle some oil on top.

5. Bake for about 40-50 minutes depending on your oven and on the size of your veggies.

BUON APPETITO!

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Baked eggplant pasta

Baked eggplant pasta combines roasted eggplant, hard baked ricotta cheese, mozzarella and tubular pasta like rigatoni, ziti, penne or tortiglioni tossed in a tomato sauce and baked until golden and bubbly. This is not a quick dish to make but the time spent is well worth it.

PREP TIME 15 MIN COOK TIME 60 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 5-6

  • 1 large eggplant or 2 medium cut into cubes
  • 500 g rigatoni pasta
  • 700 g tomato passata or 2 cans of crushed or plum tomatoes
  • 250 g mozzarella shredded or cut into cubes
  • 50 g grated ricotta cheese or alternatively 50 g grated Pecorino cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • basil leaves
  • peperoncino (optional)
  1. Preheat oven to 225 C.
  2. You can peel the eggplant but it is not necessary. Toss the eggplant cubes with oil and season with salt. Spread the cubes onto a baking tray (or trays) and roast for 20-25 minutes. Turn the eggplant halfway through. When done, keep them aside. Lower the oven to 190 C.
  3. Meanwhile make the tomato sauce: heat some oil in a large saucepan to medium heat and sauté the onion until soft 4-5 min. Add the garlic and peperoncino if using and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato passata or plum tomatoes and cook uncovered at low for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Cook pasta in abundant salty boiling water and drain 2-3 minutes less than al dente.
  5. Mix the pasta, the sauce and the eggplant in a large bowl.
  6. Layer the pasta in a baking dish. Add the mozzarella in between the layers and leave a handful to top the dish. Sprinkle the grated ricotta and a few basil leaves on top.

7. Bake at 190 C for 30 minutes until golden brown. It’s best to wait 10-15 minutes before eating to let the pasta settle.

Tip: you can fry the eggplant cubes instead of roasting them in the oven.

BUON APPETITO!

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Red cabbage salad

This colourful winter salad makes my heart sing. It’s colourful, flavourful and easy to make so what’s not to love.

PREP TIME 15 MIN

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 very small red cabbage or half of a medium one
  • 1 bag (125 g) baby spinach
  • 2 mandarins
  • seeds of half a pomegranate
  • a handful of cashews and pumpkin seeds
  • olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper for the dressing
  • crumbled feta (optional)
  1. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in half and take out the hard inner cord. Slice into thin slices either with a knife or a mandolin. Place the slices on a serving tray or platter.
  2. Add the baby spinach to the platter.
  3. Peel the mandarins and separate into segments.
  4. Add the mandarin segments and the pomegranate seeds onto the platter. Top with the cashews and pumpkin seeds. If you want, you can roast them for a few minutes in a pan without oil.
  5. Whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and drizzle it on top of the salad.
  6. If using, add the crumbled feta on top.

BUON APPETITO!