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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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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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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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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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Classic tomato bruschetta

Ah bruschetta, one of the best ways to enjoy the bounty of summer. Pronounced “brusketta”, this classic Italian appetizer is a perfect way to capture the flavors of garden ripened tomatoes, fresh basil and good olive oil. Use any flavorful, ripe tomato for this recipe. The key to good bruschetta are ripe sweet tomatoes which do not need to be blanched or peeled, good rustic bread and good extra virgin olive oil.

There’s usually no exact quantity of oil mentioned in any Italian bruschetta recipe, I checked 🙂 But let’s say 2 dl of good extra virgin olive oil to start with. Then about the bread. You get the best results with a good rustic bread, better yet if it’s from the day before. Baguette or toast are too soft even after grilling them, they just get soggy.

prep time 10 min + 30 min to marinate
ingredients
  • 500g ripe sweet tomatoes
  • 8-10 slices of rustic bread
  • handful of fresh basil
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • clove of garlic (optional)

1. Prepare first the tomatoes. Dice them, I prefer mine relatively big, but you can dice them very small if you like and put them in a bowl. Tear the basil into small pieces and add to the bowl. When chopped, the leaves turn dark, sometimes they even take on a black quality that’s not very pretty. Add salt, remember that tomatoes love salt, and then the oil. Stir well and let marinate at least 30 minutes. Taste.

2. Grill the slices of bread on both sides on the grill or in the oven. If you are in a pinch, you can toast them. Gasp! No oil needed to coat the bread before grilling them.

3. When the bread is ready, you can swipe the top side with a peeled garlic clove and sprinkle some salt and olive oil on it. That’s the simplest way to enjoy  bruschetta. You can also swipe the bread with garlic before adding the tomatoes.

4. Spoon the tomatoes on the grilled bread a few minutes before serving. I prefer letting the tomatoes sit on the bread for at least 10 minutes. I don’t mind if they get soaked a little. I think it’s more flavourful.

Tip: you can substitute rucola for basil

BUON APPETITO!

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Savoury muffins

Make a batch of savoury muffins for a snack or an appetiser. They are also great for a light lunch or dinner with a bowl of salad. They are easy to make and you can use a plethora of vegetables and cheese or a combination of these.

prep time 10 min     cook time 25 min
ingredients for 12 muffins
  • 125 g butter
  • 2 eggs
  • dash of salt
  • 200 g plain yogurt ( or ricotta)
  • 150 g flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 50 g sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 spring onion or a small onion
  • 100 g feta (or blue cheese)
  • 1 Tbls fresh thyme
  • 75 g grated cheese

1. Pre-heat oven at 200C and grease a muffin tin.

2. Melt the butter and let cool. Beat the eggs, salt and the yogurt lightly into the butter.

3. Mix the flour and baking powder and then add this to the batter with a spoon just until combined. Do not beat.

4. Drip the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and mince them. Dice also the onion, crumble the feta and add all this to the batter.

5. Add the thyme (you can also use dried thyme) and half of the grated cheese.

6. Fill the muffin tin and add the remaining cheese.

7. Bake at 200C for 15-20 min until the muffins have a nice golden crust. Serve lightly cooled.

Tip: try chives, celery, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, leek,  button mushrooms, baby spinach ( I had a few zucchini flowers that I tossed into the mix), different kinds of cheese, bacon, sausage or ham, fresh (or dried) herbs like oregano, basil, lemon thyme, marjoram.

Tip: these freeze well.

BUON APPETITO!

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Pomodorini confit (slow cooked cherry tomatoes)

These pomodorini confit, the slow cooked cherry tomatoes are used to accompany pasta dishes or to garnish many main courses. They can be offered also as an appetiser or a side dish or in panini or on bruschetta. You can also store them in the fridge in a glass jar, totally covered with extra virgin olive oil for about 2 weeks. Pomodorini confit are deliciously caramelized cherry tomatoes. The secret is to evaporate the water out of the tomatoes, without making them too dry. So you need to cook them at low temperature for 2 hrs.

prep time 10 min    cook time 90-120 min
ingredients for 1 normal size oven tray
  • 1 kg cherry tomatoes, or date or piccadilly or any kind of baby tomatoes as ripe as possible
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbls sugar
  • fresh herbs like thyme, marjoram
  • oregano fresh or dried
  • 2-3 garlic cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (280°F). Set baking rack to middle position.

2. Wash the tomatoes,  pat dry and cut in half.

3. Place them cut side up onto a large baking tray, on top of parchment paper.

4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, the herbs and a little bit of sugar on top of each one. Add the garlic cloves here and there, no need to peel them.

5. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven. (don’t mind the glass jars underneath the tray, I was sterilising them)

6. Bake for 2 hrs. The time depends on your oven and the size of the tomatoes.

This is after 90 minutes in my oven.

This is how they look after 2 hrs in the oven. NOW they are ready.

BUON APPETITO!

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Ricotta rustic pie

Spinach ricotta rustic pie makes a yummy light dinner or a fantastic appetiser.  If you are looking for something light and meatless, this pie is perfect.

prep time 10 min     cook time 30-40 min
ingredients
  • 1 pre-made puff pastry
  • 300g spinach, cooked to wilt
  • 1 Tbls olive oil
  • 250g ricotta
  • 60g Parmigiano, grated
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 yolk + a dash of milk

1. Preheat oven to 180 C

2. Roll out the pastry dough and place it in a lightly greased round pan.

3. Cook the spinach in oil for 10 min to wilt. Add some salt. Then drain well.

4. Mix in a bowl ricotta and Parmigiano and add the well drained spinach, a dash of salt and some pepper.

5. Place the filling onto the pie crust and brush the dough with a beaten yolk and milk mixture.

6. Bake in a 180 C oven for 30-40 min until the crust is golden.

BUON APPETITO!

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Baked Crispy Chicken Wings

These easy crispy chicken wings go well with fries, veggies or a salad but they are even more fabulous as an appetizer .

prep time 10 min     cook time 45 min
ingredients for 4
  • 1 kg chicken wings
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 eggs
  • bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper
  • flat leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.

2. Sprinkle salt on the wings.

3. Whisk the eggs, add a little salt and pepper, then the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon.

4. Chop parsley and add it to the bread crumbs.

5. Dip the wings in the egg mixture, then coat them in breadcrumbs and place in an ovenproof dish previously covered with parchment paper.

6. Cook for about 45 min or until the wings are cooked through, flipping them once halfway through.

You can serve them with a sauce of your choice but at my house no sauce is needed. They are gone in a blink of an eye!

BUON APPETITO!

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Grilled eggplant

Grilled eggplant or aubergine is a fabulous dish, serve it warm as a side dish, cold as an antipasto or chopped in a salad. Eggplants are in season in summer but you can find them all year round in most places. Eggplants can be tricky, using too much oil they become slimey, leaving them too thick gives them an unpleasant texture. The key is salting which draws out the bitterness and leaves them less “spongy” hence they absorb less oil.

prep time 5 min + salting time     cook time 20 min
ingredients
  • 2 medium size eggplants
  • salt
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • parsley

1. Cut the eggplants crosswise into about 0,5cm thick slices, place them in a colander and sprinkle some salt on them. Put a plate and a weigh on top and let sweat/degorge for 20-30 minutes. Rinse them quickly and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

2. In the meantime prepare a mix of oil and parsley in a serving dish.

3.  Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and grill eggplant slices until tender and slightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side.

4. Grill a small patch at a time and place the grilled slices directly in the dish with the oil and parsley mix or you can brush the slices with the mix.

Tip: you can add thinly sliced garlic into the mix

BUON APPETITO!