Goat's cheese and olives mini-bites

Hello!

This time a very summer-y, yet tasty dish which is better served as a starter, or a nibble with aperitivo while you wait for dinner to cook or guests to arrive at a dinner party. It's super easy to make.. and eat:) so make sure you prepare enough.

                                 


Ingredients:
- 150 grams fresh goat cheese
- 60 grams black kalamata (greek) olives (or any other tasty, juicy olives)
- 100 grams sesame seeds
- 30 grams fresh thyme

Process:

- Finely chop the olives
- In a bowl, mix them with the goats cheese (get rid of the 'skin') and thyme and create bite-sized balls
- roll the balls in a small plate with sesame seeds, so as to evenly coat them
- served, possibly with toothpicks to make the nibbling easier!

Serve with a fruity white wine or non-alcoholic cocktails.

Enjoy:)

Baked meatball pasta (pasta al forno)

Hi all!

Back after a long pause due to work! But I haven't stopped cooking :) Here's a recipe which is super easy to make but makes an amazing impression and is at the top of any Italian's comfort-food list: pasta al forno. The key to this recipe is making a good bechamel sauce, which isn't as hard as one might think!

Ingredients (serves 6):

-1 liter whole milk
- 100 grams flour
-100 grams butter
- salt as needed
- 500 grams pasta (short shapes like penne or maccheroni)
- 1 lt tomato sauce or chopped tinned tomatoes
- 200 gr minced lean beef
- 2 eggs
- 100 gr breadcrumbs
- 200 gr grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (or pecorino for a stronger taste)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- fresh parsley
- half an onion
-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Process:

- Prepare your meatballs: in a bowl, mix the minced meat with the breadcrumbs, eggs, finely chopped garlic and parsley and 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. Form very small balls (think: have to be eaten in one bite and with some pasta), and set aside.
- Prepare your sauce: place the olive oil in a large low pan with the onion (finely chopped), and heat untill the onion becomes transparent - keep a close eye on it as to avoid burning it. Add in the tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes, and leave the sauce to boil gently and become more dense. After 15 minutes, add in your meatballs, cover the pan with a lid, and keep cooking, stirring occasionally. Once the meatballs are well cooked inside and the sauce is dense, switch off the flame.
- Boil your pasta, but drain it 2 minutes before the due time.
- In a deep oven-safe pan, which you have buttered lightly, place the pasta, sauce and bechamel and stir everything together. cover with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs, and place in the oven at 200 C for about 30 minutes, or untill you see a crispy crust forming on top.

Once ready, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then serve individual portions as you would with lasagna. This dish is actually a great substitute for lasagna!

A tip for vegetarian (or health conscious) readers: you can swap the meatballs for lightly fried aubergine cubes, it's going to be as tasty and, if possible, even more mediterranean!


Enjoy!!

Ragu Bolognese (Bolognese sauce)

This is one of te key recipes of classic Italian cuisine - every Italian mother and grandmother has a slightly different version, and of course swears by it! Here is mine;)

Ingredients:
- 200 gr minced beef (or 100gr of beef and 100 of pork, for a tastier, if less light, version)
- 1 clove of garlic, still covered in skin
- extravirgin olive oil
- four tablespoons plain tomato sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- half teaspoon of concentrated tomato paste
- a pinch of salt
- 2-3 dried juniper berries (you can find them in the spices section in any large supermarket)
- a few cloves

Cover the bottom of a deep pan with a one-centimeter layer of olive oil, add the garlic clove, and heat gently. Before it becomes too hot, add in the minced meat, and let brown slightly. Before the meat starts drying, stir in your tomato sauce, cloves, berries and tomato paste, mix well, and cover with a lid. Let the sauce cook slowly on low heat for about 30-40 minutes. E' pronto!

This sauce can be used on its own on pasta (possibly fresh egg pasta like tagliatelle) or as the key ingredient for yummy lasagne - this recipe for another post. Enjoy!

Linguine with prawns and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients (for 2 people)

200 grams egg pasta (tagliatelle or linguine)
100 gr king prawns, peeled
200 gr cherry tomatoes (organic if possible!)
crushed dried chili peppers, a big pinch
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole
fresh basil (5 leaves)

1. Heat half a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan with the 2 cloves of garlic and chili until the garlic starts gently frying (not burning!). Add in the prawns and let them become golden.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and add them in. Cover with a lid and lower the heat. At the last moment, stir in the basil leaves (they shouldn't cook too much).
3. Boil your pasta according to the package instructions and drain when al dente.
4. Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan, and increase the heat, mixing constantly until all the extra liquid is absorbed and the pasta is well mixed with the condiment.

Enjoy!

Aubergine and goat's cheese Pasta Gratin

This is a main dish that is super easy to make and that everyone loves. It's vegetarian but absolutely full of flavour! A surefire success for a potluck dinner;)

Image credits: thecomfortabledish.com

Ingredients

500 gr orecchiette or penne pasta
2 large aubergines
300 gr cherry tomatoes
150 gr goat's cheese
fresh basil
50 gr grated parmesan cheese
50 gr pitted black kalamata olives (ok, these are greek, but they're so tasty!)
extra virgin olive oil

1. Cut the aubergines in 2 length-wise, make a few longitudinal cuts in the pulp, and wrap them in tin foil.
2. Cook them for 40-50 minutes in the oven at 180°C, until the pulp is completely soft.
3. With a spoon, take out the pulp from the skin, and mix it with the goat's cheese, oil (to taste) and a pinch of salt with the help of a food processor.
4. Cook the pasta following instructions on the packaging, drain it, and mix it in a large bowl with the aubergine cream, the cherry tomatoes cut in quarters, 2 tablespoons of olives and the basil.
5. Pour everything in a large oven pot, and garnish with some more olives, basil, a generous drizzle of grated parmesan and some olive oil.
6. Place in the oven again at 180°C, until you see the surface becoming golden and crispy.

Enjoy!

Aubergine mini pizzas

Healthy, tasty starter or side dish which is a breeze to make and will bring all the flavors of Italian summer veggies also to a wintery menu. Plus points: it's vegetarian! Meat lovers: add parma ham or an anchovy fillet on top for added flavor.

Ingredients (4 people)

2 large purple aubergines
1 jar of tomato sauce (not marinara sauce, only tomato and basil! alternatively you can easily make your own by slow-cooking a can of peeled tomatoes in olive oil  with a garlic clove)
2-3 mozzarella balls, finely sliced
fresh basil or oregano (dried or fresh)
olive oil
salt

1. Slice the aubergines in 5mm thick slices.
2. Fill a large saucepan with water, bring it to a boil, and throw the slices into the water to quickly cook - take them out when they're tender, but still firm. Drain them on kitchen paper.
3. Arrange the slices, with a few cms between each other, on a baking tray covered in baking paper. drizzle them with olive oil and salt to taste, and put a teaspoon of tomato sauce on each one, then a slice of mozzarella, then finish with a small basil leaf or some dried oregano.
4. Cook for about 15 minutes in the oven, heated at 180°C.

Enjoy!

Fresh spelt salad with tuna and capers

Tasty, quick recipe, ideal for the summer but also perfect for a dinner party - it contains only a handful of ingredients, but the flavour is wholesome, and it's super healthy too!

Ingredients (4 people)

12 fistfuls of spelt (easy to find in most supermarkets)
100 gr of canned tuna (in olive oil, not water or brine!, for best results)
small capers and flat-leaf parsley to taste
1 clove of peeled garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt (for cooking the spelt)


Cook the spelt as you would cook pasta (but longer! usually 25 minutes), in boiling salted water - follow cooking instructions on the spelt's packaging for best results.
Drain the spelt and place it in a bowl; mix it with the tuna (drained from its oil), the capers and  a mix of finely chopped parsley and garlic. Mix well with 1 and a half table spoons of good quality extra-virgin olive oil, and serve lukewarm.