Pineapple and king prawn skewers (spiedini)

Image credits: eatfish.ca

Ingredients

500gr king prawns, peeled

1 large fresh pinapple, diced (in cubes of approx 3cm length)

[for the marinade:]

15cl freshly squeezed orange juice (not from a bottle!)

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Prepare the marinade first, by mixing all the above ingredients in a bowl; then soak the prawns in it for 2 hours at least. Then create the skewers by alternating one prawn and one pineapple cube - use about 4-5 pineapple cubes per skewer, and add the rest to the marinade.

Place the marinade with the pineapple in a large shallow pan, and let it evaporate on low heat for 10/15 minutes, until it becomes more dense and gravy-like.

Lightly grill the skewers, salt and pepper to taste, and serve them with this sauce on the side.

Feta and chorizo super tasty salad

This recipe is inspired by a salad seen on Jamie Oliver's show -- but with some additional ingredients. Not strictly Italian (chorizo is Spanish!) but definitely mediterranean and yummy.

Ingredients

Baby spinach leaves

Plum Tomatoes

Chorizo sausage

White wine

Garlic

Shallots

Salt and pepper

feta cheese

Rough chop chorizo and fry with olive oil until golden and crispy. Meanwhile rough chop tomatoes and place in bowl. Chop the shalllots and add to tomatoes - drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice garlic (2 cloves) and add to chorizo in pan, when garlic changes colour add some white wine. Add chorizo and the feta cheese (crumbled with your fingers) to tomato salad and serve!

Mediterranean stuffed vegetables

Ingredients (4 people)

Potatoes 400 gr
2 Courgettes
1 Aubergine
2 onions
1 yellow pepper
20 gr dried mushrooms
20 gr pine nuts
3 slices toast bread
2 eggs
2 anchovy fillets
grated parmesan cheese
Basil
Garlic
Milk
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Boil onions and aubergines for 10 minutes, and peppers and courgettes for 6.

Filling#1

Half the vegetables and keep the pulp. Also empty the tomatoes. Boil the potatoes, then peel them and crush them with a fork or food processor. Mix half of the veggie's pulp with 1 egg, 2 tablespoons grated cheese, 3 tbsps oil, 3 leaves chopped basil, salt and pepper.

Filling #2

Soften the dry mushrooms in lukewarm water, drain them well and add 1 clove garlic and all the pine nuts. Add 1 egg, the anchovies, and finely chop the mix. Add to the other half of pulp.

Fill half the vegetables with each filling. Place them in an ovenproof dish, drizzle them with grated cheese and bake in the oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

Oregano Potato Gratin

Ingredients (2 people)

2 large potatoes
10 cherry tomatoes
1 white or red onion
oregano
grated pecorino cheese (the harder the better)
breadcrumbs (plain, no added flavorings)
extra-virgin olive oil
salt

Peel and cut the potatoes in 5mm-think slices and soak them in water for 30 minutes; cut the onion in slices and the cherry tomatoes in quarters. Grease an overproof pan with a bit of olive oil, then create a layer of slightly overlapping potato slices, then season with salt oregano, a layer of onions, some tomatoes, then grated pecorino and again salt and oil. Start another potato layer, and continue until you run out of ingredients. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 45-50 minutes.

Pickled courgette with chili and mint

Awesome starter, great for hot summer days as it's best served cold from the fridge - bonus point: you can prepare this up to 2 days before and keep in the fridge covered in tin-foil. An unusual combination of tastes which surprisingly most people end up loving!

Ingredients

courgettes
1 lt white vinegar
salt
10 leaves of fresh mint
2-3 fresh chili peppers or dry, crushed chilies

Slice the courgette in 3mm slices. Quickly throw them in a boiling mix of vinegar and water (1 part vinegar, 2 parts water). Take them out when cooked, but still firm. Place them in a bowl and season them with salt and chopped mint and chilies. Cover with extra virgin olive oil and place in the fridge to cool before serving.

Oil-preserved grape tomatoes

Great as antipasto with crispy bread croutons and parma ham, or as a side for barbecue or grilled meats.

Ingredients

Grape tomatoes (baby)
Extra virgin olive oil
rosemary
garlic
salt

Quickly throw the tomatoes in boiling water, for a few minutes. Cut them in half vertically and lay them on an baking tray covered in baking sheet, with the cut side facing upwards. Bake them in the oven at 200° for 5 minutes. When the skin starts wrinkling, take them out. Season abundantly with rosemary needles, thinly-sliced and peeled garlic cloves and salt. Close them up in pairs to form a whole tomato again, and place them in a glass jar. Completely cover with extra-virgin olive oil.

Pro tip: want to keep these tomatoes in store for long? You'll need to sterilize the jars! No panic, check this article for step-by-step guidance on this process (hint: you can do it at home, no fancy equipment needed)