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!

Gnocco Fritto (Fried bread ribbons)

Ingredients (calculate 100 gr of flour per person, if serving this as a main course)

500 gr wheat flour
30 gr unsalter butter
1/4 liters of a half-and-half mix of lukewarm sparkling water and milk
salt
frying oil (the traditional recipe commands frying in pig's lard:)

Mix all the ingredients together with your hands until you obtain a smooth, non-sticky but elastic bowl of dough. Place it in a bowl to rest for 30 minutes, then tear it in small pieces and roll it in very thin sheets (0.3 cm) with a rolling pin. Cut the sheets in triangles or squares, then deep fry them in the oil once it reached a very high temperature, in a deep frying pan - the hotter the oil, the deeper the pan, the shortest it takes for the gnocco to fry and thus the less oil it absorbs! It just needs about 10 seconds of cooking - as soon as it starts making bubbles on the surface, it's done. Lay your gnocco on a plate covered in kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil, then serve with a large plate of Italian cured meats (pancetta, prosciutto di Parma, coppa, salame, etc..). Since the dish is quite heavy, it's best to accompany it just with simple raw veggies cut in sticks and presented with a dipping vinaigrette of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Also serves as a great starter or accompaniment to a yummy dish of Italian antipasti (prosciutto, preserved vegetables, olives, etc..).

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.