Categories
Chicken Italian Main course

Chicken Kiev

Serves 2 Cooking time 1 hour Ingredients 2 Chicken breasts, skin removed 75g Ricotta 2 Large cloves garlic, finely chopped A little lemon zest Handful of grated parmesan Parsley and basil, finely chopped (adjust amount to suit your taste) Salt and pepper 1 Egg, beaten Flour and breadcrumbs to coat Method: Mix together the ricotta, […]

Categories
Desserts Italian

The best chocolate cake in the world

Serves 6 Cooking time 2 hours Ingredients 340g chocolate 70% cocoa solids 225g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and at room temperature 5 organic free-range eggs 210g caster sugar Extra butter for greasing Method: This is the most amazing chocolate cake. There is no flour in it so it is not a spongey cake […]

Categories
Fish Italian Main course

Smoked mackerel omlette

Serves 2 Cooking time 30 mins Ingredients 150g-200g smoked mackerel 1 onion, finely chopped Olive oil 6 organic free-range eggs a handful of fresh parsley, chopped (optional) Method: Skin the mackerel and flake into a bowl, removing any bones.  Heat the grill to high. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and […]

Categories
Italian Main course Mediterranean Pasta

Pasta alla Puttanesca

Serves 4 Cooking time 30 mins Ingredients 500g pasta 4 tbsp olive oil 400g (1 tin) chopped tomatoes 1 red chilli, finely chopped (or pinch of chilli flakes) 8 anchovy fillets, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 25g butter (optional) 100g pitted black olives, sliced 2 tbsp capers, rinsed 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley Method: Cook […]

Categories
Italian Mediterranean Pasta

Pasta with broccoli, anchovy and chilli

Serves 1 Cooking time 20 mins Ingredients 80-100g short pasta olive oil 2-3 anchovies (from a jar or tin) small clove garlic, chopped pinch of dried chilli flakes 6-8 small florets of broccoli 1 tomato, chopped chopped parsley squeeze of lemon juice black pepper Method: Perfect for lunch or a quick weeknight tea. Cook the […]

Categories
Fish Italian Main course Rice

Pea, prawn and mint risotto

Serves 2 Cooking time 45 mins Ingredients 200g risotto rice 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, destringed and finely chopped 1 clove garlic, sliced 50ml white wine 1 litre chicken stock 2 handfuls cooked prawns 1 cup of frozen peas Freshly grated parmesan Few knobs of butter Flatleaf parsley, finely chopped Few leaves […]

Categories
Italian Main course Mediterranean Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta with garlicky greens

Serves 2 Cooking time 30 mins Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1-2 shallots, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 8-10 small florets of broccoli (you could also use spinach or kale, a good few handfuls) splash of white wine 3 generous tbsp creme fraiche 200g short pasta (shells or tubes work well) 50g blue cheese […]

Categories
Italian Main course

Ellen’s best ever pizza

Ellen is the neice of one of the best friends we ever had, this is a recipe for the pizza’s they made together when Mike was looking after the kids

Categories
Italian Main course Pork

Pork loin with garlic confit and basil

Just a few ingredients in this recipe of pork loin with garlic confit and basil but it packs a punch of flavour, Serve with potato boulangere and a side of green vegetables such as broccoli or spinach

Categories
Italian Main course Mediterranean Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta with chickpeas, greens and tomatoes

Method: This recipe uses mafalda corta, a short, flat, ribbony pasta with a wavy edge from the Campania region of Italy. If you can’t find that, any other short pasta (such as penne or gemelli) with ridges to hold the sauce will work just as well. Put the pasta on to cook. Pour a generous […]

Categories
Italian Mediterranean Pasta Soups Vegetarian

Winter minestrone

Method: A great lunch for the winter months – warming, filling and healthy. Kale, an under-appreciated member of the cabbage family, is packed with bet-carotene, folate and vitamin C so should keep the sniffles at bay! Heat some olive oil in a large soup pan and add the onion and a pinch of salt. Fry […]

Categories
Italian Mediterranean Soups Starters Vegetarian

Italian pea and basil soup

Method: This is such an easy soup to make. The basil gives it a lovely pungent flavour but you could also use mint to give a fresher flavour. Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring […]

Categories
Fish Italian Main course Pasta

Tagliatelle with prawns and brandy

Method: Normally, I would only advise drinking brandy but here it’s used in this very tasty pasta dish! Cook the tagliatelle in a large pan of salted water until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, fry the shallots and walnuts in olive oil in a large frying pan for a few minutes. Add the garlic and […]

Categories
Desserts Italian

Blueberry bavarois

Method: To make the bavarois, soak the gelatine in a little cold water for about 5 minutes, until softened. Whisk the egg yolks and 100g caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pods. Bring to the boil,remove the milk from the heat and pour it […]

Categories
Italian Main course Pasta Vegetarian

Pasta with tomatoes, butter beans and ricotta

Method: Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and add the pancetta. Fry over a medium heat, stirring until crispy. Add the garlic and chilli and fry gently for a few minutes. Next, add the butter beans and fry, […]