Leafy green salad with green apples

I love to mix veggies and fruit in my salad. The slightly tart flavour or the green apple goes so well with the leafy greens.

prep time 10 min
ingredients
  • 1 bag (125g) leafy greens
  • 1 green apple, cored and sliced
  • 4-5 big button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • a handful of pomegranate seeds
  • 1 can (80g) tuna
  • salt and pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil and balsamico for the dressing

1.  Place the leafy greens on your salad tray/bowl.

2. Add the apple, mushrooms, cucumber and tuna and mix lightly.

2. Add your dressing and salt and pepper.

3. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on your salad.

BUON APPETITO!

Chicken veggie bean soup

This soup is easy to make like most of my recipes. It is full of flavour and very filling especially if you add rice or couscous or even tiny pasta to cover your grain/carb intake. You can easily add or substitute some of the veggies.

prep time 10 min     cook time 40 min
ingredients for 4
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 big onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 500g skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 green peppers
  • 125g baby spinach
  • 4-5 big button mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 1 can (400g) drained red beans
  • 1 small can (200g) diced or crushed tomatoes + some water
  • peperoncino (optional)
  • basil and or parsley
  • salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or a heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and chicken and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. Add carrots, peppers, peperoncino if using, and tomatoes. Rinse the can and add the water on top. Bring to a boil and let simmer. Add salt and pepper.

3. After 15 minutes add drained beans and mushrooms and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add baby spinach and basil (and/or parsley)for the last few minutes.

5. Serve hot adding the grain of your choice.

6. Keeps well in the fridge up to 2 days.

BUON APPETITO!

Chickpea salad

I have a yummy salad recipe for you today: chickpeas, leafy greens and eggplant. This is one of those salads where you can use whatever veggies you have at home, and it is always good and filling.

prep time 10 min
ingredients for 2
  • 1 can (400g) chickpeas
  • roasted eggplant slices
  • 1 small cucumber
  • either a bag (125g) leafy greens or bag (125g)of baby spinach or both
  • handful of radishes
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt
  • balsamic vinegar

1. Place the leafy greens on your salad plate or bowl.

2. Drain the chickpeas and place the on top of the leafy greens.

3. Wash cucumber and radishes, slice them and add to the salad.

4. Halve the roasted eggplant slices and add to the bowl.

5. Make the dressing with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and toss the salad with it.

tip: like I said, you can use different ingredients. Here I have halved cherry tomatoes and celery rounds, but no radishes nor leafy greens.

BUON APPETITO!

Spaghetti with walnuts

Once again I’m offering you a quick and easy pasta recipe. There are many recipes with a walnut cream but this one uses chopped walnuts that are slightly roasted.

prep time 5 min     cook time10-12 min
ingredients for 2
  • 200g spaghetti
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 15 shelled walnuts
  • a bunch of loose leaf parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • salt and pepper
  • grated Parmesan or Pecorino

1. Begin by heating a large pot of water over high heat. Meanwhile, lightly toast the walnuts for just a few minutes until fragrant in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When the walnuts smell like they’re beginning to toast, remove them from the heat and transfer to a clean dish towel. Wrap them in the towel, and rub between your hands to remove some of the papery shells. Chop the nuts medium-fine, and set aside.

2. In a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan large enough to accommodate the cooked spaghetti, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it begins to sizzle. Add the walnuts, stir together for 30 sec and remove from the heat.

3. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente, following the recommendations on the package but checking about a minute before the indicated time. Add a little bit of the pasta water to the pan with the walnuts, and reheat over medium heat.

4. When the pasta is ready, drain and toss in the pan with the walnuts. Add the parsley, adjust salt if necessary and add pepper.

5. Serve immediately with a grated cheese of your choice.

tip: you could add some anchovies to the pan if you like them.

tip: add some lemon juice to the pasta sauce

BUON APPETITO!

Quick tuna salad

One of my favourite light lunches in spring or summer time is a tuna salad. There are many ways to make it, I have two slightly different recipes.

prep time 15 min
ingredients for 2
  • 300 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 160 g tuna
  • small cucumber, diced
  • handful of olives
  • a few basil leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients, add salt and pepper.

variation:

leave out cucumber and use capers instead of olives.

You could easily add corn, carrots, pickled veggies, arugula, mixed greens or whatever floats your boat.

BUON APPETITO!