Posted on

Beet hummus

Hummus is a spread made from ground chickpeas, ground sesame seeds (tahini), olive oil, lemon, garlic and cumin, originating in the Middle East. There are many variations, and this time I used beets to give it a vibrant pink colour and a slightly sweet taste.

INGREDIENTS

  • 350 g cooked or roasted beet, chopped
  • 1 can (400 g) chickpeas
  • 5-6 Tbls tahini (sesame seed paste)
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5-6 Tbls reserved liquid from chickpeas
  • 5-6 Tbls squeezed lemon juice
  • pomegranate seeds
  • parsley or coriander
  1. Combine the beet, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, salt, liquid from chickpeas and lemon juice in a bowl and blend drizzling the oil in until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking. I like my tahini very lemony so I always add more lemon juice.
  2. Place in a serving bowl or dish and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley. Other toppings for hummus could include smoked paprika, lemon zest, chopped pine nuts or almonds, big salt flakes or even roasted garlic.

BUON APPETITO!

Posted on

Tuna pasta bake

This was the first time I tried to make oven pasta without pre-cooking the pasta. I was skeptical, but it turned out great. You mix all the ingredients in your oven proof dish where you cook your casserole. No additional dishes to clean. The pasta takes naturally more time to cook since it isn’t pre-cooked.

PREP TIME. 10 MIN. COOK TIME. 50 MIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 6

  • 500 g penne or fusilli pasta
  • 240 g can tuna, preferably in oil
  • 400 g can crushed tomato
  • 250 g cherry tomatoes
  • 2-3 Tbls of capers
  • 2 dl heavy cream
  • 5 dl water
  • 2 Tbls olive oil
  • origano
  • basil
  • salt and pepper
  • 150 g shredded mozzarella
  1. Preheat oven to 200 °C
  2. Swipe an oven proof dish with oil and add the pasta, crushed tomatoes, tuna chunks and halved tomatoes leaving a handful to put on top.
  3. Now add the water, heavy cream, the capers, the herbs and the seasoning and mix well. Try to get all the pasta covered. Sprinkle the cheese and the rest of the tomatoes on top. It doesn’t look pretty at this point but wait until it’s done.
  4. Cook for about 50 min until golden with some crusty bits.

BUON APPETITO!

Posted on

Roasted peppers

Italian style roasted peppers with their smokey flavour can be used as an appetizer, or on focaccia, pizza, bruschetta or in a sandwich. The Italian way to dress roasted peppers is simply with good olive oil, sliced fresh garlic, loose leaf parsley and a sprinkle of salt. You can roast the peppers in the oven or over a flame on the stove top which I did. You can also roast the peppers on a barbecue which I have done when I had 4-6 peppers to roast.

PREP TIME 10 MIN. COOK TIME 10-15 MIN/PEPPER

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 red and 1 yellow pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • loose leaf parsley
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • salt
  • peperoncino
  • white wine vinegar (optional)
  1. Wash and pat dry the peppers.
  2. Roast one at a time over a flame until it is charred. Be careful and use tongs to rotate the pepper until it is charred on all sides.

3. After you have roasted both of them, place them in a bowl covered tightly in plastic or in a plastic container with a lid. The peppers will begin steaming which helps to loosen the skin and soften them a bit more. Let the peppers sit in the bowl for 15-20 min until cool enough to handle.

4. Meanwhile prepare the condiment with oil, parsley, garlic, peperoncino and salt, and vinegar if using.

5. After steaming, peel and deseed the peppers. Rub the charred skin off (preferably over the sink). Be careful when slicing open the peppers since they have steaming liquid inside. Do not run water over them even though the peeling might get a little messy. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

6. Slice them and place in the dish with oil and seasoning to marinate. If you want to store them place them in a container or a glass jar and add enough oil to cover them. They should hold in the fridge for about 7-10 days.

BUON APPETITO!

Posted on

Creamy chicken

This fabulous creamy chicken recipe is loaded with tomato flavour and has a pop of baby spinach for freshness. The sun dried tomatoes and coconut cream give depth of flavour to this dish. And it’s all made in one skillet for easy clean up.

PREP TIME 15 MIN. COOK TIME. 25 MIN.

INGRIDIENTS FOR 4

  • 750 g chicken breasts or wings
  • a small onion, diced
  • 2,5 cm piece of ginger, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 200 g sun dried tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Tbls green curry paste
  • 1/2 glass white wine
  • 3-4 Tbls lemon juice
  • 400 g can of coconut cream
  • 100 g heavy cream (optional)
  • 150 g baby spinach
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dried oregano
  1. Rub the breasts or wings with salt, pepper and oregano.
  2. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add olive oil to pan along with the chicken. Cook 6-9 minutes (wings take longer).
  3. Remove chicken from the pan. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent, then add garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the wine and then the sun dried tomatoes, green curry paste, lemon juice and coconut and heavy cream. Bring to a boil.
  5. Add chicken to the cream sauce and cook for additional 10-15 min. Add the baby spinach and cook for another two minutes. Check the seasoning.
  6. Enjoy with basmati rice or couscous.

BUON APPETITO!