Broccoli, feta and hempseed pasta

This dish just created its self. I happened to have the ingredients and then they just came together and if I may say so myself it's a real tasty dish.

Broccoli is one of the those staple ingredients that we all need to eat lots of. It's also one of the veggies we don't have to spend extra money on buying biologically grown! The main health benefit of this humble veg is it's detoxifying ability. Believe it or not it's better for you steamed than raw, as your system can better utilise it that way. Another great benefit is that broccoli can help rebuild your vitamin D deficiency, something most of us here in the both have. Broccoli contains high levels of both vitamin K & A. Vitamin K is needed for bone formation and is needed for blood clotting. Vitamin A is among others supportive of vision.

Ingredients, serves two portions: 

1/2 head of broccoli

1/3 fresh chilli 

2/3 block of feta 

Zest from 1 lemon (preferably non waxed bio lemon)

1-2 tbsp hemp seeds 

2 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil/cold pressed sunflower oil 

salt and pepper 

between 150-200 grams dried pasta 

1. Put your pasta water on to boil. 
2. Wash the broccoli and halve. Using one half, tear of chunks from the main body of the broccoli. Slice the stalk into strips. 
3. Wash the lemon and zest into a bowl, add the oil and salt & pepper. 
4. Toast the hemp seeds slightly, this brings out their nutty flavour, allow to cool and then add to the oil. 
5. Deseed the chilli, try not to touch and if you do wash your hands. Don't rub your eyes. Add to the oil mix.
6. While the pasta cooks steam the broccoli. I prefer mine to have a bit of a bite to it, so I take it out while its still a bit hard because it will continue cooking when taken off the heat. Add to the oil and mix. 
7. Add the cooked pasta and then add the cubed feta. Season and enjoy! 

Broccoli pesto

My sister first made me this broccoli pesto. I am a bit of a pesto maniac along with my sister and mother. This version is a lot creamier than regular basil pesto.

For this recipe, which serves 2 generous portions you will need:

1/2 broccoli head (steamed or cooked)
handful of fresh parsely
1 dl roasted pine nuts or walnuts or almonds or a mix of all three
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt
pepper
1/2 garlic clove
2 dl grated parmesan cheese

1. Place all the ingedients in a blender and blend till smooth. You might need to add a splash of water to loosen up the mixture. 
2. Add the pesto to your favorite pasta. 

Simple, quick and delicious. 

Easy breezy pasta salad

This pasta salad comes from a good friend of mine. Her recipe, my take.

Ingredients needed for 4 servings: 

200 grams fresh parmesan

1 ball of buffel mozzarella

1 dl roasted pine nuts

8-12 ripe cherry tomatoes

5 dl pasta - I used whole wheat fusseli but any other macaroni pasta shape would do too

handful of fresh basil

1 spring onion

good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

salt & pepper

1. Put on a pan of water to boil for the pasta. Add a little drizzle of olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking. 
2. Grate the parmesan. 
3. Chop up buffel mozzarella into cubes
4. Cut the tomatoes into fourths or halves and add them to a bowl large enough to fit all the ingredients.
5. Slice the basil and spring onion finely and add to the bowl as well as salt & pepper and a good drizzle of the olive oil. Mix. 
6. Boil the pasta according to the package instructions, I always try mine 1 min before the recommended cooking time as I prefer my pasta al dente and hate mushy pasta. 
7. Sieve the pasta and run cold water over it to cool it slightly. 
8. Add the pasta to the bowl and then the cheeses and the pine nuts. Mix. Taste, add more seasoning if you like & then eat!

Spicy tomato, olive & feta pasta gratin

I love to make this on a Sunday. Its a really satisfying dish. Salty from the olives & feta, sweet and creamy from the tomatoes, crunchy and spicy. I cannot get enough of the top pasta layer, that has a crunchy yet chewy bite to it.

This will give you 4 large servings.

400 grams tinned tomatoes
400 grams feta (make sure you buy the sheeps or goats variety not the cows milk)
200 grams black kalamata or other strong flavored (i.e., expensive, not the cheap-o tinned kind)
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 red chili medium sized
3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 basil leaves
salt + pepper (taste before you salt, both the feta & olives are salty)
pinch of sugar or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (broth bring out the sweeter flavor of the tomatoes)
400 grams thick macaroni, fusseli, rigatoni etc.. (I prefer using whole wheat as you cannot taste a difference and in my mind this is adding a little fiber to the dish)
* optional - 200 grams fresh parmesan (this add a lovely crisp salty layer, as you can see form the first photo I opted for both version - with & without. The choice is entirely up to you)

1. Begin by heating up your oven till 180 degrees Celcius

2. Prepare a pan with enough water to par-boil your pasta, bring to a boil

3. Only cook your pasta for 1/3 of the time indicated on it's packaging. It will cook further in the oven. You don't want to end up with a soft mush

4. Dice your garlic cloves and finely sliced chili and fry in a drizzle of olive oil. Only for a few seconds as garlic tends to burn and become bitter very fast. 

5. Add the tinned tomatoes, salt + pepper

6. Allow the tomato sauce to cook for 4-6min. Then add the sugar or vinegar. Stir, then taste. 

7. Now add the olives and allow to further cook for another 10 min. 

8. Turn off the heat of the tomato sauce and crumble in the feta and add the finely sliced basil leaves.     Stir and taste. If needed add more salt and/or pepper 

9. Now add the pasta to the sauce and mix

10 Pour the mix into a large enough oven proof pan

11. * if you opt to use the parmesan, grate the parmesan and sprinkle over the top

12. Place the pasta dish in the oven and bake for approx 20-25min. The top of the gratin should be crisp (and golden if topped with parmesan) and the pasta cooked. 

Enjoy with a side salad or just as it is. 

Sausage Ragu

This is another very simple yet very fulfilling dinner or decadent lunch. This recipe is inspired by our local Italian that serves a divine sausage pasta with lots of fennel, which I love but many don't. So if you're apposed to the anise seedy flavor of fennel then just leave it out. Served with a glass of red wine or frothy beer, its one of those dishes that leaves you feeling comforted and satisfied.

The trick to this recipe is good quality tinned or bottled tomatoes. I used tinned cherry tomatoes, they add a creamy, rich texture which other cheaper tined tomatoes don't live up to.

Recipe for 2 portions
1 tinned/bottled tomatoes
2 Sausages (I used turkey, as I am not a big pork fan)
1 tsp fennel seeds
Salt & pepper
pinch of sugar or 1/2tsp honey
half a handful of flat parsley leaves
Parmesan or piccorino to taste (or a mix of both)
Pasta - spaghetti, linguine or fusilli it's up to you.
Drizzle of oil.

1. Put on your pasta water. 
2. Chop up the sausage into bite size pieces. 
3. If you're using whole fennel seeds use a pestle & mortar to grind up the seeds to a dust. 
4. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil into a thick bottomed pan, add the sausage & fennel, fry till the sausage has gone golden but not completely cooked through.
5. Season with salt & pepper, taste.
6. Add the sugar or honey, this bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce. 
7. Allow to cook on low heat for 10-13min, stirring in between, till the sauce has become thick & rich.
8. Taste. Add seasoning if needed.
9. Plate & sprinkle generously with your choice of cheese.

Original Pesto Sauce

I learned this from my Italian Colleague, the original pesto combination is made with green beans & potato! Basically you just add potato cubes (approx. 1,5 cm) to the boiling pasta and allow it to cook with the pasta. Add the beans to the pasta water for the last 2-3min of it's cooking time. Depending on how crunchy you like your beans to be.

He also taught me another useful trick to make the pasta sauce "stick or cling" to the pasta instead of just  ending up at the bottom of the bowl. Add a little of the pasta water to a frying pan, add the pesto and allow the water to dilute the sauce os that it turns from a paste into a sauce, the pan need not even be heated. Then once the pesto is liquid add the pasta and mix. E Viola! The pesto will cling beautifully to the pasta. The best part is that you need not use as much oil in the pesto recipe making it less rich.

I posted a recipe of how to make pesto a while ago. I love to add sea food to my pesto & pasta, garlic fried shrimps or smoked salmon with a little drizzle of lemon juice over the top. Heaven!

Italian meat balls

This recipe was given to me by my Italian colleague and friend Giorgio. These meatballs in a good tomato sauce are simply delish.

this amount gives 5 big portions

800 gram ground meat
salt & pepper
3 dl grated parmesan
1 baguette or other white bread loaf (preferably a chewy bread)
1-2 eggs
3 dl milk
chopped herbs - thyme, parsley, sage, basil

1. Take out the inside of the bread & soak it in the milk in a bowl for +/- 20 min
2. Place the ground meat in bowl, add salt and pepper, parmesan and the egg, mix
3. Add the bread to the ground meat, mash it all up so the bread de-solves into the meat.
4. Add the chopped herb you have chosen (only 1 herb). Mix.
5. Roll the meat into meatballs and place in a hot frying pan till brown, you can then place them in the oven for the rest of the cooking time or continue to cook them through in the frying pan.

I would suggest serving the meat balls in a simple tomato sauce with pasta and extra parmesan on the side.

buon appetito!!

Refreshing mid week pasta

This recipe is not mine, it comes from my husband. The first time he cooked it I was hooked, such a clever dish. Its the perfect mid week dinner dish; sharp, light and refreshing.

Puttanesca

Another quick & easy dish for during the week.This is one of the many recipes that I learned from my mother, my original cooking inspiration. It is an old Italian pasta recipe, and as per usual I have adapted it to my own liking. 'Puttanesca' in Italian means "whore's pasta".

for 2 people

2 tbsp black olives (I use kalamata - Greek, you need strong tasting olives)

1 tbsp capers

2 garlic cloves

1 tinned tomato

6 achovy files

optional - 3-5 sun dried tomatoes

pepper grind

1. Chop up the olives & anchovy, use some of the oil from the anchovy's to fry with. Fry this on a low heat for about 5min, till the anchovy melts.
2. Then add the capers, sun dried tomatoes and garlic and fry for another 2-3min, on low heat.
3. Add tinned tomato. Allow to cook for another 15-30 min, depending on how much time you have. no salt needed! A little parmesan or piccorino will not hurt. 

Tip, if you have some fresh basil, add a couple of chopped/ripped leaves, when the sauce is done. 

Making your own Pesto

Pesto is just so simple and just so satisfying. You can make many varieties of pesto by simply changing the nuts in it, usually pine seeds (until recently I called them pine nuts but apparently since they done have a shell they can not be called a nut), walnuts, almonds, pistachios.

I usually roast the nuts slightly, but its not necessary. However, in my opinion the roasting brings out a nuttier taste. The real secret is salt, the salt will bring out that special pesto flavor so don't be shy with it. taste your way through the process.