Gallettini - Plain Biscuits

These biscuits are so quick and easy to make. This version is plain, they are basically like Rich Tea or Morning Coffee biscuits. You can always cover them with melted chocolate. We love dunking them in tea or coffee...yummmm....this is an old Maltese recipe (about 50 years old). They are so crispy and they smell so nice whilst they are in the oven and most of all they are delicious in their simplicity. Give them a go...these amounts make around 30 biscuits. You will need...

• 110g plain flour
• 100g sugar
• 100g cornflour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 100g butter, cut into cubes
• 1 egg, beaten
• Extra flour for dusting

How to...

1. Preheat the oven at 175°C.
2. Sieve all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Rub the butter/margarine cubes into the flour with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Add the beaten egg, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until you get a dough. If the dough is sticky add a bit more plain flour.
5. Knead well on a lightly floured surface until you get a smooth dough. Roll the dough thinly and cut into round shapes using a glass or other shapes if you want.
6. Carefully put the shapes on a tray covered with baking paper.
7. Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes. Keep checking on them because if they are too thin they will burn.

Enjoy!!!!

R&A

Market Fresh Soup

We love going to the market and have a look at the fragrant smelling fresh produce available. On our one of many trips to the market a few weeks ago we came across a giant parsnip and some beautiful red beets and decided to make a soup inspired by these 2 delicious root vegetables. To get a great taste, it is best to split the veg in half and roast them in an oven before scooping the flesh out and blending, but you can always boil them!!  In this recipe we boil the veg in the stock. if you have some soup left over, you can always freeze it in plastic covered bowls. As usual, for a vegetarian version  omit the bacon steak. So try and give this soup a go you will love it!!! You will need...

• 500g beetroot, cut in quarters
• Large onion, sliced
• 3 small potatoes, quartered
• 700g parsnips, roughly chopped
• 1 kg pumpkin or butternut squash, diced
• 100g bacon steak, diced (optional)
• 3 chicken stock pots or cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• Ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons double cream (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

How to...

1. In a large deep pan, fry the onion and bacon (if using) in some olive oil until the onion is soft and transparent and the bacon is cooked. 
2. When onion & bacon are cooked, add the beets, potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin/butternut squash, stock pots or cubes, bay leaves, nutmeg, thyme & black pepper to taste and cover with enough water (about 1.5/2 litres). Bring to the boil on high heat and then lower the heat and simmer until the veg is firm but not soft. 
3. Alternatively you can bake the veg in a 220 degrees preheated oven for 35 minutes and add them to the onion/bacon mixture. Then add stock etc and simmer for less time!
4. Turn off the heat, leave to set for about 15 minutes. 
5. If using a blender, ladle the soup into a blender and blend, slowly pouring in the acream (if using). You can always use a hand held blender and add the cream and blend in the pot!
6. Ladle into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, grated cheese or double cream.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Beef Mince & Swede Pies

We love pies and when we created this pie it became an instant hit with both of us. It was so tasty. Steamed veg and succulent minced beef encased into puff or shortcrust pastry, whichever you prefer. We used pre-made pastry, we use it all the time as mostly puff pastry is very time consuming to prepare. Swede is a very interesting vegetable and is very underrated. It is actually called Rutabaga but here in the UK it is referred to as Swede which is short for Swedish turnip...another name that is used for this root vegetable. I find it very sweet and peppery in taste. This recipe makes about 5 large pies. Love it! Try out this pie...it's delicious...you will need...

• 500g minced beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 500g swede, diced
• 5 small carrots, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• 1 Beef Oxo cube or 1 Knorr Beef Stock Pot
• Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 500ml thick gravy, 8 tsp gravy granules in 500ml boiling water
• 1kg ready-made puff or shortcrust pastry or 300g pastry if doing 1 large deep-filled pie
• 1 egg beaten, for egg-wash
• Flour for dusting

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Put the diced swede, carrots and potatoes in a large steamer and steam for about 20 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Alternatively, boil them until a toothpick or fork goes easily through the veg. When done remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In the meantime, in a large pan fry the onion on medium heat in the oil until soft and transparent (about 8 minutes). Add the minced beef, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce (to taste), ground black pepper, Oxo cube (crumbled) and the mixed herbs. Give the pan a good stir and cook until the beef turns brownish (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally.
4. When both veg and beef mixture are cooked, add the veg to the meat mixture, add the gravy and stir well until all the ingredients are combined well. Set aside.
5. Lightly flour a working surface and roll out the pastry.  At this stage, if doing a large deep-filled pie you only need 300g pastry to line the pie dish and cover the top. If doing the single pies, cut around the rolled pastry with an inverted dinner plate so as you have a round shape. Spoon some pie mixture in the middle of the circle and close it to obtain a semi circular pie (as in the picture).
6. Pinch the ends well and brush with the egg wash. Prick the pies with a fork or scissors to let the steam out during cooking.
7. Put the pies, two at a time, in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the pies are golden.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Penne alla Carbonara

This is how a proper Carbonara should be. This is a rustic pasta dish that comes from Rome although its origin is questionable as some Italians say it came from the Umbria region, some say it comes from the Lazio region and some say that it was invented by an inventor from Naples from the Campana region. Anyway, whatever the provenance it is a very tasty dish and a very quick and easy way to flavour your pasta. We used penne but spaghetti go very well with this type of sauce as well. If you do not have pecorino Romano you may use Grana padano or Parmegiano Reggiano. Make sure you use free range eggs so you get a lovely yellowy colour. The original recipe uses guanciale which similar to pancetta only that guanciale comes from the cheek of the pig (guancia means cheek in italian hence the name) and pancetta comes from the belly of the animal (pancia means belly in italian hence the name). Give it a go! For 4 people you will need...

• 300g penne
• 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 100g grated pecorino Romano
• 150g Guanciale or pancetta, diced

How to...

1. Start by cooking the pasta al dente. 
2. Cook the guanciale or pancetta in a hot pan (no oil is required as guanciale and/or lardons have enough fat on them) until crispy.
3. When the pasta is cooked, drain it but leave a little cooking liquid with the pasta to avoid having a dry pasta dish. Cover and set aside.
4. Start making the sauce by whisking the egg yolks and one whole egg in a bowl. Whisk until they are combined well. Add the cheese and combine well with the eggs. Now add the guanciale or pancetta. Mix again and add everything to the cooked pasta.
5. Mix slowly until all the pasta is covered with the sauce and serve.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Chilli Dogs As They Should Be!!

I have always been a fan of chilli. The hotter it is, the better for me. But what is great with chilli is that you can make as spicy, hot or mild as you like. I love hot dogs and love chilli so a Chilli Dog is one of my favourite dishes ever. Go ahead and try these chilli dogs to impress your family or your friends. The amount of chilli powder you put in this chilli is obviously to your taste so adjust it according to your taste. Make sure you use the best hot dogs you can get your hands on, we use Bockwurst but Wudy, Frankfurters or any other large sausage will do. One thing is for sure that if you prepare this chilli once, you will definitely do it again. Any leftover chilli can be used in burritos, enchiladas or served with white rice or tortilla chips as a meal. If you use a spoonful with each hot dog you will have enough chilli for about 16-20 chilli dogs. So go ahead and give this a go...you will love it...you will need...

For the chilli con carne

• 200g bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 700g minced beef
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 cans chopped tomatoes in juice
• 2 tablespoons molasses (Treacle) or 100g dark muscovado sugar or Piloncillo
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chilli powder (or to taste) 
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper [Caution - Cayenne pepper is very hot]
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 300ml beef stock (We used 1 Knorr stock pot in 300ml boiling water)
• 1 tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed [optional]

For the dogs

• Hot dog buns (depends on how many you need)
• Hot dogs such as Bockwurst, Wudy, Frankfurters or others

To garnish

• Grated Mature Cheddar cheese
• Finely chopped raw onion (optional)

How to...

1. To make the chilli start by frying the onions in about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry over high heat until brown, stirring frequently. 
2. Add the bacon and garlic. Cook until brownish.
3. Now add the minced beef and stir well with the onions. Cook the beef over high heat stirring occasionally until browned, about 15 minutes. 
4. When the beef is cooked, drain any excess liquid fat and add the chopped tomatoes, molasses, sugar or piloncillo (whatever you are using), stock, cocoa powder and all the spices. (Better add the chilli powder and cayenne pepper slowly so you can adjust to your taste...always taste before adding more). 
5. Stir well and simmer on a medium to low heat for about 90 minutes (or more) until the chilli has a thick consistency. If left too watery it will ruin the buns.
6. Grill your hot dogs until they are slightly charred. 
7. Slice open the hot dog buns, place a hot dog on, spoon some chilli on the dog, add grated Cheddar and chopped onions (if used) and enjoy!!! We dare you to stop at one dog :)

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pork & Fennel Sausages

These sausages are inspired by the great Antonio Carluccio. When we tried them, they were so delicious. Try to find the best minced pork you can get your hands on and also use a good red wine. We used a good red Chianti. Italian sausages...Italian wine :) The secret in getting good sausages is to mix the meaty mixture for a long time by hand!!! This makes sure that all the ingredients are infused into the meat. As with all sausages you can grill them, BBQ them, fry them...whatever you desire. When they were done I dipped them in some pre-made Caponata but if you cannot find it a good red bell pepper sauce like Ajvar will do just fine or ketchup or whatever you fancy!! To prepare about 12 sausages you will need...

• 1kg minced pork
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded & chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 120ml red wine (We used Chianti)
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How to...

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well by hand. 
2. Shape them up into 12 equally sized sausages.
3. Heat a pan with some olive oil and fry them until done from both sized, about 10 minutes or until cooked through. You can also grill them.
4. Serve them with any sauce you like.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Romanian Aubergine Dip - Salata de Vinete

This Romanian speciality is an aubergine based dip or spread that is usually served on toast with sliced tomatoes. It is very tasty and easy to prepare. It is great served as a snack or starter to your meals. It is very popular in Romania. To prepare it you will need...

• 1 large aubergine
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Sliced tomatoes, to serve
• Salad, to serve
• Toasted bread, to serve

How to...

1. Prick the aubergine with a fork in various places.
2. Grill it until the skin is charred from all sides.
3. When done, peel it carefully and scoop the flesh out on a chopping board. Chop the aubergine flesh very finely. Put in a bowl, add the onion, salt & mix well. Add the mayonnaise and mix again.
4. Toast a couple of slices of bread and spread it over. Serve with sliced fresh tomatoes if you wish.

Enjoy!!
R&A

Fusilli Pasta Bake with Breadcrumb Topping

We are big fans of creating dishes with whatever we have in our cupboards & fridge. These dishes usually turn out to be a great success and most of all very very tasty. Like this one for example, I decided to give the usual plate of pasta a twist by adding a couple of ingredients like breadcrumbs and grated hard cheese and then put it in the oven to get a nice crunchy pasta dish. It is very simple to prepare, so just give it a go...you will need...

• 300g fusilli
• 500ml tomato passata
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced [optional]
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Half teaspoon sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 100g grated Kefalotiri or Parmigiano cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Handful of pangrattato or stale breadcrumbs

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Add a tbsp of olive oil to a pan and fry the onion until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes (preferably covered). Add the chillies and garlic and stir fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the passata, sugar, oregano and ground black pepper. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. In the meantime cook the fusilli al dente. Make sure you do not overcook the pasta.
5. When the sauce & pasta are cooked, drain the pasta and put back in the pasta pot. Add the sauce, a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and about 2 tbsp of grated cheese. Mix well but slowly, not to break the fusilli.
6. Pour slowly into a small ovenproof container. Cover the pasta with a handful of breadcrumbs and the remainder of the cheese.
7. Put in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the breadcrumbs & cheese are golden brown.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pumpkin & Sausage Casserole

I was browsing the net for Halloween recipes and came across this one. We did this casserole on Halloween weekend and loved it. It is so comforting and warm. Pumpkins around Halloween are very very cheap so we make sure we buy the biggest one for as cheap as £1. Make sure you use good quality sausages (for all our followers in Malta, Maltese sausages will do just fine)...we used Pork & Apple sausages. You can top it up with a dollop of sour cream or why not serve it with some mashed potatoes. So give it a go...you will need...

• 50g butter
• 6 medium sized good quality sausages
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 3 banana shallots [small elongated shaped shallots], finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 800g diced pumpkin
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato puree in 100ml boiling water
• 400g can Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 400ml chicken stock or 1 cube 400ml boiling water
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley, to serve
• 4 tbsp sour cream, to serve

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 180°/Gas mark 4.
2. Heat half the butter and fry the sausages on medium heat until browned, about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining butter and add the onions, shallots and fry for a further 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and sage and cook for a further 3 minutes always on medium heat.
4. Add the pumpkin and tomato puree with water. Stir the mixture thoroughly but slowly. Add the vinegar and increase the heat to high and heat until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
5. Add the sugar, beans, chopped tomatoes, stock, salt & pepper. Stir well and bring the pot to boil.
6. Turn off the heat and put into a large casserole. Put in the oven for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft and cooked.
7. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and chopped parsley or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Roast Tomato Soup

I watched James Martin do this soup and fell in love with the idea. This soup is so delicious that it can even be enjoyed cold!! We loved it. It bursts with flavours…the better tomatoes you can get the better soup you will produce. The olive oil quality does its part as well so make sure you use a good quality one. You can serve it with some crème fraîche, crispy croutons, grated Parmesan and/or some fresh hand torn basil leaves. It is very easy to prepare. The trickiest part is peeling the roasted tomatoes…make sure you let them cool well as you can easily scald your fingers. So you will need…

Serves 4

·         800g tomatoes, cut in half
·         3 tbsp runny honey
·         2 sprigs fresh thyme
·         1 onion, thinly sliced
·         2 garlic cloves, chopped
·         8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230 °C.
2. Put the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with the honey and about 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Roast for about 20 minutes.
3. When roasted, set the tomatoes aside to cool. When cool enough, carefully peel off the skins, then chop the tomatoes and thyme leaves. Set aside.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, cover with a lid and cook for about 4 minutes or until transparent and soft. Add the garlic and fry for a further 3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
5. Throw the tomatoes, thyme, about 75ml water and the remaining 4 tbsp olive oil into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
6. Season with salt & pepper.
7. Reheat the soup if necessary, ladle into the bowls and serve with whatever you fancy. We prefer parmesan ;)

Enjoy!!

R&A

Blue Cheese Dip

This is one of our favourite dips ever. Once we start digging in we can never stop. Dips are so easy to prepare as basically you just throw everything in the food processor and there you have it...yum yum!!! So give this a try and impress your friends. Make sure you do not put too much onion!! Serve this with grissini (breadsticks), raw veg, crackers, galletti (water biscuits) or whatever you fancy. So, you will need...

• 150g blue cheese, cut in cubes
• 250g quark cheese or ricotta
• ¼ small onion, finely chopped
• Pinch ground white pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon

Method

1. Just whiz up all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. Tip the dip into a bowl and serve.
3. If refrigerating make sure that you cover the bowl with cling film first!

Enjoy 

R&A

Our Mushrooms in Garlic

A favourite with all mushroom lovers, it is now officially a favourite with Amanda as well [which usually is a mushroom loather] :) I was so surprised that she liked it...well actually she loved them!! They are very easy to prepare. We usually serve them with our Full English Breakfast but they can be served as a starter to any meal. The amount of mushrooms we used was for 2 people but mushrooms basically disappear whilst cooking so adapt the ingredients as you wish :) We also used White Closed Cap mushrooms but you can use white mushrooms or even Portobello mushrooms. Do not use Oyster or Enoki mushrooms as they are quite delicate and you will ruin their taste plus their texture will not be that pleasant. You will need...

• 350g white mushrooms, quartered
• 25g unsalted butter
• 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brandy

How to...

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the garlic and fry until fragrant & golden.
2. Add the quartered mushrooms, parsley , soy sauce and brandy. Give them a careful stir and put a lid on. Simmer for about 2 minutes on a medium heat.
3. Remove the lid and stir carefully again. Let simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced and mushrooms are cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. Plate and serve.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Cherry & Watermelon Salad

As summer is showing all the sun & heat, there is nothing better than a nice chilled fruit salad. A fruit salad is the easiest thing to do ever and you can use any fruit that is in season but these two particular summer fruits are two of my favourites. My personal touch are a couple of fresh basil leaves which give it a wonderful taste. Also if you fancy it a drop or two of balsamic vinegar. Yummm!!! You will need...

• 1 slice watermelon
• A handful of cherries
• 3 small fresh basil leaves
• Drop or two balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Remove all seeds from the watermelon and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Wash the cherries and split them in half and remove the stones.
3. Put the fruit into a container and add the hand torn basil leaves and balsamic vinegar if using.
4. Slowly mix everything up. Cover the bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Kohl mit Würstchen - Cabbage with Frankfurter Sausages

This is such a tasty dish that I have been enjoying for years as it was one of my mum's favourites. It is a classic German dish. Germans love their sausages and cabbage. This is my take on the dish. Very easy to prepare with few ingredients you will have a dish that you can serve as a main course, side or a snack. We served the cabbage and sausages with mashed potatoes and had it as a meal. Give it a go and you will surely do it again...

• 1 Savoy cabbage or normal cabbage
• 3 slices unsmoked back bacon
• 5 Frankfurter sausages
• Vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Wash the cabbage and cut it in quarters. Remove the core and boil until cooked and soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Cut the bacon into strips. Heat the oil and fry the bacon until browned and crispy.
3. Add the sausages to the cooked bacon and cook for a few minutes. Add the cabbage to the pan and cook on high heat mixing well. Season with salt & pepper. Serve!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Bigilla - Maltese Bean Dip

Bigilla is one Malta's favourite dips. It is very easy to prepare. I remember the Bigilla vendor in Malta with his tiny van running around the villages I grew up in...he always had his voice shouting ''Tajba u tgħali'' (Warm & delicious) on repeat on his cassette player! :) The most time consuming bit of the whole process boiling the beans. This dip is prepared with Ful Medames which hail from North Africa, originally Egypt although the beans used in the original old recipe where called Ful Ta' Ġirba [Djerba beans] which were very similar to Ful Medames but smaller and darker. They basically taste the same. This recipe is to make about half a kilo of Bigilla. You can freeze any extra Bigilla for future use...or, I use it as a spread to make one of my favourite sandwiches which is tomato paste, olive oil, bigilla & Maltese peppered cheeselets. Here is what you will need...

• 500g Ful Medames, soaked in water overnight
• 8 garlic cloves, each cut in 4 pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil, abundant
• Small bunch of fresh parsley
• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
• Chilli sauce, to taste (optional)

How to...

1. Put the soaked beans in a pan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil on high heat, lower the heat and simmer partially covered for an hour or until the beans are fairly soft. Drain and set aside to cool down.
2. Put the beans, parsley, garlic and chilli sauce (if using) in a food processor and blend well until smooth. While the processor is on add the olive oil until you get a smooth consistency. You can put as much olive oil as you want.
3. Serve in bowls with extra chilli sauce and olive oil. Serve with crackers, grissini (breadsticks) or spread on crusty bread.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mixed Berries Compote

Definitely Amanda's favourite dessert Panna Cotta actually means cooked cream in Italian. It is very easy to do and the secret is not to boil the cream whilst cooking it. You can serve panna cotta with a mixed berries compôte or even with honey or a nice caramel sauce. Panna cotta is not only famous in Italy but is also very popular everywhere all over the globe. Before gelatin became widely available commercially old Italian recipes used to use boiled fish bones instead of the gelatin for panna cotta but nowadays the gelatin that we buy are pork or beef gelatin. We used icing sugar as it dissolves quicker but you can use regular or caster sugar. We also used a vanilla pod but you can also use a tsp of vanilla essence if you do not have it. As berries are in season at the minute we bought some nice delicious fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries hence the mixed berries compôte. :) So here is what you will need...

For the panna cotta

• 500ml single cream/panna/fresh cream
• 150g icing sugar 
• 1 vanilla pod, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 3 gelatin leaves

For the compôte

• 200g mixed berries (we used strawberries, blueberries & raspberries)
• 75g caster sugar

Method

1. Put the gelatin leaves in a bowl with cold water and leave to soak for about 5 minutes.
2. Put the cream, sugar and vanilla pod & seeds in a pan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Keep heating until steam comes out, but do not boil. Take the gelatin leaves and squeeze the water out of them. Add them to the pan until dissolved.
3. Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a fine sieve.
4. Pour the cream into 4 moulds or small glasses. Set aside so they cool down at room temperature. When cool put them in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
5. To prepare the compôte, put the berries and sugar in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves and berries break down. Set aside and leave to cool.
6. To serve the panna cotta, carefully run a sharp knife around the mould/glass and tip upside down on a saucer and spoon some compôte on the panna cotta.  

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pizza Caponata

This is one of my favourite pizza toppings. I missed the tinned caponata from Malta so I got my parents to send me some. As soon as it arrived I put Pizza Caponata on the menu :) As for all pizza toppings use as much or little ingredients as you want. I was introduced to this pizza topping when I used to work at Ir-Rokna Restaurant & Pizzeria which in my honest opinion does the best pizzas on the island using the traditional wood burning stone oven. Well, this is my Pizza Caponata. If you are doing your own dough just click here and follow the making the pizza dough steps...any problems feel free to let us know :)) So this is what I put on my Pizza Caponata...

• Tomato sauce (not too much)
• Grated mozzarella
• Tuna chunks
• Hard boiled eggs
• Caponata
• Anchovies
• Green or black olives
• Dried oregano

How to...

1. Just spread a little tomato sauce, then the caponata followed by the anchovies, tuna, olives and eggs.
2. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese and oregano.
3. Bake in a hot oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is golden.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

One of our favourite sauces, this sauce is just exquisite. It's what you say, naughty but nice! The sauce's pink colour also gives the dish a wonderful look. Mascarpone cheese is a delicious sweet, soft, full fat cheese from Italy that is made from cream which is coagulated with citric acid. It is most commonly known as one of the main ingredients in the famous Italian dessert, Tiramisù. Do try this sauce and you will definitely impress your family as it tastes gorgeous. The Mascarpone cheese should be added at the end of the cooking until all cheese is melted and incorporated into the tomato sauce. The ingredients in this recipe are for approximately 3-4 servings but it is always up to you. You will need...

• 250g fusilli, penne or other short pasta
• 350ml thick passata
• 125g Mascarpone
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200ml vegetable stock
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until transparent. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. 
2. Add the passata, herbs and spices, sugar and stock and simmer on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until you get a bright red thick sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain.
4. When the sauce is done, add the mascarpone and stir slowly into the tomato sauce until no chunks of cheese are left. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes.
5. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Dundari alla Minorese - Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato & Basil Sauce

I must say we tried these for the first time and we loved them. We saw Gennaro Contaldo preparing this recipe on TV and we decided to try them out. Usually gnocchi are using floury potatoes although in this recipe that hails from the Italian region of Campania, potatoes are replaced with nice milky ricotta which makes them lighter. This is our take on this Italian dish that, as I said comes from the Amalfi coast of Italy, namely from Minori a town on between Salerno and Naples. It is a very simple dish to prepare and very filling not to say scrumptious. They are simply served with a delicious tasty tomato & basil sauce. Give them a go and you will love them :) You will need...

Serves 4

For the gnocchi

• 250g ricotta
• 200g plain flour, preferably ''00''
• 30g grated parmesan
• 3 egg yolks
• salt & pepper, to taste
• Pinch of grated nutmeg

For the sauce

• 2 large tins plum tomatoes, tomatoes cut in half
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small dried chillies, chopped
• small bunch of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

How to...

1. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, flour, yolks, nutmeg and seasoning until you get a soft dough.
2. Knead on a well floured surface for about 5 minutes.
3. Shape the dough into an inch wide sausage. Cut into slices about 1cm or less. To make sure they do not stick to surface, add extra flour to the surface and cover the edges with flour. Bring a large pan of slightly salted water to boil.
4. In the meantime make the sauce by heating the olive oil, then add the garlic and chilli. Cook until garlic is fragrant and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tomatoes. Return the pan to the heat and simmer partially covered on a high heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the freshly torn basil leaves.
5. When the water boils, carefully throw in the gnocchi and cook until they start coming up to the water surface. About 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and put them in the tomato sauce. Stir carefully to coat in the sauce and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Baked Salmon Fillets with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is very easy and this way of cooking fish can be used for every type of fish from tuna, sea bass, sea bream, lampuki etc etc. Just put the fish on a big piece of aluminium foil or greaseproof oven paper put the ingredients, wrap it up and bake for 15 minutes. This method is called al Cartoccio [Italian for paper bag]. It is a great way to cook fish as it is cooked in the steam generated in the package and with all the goodness of the juices coming out from the fresh ingredients. You can serve this dish with roast, baked, fried or mashed potatoes  and a nicely dressed greens'salad. You will need...

Serves 2

• 2 Salmon fillets
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• About 8 green olives, chopped or left whole
• 2 tsp capers [optional]
• Pinch dried mint
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large pieces of aluminium foil or greaseproof oven paper

Method

1. Spread the foil or paper and put some olive oil on them. Put the fillets skin side down.
2. Put some more olive oil and add about 4 olives, 1 tsp capers [if using], 2 cherry tomatoes, half of the garlic and a pinch of dried mint to each fillet.
3. Now close the foil to shape up as a parcel and close it up tightly but always leave some space from the fillet to the parcel top so as the steam can circulate around and cook the fish evenly.
4. Bake in a hot oven for about 15 min.
5. Serve with the potatoes and salad.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Threlfall's Mess

I had this version of Eton Mess last summer at Graham's farewell BBQ. I must say I do miss his treats that he used to bring at work....oh yeah by the way, I do miss him too!!!! :) It was an instant hit with Amanda and has been waiting to taste it again for a whole year, bless her! I was just waiting for the perfect strawberries of which the season has just begun and finally I got them. Wow!! Well worth the wait. Here is what you will need...

Makes 4

• 450g fresh strawberries
• 300ml double cream
• 8 small ready made meringues [or 3 large ones]
• 3 tbsp porridge oats
• 2 tsp whisky or brandy
• Pinch of sugar

1. Start by cutting the strawberries in quarters, setting aside 4 whole ones to garnish. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with the pinch of sugar and the alcohol. Set aside.
2. Toast the oats in a dry pan for a few minutes on high heat until crisp.
3. Whip the cream in a large bowl until peaks are formed.
4. Now add the strawberries mixture and oats into the cream. Crumble the meringues with your hands into the mixture and fold all the ingredients.
5. Spoon into glasses and garnish with a whole strawberry.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Our new Facebook page!!

Hello all,

we just published our new Facebook page, please click on the link below, like and share. Recipes will be shared on this link as well. Hope you continue trying all the recipes and enjoying them as well.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ramandas-Spicy-Passion/133496050062068

Thanks for your continuous support

Regards

Ramanda

xx

Honey Glazed Gammon Steaks with Pineapple

Gammon steaks are one of our favourite pork steaks. Amanda adores them as they are salty and she loves salty food. To ease the saltiness and balance the flavours we honey glaze ours just before grilling. Exquisite!! I guess this post is not actually a recipe but a way to cook gammon steaks. So if you have never tried gammon with honey before you do not know what you're missing. Honey is one of my favourite ingredients and I tend to use it in loads of dishes from antipasti to desserts. :) If honey is not your thing, you can always grill the gammon steaks and serve them with a fried egg on top. We accompanied our steaks with some green beans, and chips. Feel free to serve it with whatever veg you want. You will need..

• 2 thick Gammon steaks [about 250g each]
• 4 tbsp runny honey
• 4 pineapple slices
• Ground black pepper

1. Using a basting brush, brush a tbsp of honey on each side of the steak. Season with the pepper and put under a medium hot grill for about 15-20 minutes turning the steaks occasionally.
2. 5 minutes before the end of cooking time put 2 pineapple rings on each steak and return to the gril for a further 4-5 minutes.
3. Serve with veg and chips.

Enjoy!!
R&A