Recipes

Traditional Italian minestrone uses a fine macaroni known as ditalini. If you can't find this, fine spaghetti makes a good substitute: simply wrap the raw spaghetti in a tea-towel and break into short pieces over the edge of a table. Serves four.

 

Ingredients:

• 150 g (5.29 oz) ditalini or other fine pasta
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3 carrots (large)
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 red capsicum
• 500 ml (16.9 oz) tinned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pepper

 

Preparation:

1. Boil pasta in salted water until just tender; drain and put to one side.
2. Peel and thinly slice the carrots, celery, capsicum and onion and add to pot along with bay leaf, rosemary and a little olive oil. Fry lightly. Add 1.5 litres (60.7 oz) of water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook for a further 20 to 30 mins.
3. Add tomatoes and olive oil. Continue to cook for at least 50 mins, stirring occasionally and topping up with hot water if necessary.
4. Shortly before serving, add freshly-ground black pepper and salt.

These muffins make a great breakfast or a nutritious snack between meals. Makes approximately 12 muffins.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large green cooking apples
• 450 g (15.87 oz) unbleached white flour
• 200 g (7.05 oz) oat bran
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 500 ml (16.9 oz) apple juice

 

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 330°F/160°C. Oil muffin pan with vegetable oil.
2. Peel, core and chop apples into small cubes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix white flour, oat bran, baking soda and spices.
4. Add chopped apples and enough apple juice to make a light batter.
5. Mix just enough to moisten all ingredients. Do not over-mix. Spoon batter evenly into muffin tray.
6. Bake 25 to 30 mins or until lightly browned.

As a side-dish or a hearty main course, this flavoursome dish is perfect for the colder months. Serves four.

 

Ingredients:

• 200 g (7.05 oz) potatoes
• 200 g (7.05 oz) pumpkin
• 300 g (10.58 oz) sweet potato
• 150 g (5.29 oz) turnips or parsnips
• 150 g (5.29 oz) onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 50 ml (1.7 oz) olive oil
• Sea salt

 

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 °F / 200 °C.
2. Peel and chop vegetables into 2 cm cubes and place in a roasting pan.
3. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and salt.
4. Roast for 30 minutes, then scatter the garlic cloves in with the vegetables and stir briefly. After a further 20 minutes, add herbs and stir again.
5. Serve when evenly browned and tender.

Preparation: 10 min
Cooking time: 45 min

 

Ingredients for 1 cake:

• 250 g liquid honey
• 100 g mixture of minced dried fruit (choice: nuts, almonds, raisins, apricots, etc.)
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 100 g butter
• 50 g brown sugar
• 10 cl milk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon speculoos spices (or 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• A pinch of salt

 

Preparation:

1. Pour the milk into a bowl and add the butter, cut into pieces. Heat it in the microwave for 1 min, at 800 W.
2. Add the honey and whip the mixture until it is completely smooth.
3. Add in the following order: the flour, brown sugar, egg, salt and spices and mix well after adding each ingredient. Finally, add the dried fruit.
4. Pour into a cake tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 45 min (preheated at T° 5 – 150 C°).
5. Let it rest for 5 min, take it out of the mould and place it on a rack and leave to cool completely. Wrap in greaseproof paper and let it rest overnight. Eat at room temperature.

Preparation + cooking time: 20 min

 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 2 small courgettes (approx. 350 g)
• 350 g salmon fillet, boneless and skinless
• 4 small slices of bread (approx. 80 g)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp finely chopped dill + 4 sprigs for garnishing
• Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

1. Cut the salmon and the unpeeled courgettes into small cubes.
2. Grate the slices of bread into large crumbs. Heat them in a non-stick pan using 1 tbsp olive oil over moderate heat until they are golden brown.
3. Quickly brown the courgettes and the salmon, separately, in two pans using 1 tbsp of oil for each. The courgettes must remain crunchy and the salmon must be barely cooked. Season both ingredients and flavour the salmon with finely chopped dill.
4. Assemble the crumbles directly on the dinner plates: pack down ¼ of the courgettes into a metal ring, add ¼ of the salmon, pack down a bit, and top everything off with ¼ of the crunchy crumbs mixture. Carefully remove the ring and garnish with a sprig of dill.
5. Serve warm, as a starter.

Preparation: 20 min
Cooking time: 20 min

 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 600 to 800 g chicken fillets
• 100 g raisins
• 3 tomatoes
• 4 shallots
• 20 cl white wine
• 20 cl broth (water + 1 cube chicken stock)
• 20 cl broth (water + 1 cube chicken stock)
• 1 levelled tbsp curry powder or ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 levelled tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A small knob of butter
• Coriander or flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

1. In a high-sided frying pan containing the butter and 1 tbsp of oil, quickly brown the cubed chicken fillets. When they are nicely browned, remove them and add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and brown the minced shallots.
2. After 5 min, add the curry (or the cinnamon) and stir for one min. Sprinkle on the flour, mix for one min. and pour in the stock and white wine. Add the tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and cubed, as well as the chicken. Simmer uncovered over a low heat for 15 min.
3. Add the raisins and continue cooking for 2 more min.
4. Taste and sprinkle more coriander or flat-leafed parsley if necessary.
5. Serve hot, with basmati rice.

Preparation + Cooking time: 20 min

 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 600 to 800 g very thin escalopes
• 50 g pitted olives, green and/or black
• A small bunch of basil
• 20 cl white wine
• 20 cl stock (water + 1/2 cube chicken stock)
• 1 c tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• A knob of butter
• Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

1. Cut the veal escalopes into three pieces. Put half of them in a large non-stick pan containing melted butter. Brown them quickly on both sides and remove them to a plate. Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and brown the rest of the escalopes. Add these to the others.
2. Put one tbsp of oil into the pan, and then add the flour. Stir for 1 min, and then add the white wine and stock. Scrape the bottom, stir well and simmer 2 min over a moderate flame to reduce. If necessary, filter the sauce and return it to the pan.
3. Add the olives, cut into rings, and the escalopes. Let them simmer for 5 min. Add the chopped basil and season to taste.
4. Serve hot, with fresh pasta and a green vegetable.

Preparation: 15 min
Cooking time: 15 min

 

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 600 g red mullet fillets
• 1 large fennel bulb (400 to 500 g)
• 2 c tbsp pastis
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• A handful of basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

1. Slice the fennel into thin strips, put them in a dish and pour the lemon juice over, along with 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook in the microwave, 2 x 2 min at 800 W, stirring halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, carefully remove any remaining bones from the red mullet fillets using tweezers.
3. Get four square pieces of aluminium or greaseproof paper. At the centre of each one, place a quarter of the fennel strips; season and pour ½ tbsp oil. Place the red mullet fillets on top; pour ½ tbsp pastis and ½ tbsp oil over each one. Add salt and pepper, and place a sprig of thyme on top. Close the parcels.
4. Cook for 15 min in a hot oven (preheated at T°6 – 180 C°) or on the barbecue (over a high grill).
5. Let it rest for 5 min, take it out of the mould and place it on a rack and leave to cool completely. Wrap in greaseproof paper and let it rest overnight. Eat at room temperature.
6. Place the parcels directly onto the dinner plates, open them and add the chopped basil. Accompany this with small baked potatoes, or fried potatoes if preferred.