Sunday 10 July 2016

Ten minute summer pastas


Tomato pasta with basil and mozzarella

Ingredients:

Spaghetti serving 2

1 mozzarella cheese
About 8 Fresh basil leaves
1 big clove of garlic
Tinned plumb tomatoes
Salt
Pepper or cayenne pepper to taste
olive oil

Preparation:

Bring to boil a large pan with abundant water and salt
When the water boils you add pasta for two servings and cook till al dente. (just cooked, not overcooked)
Put about 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan.
When the oil is hot you can add the garlic and fry just for about 30 seconds, make sure the garlic doesn't burn
Add the tomatoes from the tin with its juice
and the salt and pepper to taste
Finally add the chopped basil leaves

When the pasta is cooked you add it to the frying pan and mix it with the sauce. Finally add some chopped pieces of mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta. Serve immediately.


summer pasta with tuna fish
Ingredients:

- pasta of your choice serving three (best not to use spaghetti)
- 1 mozzarella cheese
- approximately 150grams of tinned tuna fish (I prefer to use the one in olive oil)
- half a medium sized onion (red onions are a good choice)
- olive oil
- fresh tomatoes, 2 or 3 depending on the size.

Preparation:

Bring to boil a large pan with abundant water and salt
When the water boils you add pasta for two servings and cook till al dente. During the cooking time of the pasta you prepare the ingredients.
Chop, or slice the onion, chop the mozzarella in small cubes, cut the tomatoes in pieces and mix them with the tunafish and some oliveoil in a large bowl. If you like you can add some salt and pepper but this is not necessary. The tunafish and the onion give a nice taste to the pasta.

When the pasta is ready (al dente) you mixed it in with the cold ingredients. Serve immediately. This pasta is eaten luke warm, like a salad, and very delicious!

Monday 15 February 2016

Bruschetta, an Italian starter


Bruschetta as an appetizer or as a snack, it is always a success! This starter, originally from Italy, is easy to prepare and very tasty! The ‘Bruschetta’ was already known in Central Italy as from the 15th century and today it is a standard item on most Italian menus. The basis of a bruschetta is a slice of bread, preferable a good quality, home-made style bread or a French baguette.




Bruschetta with tomato and oregano


Ingredients

• Good quality home-made style bread or French baguette
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Oregano

Preparation

Toast de sliced bread and rub each slice with some raw garlic. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes and put some of the tomatoes on the sliced bread. Then sprinkle this with some salt to taste and oregano. Finally you drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top.



Traditional tomato basil bruschetta


Ingredients
• Good quality home-made style bread or French baguette
• 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves
• 1 clove of finely chopped garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preparation
Cut the tomatoes into small chunks. Cut or tear the fresh basil into small pieces and add this and the finely chopped garlic to the tomato. Then add a good splash of olive oil and salt to taste. Allow this to soak for about an hour. Serve on freshly toasted bread.


Bruschetta with olive paste

Ingrediƫnts
• Good quality home-made style bread or French baguette
• 100 grams pitted black olives cut into small pieces
• 3 mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
• Half of a small onion, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
• Pepper and salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
Heat about 3 table spoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Glaze the onion and the garlic. Add the olives and mushrooms and pepper and salt to taste. Simmer this on a low heat for approximately 5 minutes. Take off the heat and when cold you put it into a blender and mix until you have a smooth paste. Spread on the toasted bread.


Bruschetta with mortadella and ricotta mousse

Ingredients
• Good quality home-made style bread or French baguette
• 5 slices of mortadella
• 3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese
• Salt (optional)

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth paste. Add some salt to taste (optional) Serve on freshly toasted bread.

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