Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 red sweet pepper,
• 3 tomatoes
• 8 fresh or pickled onions
• 1 whole chicken breast
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 80 gr. salad like lettuce
• ½ lemon
• salt
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• mayonnaise if you want

Time: 30 minutes

Boneless chicken breast and cut into cubes of about 1 inch.
In a frying pan  put a little oil and cook the chicken and sprinkle it with  a  lemon juice.
Add salt after cooking.
Cook the eggs.
Meanwhile, it cools the chicken, wash the peppers, remove seeds and cut into squares
Clean and wash the tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into four pieces and then in half again.
Wash the lettuce.
Put in a dish or into a large bowl:
lettuce, peppers and chopped tomatoes, finely sliced ​​onions, the chicken  and boiled eggs into slices.
Dress with extra virgin olive oil, salt and if you want a little mayonnaise.
The salad will be tasty if allowed to stand at least half an hour.

See the recipe in printable PDF

Sweet baskets

Sweet baskets

Ingredients

• shortbread 
• 1/2 cup (150 grams) of apricot or peach jam
• Mixed fruit (apricots, peaches, blueberries, kiwi ...)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of jam and one of rum
• 2 tablespoons of icing sugar

Oven at 350° F (180°C)
 
Prepare the  shortbread .
Cut with a cutter or a cup some rounds.
Brush muffin molds with seed oil and arrange the circles of pastry (Fig. 1) by placing them gently.
In each cup of pastry put a spoonful of jam.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely, then remove them from the molds.
Garnish with fruit slices prepared.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of jam advanced with a tablespoon of rum, and spread on the surface of a brush.
Sprinkle with a little 'icing sugar and serve!

View the PDF of the recipe

Summer menù

Do you want a dinner with friends to eat something simple?
Here is the menu for you!

Little sandwiches

Omelette's rolls

Chicken skewers

Pot of summer vegetables

Chocolate’s swivels  or  Coconut’s Bavarian cream

You can prepare this menu in two hours.
For dessert you can choose the Coconut’s Bavarian cream or Chocolate’s swivels if you like to turn on the oven!
Begin preparing the cake.
In the case of the Coconut’s Bavarian cream you can also prepare it the night before.
The Chocolate’s swivels are pretty quick to do, especially if filled with a creamy chocolate ready like Nutella or jam.
Then prepare the Chicken skewers, that if you want you can also cook on the plate or in the oven and the Pot of summer vegetables.
Finally, prepare the appetizers so they stay fresh longer: so the Little sandwiches and Omelette's rolls, that you can fill also with tuna and mayonnaise.
Dinner is ready!
If you want you can add “pasta” and prepare Rolls of italian pasta, even the night before, prepare them the day before and then cook them the night of the dinner.
Bon appetit!

Chicken skewers

Chicken skewers on the grill

Ingredients for 6 skewers:

• 1 sweet pepper
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 courgettes
• 12 small spring onions
• 1 whole chicken breast
• 2 sausages like chicken or pork
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon

Time: 20 minutes + cooking

Boneless chicken breast and cut into cubes of about 1 inch.
Wash the peppers, remove seeds and cut into squares
Clean and wash the tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into four pieces and then in half again.
Wash the courgettes and cut into wheels of 0.80 inch.
Wash the small onions .
Cut the sausages in order to have 12 pieces.
Take the skewers  and compose the skewers alternating elements.
Put them in a large bowl, add salt and pepper, add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, olive oil and lemon. Cover and let stand in refrigerator for an hour.
Cook on hot grill, or alternatively in the oven (390° F/ 200° C) directly on the plate covered with greaseproof paper, for 8/10 minutes from all sides.

the elements of the chicken skewers

 View the PDF of the recipe

Omelette's rolls

Omelette's rolls

Ingredients for two rolls:

• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 5.20 OZ (150 grams) of fresh or frozen spinach
• 1 mozzarella
• 3 slices of ham
• 1.80 OZ (50 grams) of parmesan flakes

Time: 20 min

Whisk the eggs with potato starch and salt until they are foamy.
Grease a large pan and pour the mixture, when solidified turn the omelette (omelette should be thin).
Remove from skillet and place on a paper towel.
Boil the spinach in a little salted water.
Drain and let lose all the cooking water.
Fill the first omelette with slices of ham and Parmesan cheese.
Roll up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap.
Stuff the second omelette with spinach (squeezed dry) and diced mozzarella, roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Put in refrigerator for 1 hour or more.
Removed from the refrigerator and cut with a sharp knife.
Place in a serving dish and serve.

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Rice with broad bean and “genovese sauce”

Rice with broad bean and “genovese sauce”

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 small onion
• 100 grams of fresh or frozen broad beans
• 500 ml vegetable stock or hot water with a ½ tablespoon of salt
• 1 jar of “genovese sauce”  or 200 grams of homemade “genovese sauce”
• 200 gr rice
• 1 cup white wine.
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.

In a skillet brown the onion in the oil.
Add the rice and toast. Pour the wine and beans (you can use them without thaw if frozen).
Once the wine has dried, pour the vegetable stock or the salted water that you have boiled.
You can cook for 10 minutes and then add the “genovese sauce”.
Bring to the end of cooking, or until the broth has dried, usually 15/20 minutes from when you put the wine.
When cooked, add the Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy your meal!

 View the PDF of the recipe

Dessert with fruits of the forest

Dessert with fruits of the forest

Ingredients

• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) flour
• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) potato starch.
• 3 eggs
• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• 300 grams of custard
• 300 gr. whipping cream
• ½ packet pannafix
• 300 grams of fruits of the forest, fresh or frozen
• A little sugar and lemon juice

Oven: 350 ° F

Whip eggs with sugar with the mixer until creamy frothy.
Add the starch and flour slowly, the dough should be smooth enough, if it was too hard to add one or two tablespoons of milk.
Add the vanilla and baking powder.
Cover with wax paper a rectangular  baking sheet  (about 11 x 17 inch )
Spread the mix evenly.
Bake at 350 ° F for 15/20 minutes, must just browning.
Remove from oven and roll up on itself, leaving the wax paper.
You can prepare the custard, you can find here the recipe.
Wash the fruits of the forest and flavour with lemon and sugar.
Remove from oven the biscuit, and let cool. Remove from the pan.
To stuff it would need an adjustable ring rectangular, but I used a disposable aluminum pan, I cut the bottom and I used it as a shape.
After I adjusted the measures of the biscuit and put in the shape and under I used a large plastic chopping board.
Once you have spread over a thick layer of custard,  and I put in the fridge for half an hour.
Meanwhile whipped the cream with the pannafix and I spread on the custard, which had partially solidified.
Place in freezer for 1 hour.
Once it is well compacted (you can also leave it in the freezer all night), cut the aluminum ring and remove it gently. Smooth the edges and cut into rectangular slices with a knife.
Decorate the surface with a lot of fruits of the forest and serve or store in refrigerator. Do not refreeze if you have used frozen berries, but keep in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days.

 View the PDF of the recipe

Quick homemade“genovese sauce”! (like I do!)

Pesto or genovese sauce

Ingredients

• 100 g of grated parmesan cheese
• 60 fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 50 grams of pinenuts (optional)
• extra virgin olive oil to taste (about 1 cup)

Time: 10 min.
Wash and dry the basil and cleaned with care.
Put into a mixer cheese, basil, cloves of garlic, pinenuts and olive oil.
Mix! Once you have a creamy genovese sauce is ready!

With this sauce you can dress pasta, like spaghetti, penne or trofie (a Ligurian kind of pasta).

 View the PDF of the recipe

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients for 4 people:
• 4 salmon fillets with skin
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of pepper
• 3 sage leaves
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon

In a bowl put to marinate the salmon fillets with oil, lemon juice, pepper, crushed garlic clove and the sage leaves.
Let stand in refrigerator for at least an hour.
On the hot grill cook first of the pulp side and then from that of the skin, 5/8 minutes/ side.
Salt to taste and serve with grilled tomatoes or leeks.

Grilled tomatoes

 View the PDF of the recipe

 

Coconut’s Bavarian cream

Coconut’s  Bavarian cream

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 1 cup of milk (even rice or soy)
• 2 OZ (50 grams) of sugar or other sweetener (fructose, agave, stevia)
• 2.80 OZ (80 grams) of dried coconut flour
• 4 teaspoons of agar agar powder
• 2 nectarines

Time: 25 min + stand

Boil the cream, milk and sugar. Lower the heat and add coconut. Cook with low heat for 5 minutes. Add the agar agar and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a shape and let cool to room temperature.
Store in freezer for 2 hours.
After two hours put the shape into a little hot water to facilitate the exit and pull it with the help of a boxcutter.
Place in refrigerator and decorate with sliced ​​peaches just before serving.

View the PDF of the recipe

Grilled Corn

Grilled Corn

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 corncobs fresh or precooked
50 gr. of butter
1 tablespoon fresh or dried chives
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

Boil the cobs for 15 minutes if fresh, for 5 minutes if precooked.
Meanwhile, soften the butter by leaving it outside the refrigerator for ½ hour.
Drain the corn and pierce into 4 thin skewers
Work the butter with the chopped chives, salt and pepper, then place the butter in the refrigerator and let it solidify.
Cook the corn on the grill for about 15 minutes or until they are toasted.
Serve hot with butter flavored separately.

View the PDF of the recipe

Fresh fruit jelly

Fresh fruit jelly

Ingredients:

• 200 g water
• 200 g sugar
• 500 grams of fresh fruit (I used white plums)
• 4 teaspoons of Agar Agar in powder
• ½ lemon squeezed
• 50 g sugar to finish

Wash the fruit and gently clean and stone it.
Place in a large pan the fruit cuts into pieces, sugar and water.
Boil gently for 1 hour, taking care not to dry completely.
Blend with immersion blender to obtain a cream and cook until it becomes soft like jam.
I've done all the cooking for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the agar agar, put on the fire and stir for 5 minutes.
Pour into small shape such as ice.
If you haven’t any  shape put the jam in a square pan in order to obtain a layer of about 2 cm.
Leave to cool in refrigerator for 2 hours or more.
Leave in the freezer for ½ hour to prevent the jelly from breaking during the extraction.
Remove from shape and roll in granulated sugar.
If you used the pan, once hardened, cut into cubes and go in granulated sugar.

Thanks to Elisa, for the plums!
Agar agar is a seaweed used as a thickener and completely natural. Using a few grams of agar each liter of liquid, about 10 g of agar per liter. Better add it to a hot liquid to facilitate the dissolution.

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Little sandwiches

Little sandwiches

Ingredients for 30 sandwiches

• 15 slices of bread for sandwiches
• 3 eggs
• mayonnaise
• 50 g of butter
• 3 anchovies in oil
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• 50 g of tuna in oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• Extra virgin olive oil for dressing
• 3 leaves of basil
• 10 salted capers (optional)

Cut the slices of bread into desired forms, I have prepared 10 rounds (2 per slice of bread square), 10 squares (cut into 4 slices square) and with it the heart-shaped cutter 10 hearts (2 per slice)
Grilled the bread for 2 'on each side.
3 Boil the eggs.

Canapé with tomatoes:
Cut 15 cherry tomatoes  in a bowl and flavor with olive oil, salt and chopped basil.
Let stand for half an hour, put on the bread.
Canapé with eggs and anchovies
Mix the butter with chopped anchovies
Spread the mixture on the rounds of bread, cover with a slice of boiled egg.
Garnish with half a cherry tomato for each sandwich.
Canapé with tuna
Mix tuna with mayonnaise and spread on the prepared mini sandwiches.
If you want garnish with capers in salt previously desalted.

View the PDF  of the recipe

Chocolate’s swivels

Chocolate’s swivels

Ingredients for 10 swivels

• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) flour
• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) potato starch.
• 3 eggs
• 5.30 OZ (150 grams) sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• 7 OZ (200 grams) of dark chocolate
• 8.80 OZ (250 grams) gr. whipping cream
• 10 bamboo skewers
• Strawberries or raspberry for decorating (10/12 pieces)

Time: 45 min

Oven: 350 ° F

Whip eggs with sugar with the mixer until creamy frothy.

Add the starch and flour slowly, the dough should be smooth enough, if it was too hard to add one or two tablespoons of milk.

Add the vanilla and baking powder.

Cover with wax paper a rectangular  baking sheet  (about 11 x 17 inch )

Spread the mix evenly.

Bake at 350 ° F for 15/20 minutes, must just browning.

Remove from oven and roll up on itself, leaving the wax paper, tie with kitchen string on a roll.

Let cool and cliffs  the dark chocolate in a double boiler.

Whip cream and add chocolate and mix ¾

Unroll the roll, gently remove the wax paper, turn the mixture and fill with chocolate.

Roll up and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Then cut into 10 slices and stop each of them with a stick.

 Garnish each slice with whipped cream and strawberries or raspberry

You can also prepare and stuff the whole roll and cut them the day after.

View the PDF of the recipe

Summer’s prawns

Summer’s prawns

INGREDIENTS

For 2 people

• 7 OZ (200 grams) of prawns
• 1 large or 2 small tomatoes
• 1 courgette
• 1 small onion
• ½ hot pepper
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sage leaves
• 3 leaves of basil
• A pinch of salt

Time: 30 min

Clean the prawns by removing the head and the dark filament, wash them thoroughly in cold water, I take off the filament cut them with a cutter.

In a wok and add the olive oil and the onion thinly sliced.
Add sage, red pepper and prawns.
In a small pot of boiling water for 1 minute add the tomatoes, after peel them with a boxcutter and remove the seeds inside.

After 2 minutes add the courgette with shrimp and the diced tomato.
Add the wine and a pinch of salt, cook for 15 minutes covered.
Remove the lid and let dry thoroughly.
When cooked, add the fresh basil and serve.

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Soft Cake with peaches

Soft cake with peaches

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 natural yoghurt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup of cornstarch
• 200 gr. peach jam
• 3 peaches
• 1 tablespoon rum
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Butter for greasing

Oven at 350° F

In a bowl, pour the yogurt and mix the yolks and sugar.
Stir vigorously until it forms a froth.
Add oil and flour.
The dough should be smooth enough.

Put the jam into a pan in water bath

Butter a baking pan 20 cm with zipper.
Spread half of dough.
Cover with a layer of jam, leaving 3 tablespoons.
Cover with the dough missing.
Peel peaches and cut into slices, arrange them in a radial pattern by pressing them into the dough.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of jam advanced with a tablespoon of rum, and spread on the surface of the cake with a brush.

Bake at 350° F  for 20 minutes, cover with baking paper and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted is dry.

Let cool in pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar

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