Risotto with Green Beans & Butternut Squash

I was looking back through my blog the other day and realised that I've not posted any risotto recipes; that's probably because my girls aren't keen on risotto.

Anyway, I recently made this dish to share with friends, which went down very well. It certainly made a change from the ubiquitous mushroom risotto!

• 1½ cups risotto rice
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• ½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 150g/6oz green beans, cut into 2.5cm/1" pieces
• 150g/6oz Manchego cheese; half grated, half cubed (or an alternative strong-flavoured, hard cheese)
• 75g/3oz semi-dried or sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley or oregano chopped (or ½-1 tsp dried herbs)
• 1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped (or ½-1 tsp dried herbs)
• olive oil
• salt and black pepper to season

Heat the oven to 180C Fan/190C/Gas 5/375F

Roast the butternut squash (drizzled with olive oil) for around 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally, until soft and browned. Sprinkle with the sage before the final 5 minutes of cooking time.

Cook the beans in a pan of water for around 8-10 minutes, until just cooked; drain.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan.
Gently cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir well.
Add the stock, a little at a time, stirring occasionally. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is al dente. Stir in the cooked beans and parsley/oregano.

Gently, mix in the grated cheese and chopped tomatoes. Season to taste.

Spoon into a serving dish and top with the roasted squash and remaining cheese. Return to the oven for a minute or so to allow the cheese to melt slightly.

Vegan version: simply omit the cheese or swap the grated cheese for 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes.

Pin It

Pasta with Aubergine & Mozzarella

Aubergines (eggplant) are in scarce supply at the moment, due to adverse weather conditions in Europe, and the quality has been quite variable. However, I spotted some lovely plump specimens in Tesco's the other day, so came up with this recipe to use them in.

This is a really simple, vegetarian pasta dish. The aubergine  takes a little while to cook, but everything else can be thrown together in minutes.

You could swap the aubergine for courgettes, mushrooms or whichever vegetables are cheap and in season.

Serves 4

• 2 large aubergines, sliced thickly
• 1 ball of mozzarella, roughly torn
• 500g packet of fresh pasta
• olive oil for frying

For the herby dressing:

• 4 large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• a handful of fresh basil
• a handful of fresh parsley
• ½ tsp dried mint
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 small chilli, optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Fry the aubergine in batches until soft and brown in colour (alternatively, brush with oil and bake in the oven.). Remove from the pan and chop roughly.

Make up the dressing by whizzing all the ingredients together in a mini-blender until fairly smooth, like a pesto. Warm the dressing through, in the pan which you cooked the aubergine in, while the pasta is cooking. Do not allow the garlic to colour, as this will give a bitter taste.

Cook the pasta and drain.

Mix the pasta, aubergine and dressing together. Top with the cheese.

Pop under a hot grill/broiler for a few minutes or microwave for 1 minute, if you want to warm the cheese though.

Serve with a seasonal salad.

Vegan option: Replace the cheese with some toasted pine nuts. For extra protein, add a drained tin of chickpeas to the dressing to warm through, before combining the remaining ingredients.

Variations: For a tomato sauce, simply add a can of chopped tomatoes to the dressing. Simmer for 10 minutes, before combining with the pasta and cooked aubergine.
Swap the mozzarella for feta.

Pin It

Ricotta and Amaretti Cake - Suma Bloggers Network

Christmas is just around the corner, so I wanted to create a new, festive recipe for the Suma Bloggers Network.  I decided on a dessert dish, which had to and taste special enough for the festive celebrations, without being too rich or heavy. As I had some amaretti biscuits from Suma, I wanted to use them in something other than a tiramisu and felt that they would add both texture and flavour to a cake.

My Italian-inspired Ricotta and Amaretti Cake is a cross between a cheese cake and a sponge pudding and has quite a  dense texture. It provides a seasonal alternative to the traditional Christmas pudding, which my daughters are not keen on it.

Serves 10

• 50g/2oz softened butter
• 1x250g/10oz tub ricotta
• 150g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 150g/6oz self-raising flour
• 100g/4oz ground almonds
• 200g/8oz amaretti biscuits, roughly broken (from Suma)
• 100g/4oz good quality chocolate (I used Montezumas Dark Chocolate, Bean Machine, from Suma), chopped into chunks
• 2 tbsp very strong, cold coffee (2 tsp coffee granules to 2 tbsp. boiling water)

Preheat the oven to 150C/140C Fan/Gas 2/300F.
Grease and line a loose-bottomed 20cm round cake tin.

Put the butter, ricotta, sugar and eggs into a large bowl. Whisk for 5 minutes until thick, smooth and creamy. Then gently stir the coffee, flour and ground almonds.

Fold in most of the chocolate and biscuit pieces, but retain and handful of each.
Pour the cake mixture into the lined tin. Scatter with the remaining biscuits and chocolate and press lightly into the cake mixture.

Bake for around 45 minutes or until golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out.
Dust with cocoa powder or icing sugar before serving.

Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard.

Top tips: Swap the coffee for 2 tbsp of  Tia Maria or Amaretto liqueur. For a more traditional Christmas flavour, omit the chocolate and add the equivalent weight of dried fruit, pre-soaked in the liqueur.
Gluten free option: Check that your amaretti biscuits are GF. Swap the flour for GF flour and add some GF baking powder if needed.

Integrity Statement As a member of the Suma Blogger's Network, I will receive a selection of complimentary products from Suma every two months, to use in recipe development, and will blog an original recipe for the Network.   

Pin It

Pizza with Aubergine and Two Cheeses

This is a really simple dish which I have tried to recreate, after eating it at a local pizzeria. My version cost a fraction of the restaurant version and almost tasted as good...I just need a pizza oven for Christmas!

Make 2 large pizzas

• 1 quantity basic pizza dough
• 2 medium aubergines/eggplants, thinly sliced
• tomato sauce (or tomato puree)
• fresh basil and dried oregano
• 2 balls of mozzarella, drained and chopped
• 100g/4oz parmesan style cheese, thinly sliced or shaved
• olive oil

Make the dough and tomato sauce.

Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan.
Fry the aubergines in batches on a medium-high heat, adding more oil as needed. The aubergine slices need to be soft and golden brown.

Preheat the oven to its hottest setting.

Roll or stretch the dough to make 2 large pizza bases. Place on greased baking sheets.

Top each base with several tbsp. of tomato sauce, then scatter with the chopped mozzarella and herbs.
Arrange the slices of aubergine and parmesan-style cheese over the top.

Bake in a hot oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the base is golden brown.

Vegan version: Omit the mozzarella, sprinkle the tomato sauce on each pizza with 2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast flakes. Top with the aubergine and drizzle with a little more olive oil before baking.


Pin It

The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen - Review & Give-Away

I don't actually blog many Italian-inspired dishes, but I do cook quite a few simple and rustic Italian dishes at home. That's why I was quite excited to receive a copy of The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen by Italian born author and journalist, Veronica Lavenia. This book isn't full of fancy ingredients and celeb-chef anecdotes. It's a book written with a passion for simple, healthy and easy-to-prepare vegetarian food.

"The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen represents the true contemporary culture of Italian homemade cooking that is both healthy and affordable for everyone."

The book is arranged in seasons, so is great for anyone who receives an organic vegetable box or has a kitchen garden or allotment. Not every recipe is illustrated, but each recipe is made from wholesome, fresh ingredients. Some of the specialist pasta shapes might be hard to come by in the UK, but I don't see why they can't be swapped for a penne, spaghetti or macaroni, if that's what you have in the cupboard!

Some recipes are vegan (or can easily be adapted by omitting the cheese!) and gluten free too, although, unfortunately, the recipes don't indicate this. Another small gripe, is the inclusion of non-vegetarian cheeses, such as Parmesan, but again, these are easy to substitute.

As usual, I had to try out several recipes, before posting my review. I really enjoyed eating the carrot and dried fruit salad as a side with the baked oven anellini. Both really easy to prepare using seasonal ingredients, but very tasty too.

If that's whet your appetite, I have a copy of The Vegetarian Italian Kitchen, published by New Holland Publishers, to give away.

Just enter your details on the Rafflecopter widget below and leave me a comment, telling me your favourite Italian dish. Competition closes at 12.00 am on Sun 10th July. UK ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Pin It

Panforte di Siena

In case you've never heard of it, panforte is a traditional, festive Italian spiced fruit and nut cake, served with coffee and liqueurs after a meal. After watching Antonio Carluccio make a panforte on TV last Christmas, I knew it was something I'd have to try making myself.

The traditional recipe is easy to veganise as the only animal-derived ingredient is honey. I've also adapted the recipe to make it gluten free, contain less sugar and use easy-to-find UK ingredients. The resulting cake is still deliciously sweet and tastes something like a cross between a fruit and nut energy bar and Christmas cake! Having made it once, I reckon it would actually be pretty easy to make a raw version. 

Serves 16-20

• 200g/8oz (combined weight) dried figs and/or pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 50g/2oz each of raisins, sultanas and currants
• 1 level tsp mixed (pumpkin pie) spice
• juice and zest of 2 large oranges and 1 lemon
• 150g/6oz candied fruit, such as glacé cherries, apple, melon, citrus peel etc.
• 100g/4oz almonds, lightly toasted
• 100g/4oz walnuts, lightly toasted
• 4 tbsp agave, date or golden syrup
• 4 tbsp gluten-free flour
• 5 tbsp Vin Santo, dessert wine, amaretto or sweet sherry (I used amaretto)
• Icing sugar to dust

Heat the oven to 150 C/140 C Fan/Gas 2./300 F; grease and line a loose-bottomed 25cm/10" round cake tin, with grease proof paper.

Toast the nuts, cool and then roughly chop or grind coarsely, depending on the texture you prefer.

Chop the figs or dates roughly and put them in a pan with the other dried and candied fruits.
Add the syrup, wine/liqueur, citrus juice, zest and mixed spice.
Stir together and cook gently for about 10 minutes.
Then add the chopped nuts and flour and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
When cold, sprinkle generously with sifted icing sugar.
Cut into thin slices to serve.

Stores for up to a month in an airtight container.

Find my other vegetarian Christmas recipes here.

Pin It

Tuscan Vegetable and Bean Stew - Recipe Feature

To me, the name Cranks is synonymous with great tasting, wholesome vegetarian food. You might not know that their first restaurant and deli opened on London’s Carnaby Street in the swinging 60's; those were the days when people were considered to be cranks if they were vegetarian or vegan! Over 50 year later, the brand is still going strong and have a restaurant, Cranks Kitchen, in Devon, published several recipe books, and have recently launched a new, exclusively vegetarian, sandwich range. As a long standing vegetarian, I was amazed and a little humbled that such a well known vegetarian brand would want me to develop a seasonal recipe for them...

This is my economical and vegan adaptation of the traditional Tuscan stew, Pollo alla Cacciatore (hunter's chicken). I know you don't have to hunt very far to find vegetables and pulses in your local supermarket, but I find they work well with the flavours in this recipe and are hearty enough to make this a warming, winter dish.

If you prefer, you can cook this dish in the oven or slow cooker.

Serves 4:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or crushed 
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 200g/8oz chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved or quartered 
• 200g/8oz chantenay carrots, peeled or scrubbed and cut in half vertically 
• 100g/4oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm pieces
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (add 1 tbsp tomato purée if you use economy tinned tomatoes)
• 250ml/1 cup vegan, dry white wine 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 tin cannellini beans, drained
• 50g/2oz pitted olives

Heat  the oil in a large saucepan, on a medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently for a few minutes, until softened. 
Remove from the heat and sprinkle in a heaped tsp of cornflour. 

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the tinned beans and olives), place back on a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. 
Simmer for 25-30 minutes with the lid on, until the carrots and green beans are almost tender.

Add the tinned beans and olives to the sauce. 

Simmer with the lid off for a further 5-10 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken slightly 
Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary before serving. 

Serve with your choice or rice, pasta, potatoes or rustic, crusty bread.

Alternatives: Swap the wine for a vegetable stock, if preferred.

Sponsored Post
I received payment for recipe development and ingredients, from Cranks. All views expressed are genuine.

Pin It

Halloumi Arancini with Roasted Vegetables

I've blogged an arancini recipe before, and cooked the traditional Italian stuffed rice balls many times, but this time, I thought I'd ring the changes a bit. Miss K inspired me to make an Greek-fusion version, as she fancied something made with halloumi for dinner. She helped make the arancini, whilst I prepared the tomato sauce and roasted vegetables.

You can make arancini with left over, cold risotto or cook from scratch. They're good fun, although rather messy, to make with children, but if you use halloumi rather than mozzarella, you don't have to worry about them being perfect, as the cheese won't melt and escape! I think this variation is just as good (if not better) than the original.

Makes 8-10 arancini, serve 1 or 2 per person as a starter, 2-4 for a main course

For the arancini:

• 1 cup risotto rice (arborio)
• 2 cups hot vegetable stock (made with a stock cube)
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh, chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped fresh chilli, optional
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup of dried breadcrumbs
• 100g/4oz halloumi, cubed

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan.

Gently fry the garlic for a minute or so.

Add the rice, herbs and chilli and stir for a further minute.

Add 1 cup of vegetable stock, stir and bring to the boil.

Reduce to a simmer and add the second cup of stock. Stir again, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the rice is cooked, cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then and refrigerate until cool enough to handle.

To make the arancini:
Take a good heaped desert-spoonful of the cool risotto and form into a firm ball using your hands to squeeze the mixture together.
Poke a hole into the middle of the ball using your thumb, then place a small cube of halloumi into the hole.
Squish the rice back over the hole to cover up the cheese completely. Repeat until all of the rice is used up.
Beat the egg in a bowl and place the breadcrumbs on a plate. First dip each rice ball into the beaten egg and then roll into the breadcrumbs until covered all over.

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until needed.

Heat 2-3 tbsp of vegetable or olive oil in a large frying pan. 
Add the arancini and roll around in the pan gently to coat with oil. 
Cook for 10-15 minutes on a medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown and piping hot. 
Alternatively, deep-fry for 5-6 minutes.
Drain and keep warm in a low oven until needed.

Whilst cooking the risotto/arancini, make some Greek tomato sauce (you'll only need ½ a portion...so freeze the rest for another meal) and roast your choice of seasonal vegetables.

For the roasted vegetables:

• 2 bell peppers, de-seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 100g/4oz button or chestnut mushrooms whole/halved/quartered, depending on size
• 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 tbsp oil from the jar
• 50g/2oz Greek olives
• 100g/4oz halloumi, cubed
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley, to serve

Drizzle the fresh vegetables with the sun-dried tomato oil and cook in a pre-heated oven at 160C/150C Fan/325F/Gas 3  for 15 minutes.
Turn the vegetables and add the halloumi, olives and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley, or any other fresh herbs, before serving.

Top tip: Cooked rice should be cooled quickly and refrigerated, then re-heated thoroughly to avoid food poisoning. 

Vegan option: Omit the halloumi, or substitute for vegan cheese. Coat the arancini with No-Egg, or other egg substitute, mixed as directed with water, before rolling in breadcrumbs.

I'm linking this post to Karen's latest Cooking with Herbs linky at Lavender & Lovage. 

Pin It

Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Garlic & Chilli

Apologies for my recent lack of blog posts. Life, work and a bout of blogger's block got in the way for a few weeks! Anyway, I'm back with a delicious new batch of recipes to share with you...

My first one is for pan-fried gnocchi; I don't often cook gnocchi as Miss O isn't keen on its texture. As she was out with her boyfriend tonight (on her first Valentine's Day date!) I decided to experiment with a new variation of gnocchi, which I came across at a local Italian restaurant. I've never fried gnocchi before, but it gives it a totally different texture.

Serves 3-4 as part of an anti-pasti/tapas style starter. Double recipe to serve 3-4 as a main course, or as a buffet dish for 8.

• ½ pack 250g/10oz of ready made plain potato gnocchi (check ingredients as some brands are vegan. I used Waitrose essential gnocchi which is vegan and only £1.75 per pack)

To coat

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp sweet paprika powder
• salt and pepper to season

Dressing

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 mild-medium chilli, de-seeded and chopped finely (I used ½ a red and ½ a green chilli)
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, sage or basil (to serve)

Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions.

Drain, rinse in cold water and blot dry on kitchen paper.

Once cool, toss the cooked gnocchi in the seasoned flour mixture. Remove from the excess flour.

Meanwhile make up the dressing, by mixing all ingredients together.

Heat a further 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, on a medium-hot heat.

Add the coated gnocchi, and fry for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally in the pan to cook evenly.

When lightly browned, remove from the pan and place in a bowl.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the dressing ingredients (except the parsley) to the pan.

Cook for around 30 seconds, to de-glaze the pan and cook the garlic and chillies.

Pour the dressing over the gnocchi, stir and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.

Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkle of vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese, yeast flakes or toasted pine nuts.

Gluten-free option: Use gluten free gnocchi and corn flour for coating.

Pin It

Mixed Bean and Basil Hummus - Suma Blogger's Network

Here's my second post for the Suma Blogger's Network. I decided on a variation on hummus using mixed beans rather than chickpeas, and Italian flavourings instead of the traditional Middle Eastern ones. I must say it worked really well and tastes great with crudites or fresh crusty bread.

• 1 tin of mixed beans, rinsed and well drained (I used Suma organic mixed beans)
• a good handful of basil, roughly chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Blend all ingredients, except for the pine nuts, until smooth. Season to taste.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with the toasted pine nuts.

Chill until needed.

Will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Integrity Statement

As a member of the Suma Blogger's Network, I will receive a selection of complimentary products from Suma every two months, to use in recipe development, and will blog an original recipe for the Network. 

Pin It

Pasta with Greek Tomato Sauce (Vegan)

After many years holidaying in Greece, I'm still yet to recreate an authentic copy of the Greek version of Napoli/Napolitana sauce. I've tried various variations from a very basic sauce with just onion, garlic, herbs and tomatoes, to a sauce with different combinations of vegetables (courgettes, peppers and carrots), but none are quite right...it's probably due to the fresh, ripe, Greek tomatoes, but may be due to some other hidden ingredient, which I am yet to discover. 

Do let me know the traditional recipe if you have it!

Anyway, here's my take on the dish, which is low-fat, only takes about 30 minutes to make and costs a very economic £2 to serve 4-6 people. It has lots of garlic plus an added kick of chilli and a touch of fragrant cinnamon - simply omit these for an Italian rather than Greek-style sauce. I generally make a double batch of this sauce and freeze half. You can use the sauce for lasagne, bolognese, veggie meatballs, aubergine parmigiana etc.

Serves 4-6

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 bay-leaf
• ½ tsp dried Greek oregano (optional)
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon/½ cinnamon stick (optional)
• ½ tsp fresh red chilli, very finely chopped
• 2x400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes (use good quality, not an economy brand for the best flavour) - or about 800g/1lb 12oz fresh, ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped
• ½ tsp sugar (optional)
• Black pepper to taste
• 450g/1lb dried pasta (rigatoni, penne etc.)

Heat the oil in a large pan.

Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes, before adding the garlic.

Allow the onion and garlic to cook without colouring.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) and simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay-leaf (if using).

Blend briefly with a hand blender if you prefer a smooth sauce.

Return to a low heat and allow to reduce whilst cooking the pasta for 10-12 minutes. Drain the pasta and serve topped with the tomato sauce.

For vegan garlic bread, simply mix a further small crushed clove of garlic with 2 tbsp dairy-free spread and a little chopped fresh parsley. Spread generously onto fresh crusty bread and bake in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

I'm linking this post to this month's, garlic-themed Pasta Please Challenge hosted by Tina at The Spicy Pear and started by Jac at Tinned Tomatoes. Pop over and take a look at the other great pasta dishes all using garlic.

Pin It

Spinach and Feta Croquettes With Pasta

©

Here's my slightly delayed post for National Vegetarian Week!

This recipe was inspired and adapted from one of Anthony Carluccio's, but I've altered it slightly to suit the ingredients I had to hand. I think the spinach croquettes would look a little more attractive if they were deep fried, but I shallow fried them and they still tasted good, and not too spinach-y.

Serves 4

For the croquettes:

• 300g/12oz fresh spinach, washed
• 1 medium egg
• 2 slices of bread made into breadcrumbs
• 100g/4oz feta cheese
• 1 large clove of garlic
• nutmeg and black pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

For the pasta and dressing:

• 250g/10oz dried pasta
• 50g/2oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 50g/2oz roasted peppers (from a jar), chopped
• 2 tsp fresh chopped sage, or 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 50g/2oz feta cheese, cubed

Wash the spinach and microwave in a covered bowl (no added water) for about 3-4 minutes on high.

Allow to cool and then squeeze out as much water as possible with you hands.

Add all of the croquette ingredients to the food processor and blend until you have a thick, soft dough-like consistency  If needed, add some more bread crumbs.

Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan and drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side and then drain on kitchen paper. 
Keep warm in the oven.

Meanwhile, make the pasta dressing by heating 2 tbsp of the reserved oil from either the sun-dried tomatoes or the peppers. Add the garlic and sage and fry gently for 2 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients, except the feta.

Cook the pasta until al-dente, drain and stir into the dressing.

Serve the pasta topped with the spinach croquettes and the cubed feta.

Alternative: You could blend the dressing ingredients to make a smooth pesto-style sauce if preferred.

Pin It

Antipasti Pesto

©

Here's my entry for this month's Pasta Please challenge. Inspired by last month's entries (in particular this one from Jen at Little Birdie) and this month's theme, I thought I'd have a go at making my own pesto; no home made pasta just yet though!

• 2oz/50g chargrilled peppers in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 2oz/50g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp oil from the antipasti jar, or olive oil
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp Parmesan-style cheese, grated (omit or substitute for vegan version)
• A handful of fresh chopped basil
• 1 tsp chopped red chilli
• 500g dried pasta

©

Put the chopped peppers, tomatoes and oil in a liquidiser/blender and whizz on a low speed. Stir and blend again. 

Add the pine nuts, cheese, garlic, chilli and basil and blend again until thick and fairly smooth.

Cook the pasta as directed and drain, leaving a little of the cooking water in the pan. Return the pasta to the pan and stir in the pesto to warm through. 

Serve topped with a little more grated cheese or a sprinkle of pine nuts.


This pesto would also work well spread on a pizza base or as a bruschetta topping.

I'm linking this post into the 3rd Pasta Please challenge hosted by Jen at Blue Kitchen Bakes and Jac at Tinned Tomatoes.

Pin It

Pasta Please, Peppers: The round up

Thanks to everyone who entered a recipe in this months' Pasta Please. Having never hosted a linky like this before, I was a little worried that no one would enter! I was impressed by the quality of both the recipes and the photography...I really must start staging my dishes a little more creatively!

Several entries included home made pasta. I've never attempted this before, but feel I really ought to, as I'm sure it tastes much better than shop-bought.

Anyway, here's the round up:

Elizabeth's Kitchen
Seaweed farfalle & pesto with fiery chilli halloumi

I love halloumi, and was really impressed with Elizabeth's home made pasta. She added seaweed to her pesto, which makes this dish really individual and unique. The sliced chillis make the dish look really pretty and give the dish a spicy kick!

Little Birdie

Spinach and walnut pesto pasta with roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes
Jen created another dish using pesto, but added walnuts and spinach to hers. I love the idea of this recipe and think it's one that would go down really well in my house. It would be a simple one to adapt using ready-made pesto and jarred peppers to create a really speedy but tasty dinner.

Briciole

Chestnut flour gnocchetti

I was very impressed with Simona's home made chestnut flour gnocchetti and the fact that she even posted a YouTube video to show how to make them. I also loved the sound of the roasted pepper and almond sauce which she served with the pasta.

We Don't Eat Anything With a Face

Pasta with spicy pepper, aubergine and tomato sauce

This was my entry for the challenge. I really enjoyed  thinking about how I could use as several varieties of pepper in one dish to create a tasty vegan meal. 

Leeks and Limoni

Pasta with peppers

Katharine created a simple, economical, but delicious dish from just two basic ingredients (yes, you guessed them...pasta and peppers!). By slowly cooking the peppers, they become soft and sweet which complements the pasta beautifully.

Shades of Cinnamon
Pasta with grilled peppers and chili

Ev used a variety of bell peppers plus chilli peppers to make a really colourful dish. I think this would taste just as good cold as a pasta salad as it would hot.

The Taste Space

Roasted orange veggie noodle bowl
When I think of pasta, I automatically think of Italian food. Janet thought outside the box though and came up with this Asian-inspired dish, using noodles.

Lori's Culinary Creations
Southwest pasta salad
Lori came up with a great pasta salad recipe using store cupboard ingredients (let's hope we get a summer in the UK this year, so we can enjoy some al fresco eating!). She included Bacos, which I hadn't heard of, but apparently you can buy these bacon-style bits from some UK supermarkets.

Green Gourmet Giraffe

Spinach and walnut pesto and a pasta dish

Johanna made her own spinach and walnut pesto and stirred it through her pasta. She topped this with roasted red pepper, broccolini and yogurt cheese, which sounds like an amazing flavour combination.

The Law Student's Cookbook
Spaghetti with roasted red pepper pesto
This dish also included a home made pesto to make a simple, tasty meal, perfect for hungry students!



Tinned Tomatoes
Roast Pepper & Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad with Feta

I love the sound of Jac's colourful combination of anti-pasti, feta cheese and pasta. This is another dish which would taste good hot or cold.

Amuse Your Bouche

Roasted red pepper and spinach soup with orzo

I've never thought of putting pasta in a soup before, but Becca's recipe has convinced me that I must try it soon! The addition of red peppers gives this dish a wonderfully rich colour.

I've really enjoyed hosting this round of Pasta Please, but it has opened up my eyes into how much work goes into these things! It's been great to discover new dishes, and better still, some new blogs. Thanks to everyone who entered a recipe.

Next month, the challenge with be hosted by Jen over at Blue Kitchen Bakes and the theme will be home made pesto.

Pin It

Vapiano Italian Restaurant - a review

Vapiano is a well-established European restaurant chain, but brand new to the UK, having only two outlets in London so far (one on Great Portland Street and one on Southwark Street/Bankside), so I felt privileged to be invited to sample their menu from a vegetarian view point.

"Vapiano is an innovative European concept serving made-to-order fire roasted pizzas, fresh, house-made pasta and hand tossed gourmet salads...Customers use a 'chip card' to personally order their food or drinks from the bar or from the individual fresh pizza, pasta or salad stations."  

We visited the Southbank restaurant to fit in with a trip to the Tate Modern (which is about five minutes' walk away). I wasn't too sure what to expect, but having viewed the menu online, I was pretty sure that we would all find something we liked. In total, I counted 7 vegetarian pizzas and 11 main course pasta dishes (some contain Parmesan which can be omitted on request), including 4 vegan pasta dishes. Young children are well catered for too, with a selection of pastas and pizzas in child-size portions (and at half the cost of adult meals).

It was lovely to have such a wide range of choice and to see our chosen meals being cooked in front of our very eyes! The great thing about Vapiano, is that everything is prepared as you wait, so if you don't want Parmesan cheese on your pasta, or if you fancy a vegan pizza with some extra mushrooms, you can get exactly what you want. The pizza bases and pasta are both made freshly each day on the premises and are both suitable for vegans; What's more, their prices are exceptional value (especially for London) as all of their main course pizza and pasta dishes cost between  £6.75-£9.75.

"The name Vapiano is from the Italian proverb: Chi va piano va sano e va lontano. This translates as: People with a relaxed attitude, live a long and healthy life."

Vapiano don't accept bookings, so you turn up and sit where there's space; this may mean a short wait in the comfortable bar/lounge area, or may involve sharing a table with other customers. However, we dined at around 2.30pm after the lunch time rush and had no problem in finding a free table all to ourselves. On arrival, each customer is given a chip card so you can all order and pay individually, if required. You take the chip card up to the appropriate counter and swipe it to order your food. The food is then cooked freshly to order...the only downside I can see to this, is that the pasta dishes are prepared faster than the pizzas can cook, so some of you may have your food before others.

Our main course pasta dishes were ready in a few minutes, while Miss Kahonie's pizza took a few minutes longer, however this wasn't a problem for us, as it gave us time to try each other's dishes. The pasta was al dente and each dish tasted distinctly different (not always the case for vegetarian dishes in other Italian restaurants!). The pizza had an authentically thin and crispy base and was generously topped.
We all really enjoyed our meals and Miss Kahonie said that her pizza was one of the best she'd ever tasted.

Although all of the main course portions were very generous, we felt it would be rude to leave without sampling a dessert or two! Unfortunately, the menu is not marked with a 'v' to indicate vegetarian dishes, and we were a little disappointed to find that about half of the desserts contained gelatine. I must admit that the desserts we chose, weren't up to the same standard as the main courses, but were perfectly adequate and at £3 each certainly wouldn't break the bank.

One of the nicest things about the restaurant (apart from the food) was not being rushed by waiting staff. As you order your own food when you're ready to, you can leave a gap between each course and order when ready to, or if you're in a rush, order straight away and have your food on the table in a matter of minutes.

I will certainly be recommending Vapiano to friends and family, and really hope that they'll be opening up a branch near me in the near future!

Integrity Statement
I received free meal for 4 at Vapiano. I did not receive payment, and was not required to write a positive review in return. The views expressed are genuinely those of myself and my family.


Pin It

Marinated Olives with Garlic, Chilli & Parsley

I generally buy a pot of marinated olives each week. This works out to be quite expensive, as my favourite marinated Queen green olives are generally £2-£3 a tub. So, I thought I'd have a go at marinating plain olives (at about £1 per jar) to see if they would taste as good and save money...they do!

• 1 jar of your preferred plain or stuffed olives in brine (about 200g/8oz drained weight)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp fresh, chopped parsley
• 1 pinch of dried crushed chilli

Drain the olives, blot dry on some kitchen roll.

Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour over the olives.

Allow to marinate over night in an airtight tub.
Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Top tip: After you've eaten the olives, don't through the marinade away...pour over chopped Mediterranean or root vegetables and roast them.

Other marinade suggestions: Just add the chopped ingredients to olive oil as above - lemon zest and chopped coriander leaves, sun-dried tomatoes and feta (use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes), chopped basil and garlic, garlic and chopped fresh chilli etc.

Any other marinade ideas? Do let me know in a comment below.

Pin It

Pasta Please: Peppers

I'm very excited to be hosting the 2nd round of Pasta Please as I do like food-related alliteration! This month's theme is peppers, as they're readily available all year round, fairly cheap and really brighten up a pasta dish. You can, of course, choose which type/s of pepper you want to use...that could be bell peppers, pointed peppers, a red pepper pesto or even chilli peppers. The choice is yours!

...Want to join in the challenge?

• Simply post a pasta dish on your blog by the 28th of the month and:
• Link to the current host (this page please!) and Tinned Tomatoes: e.g. I'm linking this post into the 2nd Pasta Please challenge hosted by Lisa at We Don't Eat Anything with a Face and Jac at Tinned Tomatoes.
• Use the Pasta Please image in your post.
• If you use twitter, please tweet your post to @facelessfood and @tinnedtoms with the #PastaPlease hashtag and we will re-tweet it. 
• Selected entries will be pinned to the Pasta Please Pinterest board.

Here are the rules:

• Follow the current theme (that's peppers this month!) when creating your recipe.
• All entries must be suitable for vegetarians.
• Other hosts will accept all pasta dishes, unless they specify only vegetarian/vegan etc.
• One entry per blog.
• Recipes must be added to the linky by the 28th of each month.
• If you would like to host Pasta Please, email Jacqueline at tinnedtomatoes@googlemail.com

The February 2013 theme is peppers.

All dishes must be suitable for vegetarians

Pin It