SQUISITO

Italianesque Hot Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

Ingredients:

- 250 g/8.8 oz chickpeas (soaked overnight, cooked for 30 min or canned, ready-to use)

- 3 tbsp tahini paste

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- a pinch of salt and pepper

- 1 garlic clove (optional)

- 1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)

- 3-4 tbsp of water

You’ll get that Italian flavor from: 

- 4 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)

- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar cream

- 1 tsp crema di peperoncino (hot pepper paste) or a pinch of peperoncino/chili 

Mix all the ingredients in a blender until the mixture becomes smooth. Serve as a side dish or sandwich spread.

Read More

Vegetarian Pasta alla Bolognese

Ingredients:

- 250 g/8.8 oz whole-grain pasta 

- 250 ml/8.5 fl oz tomato purée (passata)

- 5 tbsp granulated soy

- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly diced 

- 1/2 medium onion, thinly diced

- 1 clove of garlic, crushed

- 1 stalk celery, sliced

- pinch of fennel seeds, crushed

- 1 tsp oregano

- pinch of salt & pepper

- 1 tbsp soy sauce (optional) 

- parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the garlic, carrot, onion and celery. Stir fry for a few minutes. Pour in tomato purée, sprinkled with granulated soy. Add some water if the sauce becomes too dry. Season with oregano, fennel, peperoncino, salt and pepper. If the sauce is still not savory enough, some soy sauce may come in handy. Cook for 5-10 minutes more. Mix with pasta and serve sprinkled with parmesan. 

Read More

Eggplant Herb Dough Pizza

Dough (makes 2 pizzas):

- 250 g (8.8 oz) plain flour 

- 50 g (1.7 oz) whole-wheat flour

- 150 ml (5 fl oz) warm water

- 20 g (0.7 oz) fresh yeast

- 1 tsp of salt

- 1 tsp rosemary (fresh or dried)

- 1 tsp oregano (fresh or dried)

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tsp sugar
 

Toppings (for 1 pizza):

- 3 tbsp tomato purée (passata)

- 1/2 small eggplant,  thinly sliced 

- 1/2 small red pepper, diced

- crumbled feta cheese (optional)

- a few pinches of oregano
 

In a large bowl, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast, sugar and 1 tbsp of plain flour. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Mix in the olive oil, plain and whole-wheat flours, salt, rosemary and oregano. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If the dough seems too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.  Cover the bowl and let sit in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Divide the dough in half. Roll out each part into a large circle. Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with feta cheese and place the toppings on the pizza. Bake for about 15 minutes at 250 C (482 F). 

Read More

Divine Chocolate Pear Crumble

Ingredients:

- 250 g/8.8 oz plain flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 100 g/3.5 oz butter

- 100 g/3.5 oz sugar

- 40 ml/1.4 fl oz milk

- 400 g/14 oz pears, peeled and chopped

- handful of prunes

- 10 ml/0.3 fl oz rum aroma/30 ml/1 fl oz rum

- 100 g/3.5 oz dark chocolate

- 3 dollops of crème fraîche

- handful of chocolate chips 

Peel the pears, chop them and transfer into a large pot or frying pan. Add prunes and half of the rum or rum aroma. Fry and stir until the pears begin to fall apart. 

Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add some milk if the dough is too dry. Mix thoroughly and squeeze the dough to create crumbles. Line the baking pan with half of the crumbles and bake at 200 degrees C (392 F) for 15 min. Add the pears and cover them with the remaining crumbles. Melt the chocolate with the rum in the microwave (2x30 seconds, stirring after the first 30 seconds). Pour on top. Bake at 200 degrees C (392 F) for 30-35 more minutes. 

Serve garnished with crème fraîche and chocolate chips.

Read More

Caribbean Coconut Milk Pasta

Ingredients:

- 250 g/8.8 oz whole-grain pasta 

- 200 g/ 7 oz chicken breasts

- 400 ml/13.5 fl oz coconut milk

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, crushed

- 4 slices of ginger, peeled and chopped

- 2 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 2 tsp sugar 

- salt & pepper

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1 tbsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the chicken and onion. Stir in garlic and ginger and season with cayenne pepper, cinnammon, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour in coconut milk. Sprinkle with flour and cook until the sauce thickens. Mix with pasta and serve immediately.

Read More

Lila’s Orgasm

Today’s chef is Lila. The casserole pleases even the heartiest of appetites. Be damn sure your taste buds will be experiencing multiple orgasms.

Ingredients:

- 200 g /7 oz chicken breasts, chopped

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 200 g/7 0z fresh spinach

- 200 g/7 oz mushrooms, chopped

- 1 celery stalk, chopped

- 4 slices of fresh ginger, chopped 

- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 200 g/7 oz sweet corn

- salt and pepper

- 2-3 tbsp olive oil

- 50 g feta/ 2 oz cheese

- 80 g/ 2 oz bacon (for non-vegetarians)

- 6 small potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed  

- 3-4 tbsp milk

- 80 g/ 3 oz butter

In a large skillet heat oil and add chicken. Fry for several minutes until chicken is almost golden. Add onion, spinach, mushrooms, celery, ginger and garlic. Fry and stir well for 10 minutes until the water dries up. Add corn and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan.

Fry bacon until crispy. Add it as second layer along with feta cheese. Mix the potatoes with milk and butter until smooth. Add as the top layer. Bake at 200 degrees C (390 F) for 40 minutes. 

Read More

Quick Spinach, Feta & Hazelnut Pasta

Ingredients:

- 200 g/1 cup whole-grain pasta
- 100 g/3.5 oz feta cheese
- 150 g/5.2 oz fresh baby spinach
- handful of raisins
- handful of hazelnuts, crushed
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil

In a skillet, blanch the hazelnuts over medium heat. Add oil, spinach, feta cheese and raisins. Fry for a few minutes. Stir in pasta cooked al dente. Serve immediately. 

Read More

Walnut Teriyaki Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

- 200 g/7 oz chicken breast, diced

- 1 small onion, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- handful of walnuts, crushed

- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

- 2 tsp sugar

- 1-2 tbsp olive oil

- a few leaves of iceberg lettuce, chopped

- a few leaves of fresh mint

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add onion. Cook a few minutes, add chicken breast and garlic. Fry until golden brown. Add walnuts and pour in soy sauce with sugar. Stir for a few minutes. Serve on top of lettuce leaves, garnished with mint.

Read More

Swedish-Italian salmon & dill pasta

Ingredients:

- 3 cups whole-grain pasta

- 100 g/3.5 oz salmon (preferably raw and fresh)

- 1 small onion, thinly sliced

- a few sprigs of dill, chopped

- 1 tbsp capers

- 120 g/4 oz sour cream (12% fat)

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- salt, green pepper powder (or black for a sharper taste)

In a skillet over medium heat, fry and brown the onion. Add salmon, dill and capers. Reduce the heat and pour in sour cream. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately garnished with thin slices of cucumber and dill.

Read More

Tarta LIGHT, pieczarki + szczypiorek

Bardzo lekka tarta, bez masła i bez śmietany, za to bardzo prosta w przygotowaniu.

Ciasto:
- 200 g mąki pełnoziarnistej (lub pełnoziarnistej zmieszanej ze zwykłą pół na pół)
- 3 łyżki oliwy
- 1,5 łyżeczki proszku do pieczenia
- pół łyżeczki soli
- szczypta chili
- 3-4 łyżki mleka

Farsz:

- 5 dużych pieczarek
- 1 duża biała cebula
- parę łodyżek świeżego szczypiorku
- jogurt bałkański light lub inny gęsty (340 g) 
- 2 jajka 
- łyżka oliwy
- sól i pieprz 

Wymieszać mąkę z proszkiem do pieczenia, chili i solą, dodać oliwę. Wyrobić ciasto, dodając tyle mleka, by nie było ani za suche, ani za lepkie. Oprószyć mąką formę do pieczenia, wyłożyć ciastem. Podpiec w temp. 200 stopni ok 10 min.

Cebulę bardzo drobno zmiksować. Pieczarki i szczypiorek pokroić na małe kawałki. Wrzucić na oliwę. Smażyć, aż pieczarki wypuszczą wodę. Doprawić solą i pieprzem. Wyłożyć  na podpieczone ciasto. Jogurt wymieszać z jajkami, solą i pieprzem, wylać na farsz. Zapiekać ok. 30 min w temp. 200 stopni.