Tiramisu (pick me up) (serves 6)

2 tubs of marscapone

5 tbsp sugar

5 eggs

coffee

pavesini or savoiardi biscuits

grated chocolate

Seperate the egg yolks from the whites. Mix the sugar and egg yolks. add the marscapone. In a seperate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff and add to marscapone mix.

Dip biscuits in coffee (you can add some marsala liqueur to the coffee) and layer them in a wide dish. Place the marscapone mix on the top and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Keep in fridge for a few hours before serving.

Zuppa di farro - (Spelt Soup)

 2 tbsp farro per person

1 onion

2 carrots,

Celery 1 tomato

1 courgette

small amount of spinach

2 pork sausages mushrooms 

Cook farro (spelt) for 20 minutes in water and a little salt.

 In the other pan put a small amount of water and add onion until softened.

Add all the other ingredients except tomato.

Add a litre of water and veg stock cube at the end.Simmer 30 mins. Add farro and tomato and serve with parmesan and good olive oil .  

Risotto ai funghi (Mushroom risotto)

 (you can use garlic instead of onions and use frozen mushrooms if you can find them ) 

 1 onion 

 1 packet rice (risotto rice or any rice, even wholegrain works well)

 half packet dried funghi porcini or fresh funghi when in season. 

 Save liquid Soak mushrooms 

 Fry onion.

Cut up mushrooms and fry with onions and a little parsley Add rice.

In another pan have the liquid from the mushrooms (or stock) and boil and ladle into

rice 2 ladles at a time and stir all the time.

When liquid is absorbed add more liquid, stirring most of the time.

Carry on for 20 minutes until rice cooked.

Sicilian almond sweets

200g ground almond

200g sugar

2 egg whites

lemon rind

tsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 150 or gas mark 4  

Mix the sugar and almonds together.

add lemon rind and cinnamon

fluff up egg whites and add to almond mix

Make into small balls,place an almond on top, place on baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden

La torta di mela (Apple cake)

4 apples, peeled and sliced

1 plain yogurt

4 eggs

3 cups of plain flour(or 2 cups plain flour and 1 cup potato flour (which makes it lighter)

1 cup sugar

2 sachets of baking powder

1 cup of vegetable oil

The measurement cup is the small yogurt cup.

oven 160

Mix eggs and sugar until smooth, then flour,baking powder and yogurt. Lastly add the oil.

Grease a baking tray and add half the apples, then cake mix, the rest of apples and finally the rest of the cake mix.

Bake for 40 mins and turn upside down.

This is a great cake to have at breakfast. You can also make it with pineapple or with wholemeal flour

Panna Cotta (cooked cream)

.300 ml milk

300ml cream

2 tsp sugar

2 sheets of gelatine

Bring milk and cream to boil add sugar and gelatine and stir for about 5 mins while bringing back to boiling point.

cool down and then put in fridge to set for at least 4 hours . 9mine had only been in fridge for 4 hrs and had not quite set , best to do the night before.

Put raspberry jam or melted chocolate before serving

Pesto recipe

a small packet of pine nuts,a handful of pesto,some grated parmesan,half cup of good olive oilone clove of garlic

Just blitz it all in liquidizer, add more oil if too thick or more cheese if too thin.

You can also add tomatoes for red pesto, either sundried or normal. It is so simple and so tasty. Great over salmon or chicken

Roasted Veg Couscous

Roast chunks of zucchini,onions, peppers, tomatoes and aubergines in the oven for 30 minutes with a little salt and olive oil.

Prepare couscous according to packet instructions and mix in oven cooked veg. Serve with greek yogurt and a little lemon

Pizza

Pizza half Liter water quarter

cube of yeast 1 kilo 00 flour

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp oil

1 can tomatoes

cheese

salami, veg, mushrooms etc for toppings

Work the dough until firm, mould into balls and leave to rise 2 hrs Stretch into pizzas and add toppings.(tomatoes,mozzarella, courgettes, mushrooms, ham, salami, anchovies etc)

cook for 15 /20minutes in conventional oven gas mark 7 or 220 C

Any left over dough can be made into bread or foccaccia with olive oil and rosemary

Farro (Spelt) with pear and gorgonzola - can also be made with rice

1 large pear

1 onion

a little white wine

half a packet of farro

vegetable broth

gorgonzola

walnuts

Fry onions until golden and add pear cut into small pieces

add white wine until it evaporates and add farro . Slowly add the vegetable broth until all soaked in and keep adding until farro is cooked , approx 20 minutes . Turn off heat and add gorgonzola and walnuts. 

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