125ml pine kernels
500ml basil leaves
125ml grated parmesan cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced
150ml olive oil plus extra
15ml lemon juice
2,5ml salt
Toast the pine kernels in a dry pan.
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz until you have a rough paste.
Spoon the pesto into a glass container and pour some olive oil on top.
Keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
4 chicken breasts
10ml dried Italian herbs
80ml flour
45ml olive oil
125ml white wine
45ml butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml flour
45ml tomato paste
5ml onion seeds
5ml dried oregano
2,5ml mustard powder
10ml sugar
500ml chicken stock
125ml milk
125ml cream
30ml cream cheese
125ml grated parmesan cheese
300g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 handful of basil leaves
Place the chicken on a chopping board and halve it horizontally/in its length.
Place one piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound it with a rolling pin until it is 1cm thick.
Season with salt, pepper and the Italian herbs.
Add the flour to a shallow bowl and dredge both sides of each chicken piece in the flour.
Add the olive oil to a pan set over medium-high heat and sear a few pieces of chicken at a time. (about 4 minutes). Set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour the wine into the pan.
Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the bits stuck to it while the wine bubbles away, allowing it to reduce by half.
Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour over and stir-fry for another minute.
Now add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Add the onion seeds, oregano, mustard and sugar and stir.
Add the stock a little at a time while stirring continuously.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer.
Pour the milk and the cream into the mixture in the same way.
Stir in the cream cheese and parmesan.
Add the tomato, heat through and turn off the heat.
Scatter the basil over, stir and stand for 5 minutes before serving.
I am listing the ingredients and the method but the quantities are loose and depends on how many people you will feed.
tortilla wraps
marinara or any other tomato-based pasta sauce
salami or pepperoni
mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves
a hard cheese like parmesan
Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Once the cheese has melted (about 15 minutes) the tortilla snack is ready to serve.
200g + 50g feta, crumbled
100ml milk
350g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, diced
a handful of basil, chopped
half an onion, finely chopped
30ml balsamic vinegar
30ml olive oil
20g pine nuts, toasted
Crumble the feta into a blender’s cup and add half the milk.
Blitz with an immersion blender until it becomes emulsified – add the rest of the milk a little at a time, aiming for a creamy consistency that will sit on a plate.
Crumb the 50g feta into the whipped feta and spread on a serving plate.
Add the halved tomatoes, cucumber, basil and onion to a mixing bowl and pour over the balsamic, olive oil and salt and pepper.
Mix together and spoon on to the whipped feta.
Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and a few extra basil leaves.
4 – 8 slices of sourdough bread
250ml marinara/pizza sauce
500ml grated mozzarella cheese
salami
dried oregano
fresh basil leaves
Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Arrange the sourdough slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and toast in the oven.
Turn on the grill of your oven.
Spoon some marinara sauce on each slice of toast, followed by 60ml of grated mozzarella and a few slices of salami.
Sprinkle some dried oregano over and place under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.
1 litre vegetable stock
30ml olive oil
30ml butter
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomato
45ml tomato puree
125ml white wine
250ml arborio rice
45ml grated parmesan cheese and more for serving
125ml basil leaves, finely chopped
Pour the stock in a small saucepan and heat it over a medium-low heat until just barely simmering.
Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter.
Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the two cans of tomato and the tomato puree and cook for 15 minutes, until the mixture looks concentrated.
Add the white wine and cook for another 10 minutes or so to allow most of the moisture to evaporate.
Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
Add two ladles of stock to the saucepan while simmering. Adjust the heat accordingly and stir continuously.
Once the mixture starts to look dry again, add another two ladles of stock.
Keep going, repeating the process, until the rice is el dente.
Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese and basil. Stir through.
Serve the risotto immediately with extra parmesan to grate over.
My Whisk and I 