I Am Delicious: February 2013

Parma Ham Macaroni, Cherry Tomato & Peas

Parma Ham Macaroni with black olives, cherry tomatoes and green peas is simply delicious and very easy to prepare. Full of nutrition and will keep your stomach full for many hours. Also if you skip adding ham, that might be a good option for vegetarians. You might be creative here and get additional ingredients, anything you like to have in macaroni dish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 leeks - chopped
400 g frozen peas
200 g Parma ham - chopped
400 g macaroni
300 g grated mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp mustard
300 g cherry tomatoes - in halves
500 ml vegetable stock
2 chilli peppers - chopped
150 g black olives
5 Tbsp basil leaves - chopped
4-5 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add leeks, chilli pepper and Parma ham. Cook all together for 5 minutes or until leeks are soft.

2. Add peas and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

3. In the meantime cook macaroni. When ready, drain the pasta and leave aside to cool a bit.

4. Now add macaroni into leeks and peas. Add vegetable stock and stir well. Add half of grated cheese and mustard. Add sea salt and pepper. Mix well. If needed add a more of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes - stirring from time to time until cheese melts.

5. At the end of cooking, add cherry tomatoes, chopped basil leaves and black olives. Mix and leave aside for a moment.

6. Now move the pasta from skillet to large baking dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C with no fan and if you are using fan to 180 C. Sprinkle remaining half of grated cheese over macaroni and leave in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

7. Serve hot, scattered with fresh basil leaves.

ENJOY!!!

Orange and Chocolate Muffins (Cupcakes)

Orange and chocolate muffins are so delicious that I cannot resist to stop preparing them. I love the smell when baking and incredible taste of orange mixed with white chocolate when having my morning coffee. Best thing about muffins is that you can be really creative and you can bake your own designed muffins.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 glass of sugar - I use powder sugar
3 eggs
2 glasses of plain flour
200 ml fresh orange juice
400-500 ml butter milk
100 g butter
3 tsp baking powder
250 g orange jam
100 g white chocolate
100 g candied orange
100 ml cointreau liqueur
20 g vanilla sugar
1/3 tsp salt
chocolate for decoration
decorate your orange muffins as desired - be creative

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (top and bottom heat).

2. Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Mix the flour with sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla sugar.

3. Beat the eggs, then add orange juice, cointreau liqueur, buttermilk, melted butter and orange jam. Then add these ingredients into flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

4. At the end add candied orange and white chocolate into the mixture.

5. Fill the muffin (cupcake) baking moulds to approx. 2/3 full. Do not overfill. Am using silicon moulds for that as I think they are best. Do not forget to springle some oil over the moulds so your cupcakes won't stick when baked.

6. Place the muffins into the center of a pre-heated oven and bake for approx. 20 minutes.

7. Muffins are ready when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Cool 5 minutes then remove cupcakes from the moulds and place on wire racks to cool completely.

9. If the muffins are not coming out, carefully move a blunt blade along the rim.

10. Decorate with dark chocolate. Remember to be creative.

ENJOY!!!

Posted on February 06, 2013 at 07:14 AM in All, Bread, Cakes & Desserts, Chocolate, Cookies, Vegetarian | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Serrano Ham Salad with Black Olives

Serrano ham salad with black olives is a perfect option for light lunch or a great dinner starter. Takes only a few minutes to prepare and worth every single bite.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

200 g wild rocket leaves
lettuce leaves
spinach leaves
5 Tbsp of black olives
250 g cherry tomatoes
small red onion - finely sliced
100 g camembert cheese - cut in fin slices
2 Tbsp sunflour seeds
extra-virgin olive oil
150 g chopped serrano ham
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method:

1. Mix wild rocket leaves with lettuce and spinach. Add cut in halves cherry tomatoes.

2. Add finely sliced red onion and black olives. Add chopped serrano ham, sliced camembert cheese and sunflour seeds.

3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with olive oil and your salad is ready.

ENJOY!!!

Posted on February 06, 2013 at 05:47 AM in All, Breakfast, Dips & Spreads, Meat & Charcuterie, Salads, Sauces & Dressings, Starters, Vegetables & Grains | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Roasted Halibut in Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives

Home made roasted halibut in cherry tomatoes and black olives tastes like heaven. When I discovered it for the first time in Italy, I was speechless. Simply delicious and takes only about 25 minutes to prepare. Perfect option for vegetarians.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Wait Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

500 g halibut fillets or any other white fish fillets
200 g black olives halved
700 g cherry tomatoes in halves
sea salt and black pepper
70 g pine nuts
4 Tbsp basil leaves - the more, the better
1 lemon
125 ml olive oil

Method:

1. Clean the fish under cold water. Season with pepper, juice from one lemon and 50 ml olive oil. Leave in a fridge for about 2 hours.

2. Heat the oven to 200 C.

3. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet and cook the fillets for about 2-3 minutes until one sides turns gold crispy.

4. Move the fillets into a large baking dish. Add cherry tomatoes cut into halves, basil leaves, pine nuts and halved black olives. Season one more time with black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

5. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes or until fish becomes tender. Remember to cover top of the baking dish with a tin-foil to avoid fish drying.