My spinach and ricotta pastry

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I was struggling trying to remember my password to enter my blog that’s how bad I am!! I wish I could post more often as I truly enjoy sharing my recipes. So we have a new house, lots of work to get it the way we want it, super busy life with kids, family, work and obviously we are hungry….very hungry all the times LOL . The other day , during a rare moment of peace in the house I have made this pastry , I love it and tastes so good that you will end up eating it for breakfast with your coffee too. I hope you will try it and enjoy it.

What you need:

1 puff pastry round sheet

Lots of spinach , either fresh or frozen , the more the better

2 cups of ricotta cheese

1 cup of fresh cream

1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1 or 2 beaten eggs

Grounded nutmeg

Grounded black pepper

Salt

2 cloves of garlic

EVO oil

How to do it:

Cook spinach on a large pan with 4 tablespoons of EVO oil , salt , 2 peeled and crushed cloves of garlic . Once cooked place the spinach in a large bowl , add ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, fresh cream , nutmeg, black pepper and the eggs , salt to taste . Stir well and place the mixture on a puff pastry sheet that you previously placed on a baking tray , raise the edges and cook on a hot oven (around 200 degrees C) for about 30-40 minutes.

My courgette patties

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Have you ever thought you could make something to eat that actually tastes good with something you found at the bottom of your handbag? I always end up having these crushed crackers that I bring with me when I am out with the kids in case they get hungry and forget it’s there and then get another one so when I finally find it nobody wants them. So this is what came out by using courgettes, my beloved Parmesan cheese and something found at the bottom of my bag, I hope you will like it.

What you need:

2 courgettes

1 egg

Half cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove

1 package of crushed crackers

2 table spoons of bread crumbs

Salt

Black pepper (optional)

How to do it:

Grate the courgettes in a large ball, add salt, grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs, garlic clove finely grated and one egg and the crushed crackers.

Make balls with the veggie mixture and cover them with more bread crumbs, place them in a baking tray and sprinkle with EVO oil. Cook in a hot over (200 degrees C) for 20 minutes , turn them upside down and cook for another 15 minutes.

My pesto and courgettes lasagna

If I was a photographer I could make the Victoria Secret Angels look ugly, with this photo I think I just won the prize for the ugliest lasagna ever (lol)!! But I can promise you this is simply amazing and it will look so much better in your plate, that’s how bad I am. Anyway I hope you will try it and love it just like Alessandra Anbrosio would!

What you need:

Fresh lasagna

5 large courgettes

Pesto sauce

2 cups of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups of homemade besciamella sauce

Evo oil

Salt

How to do it:

Slice the courgettes and cook with evo oil in a large pan, once ready put the veggies in a food processor and work it until it’s creamy. Now add one cup of pesto sauce to the courgettes and blend. In a baking tin make these layers on repeat 5/6 times: veggie mixture to the bottom, fresh lasagna sheets, veggie mixture, besciamella sauce, greated Parmesan cheese. The last layer must have an extra dose of cheesy cuz the cheesiest the better!

Bake for about 35 minutes, hot oven 180 degrees C. Let it set for a few minutes before serving.

My apricot buñuelos

Quarantine, we are all living this incredible moment together. I feel so connected with everybody just now as we are all on the same boat, what are you doing on your boat just now? On mine guess what? I am cooking and eating and drinking on repeat LOL! As I am missing my mum (and my dad of course) I went for this Spanish treat today and I hope you will like it. Stay safe everybody.

What you need:

2 and 1/2 cups of plain flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1 pouch of baking powder

1 pouch of vanillin

A pinch of salt

Water

Apricot jam

Frying oil

How to do it:

In a bowl add flour, sugar, baking powder, vanillin and salt. Mix well and add water until you get a soft dough.

Use a spoon to measure the buñuelos size and deep fry them in a deep pan.

Once they are cold use a sac a poche to fill them up with apricot jam.

My carrot and potatoes cheesy soup

When I was considering having kids nobody explained to me that when you are a mother you can’t be sick, your kids don’t care if you have a high temperature and you feel like crap or if your cough is not making you sleep and you feel like crap. Guys I do feel like crap in case it wasn’t clear LOL, flu and bronchities are giving me some hard days so I am on soup mode, I hope you will like this one.

What you need:

6 large carrots
4 medium potatoes
2 veggie stock cubes

1 cup of milk (I use semi skimmed)

1/2 cup of grated Gruvyere cheese

EVO oil

Croutons (I make my own ones)

Grounded black pepper

How to do It:

Peel the carrots and potatoes and boil them in enough water with 2 veggie stock cubes.

When these are ready blend the veggies, add milk and cheese and blend again.

Serve with croutons , a drop of EVO oil and grounded black pepper.

My tuna,onion and tomato pastry

I had this pastry on my mind for a bit but didn’t have much time, it’s so simple to make and taste amazing. My daughter Isabel when she tasted it gave me a thumb up and she said ”TOP”. She sometimes makes me feel like I am some kind of chef,I am glad I can make my family happy and feed them with things they like. I hope you will try this and love it.

What you need:

3 large onions

1 and a half cup of passata

1 cup and a half of canned tuna

1 sheet of puffy pastry

2 tablespoons of capers (optional)

Salt

Oregano

Black pepper

How to do it:

Peel and cut the onions in small chunks and cook it in 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil until soft.

Add the passata and let it cook for about 20 minutes,add salt, sprinkle of oregano, capers, tuna fish and black pepper. Stir well and place the mixture in the middle of your puffy pastry. Cook for about 25 minutes at 200°C in a hot oven.

My spicy burger sandwich

I just noticed that everytime I try to plan a table for two in my house after we put the kids to bed it just never happens,they either don’t want to fall asleep, go to bed but they are up one minute after, they have to poo or throw up!! I tried to make these sandwiches for me and my husband for the past two days without success so tonight for some unknown reason my kids were quiet and angelic (a real miracle LOL) and they gave me the time to make these, I hope you will try it and love it.

What you need:

(These quantities are for 1 sandwich)

1 large burger (a veggie burger would be amazing too)

2 slices of whole wheat bread

A handful of baby spinach

Red onion finely sliced

2 slices of smoked provola

2 tablespoons of Newmans own spicy cajun sauce

How to do it:

Cook your burger adding just a little bit of salt, add 1 tablespoon of spicy cajun sauce on one of the bread slices, add the provola, the burger, the other slice of smoked provola, baby spinach,onions and another tablespoon of spicy cajun sauce. Place the second slice of bread on top and cut your sandwich in half.

I served it with half avocado seasoned with salt and black pepper.

My summer rice salad

Hola amigos, I am back after been away from my blog for such a long time, I need my days to last longer then 24 hours and I need a vacation to unwind a little. Did you all go somewhere nice? I am getting ready to leave for a nice long trip with the family but before I go I wanted to post this recipe as it’s not summer if you are not eating my rice salad LOL!

I really hope you will like it.

What you need:

2 and a half cups of rice

2 cups of black olives

2 cups of sliced pickled gherkins

2 cups of sliced pickled artichokes

2 cups of canned tuna (I use natural one)

1 cup of sliced roasted peppers (I make it myself but didn’t post the recipe yet)

2 cups of cooked peas (just boiled)

Oregano for seasoning

EVO oil

Salt

How to make it:

Boil the rice is salted water, once its cooked (not overcooked!) drain the water and let it cool down.

In a large bowl add all the veggies and the tuna fish. Season with oregano,add salt and EVO oil,keep it in the fridge and serve it cold. P.S the next day you make it it’s even better 😊

My carrot and pumpkin soup

If there would ever be an award for the worse food photos, I am sure I would easily win LOL I always say I would love to take a few lessons to make better photos but my free time is very very little so guys, excuse these but it doesn’t matter if looks ugly, it matter if it tastes good…I am just trying to convince myself haha.

Anyway this was my craving since Monday, I hope you will make it and love it.

What you need:

5 cups of diced pumpkin

3 cups of sliced carrots

1/2 cup of fresh cream

A few cumin seeds

Fresh grated ginger

Water

EVO oil

Salt

Black pepper

How to do it:

Boil the sliced carrots,once they are soft add the pumpkin and keep on boiling until it’s soft. Add the cumin seeds, EVO oil, a little bit of fresh grated ginger, salt and pepper. With a blender make it all smooth, add fresh cream, stir well and serve it with crutons.

My brussels sprouts gratin

Do you like brussels sprouts? If you don’t we can’t be friends…..just kidding, my husband hates them and we are best friends but I wishhe could appreciate this dish I made today, the good thing is that there is more for me!! This dish is so simple and tasty, you need a good cheese though, I used an Italian cheese called Asiago but you can’t get it everywhere, I am sure Cheddar could work great also. I hope you will like it.

What you need:

6 cups of brussels sprouts

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons of EVO oil

1 cup of diced Cheddar cheese

Dry oregano

Grounded black pepper

Salt

How to do it:

Boil the brussels sprouts in salty water, once ready drain them and cut them in half. Place them in a large bowl, add EVO oil, oregano, grounded black pepper and a crushed garlic clove. Mix well, place the veggies in a baking dish,cover with diced Cheddar and grill for 10 minutes.