Easy italian Hope Edwards

Easy Italian - Hope Edwards

Contents page 2- Starters page 8- Mains page 14- Desserts page 20- Drinks

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Starters

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The starter is a light, small meal to be eaten before the main course. The two starters on offer are garlic bread – made with ciabatta bread, butter and crushed garlic clove, origami spices and chopped cherry tomatoes – and creamy, garlic, chilli mushrooms – made with white mushrooms marinated in a garlic sauce with fine, chopped chilli.

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Sunbaked Cherry Tomato & Basil Oil Ciabatta the ciabatta: 700g of wheat flour 200ml of water 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil few pinches of salt 30g of yeast 100g of dried skimmed milk

the dressing: 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 4 cherry tomatoes chopped garlic flat leaf parsley 35ml of concentrated lemon juice 35ml of white balsamic vinegar

for the cherry tomatoes: 4 cherry tomatoes 50ml red wine vinegar 50ml sunflower oil 10g of sugar 75ml of water 150g of garlic puree a few pinches of salt and pepper each

Preheat the oven to 240 degrees or gas mark 7.

Put the flour, oil, yeast, dried milk and salt into a bowl and combine with 200ml of water. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth, then divide the dough ball into two equal half's. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Whilst waiting for the dough, prepare the cherry tomatoes. Place everything that is needed but the cherry tomatoes into a frying pan, and put it on a low flame. Once it starts to bubble, place the cherry tomatoes in, and let them soak up all the flavors. Next, do the same with the dressing, mix it all together and prepare ready for the ciabatta. Once the cherry tomatoes have been marinated in the sauce enough, carefully take them out and place into the dressing.

Turn the rested dough balls onto a well-floured surface and roll each piece out to your desired shape and thickness, preferably 2.5cm thickness.

Coat the ciabatta’s with the dressing already prepared and place in the oven for 12 minutes.

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Creamy Garlic Roasted Mushrooms ingredients: 200ml of double cream 40ml of rapeseed oil half an onion half a glass of white wine 20g of cornflour 20g of butter parsley 100g of dijon mustard 2 cloves of garlic

100g of mushroom stock black pepper Himalayan salt thyme

A very simple starter for two.

Brown and open cap mushrooms smothered in a luxurious garlicky sauce and finished with fragrant fresh parsley.

Heat up a little splash of oil in a frying pan and wait for the bubbling before placing the mushrooms in and letting them cook very slightly.

Prepare the sauce before butting it in the pan with the mushrooms. By chopping up the garlic, parsley and thyme, then get a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients starting with the cream and oil, gradually going down the list, adding them one by one, constantly whisking them together. When it is complete. gently pour the mixture into the pan where the mushrooms are on a low heat. If needed turn the heat either up or down.

Keep stirring the sauce into the mushrooms waiting for the sauce to thicken. Once it has thickened enough, it is ready to eat.

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Mains

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The main dish is the heaviest, heartiest, and most complex and substantive dish on the menu. The main ingredient is meat or fish; in vegetarian meals, the main course sometimes attempts to mimic a meat course. It is most often preceded by an appetizer, soup, and/or salad, and followed by a dessert. For those reasons the main course is sometimes referred to as the "meat course".

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Rigatoni All’ Arrabbiata Con Salmone Rigatoni in spicy tomato and salmon sauce

Ingredients: 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced 2 medium-hot red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes 3 tablespoons of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley 400g of salmon fillet, cut into 1cm cubes 500g of rigatoni salt

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat and stir-fry the garlic and chillies with a wooden spoon for about 1 minute until sizzling.

Add the tomatoes and parsley, stir well and simmer gently, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

Carefully stir in the salmon and season with salt. Remove from the heat and set to one side.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well and tip back into the same pan.

Place the pan over a lower heat, pour in the sauce and stir for 30 seconds to allow the flavors to combine properly. Serve immediately.

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Home made pizza the dough: the tomato sauce: 800g 00 grade flour 1 clove of garlic 200g of fine ground semolina flour 1 small bunch of fresh basil 1 level tablespoon of fine sea salt 1 tablespoon of olive oil 14g dried yeast 400g good quality tinned plum tomatoes 1 table spoon of golden caster sugar 5 small pinches of sea salt 650ml of lukewarm water freshly ground black pepper

toppings: 100g of garlic butter grated mozzarella 100g of ham 100g of mushrooms 1 pot of black olives chilli flakes

To make the dough, pile the flour and salt on to a clean surface and make an 18cm well in the centre. Add your yeast and sugar to the lukewarm water, mix up with a fork and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well.

Using a fork and a circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix into the water. it will look like thick porridge. Continue to mix, bringing in all the flour. when the dough comes together and becomes too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat it into a ball. Knead the dough by rolling it backward and forward, using your left hand to stretch the dough toward you and your right hand to push the dough away from you at the same time. Repeat this for 10 minutes, until you have a smooth, springy, soft dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it double in size for about 45 minutes.

To make the sauce, peel and finally slice the garlic. Pick the basil leaves and discard the stalks. Heat a saucepan on a medium-low heat and add a splash of olive oil and the garlic. Cook gently until the garlic starts to golden, then add most of the basil leaves, the tomatoes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently for around 20 minutes, or until smooth, mashing the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When done, have a little taste, and season again if needed.

Now, add the toppings as you wish and as you like. and place in the oven for 15 minutes, allowing the base to turn crispy.

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Desserts

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For those who still want more, there are two desserts on offer. The Chocolate Cheesecake is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, as it is topped with the finest Belgian chocolate. Another option is freshly cut coconut, refreshing and good for those who like exotic foods.

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White, Milk and Dark Chocolate Baked Cheesecake ingredients: butter for greasing 600g of cream cheese, at room temperature 180g of caster sugar 2 tablespoons of vanilla essence 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons of plain white flour 1 tablespoon of coco cooking powder 50g of white chocolate 50g of milk chocolate 50g of dark chocolate 100g of digestive biscuits

optional: chocolate decorations, anything will do chocolate or normal icing sugar to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or gas mark 4. Butter a 23cm spring-form cake tin.

In a large bowl, beat together the bream cheese, caster sugar and vanilla essence. Beat in the eggs bit by bit until fully combined. Mix in some of the chocolate (melted), then add the flour. Beat well until everything is combined. Fold through the candied chocolates, all of them.

Crush all the biscuits together added with a bit of butter, so it sticks together. Fix the crushed biscuit in the bottom and sides of the sin, making the base.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, topping it against the work surface to remove any bubbles. Bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes until the edges of the cake are firm but the centre is still slightly wobbly.

Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it, then remove it from the tin.

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Serve with a little icing sugar sprinkled on top, if wanted.

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Freshly cut and marinated coconut chunks Ingredients: 3 fresh large coconuts 15ml of lemon juice 5g of sugar 20ml of fresh coconut milk, out of the coconuts

One of the simplest deserts but also one of the most effect. Very easy and very light after a big meaty meal.

Simple, marinate the chopped coconut in the sauce that is made from the lemon juice, half of the sugar and the coconut milk. Leave it marinating for 3 and a half hours whilst in the fridge.

Once it is ready to serve, place on a serving plate and sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the coconut chunks.

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Drinks

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Drinks to serve depend on the person.

For coffee lovers, serving them an espresso, fine grains of ground coffee, is the best option. The second drink is Limoncello, which is perfect after a heavy meal. Very simple to make.

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Homemade Lemonchello Shots Ingredients: -3 fresh lemons -100ml of vodka -15g of sugar

Mix the ingredients into a jug and mix it all together thouroghly until there is no lingering bits. Place it in the fridge to thicken it and chill it.

Before serving get the glasses and dip the ends into sugar to give it more of a professional effect if at a dinner party.

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N’espresso Personal favourites: -Caramelito -Kazaar -Arpeggio -Dharkan -Ristretto

Best served using a coffee machine, but it is still possible without...

If you do not have a coffee machine use the n’espresso pods and mix with boiled water.

It has the same effect but it takes much longer!

Serve with biscuits or vanilla ice cream for the best results.

One of the best Italian desserts is an espresso poured over some vanille ice cream.

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