Italian Eggs in Tomato Sauce / Uova al Pomodoro

A favourite way to have eggs in Italy is in a tomato sauce/base. Anything can be put in with the eggs, in this case I've used Italian Chipolatas. I've previously used bite sized chunks of chicken, which works just as well. Served with hashbrowns and basil, this made for a delicious high protein breakfast/brunch for two.

Tamarillo & Tomato Salad over pasta & Stilton Blue

I first saw the tamarillo (whose name was chosen to promote the fruit) aka tree tomato on tv, where it was described as fruity tomato. My interest was immediately piqued, as it always is when I see foods I haven't tried. So when these fruit started appearing in the local supermarket I had to give em a go. 

Ricotta Tortellini with Seared Scallops and Salsa

This dish puts together a scallop starter and a pasta main into one mind blowing dinner. Trust me, it's good. The creamy, almost meaty tortellini are lifted by tender, juicy scallops and topped with a piquant tomato salsa.

Stuffed, Roasted Baby Peppers with a Warm Fennel Salad

While playing with the idea of going vegetarian for a month, just to experiment on what kind of dietary and culinary challenges that would be uncovered, I decided to start off with a vegetarian dinner. Looking into the fridge to see what I could pull together, I came up with peppers, ricotta cheese, fennel and apples.

The Perfect Quiche Lorraine

Who doesn't love a light, fluffy slice of quiche? All that bacon, egg and cheesy goodness over a crunchy pastry. Perfect for an afternoon snack.

There are two elements to this dish, the crust, and the filling. The crust is a short crust pastry and should be rich and savoury, providing the essential crunchiness. The filling should be light, fluffy and full of bacon flavour without being too heavy on the palate.

Mushroom, Maasdam & Stilton Blue Ravioli

Chopped up mushrooms, a block of Maasdam cheese and a generous wedge of Stilton blue make up the filling in this home made Ravioli. No meat is used, but the cheese and mushroom impart such a richness and meatiness to this dish.

The steps are; make the pasta, make the filling, assemble the ravioli and cook them. Cook the tomato sauce and serve.

Please see this post for instructions on making your own pasta.

For the filling:

• chop up 250g of mushrooms
• shred a one inch cube of Maasdam cheese
• chop up about the same amount of Stilton blue. (adjust for your own taste here) Just about any other cheese you fancy will do if you don't like blue cheese.
• mix together and lay on the pasta sheets.

Assemble the Ravioli by brushing the pasta with water and folding the pasta sheets into half lengthwise. Push out as much air as possible. Cut in between each packet of filling to make squares.