Speedy Ricotta and Spinach Pie

 No time to cook? Almost everyone is faced with the same problem these days. I have hardly any time anymore with a full time job and family commitments, but my blog will always be my fun place to be. I was looking back at my recipes and it was 9 years ago when I started…

Fried zucchini sticks for appetizer

Are you entartaining over the summer or do you simply fancy something yummy to go with a glass of Prosecco? I had these zucchini sticks at a restaurant recently and I absolutely loved them. They are super simple to make: just slice the zucchini really thinly, sprinkle with salt, coat them with flour and fry!…

Simple stewed pumpkin with rosemary

Pumpkin is one of the main “features” of autumn and they are not just for Halloween! They are so versatile, you can make so many recipes with it. In Italy there are dedicated pumpkin festivals like the “Festa della zucca” in Venzone, in Friuli.  From pumpkin gnocchi, to bread, soups, pasta, delicious cakes.. the list…

Working week meals: Easy & healthy spinach pesto

Like many of you when I get home in the evenings all I need is to relax and take it easy for a little while; then there is dinner… and let’s be honest, I certainly don’t fancy spending too long on the stove but I also don’t want to eat something ready from the shops.…

Radicchio and orange salad

Radicchio is a beautiful, tasty and “tough” winter vegetable capable of coping with cold temperatures. I grew up on radicchio, my parents always used to grow lots of it in the field. Homegrown radicchio is far tastier than the radicchio you can find in the shops, particularly if it is organically grown; it just has…

Zucchini & carrots light and simple spaghetti

Happy new year everyone! How quiet is January compared to feasting December. I had a great Christmas break and my new year’s celebrations were particularly good: I spent it at home with friends celebrating in a long and slow gourmet dinner which lasted just before midnight..when we opened our Champagne! We all cooked something therefore…

Simple light leek soup with king prawns

I recently had a fabulous soup at a restaurant in Italy: a leek and potato cream with prawns on top. I loved it so much that I wanted to try making it myself at home. Leeks are winter vegetables which will never miss in my fridge anyway. Every week I  always buy a bunch to…

Potato and green beans salad with black olives

Green beans are one of the delights of summer. As a child I used to pick whole buckets of them from the field. My mum would cook them and then freeze them for the winter.. we just had so many of them! Green beans or “fagiolini” were one of the delights of summer…after ice cream…

Mozzarella & prosciutto nibbles on sticks

Fresh, fuss free and delicious… in other words summer food! All over Europe we have been having an incredible summer this year, even the UK is basking in the heat. This translates into more aperitivi with olives and nibbles and fresh and healthy foods. I never bought as much watermelon as this year. I have…

Tomato, peach and basil summer salad

In the summer when the temperature rises and you are struggling with the heat, the general advice is of course to increase your intake of water but also to eat more fruit and vegetables. At this time of year when the bulk of my diet is made up mainly of vegetables and fruit, I feel…