Pancakes

This recipe is not Italian, but who does not love them?!

Persons: 3
Preparation: 15 min

Ingredients:
100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
300 ml milk 
1 tablsp. melted butter or sunflower oil

Steps:

1. Place in a bowl flour and salt and make a hole in the center.
2.  Add the egg into the hole plus the melted butter and half of the milk. 
3. Stir until it melted, then add the other half milk and stir. 
4. Heat a small heavy-based frying until it is very hot and then turn the heat down to medium. 
5. Add a tea spoon of butter in the pan.
6. Place a scoop of the mixture in the pan and cook on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until the batter looks dry on the top and begins to brown at the edges. 
7. Flip the pancake over with a palette knife and cook the other side.

Eat them with Marple syrup, Jam, Honey or Nutella!

Pasta with Olives and Ricotta

Are you in a hurry?!? Here a quick solution for your meal!

Persons: 4

Preparation: 20 min

Ingredients:

400g pasta

1 jar of black olives

4 full soup spoons of Ricotta

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Steps:

1. Cut the Olives in pieces taking away bones and place them in a pan with 3 spoons of oil, salt and pepper for 2 min.
2. Meanwhile, start cooking pasta in boiling water.
3. When pasta is ready add it in the pan with the Olives, ricotta and a spoon of the boiling water from the pasta.
4. Stir all together for 2 min.

Potatoes and Mushrooms Soup

Persons: 2

Preparation time: 10 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

2 table spoons of olive oil

1/2 litre of vegetable stock

parsley

250 grams mushrooms

2 potatoes

pepper 

salt

half onion 

Steps:

1. Clean mushrooms and cut them in pieces.
2. Clean, peel and cut the potatoes in square (nearly 1cmx1cm).
3. Heat the Stock in a big pan.
4. Meanwhile, in a fry pan heat the oil and add the onion finely chopped, mushrooms and potatoes.
5. Add the vegetables to the stock and cook them for nearly 15/20 min.
6. When it is ready, add salt, pepper and parsley.

Cake with yogurt and olive oil

Persons: 8
Preparation time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt (without sugar added)
250 gr sugar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
250 gr all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
lemon juice
1 apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1 pear  (peeled, cored and diced)
3 eggs

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Grease and flour one inch cake pan.
3. Beat oil and eggs in a bowl. 
4. Add the sugar and the yogurt and beat well.
5. Combine the flour, baking soda together in another bowl. 
6. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. 
7. Fold in the apple and pear by hand using a wooden spoon. 
8. Add few drops of lemon juice.
9. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. 

Suggestions: Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Spaghetti puttanesca

Persons: 4 (hungry)
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti (I love the thick one)
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 handful capers
2 handfuls big black olives
12 anchovy fillets chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil
400 gr cans tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

1. Cook the spaghetti in salted and boiling water. 
2. Fry the garlic, capers, olives, anchovies in a little olive oil for a 2 minutes. 
3. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 minutes low heat.
4. Remove from the heat, plunge the drained spaghetti into it, toss it over, and cover with the sauce. 

Suggestions: You can put on the top either black pepper or hot pepper and extra olive oil.

Aubergines Sandwiches

Persons: 4

Preparation time: 20 min

Cook time: 10 min 

Ingredients:

2 medium aubergines

ricotta cheese

3 tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Basil

Steps:

1. Cut the aubergines in slices. Meanwhile, heat in a pan the oil.
2. Now place the aubergines in the oil and fry for a couple of minute each side.
3. When the aubergines are ready (wait them to become cold) start make the sandwiches with one slice of tomatoes and one tablespoon of ricotta, salt and basil (each sandwich will have two layers)
4. Cook the sandwiches in the oven for 5 min, 180°C

Suggestions: Toast some bread slides to eat with them

Risotto with mushrooms

Persons: 4

Preparation time: 30 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

320gr rice (Arborio)

400gr mushrooms

Olive oil

Half Onion

50gr Parmesan cheese (grated)

Salt

Stock (vegetables or meat)

Steps: 

1. Cook in a deep pan oil and half onion cut in pieces for 1 min.
2. Then, add the mushrooms, rice and salt and stir for 1 more min.
3. Add the stock, a 1/2 cup at a time, stir and wait for most of the stock to be absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.
4. Once the rice is cooked (approximately 20 min) add the Parmesan cheese. 
5. Let it cook for 1 more minute. 
6. Let stand the rice in the pan (without stir) for 2/3 mins.

Suggestions: you can use the stock left from the bollito.