Ross bil-Qargha Hamra, Bzar Isfar u Feta - Butternut Squash, Peppers and Feta cheese Risotto

I absolutely love this summer dish as it's deliciously tasty yet simple to make. 

Ingredients 

300g butternut squash

2 mixed yellow and orange peppers

1 onion

5 garlic cloves 

Fresh Rosemary

1 small red chilli pepper 

300g risotto rice

600ml chicken stock

Glass of dry white wine

100g Feta cheese

50g grated Parmesan cheese

50g thinly sliced chorizo (optional)

Salt and pepper to season

Cut the butternut squash into small cubes. De seed the peppers and cut them into strips. Place the squash and the peppers in a roasting tin. Add the garlic (skin on), finely chopped chilli and the rosemary. Add a table spoon of olive oil, season well with salt and pepper and coat evenly. Roast in an oven on 200'C for about 20 minutes until golden in colour and soft. ( this can be prepared in advance and cooled for later). Once this is done squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the skin, discard the skin and mix the flesh back into the mixture. 

For the risotto, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Add a finely chopped onion and fry gently until soft but not browned. Add a quarter of the butternut squash mixture to the pan, add the risotto rice and stir until the rice is coated with the onion and squash mixture. Fry for a few minutes and add the wine. Stir and let it reduce. Once the wine has been absorbed, add a ladle of stock at a time until it is fully absorbed, stirring as you go along. Once the rice is fully cooked and creamy in texture add the feta and Parmesan cheese and season to taste. The dish is ready to serve. 

My husband likes me to add a few slices of finely chopped  chorizo on top of the dish as it adds a meaty robust flavour, however I prefer it without. You can try them both and let me know your preference ;-)

Enjoy!

Patata kiesha - Potatoe Salad

As it's the season for BBQ's I couldn't resist adding this delicious potatoe salad to my list. It goes extremely well with my pasta salad and can also be made upto a day in advance. It carries well and funnily enough is also vegetarian so can be enjoyed by all especially my mother in law ;-) 

Ingredients (serves 6 -8)

 

600g new potatoes or floury potatoes

1 small red onion

2 spring onions

3 hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons horseradish

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Bunch of flatleaf parsley 

Salt and pepper to taste

Wash the potatoes from any soil. Put the potatoes and eggs in a pot of cold salty water and bring to the boil until soft when pierced. Drain and leave to cool until you are able to peel the skin off the potatoes. I find that the hotter the potatoe, the easier it is to remove the skin.

Once peeled, leave to cool and chop in bite size chunks. De-shell the eggs and chop into chunks. Finally chop the onion, spring onion, the parsley and add to the mixture.

Mix together the mayonnaise and the horseradish (if this is not available, Wholegrain mustard or Dijon mustard will do as a good substitute). I like to add a few tablespoons of warm stock or water to help dilute the sauce and thin the coating. It will help to mix and cover the potatoes evenly. Season with salt and pepper and gently combine all ingredients together.

This can be either served at once or refrigerated for a later use.

Ghagin Kiesah - Pasta Salad

During the Maltese hot summer months, most hit for a bite to eat on the beach. A BBQ with family and friends or simply a light dinner after an evening dip. This colourful vegetarian pasta dish makes a great accompaniment to any BBQ or as a light dinner. It can be made up to a day in advance, holds well in the fridge and is easy to carry in picnic coolers or lunch boxes.

Ingredients (serves 6)

250g conchigliette pasta ( or any other pasta you fancy)

250g good quality cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion

2 garlic gloves

100g cucumber

2 grated carrots

1 grated lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

50g fresh coriander

50g fresh mint

200g feta cheese

1 small can sweetcorn

5 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta in salted water al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and put in a big mixing bowl. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber and feta into small chunks and add to the pasta. Finally chop the onions, garlic, coriander and mint. Grate the carrot and add to the pasta. Drain the sweetcorn and add to the mixture. Add the grated lemon zest, the lemon juice and the olive oil to the pasta, season well with salt and pepper and combine all ingredients together. Refrigerate for at least couple of hours to allow the flavours to combine ( preferably overnight) 

The zesty lemon dressing will enhance the flavours of the herbs and together with the salty feta will take this pasta dish to new dimensions. 

Ghagin bl-Irkotta tan Nanna Rose - Nanna Rose's Pasta with Ricotta

This simple yet delicious dish is one of my Nanna Rose's favourites. Throughout our childhood, mum had tried to imitate this dish, yet it always seemed to taste best at Nanna's. So it seems only fair - Nanna Rose this one is dedicated to you x x x

Ingredients (serves 4)

250g Ricotta

1 can chopped tomatoes

4 tablespoons tomatoe purée

6 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons sugar

50g Parmesan cheese

Bunch of fresh basil

500g penne pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

Finely chop the garlic. Place in a pan with the olive oil and turn on medium heat. The garlic will gently infuse the oil with its flavour as it heats. It's important not to burn the garlic as this will give out bitter flavours. Add the tomatoe purée, stir and allow to cook for a few minutes with the garlic. Add the sugar and the chopped tomatoes. Half fill the empty can of tomatoes with water and add to the mixture. Stir and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and gently simmer for about 30 minutes, until the water from the sauce has reduced by half and you are left with a thick consistency.

Cook the pasta as per the manufacturer's instructions in a pot of salty water. I like to add two tablespoons of salt to the water and leave the 'pasta al dente' so it has a nice bite to it. 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water out and put back in the cooking pot. Crumble in the ricotta, add the basil and mix. Pour in the tomatoe sauce and combine. Place back on the heat for a few minutes to allow the pasta to absorbe the sauce. Take off the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Froga - Maltese Omelette

This easy dish is one of my lunchtime favourites. It can be prepared in advance and eaten on its own, hot or cold with a side salad or put in a sandwich and taken to work or picnic. My best friend's mum (Aunty Catherine) used to make it for us for school lunch and in later years brought to us on the beach throughout our first Summer job.  

Ingredients ( serves 2-3)

4 eggs

2 garlic cloves

2 spring onions

6 cherry tomatoes (any variety will do)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bunch of fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Beat together 4 eggs (Always split eggs in a separate bowl one at a time so any eggs that are off or bloody can be discarded without ruining the whole mixture).

Finally chop the garlic, tomatoes and spring onions and parsley and add to the eggs. Add the cheese, combine all ingredients together and season well with salt and pepper. 

Heat up a flat pan on medium heat. Add some olive oil or fry light to the pan. Once the pan is hot add the egg mixture to the pan, cover with a lid and fry for about 5 minutes. 

Once the bottom of the omelette is done either

1. Take a plate and place on the omelette. Whilst holding the top of the plate, flip the pan over so the omelette goes on the plate. Then slide the omelette back onto the plate, cooked side up to continue cooking the other side.

2. If you have an oven proof pan, simply place the pan with the omelette in the oven under a hot grill for 3 minutes or until the top of the omelette is cooked and golden in colour. 

Serve with either a side salad or on lightly toasted baps or seeded rolls. Feel free to add sliced cheese, ham or cooked bacon to your omelette sarnies. I prefer smoked ham cheese and cheddar cheese. I  like to wrap the sandwiches in grease proof paper and take them out for picnics or lunch. It keeps really well and makes a tasty lunch in minutes.

Minestra - Mixed Vegetable Soup

Minestra is one of my favorite healthy dishes. It is very similar to an Italian Minestrone which is not surprising since Malta is just a few km's south of Sicily ! It is typically a winter dish as it's a warm hearty dish, however with our British weather I find that I cook this all year round here.

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 medium onion

2 carrots

1 small cauliflower

1 small broccoli

1/2 butternut squash

1 leek

100g kale

2 small potatoes

1 can cannelini beans

100g barley

100g macaroni pasta (or any other small shaped pasta)

1 tablespoon tomatoe purée

2 litres vegetable stock 

100g Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon salt

Cut all vegetables into small cubes and put in a pot. Add the stock with the salt and the purée. Bring to the boil. Place the barley in a small pan and cover in cold water. Bring to the boil. Drain the barley and put back in the pan. Cover again with cold water and bring to the boil. Drain again and add to the vegetables pot. Cook together on medium heat for about 1 hour until all vegetables are cooked and the soup starts to thicken. Add the cannelini beans and the pasta to the mixture, stirring accasionally. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked. Turn off the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving to allow the cheese to melt. 

Any left overs can be freezed in a tight freezable container for a later day.

Kusksu - Broad Bean Soup

Kusksu is a typical Maltese summer dish using up fresh seasonal ingredients like broad beans. It takes me down memory lane where my brother and I used to help mum peel off the beans from both it's outer layers to reveal the sweet green flesh of the beans. You can just remove one outer layer of the bean as long as you remove the top bit of the bean that looks like a nail as this will come off through cooking and will not look great in your final dish.

Ingredients ( serves 4)

1 onion ( any type)

2 garlic cloves

1 small cauliflower

250g broad beans ( both skins removed)

250g Ricotta

2 eggs

1tablespoon tomatoe purée 

1 litre vegetable stock

250g small pasta ( for this recipe orecchiette was used, but any small shaped pasta will do)

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to season

Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add the onions and cook slightly, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and tomato paste. If the mixture dries out add few tablespoons of stock. Chop the cauliflower into small chunks and add to the mixture. Add the broad beans (fresh or frozen beans can be used). Add the remainder of the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have been cooked, turn the heat down to low and add the pasta. Season to taste. The pasta will cook in the stock and thicken the dish. This should not take more than 10- 12 minutes. Once the pasta is cooked, beat up two eggs and add them to the dish. Add the ricotta and the Parmesan cheese to the mixture and turn off the heat. Check the seasoning and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with some toasted crusty bread on the side for a hearty, warming meal !