The air is certainly a little chillier than a week ago and our winter clothes are reappearing after a brief sojourn in the back cupboard - all too brief this year. But we can always lift our spirits with the right food for our mood. And tonight we had a wonderful soup of a tomato base with fusilli pasta and the best sausages I could find. I have a young butcher right opposite where I work in Remuera and he makes all his own sausages in house. I chose those made with Savannah Angus beef and they were perfect for this dish. You will notice that I often don't give exact quantities of the ingredients because I imagine you can all cook and can make your own decisions about how much of each ingredient you want. This is not like baking where quantities are important for the success of your dish. Fusilli Sausage Soup Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients Gluten-free fusilli pasta Olive Oil Onion & garlic-free Sausages - sliced Dried oregano Dried basil About 2 tbsp … [Read more...] about Fusilli Sausage Soup – hearty food for a rainy evening
Spicy Eggplant Couscous – Vegetarian
You might have noticed that we eat quite a bit of couscous. It's a great alternative grain to the usual potatoes and rice, it takes all of about five minutes to cook and it's delicious. When I was in my early twenties, I decided to become vegetarian but it was really difficult to make sure that I was getting enough of the right kinds of proteins in the right combinations and when I went to live in Italy, I au paired for a year before getting a teaching job and the family I lived with were not vegetarian and I would have starved if I had not changed back to eating meat. However, I still believe we here in New Zealand eat too much animal protein and a sprinkling of vegetarian meals is a good thing. Tonight's dinner was one of those times. This is not a low Fodmap recipe. Spicy Eggplant Couscous - Vegetarian Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients Couscous Eggplant - diced Zucchini - diced Spring onions - sliced Red chilli - sliced small Garlic - crushed Leek - … [Read more...] about Spicy Eggplant Couscous – Vegetarian
Greek Quesadillas – with a touch of Italian
Italians are allowed to eat Greek, especially if they live in New Zealand and a few sundried tomatoes and mozarella are involved. Anyway, I didn't hear any complaints. You could substitute all sorts of things for the ingredients and create completely different quesadillas. These could be vegetarian but I added chicken to make sure my family got enough protein. This is not a low Fodmap recipe. Greek Quesadillas - with a touch of Italian Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients Chicken breasts Sundried tomatoes chopped Grated mozzarella Feta diced Baby spinach Red onion sliced thinly Oregano dried or fresh Tortillas Method Cook the chicken breasts however you want and then shred them. Scatter some of all the ingredients on half the tortillas and top with the rest. Place on a hot oven tray and cook in a moderate oven for 5-10 minutes. Slice in half and serve. 3.2.2807 … [Read more...] about Greek Quesadillas – with a touch of Italian
Favourite Author No. 5 – Nora Roberts / JD Robb
This favourite author will come as no surprise to many of my writing colleagues. Nora Roberts is loved by many of us. Her books have so much emotional punch that it can take your breath away. She tells a tale like no other and it's impossible to put her books down. I enjoy both her Nora Roberts novels and her J.D. Robb In Death series. Her characters are damaged, intense and engaging. We know it will always end well but we don't know how she will take us there. She has written 35 books in the In Death series. Surely that is a record for a series. She is a writing machine and yet every story is so different. I have no idea how many she has written as Nora Roberts but it will be an amazing number. It would be almost impossible to talk of favourites but Carolina Moon does stand out for some reason and so does Northern Lights as well as all of the In Death series. I am a long way from having read all her novels but it's fun trying to keep up with her. … [Read more...] about Favourite Author No. 5 – Nora Roberts / JD Robb
Santorini Island– a fascinating history of fire and destruction
Follow my blog with Bloglovin And here comes no. 7 in my list of favourite places in the world. When Adriano and I were living in Italy, we visited Greece one summer holiday. Being as poor as the proverbial church mouse, we hitched and camped our way around the islands off the southern coast of the mainland. Tired legs from tons of walking and funny tummies from too much ouzo didn’t prevent us from having a stunning time exploring these islands, which are steeped in history. None more so than Santorini Island – the classic Greek island of the white and blue buildings you see in travel agent posters. We were dropped off the ferry boat at the base of a very steep path up to the village and had the choice of riding on tiny donkeys or walking. I felt too sorry for the donkeys to load myself and my pack onto one so we walked. Not for the faint-hearted. However, I did get on a donkey later in the trip when unburdened by my pack. Excuse the photo - I had to scan it from a hard … [Read more...] about Santorini Island– a fascinating history of fire and destruction
Pasta with Ricotta & Zucchini – and much more
This pasta dish has a heap of healthy vegetables but tastes decadent - the perfect dinner for the family. I used a whole 500g packet of spaghetti for the three of us but remember that Adriano eats for three just to keep his weight level. Lucky man. This is not a low Fodmap recipe. Pasta with Ricotta & Zucchini - and much more Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients Shallots (I used spring onions) - chopped Bacon - diced Leeks - sliced thinly Parsley - chopped up Zucchini - diced Lemon zest - finely grated Garlic - crushed Peas Baby spinach leaves Olive oil Ricotta Parmesan Spaghetti Method Cook the first 9 ingredients in the oil but add the spinach leaves at the last minute. Cook the spaghetti, drain and toss into a big bowl. Add the vegetable mixture and some big tablespoons of ricotta. Mix it all up and top with grated Parmesan. Serve piping hot and enjoy. 3.2.2807 … [Read more...] about Pasta with Ricotta & Zucchini – and much more
