Bacon cups with gorgonzola & caramelized pears

When I first saw on the instructables website that you can make cute cups out of bacon I just knew I had to make them. Bacon might not be the healthiest option out there, but you can make an exception from time to time. Especially if used in such a creative way. And paired with a crunchy fresh salad.


Bacon cups for four
16 thin bacon strips
150g gorgonzola
2 pears
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
some spinach leaves
toasted walnuts

Salad
4 gem lettuces
1 red shallot
2 tbsp walnut oil (or olive oil)
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
parsley

Probably the most intimidating part of this recipe is making the bacon cups. Well, don't worry, they will be ready before you realise. Now go and preheat your oven at 220°C.

Take a muffin tray (one made out of silicone is best) and turn it upside down. Wrap two strips of bacon around each cup, making sure you don't leave any big holes. Tuck the ends of the bacon strips inside - otherwise they will curl while cooking.

Place your muffin tray in a bigger oven tray (to prevent grease dripping all over) and pop in the oven for a few minutes. Watch closely. You want the bacon to brown, not to burn.

When your cups look appetising enough, take them out of the oven and let cool. Remove carefully from the muffin tray.


Slice the pears and sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over them. This will help them caramelize more quickly. Heat the butter in a skillet, wait until it foams and add the pear slices. Saute until golden on both sides. Set aside.

Go back to the bacon cups now. Line each cup with a thin strip of spinach. Arrange some pear slices on the sides and fill with crumbled gorgonzola. Sprinkle toasted walnuts on top. Warm for two minutes in the oven, to soften the cheese.

For the salad, torn the lettuce and finely cut the shallot. Mix the rest of ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake. Toss everything together.

Arrange two bacon cups and salad on each plate and prepare to hear surprised "wows" from your guests.


P.S.: the flowers I used for decoration are nasturtiums. They're probably the easiest and quickest edible plants you can grow. I have some spare seeds if you're willing to give them a try.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.

Chinese noodle salad

There's no asian soup or stir fry that doesn't scream for noodles. Noodles come in so many shapes, thicknesses, flavours and ingredients you can never get bored. But as summer approaches and the temperature outside is already scorching hot, boiling soup or firing woks is just out of the question.

But if you still fancy a dish full of chinese flavours, get cooking and make yourself this simple and tasty noodle salad.


Chinese noodle salad for four
1 pack of rice noodles
2 chicken breasts, cooked
1 cucumber
2 carrots
some spring onions
fresh coriander & mint
toasted peanuts

Sauce
4 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine or sherry
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
2 garlic gloves, finely cut
thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp water

Mix the ingredients for the sauce. It might look chunky at the beginning, so keep stiring until it becomes smooth. Add some water if it looks too thick. Put aside.

Soften the noodles in hot water or cook according to pack instructions. Let cool.

Finely cut the chicken breasts. Slice the cucumber, cut the carrots in thin sticks, chop the spring onions.

Mix noodles with the chopped ingredients and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with herbs and peanuts.

Gulp.

This recipe makes 0.35kilos/person of pure goodness.

Dark chocolate & orange cake

You don't need a special occasion to pamper yourself with this luscious cake. And if you are actually preparing for a special occasion, don't waste your time in the kitchen: making this cake takes at most 1/2 hour.

The base of the cake is a quick chocolate fondant baked in the microwave. The internet is packed with chocolate fondant recipes but in my opinion the majority ask for too vast quantities of sugar or not enough chocolate... After many trials & errors, I ended up with one foolproof recipe that literally melts in your mouth. Total prep & baking time: 11 minutes!

The fondant is as delicious plain as it is with different kinds of flavours: caramelised ginger, chili, lavender, lemon... whatever your mood (or supplies).

Dark chocolate fondant for 6 or 8
200g dark chocolate
80g butter
3 eggs
50g flour
50g sugar
(for this particular cake swap the sugar for 3 tsbp orange marmalade)

Break the chocolate in small pieces. Place it in a microwave safe bowl together with the butter. Microwave on medium-low for about 1 minute or until the butter melts. Stir until the chocolate pieces dissolve completely.

In another bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the flour and whisk again. Incorporate the melted chocolate and butter.

Butter a cake dish and pour the mixture inside. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, until the center is set. The cake has to look moist, so be careful not to overbake it (in a microwave the cake won't burn, but turn into a rock hard useless thingy - even worse).

Let cool.

Orange ganache
150g dark chocolate
150ml double cream
1-2 tbsp Calvados, Grand Marnier or another strong alcohol

Chop the chocolate in pieces. Bring the cream to a boil. Take away from heat and stir in the chocolate. When it's completely melted, add the alcohol, cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or until spreadable).

Orange mascarpone filling
150g mascarpone (or soft cheese)
2 tbsp orange marmalade

Mix.

Before assembling the cake, choose a nice cake stand. Cut the chocolate fondant in two horizontally using a long knife and some skill. Spread the mascarpone between the two layers. Top the cake with a generous quantity of orange ganache and sprinkle some orange zest on top.

Chill until serving or indulge directly.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.

Prosciutto & lemon roast chicken

Roast chicken is probably one of the most popular dishes to appear on "favorite food" lists. It's a favorite on our table too and every time I roast one I experiment with new flavours. Prosciutto will give your roast a deep earthiness and lemons a zingy fresh taste. Pair with rosemary and you already have a sophisticated chicken that will fill the house with a mouthwatering smell.


Prosciutto & lemon roast chicken for four
1 whole chicken
100g prosciutto
2 lemons
5 sprigs rosemary
1 glass of sherry (or white wine)
salt & pepper

Mustard mashed potatoes
8 floury potatoes
2 laurel leaves
1 tbsp thyme
butter
double cream
salt
4 tbsp grainy mustard (I ♥ La Maille)

Preheat your oven at 175˚C.

Lightly season the chicken with salt & pepper. Zest your lemons and juice one of them. Throw the prosciutto, lemon juice and zest in a food processor. Whizz until you obtain a smooth paste.

Now prepare to get a bit messy. Take the chicken and using your hand work your way under the skin of the breasts until you pull it apart from the meat. Continue towards the legs. Careful not to rip the skin.

Spread the prosciutto paste under the skin on the legs and breasts, trying to reach all the hidden spots. Place one sprig of rosemary on each leg and two on the breasts. Place your leftover whole lemon and rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Fit the skin with a toothpick if it's too loose.

By stuffing the skin of the chicken you'll prevent the breasts from drying out while still enjoying perfect crisp skin.

Place your chicken in a roasting pan with the sherry or white wine. Pop in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, checking from time to time if the liquid has not dried out. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before carving.

Owners of microwave ovens, don't despair: you too can prepare this roast. Put your chicken in an oven bag (unless you're up for cleaning splutter) and roast for 24 minutes on maximum power. You'll need to turn over the meat at half time. Though the skin will somehow get a nice golden color, you might want to brown the chicken in a pan with a little oil before you put in the oven.


While the chicken roasts, prepare the mashed potatoes.

Peel the potatoes, dice them and boil in salted water with laurel leaves and thyme. Mash them while still hot and add butter and double cream until you reach the perfect consistency. Stir in the grainy mustard and taste. Amazing, isn't it?

This recipe makes 0.4kilos/person of pure goodness.

Thai prawn salad

I know, it's the second salad that uses mango in only one week. The temptation is too strong as mango is such a versatile fruit you can use in any dish, from soups to roasts. It works brilliantly with thai flavours as you're about to find out.


Thai prawn salad for two
14 cooked prawns
bag of mixed salad leaves
1 mango (better unripe)
1 small cucumber
1 red onion
fresh herbs (mint, coriander, thai basil)
toasted peanuts

Dressing
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp grated ginger
few drops of sesame oil
2 red chilis, finely cut

Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Place the prawns in the sauce to infuse with flavour while you prepare the salad.

Peel and cut the mango in thin slices. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber on its lenght in thin ribbons. Slice the onion. Chop the herbs. Mix everything with the salad leaves.

Arrange the prawns on top of the salad, pour the dressing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Have a good time.


If you were wondering about the flowers: they come from my campanula portenschlagiana which is finally blooming. I'm so glad I can at last use its adorable (and edible!) flowers. Probably in two weeks time the first nasturtiums will open as well. Oh joy!


If you're thinking about using flowers in your kitchen, it's a good idea to check carefully if you are in a possesion of an edible variant. Avoid plants that grow on the side of the road and plants that were sprayed with chemicals. Unfortunately, it's the case with most plants from flower shops. But not all is lost: wait for them to bloom next year.

This recipe makes 0.3kilos/person of pure goodness.

Japanese salmon & avocado

If you never made sushi, or especially if you have and know how much trouble it is, go for this spectacular dish that delivers all the right flavours but is put together in less than 30 minutes. The combination of raw oily salmon and lemony avocados is just too good to be true.

Using extremely fresh fish is essential, so if you're not sure about its quality, skip this recipe. If your salmon smells fishy as well, it has certainly been dead for a too long time and you can, without regret, feed it to the garbage bin.

This is the right time to invest in a good quality soy sauce. Often it's the only ingredient you need to turn a dish into something special. I used Kikkoman until they changed the recipe making it completely tasteless. Fortunately I discovered Shoda, a japanese brand that uses non-GMO soy beans to produce their sauce and a very secret recipe that has a fabulous flavour.


Japanese salmon & avocado for two
2 ripe avocados
1 sushi-quality salmon fillet
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 limes, juiced
thumb sized piece of ginger
2 spring onions
fresh coriander leaves
1 tsp wasabi
salt
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted for 2 min in a pan without oil
1 red chili

Slice the salmon diagonally into smaller rectangular pieces. Finely grate the ginger and mix with the soy sauce and the juice from 1 lime. Pour over the salmon slices and marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Peel & cut the avocados in small chunks. Sprinkle immediately with lime juice to prevent them turning brown. Add salt and wasabi to taste. Chop the coriander and 1 spring onion. Combine with the avocado.

Now you're ready to begin plating (if you're really hungry, skip this step and throw everything together on a plate - no need to be fancy everyday).

Place a cake metal ring on your serving plate and gently push inside half of the avocado mixture. Roll the salmon slices into flower shapes and arrange on top. Pour over a bit of the salmon marinade. Lift the ring. Sprinkle with finely cut spring onions, chilis and toasted sesame seeds. Repeat for the other plate.

Serve with sushi rice (if you can't find any, basmati is a good replacement) in which you mix 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 1/2 tbsp of rice vinegar & 1 tsp of salt.

This recipe makes 0.3kilos/person of pure goodness.

Black & white anchovy crackers

I like my food coloured and black must be the colour I fancy most. I've been fantasing about black pasta, black bread, even a black cake! The only ingredient missing from my cupboard was nero di seppia (squid ink).

I went through hell trying to find some in Brussels and finally brought a large supply from Italy. It would be a pity to give up baking these tasty crackers so do your best and ask in Italian restaurants or deli shops if they can provide you with some of the rare stuff.


Black & white anchovy crackers (~ 60 pieces)
120g all purpose flour

120g diced cold butter

70g grated parmesan

10 anchovy fillets in oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

1 teaspoon squid ink

zest from one lemon

a little flour to dust

a little oil

Using a food processor mix the flour, butter, parmesan and finely cut anchovies until you obtain a smooth dough. Though you can do this by hand, it's important for the dough to remain cold if you want fluffy crackers in the end. If people often tell you have cold hands, don't worry about this and go ahead.

It's now time to divide the dough in two. You can leave half of it in the food processor bowl. Tip in the chopped black olives and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix. Now form the dough into a ball, cover with cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Take the other half of dough, place it in the food processor and mix with the squid ink, lemon zest and rest of black pepper. Cover and place in the fridge.

While you wait, preheat your oven at 200˚C.

Dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough to a 1cm thickness. Using a small cookie cutter or a small glass, cut your crackers. Form the leftovers into a ball and reuse until you finish the dough.

Place your crackers on oiled baking trays and bake for 6 minutes or until golden. Obviously the black crackers will never turn golden, so the trick is to mix the crackers and observe the right color on the white ones.

This recipe makes 0.1kilos/person of pure goodness.

Stuffed bell peppers with nuts & sultanas

There's something about nuts that makes me crave them every second day. To stop the (bad!) habit of continuously snacking on the couch I try to incorporate them into real meals. One succesful attempt is this dish with a tempting oriental flavour.


Nutty stuffed bell peppers for four
8 medium sized green bell peppers
1 cup of rice
1 cup of toasted chopped mixed nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds)
2/3 cup black sultanas
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes
2 cups of vegetable stock
lots of fresh parsley
lots of fresh mint
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of chili flakes
salt & pepper

Cut away the tops of the peppers and take out the seeds. Keep the tops, they will serve as lids.

Fry the diced onion in olive oil until it turns golden. Finely cut the garlic and add in the pan. Toss in the rice and cook for a few minutes until it turns translucent. Time to throw in half the chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup of stock. Stir and turn off heat.

Add the nuts, sultanas and fresh herbs. Season and don't forget the cinnamon.

Stuff the peppers with the mixture, leaving a small gap on top. The rice will increase its volume while it cooks and you don't want losing in the pot all the good stuffing. Snuggly fit the peppers into a casserole and pour over the rest of stock. Fit the remaining tomatoes in between the gaps.

Cover and simmer on a medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until rice is tender. Check from time to time the level of liquid, the rice will absorb it quite fast. Add more stock if you have to. Serve the cute peppers with mint & yoghurt.

This recipe makes 0.3kilos/person of pure goodness.

Penne alla soprana

I do nick recipes, but this one was faithfully handed over to me by an extraordinary woman who still happily cooks at 84 years old. Lucia Stanescu has had a long career as one of the greatest sopranas in the world and meanwhile found time to use her artistic flair in many culinary creations.

Like many others, this recipe was put together in her sunny italian kitchen, on top of a woody hill. Not far from this hill lays a traditional farm which produces one of the tastiest extra virgin olive oils I ever tried. It really comes to life in dishes like this.


Penne alla soprana for four
1 pack of penne (I used whole wheat)
4 big ripe tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 dried peperoncino
2 tablespoons of good olive oil
100g grated Grana Padano
100g grated Pecorino Romano
200g double cream
bunch of fresh basil
sale & pepe

I always start by boiling salted water for the pasta. Do so. Meanwhile, peel & cut the garlic cloves in two halves and heat them up in a spoonful of olive oil. When the flavour starts coming up, add the chopped tomatoes, the peperoncino and half the basil leaves. Leave to cook on medium heat about 5 minutes.

When the tomatoes are soft, take away from heat and add the grated Pecorino. Stir until it melts. Now keep your pan warm while you deal with draining the pasta.

Tip the penne into the sauce, add the grated Grana, the double cream & a splash of olive oil and mix until the sauce coats everything. Taste for salt and pepper.

Scatter basil leaves on top and help yourself to more parmesan.

This recipe makes 0.35kilos/person of pure goodness.

Mango & spinach summer salad

This deceptively simple salad has got the right bold colours to make an impression at the table and a fantastic taste.

Using spinach means you can serve this salad at a party or barbecue and the leaves will still look fresh after many hours (in theory. In practice, the salad will just fly off the table, leaving no time for any kind of vegetal decay).

Mango & spinach salad for four

4 handfuls of young spinach leaves
1 big firm mango
bunch of strawberries
1 red onion

Dressing
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of milk
juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cut the mango in thin slices. Cut the strawberries in halves or quarters. Thinly slice the onion. Mix with the spinach leaves.

To prepare the dressing, throw the ingredients together in a small jar and give it a good shake. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick. Pour over the salad and dig in.

Though I never tried I have a hunch that this salad would work just as amazingly with peaches and blueberries.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.

It's a fact!

The average person consumes about 59 kilos of food every month (less in February I assume). I never bothered to count but it's a surprising fact that made me think. How many disappointing meals did you have to buy just to quickly satisfy your hunger? How many times did you eat the same ol' thing because you were short of ideas? How many bloody ham & cheese sandwiches can we consume before becoming robots?

We would be happier people if we could make the 59 kilos of food a month more exciting. This doesn't have to mean we should all turn into chefs and subscribe to cooking lessons and fill our shelves with awarded cookery books (though this might help).

It means we need to put more thought into what we put in our mouth and make every eating moment an experience to remember. I certainly tried and think I can show you how.

Enjoy your life.