Frittata di Spaghetti

A great way to use up left over spaghetti!

You can add peas, bacon or anything else that you like to the mixture. Surprisingly, this is also good cold and sliced.

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti (or 4 cups cooked spaghetti)

4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 onions, chopped

2 (large) eggs

2 (large) egg whites

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tomato, diced (optional)

Method

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and refresh with cold water. (or use left over spaghetti)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and let cool slightly.

Wipe out the pan.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites and milk in a large bowl.

Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

Add the spaghetti.

Spray the pan well with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat.

Pour in the egg mixture and distribute evenly in the pan.

Cook until the underside is golden, moving the pan around on the burner to ensure even cooking, about 6 minutes.

Invert a large platter over the skillet, grasp the platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over.

Lift off the skillet and spray it again with nonstick cooking spray. Slide the frittata back into the skillet and cook until the bottom is golden.

Slide the frittata onto a platter. Garnish with tomatoes if desired.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe is for 4 - you can adjust as necessary. Great in summer when tomatoes are abundant. I have come across several recipes that feature cooked stuffed tomatoes but I prefer this type - they are fresh, tasty and nearly everybody likes them!

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes

1 can tuna

2 spring onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tbs mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp chopped olives

1 tsp capers

1 tsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Method:

Cut the tops off the tomatoes, and scrape out the inside but leaving about 1/4" flesh inside.

Mix the remaining ingredients and fill the tomatoes with the mixture.

ready!!!

Green and yellow beans with peppers and garlic

I use string beans for this recipe, a mixture of yellow and green. The sesame oil adds an interesting flavour to the dish.

Ingredients

1/2 lb green beans

1/2 lb yellow beans

2 tsp olive oil

1 small red and one small yellow pepper (seeded and julienned)

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste.

Method

Boil the bean until tender but crisp, about 3 mins

Drain, plunge in iced water to stop the cooking then drain again

Heat olive oil over a medium heat( I use a wok here )

Add the peppers and cook for about 2 mins

Add the beans and cook for a couple more minutes

Add the chili and garlic, and saute until cooked.

Drizzle with the sesame oil and season.

A ZERO cholesterol dish with only 50 cals a serving!!!

Almond Biscotti

These classic twice baked cookies can be made in a variety of ways - you can use pecans or walnuts instead of the almonds, you can add dried apricots, cherries or blueberries....anything is possible! The whole-wheat flour in this case gives them an extra crunch.

They can also be drizzled with chocolate for extra sweetness.

This recipe is a lower fat alternative - there are only 79 calories per 3 cookies! part of my lose weight but eat well project!

Ingredients.

3/4 cup wholewheat flour

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs (beaten)

1/4 cup low fat milk (or soy milk)

2 1/2 tbs canola oil

2 tbs honey

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds.

Method.

Pre heat oven to 350F

Combine The flours, sugar and baking powder.

Add the eggs, milk, canola oil, honey and almond extract and mix well

Add the almonds.

Mix until the dough is well blended

(I use my hands here-easier and more fun!)

Put the dough on a long sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a flat log about 12" long, 3" wide and 1" thick. You will need the plastic cos the dough is rather sticky.
Lift the wrap and transfer the dough to a non stick baking sheet.

Bake for about 20-30 mins until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven, put onto another baking sheet or a cutting board and leave for a few minutes to cool slightly.

Cut crosswise on the diagonal using a serrated knife and cut slices of about 1/2" thick.

Put the slices back on the baking dish, cut side down and bake for another 15-20 mins or until crisp.

When cool, you can dust with powdered sugar (or not!)

They keep well in an airtight container and are delicious with a cup of coffee!

Healthy Fish Dish

After all the fattening food in my last posts, here is something healthy, tasty and easy to make!

Recipe courtesy of my dear old mama....

Ingredients

1 catfish fillet or two if small. can use any other type of white fish fillets.
1 spring onion
1 large tomato
few leaves fresh basil
1 lemon slice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
olive oil, extra virgin, cold pressed.

Method:
Wrap fish in pouch of parchment paper and top with white part of spring onion,and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Lightly steam fish in microwave for two minutes.

Slice two rounds from tomato for decoration use and chop the rest roughly, add salt and pepper and chopped basil leaves.
Serve fish decorated with the tomato rounds, the chopped tomatoes the lemon round cut in half, decorate with sprig of basil, check seasoning and sprinkle with a thin stream of olive oil.
Enjoy!

Mqaret - Date Rolls

Mqaret are delicious pastry parcels - that are deep fried - a killer for your diet but unless you over indulge, great little treats. Served with ice cream they make a great dessert.

These small packages of sweet pastry filled with a date mixture and served blisteringly hot are often sold dripping in paper bags from roadside stalls. You’ll nearly always find mqaret hawkers at Valletta’s city gate near the bus terminus. (Valletta is Malta's capital city)

As you step off the bus, you’ll be greeted by the sickly, sweet smell of mqaret mingling with diesel fumes from the buses (last I checked they were still not eco-friendly!)

Ingredients:

400g Flour

1 tablespoon lard

1 tablespoon margarine

1 tablespoon sugar

1.2 kg pitted dates

1 orange peel grated

1 tablespoon anisette

1 tablespoon orange flower water

A pinch of ground cloves

Method

To make the dough, rub the lard into the flour.

Add the sugar and mix.

Moisten with anisette and orange flower water until you can form a soft dough.

Next prepare the filling.

Mash the dates and mix with the cloves, orange peel, anisette and orange flower water.

Note: If the dates are hard, soak in water for about thirty minutes to soften. Drain before using. Roll the dough out into a long wide strip and spread the prepared filling on the top half of the dough to form a layer about a quarter of an inch thick

Wet the edge of the pastry and fold over to cover the filling.

Press all edges well together to seal.

Cut into diamond or rectangular shapes (about 3.5 x 2.5 inches.)

Fry in deep hot oil till golden in colour.

Let drain and eat while still hot.

Avocado Gazpacho

Something cool for the summer evenings...the lobster makes a nice touch! Another recipe of unknown origin so if there is anyone out there who knows where this came from let me know!

I have a whole box of recipes I collected and unfortunately I never wrote where they came from, so unless i remember I cannot give credit to the author!

Ingredients:

3 avocados

juice of 1 line

100 gms onion, diced

150 gms red bell pepper, diced

150 gms tomato, diced

15 gms cilantro, minced

2 teaspoons coriander

8 gms cumin

5 cloves garlic, roasted

3 cups water

for garnish

300 gms lobster , chopped

1 whole scallion, chopped fine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch saffron

salt and white pepper, to taste

Method

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits.
2. Scoop the meat into a bowl and discard the skin. Pour the lime juice over and set aside.
3. Put the tomatoes, onions, red peppers, roasted garlic, cilantro, coriander, and cumin in a bowl and mix.
4. Put the avocados and water in a blender. Lightly pulse so the avocados are just broken up. You do NOT want a smooth consistency.
5. Add to the diced veggies and season with salt and pepper.

For the garnish:
6. Boil the lobster meat for approximately 8 minutes or until nicely firm.
7. Shock it with an ice bath and then drain well, removing all extra water. Roughly chop.
8. In a small bowl, mix the lobster, scallions, olive oil, and saffron together.
9. Season with salt and pepper. Chill and set aside

To Serve:

Put the vegetable mixture into serving bowls and garnish with the lobster mix.