Starters with vegetables
Sicilian balsamic
onions
Preparation time: approx. 15 minutes (plus cooking time)
Per serving approx. 466 kcal/1948 kJ
7 g P, 23 g F, 55 g CH
Serves 4
750 g shallots or small onions
salt
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
125 ml balsamic vinegar
freshly ground sea salt
pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 Peel the shallots and simmer for 8-10 minutes in salted water. Then pour off and drain thoroughly.
2 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or a large saucepan. Gradually add the shallots in layers, and brown slightly on all sides.
3 Sprinkle with the sugar, and add the balsamic vinegar. Season with the sea salt, the not too finely ground pepper, and the oregano.
4 Reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer the mixture for approx. 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, uncovered. Serve with ciabatta.
Asparagus crespelles
with black truffles
Preparation time: approx. 35 minutes (plus approx. 20 minutes cooking time)
Per serving approx. 630 kcal/2638 kJ
24 g P, 40 g F, 42 g CH
Serves 4
200 g flour
100-125 ml milk
2 eggs
salt
2 tbsp butter
1 kg white asparagus
150 ml dry white wine
100 g cream
2 tbsp crème fraîche
pepper
nutmeg
1 dash lemon juice
150 g grated Pecorino
10 g black truffles
1 Stir the flour and milk until a smooth consistency is obtained. Mix in the eggs and season the batter with a pinch of salt. Heat a little of the butter each time and cook 8 thin pancakes consecutively. Keep the pancakes warm.
2 Peel the asparagus, and trim off the woody ends. Cut the asparagus spears diagonally into 2-3 cm long pieces. Melt the butter and lightly fry the asparagus for 5 minutes. Add the white wine, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Pour in the cream, stir in the crème fraîche, and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and the lemon juice. Pre-heat the oven at 220 °C (Gas Mark 7).
3 Distribute the asparagus ragout over the crespelles. Fold them together and sprinkle with Pecorino cheese. Put in the oven for approx. 8 minutes, until the cheese melts. Place a few truffle slices on top and serve.
Artichoke hearts
with prawns
Preparation time: approx. 50 minutes (plus baking time)
Per serving approx. 390 kcal/1633 kJ
36 g P, 19 g F, 16 g CH
Serves 4
4 artichokes
juice of 1 lemon
salt
3 shallots
4 slices cured ham
200 g oyster mushrooms
400 g cooked prawns
3 tbsp butter
pepper
50 g cheese
500 ml fish stock
100 g double cream
fat for the baking tray
1 Slice off the top part of the artichokes, and remove the outer leaves and stems. Remove the chokes from the centre. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the artichokes. Put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into a little salted water, bring to the boil, and cook the artichoke hearts for approx. 15 minutes. Then remove from the pan, drain and leave to cool.
2 Peel the shallots and chop finely. Dice finely the ham. Clean the mushrooms and chop finely. Cut the prawns into small pieces. Lightly fry the shallots in 1 tablespoon of butter and brown the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Stir together the diced ham, the mushroom mixture and the chopped prawns. Add to the artichoke hearts. Transfer to a greased baking tray and spread the rest of the butter over the artichokes. Grate the cheese and sprinkle over the artichokes. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160 °C (Gas Mark 3) for approx. 20 minutes.
3 Reduce the fish stock to half the volume in a pan. Stir in the double cream and reduce again a little. Season to taste and serve with the baked artichokes.
Potato soufflé
with spinach salad
Preparation time: approx. 45 minutes (plus baking time)
Per serving approx. 510 kcal/2135 kJ
22 g P, 35 g F, 23 g CH
Serves 4
600 g potatoes
100 g cured ham
50 g Emmental
100 g butter
1 egg yolk
salt
pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
5 egg whites
fat for the moulds
For the salad
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
40 g blue cheese
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp apple syrup
400 g young spinach leaves
2 tbsp almond slivers
1 Cook the potatoes in their skins and allow the steam to evaporate. Peel them and then mash through a potato press. Dice the ham. Finely grate the Emmental. Stir the potato mixture together with the butter, the egg yolk, the diced ham and the grated Emmental. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
2 Beat the egg whites until stiff, and stir half into the potato mixture. Carefully fold in the other half.
3 Fill greased soufflé moulds with the potato mixture, so that an edge no thicker than the width of a finger remains. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C (Gas Mark 4) for approx. 25 minutes.
4 Meanwhile, prepare a dressing by whisking the rapeseed oil, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar and apple syrup in a blender. Wash and clean the spinach and pour the dressing on top. Sprinkle the almond slivers over the soufflé before serving.
TIP
If you "disturb" the soufflé whilst it is baking, it will collapse. Therefore, do not open the oven door for the duration.
Pastry parcels
with asparagus and feta
Preparation time: approx. 45 minutes
Per portion approx. 210 kcal/879 kJ
4 g P, 19 g F, 5 g CH
Makes 8
100 g butter
1 packet Yufka dough
200 g spinach leaves
100 g feta
1 tbsp raisins
250 g green asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
100 ml chilli oil
a few chillies for garnish
1 Pre-heat the oven at 180 °C (Gas Mark 4). Melt the butter. Divide the dough sheets into 12 squares with sides of 10 cm in length. Spread butter thinly over each square. Lay 3 squares at a time on top of each other and press into small muffin cases. Bake in the oven until golden brown. Remove them carefully from their cases and leave to cool.
2 Clean, sort and wash the spinach. Drain thoroughly. Crumble the feta. Rinse the raisins under hot water. Peel the lower third of the asparagus, trim off the woody ends and slice the spears diagonally.
3 Heat the olive oil in a pan and lightly fry the asparagus for approx. 2 minutes. Add the spinach and fry with the asparagus, until the spinach collapses. Remove from the pan and season. Stir in the feta and the raisins and fill the pastry parcels with the mixture. Drizzle with the chilli oil, garnish with a few chillies and serve.
Mushroom carpaccio
with ham and cheese
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes
Per serving approx. 233 kcal/976 kJ
19 g P, 16 g F, 1 g CH
Serves 4
1 firm Portobello mushroom
1 pear
4 slices Parma ham
4 slices venison ham
100 g Grana Padano
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
1 bunch flat-leaved parsley
1 Clean, wash and dab dry the Portobello mushroom. Then cut into wafer-thin slices or plane it. Peel and cut the pear in half. Remove the core. Slice the flesh thinly.
2 Arrange the mushroom and pear slices on plates. Roll up the slices of ham and place over the top. Slice the cheese and distribute over the top.
3 Mix the lemon juice together with the oil, salt and pepper and drizzle over the top. Garnish with the parsley.
Tomato-mozzarella
Insalata caprese
Preparation time: approx. 10 minutes
Per serving approx. 370 kcal/1554 kJ
15 g P, 33 g F, 3 g CH
Serves 4
4 large tomatoes
300 g mozzarella
1 bunch basil
salt
pepper
6 tbsp olive oil
1 Wash the tomatoes. Remove the stalks and cut the tomatoes into ½ cm thick slices. Drain the mozzarella and slice. Wash and shake dry the basil. Pluck off the leaves.
2 Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella alternately on a large dish. Cover each mozzarella slice with 1 basil leaf.
3 Season the salad with salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
Lettuce rolls
with cheese, in batter
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes (plus steeping, cooking and baking time)
Per serving approx. 318 kcal/1331 kJ
16 g P, 24 g F, 9 g CH
Serves 4
16 large cabbage lettuce leaves
150 g grated Gruyère
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp flour
1 egg
5 tbsp olive oil
salt
milk
1 shallot
1 carrot
500 g tomatoes
1 stick celery
200 ml vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
pepper
2 tbsp butter
1 Lay out the lettuce leaves and sprinkle with 100 g cheese and the parsley. Roll up the lettuce and pin with wooden skewers. Prepare a batter with the flour, the egg, 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add as much milk as is necessary for the mixture...
