Antipasti & soups
Marinated aubergines
with mushrooms
Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes (plus marinating, baking and cooking time)
Per portion approx. 110 kcal/461 kJ
9 g P, 1 g F, 13 g CH
Serves 4
500 g small aubergines
500 g button mushrooms
125 ml olive oil
6 garlic cloves
salt
pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
75 ml dry white wine
juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
½ bunch thyme
1 Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C (Gas Mark 6, fan oven 180 °C). Clean, wash and slice the aubergines. Clean and thoroughly wash the mushrooms.
2 Brush the inside of a baking dish with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the aubergine slices over the base of the baking dish. Peel and chop 4 garlic cloves, then sprinkle the chopped garlic over the aubergine and pour over 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for approx. 35 minutes in the oven before mixing the cooked aubergine with the parsley and leaving to marinate for at least 1 hour.
3 Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the mushrooms well. Peel and chop the remaining garlic cloves. Add to the mushrooms along with the wine, lemon juice and zest, then continue to cook all the ingredients together. Wash the thyme and shake it dry, then add to the frying pan without chopping. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms from the heat and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Beef
Carpaccio
Preparation time: approx. 20 minutes (plus freezing and marinating time)
Per portion approx. 260 kcal/1092 kJ
19 g P, 19 g F, 2 g CH
Serves 4
300 g fillet of beef,
fat and sinews removed
1 stick celery
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
50 g Parmesan or
Grana Padano
1 Place the beef fillet in the freezer for about 1 hour until it is semi-frozen, making it easier to slice very thinly.
2 Clean and wash the celery, then dice the upper part of the stalk. Combine the lemon juice and oil, then season with salt. Whisk until the mixture forms a creamy sauce.
3 Arrange the beef slices on a platter, then sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and drizzle the sauce over the sliced beef.
4 Cover the carpaccio with aluminium foil, then leave to marinate for approx. 30 minutes. Grate the cheese over the beef and add the diced celery.
Bruschetta
with tomatoes
Preparation time: approx. 25 minutes (plus baking time)
Per portion approx. 178 kcal/749 kJ
3 g P, 10 g F, 20 g CH
Serves 4
2 garlic cloves
2 beef tomatoes
salt
pepper
½ bunch basil
8 slices white bread or baguette
6 tbsp olive oil
1 Pre-heat the oven grill until hot. Peel the garlic cloves. Wash the tomatoes, cut in half, remove the stalks and seeds, then finely dice the flesh.
2 Season the diced tomatoes with salt and pepper. Wash the basil and shake it dry, then strip the leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into strips, then mix with the tomatoes.
3 Toast the slices of bread under the oven grill until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the grill and rub thoroughly with the garlic cloves. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread slices and divide the tomato mixture between the slices of toast.
Artichokes
with lemon mayonnaise
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes (plus cooking time)
Per portion approx. 405 kcal/1701 kJ
9 g P, 34 g F, 15 g CH
Serves 4
8 small artichokes
6 tbsp lime juice
salt
1 egg yolk
125 ml olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
100 g natural yoghurt
pepper
1 Remove the tough, outer leaves from the artichokes, cut off the ends of the stems and the tips of the leaves (ideally using a pair of scissors). Mix 4 tablespoons of lime juice with 1 litre of water and place the artichokes in the liquid.
2 In a large saucepan, bring 1.5 litres of water to a boil with the remaining lime juice and a little salt, then cook the artichokes for approx. 15 minutes over a moderate heat.
3 To make the mayonnaise, lightly beat the egg yolk in a bowl, then blend in one-eighth of the olive oil, adding a few drops at a time, and mix until creamy. Next, stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and blend in another one-eighth measure of olive oil. Keep repeating the process until all the oil and lemon juice are used up.
4 Stir the yoghurt until it forms a smooth paste, then add one tablespoon at a time to the mayonnaise mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the mayonnaise.
5 Tip the artichokes into a sieve and leave to drain. Arrange on 4 plates and serve with the lemon mayonnaise.
Parma ham
with melon
Preparation time: approx. 30 minutes
Per portion approx. 347 kcal/1459 kJ
18 g P, 38 g F, 5 g CH
Serves 4
1 honeydew melon
125 g Parma ham, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
½ bunch basil
100 ml olive oil
50 ml wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1 Cut the melon in half, use a spoon to remove the pips, then peel and cut into thin slices. Divide the melon slices and Parma ham into portions, artistically arranged on 4 plates.
2 Plunge the tomatoes in hot water, remove the peel and cut out the stalks. De-seed and finely dice the tomatoes. Wash the basil and shake dry, then strip the leaves from the stems and finely chop.
3 Blend the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes and herbs together to make a marinade, then season with salt and pepper.
4 Pour the marinade over the ham to serve.
Vitello tonnato
Veal with tuna and caper dressing
Preparation time: approx. 35 minutes (plus cooking and cooling time)
Per portion approx. 303 kcal/1271 kJ
34 g P, 16 g F, 4 g CH
Serves 4
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 leek
1 garlic clove
500 g veal loin
250 ml white wine
250 ml meat stock
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
3 peppercorns
100 g tuna (tinned)
2 anchovy fillets (preserved)
1 tbsp lemon juice
75 g mayonnaise
1 tbsp capers
1 Peel the carrot, clean and thoroughly wash the celery and leek. Chop the vegetables into small pieces. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
2 Rinse the meat. Heat the wine, stock and vinegar in a saucepan and cook the meat and vegetables along with the garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt for about 45 minutes. Leave to cool in the cooking liquid.
3 Strain off the liquid from the tuna and anchovies, then leave to drain. Purée the tuna in a food processor with 3 tablespoons of the meat and vegetable stock. Chop the anchovies as finely as possible. Blend together 125 ml meat stock, lemon juice and mayonnaise to form a creamy sauce. Add the puréed tuna and anchovies and mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the capers.
4 Remove the meat from the stock, drain, then cut into thin slices. Drizzle the tuna and caper dressing over the sliced veal and serve cold as an appetiser.
Crostini
with chicken livers
Preparation time: approx. 15 minutes (plus cooking and roasting time)
Per portion approx. 252 kcal/1060 kJ
10 g P, 14 g F, 16 g CH
Serves 4
150 g chicken livers
1 slice cured ham, air-dried
½ onion
4 sage leaves
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dry white wine
salt, pepper
8 slices white bread
1 Finely dice the chicken livers. Finely chop the ham and onion. Wash the sage leaves, shake them dry, then slice into thin strips.
2 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions gently. Add the liver, ham and sage strips and fry briefly, then continue to cook all the ingredients over a moderate heat for about 8 more minutes. Add the wine and continue to simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
3 Heat the remaining oil in another frying pan and fry the slices of bread on both sides until crisp. Spread the chopped liver mixture over each slice of bread and serve.
Neapolitan-style
seafood salad
Preparation time: approx 45 minutes (plus cooking and marinating time)
Per portion approx. 450 kcal/1890 kJ
32 g P, 27 g F, 19 g CH
Serves 4
700 g mussels
350 g clams
350 g small squid
175 g uncooked prawns
100 ml dry white wine
juice of 1½ lemons
salt
1 garlic clove
1 tsp mustard
pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 stick celery
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 Brush the mussels thoroughly in water, removing any which are partially open. Wash and slice the squid into thin rings. Remove the shells from the prawns and de-vein.
2 In a large saucepan, bring 500 ml water to a boil, along with the wine, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a little salt. Add the squid, then cover with a lid and simmer for 2...
