Pumpkin and chicken cannelloni

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
700ml bottle Italian tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup basil leaves, shredded
450g chicken mince
1 cup mashed pumpkin, cooled
250g ricotta cheese
4 slices pancetta, chopped
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
250g packet dried cannelloni tubes
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
salad leaves, to serve

Method
Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pasta sauce and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 5cm deep, 25cm x 30cm (base) ovenproof baking dish. Or 4 ramekins for individual serving.

Place mince, pumpkin, ricotta, pancetta and 1/3 cup parmesan in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round nozzle. Pipe mixture into cannelloni tubes. If using ramekins, precook cannelloni tubes in boiling water for 5 minutes, then cut them on half.

Spoon a third of tomato sauce into dish. Top with cannelloni. Spoon over remaining sauce. Combine mozzarella and remaining 1/3 cup parmesan. Sprinkle over top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until top is golden and pasta tender. Serve with salad leaves.






Enjoy!

Cold Asparagus Soup

Soup can be served cold or hot, depending on your desires. Cold soup is good for quick lunch, or you can take it for a picnic, served straight in a pretty small jar. Do not forget to serve it with fresh baguette or crunchy toast.

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped asparagus (reserve tops for serving)
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
3 tbsp basmati or other flavorful white rice
4 cups (1 liter) water,
150 ml cream.

Put the rice and onion in saucepan with water and boil for about 20 minutes until rice is almost cooked, then add asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes.
Puree soup in a blender and pass through a sieve.
Add cream and salt to taste. Reheat the hot. Chill the cold.
Decorate with the reserved asparagus tops and serve.

Enjoy!

Eggplant and zucchini crumble with goats cheese cream - Crumble au fromage de chevre

Ingredients:
1 eggplant (skin removed and cut into pieces)
2 zucchini (cut into pieces)
1 red bell pepper (cut into small pieces)
3 tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 onion medium size (finely chopped)
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
120 g goat cheese
100 ml cream (low fat)

For the crumble:
200 g flour
100 g butter
1 egg yolk
salt, black pepper

Rub butter with flour, salt, and egg yolk until form crumbles, transfer to a plate and put the fridge for 20 minutes.

Make small cross-shaped slits on tomatoes, put them in boiling water and immediately dipped in cold water.
Clear tomatoes from the skin and seeds, cut into pieces.

Sprinkle eggplant with sugar and allow to drain the liquid for 20 minutes.

Discard the excess moisture from eggplant. Heat oil in a heavy base saucepan, add thyme and rosemary.

Sauté onions and garlic until transparent, then add bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook until peppers are soft. Puree sauce in blender.

Separately sauté eggplant until soft, then add zucchini and tomato sauce. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, add salt, pepper and spices to taste.

Put crumbles on lined with paper baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated to 200 C oven until golden brown (about 15 min)

Heat the cream and mix with goat cheese (I use blender). Add salt and pepper and mix until smooth consistency.

Put vegetables in a serving glasses, add cheese cream on top and sprinkle with crumbles.



Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Carina-forum