♥︎Tray bake of giant beans with ratatouille vegetables & pistou

For ➍

2 cans giant white beans (400 g each), rinsed & drained

2 red onions, peeled, cut into 8 wedges each

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 eggplant, in pieces

1 zucchini, in pieces

4 small tomatoes on the vine, each cut in 4 wedges

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tbs rosemary needles, coarsely chopped

1 red chilli pepper, in rings

pinch chilli flakes

salt pepper

4 tbs olive oil

For the pistou*:

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Put the beans, all the vegetables, the garlic, rosemary, chilli pepper and chilli flakes, four tablespoons of olive oil, a good pinch of coarse salt and a pinch of pepper in a bowl and toss. Divide the mixture over two baking trays lined with parchment paper.

Slide the baking trays into the oven and roast for 45-60m, until the vegetables are tender and the beans are just a little crunchy. Switch the baking plates halfway through, so that they both receive the same amount of top and bottom heat.

For the pistou, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. Set aside 12 basil leaves. Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. Then, while the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

Transfer the beans and vegetables to a serving platter. Sprinkle over the rest of the pine nuts and the reserved basil leaves. 

Serve the pistou separately.

*Pistou is the Provencal version of Italian pesto. It's basically the same sauce without Parmigiano.

Couscous sebha godaar (7 vegetables' couscous)

For ➍

500 g couscous

1 kg lamb (preferably with bones)* 

2 big onions 

1 tomato 

½ ts saffron 

a handful of coriander 

olive oil 

1.5 l vegetable broth 

200 g turnips 

200 g young carrots 

100 g peas 

1 zucchini 

¼ cauliflower 

100 g cooked chickpeas 

a dash of butter 

a few mint leaves

 

Heat the oil and brown the meat. Add the ringed onions. Cover.

Peel the tomato, cut into chunks and, as soon as the onions are glazed, add to the mixture.

Add some of the broth, add the coriander and saffron. Bring to a boil and cook the meat*. (For 500 g, this will take 10-15 m for the meat to heat, and another 10 m to cook).

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables in large chunks and add to the mixture, firm vegetables first.

Steam the couscous on top of the meat and vegetables. When ready, remove the couscous and mix some butter through it.

Serve the couscous on a large plate. Put the meat in the middle, and decorate with some of the vegetables, some sauce and a few leaves of mint of fresh coriander. Serve the vegetables and sauce separately.

*You might prefer to roast the meat separately, with some onions, until done and add it to the vegetables and sauce a few m before serving. While not authentic, it preserves the taste and the structure of the meat very well. Nevertheless, there should be onions to start the vegetables' and sauce preparation.

'Couscous' got its name from the Berber 'k'seksu'. It became the dish we know today in North Africa, with some regional differences in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The latter was adopted by French colonialists and introduced in France as staple food. This recipe can claim to be authentically Moroccan, and refers to the magic power of the number 7. It can be made with 7 other vegetables that taste well together. Couscous can be served with other Moroccan food like Moroccan chicken and Moroccan spiced fish, or even with wokked tilapia. Read more couscous recipes. Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Chicken* tajine & quinces

For ➍

1 kg chicken in pieces*

2 quinces

2 yellow or white onions

2 tbs sunflower oil

for the charmoula marinade:

2 tbs olive oil

1 ts turmeric powder

1 ts ginger powder

½ ts cumin powder

¼ ts cardamom powder

½ ts pepper

1 ts paprika powder

1½ ts salt zest of ½ preserved lemon

juice of ½ preserved lemon

pinch of saffron, toasted

1 tbs chopped parsley

1 tbs chopped coriander

5 cl of water

Make the charmoula: chop the zest of your pickled lemon very finely. Squeeze out the pulp with your hands. Saffron threads are crushed into small pieces. Mix with the other herbs, spices and olive oil in a bowl. Heat your tajine** until hot.

Cut onions in half and then into slices. Cut quinces into 6-8 wedges. Pour the sunflower oil into your tajine****. Add the onion slices and make sure they are evenly distributed over the tajine.

Then divide the quince wedges over it. Sprinkle the rest of the charmoula over the tajine with a spoon.

Put the tajine** on a low heat. Let it stew for at least 1 h.

Check after 30 m whether there is still enough moisture in the tajine, as the onions release moisture. If necessary, add a little water.

Serve the tajine warm and traditionally with bread.***

*Cook the recipe with pieces of rabbit. You might to adjust the cooking time.

**For those who don't have a tajine: you can follow the steps above in a sturdy casserole.

Or bake in the oven:: bake the chicken golden brown in a pan and then mix it with half of the charmoula. Take a casserole and place half of your onions in it, then place the chicken, the rest of your onions, the quinces, the rest of your charmoula and the water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-45 m.

***Or serve with couscous, rice, bulgur or other grains. In the latter case  pay close attention to the moisture level, you will probably have to add the entire 5 cl of water or even more.

Herring salad with beetroot & potatoes

For ➋

200 g maatjes herring*

4 small or 2 large beetroots

500 g small potatoes

1 small red onion

1 tbs (grain) mustard

½ lemon, the juice

2 tbs olive oil + 1 extra dash

1 tbs wine vinegar**

1 bunch of dill

salt & black pepper from the mill

First roast the beetroot in the oven at 180 °C. Place the unpeeled beets on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with a dash of olive oil, 1 tbs wine vinegar**, a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap the foil so that no moisture can leak out and roast 40 to 60 m in the oven. The beetroot is done when a potato knife slides through it easily.

Meanwhile, peel the red onion, cut into fine half rings and place in a small bowl. Mix in the juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbs mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside until use and stir whenever you remember. Boil the potatoes in water with a good pinch of salt (no need to peel).

Remove the beetroot from the oven. Let cool, peel and cut into wedges. Cut the drained potatoes in half. Cut the herring into pieces and finely chop the dill.

Mix 2 tbs olive oil under the marinated red onion. Place in a large bowl and mix in the beetroot, potatoes and most of the dill. Finish with the herring and the rest of the dill. Give everything a few extra turns of the pepper mill and a pinch of salt. 

Serve the salad preferably lukewarm.

* Or 200 g herring fillets in vinegar

**Or 1 tbs brine vinegar from the herring

Pesce in cartoccio (Italian fish parcel)

For ➍
4 whole fish (400 g each), cleaned & scaled*
8 tbs (10 cl) dry white wine
1 ts sea salt
1 ts freshly ground black pepper
parchment paper**
battuto:
1 large white onion, cut into thin strips
2 tbs fresh fennel fronds, chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cored & cut into thin strips
2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 tbs (10 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
2 untreated lemons, sliced

Combine battuto ingredients in a large bowl.

Cut four large pieces of parchment paper** long enough to cover length of fish, and fold each in half lengthwise.

Spoon battuto on bottom halves of parchment. Put slices of lemon on top, or chop them in the battuto. Place one fish against the crease of each parchment piece, drizzle with white wine, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put slices of lemon on top, or chop them in the battuto. Cover with fennel fronds.

Fold the parchment at the bottom corner over itself. Continue folding over the previous fold to create a pleat and allow for the paper to be sealed tight. When you have formed a half circle and reached the opposite end of the crease, tuck the paper under the last fold. Place on a large baking sheet.

Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 m or until the fish is cooked through*. Carefully tear paper** open, allowing steam to escape.

Serve with fresh pasta like cavatelli.***

*Use 4 large fish fillets (200 g each) instead, like seawolf. Adjust cooking time to 15-20 m at 200°C, (or 25 m according to thickness of the fish).
**Use aluminum foil instead.

***Use microwave baked spring potatoes, sprinkled with sea salt instead.

A battuto is a mix of vegetables and herbs that can be used to make a sauce, a stew or a soup. One of the first cookery writers to mention the dish was the great Elizabeth David in her Italian Food. She gives no full recipe, just the method and an ample suggestion of battuto. In fact, the battuto can be made of almost anything, even oranges. (The typical Ligurian battuto, a pine nut sauce for pasta, is not suitable for fish... Read the basic Roman battuto recipe or the one used for the Lazio minestra col battuto alla romana.)
Read more on fish in a parcel: Japanese seafood & vegetables, Moroccan spiced fish, fish & fennel, Burmese steamed fish, chicken or fish with lime & peppers, chicken or fish with basil & tomatoes.
Read more Elizabeth David recipes: roasted peppers, lettuce & almond salad, chicken & rice salad, poaching an egg.

Salmon fillet with beech mushrooms & green risotto

For ➍ 

150 g white & 150 g brown beech mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms) 

4 pieces  salmon with skin

300 g risotto rice

1 l stock

1 tsp turmeric 

100 g frozen peas 

1 bunch parsley or chervil, finely chopped 

2 tbs ground Parmigiano 

1 shallot 

olive oil 

3 lumps butter 

1 onion, cut 

5 cloves of garlic, sliced 

Fry the onion and 2 cloves of garlic in the oil for a few m. Add the rice and make sure it is well mixed with the oil. Extinguish with a dash of wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the stock, pepper and turmeric and simmer under the lid over a low heat for 15 m. Add the frozen peas and let it cook for a further 5 m. Add the finely chopped parsley or chervil along with the cheese and the knob of butter to the rice, heat well and season if necessary. 

Cut the feet of the beech mushrooms because they are tough, but use the stems. Heat the oil and fry the shallot and 3 cloves of garlic. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 m. Add pepper and salt.

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat the oil with the butter and fry the salmon skin side down in the pan for a few m. Brown the salmon briefly and firmly on the other side. The salmon can still be pink on the inside, but salmon that has been baked for too long is dry. 

Spoon rice in a deep plate, then dress the salmon and mushrooms. Finish with parsley, chervil and possibly violets.

Caponata

For ➍
2 eggplants
½ celery
2 medium onions
2 tbs pine nuts
6 tbs traditional olive oil
400 g canned tomatoes
200 g green olives stuffed with lemon
5 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs raisins
2 tbs capers
15 g fresh basil

Cut the aubergine into 1½ cm pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave standing for 5 m. Pat dry with kitchen paper. 
Meanwhile, cut the green celery and chop finely. Cut the stems into thin arcs. Slice the onion in thin rings. Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and roast the pine nuts 3 m golden brown. Let cool on a plate. 
Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry half of the eggplant golden brown . Remove from pan and repeat with rest of oil and eggplant. Put all the eggplant together in the pan, mix with the onion and celery and bake for4 m. Add the diced tomatoes, olives, vinegar and sugar. 
Stew with the lid diagonally on the pan over low heat for 30 m until done. 
After 15 m, add the pine nuts, raisins and capers. 
To prevent sticking, toss from time to time. Season with pepper and salt if desired.
Remove from heat and toss in the basil leaves and celery greens.

* Delicious with grilled fish, or / and couscous or ciabatta.
** You can also eat this dish as a starter.
*** You can eat the salad warm, lukewarm or cold.
**** You can make this dish two days in advance, but don't add the basil until just before serving. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Caprese skillet eggs

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
60 g (½ cup) chopped onion
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ ts salt
½ ts pepper
4 large eggs
120 g (½ cup) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
5 (¼ cup) mixed chopped fresh basil, oregano & chives*
toasted sliced pane Pugliese or ciabatta

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 m. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and released their juices, about 5 m.
Use a spoon to make 4 wells in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each one. Cover pan and cook until whites are firm and yolks are just starting to set, about 2 m.**
Sprinkle with cheese and cover again to melt cheese slightly, about 1 m. Add some freshly baked bacon or ham if wanted.
Sprinkle with herbs and serve with toast.

*Use a mix of basilicum pesto (and fresh basilicum) instead.
**Use poached eggs instead.

Poulet au fenouil (French fennel chicken)

For ➍
800 g boneless skin-on chicken thighs
1 ts salt
black pepper to taste
2 tbs flour
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, sliced
baby fennel, trimmed & halved lengthwise (reserve any leaves for garnish)
1 bay leaf
25 cl dry white wine (like sauvignon blanc)
2 tbs crème fraîche*

Cut chicken into manageable pieces (10x10 cm).
Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto both sides of the chicken. Then dust evenly with the flour.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, skin-side down in a single layer (if all the chicken doesn't fit, divide it into two batches to brown). Let the chicken brown undisturbed until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 4-5 m).
Flip the chicken and brown the other side (another 4-5 m). Transfer the browned chicken to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the chicken if necessary.
Add the garlic to the pot and sauté until fragrant.
Add the onions, fennel and bay leaf to the pot and then add the wine. Return the chicken to the pot. Partially cover with a lid and braise over low heat. Check the chicken after 20 m, if there is still a lot of liquid in the pot, continue cooking for another 10-15 m until the chicken is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce.
Add the crème fraîche to a small bowl and whisk in some of the hot braising liquid. This step tempers the crème fraîche and prevents it from curdling. Pour this tempered crème fraîche back into the pot and stir to combine.
Serve the chicken with some chopped fennel leaves.

*Replace with yogurt

Foam omelet with chestnut mushrooms & red onion

For ➋
1 tbs liquid baking product or butter
½ red onion, in half rings
1 sprig of thyme, only the leaves, or ¼ ts dried thyme
125 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
3 eggs, split
2 scallions, in rings

Heat the baking product and fry the onion rings for about 4 m. Add the thyme and the mushrooms and stir fry for a few more m. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with a few tbs of water and spoon the mushroom mixture through it.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff with some salt. Carefully spoon this through the mixture.
Pour this mass back into the same frying pan and let it cook slowly with the lid on the pan for about 5 m.
Turn the omelet over using a flat plate and cook for another 5 m.
Cut the omelet into 4 points and serve immediately. Delicious with a salad and potatoes from the oven as a main dish and with some bread as a lunch dish.

*You can also add strips of ham or smoked chicken.

Battuto for fish

For ➍
1 large white onion, cut into thin strips
2 tbs fresh fennel fronds, chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cored & cut into thin strips
2 tbs chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 tbs (10 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
2 untreated lemons, sliced

Combine battuto ingredients in a large bowl. Cut four large pieces of parchment paper** long enough to cover length of fish, and fold each in half lengthwise.Spoon battuto on bottom halves of parchment. Put slices of lemon on top, or chop them in the battuto.
Use f.i. in pesce in cartoccio.

*Use aluminum foil instead.

A battuto is a mix of vegetables and herbs that can be used to make a sauce, a stew or a soup. One of the first cookery writers to mention the dish was the great Elizabeth David in her Italian Food. She gives no full recipe, just the method and an ample suggestion of battuto. In fact, the battuto can be made of almost anything, even oranges 
(The typical Ligurian battuto, a pine nut sauce for pasta, is not suitable for fish... Read the basic Roman battuto recipe or the one used for the Lazio minestra col battuto alla romana.)
Read more Elizabeth David recipes: roasted peppers, lettuce & almond salad, chicken & rice salad, poaching an egg.

Battuto for meat stew or soup

For ➍
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 tbs celery leaves, chopped
1 tbs parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs chopped pork*
olive oil

Mix and brown in hot olive oil. 
Use as a base for a meat stew, or add some more vegetables and broth to make a soup.

*Optional.

In Roman cooking, a battuto is an initial preparation, that can be developed into a sauce, a stew or a soup. This basic battuto works also well a pasta sauce.
The ingredients are flexible, as in an Italian fish parcel.
The minestra col battuto soup uses a finely cut battuto, with onion, celery, garlic and a bit of parsley and basil added for more flavour. Read the Lazio variation.

Fried cod with fennel mash & vine tomatoes

For ➍
4 cod fillets
500 g vine tomatoes
2 thick tomatoes
2 fennel tubes*, in small pieces
800 g potatoes, in pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 tbs butter
50 cl olive oil
2 tbs olive oil
1 ts thyme dried
2 bay leaves
pepper & amp; salt

Drop the thick tomatoes in boiling water for 10 s and then cool them in cold water. Peel them. Cut into pieces and spoon the seeds out. Mix together with 5 cl olive oil and half of the garlic. Season with pepper and salt.
Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a cooking pot and fry the pieces of fennel ± 5 m over a low heat. * / **
Add the onion, the rest of the garlic, the thyme, the bay leaves and the potatoes. Add water until everything is covered and bring it to the boil. Cook for 20 m. **
Meanwhile, melt 2 tbs of butter in a frying pan and fry the cod fillets for 5 m. Season with salt and pepper and carefully turn the cod fillets over. Add the vine tomatoes to the fish and let everything cook for 5 m.
2 m before the end, add the mixed tomatoes to the frying pan to heat up.
Drain the fennel and the potatoes. Remove the bay leaves and puree together with 1 tbs of butter. Season with pepper and salt.
Divide the fennel mash over the plates and place the pieces of cod on it. Finish with the tomato sauce and a vine of tomatoes.

* Replace the fennel mash with a ready-made potato gratin with tomatoes and mozzarella.
* Boil the potatoes separately. Stew the onion and fennel with the herbs separately until soft (15-20 m). Mix the potatoes with the fennel and mash.

Peri peri sauce

For ➍
1 red onion
4 cloves garlic chopped
1-2 bird's-eye peri peri peppers, chopped
2 tbs sweet, smoked paprika powder
4 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
grated zest plus the juice of 2 lemons
pinch salt & pepper
small bunch basil

Mix the ingredients. Add a little water and chop finely.
You can then let the chicken marinate in the sauce for a while, before you roast it in the oven. If you use chicken thighs, you can first grill them in a grill pan and then bake them in a large baking dish together with the marinade in a hot oven at 200°C for 10 m.

Serve with chicken f.i.

Salade niçoise dressing

For ➏*
10 cl red-wine vinegar
2 ½ tbs minced shallot
2 ts French mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced & mashed to a paste with ½ ts salt
½ ts anchovy paste (or mince a few anchovy)
25 cl extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbs minced fresh thyme
1 ½ tbs finely chopped fresh basil

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well. Add oil slowly. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh tuna & salade niçoise .

*It is quite difficult to get the dressing right with smaller quantities. Make some more and put in the fridge, keeping the salad ingredients apart, or take ⅓ of quantities for 2.

Read more Provençal recipes: fresh tuna & salade niçoise , Provençal garlic sauce, old-fashioned salade niçoise, Saint-Tropez (Provençal) chicken.

Pollo al limone (easy Italian chicken with lemon)

For ➍
1 onion, cut
1 lemon, pressed
10 cl white wine
3 tbs saucebinder
2 tbs cream cheese
1 ts sugar
500 g chicken fillet, in cubes
1 chicken stock cube
25 cl water
basil leaves
olive oil
butter
pepper & salt

Heat a knob of butter and a dash of olive oil in a large pan. Fry the onion glassy. Add the chicken cubes and fry until golden brown.
Extinguish with the wine and simmer for 2 m. Put the lemon juice, the sauce binder and the sugar in a bowl and mix into a smooth paste. Dissolve the stock cube in 25 cl of hot water. Pour this, along with the paste, with the chicken. Stir well until the sauce begins to thicken.
Stir in the cream cheese and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle before serving with the basil. Serve with puree.

Other recipe: lemon chicken

Sauce chasseur (red wine sauce)

For ➍-➏
60 g (6 tbs) butter
60 g (6 tbs) flour
3.5 dl stock
2 slices bacon, cut
1 onion, cut
1 carrot, cut*
1 celery branch*
pili pili, chilli or pepper
1 dl gravy
1 dl red wine
3 tbs red currant jelly**

Make a roux of the flour and butter.
Baste the bacon, onion, carrot and celery. Add to the roux. Add pili-pili.
Finish with roasting gravy, red wine and jelly.

*Traditionally with mushrooms.
**Optional.

Nga baung doke (Burmese steamed fish)

For ➍
1 kg fillets of sole (or whiting, kingfish)
2 ts salt
1 ts turmeric (or kurkuma)
3 onions
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cm fresh ginger
4 tbs coconut
½ ts chilli powder
1 ts flour
1 tbs water
3 tbs double cream
1 tbs (peanut) oil

Pat the fillets dry. Mix salt and turmeric and rub it in the fish.
Chop the onions, garlic and ginger. Put in a blender. Add coconut, chilli, flour and 1 tbs of water. Blend into a paste. Add the cream.
A large foil of aluminium (30 x 30 cm) will serve as a recipient. Smear it with oil. Form ⅕ of the paste in the shape of a fish fillet in the centre. Put a fish fillet on top, then another layer of paste. End with a layer of paste. (Put 2 piles next to each other to avoid tumbling.) Fold the sides of the foil and close it firmly.*
In a steamer, cook water to the boil. Put the package in the steam basket and steam for 20 m.*
Make another basket of mixed bite-size vegetables. Put in the steamer for the last 5 m. Meanwhile cook some rice to serve with.
You can serve this dish with a classic Burmese pumpkin soup, as a cold soup or as a drink, the Burmese way.

*You can make separate foil boxes for each person. Reduce steaming time to 10 m.

Burma has been turned into the military state of Myanmar. Illustration shows old paper money of 1 kwat with fisherman.
Read more en papillote recipes: chicken or fish en papillote with basil & tomatoes, chicken or fish en papillotte with lime & peppers, Italian fish parcel.

Mediterranean chicken skillet

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1¼ ts salt
1 ts black pepper
1 large red onion, cut into 1.5 cm slices
800 g cherry tomatoes
800 g fresh green beans, trimmed*
1 tbs finely chopped garlic
1 tbs drained & rinsed capers
1½ ts chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
10 cl dry white wine

Preheat oven to 230°C. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle chicken on all sides with ¾ ts of the salt and ½ ts of the pepper. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down; cook, undisturbed, until brown and crispy, about 8 m. Flip, and continue to cook until browned on other side, about 4 m. Transfer chicken to a plate. (Chicken will not be cooked through.)
Place onion slices in skillet in a single layer over medium-high; cook, undisturbed, until slightly charred, 4 to 6 m. Flip, and cook until charred on other side, about 2 m. Transfer to plate with chicken.
Add tomatoes and remaining 1 tbs oil to skillet; cook, undisturbed, until blistered, about 4 m. Add green beans, garlic, capers, and oregano; cook until fragrant, about 1 m. Sprinkle with remaining ½ ts each salt and pepper. Stir in white wine. Place charred onions on top of tomato mixture; nestle chicken into tomato mixture.
Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 m (probably more*).
Garnish with oregano before serving.

*It might be useful to pre-cook the green beans in water for 5 m.
**Or cook in skillet on stove-top for about 30-45 m.

Ri­sot­to ag­li spina­ci (spinach risotto)

For ➍
320 g carnaroli rice (vialone nano, arborio)
175 g fresh spinach
50 g celery, finely diced*
70 cl vegetable stock
a small glass of white wine*
60 g grated Parmigiano**
½ (red) onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
40 g extra virgin olive oil
knob of butter
salt & pepper

Blanch the spinach and then chop it finely.***
In a pan, pour in some extra virgin olive oil. Cook the crushed garlic clove, until brown. Remove the garlic and add the onion, finely chopped (add the celery if used). Cook the onion (& celery) until it becomes transparent. You can then add the spinach, stir, and season to taste. Set aside. (When using purée, add the spinach after cooking the rice).
In a casserole, toast the rice with 20 gr of extra virgin olive oil. When the rice is hot throughout, (add the wine and let evaporate), the boiling stock all at once and mix gently. Cover the casserole with the lid and allow to cook for 15 m on a low flame.(See tip).
When the rice is cooked, add the spinach, remove from the fire and add the grated Parmigiano (or Taleggio). Mix thoroughly but gently until the cheese melts.
Allow to rest for 2 m in casserole with lid on and covered with a cloth.
Serve with a few lemon slices, or sprinkle with some lemon juice.
Serve as a side dish with grilled fish or meat.

*Optional.
**Or use cubed Taleggio, rind removed & cut into small blocks
***Purée them if you want. Put the spinach in a bowl lined with a clean dish towel. Pour boiling water over the vegetable. When cold enough to handle, squeeze the water out of the spinach with the towel. Purée in a food processor with 1 tbs of butter. Adjust with pepper.

Read how to make a quick risotto.