Salmon with lentils & sweet potato salad & orange dressing

For ➍
4 salmon fillets, skinless, 500 g
1 ts chilli powder
1 ts salt
salad:
160 dry lentils, boiled, drained
400 g sweet potatoes, in cubes of 2x2cm
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
80 g rucola
150 g feta
salt
orange dressing:
3 tbs butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 orange, grated zest & juice
2 tbs apple vinegar

Prepare salad.
Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Place sweet potato cubes on baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and chili pepper. Bake 20 m.
Mix sweet potatoes with the lentils, rucola and feta in a large bowl.
Prepare orange dressing:
Melt butter, and stir until golden brown. Grate zest of ½ orange and add the juice of the whole orange. Add vinegar and remove pan from the heat.
Prepare salmon. Rub the salmon with chili and salt. Bake 6-7 m on one side over medium heat 1- m on the other side.
Serve the salmon with lentil salad and orange dressing.

Stir-fried Brussels sprouts with chicken, avocado & cherry tomatoes

For ➍
2 tbs mild olive oil
300 g minced chicken
1 clove garlic
1 tbs herbes de Provence
500 g small Brussels sprouts
250 g cherry tomatoes
1 avocado
85 g arugula/ rucola

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and stir-fry the minced meat in 5 m.
Finely chop the garlic. Add the herbs and any salt to the minced meat and stir-fry. Meanwhile, clean the sprouts, add and stir fry 5 m.
Halve the tomatoes, add and stir-fry for 2 m. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the kernel and scoop the flesh out of the skin with a spoon. Cut into cubes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the avocado together with the arugula.

Tortilla with endives & raw milk goat cheese

For ➍
1 shallot, chopped
1 zucchini (or 100 g peas, frozen), cubed
4 heads of chicory, cored cut in strips
2 large flowery potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 tbs finely chopped chives
6 eggs
150 g raw milk goat cheese
baking butter
pepper & salt
rucola salad

Boil the potatoes in salty water.
Bake the shallot in a little butter until glassy. Add the pre-cooked potato cubes and fry for a while. Add the zucchini and chicory and let it bake. Season with pepper and salt.
Beat the eggs and pour them over the vegetables. Crumble the goat cheese over the mixture. Put the lid on the pan and let it cook on a low heat for 10 m.
Turn the tortilla and let it cook for 2 m.
Finish the tortilla with the chopped chives and serve with the rucola salad.

Rucola salad

For ➍
100 g rucola
150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 scallions, cut into rings
2 tbs chopped walnuts
juice of ½ lime
olive oil

Mix the cherry tomatoes, the spring onions and the walnuts under the arugula. Season the salad with the lime juice, olive oil, pepper and salt.
Serve with endives tortilla, or omelet.

Rucola soup

For ➍
1 large shallot
1 garlic
2 small loose potatoes
1 l chicken broth
150 g rucola
2 tbs of cream
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
olive oil
marjoram dried
pepper & salt

Peel and chop the clove of garlic and the shallot coarsely. Fry in a dash of olive oil until the onion turns translucent. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes. Add to the onion and put immediately with the chicken broth. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 15 m.
Finely chop the arugula. Add once the potato cubes are well cooked. Allow to warm up and lower the heat. Mix into a smooth soup. Season with pepper, salt and some dried marjoram. Add 2 tbs of cream and warm on a low heat. Meanwhile slice the sundried tomatoes into fine strips.
Serve the soup with a slice of sundried tomatoes in each plate. Serve with toasted bread.

Kibbeh & fattoush (Lebanese lamb meatballs & bread salad)

For ➍
500 g lamb minced meat
100 g of rucola
4 meat tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 little-gem lettuce rougette
½ lemon
1 flat flat parsley
4 sprigs of mint (fresh)
1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
120 g bulgur
2 pita bread
3 tbs raisins
3 dl vegetable stock (½ cube or 1 ts powder dissolved in 3 dl hot water)
6 tbs olive oil
1 ts ground cumin
1 ts ground coriander
½ ts cinnamon
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
black pepper & salt

Put the bulgur in a bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and simmer for 10 m. Let it cool down.
Cut the red onion and garlic into julienne.
Deseed the tomatoes and cut into pieces.
Cut the unpeeled cucumber into 2, length wise. deseed with a spoon. Cut in 0.5 cm thick slices.
Chop the parsley leaves roughly. Pull the mint leaves from the stalks.
Roast the pita bread in the toaster or in a preheated oven.
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a pan and glaze the onion and garlic with the cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper and coriander. Mix with the bulgur and the raisins through the lamb meat. Add black pepper and salt. Roll the mixture with your hands into balls. Shape each ball into an oval so that they get the shape of a lemon.
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a pan and bake the balls golden brown, 4-5 m.
Mix the lettuce leaves with the rucola, the cucumber, the tomatoes, the chopped parsley and the mint leaves.
Squeeze half the lemon (you need 2 tbs of juice). Stir 3 tbs olive oil in and add black pepper and salt. Mix the dressing under the salad.
Trim the pita bread in coarse pieces and mix under the salad.
Serve the baked balls with the salad.

Kibbeh, Arabic for 'balls', can be made from lamb, camel or beef. Sometimes they are covered in mashed potatoes before baking. Serve them while still hot, with a salad, like in this proposition, while or a snack with yogurt (or sour cream) and lime wedges. They can also be served at room temperature and they go great with pita bread, hummus, babaganoush and/or tabbouleh.
Kibbeh look-alikes are calle quibe or kibe in Portuguese. In the Dominican Republic they call it quipe or pipe.
Fattoush is a classic Lebanese bread salad, that can be eaten on its own or with meat.

Chicken with oyster mushrooms

For ➍
400 g chicken fillet, sliced
4 tbs balsamico vinegar
2 garlic cloves
6 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
1 small heart of rucola
lemon juice
150 g oyster mushrooms

Slice the oyster mushrooms*. Make a marinade of 3 tbs of balsamico vinegar, 2 tbs of olive oil, pressed garlic, salt and pepper. Put the chicken slices in the marinade for 10 m.
Heat the rest of the oil in a wok. Stir-fry the mushrooms until golden brown.
Remove from the wok. Stir-fry the chicken for 5 m.
Add the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 1 m.
Glacé with 1 tbs of balsamico vinegar.
Divide the rucola on the dishes. Sprinkle with some lemon juice and oil. Add the chicken and mushrooms.
Serve with warm bread.

*Or leave the oyster clusters complete and bake mildly for 15 m. Sprinkle with bread crumbs when done.

Read a similar mushrooms for chicken recipe.

Panzanella (Italian bread salad)

For ➌-➍
4-5 thick slices of stale, springy country bread with a good crust*/**
1 small red onion
1-2
 tbs red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 medium, crunchy cucumber, thinly sliced (you could also peel if you like)
1 handful rucola, washed and pat dry
salt & pepper, to taste***
extra-virgin olive oil
10-12 basil leaves

Pass the slices of bread under running water and let sit in a bowl to soften while preparing the other ingredients.
Slice the red onion very thinly and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tbs of red wine vinegar and cover with cool water. Let sit 10 m (this will take some of the edge off the raw onion).
When the bread pieces are springy to the touch, tear and crumble the bread in your hands (depending on the type and freshness of your bread, the crusts may be too hard. If so, you may wish to remove them, but some like the chewiness of the crust). If the bread is still too hard, you can sprinkle on some more water, but keep in mind that you’ll be adding vinegar and oil to the salad as well, which the bread will also soak up. If you have added too much water, simply give your bread a squeeze to remove the excess liquid before adding to the salad. Place the bread in a large bowl with the cucumber and rucola.
Drain and add the onion to the salad. Season with a good pinch of salt***7*, a few twists of pepper, a healthy dose of olive oil, a splash or two of red wine vinegar, and toss until well combined.
Add the basil leaves, torn into pieces just before serving****.

*the bread should make up half of the volume of this salad
**ciabatta would work well
***use chopped anchovies instead
****this dish is best eaten about an hour after preparing, to give time for the flavors to combine. That said, it does not keep well for more than a day because the fresh ingredients tend to get ruined by the vinegar.

This is an early version without tomatoes, which now have become a staple ingredient in most recipes. You could add 2 tomatoes, peeled, sliced

No-cook pasta sauce

For ➊
tomatoes*
olive oil
fresh basil, mint or parsley
garlic clove
Parmigiano or pecorino cheese**
salt & pepper

Chop tomatoes, mix with olive oil, chopped fresh basil, mint, or parsley, season with salt and pepper and a bit of chopped garlic (or 2 bruised garlic cloves, remove before serving).

Let rest at room temperature for 30 m to let flavors meld.

Cook pasta in well-salted water, drain, do not rinse, combine with sauce, and toss well.

Add cheese. Toss again, and check seasoning.

Serve on warm (not hot) plates.

*Or dice very ripe tomatoes. Chop some fresh rucola. Toss this and some toasted pine nuts with hot pasta; grind over some pepper. Squeeze a garlic clove. Top with grated pecorino or Parmigiano.
**Use softer cheeses like fresh mozzarella, brie, goat or feta cheese, they will meld into the hot pasta, making for a luxurious texture.

Read the similar Sophia Loren raw tomato sauce or cold tomato sauce.

Pasta salad with grilled halloumi & asparagus

For ➍
500 g penne
400 g halloumi cheese
250 g cherry tomatoes
500 g white asparagus
6 spring onions, sliced finely
80 g rucola
a bunch of basil
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
pepper & coarse salt
tomated cold sauce:
10 cl yogurt
100 g Parmigiano cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 clove of garlic, peeled
juice of ½ lemon
40 g tomato paste
1 tbs (sharp ) mustard
1.5 dl peanut oil
a dash of Worcester sauce
few drops of Tabasco
salt

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt.
Cook the penne al dente. [Read tip]. Drain. Plunge in a colander and cool under running cold water.
Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Peel the asparagus. Remove ends.
Fill a pot with enough cold water and add a pinch of salt.
Place the asparagus in cold water. Heat the pot over medium heat and bring the water up to boiling point. When the water bubbles, put the fire out. Keep the asparagus in the warm water for 5-10 m. [Or use microwave].
Drain the vegetables to drain on a clean cloth or paper towel. set aside.
Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a tall mixing cup. Discard the egg whites.  Add a little spicy mustard, and a  clove of garlic.
Add the lemon juice and a tiny splash of water.
Blend the ingredients with a mixer. Trickle the oil in until you are left with a hefty amount of bound mayonnaise.
Add the yogurt and mix. Add the tomato puree, with a dash of English and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Add the Parmigiano and mix.
Spoon some of the dressing over the cold pasta and mix to cover all pasta.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add the finely diced onion and tomato wedges into the bowl with pasta and sauce.
Cut the drained sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips.
Rinse the rucola and basilicum.  Sprinkle the torn basil and sun-dried tomato pieces on top of the pasta salad. Add some pepper from the mill and some coarse salt.
Mix the pasta salad and put them in a large serving bowl.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus.
Cut the solid halloumi into slices about 1 cm wide. Move the asparagus and halloumi to the hot  BBQ grill of grill pan. Turn the slices of halloumi after 1 m. Remove the asparagus when they have some colour.
Cut the grilled asparagus in 3-4equal pieces. Divide the grilled halloumi into bite-sized chunks.
Arrange the pieces of grilled cheese and asparagus pieces on top of the pasta salad and serve immediately. Put the rest of the sauce on the table.

Seared salmon & fennel salad

For ➍
2 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, fronds reserved
2 bunches (about 200 g) rucola, stemmed
4 salmon fillets (150 g each), skin on, scaled, pin bones removed, skin dried*
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
3 tbs olive oil
vinaigrette:
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 ts grated lemon zest
2 ts fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
½ ts sugar
¾ ts sea salt
freshly ground pepper

In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the extra–virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and lots of pepper. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Chop the fennel fronds (3 tbs). In a large bowl, combine the fennel, 2 tbs of the fennel fronds (saving the rest for garnish), and the rucola. Toss lightly to mix and set aside.

Season the salmon on all sides with a little salt and pepper. Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, swirl 3 tbs of olive oil to coat the pan. Add the salmon, skin side down, and cook until the skin is crisp, about 4 m. Carefully turn the salmon and cook until the fillets are almost opaque throughout, but still very moist, about 4 m more. Transfer to a warm plate.

Shake the dressing vigorously again and then toss the salad with it. Arrange the salad on 4 dinner plates. Place a salmon fillet in the center, on top of the salad, garnish with the remaining fennel fronds, and serve immediately. A white Rhône wine will fit perfectly.

*To skin-dry salmon (or any other fish), remove as much water of the skin as possible. Draw a knife blade back and forth over the fish, the way a wiper blade moves across a windshield. The pressure compresses the skin and squeezes the water to the surface, and the knife blade carries it away. Repeat this until no more water rises to the surface. Wipe the knife blade clean with a paper towel to remove what looks like grayish scum.

Read a similar recipe: grilled salmon & fennel salad.

Scallops & rucola pasta

For ➍
12 scallops
400 g spaghetti*
50 g rucola
50 g Parmigiano cheese*
1 red bell pepper
½ lemon
thyme
olive oil
salt & pepper

Peel the red pepper. Remove seeds and cut the red flesh into cubes.

Bake the pepper in 1 tbs of olive oil on low heat. Add the thyme. Bake 5 m. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti al dente uncovered in salted water.*

Cut the scallops very cold in 3 fine slices**.

Drain the pasta*. Add a dash of olive oil, rucola, diced peppers, a few drops of lemon juice and pepper. Let the rucola shrink for a few m on low heat.

Serve the pasta* on warm plates. Put the thin slices of raw scallop on the pasta. Garnish with Parmigiano shavings.

*Serve with cheese ravioli and omit the Parmigiano.
**Don't slice the scallops and bake them slightly.

Read the scallops tip.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

A quick spaghetti

For ➍
500 g spaghetti
4 slices pancetta (½ cm thick)
12 small tomatoes
3 onions*
1 clove garlic
bunch arugula or rucola
bunch fresh basil
100 g pine nuts
Parmigiano cheese
5 cl olive oil
black pepper & salt**

Put a large pot of water on the fire. Add a generous portion of salt and bring water to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook the spaghetti al dente, 7-8 m.

Scatter the pine nuts in a fireproof dish. Toast them under a hot grill until golden brown, 2-3 m. Shake a few times to colour the seeds evenly colored.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges.***

Chop the onion and garlic. Heat olive oil. Cook them without browning.****

Cut pancetta into strips. Add to the onions mix. Reheat.

Add tomato chunks, be careful to keep the chunks intact while warming.

Drain the pasta. Add the pasta into the mixture of onion, garlic, pancetta and tomatoes. Add black pepper.

Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Just before serving, add the rucola and basil leaves.

Sprinkle the pine nuts over the pasta. Add some shavings of Parmigiano cheese.

*Use large shallots instead.
**Salt can be omitted, as the pancetta and the Parmesan already contains salt.
***When using larger tomatoes, peel and deseed them.
****Put a lid on the pan.

Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps Fra Diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.

Pear & gorgonzola salad

For ➍
4-6 slices of walnut bread, cut into long triangles*
olive oil
6 small pears, halved
125 g rucola
150 g Gorgonzola, pulled into pieces
50 g toasted pine nuts
1 lemon, halved

Brush the walnut bread with a little oil and grill it until crisp on both sides. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the pears cut-side down until they brown, then flip them and cook the other side for 2 m or until they start to soften. Divide the walnut toast between 4 shallow bowls and heap some rocket on top, then scatter the cheese and pine nuts over. 
Add 3 pear halves to each bowl and dress with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and seasoning.

*Use brown bread, and add 50 g chopped walnuts.
**Or toast bread, spread with room-warm cheese, push chopped nuts in, and cover with slices of cold pear.

Cavatelli con la rucola (pasta with rocket)

For ➍
400 g cavatelli pasta*
300 g rocket
8 tbs olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
4 anchovies, desalted & boned**
salt
pecorino cheese

Salt some water, bring to the boil. Drop in the cavatelli. When cooked al dente (when fresh 20 m), drain. Drop in the rocket 5 to 10 m before end.
Meanwhile, chop the garlic and sauté in olive oil. Add the anchovies. Let them dissolve in the oil to make a sauce.
Put the sauce over the cavatelli.
Sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese to serve.

*Use orecchiette pasta instead.
**Use shredded smoked ham instead. Make it vegetarian by using capers.

Sugo alla puttanesca (Naples' hookers' sauce)

For ➋
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 pitted chopped black olives
2 tbs capers
1 ts anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets)
1 tbs fresh oregano leaves or 1 ts dried
⅛ ts crushed red pepper flakes (or chili powder)*
1 can diced tomatoes (420 g)**
3 tbs chopped fresh rucola***

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium fire. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 m. Add the parsley, olives, capers, anchovy paste, oregano and crushed red pepper to the skillet, and sauté for 2 m more. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 m. Stir in the rucola*** and simmer for 1 m more, until the greens wilt slightly.

Serve with spaghetti, rigatoni or a (non-stuffed) pasta of choice.

*Or chop a small chili pepper.
**Use ripe Italian flesh tomatoes instead.
***Replace with Belgian endives for a special taste. Make a quicker version by deleting rucola.

The sauce originated in Naples, its name derived from puttanesca, the hookers' way. Read the story. Picture shows Italian women offering entertainment in Naples after WWII.
Spicier variant: Spaghetti alla puttanesca.