Manu’s Menu

Authentic Italian Home Cooking & More

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Mint Chicken Pita Pockets

Mint Chicken Pita Pockets

These Mint Chicken Pita Pockets are another low-fat lunch idea I developed when I was having gallstone issues. I made it with fat-free mayo, but you can use your favourite brand/type. I used my recipe for Poached Chicken in a Mint Sauce to fill these pita pockets and I also added some lettuce and tomatoes…

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Warm Pizza Dip

Warm Pizza Dip

You know how I always complain about “Australian mozzarella”? It always feels like plastic and it never stretches enough, like real mozzarella should. Remember my video on how mozzarella is made in Italy? Well, my dear Sydneysiders, I have great news for you. I found a place that makes very good fresh mozzarella: La Stella…

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Prosciutto Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Meatloaf

Prosciutto Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Meatloaf

As you know, after my gallbladder removal, I have started to gradually re-introduce fats into my diet. I love meatloaf (my mum makes a mean one – click here for the recipe), but I still find beef mince a bit too heavy to digest. So, I have decided to try a chicken meatloaf. That’s how…

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Chicken Tonnato Wrap

Chicken Tonnato Wrap

If you follow my blog, you will know that I have recently been operated to remove my gallbladder, as I had gallstones. In the weeks before the surgery, I had to follow a strictly low-fat (fat-free, really!) diet. This Chicken Tonnato Wrap was one of my favourite lunches. It was filling, healthy and satisfying.  I…

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Pasta with Garlic and Parsley served in a white ceramic bowl.

Pasta with Garlic and Parsley (Pasta con Aglietto e Prezzemolino)

Simple ingredients make Pasta with Garlic and Parsley a quick Italian dish with silky strands, mellow garlic flavour and a fresh herbal finish.

Pear Gorgonzola Gelato in Hazelnut Balsamic Tuiles

Pear Gorgonzola Gelato in Hazelnut Balsamic Tuiles

Today I am teaming up with Jomei’s Fine Foods for a very special recipe I developed to showcase their newest product: their Organic Sweet Balsamic Reduction.  The moment I tasted it, I knew I wanted to make something sweet with it, but I wanted to go beyond the usual pairing of balsamic vinegar and strawberries. You…

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Eggless Chocolate Cake

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Recently we celebrated my eldest daughter’s 9th birthday. We usually have a party at our place and I take care of the food (remember the Frozen theme?), but this year we had to do something a bit different. Due to my recent surgery, I was not able to organise the usual spread of food, so…

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Chicken Involtini with Fontina, Speck and Peas

Chicken Involtini with Fontina, Speck and Peas

I love chicken involtini. Well, to be honest I love all involtini, especially when they are filled with cheese! I am always looking for different stuffing. In this case, I filled the rolls with Fontina cheese and smokey Italian Speck. I then cooked them with peas and a little bit of cream – mainly to…

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Turkey Eggplant Caviar Lettuce Wrap

Turkey Eggplant Caviar Lettuce Wrap

If you follow my blog, you will know that I have recently been operated to remove my gallbladder, as I had gallstones. In the weeks leading to the surgery, I had to follow a strictly low-fat diet. As such, I had to come up with alternatives for my meals that included no more than 2…

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Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant is one of my favourite ingredients when it comes to make anything with vegetables. It is a very common ingredient in Italian cooking, especially in the south where it is present at almost every meals during the summer months, when eggplant is at its best. Today I will share with you a recipe for…

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Celery stick being dipped into olive oil vinaigrette beside carrots and cherry tomatoes.

Pinzimonio (Tuscan Crudités)

Pinzimonio is a traditional Italian crudités platter served with olive oil and vinegar for dipping. It comes together in minutes and makes a fresh appetiser or colourful platter.

Pesche al Vino

Pesche al Vino

Today’s recipe takes me back to my summers in Sicily where my aunt would often finish a delicious meal with these Pesche al Vino – aka Italian Peaches in Wine. She would skip the sugar to be completely honest, but the smell of the ripe peaches macerated in wine is still vivid in my mind….

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Chicken with Black Olive Tapenade

Chicken with Black Olive Tapenade

I often cook chicken at home as it is my kids’ favourite kind of meat, so I know they will eat it without making a fuss. Today’s recipe is Chicken with Black Olive Tapenade and it is a variation of a Rabbit recipe I published a long time ago. In this case, I use chicken…

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Monica Sandwich

Monica Sandwich

Today’s recipe makes me a little emotional, as it brings back lots of memories from my teen age years. We used to have a cafe in our high school from where we could purchase food and drinks and one of my favourite sandwiches was called “Monica”… I think it was named after the girl who…

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Close-up of cut wedge revealing airy interior and lightly crisp edges.

Schiacciata

Fresh from the oven, Schiacciata is golden and airy, brushed generously with olive oil, a Tuscan flatbread pressed thin into tins and baked until lightly crisp on top.

Pasta with Meatballs

Pasta with Meatballs

Today’s post is really important for me. As you know, I am all for real Italian food. That’s the very reason why I started this blog. I have always stated that Spaghetti with Meatballs is not a classic Italian dish. And I completely stand by it. That said, my mother used to make meatballs in…

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Stracchino and Speck Risotto

Stracchino and Speck Risotto

Today’s recipe is a delicious and almost sinful risotto: Stracchino and Speck Risotto. I love cheese and Stracchino is an Italian mild soft cheese that I adore. And I love Italian Speck. If you are not familiar with it, it is a smoked prosciutto from South Tyrol, in the Italian Alps. I use it often…

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Close-up of Chicken Gorgonzola with creamy sauce, walnuts and parsley.

Chicken Gorgonzola (Italian Scaloppine)

Warm, creamy Gorgonzola melts into tender chicken to make Chicken Gorgonzola, a rich and satisfying dish ready in about 30 minutes.

Kinder Cereali

Kinder Cereali

Since moving to Australia 10 years ago (!), there are many things I am not able to eat as they are not sold here. In all this time, I have learnt how to make some of these things like sofficini or pizzoccheri for example. Today’s recipe is another one of such items: Kinder Cereali. It…

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Pasta with braised onions topped with thyme and black pepper in a patterned bowl.

Braised Onion Pasta

Ready in about 20 minutes, Braised Onion Pasta is a practical dinner with simple ingredients, satisfying portions, and flavours suited to the whole family. Looking for a quick, easy, and affordable dinner idea? One of my mother’s recipes, Pasta with Braised Onions, or Pasta con la Cipolla as we say, is simple to make and…

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Italian Grilled Vegetables

Italian Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables are a staple at our place especially in spring and summer. In fact, this recipe is dedicated to all my friends in the Northern hemisphere (though my readers who are going into winter should definitely bookmark it for later!). When I met my husband, he barely ate any vegetable. True story. But these…

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Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad

I often have salad for lunch and I like to jazz it up with different ingredients and flavours so as not to get too bored. Today I would like to share with you the recipe for a very satisfying salad made with grilled chicken. This is no ordinary grilled chicken though, it is marinated in…

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Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza Risotto

Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza Risotto

The first time I made this risotto, I did it to use up some of the eggplant filling that had remained after making Eggplant Sofficini. The result was so good that I started making extra filling in order to make risotto with it! I decided to also had smoked scamorza to it because the smoky…

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Chilled glass of mango liqueur beside ripe mango halves on a wooden board.

Mango Liqueur

Bring a little sunshine to your glass with this Mango Liqueur. Sweet, fruity, and perfectly balanced, it’s an easy homemade drink full of fresh tropical flavour.

Pasta with Peas

Pasta with Peas #SundaySupper

Welcome to this week’s #SundaySupper event which is all about spring! As you know, I live in Australia, which means we are in the middle of autumn at the moment, but that doesn’t stop the Italian in me to think of April as spring… so… Today’s recipe is part of my little series about quick, simple…

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Hot espresso being poured over a scoop of gelato to make a classic Affogato al Caffè, an Italian coffee dessert.

Affogato al Caffe

A quick pour, a short pause, and instant pleasure. Affogato al Caffe is Italy’s way of slowing down with coffee and sweetness combined into one perfect, creamy moment.

Cream of Asparagus and Spumante Risotto

Cream of Asparagus and Spumante Risotto

I have always loved asparagus. When spring comes, they are on my table at least once a week! I love them poached with home-made mayo or aioli, but I also like to make risotto with them. I have already shared an Asparagus Risotto with Raspadüra recipe on the blog, but this Cream of Asparagus and…

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Welcome to Manu’s Menu!

Hi! I am Manu, the author of Manu's Menu. I was born and brought up in Italy and my blog can show you how to create authentic Italian food in your own home! Read More…

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Video Recipe: Orecchiette with Crudaiola Sauce

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manusmenu

Food blogger, cookbook author, food photographer & stylist.

A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always ha A batch of homemade flaxseed crackers is always handy to have in the kitchen.

They're crisp, easy to store, and pair well with dips, soft cheeses, fresh vegetables, or your favourite toppings whenever you need a quick snack.

#flaxseedcrackers #mealprep #healthysnacks #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a driz Creamy goat cheese, crunchy pistachios, and a drizzle of honey 🍯

The combination of creamy, sweet, and crunchy textures makes this such an easy appetiser to put together when you want something simple but a little different.

Serve with crusty bread or your favourite crackers and enjoy. 

#pistachios #HoneyDrizzle #sharingplatter #manusmenu
After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast After sharing the scrambled eggs and tomato toast recently, I thought it would be a good time to highlight one of my favourite herb blends 🌿

Herbes de Provence is a traditional French herb blend usually made with herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, and savoury.

It's a simple way to add extra flavour to everyday ingredients and works especially well with eggs, tomatoes, roasted vegetables, potatoes, chicken, and soups.

Have you used Herbes de Provence before?

#herbesdeprovence #frenchcooking #mediterraneanfood #herbblends #manu #manusmenu
Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of thos Scrambled eggs with tomato on toast is one of those simple meals that always works 🍅

Warm, savoury, filling, and made with ingredients most people already have at home.

#scrambledeggs #QuickMeals #breakfastideas #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and This calamari risotto turned out creamy, rich, and so satisfying 🍚

Made as a low FODMAP recipe, it’s a homemade seafood dinner option that feels filling and easier to enjoy for those with sensitive stomachs or lower FODMAP dietary needs.

 #lowfodmap #calamaririsotto #seafoodrecipes #homemademeals #manu #manusmenu
Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is Pumpkin has a naturally gentle sweetness, which is why ingredients like ginger, coconut cream, herbs, curry paste, or lime work so well with it.

Those subtle layers of flavour help create soups that feel comforting, warming, and more rounded 💛

 #pumpkinsoup #thaifood #homemademeals #homemade #manusmenu
Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-ins Smooth, creamy, and filled with delicious Thai-inspired flavours 🍲 This pumpkin soup makes such a lovely homemade dinner idea ✨

#PumpkinSoupRecipe #homemadefood #thaifood #manu #manusmenu
A sweet homemade treat for the person who made lif A sweet homemade treat for the person who made life sweeter first 💖
These chocolate date hearts are filled with soft dates, rich chocolate, and a little homemade love for Mother’s Day 🌷

 #mothersday #mothersdaygiftideas #datehearts #manusmenu
more stories beyond the menu ✈️ #MatchaMoments #t more stories beyond the menu ✈️

#MatchaMoments #travelreels #travelwithmanuela
A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸 These chocolate A simple treat for Mother’s Day 🌸

These chocolate covered dates pair perfectly with a warm cup of tea and make a lovely homemade gift or afternoon treat.

Simple, sweet, and easy to make at home.

#mothersday #chocolatecovereddates #HomemadeTreats #dessertideas #teatime #manusmenu
This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when This iced chai is simple to make and perfect when you want something calm and comforting.

Made with a few ingredients and warm spices, it’s a drink you can easily prepare at home without much effort.

Sometimes it’s the simple drinks that you keep coming back to. 💓

#icedchai #homedrinks #teatime #homemade #manu #manusmenu
Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes differen Ever wondered why your iced matcha tastes different every time?

It’s not just about the ingredients. Small details like the quality of the matcha, how you sift it, and how you whisk it can completely change the result.

Even the texture and colour can tell you a lot before you even take a sip.

Once you start paying attention to these steps, it becomes much easier to get a smoother, more balanced matcha at home 🍵

 #matcha #icedmatcha #Matchalatte #JapaneseTea #manusmenu
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