Mediterranean Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Manu’s Menu

Danubio

Today I am going to share with you a traditional recipe from Naples: Danubio. It can be considered the “cousin” of both savoury baba and casatiello. Danubio is a savoury brioche made up of many small balls filled with a variety of fillings. It is often prepared for Easter, but not only. It is traditionally…

Cicatelli all’Arrabbiata

If you follow Manu’s Menu you will very luckily know by now that I have just written a book about pasta: Homemade Pasta Made Simple. It’s been available for pre-order on Amazon for a few weeks, and it has now been officially released! Yay! Click here to get your copy now! So, to celebrate such…

Veal Marsala

I feel honored to be guest posting today for one of my favorite food blogger friends: Denise of Easy and Delish Recipes! Besides being what I would call an “artist” in the kitchen, Denise is also an amazing person! For such a special occasion, I wanted to make something that truly represents me and my…

Lamb Tajine

There is nothing I like more than to eat stew on a winter’s day. Sometimes, I like to add a touch of exotic to my dinner, so instead of making a “normal stew”, I make tajine. I have already shared my recipes for Lamb Tajine with Quinces and Lemon Chicken Tajine with Olives – 2 of my…

Italian Sausage with Bell Peppers and Potatoes

I LOVE sausage. As a child, it used to be my favourite dish ever. We would almost only have it in summer though, as we would find the best sausage in Sicily. We would barbecue it and enjoy it in the most simple way. It was so good that you didn’t really have to add…

Beef Carpaccio alla Cipriani

Carpaccio is a dish of thinly sliced raw meat or fish served with a salad and a vinaigrette or a sauce. The beef version is one of my favourite appetisers. Carpaccio was invented in the 1950s by Giuseppe Cipriani from Harry’s Bar in Venice and it soon became very popular throughout Italy. He named it…

Italian Rice Salad

I recently realised I still hadn’t posted the recipe for Italian Rice Salad. And that my dear readers, after over 6 years of blogging, is a huge oversight! Needless to say, the issue required to be addressed immediately. Italians eat rice salads quite often during spring and summer and there are countless recipes. In fact,…

Pasta with Baby Eggplants

Finally I am back with another pasta recipe! This Pasta with Baby Eggplants is a dish my grandmother used to make in Sicily. I have always loved it… it’s very easy to make and whenever I find baby eggplants at the grocer, I always buy them to make this pasta. What sets this sauce aside…

Italian Salad

Some readers have asked me to share more Italian side dishes on the blog. I actually hadn’t realised that I didn’t have many! It’s probably because Italian side dishes are pretty easy and straightforward and I never think they are “blog worthy”. But then again, they may be straightforward for me, having grown up in…

Salt-Crusted Snapper

I am very excited about today’s recipe! Salt-Crusted Snapper is one of my mum’s signature dishes. In fact, she made it for us just a few days ago and I managed to get her recipe for it to share with all of you here on the blog! Aren’t you lucky? If you like fish, this…

Pignoccata

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras or, as we Italians call it, Carnevale! Carnevale is a big thing in Italy and all kids dress up for almost a week and go on parades with all kinds of floats. It’s a little bit like “our Halloween”, when kids tell jokes, make pranks and throw coriandoli (coloured paper confetti)…

Sicilian Sweet and Sour Mackerel

My parents are here for the holidays and, like every year, I get to eat food from my childhood cooked by my mother. We used to eat a lot of fish when living in Italy and today I will share my mother’s recipe for one of my favourite dishes: Sicilian Sweet and Sour Mackerel –…

Baked Ndunderi

Today I am back with a traditional recipe from the south of Italy: Baked Ndunderi (pronounced “doon-der-ee”) . Ndunderi are hand-made gnocchi-like pasta from the Amalfi Coast, near Naples. I must admit that, unfortunately, this pasta is not very well known around Italy, which is a real pity as it tastes amazing. Ndunderi are a…

Strawberries in White Wine

Today I am going to share with you a very quick and easy end of meal recipe: Strawberries in White Wine. This recipe is similar to the Peaches in Wine recipe I have already shared with you and, just like it, this too can easily substitute dessert, as the wine becomes almost a strawberry flavoured…

Sicilian Bell Pepper Involtini

Today’s recipe is a very simple appetiser or side dish idea: Sicilian Bell Pepper Involtini. I love capsicums (or bell peppers), I always have. I have already shared a Bell Pepper Involtini recipe before, but this one is different. They are filled with what we call the ”Zangaras’ trademark”, as we use this same stuffing…

Lemon Chicken Wrap with Aioli

Today I am going to share the recipe for a delicious sandwich: Lemon Chicken Wrap with Aioli. This recipe is an ode to the Mediterranean: the chicken marinade’s flavours are of clear Greek-Turk inspiration, while the Aioli component brings in the south of France and Spain and the arugula (also known as rocket) and tomatoes…

Potato-based Focaccia

I love baking all sorts of bread, but Focaccia is my favourite. I have always loved eating it: Italian focaccia is AMAZING and it is one of the things I miss the most about Italy. As there is no way of finding a focaccia that is just as good where I live, I have been…

Sicilian Eggplant Bake

Eggplant are my absolute favourite summer vegetable (while artichokes top my list in winter!) and today’s recipe is an absolute keeper. It is a Sicilian Eggplant Bake made with tomato sauce, salami, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano and topped with beaten eggs. It is then baked till golden brown. It is sort of like a variation…

Olive Breadsticks

Olive Breadsticks – aka Grissini alle Olive – are a variation of the traditional “grissini stirati” recipe that I have already shared with you a while ago. I often make my own breadsticks, as they taste so much better than any store bought variety. I love the fact that they are crunchy and they are…

Tuna Ricotta Balls

Today I am going to share with you the recipe for Tuna Ricotta Balls. They are crunchy savoury bites the whole family will love. These croquettes are baked and not fried, so they are also quite healthy and they make the perfect appetiser or snack idea. I love anything with tuna (remember my Italian Tuna…

Passato di Verdure

Today I am going to share with you a typical Italian recipe: Passato di Verdure, aka Italian vegetable veloute. It is a very common soup and we often have it during the cold autumn and winter months. The truth is, there is no real recipe for Passato di Verdure, as its ingredients can vary from…

Swordfish Caponata

Today’s recipe is a variation of one of the most popular Sicilian dishes: Caponata (click here for the recipe I shared a while ago). This Swordfish Caponata has all the ingredients of the original dish – including eggplant, olives and capers, plus swordfish. Caponata could be described as a cooked salad made up of fried…