easy - 2/6 - Manu’s Menu

Blueberry Lavender Syrup

I love today’s recipe. I am a huge fan of using edible flowers in cooking, especially in desserts and this Blueberry Lavender Syrup is a must-try recipe. It is very easy to make and the lavender adds a special touch to the (already delicious) blueberry syrup. Besides, I love how versatile this syrup is. You…

Ham and Cheese Skillet Focaccia

I love focaccia, but I don’t make it often as the real Focaccia Genovese requires a few hours of resting time and I don’t always have it. I have recently shared with you the recipe for a potato based focaccia which takes a lot less time to make and today I will show you how…

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…

Lime Leaf Crème Brûlée

Today’s recipe was born as an experiment. It’s spring here in Sydney and my lime tree has got lots of new leaves. When I touched them, I got overwhelmed by their delicious aroma. In the south of Italy, lemon leaves are often used in cooking, so I thought of experimenting with the lime leaves instead….

Strawberry Granita

The weather here is getting warmer and strawberries are in season, sweet and full of flavour! So I didn’t think twice and took my ice cream machine out to make this easy and delicious Strawberry Granita! Italians are famous for their frozen treats and we often have granita for breakfast. Make sure to serve this strawberry…

Ghastly Bark

Halloween is coming up again. I can’t believe how fast time flies! It feels like yesterday that I posted last year’s Halloween recipe (check out my cute shortbread and white chocolate ganache Ghosts here)… and soon we will start preparing for Christmas! Anyhow, this year I am going to share with you a tutorial on…

Mushroom and Mozzarella Skillet Chicken

I am a huge mushroom fan and, if you follow my blog, you also know that I cannot live without cheese. So it’s easy to understand that I find today’s recipe – Mushroom and Mozzarella Skillet Chicken – simply irresistible! Hearty mushrooms? Check. Gooey stretchy cheese? Check. Juicy and tender chicken bites? Check. What more…

Apple Orange Hand Pies

I know I have already said this, but apple desserts are among my favourites. I must admit that I am not a huge fan of raw apples (even though they are really good for you!), but cooked apples are a totally different matter. I love the taste, the consistency… everything! And these Apple Orange Hand…

Parmigiano Reggiano Tomato Chicken

Today’s recipe is another one of my family’s favourites: Parmigiano Reggiano Tomato Chicken. It is a very simple dish with the colours and all the flavours of Italy: tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil. Like all simple dishes, the quality of the ingredients you use to make it is really important. Try and use authentic…

Italian Tuna Loaf

My kids don’t like seafood much… but they do make an exception for tuna. So, with that in mind, I try and use tuna in different ways and recipes so that they don’t get bored of eating it. Today I will share with you my recipe for an Italian classic dish that we call Polpettone…

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…

Pasta con Aglietto e Prezzemolino

Today I am going to show you how to make a very easy pasta dish that my family calls Pasta con Aglietto e Prezzemolino – aka pasta with garlic and parsley. This is part of my little series on easy, quick and affordable pasta recipes like Pasta with Peas, Pasta with Braised Onions and Pasta with Fried…

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…

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….

Tuna Dill Salad Pita Pockets

Due to my gallbladder issues, I have been on a low fat (almost fat-free) diet for over 2 months. Finding appetising recipes that have no more than 2 grams (0.07 oz!!) of fat per serving was not easy, but these Tuna Dill Salad Pita Pockets fit the bill if made with fat-free or very low…

Buttered Potatoes

Today I want to share with you a quick side dish recipe: Buttered Potatoes. I often make these potatoes instead of mash when I don’t have a lot of time. They taste delicious and absolve the same purpose of mash: to soak up all the yummy sauce or gravy of the dish they accompany. And…

Frozen Banana Pops

I had some leftover bananas that needed to be eaten and I really didn’t want to make banana bread as I didn’t feel like baking. That’s when I remembered that I had seen banana pops all over the internet a while ago. As I didn’t remember the specific site where I had seen them, I…

Pasta with Braised Onions

Pasta with Braised Onions, or Pasta con la Cipolla as we say, is one of my mother’s recipes. It is a very quick, easy and affordable dinner idea that tastes delicious. It’s part of my series on quick and affordable pasta recipes just like Pasta with Peas and Pasta with Fried Zucchini. These are all dishes…

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…

Easy Chicken Tacos

My family’s favourite Sunday roast is my Roast Brined Chicken. It is very moist and because we all like it so much, I usually buy a big chicken so that we get leftovers for the following day. I usually make a classic Chicken Salad with the leftover chicken, but this time I thought of trying something…

Crumbed Barramundi

The first time I visited London, back in the 80’s, I was very young and a really fussy eater. That said, I remember falling in love with “fish & chips”. Sure, Italians eat a lot of fish, but for some reason the English one tasted different. Besides, anything served with chips tastes better to a…