Week 26- Pepperonata Sauce

PEPPERONATA SAUCE

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen.

This week we have another taste of Italy - Pepperonata Sauce. This sauce is made with all those wonderful Meditterranean vegetables and is delicious served with anything. You decide.

INGREDIENTS

3 Large Peppers (one yellow, one red, one green)

1 Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

500g Fresh Choped Tomatoes

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD

Slice peppers into narrow strips. Chop the onion and garlic. Chop the fresh tomatoes.

Gently fry onions, add garlic. Add sliced peppers to pan and stir, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook very gently for 30 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and the vegetables are broken down. Stir during this process. If the sauce becomes too thick or sticks to the pan, add more Olive Oil.

Serve this sauce with pasta, with vegetable escallops or even vegetable burgers.You decide!

Week 25- Gnocchi With Pesto

Hi and welcome to our Vegetarian Kitchen. We have been on holiday in Italy and have brought back delicious recipes from Tuscany. Pesto is a sauce using Basil,Pine Nuts and Olive Oil and one memorable meal was Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce, on a warm night, outside in a leafy, green square, washed down with their most famous wine, Chianti.

Here is our recipe for Pesto, although you can buy this in a jar from some supermarkets.

PESTO

(6 servings)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of fresh, chopped basil

Half a cup of Olive Oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cloves Garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Half a cup of grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Put Basil, Olive Oil, Pine nuts,garlic, lemon juice, salt & pepper in a food processor and process at a high speed until well blended to a smooth paste. Now add the grated Parmesan cheese.

Before serving with pasta beat in 2 or 3 tablespoons of hot water.

SERVE with gnocchi or pasta of your choice.

GNOCCHI

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Floury Potatoes diced

7 oz Plain Flour

1 small beaten egg

salt & pepper

METHOD

Boil the diced potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes and mash well. Make sure there are no lumps. Add flour and beaten egg and make a smooth dough.Knead the dough and roll out into a long sausage shape. (about half an inch). Cut into small pieces (about one inch long).

Cook Gnocchi in simering water for 2 to 4 minutes until they rise to the surface. Remove from saucepan gently with a spoon.

Serve with Pesto Sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serve with a side salad or Rocket leaves.

Gnocchi can be purchased in a vacuum pack from your supermarket if you don't want to make your own.