Dear Giuseppe

Spinach to me, always made me think I would be able to look like Pop-eye. Just one can, and pop! Big muscles. Able to take on anything with that big cigar sticking out of his mouth, even though it’s obvious I am more of an “Olive”. Anyway, this is one of the first ingredients I go for if my objective is to strengthen someone. So tonight, spinach it is! And what better to give papa then a Spinach and Ricotta Pie. The thought of it……. the smell of it cooking away……. made him smile. Eating it was a dream…… that’s what he said

INGREDIENTS

• Fillo Pastry
• I large bunch of English Spinach
• 2 Spring Onions
• Handful of Parsley
• Handful of Mint
• 2 eggs
• 150 grams of fetta
• 150 grams of ricotta 
• a nob ofgrated parmesan reggiano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• baking oil spray

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 170C

Steam the Spinach until cooked. Chop roughly, then in a bowl add chopped mint, parsley, spring onions all finely chopped. Then add eggs, nutmeg, ricotta, fetta and parmesan. Mix until all ingredients are combined. In a loaf pan or casserole dish line the base with a layer of fillo pastries. Around 10 fillos thick, make sure to spray them with oil to separate them. Add the spinach filling into the lined bowl,fold the sides over the mixture and add a fillo pasty layer on top to close it all in. Another 10 sheets, making sure to cover all the mixtured and have an even crust. Place in the oven and cook until golden brown for 40 mins or so. 

xx Love Nicole 

It’s rare that a roast chicken doesn’t get abolished in our household. On this lucky occasion I had a whole roast chicken to play with, well, not literally, so I decided to invent this little number. Roast Chicken sandwich’s were on the menu for lunch! Nothing beats a juicy roast chicken sandwich, with mayo and mint on a toasted buttered piece of bread….. luxury….. :)

INGREDIENTS

• Roast Chicken pieces
• Mayonnaise 
• Garlic Aioli 
• Lemon Juice
• finely chopped mint
• sliced bread
• butter
• salt and pepper 

METHOD

Take your roast chicken pieces and warm them in a frying pan, giving them a slightly gold color. (If you don’t have roast chicken you can grill a chicken breast and cut it up) In a bowl mix 1 tablespoon of mayo & 1 tablespoon of aioli (or flavored mayo) a dash of lemon juice, salt and pepper and about 10 leaves of chopped mint. Add chicken and mix until all ingredients and blended well. Toast 2 pieces of bread, butter both sides, and add the chicken. Be heavy handed make sure to pile the chicken on. Finish the sandwich off by cutting in half and serve with a dash of aioli on the side. 

Enjoy

xx Nicole

Seriously, this was probably my number one favorite thing to eat as a kid and even now. Ever since I got home to Australia, all I could think about was attempting to make these the way my mum did when I was a kid for the first time. And boy, did they go down well. I think I am currently the most popular kid in my family after this little number, well…… for today at least. My Uncle Rocco gave me an 8/10 then ate 12 in a row…… He was testing my humility. I just smiled and offered more…… Any way we are all fat now, end of story. Here’s how it goes……

INGREDIENTS

• 1.2 kg of Sausage meat from your local Butcher
• 2 Packets of Puff Pastry (or 10 sheets)
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 pieces of sliced bread (cut off crust and soak in water)
• 2 eggs
• bunch of chopped Parsley
• 1 grated zuchinni
• 1/2 grated sweet potato
• 1 large finely chopped onioin
• 1 grated carrot
• blob of tomato sauce (ketchup)
• blob of sweet chilli sauce
• 2 eggs lightly whisked for the glaze and to stick together

METHOD

Pre-heat your oven to 160C. In a very large bowl, mix your sausage meat, grated carrot, zucchini, and sweet potato, finely chopped onion, eggs, parsely, breadcrumbs, soaked bread (make sure you have cut off the crust and soaked in water) tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce. You can use your hands make sure they are wet so the meat doesn’t stick to them…. and clean of course. Mix well and make sure you have the right consistency, damp but not watery. Make sure you have your puff pastry out of the freezer. Cut each sheet in half, place the meat mixture in the middle as shown above, and roll it up. Whisk 2 eggs into a bowl, this you will use for sticking and glazing which gives the rolls that golden color, use a cooking brush. Brush on the egg where you will join the pastryso it sticks whilst cooking. It should now look like a roll, join facing down. Cut in half and then in half again so you should make 4 pieces each roll.  On your trays you should put baking paper and then spray them or grease them with butter. Place your rolls on the tray. Brush your egg mixture on the top of all the rolls, you should also do this again halfway through cooking, keep checking on your rolls. Place them into the oven. Cook for 30 mins, turn heat down to 100 and cook for another 15 mins. You have to make sure the inside is cooked through and also not to burn the crust. This is very important, times and temperatures depend on your oven so make sure your keep your eye on it. Can t stress that enough. Take them out to sit and then serve with Tomato sauce (ketchup) or Sweet Chilli sauce, or both. :)

Good luck, You’ll be very loved in your house…… at least for the day 

xx love Nicole