Cooking galore

 It was such fun to browse The Times, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph recipe pages I receive in my inbox. I chose, mixed and matched, twisted the ingredients in my Italian way, discovering new unpredictable flavours. My family enjoyed most of them but also made comments and suggested changes. Here are the results of my attempts which include savoury dishes and cakes. I also added a recipe of biscuits stuffed with dates and walnuts which is a traditional Eid recipe, a real delicacy. Creating food was a great way to release tensions and nurture myself and my dear ones.

Linguine with scallops

You need: 300 g of linguini, two chopped garlic cloves, some Italian pepperoncino, some scallops (about 100 g), half a glass of white wine, fresh parsley, extra virgin olive oil, two limes. 

Warm the garlic and pepperoncino in oil in a frying pan; cut the scallops in small pieces and stir them in then add the juice and the grated zest of two limes, finally add the wine. Let it simmer for about fifteen minutes. Cook the linguine, drain them and pour the pasta in the pan with the parsley finely cut. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve warm.

Tagliatelle with lemon cream and walnuts

You need: 500 g of tagliatelle, the juice and zest of a lemon, 300 g of single cream, 30 g of butter, salt and pepper, 80 g of ground walnuts, parmigiano.

Prepare the sauce warming the cream in a pan; add the walnuts, butter, some salt and pepper and the lemon juice and lemon zest. Simmer for a few minutes. Season the tagliatelle with the cream and walnut sauce and add parmigiano before serving.

Saffron bread

You need: 250 g of strong flour, 7 g of dried yeast, 200 ml of warm milk, 0.1 g of saffron, a pinch of salt, half a tsp of nutmeg, half a tsp of cinnamon, 80 g of melted butter, 50 g of sugar, 100 g of currants soaked in water. 

Warm the milk and add the saffron and butter. Add the mixture to the flour and sugar together with the rest of the ingredients. Knead the dough and let it rest in a warm place covered with a wet towel for 2-3 hours. Knead it again and set it on a greased oven tray. Cover it with cling film and let it rest for one more hour in a warm place. Bake for 30 minutes at 200 C.

Spring feta tart

For the pastry you need: 250 g of self-raising flour, one egg, 50 g of melted butter, half a tsp of salt, 150 ml of water.

For the filling you need: four eggs, oil, 100 ml of single cream, some greens, 200 g of feta, a clove of garlic, salt and pepper.

Prepare the pastry mixing all the ingredients and knead it. Chill for half an hour. Cook the greens in boiling water; when ready drain and chop it then stir it in a pan with oil and a clove of garlic. Beat the eggs and add salt, pepper and the vegetables. Finally add the cream and crumbled feta. Roll out the dough and line a greased tart tin. Pour the feta, cream and vegetable mixture in the tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 C.

Spring vegetable tart

For the pastry you need: 250 g of self-raising flour, one egg, 50 g of melted butter, half a tsp of salt, 150 ml of water.

For the filling you need: four eggs, oil, 100 ml of single cream, spring onions, asparagus, herbs, parsley, salt and pepper.

Prepare the pastry mixing all the ingredients and knead it. Chill for half an hour. Cook the asparagus and the onions in a pan with oil. Beat the eggs and add salt, pepper and the cooked vegetables. Finally add the cream. Roll out the dough and line a greased tart tin. Pour the cream and vegetable mixture in the tin and bake for 30 minutes at 180 C.

Eid biscuits

For the dough you need: 300 g of semolina, 7 g of dried yeast, 200 g of plain flour, one tbsp of orange juice, the grated zest of an orange, 100 g of sugar, 100 g of soft butter, 3-4 tbsp of warm milk.

For the filling you need: finely chopped dates, chopped walnuts, chopped pistachio kernels, some orange juice, 30 g of soft butter.

Prepare the dough mixing all the ingredients and chill it for half an hour. Make small balls and create a hollow in each of them. Prepare the filling mixing all the ingredients. Set the biscuits in moulds and fill the hollow with the nuts mixture. Bring the edges of the dough together and close the hole. Shape the top or use a maamoul mould. Bake the biscuits for 20-30 minutes at 180 C and dust with icing sugar when cool.

Apple and cream tart

For the pastry you need: 300 g of plain flour, a pinch of salt, 50 g of soft butter, 100 g of cold butter.

For the filling you need: 100 g of crème fraiche, 100 g of single cream, one egg, two tbsp of flour, one tbsp of sugar, some drops of vanilla extracts, the grated zest of a lemon, 3-4 apples, two tbsp of demerara sugar, honey for glazing.

Prepare the puff pastry mixing the flour with the soft butter, add some cold water and knead. Roll the dough out and make a rectangle. Cut thin slices of cold butter and set it on the pastry then fold it over and roll it out in a rectangle. Repeat the same procedure for four times then wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for an hour.

Prepare the filling removing the core of the apples then cut them in thin slices. Mix the creams and add the flour, sugar, vanilla and the zest of the lemon. Roll out the pastry and line a greased rectangular oven tray creating a border around. Pour in the cream mixture and set the apple slices on top. Finally sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 45 minutes at 180 C. When ready glaze with the honey.

Polenta and berries cake

You need: 100g of instant polenta, 100 g of melted butter, 150 g of sugar, some drops of vanilla essence, 200 g of self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, three eggs, one tsp of baking powder, half a tsp of bicarbonate of soda, 200 g of berries, icing sugar to dust.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar and add the butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and pour the mixture in a greased tin cake then finally spread the berries on top. Bake for 45 minutes at 180 C.