Chicken Liver Pâté

INGREDIENTS

4 strips of bacon

1 1/2 cup leek greens, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

500g chicken liver 

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup red wine 

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried parsley 

1/2 tsp dried sage

1 bay leaf

4 tbsp bone broth

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt

METHOD

Brown the bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat. 

Once cooked, remove the bacon and set it aside for later. Keep the grease in the skillet (remove some if there is too much). 

Add the leek and garlic to the hot skillet and briefly sauté them. 

Move the greens to the side of the skillet and add the chicken livers. Drizzle over with the olive oil and cook for 4 minutes, or until brown on one side. 

Flip the livers over and add the wine & dried herbs. Stir to combine everything. Cover the pan and reduce to a low heat. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for an additional 1 minute. 

In a food processor, blend the liver mixture with the cooked bacon, bone broth, fresh herbs, and salt until it becomes a smooth mixture. 

Portion the mixture into 4 small serving cups and chill in the refrigerator until cold. Consume the pâté within 4 days. 

Serve the pâté as a delicious snack or light lunch with crackers, toast or crudités, for example, cucumbers, zucchini, apples, and pears.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Piano” canapé plate.

Butterbean Hummus

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 can of butter beans

3/4 cup walnuts

1 garlic clove

1 1/2  fresh limes, juiced

A small bunch of fresh parsley

1 spring onion

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 

METHOD

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

If the consistency is too thick, add more oil or a splash of water to adjust. 

Pour the hummus into a bowl or storage container and store it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.

When ready, serve as a snack or light lunch with your choice of warm toast, crackers, or even chips.

Bon appetite! Served on my “La Boheme” canapé plate.

Green Papaya Salad

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

Dressing

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice 

1 clove of garlic minced

2 tablespoons chopped shallots optional

Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 small green papaya

1 large carrot

1 cucumber

1/3 cup fresh mint or coriander leaves, chopped

4 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted

METHOD

Start by combining all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and set it aside.

Using a peeler, peel the outer skin of the papaya.

Cut the papaya in half and grate it using a large grater. Put it in a large bowl.

Peel the carrot, and grate it and the cucumber. Add them to the bowl with the grated papaya. 

Mix the grated green papaya, carrots, and cucumber together with the chopped mint or coriander. 

Pour in the dressing and toss well to coat the whole salad.

Arrange on plates and serve with your choice of fried tofu or chicken. 

Sprinkle with nuts and toasted sesame seeds to garnish before serving. 

Bon appétit! Served on my “La Bohéme” soup and pasta plate on top of my “Piano” show plate in black. 

Kidney Bean Pâté

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 can of kidney beans

50g butter, softened 

50g walnuts

3 garlic cloves

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 tsp chilli flakes 

1/2 tsp paprika 

Salt and pepper to taste 

METHOD

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend them together until smooth.

Adjust seasoning to your taste.

If necessary, add more butter to make it more smooth and spreadable. 

Serve on toast or your favourite crackers as a delicious snack or light lunch.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Piano” canapé plate.

Beetroot Hummus

INGREDIENTS 

1 can chickpeas

1 beetroot

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt to taste

3 tbsp water

METHOD

Cook the beetroot in a pot of boiling water for about minutes.

Remove the beetroot and set it aside to let it cool down before peeling it and chopping it into rough cubes.

In a food processor, blend the tahini and lemon juice together for 1 minute. Pause and scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to blend for a further half minute. 

Add the olive oil, garlic, cumin and 1/2 a tablespoon of salt to the tahini lemon mixture and process for 30-second intervals, until the mixture is well blended. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl in between.

Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Add half of them and half of the chopped beetroot to the food processor and mix for one minute. 

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the remaining chickpeas and beetroot. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth.

If the hummus is too thick and chunky, add a few tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.

Taste for salt and adjust to your taste. Serve on bread with a drizzle of olive oil.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Impromptu” dinner plate.

Tuna Tapenade

INGREDIENTS

175 g green olives, pitted

4 anchovy fillets

1/2 can of tuna in oil

3 tbsp capers

25 ml extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender. 

Transfer to a lidded container and place in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours. 

Serve with crackers or toast.

Bon appétit! Served on my “La Bohème” canapé plate.

Coconut Ice Cream Fruit Salad

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

2 apples

2 kiwi fruits

1/2 papaya

2 bananas

1/2 a lemon

Coconut ice cream

Whiskey to taste

METHOD

Finely chop equal pieces of apple, kiwi, banana, and papaya into small cubes and place in a bowl.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the fruits and gently mix so that all the fruit is covered in the juice.

Divide into servings, and top with two scoops of coconut ice cream and a drizzle of whiskey.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Piano” porcelain.

Green Olive Tapenade

INGREDIENTS

1 jar green olives, pitted

1/2 cup salted almonds

1-2 garlic cloves

Anchovies to taste

Olive oil

Crackers or toast

METHOD

In a blender or mini food processor, blend olives, almonds, garlic and a couple of anchovies to taste. Add some olive oil and blend until the mixture is smooth and spreadable.

Serve on warm toast or crackers as a little snack together with a drink after a long day.

Bon appétit! Served on my “La Bohème” coasters.

Kale Pesto

INGREDIENTS

2 cloves garlic

2 cups packed kale (about 1 small bunch)

1 cup basil

3/4 cups raw cashew

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup or more of extra-virgin olive oil 

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender until it becomes a smooth paste,

Serve with Fidanzati or any of your favourite pasta.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Piano” soup and pasta plate.

Chocolate Power Balls

Makes 8-12 balls

INGREDIENTS

2 cups rolled oats 

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 cup raw cashews 

1/4 cup hemp seeds

2 tbsp protein powder 

1 tbsp cocoa powder

8 medjool dates, pitted

1 ripe banana 

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

Cocoa powder for rolling

METHOD

Using a food processor, blend the oats and cashews until they become a coarse meal.

Add the protein powder, hemp seeds, and salt and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the maple syrup, almond butter, and banana and pulse. Start adding the dates slowly.

Depending on how dry the dates are you may need to add a few more or less.

The mixture should be dry enough to form into balls but not too sticky. If your mixture is too dry, add some more dates, maple or almond butter. If it’s too wet, add a bit more oatmeal.

Roll the mixture into balls and roll each ball in cocoa powder to coat them.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Impromptu” canapé plates.

Spiced Gløgg

INGREDIENTS

5 whole cardamoms 

5 whole cloves

1 whole cinnamon stick

10 g ginger, freshly peeled and sliced 

2 dL snaps or vodka

1 dL orange juice

1 bottle of red wine

1 dL port wine

METHOD

Marinate the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in snaps or vodka overnight. 

Drain the marinade and pour the spiced liquid into a pot, adding the orange juice, red wine, and port wine. 

Heat the wine mixture on low heat without boiling!

Serve in a glass with rum marinated sultanas and chopped or flaked almonds.

Served with gingerbread Christmas cookies as the perfect warm winter drink.

Bon appétit! Served with Christmas goodies on my “La Bohème” canapé plates.

Lamb Rillet

INGREDIENTS

1 kg lamb culotte, leg, or shoulder without bone

1 tsp ground allspice

5 whole cloves

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

5 whole black peppercorn

50 g black raisins

1 Christmas beer or any beer

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Remove any tendons from the lamb and cut the meat into cubes.

Put meat and the rest of the ingredients in a deep pot and cook on low heat until meat is tender - about one hour.

Strain the meat and keep the liquid. Set it aside in a bowl.

In another bowl, fork split the meat or split the meat in a hand mixer.

Taste with salt and pepper and add 1-2 dL of the strained liquid to the meat mixture.

Pour the rillet into a tray or form and cover it with the fat from the liquid.

Cover the form with foil or cling wrap and keep in the fridge.

Serve as a delicious Christmas snack with crackers or toast, pickles, and mustard.

Bon appétit! Served on my “Piano” canapé plates.

Liver Pâté

INGREDIENTS

300 g duck, turkey, or chicken liver

1 tbsp butter

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp marjoram 

100g butter

3-4 tbsp cognac 

METHOD

Fry the liver in 1 tablespoon butter together with the finely chopped shallot, garlic, marjoram, salt and pepper for only 1 minute. The liver should still be pink inside but not raw. 

Turn off the heat and flambé the liver with cognac. 

Let the liver cool a bit before blending it in the food processor together with the rest of the butter. 

Add more cognac and salt and pepper if needed. 

Fill in a deep dish and refrigerate for a couple of hours until cold and firm. 

Decorate with almonds as desired. 

Serve the pâté with crackers or toast, and pickles as one of my traditional Christmas lunch favourites.

Bon appétit! Served on my “La Bohème” canapé plates.

Affogato Coffee with Kahlua

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

1 fluid ounce Kahlua 

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1 shot hot espresso

METHOD

Pour the espresso into a coffee cup, then add the Kahlua.

Top it off with the ice cream and serve.

Bon appétit! Served in my “Impromptu” coffee cup.

Protein Bars

Makes 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dates, pitted and chopped

1 ½ cups warm water

3 cups oatmeal

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1 medium banana

1 ½ cups walnuts

6 scoops of unflavoured pea protein powder

METHOD

Soak the dates in warm water for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Add the dates, and the water they soaked in, into a food processor and turn it on. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until it develops a smooth consistency.

Line a 20 x 20 cm baking pan with parchment paper.

Spread the batter onto the pan and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 8 pieces.

Great as an on the go snack or a quick breakfast 

Bon appétit! Served on my “La Bohème” canapé plates.