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Chicken and rocket make a lovely combination. I enjoy the peppery taste of the rocket. This is a quick and easy dinner that works well with any pasta. The pasta really catches the sauce and I sometimes use rigatoni or fusilli. You will have the sauce made in the time it takes the pasta to cook. Toasting the pine nuts is a good tip; it releases the flavour and the texture. Another nice addition to this pasta could be some sun-dried tomatoes.
The bruschetta recipe is ideal finger food – it’s perfect for entertaining and it looks great. The Brie is delicious with the tangy chutney in this recipe. I like figs whichever way; dried or fresh. They work very well with cheese. Don’t make this too far is advance, or it will go soggy.
Panna cotta, or set Italian cream, is one of my all-time favourite desserts. You can use whatever fruit is in season; apricots or raspberries are delicious. This is not a heavy dessert. For yogurt, I use the Simply Better Greek yogurt, which is made in Greece. It is delicious.
Happy Cooking, Neven
Bruschetta platter
Serves 6
For the bruschetta:
24 slices country bread
1 garlic clove, halved
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the melted Brie with fig jam:
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
100g ready-to-eat figs, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
75ml red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
175g ripe Brie, cut into thin slices
For the air-dried beef with beetroot and horseradish:
50g crème fraîche
1 tbsp creamed horseradish
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
6 slices air-dried beef, cut in half (at room temperature)
6 tbsp beetroot relish (from a jar)
25g fresh small watercress sprigs
25g walnut halves, toasted
15g Parmesan shavings
For the Parma ham and rocket:
75g ricotta cheese
1 tbsp basil pesto
8 slices Parma ham
25g wild rocket, tough stalks removed
1 To prepare the bruschetta, preheat the grill or a griddle pan and use it to toast the bread on both sides. Remove from the heat and immediately rub one side with a piece of garlic, then drizzle over the olive oil.
2 To make the fig jam for the Brie topping, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and sauté the red onion for 10 minutes, until softened. Stir in the figs, garlic, red wine and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated, then stir in the sugar and thyme. Season to taste, then blend until smooth and leave to cool.
3 When ready to serve, spread the fig jam over 10 pieces of bruschetta and cover with the Brie. Place under a medium grill for a minute or so, until it’s just beginning to melt. Season with pepper.
4 To make the mustard cream for the air-dried beef topping, place the crème fraîche, horseradish and mustard in a bowl and mix well to combine, then season to taste.
5 When ready to serve, spread a little mustard cream on six pieces of bruschetta and arrange the air-dried beef on top. Add a spoonful of the beetroot relish and garnish with the watercress sprigs, the rest of the mustard cream, walnuts and Parmesan. Finish with a sprinkling of pepper.
6 To make the Parma ham and rocket topping, mix the ricotta cheese with the pesto in a bowl and season generously. Cut each slice of Parma ham in half across the width and arrange on a work surface.
7 Spread a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mixture in a thin, even layer over each piece of Parma ham and then lay a few sprigs of rocket lengthways across each slice, leaving the sprig ends poking out of the top. Roll up each one to enclose.
8 Arrange the Parma ham and rocket rolls on eight pieces of bruschetta and put on a large platter with the melted Brie and fig jam bruschetta and the air-dried beef bruschetta.
Chicken, rocket and pine nut pasta
Serves 4-6
450g penne pasta
6 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced into thin strips (about 450g in total)
4 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
100g rocket or watercress, tough stalks removed
4 tsp chilli oil (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan shavings, to garnish
1 Plunge the penne into a large pan of boiling, salted water and cook for 8–10 minutes (or according to the packet instructions), until al dente (tender but firm to the bite).
2 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add the pine nuts. Cook for a few minutes, until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
3 Add one tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic and thyme for 2–3 minutes, until softened and just beginning to colour. Tip into a bowl and set side.
4 Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the frying pan, then add the chicken strips. Cook for 2–3 minutes and season lightly with salt and pepper, then turn over and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until cooked through and lightly golden.
5 Return the onion mixture to the frying pan, stirring until well combined. Stir in the crème fraîche and mustard. Bring to a gentle simmer but do not allow the mixture to boil.
6 Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Pour in the creamy chicken mixture and add the rocket or watercress. Toss lightly together to combine and season to taste.
7 Divide among warmed bowls and sprinkle over the toasted pine nuts. Drizzle over the chilli oil, if using, and garnish with the Parmesan shavings to serve.
Peach melba panna cotta
Serves 6
4 large ripe peaches
4 gelatine leaves
1 vanilla pod
600ml milk
300ml cream
150g caster sugar
4 tbsp thick Greek-style yoghurt
100g fresh raspberries
1 Peel three of the peaches with a vegetable peeler. Cut the flesh off the stones and put in a blender or NutriBullet. Blend to a purée – you need about 200ml in total.
2 Soak the gelatine in a bowl of water for 10 minutes to swell, then gently squeeze dry. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Put in a pan with the milk, cream and sugar. Bring to the boil, then take the pan off the heat.
3 Stir in the squeezed gelatine and pureed peach. Strain the mixture into a Pyrex jug and cool completely. Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into 6 x 175ml serving glasses and put in the fridge to set for at least four hours (or overnight is fine).
4 Remove the panna cotta from the fridge just before serving. Cut the remaining peach into slices and arrange on top with a spoonful of yoghurt and the raspberries.
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