Taleggio filled chicken breast with gorgonzola spinach

A cheesy feast, or how to turn a diet dish into a huge calorie intake... to make it an even fuller dish, it could be served with baked potatoes. While gorgonzola is well known around the world, taleggio might be still a less recognisable cheese. It is an Italian semi-soft cheese with a mouldy crust named after Val Taleggio where it was originally made. It's been around for a long time in Italy - similar cheese was eaten on the Italian peninsula already in the times of Cicero.

You'll need:

one small chicken breast

60g of taleggio

70g of pre-cooked spinach (more if starting with fresh leaves)

20g gorgonzola

tarragon

salt & pepper

oil for frying

1.  If you're using pre-prepared spinach, then it's super easy - just warm it up, while adding a generous dose of pepper and melting in some gorgonzola. If using fresh spinach, wash and rinse the leaves first, then cut out the stems.Cook for 2-3 minutes on a dry pan until the leaves soften, remove from the pan, get rid of the extra moisture and chop. Put back on the pan, cook for a few more minutes and add gorgonzola and pepper.

2. Cut a hole on the side of the chicken breast and make a pocket to fill with taleggio. Making only a small opening hole reduces the risk that the cheese will melt out during frying. Stitch the opening with a piece of string or toothpicks. 

3. Season the chicken breast with tarragon and salt & pepper and put on a hot frying pan. Fry on all sides. A bigger piece of meat like this requires a longer frying time than a thin cutlet, so make sure it is well cooked through before serving.

4. Assemble the spinach and chicken on a plate, et voila!

Peppery tuna pasta bake

Comforting yet slightly spicy pasta bake with deliciously melty cheese. I actually didn't use brie, but a local Italian variety of soft moldy cheese, that I forgot the name of. If anyone could tell me what it might have been I would be grateful (I think the name started with "s", but I can't be sure; the search I made for it afterwards did not end up with a success).

You'll need:
1 yellow paprika
1 green paprika
2 green chillis
1 can of tuna in oil 
200g of brie type cheese
100g tomato passata
oregano
pasta (I used farfalle)

1. Boil the pasta al dente.

2. In the meantime cut the paprikas into small squares and fry together with finely chopped chillis and a pinch of salt. Add passata and oregano.

3. Mix the contents of the pan and the pasta.

4. Transfer half of the pasta into an oven dish and top with half of the cheese, then add another layer of pasta, top it up with tuna and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with some extra oregano.

5. Cover the oven dish and put it in the oven pre-set to around 180 degrees for around 15 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Chilli con carne

It's time for an all American classic that also happens to be an official symbol of Texas by virtue of the House Concurrent Resolution No. 18, 65th Legislature, Regular Session (1977) - chilli con carne! Already before the WWII chilli con carne could be easily bought at "chili joints" throughout the South-West. Since then its popularity has not diminished and it remains a popular fast food that can be served with rice, tortillas, or even as a top up for fries. Chilli con carne is probably the most popular material of cook-offs: according to wikipedia the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) sanctions over 550 chili cook-offs annually. There is also a world championship with regional qualifying events for those feeling brave enough, organized by the the International Chili Society (ICS). This of course means that there are perhaps as many versions of the dish as there are participants of those competitions - literally hundreds. Here's my take on it:

You'll need:

500g ground beef

600g red kidney beans (canned)

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 table spoons of tomato concentrate

1/2 red onion

1 onion

1 medium carrot

5 red chilies

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

fresh coriander leaves

cumin

oregano

smoked sweet paprika

Worchestershire sauce

sunflower oil for frying

sour cream (optional, to serve with)

dark chocolate (optional, for a more authentic Mexican feel)

1. Finely chop the onions. Peel the carrot and chop it into small pieces. Fry them all in a deep frying pan/non-stick pot with a generous dose of oregano and cumin for about 3-4 minutes. Towards the end of the frying add garlic and 2 finely chopped chillies.

2. Add the mince with a little bit of water to the frying pan and brown it. Add some salt as you do so.

3. As the meat browns, add sweet paprika, a few drops of Worchestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato concentrate and the remaining chillies.

4. Turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer for 2 hours. As the moisture evaporates keep adding water (or beef stock) and stir from time to time.

5. Add beans during the last 15 minutes of the cooking time.

6. Chop the coriander leaves and stir into your chilli or just sprinkle on top.

7. Serve with rice/tortillas together with cream and/or grated dark chocolate (it will melt immediately on top of a hot chilli).

Bon appétit!