Cooking & Carafes is a popular food blog by Kate Ailey, full of Italian inspired recipes that are quick and easy to make using readily available ingredients.
Kate also hosts Pasta Making Workshops and has curated her own online shop selling a range of items aimed at keen home cooks.
She works closely with artists and suppliers to bring something a little unique, and that isn’t found in every gift or homeware shop. We love her range of pasta bowls and beesbee wraps.
Check out our top Cooking & Carafes recipe picks below, perfect for summer
White and Green Bean Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2 |
This summer side dish makes the perfect accompaniment to fish and meat or can be made as a refreshing lunch salad. It can be served hot or cold and is this years ‘must have’ addition to your lockdown BBQ.
Ingredients:
- 100g green beans (handful), topped and tailed and chopped into 2.5cm pieces
- 200g Cannellini beans
- 100g Cherry tomatoes (about 10), halved
- Dried oregano
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 180°C. Add the cherry tomatoes to an oven dish and drizzle in a good glug of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and season with salt and oregano (1/2 tsp)
- Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a pan of water to the boil, salt it and add your green beans for about 5-6 minutes, and drain.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven, add the green beans and cannellini beans. Add anoter good glug or two of olive oil (2-3 tbsps at least), add a little more salt and combine together.
- Place back in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through, and serve.
Zucchini Flower Focaccia
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 2 | Nutrition: 226 calories per serving
Whether you eat it on its own, dip it in extra virgin olive oil or serve with meats, cheese and olives for a traditional antipasti, Focaccia is a simple Italian bread perfect for any occasion.
Below is a simple and easy to follow recipe for this Italian staple, jazzed up with some black olives, Zucchini flowers, thyme and oregano.
Ingredients
- 500g strong bread flour
- 7g fact action yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 300ml warm water
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Black Olives
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Courgette Flowers
Instructions
- In a bowl mix the yeast, flour and salt together; then make a well in the middle and add 3 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil and the warm water
- Then knead for at least 10 minutes it will go beautiful and springy
- Place the dough in a large bowl that has been brushed with extra virgin olive oil and cover. Leave to rest for an hour.
- Then gently slide into a large, deep baking tray that is again brushed in olive oil and use your hands to create dimples in the dough. Keep it about 3cm deep.
- Cover and leave to rest for 45 minutes
- Using your fingers create more dimples in the dough. Add your olives, thyme, courgette flowers and oregano and drizzle in extra virgin olive oil.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes, or until lightly brown on top
- Leave to cool on a wire rack
Cooking & Carafes in an Italian inspired blog by Kate Ailey. For more recipes or to visit the online shop please go to www.cookingandcarafes.co.uk