Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Fresh pasta in Emilia Romagna (Italy) is traditionally made with flour and eggs, but since I am using  aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas)  a lot these days, and it works very well as an egg replacement for many recipes, I thought that it could work for fresh pasta too! And yes it works! The chickpea brine gives protein to the mixture and elasticity to the dough which is easy to roll exactly like an egg dough. Only the colour is lighter (not so yellow) but I don't see this as an issue, and you can always add a pinch of saffron to the aquafaba if you like your pasta more yellow. The taste is perfect and the pasta dries very well, and cooks well too. Plus the taste is great! So, while I am from Emilia Romagna and will continue to make pasta the traditional way (eggs and flour), I can now also make fresh pasta for my vegan friends, and use this recipe in winter when chickens don't lay eggs. Alessandra's Vegan Homemade Fresh Pasta 200 g high grade

Too hot to cook but I still feel like pasta, so the solution is fresh pasta, which doesn't take long to cook, just a couple of minutes boiling instead of 10-11 minutes. You can make your own fresh pasta (there is a recipe  here ) or if you are in Auckland you can go to  Pasta & Cuore  and bring home some really yummy super fresh pasta, made daily! And for sauce? Too hot to make a sauce too, but fresh pasta doesn't need much if it is good: top with some ricotta, cubed or crumbled, salt, black pepper, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves. If the ingredients are good you don't need many, nor big amounts.  Simple is best! Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

1 can coconut cream 1 l oragnic soy milk (I use  Vitasoy , either Original, Milky or Calci Plus) 4 tbsp raw sugar 2 heap tbsp cocoa (the better the cocoa the better the flavour, so don't go for cheap baking cocoa, but for 'hot chocolate' quality) 2 tbsp cornflour Natural Vanilla essence  1 tbsp icing sugar Edible flowers to decorate Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge (possibly one day ahead). Dissolve the dried ingredients with a little soy milk to make a paste, then add the rest of the milk and mix well. Put on the stove on low and, always stirring, bring to simmering point. Make sure that you stir well, especially around the borders and bottom of the pot, so that the pudding has a smooth consistency. As soon as it start thickening turn the element off, add the vanilla essence (if using) and keep stirring until it has cooled down a bit. Divide into 8 dessert ramekins or small bowls and refrigerate. When the pudding is set o

I made a dinner for 4 for the garden: fried zucchini flowers ( recipe here ),  borage bread cutlets ( recipe here) , fried sage (just fried the sage leaves  with the leftover oil from the zucchini and borage fritters), fresh salad leaves,  boiled new potatoes and carrots with herbs sauce  (just mixed feta with basil and parsley). It was delicious,  and such a satisfaction to grown my own dinner!                                                                                                               And now, And And now some photos from the Waitakere Ranges, where I live,  and of a New Zealand native bird, the tui, eating nectar from flax flowers. Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

This is one of those creations that happened while using up leftover puff pastry and a bit of peperonata I had in the pot. The resulting dish was so pretty and delicious that I decided to share it: Capsicum pastry rolls You must use some cooked capsicums (bell peppers) for this recipes, and I had some  peperonata  ready: Peperonata 2 yellow capsicums 2 red capsicums 1 green capsicum 1 garlic clove half carrot 1 small celery stalk 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more to drizzle at the end) A little water salt to taste (if the capers are not too salty) chopped Italian parsley and fresh basil leaves, plus a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish Wash and cut the capsicums into thin strips. Peel the garlic and cut into two. Wash and chop the carrot and celery into small pieces. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the vegetables, then add the a little water and salt. Cover and simmer on the lowest setting for 45 minutes to one hour

The best crop in my garden is borage because snails, rats, possums and caterpillars don't eat it! So here is yet another borage recipe!  Pick the top of the plant with flowers and tender leaves (make sure the flowers have no seeds yet). Wash well. Grate some old bread (must be really hard and dry) to make breadcrumbs. Or use ready made breadcrumbs. Make a batter with eggs, salt and pepper and breadcrumbs, the ratio being approximately one egg for one tbsp of breadcrumbs, use s much as you need depending on how many flowers you are cooking. Coat the borage in the batter and pan fry in hot olive oil, turing on both sides, until golden. Place on kitchen paper to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and serve. And now a few photos from my garden: Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©