A quick mid-week catch up, or a longer Saturday night sit in, when you have the girls over you don't need a macho 3-course dinner to impress - you want something quick and easy so that you can spend most of your time chatting instead of slaving over a hot stove. You do want to show some cooking prowess though, so try the below for a simple, yet impressive menu (serves 4):
Brushetta Napolitana
Ingredients:
3 tbsp tomato puree
8 anchovies (from the jar, with olive oil), chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
15 black and pitted olives, roughly chopped
1 handful of finely chopped parsley
½ baguette
Method:
First, make the topping. In a bowl mix the tomato puree, anchovies, olives, parsley, a splash of anchovy oil - and season. Add the chopped shallots to some heated olive oil and gently fry for a few minutes, allowing them to soften. Next, add the garlic and fry for a couple of minutes more. Stir the paste into the cooked shallots and garlic, allowing the other ingredients to cook gently. Cut your baguette in to inch thick slices (slanted chopping make for an appealing shape) and toast under the grill shortly before your guests arrive. If made in advance, reheat your paste on the hob, finishing off by adding it to the toasted slices and finishing off for a minute under the flames.
Spaghetti with Prawns
Ingredients
250g tiger prawns
1 red chilli, chopped and deseeded
1 chopped garlic clove
1 handful of chopped parsley
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Method:
Start by pouring your olive oil into a medium or small saucepan, and heat until bubbling. Throw in your chopped chilli and let sizzle for a minute, keeping the saucepan moving as you do so to stop it from burning. Turn the heat to medium low then stir in the chopped garlic. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and a few shakes of black pepper. Stir for another minute or so more before adding your tablespoons of white wine vinegar to the mix. Add your prawns and your peas; don't hesitate to include the juice from the prawns as it all adds to the flavour. Also, you can add your peas still frozen here in order to prevent them from over-cooking. After the prawns and the peas have had time to heat through you can then finally add the cooked spaghetti. Chuck in the parsley at the last moment, give it an extra mix, then serve immediately in pre-warmed bowls. Delicious! Supper in minutes, leaving plenty of time to catch up with the girls over a glass of white wine.