Yes, I know there’s still a few weeks to go before the leaves start turning brown and we start to feel a bit of a chill in the air, but there’s something very autumny about this dish which had me yearning for those long chilly nights by the heater clutching a mug of hot cocoa.

It came about when I was rummaging through my kitchen trying to make myself a healthy, low carb lunch. I’ve mentioned here before that I’m on a healthy eating regime which means I’m trying to eat lots of fruit and veg, and make sure most of my meals are home-cooked and all natural. I want to know exactly what’s going into my food; i.e. no chemical additives with weird names for me. No sir!

So anyway, I came up with this. The first thing I ever learnt how to make when I was a little girl was an omelette. I love them – they’re fast, versatile, filling, high-protein and good for you.

You don’t have to use the ingredients I use here if you don’t like them. You can use parmesan or cheddar instead of pepato if you like, or you might want to omit the rocket lettuce entirely if it isn’t your thing.

What you’ll need:

Two eggs
A handful of rocket lettuce
Two spring onions
Four mushrooms
About 30g of pepato (or any cheese you prefer)
A teaspoon of olive oil
A pinch of ground pepper
A pinch of mixed herbs

Here’s what you do:

Wash and peel the mushrooms and spring onions and chop them up roughly.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sautee the mushrooms and onions for about two minutes, until they begin to cook.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and add the pepper and mixed herbs.

Throw the rocket into the pan and let it wilt just a little.

Add the eggs, making sure they cover the whole pan, and cook for about two minutes.

Cut the pepato into thin strips and place them evenly over the omelette.

Flip the omelette in half so it forms a sort of pocket where the cheese can melt and be generally delicious. Let it cook for a minute, then flip it over to  cook on the other side for a minute longer.

Serve with a side rocket salad. Or with a slice of brown or rye bread if you’re craving some carbs with your meal. Bon appetit!

This is one of my favourite dishes to make because it’s ridiculously quick, simple and healthy and goes well as a side dish, accompanying pasta or grilled chicken, and even on its own as a snack.

You’ll need:
A bunch of baby asparagus
A teaspoon of sesame seeds
Soy sauce
A teaspoon of olive oil

Put the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat and wait until the oil is hot and shimmering. Throw in the asparagus and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with a dash of soy sauce. Simples.

A few days ago, rummaging around the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I realised I had fresh mushrooms I needed to use, pancetta which also needed to be used asap and a lot of fresh garlic. It was like my kitchen wanted me to make spaghetti carbonara. The result was so tasty that Andrew and I could not. stop. eating. it. even after we were full. Of course, I had to share it with you.

You will need:

Pancetta (I used two packets)
Cream (I used one pot)
Spaghetti (100-125g per person)
1 big onion
3 fresh mushrooms
30g finely-grated Parmesan or Kefalotiri
3 cloves of garlic
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of low-fat margarine
Ground pepper to taste

Boil some water and cook the spaghetti. Drain it and set it aside.

Chop up the onion.

Cut the mushrooms into small, bite-size pieces.

Melt the margarine in a pot, add the onions and fry until soft, then add the pancetta and cook until slightly brown. Finally, add the mushrooms and minced garlic.

In a bowl, using a whisk, mix the eggs, cream, cheese and pepper together.

Add the pasta to the pan and mix well, then pour in the egg/cheese/cream mixture and cook for about four to five minutes.

EAT!

I’m one of those strange people who prefer winter to summer. It’s true. I live on a Mediterranean island and yet I prefer the cold. Of course, I’m not crazy: I love chilling on the beach, sipping Pina Colada just as much as you do. But that’s really not what summers are like here. We do take days off and we do go to the beach of course, but usually it’s all about stinking and sweltering in the heat until you get to your air conditioned office. Because you still need to work in summer.

One thing I do love about hot weather, though, is the fact that I actually crave salads. Lovely, fresh, colourful, crispy salads. And this pasta salad is just one of those dishes that you can literally whip up in the amount of time it takes to boil the pasta, and you can take the leftovers to work with you the next day (you may want to go easy on the garlic if you’re going to do that, though). This pasta salad is perfect – tasty, crunchy and healthy.

It’s also very versatile. You can hold the tuna if you want to make it a vegan meal. You can make it without the onion/garlic, add other things like chickpeas instead of the kidney beans. You could also add avocado and lime juice to it for a little kick.

This is my version of it.

You will need:
Penne
2 peppers
3 tins of tuna
1 big onion
1 can kidney beans, drained
Half a cup of sliced olives
One tablespoon of minced garlic
One teaspoon ground pepper

Weigh out your portions of pasta. I make 100g (dried pasta) per person but it really depends on how hungry you are.

Boil some water and cook the pasta.

Meanwhile, wash and dice the fresh peppers and set them aside.

Cut up the onion.

Transfer to a big bowl, add the tuna and garlic and mix everything up really well.

Once the pasta is ready, drain it, then run cold water over it to cool it down.

Add the mixture to the pasta, then add the kidney beans.

Add the olives and ground pepper and mix really well.

Serve and enjoy!

Every Maltese person has their own way of making froga tat-tarja. I am not the biggest fan of Maltese cuisine but there are a few dishes, like this one, which I love, if only because they take me back to my childhood and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Froga tat-tarja is basically a pasta frittata. It’s easy to make and only uses basic ingredients, plus you can add things to taste (like I did here with the pancetta). This is my own recipe for it. If your recipe is completely different, post it here in a comment – I’d love to hear it!

Ingredients:
300g uncooked spaghettini or vermicelli
3 eggs
olive oil
50g chopped pancetta
1 tbsp margarine

Bring some water to the boil and cook the pasta. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them, adding some salt and pepper, until they are light and creamy.

Melt the margarine in a frying pan of medium depth, over a medium flame.

Add the pancetta and fry it until it is lightly browned.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the frying pan. Add a dash of olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick to the pan.

Add the egg mix to the pan and press down on the pasta with a spatula so it binds to the egg and makes a sort of ‘cake’. Let the whole thing cook – it will become an omelette of sorts.

Flip the whole thing over and leave to cook on a medium heat. It’s alright if some of the pasta browns a little – this dish is even better with crispy bits in it.

Add salt, pepper, ketchup and/or grated cheese to taste and dig in!