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Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

Silver Spoon Penne with Saffron

Posted in Food, Pasta, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 7 August 2011| 12 Comments »

This is made just like a risotto, except you use penne pasta instead of rice. Sounds strange but apparently it’s quite common in the south of Italy, according to our Italian friend. The pasta ends up really soft instead of al dente like we’re all used to but it melts in the mouth and is not at all like over-cooked pasta. We served this as a dinner party starter and it was really simple to stir up while we all had an aperitif.

Penne Gialle (Penne with Saffron) – to serve 4 (or 6 as a starter)

  • about a litre of vegetable or meat stock
  • 40g butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 350g penne lisce (this is the smooth type but if you have ridged penne that will do)
  • pinch of saffron threads
  • 40g Parmesan cheese, grated
Bring the stock to the boil. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the penne and stir until shiny and coated with fat. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue adding stock, a ladle at a time, until the pasta  is completely cooked. Stir the saffron into the last ladleful of stock before adding it to the pan. Mix well until everything turns an even yellow colour. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon Pasta published by Phaidon – we highly recommend it!)

Wine Suggestion: We had a Friulano from the north-east of Italy but any fresh Italian white with good roundness and medium body will do. Stay clear of Pinot Grigio as it doesn’t tend to taste of much.

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A Lighter Potato Salad

Posted in Food, Side dish, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 4 August 2011| Leave a Comment »

Potato salad is one of those recipes that needs a friend. We’ve paired this really well: some barbequed sausages and a bean salad with some hazelnuts – it worked superbly. This is a light version – not too heavy on the mayo.

Potato salad with yogurt dijon dressing  – serves 8

  • 1 kg small new potatoes
  • 2 tbsp natural yogurt
  • 1 tbsp mayo
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • some finely chopped parsley

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until cooked but still firm and not falling apart – around 10 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

Mix together the yogurt, mayo, mustard and parsley (reserving a little parsley to serve).

Toss the cooled potatoes with the yogurt mixture and some seasoning, sprinkle over the rest of the parsley.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Tuesday Night Veg & Black Bean Soup

Posted in Food, Healthy, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 2 August 2011| Leave a Comment »

Easy, tasty, low-fat, cheap, hearty… need we say more? We had carrots and celery that needed used so we added more than the recipe suggests – it was a good idea!

Black bean and chilli soup – to serve 2 

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 sticks celery, sliced
  • 1 carrot, diced small
  • olive oil
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • 400g tin of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 150ml natural yogurt
  • a small bunch of coriander, chopped
Cook onion, celery and carrot in 1 tbsp olive oil until softened. Add the chilli flakes and cumin and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, stock and beans and simmer for about half an hour, or until the veg is soft. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and some coriander on top.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Chorizo & Soft Egg Salad

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 1 August 2011| Leave a Comment »

Oh so tasty and perfect for a weeknight or even weekend brunch/lunch. If you’ve been watching Rick Stein’s Spain on the tv you will have heard him rave about Sherry vinegar – really worth having in the cupboard as you can use if in lots of dishes.

Chorizo & soft egg salad – to serve 4 (or halve for 2)

  • 500g baby new potatoes, halved
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g green beans, trimmed
  • 225g chorizo, sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced
  • 2 tbsp Sherry vinegar
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 minutes, adding the eggs after 6 minutes, and the beans for the final 2 minutes. Drain and cool the eggs under cold running water.
  2. Meanwhile fry chorizo for a minute or two, until starting to crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Add the garlic to the chorizo oil and cook gently for 1 minute.
  3. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vinegar and parsley, then toss with the potatoes, beans, chorizo and some seasoning. Shell the eggs, cut into quarters and add to the salad.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Fancy Barbecue Fare

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, Side dish, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 31 July 2011| 2 Comments »

Something a little different for the barbecue (and if it rains it can be cooked in the oven). The bean and olive salad is also delicious. We like this because it can serve up to eight people  but can also be easily adapted for two (or as many as you like). You can also assemble the pork up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge.  A few new spuds on the side are the perfect accompaniment.

Stuffed pork medallions – to serve 8 (we successfully quartered to serve 2)

  • 16 boneless pork loin steaks
  • large bunch sage, leaves picked (about 32 leaves)
  • 125g ball mozzarella, sliced into 16 pieces
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • cocktail sticks.
Put the pork on a board and make a deep pocket in the side using the tip of a knife, without cutting all the way through. Wiggle the knife around so the pocket is bigger than the opening. Stuff the pockets with a bit of cheese and a sage leaf. Close the opening by threading a cocktail stick through. Press another sage leaf on top of each medallion. Squeeze over juice from one of the lemon halves. You can make these up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge.

Drizzle the medallions with a little bit of oil and barbecue for 4 minutes on each side (starting with the sage-leaf side down). While they are cooking, barbecue the lemon halves, cut side down, until charred, for squeezing over at the end. Season and serve.

If all else fails you can griddle the medallions in batches on a griddle pan, then transfer to a hot baking tray in the oven to finish cooking (160C/140C fan/gas 3).

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Bean & olive salad – also to serve 8 but make less if you’re not that many!

  • 2 yellow peppers
  • 2 red peppers
  • 300g green beans
  • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp small capers
  • 2 handfuls of black olives, stoned (or not if you can’t be bothered)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • large bunch basil, leaves picked, large ones shredded, small ones left whole
Blacken the peppers using a gas flame, barbecue or hot grill. Put them in a bowl and cover with cling film. When they are cool, peel, deseed and cut them into strips, keeping any juices.

Cook the beans in boiling salted water until crunch but not squeaky, then drain and put in ice water to stop them cooking further. Toss everything together, adding the shredded basil at the last minute and scatter over the small leaves to finish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Crushed pea & broad bean crostini

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

We will definitely do this recipe again; the flavours burst in your mouth and taste so summery. Our inspiration was our friend Carol who had some pea puree with radishes at a lovely Sunday lunch recently and Sheila from Gimmetherecipe posted a similar recipe and reminded us to try it. Such an easy summer starter.

Crostini with pea purée rocket & broad beans – to serve 6

  • 200g double-podded broad beans
  • 400g frozen peas
  • 85g butter
  • 100g natural yogurt
  • leaves from a small bunch of mint
  • 1 ciabatta, sliced
  • 1 small bunch dill, chopped
  • couple handfuls of rocket
  • 140g radishes, thinly sliced
  • 85g pecorino cheese
  • extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
  1. Cook the broad beans for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain, , cool under cold running water, then drain and set aside. In the same pan, fry the peas in half the butter until just cooked. Allow to cool, the blitz in the food processor (or use a hand blender) with the yogurt, mint and seasoning.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the rest of the butter in a small pan, stir in the dill, then brush over the ciabatta slices. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp and golden.
  3. Spread some pea purée onto each slice, top with rocket, broad beans and radishes. Shave some pecorino over the top. Drizzle with oil before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)


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Super-healthy salmon & rice salad

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 24 July 2011| 2 Comments »

We made this salad because we were trying to use up some brown basmati we’ve had sitting around in the cupboard. The flavour and texture combination turned out even better than expected and it was just as delicious for dinner as well as the next day for lunch. Fresh and light and yet filling and very satisfying. Definitely will be done again.

We reckon this would be a fabulous as part of a buffet; easy to prepare in advance and bursting with colours and flavour.

Don’t be put off by microwaving the salmon – it really does work a treat!

Zingy salmon & brown rice salad (serves 4)

  • 200g brown basmati rice
  • 200g frozen soya beans, defrosted (we used peas because we couldn’t find he soya beans)
  • 2 salmon fillets, skin on
  • 1 cucumber , diced
  • small bunch spring onions , sliced
  • small bunch coriander , roughly chopped
  • zest and juice 1 lime
  • 1 red chilli , diced, deseeded if you like
  • 4 tsp light soy sauce
  1. Cook the rice following pack instructions and 3 mins before it’s done, add the soya beans. Drain and cool under cold running water.
  2. Meanwhile, put the salmon on a plate and microwave on high for 3 mins. Allow to cool slightly, remove the skin with a fork, then flake.
  3. Gently fold the cucumber, spring onions, coriander and salmon into the rice and beans. In a separate bowl, mix the lime zest and juice, chilli and soy, then pour over the rice before serving.
Original recipe BBC Good Food

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MoroccanTurkey Meatballs with Citrus Couscous

Posted in Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 22 July 2011| 2 Comments »

A dish that is super-healthy and easy to cook makes this a great weeknight dinner and lunch (if you make too much the night before). It’s a tiny bit dry on it’s own even with the juicy orange in the couscous so we recommend you serve some Tzatziki on the side – even though that’s Greek. The Moroccans will forgive us.
Serves 4

  • 500g turkey mince (they have it in Tesco)
  • 2 tsp each chilli powder, ground cumin and ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 onion, coarsely grated
  • zest 1 orange, then peeled and orange segments chopped
  • 250g coucous
  • 250ml hot chicken stock
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
  1. Mix the mince, spices, onion and orange zest together in a big bowl with your hands. Roll the mixture into about 20 walnut-sized meatballs.
  2. Put the couscous in a bowl, pour in the hot stock, cover with cling film and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the meatballs and fry for about 12 minutes until nice and brown all over and cooked through.
  4. Fluff the couscous up with a fork, stir in the chopped orange, coriander and some seasoning. Serve with the meatballs and some tzatziki.

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Sloe Gin Rhubarb (yum!)

Posted in Brunch, Dessert, Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 21 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Really interesting flavours that celebrate each component: sloes, gin and rhubarb. Great served chilled with plain yogurt or muesli for your morning breakfast – the alcohol burns off in the oven. If you haven’t got any sloe gin we’re definitely not suggesting you go looking for some just for this recipe. On the other hand if  you happen to have some lying around, then it’s definitely worth trying.

Nigel Slater’s Sloe Rhubarb – to serve 4

  • 750g rhubarb
  • 100g sugar
  • 120ml sloe gin
  • 2 tbsp water
Heat the oven at 160°C/Gas 3. Cut the rhubarb into short sticks. Put it into a glass, stainless steal or china dish (not aluminium, as it will taint the rhubarb).

Stir the sugar, sloe gin and water together and pour over the rhubarb. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour – if the rhubarb is tough it will take the full hour to soften. Keep and eye on it and baste now and then.

When the rhubarb is tender, remove it from the oven and leave to cool. Can be served warm but we liked it chilled.

(Original recipe from Tender – Volume 2 by Nigel Slater)

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Chicken with Courgettes and Garlic

Posted in Chicken, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 20 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Apologies to any of you that don’t like courgettes but as long as people keep donating us homegrown ones we’re going to keep on cooking them.

This dish is based on courgettes, onions and garlic and it’s so tasty that you can’t tell it’s low fat. The recipe is to serve 8 (to serve buffet-style) but we just cooked half and it worked well.

The original recipe suggested side dishes of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines. We had some new potatoes to use up so we roasted them with a bit of oil and some herbs from the garden.

Chicken saute with courgettes and garlic – to serve 8 (easily halved)

  • 8 x chicken breast fillets
  • 8-10 small courgettes – we used a giant one
  • 2 onions
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 2 red chillies
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 50g butter
  • juice of 2 small limes
  • lime wedges, to serve
  1. Cut the chicken into 1cm thick strips and the courgettes into 1cm thick slices on an angle. Slice the onions finely and separate into rings. Slice the garlic very finely. Deseed the chillies and shred finely.
  2. Heat a large frying pan or a heavy roasting tin on the hob. Add the oil and sauté the onions and courgettes until golden brown – you might have to do this in a few batches. Season and transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the butter to the frying pan. When it sizzles, sauté the chicken strips in batches until golden brown all over. Add them all back to the pan together and cook for another minute before seasoning and adding the onions, courgettes and sliced garlic.
  4. Keep cooking for another few minutes until everything is almost tender, then add the lime juice, and check the seasoning. Scatter over the chillies and serve with lime wedges.
(Original recipe by Gary Rhodes for BBC Good Food Magazine July 2003)

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Italian tuna balls (hee hee)

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, Italian, Pasta, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 14 July 2011| 5 Comments »

Well this was a pleasant surprise! We only made it cause it was super cheap and low fat but we will definitely be doing it again. This costs less than €2 a head and it is gorgeous! We don’t buy tomato pasta sauce because this one is so fabulous, super cheap, easy and freezes. We usually have some pasta dough in the freezer that needs used too so the picture has fresh tagliarini – so for us it cost the price of a tin of tuna.  Still  we don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you use shop bought sauce and dried spaghetti either.

Italian Tuna Balls – to serve 4  (easy to double or halve)

  • 2 x 160g cans tuna in oil, drained (reserve a bit of the oil)
  • small handful pine nuts
  • finely grated zest 1 lemon
  • small handful parsley, roughly chopped
  • 50g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 400g spaghetti
  • 500g jar tomato pasta sauce

Flake the tuna into a bowl, then add the pine nuts, lemon zest, parsley, breadcrumbs and egg. Season and mix with your hands until really well combined. Roll the mix into 12 walnut-size balls. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil, then cook the spaghetti according to the pack.

Heat a little of the tuna oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then fry the tuna balls for 5 minutes or until completely golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper. Heat the tomato sauce, then toss with the pasta and tuna balls.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Glazed veggie kebabs for the bbq

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 13 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

This is a veggie version of our Easy BBQ Kebabs and this time we made our own honey-mustard marinade. Another convenience item that we won’t be buying again as it’s just so simple to make (and we always have honey and mustard in the cupboard). These should keep your veggie friends happy or you can serve them as a side dish for the carnivores. We had them with baked potatoes and parsley butter as there was leftover parsley in the fridge. Very yummy indeed.

Veggie kebabs to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp clear honey
  • 2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 2 courgettes, thickly sliced
  • 1 aubergine, cut into chunks
  • 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 orange pepper, cut into chunks
If you only have wooden skewers you need to soak them for about 30 minutes or they will burn on the barbecue. We like metal ones.

Blend the honey, mustard and oil with seasoning.

Thread the vegetables onto the skewers and brush with the glaze.

Cook for 20-30 minutes on the barbecue.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

If you have leftovers stir them through some couscous with some toasted nuts and herbs for lunchboxes.

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We like people who grow their own veg …

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 12 July 2011| 2 Comments »

… they always need help eating them. According to Johnny and Vivienne Mitchell, this courgette season is so good in Dublin that they can’t keep up. We were the lucky recipients of this courgette and another one so far – yay!

Courgette, basil & almond pasta – to serve 2 

  • 175g/6oz orecchiette pasta
  • 2 tbsp toasted blanched almonds (we only had flaked almonds so we toasted these and they did the job)
  • 2 small or 1 medium courgette (or a chunk off a massive one)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • large bunch basil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 rounded tbsp grated parmesan
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the pack.

Meanwhile, finely chop the almonds, chop the courgette into small chunks, crush the garlic and pick the basil leaves from the stalks.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette for a few minutes until it starts to soften, then add the garlic and half the basil and cook for another minute.

Drain the pasta and add it to to the courgettes, along with the almonds, the rest of the basil, the parmesan, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Toss everything together and serve with extra parmesan.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

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Summer Mezedes: a scrumptious feta starter

Posted in Food, Greek, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Tiromezes

This is so simple to make and was an excellent way to start a Greek meal (see main course below). The saltiness of the feta becomes imperceptible with grilling, and it balances perfectly with the sweetness of the tomato and mild heat of the chilli. We’ll definitely do this again!

Tiromezes: easy cheese appetizer – serves 4

  • 4 square, thick slices feta cheese
  • 1 large tomato, cut into 4 rounds
  • 1 long green chilli, thinly sliced
  • pinch of dry oregano
  • pepper
  • olive oil for drizzling

Preheat the grill. Put the cheese slices side by side in a shallow flameproof dish. Put a tomato slice on top of each feta square and top with the slices of chilli. Sprinkle with oregano and pepper and drizzle with a little bit of oil. Grill for 6-8 minutes, until the tomato and chilli are lightly browned. Serve immediately with a glass of ouzo if you have some (we didn’t 😦 maybe next time).

(Original recipe from Vefa’s Kitchen)

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Gorgeous Greek food!

Posted in Food, Greek, Pork, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 11 July 2011| 2 Comments »

Gigantes me spanaki ke loukanika sto fourno (Bean, Spinach and Sausage Casserole)

Don’t be scared that this takes over 24 hours preparation – it’s all soaking time for the beans! It does take about an hour and a half to cook though so don’t get started too late. It is very easy despite the time it takes and is totally worth it.

Gigantes me spanaki ke loukanika sto fourno (Bean, Spinach and Sausage Casserole) – serves 4

  • 300g dried butter beans
  • 120ml olive oil
  • 250g pork sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 400g can chopped tomoatoes
Cover the Butter beans in plenty of cold water and soak for 24 hours.

Put the beans into a saucepan, cover them with cold water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, then drain and tip into an ovenproof casserole dish.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the sausage, onion, and garlic and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley, season and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture over the beans, stir well and bake, adding a little hot water if necessary, for about 50 minutes or until the beans are soft – check every now and then that it isn’t drying out and give it a stir.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach, and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, until wilted. Drain well. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the spinach and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes.

Take the beans out of the oven and dot the top with spinach. Bake for 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Kali orexi (bon appétit)!

(Original recipe from Vefa’s Kitchen published by Phaidon)

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Probably the best anchovies in the world

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 10 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Anchovies are like Marmite – you love them or hate them. We love them and to really make them sing this is what to do.

To serve 4:

Arrange 8 large good-quality pickled anchovy fillets on a nice plate. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and drizzle some olive oil over them. Grind over a good twist of black pepper, scatter over a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves then toss and serve.

Your anchovy-loving friends will thank you.

(Idea from Anchovies in Jamie Does…)

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Don’t ever buy houmous!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on 10 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

HummusHoumous is very cheap to make and is almost instant if you use tinned chickpeas. You will get at least three times the quantity of one of those little supermarket tubs from this recipe. It also tastes great and is really healthy.

Hummus 

  • 2 tins of chickpeas, drained, reserving some of the liquid
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika

Crush the garlic with some salt until it becomes a paste. Put the chickpeas, tahini and garlic in a blender or food processor and puree a little and then season with salt. Add the lemon juice and continue blitzing until smooth. Scrape out into a bowl and mix the olive oil in well. If it’s a bit dry add some of your reserved liquid. Check that there is enough salt. Sprinkle with the paprika and drizzle another bit of olive oil over the top.

(Original recipe from ‘Falling cloudberries’ by Tessa Kiros)

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Multi-vegetable paella

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 5 July 2011| 5 Comments »

Another recipe from our favourite veggie cookbook, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. This is easy-peasy with fantastic results. A long list of ingredients but you may have some of the spices in the cupboard already and the vegetables are all in season so you should be able to pick them up for relatively cheap. We thought the olives weren’t really necessary so if you don’t have any you could leave them out.

Multi-veg paella – to serve 2 generously (but you’ll manage it)

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • half a Spanish onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small red and 1 small yellow pepper, cut into strips
  • half a fennel bulb (we just used the whole fennel bulb), cut into strips
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 15og Calasparra rice (or another paella rice – or if you’re stuck long-grain rice will do)
  • 100ml good-quality medium Sherry (we never go by Lustau)
  • 1 tsp saffron threads
  • 450ml boiling vegetable stock
  • 200g shelled broad beans (fresh or frozen)
  • 12 mini plum tomatoes, halved
  • 5 small grilled artichokes in oil from a jar, drained
  • 15 pitted Kalamata olives, crushed or halved
  • 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
  • 4 lemon wedges

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan, or large shallow frying pan, and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the peppers and fennel and continue frying on a medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne to the vegetables and stir well. Then add the rice and stir for 2 minutes before adding the sherry and saffron. Boil down for a minute, then add the stock and 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Don’t cover the pan and don’t stir it.

Meanwhile, pour plenty of boiling water over the broad beans in a bowl and leave for a minute, then drain and leave to cool down. Squeeze each bean gently to remove the skin.

Take the paella pan off the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed but still try not to stir it too much. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and broad beans over the rice and cover tightly with foil. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Take the foil off. Scatter the olives on top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

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Summer Sunday Dinner – Loin of Pork with herbs and peas

Posted in Food, Pork, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on 4 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

Here is the promised second recipe from Pork & Sons. We don’t usually do traditional Sunday lunch style food in the summer but this looked suitably summery so we have made an exception. A really impressive lunch for friends and looks great served on a great big plate. If you don’t have herbs growing in the garden we suggest you go raid someone else’s!

There are some dishes where you can’t stop eating, even if you are totally stuffed … and this is one of them!

Pork fillet with herbs & petits pois – to serve 6

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • pork loin, about 1.2kg
  • 200g smoked lardons (we bought a piece of smoked pancetta and chopped it up)
  • 3 shallots, halved & 6 baby onions (we used all shallots)
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 175ml white wine
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 1 rosemary sprig
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1kg frozen petits pois
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 3 fresh tarragon sprigs
  • 6 fresh basil leaves

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole. Add the pork and cook over a medium-high heat, turning now and then for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown all over (make sure you get good colour at this stage as it won’t go any browner).

Lower the heat, add the lardons, shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until the shallots are softened and lightly coloured. Pour in the white wine and add the sage leaves, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and onions. Cover and simmer, basting often, for an hour and a half. If it seems to be drying out, add a little water.

Near the end of the cooking time, cook the peas in salted boiling water, then drain. Add the butter, tarragon and basil to the casserole and stir in the peas. Season and serve.

Wine suggestion: We had something a bit special with this – a Ch. Rayas white from 2001. For a similar effect go for a white Côtes du Rhône – if you’re lucky enough to be in possession of a Ch. Rayas then run with that!

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A nice story about Pork & Sons (and a chorizo tortilla)

Posted in Pork, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 July 2011| 1 Comment »

We flicked through Stéphane Raynaud’s Pork & Sons book in a fabulous pub in England called The Nut Tree. We had the nicest lunch and Jono got so over-excited he proposed just after (though I think he might of had that bit planned before he wooed me with the nice lunch)[I had actually been planning it for about 4 months – Jono]. We had to buy the book after all that,  it’s been on our shelves for over a year now and we have only managed to cook one recipe (see Sunday Barbecue Kebabs). Believe me that is no reflection on the book which is outstanding – though you do have to like pig. So we’ve gone for two porky recipes this weekend and this is the first. Really easy for a Friday night when energy levels are generally low but you want something really tasty – it’s now on our list of things to cook for friends. We found the recipe timings were a bit out which may be down to our cooker so excuse the vague instructions – don’t let it put you off, we promise it works.

Chorizo tortilla – to serve 6

  • 120ml olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing
  • 600g small potatoes, cut into large cubes
  • 200g chorizo sausage, sliced
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 5 eggs
  • 100ml double cream
Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F/Gas Mark 1/2). Brush an ovenproof dish with oil – we used a deep pie dish.

Heat 5 tbsps of the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the potatoes and cook over a medium heat until just beginning to colour – they also need to be fairly soft but not falling apart. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in another pan. Add the chorizo and onions and cook over a low heat until the onions have softened. When both are nice and soft and smell delicious you can mix the onion, chorizo and potatoes together. Beat the eggs until foaming ,then add the cream.

Spoon the chorizo mix into your dish and pour over the beaten eggs to cover. Bake in the oven for 15-20 mins (or even longer if necessary – I think we left it for 25 to make sure the egg was set and then flashed it under the grill so it went brown on top). You can test it by inserting a knife – it should come out dry.

Serve with a rocket salad – we dressed ours with a mustardy vinaigrette which was good.

Wine suggestion: Our first thoughts were a Spanish red but in the end we went for a white with a bit of structure – think Chardonnay or another oaked white like Bordeaux.

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