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Posts Tagged ‘Breadcrumbs’

Stuffed Cabbage

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 February 2025| Leave a Comment »

This is a handy veggie recipe to have up your sleeve. It works perfectly with all the sides you would typically serve with a roast dinner and it would also be nice as a side dish. Even better you can have it all prepped in advance and you can freeze it.

Wine Suggestion: Perfect with an oaked white like Oliver Leflaive’s Bourgogne Blanc Les Setilles, which has real class despite it’s lowly level within the Burgundy classification system.

Stuffed cabbage – makes 2 and each serves 4 to 6

  • 1 Savoy cabbage
  • 160g butter
  • 50ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 200g Cheddar cheese, finely grated
  • 200g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 180g breadcrumbs
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • nutmeg
  • vegetable stock

Remove 8 of the outer leaves from the cabbage and simmer for 5-10 minutes until softened, then drain and set aside.

Melt the butter and oil together in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic with 1tsp salt and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened.

Cut the cabbage into quarters and discard the tough core. Shred it very finely, then add to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until soft and wilted.

Turn the heat off, then mix both cheeses into the cabbage until melted. Add the breadcrumbs and eggs and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper and a little grated nutmeg.

Divide the filling in half. Take 4 of the cooked cabbage leaves and lie them down in a rough circle so they are slightly overlapping. Spoon half the filling on top in a rough rectangle shape, then wrap the leaves around to enclose. Tie it in multiple places along it’s length to hold it together, then tie it again along the length. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and stuffing. You can now store these in the fridge until your’re ready to cook them or freeze for another day.

To cook, bring a large pot of vegetable stock to the boil. Carefully lower one stuffed cabbage into the stock and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Carefully lift out of the pan and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving into slices.

(Original recipe from Stagioni by Olivia Cavalli, Pavilion, 2022.)

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Baked Pasta Shells

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 12 January 2025| Leave a Comment »

A vegetarian dish picked by Orlaith who wants to be a vegetarian for January – we’ll see how she goes! She wasn’t put off by this dish anyhow.

Wine Suggestion: A juicy, youthful Sangiovese or similar, like Umani Ronchi’s Serrano Rosso Conero which is a Montepulciano-Sangiovese blend. Bright, joyful red fruits with a smooth elegance and vivacity of youth.

Baked pasta shells – serves 4

  • 250g conchiglioni (big pasta shells)
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus a bit extra
  • 400g baby spinach
  • 250g ricotta cheese
  • 200g Greek yoghurt
  • 30g grated Parmesan cheese,
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 x 700g jar of tomato passata

FOR THE TOPPING:

  • 70g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 70g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted

Heat the oven to 170C.

Bring a large pan of very salty water to the boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for no more than 9 minutes – they need to be undercooked. Drain and cool under running cold water, then drain again and drizzle with a little oil to stop the shells sticking together, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until just wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool, then squeeze out any moisture and roughly chop it.

Put the chopped spinach into a large bowl with the ricotta, yoghurt, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest, basil and nutmeg and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour half the passata over the bottom of a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the shells with the ricotta and spinach mixture, then add the shells to the dish on top of the sauce, stuffed side up. Pour over the rest of the passata and season with a little more salt and pepper.

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and thyme in a small bowl, then pour over the melted butter and toss to combine. Sprinkle this over the top of the pasta, then bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden and the pasta is bubbling.

(Original recipe from Avoca at Home, Penguin Random House, 2022.)

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Pesto Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach & Beans

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 26 June 2023| Leave a Comment »

This is perfect for mid-week, super easy and very easy to assemble and bake in the oven. You can cover the dishes and freeze them if you like, then cook from frozen, uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Wine Suggestion: With a floral, herbal and stonefruit character that’s backed up with a very textural green almond note Sartarelli’s Verdicchio Superiore Tralivio is just the business for this dish. Tomasso Sartarelli really has a feel for this cuvée and how to get the best from the old vines this is made from and it has such a natural balance it makes it so easy to drink when first released, like we’re doing tonight. However, with a bit of will power, it ages superbly too.

Pesto salmon with tomatoes, spinach & beans – serves 6

  • 100g baby spinach
  • 3 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 6 tbsp Philadelphia cheese or other soft cheese
  • 4 tbsp fresh pesto
  • 150g breadcrumbs
  • 40g Parmesan, grated
  • 3 tbsp pine nuts
  • 6 salmon fillets

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas 6.

Divide the baby spinach 6 individual baking dishes. Spoon over the beans and tomatoes and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the lemon zest and squeeze over the juice, then season well. Toss with your hands to mix everything together.

Mix the soft cheese with the pesto in a bowl.

In another bowl mix the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan and pine nuts.

Place a salmon fillet into each dish and season well. Spoon over the pesto mixture, then the breadcrumb mixture, pressing it down. A bit will inevitably end up in the beans and that’s ok.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked (a probe should read 60C) and the crumbs a nice golden colour.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Spaghetti with Chilli, Sardines and Oregano

Posted in Fish, Food, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 April 2022| Leave a Comment »

Tinned fish seems to be having a moment, which is fine with us because we love it. We especially like Shines of Killybegs who do great sardines in sunflower oil, amongst lots of other delicious fishy things.

Wine Suggestion: An Italian white with a nutty twist at the end like Sartarelli’s Tralivio, a verdicchio from low yielding old vines that epitomises the very best of this grape and a perfect match to the umami saltiness of this dish.

Spaghetti with chilli, sardines & oregano – serves 2

  • olive oil, for cooking
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 75g rough breadcrumbs, made from stale bread
  • 200g dried spaghetti
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 1 x 120g tin good-quality sardines in oil, drained
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 50g rocket

Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add a good glug of olive oil and when it’s hot add the breadcrumbs and half the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until golden and toasted, then season with salt and pepper and toss well. Drain on kitchen paper if needed.

Cook the pasta according the pack timings in lots of very salty water.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little oil, then add the remaining garlic and the chilli for 1-2 minutes. Flake the sardines into small pieces, then toss in the pan with the garlic and chilli.

Lift the cooked pasta out of the cooking water with tongs and add straight to the frying pan with the sardines. Toss to mix well, then add the oregano and season to taste.

Stir in the rocket and divide between two plates. Garnish with the garlicky breadcrumbs.

(Original recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course,

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Cod with Orange & Dill

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 15 November 2021| Leave a Comment »

A perfect weekday fish dish. Serve with some baby roast potatoes and steamed greens.

Wine Suggestion: The orange and dill hint at southern France, so we chose Domaine Gayda’s Freestyle Blanc, a blend of Grenache Blanc and Gris, Maccabeu, Marsanne, and Roussanne. Layered and fresh like the food, this also had hints of orange citrus fruits and herbal twists on the finish. Both complementary and adding subtle contrasts. Made us wish we were sitting in the sunshine at a French bistro enjoying the food and wine there!

Cod with Orange & Dill – serves 2

  • 2 large pieces of cod fillet
  • a large handful of breadcrumbs, sourdough works well
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • a large handful of dill
  • a drizzle of olive oil
  • 2 tbsp crème fraîche, to serve

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Combine the breadcrumbs with the orange zest, dill, garlic and seasoning.

Season the cod, place on a baking tray and press the crumbs on top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with the crème fraîche.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Orecchiette with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Pecorino

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 13 July 2020| 2 Comments »

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Pecorino

We ate this as a main for 2 but it really is flavour-packed and would work really well in smaller portions as a starter.

Wine Suggestion: This strong combination of flavours pairs well with characterful, fuller bodied Italian whites like Verdicchio and one of our favourites, the Sartarelli Classico, was our match this evening.

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Pecorino – serves 4 as a starter

  • a large handful of coarse breadcrumbs (we used panko)
  • 100g orecchiette
  • a bunch of long-stemmed broccoli, cut into 5cm lengths
  • 150g cauliflower florets
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 x 45g tin anchovies, drained
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • a large handful of shaved pecorino, to serve (we used Parmesan)

Spread the breadcrumbs out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 200ºC for about 8 minutes or until crispy and golden. Leave to cool.

Cook the orecchiette in lots of salty water according to the timing on the pack.

Bring another large pan of salty water to the pan, then blanch the broccoli, followed by the cauliflower, for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Scoop out of the water with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat  150ml of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then add garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and toss to combine. Add the breadcrumbs, anchovies and drained orecchiette and heat through, you can add another splash of oil if needed to keep it moist.

Season to taste with salt, then serve with the parsley and pecorino on top.

(Original recipe from Maggies’ Kitchen by Maggie Beer, Lantern, 2008.)

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Mussels & Clams with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Posted in Food, Italian, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 18 January 2020| Leave a Comment »

Mussels & cockles with garlic breadcrumbs

This is a great starter from Polpo that tastes similar to stuffed mussels but is nowhere near as fiddly to prepare. We used cockles instead of clams as that is what we could get the day we cooked this.

Wine Suggestion: we’d suggest a white from central or sourther Italy for this dish. Tonight it was a Verdicchio from the Marches, the Tralivio by the Sartarelli family which combines citrus, apricots and wild herbs with texture, body and hints of a bitter almond on the finish. Very attractive, refreshing and a perfect food wine.

Mussels & Clams with Garlic Breadcrumbs – serves 4 – 6 as a starter

  • 100g old bread
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • a small handful of flat parsley leaves, chopped
  • a large pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 1 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • flaky sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 kg mussels
  • 1kg clams
  • 100ml white wine
  • bread, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.

Tear the old bread into pieces, then scatter over a baking tray and pour over plenty of olive oil over them. Put the tray into the oven for 5 minutes or until the bread is crisp and golden, then set aside.

When the bread has cooled blitz it in food processor with the chopped parsley, half the dried chilli, half the garlic and some seasoning. When the bread has turned to fine crumbs, taste some and adjust the seasoning and add some more oil if they are too dry.

Clean the mussels and clams in cold running water and discard any that are damaged or that stay open when tapped.

Heat a large pan and add some olive oil. Throw in the mussels and clams with the rest of the chilli and garlic and stir until the shells start to open. As they do, pour in the white wine and cover the pan with a lid. The shells should all have opened after a couple of minutes, throw away any that haven’t opened.

Add a handful of breadcrumbs to the pan to thicken the sauce. Spoon the mussels and clams into shallow bowls and sprinkle with the rest of the crumbs. Serve immediately with crusty bread if you like.

(Original recipe from Polpo by Russel Norman, Bloomsbury, 2012.)

 

 

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