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Posts Tagged ‘Recipe’

Sicilian-style Fish Stew

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 16 November 2011| 4 Comments »

This dish is really easy, light and yet full of flavours. Takes hardly any time to rustle up on a week night too.

Sicilian-style fish stew – to serve 2

  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 plum tomatoes (we had to use tinned tomatoes this time)
  • 125ml white wine
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • 50g couscous
  • 250g white fish fillet – we used hake
  • 1/2 a lemon, zested
  • a small handful of chopped parsley chopped

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide, shallow pan. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and chilli flakes. Season and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes then add the couscous. Turn down to a simmer and add the fish. Cover with a lid and cook until the fish is done, about 5-7 minutes. Break the fish into large chunks as you serve and sprinkle over the lemon zest and parsley.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Wine suggestion: You want a bit of body and minerality here as there are some fairly robust flavours, despite being a light dish. We went for a Riesling from Alsace but a Provencal rosé would also work well.

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Spaghetti Tetrazzini

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 13 November 2011| 5 Comments »

Another spaghetti dish but the full fat version this time – lot’s of double cream and cheese. This is a mysterious Italian dish from Jamie’s Italy which he claims is an old Italian recipe. We’ve looked in all of our Italian cookbooks and cannot find a reference to it anywhere. We even asked a real live Italian and he’d never heard of it either. So we’ll explain what it is – a super-indulgent chicken and mushroom pasta bake. We like it.

Spaghetti tetrazzini – chicken and mushroom pasta bake – to serve 6

  • 20g of dried porcini mushrooms
  • olive oil
  • 4 skinned and boned chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 350g of mixed fresh mushrooms, wiped and torn
  • 200ml of white wine
  • 500g dried spaghetti
  • 500ml double cream
  • 200g Parmesan, grated
  • a sprig of basil, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover (about 150ml). Set aside to soak for a few minutes. Heat a large saucepan, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown gently in the oil. Strain the porcini, keeping the liquid, and add to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the pack instructions, then drain well. Add the cream to the chicken, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish, sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until brown, bubbling and crispy on the top (about 10-15 minutes). Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese.

Wine Suggestion: We cooked this dish to match an unusual wine that has been sitting in our rack for some time now. A Chardonnay and Savignin (not Sauvignon) blend from the Jura, in Eastern France. This wine has earthy flavours and is a slightly oxidised style – oxidation is normally what destroys wines when they’ve been open too long so this is a bit unusual. At 13 years old (vintage 1998) it showed beautifully with lovely yellow apple flavours and a fresh acidity. Still we loved it and it was a perfect match for this creamy chicken and mushrooms dish. If you can’t find a wine from the Jura we suggest a cool climate Chardonnay that has weight but maintained its acidity – a Pouilly-Fuisse or Meursault  would be perfect.

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Creamy Linguine with Prawns – another low-fat version!

Posted in Food, Healthy, Pasta, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 November 2011| 3 Comments »

Creamy linguine and low-fat don’t usually go in the same sentence but in this case they work. Generally we’re not keen on low-fat substitutes, preferring to have a bit less of the real thing, but reduced-fat crème fraîche is an exception. We really enjoyed this and it feels quite indulgent despite being both low-fat and good for you.

Creamy linguine with prawns – to serve 2

  • 175g linguine
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
  • 100ml white wine
  • 2 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche
  • juice 1/2 lemon
  • 150g raw peeled prawns
  • small bunch chives, finely chopped

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the oil and gently fry the garlic for 2 minutes. Tip in the wine and bubble over a high heat for 1 minute, then lower the heat and sitr in the crème fraîche and lemon juice. Season with salt and lots of black pepper. Simmer for 1 minute to reduce a little, then add the prawns and simmer in the sauce until they turn pink.

Drain the pasta and tip into the sauce with half the chives. Mix it all together, divide between two dishes and sprinkle with the rest of the chives.

Wine Suggestion: Have a glass of whatever you used in the sauce. Picpoul de Pinet works well and Tesco Finest do a fairly decent one at a very reasonable price. It’s light but has nice fruit and a good crisp acidity – perfect for shellfish plus enough acidity to cut through the creamy sauce in this dish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Low Fat Keema Curry & Raita

Posted in Asian, Beef, Food, Healthy, Indian, tagged , , , , , , on 10 November 2011| 2 Comments »

This was surprisingly delicious and flavoursome; the curry paste really adds a good depth yet it is still light and wholesome. A Keema curry is one that uses mince which we’ve not really done. After this recipe we’ll certainly try a few others.

Keema curry & raita – to serve 4

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 400g beef mince
  • 340g frozen peas
  • handful fresh coriander, chopped
FOR THE PASTE
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • thumb-sized piece ginger, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp each turmeric and ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
FOR THE RAITA
  • 200g fat-free natural yogurt
  • 100g cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
  • handful fresh mint, chopped
Whizz the paste ingredients together in a blender or food processsor – you might need a splash of water.

Cook the onion in a splash of water for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the mince and cook for another 5 minutes to brown. Add the paste, cook for a minute, then pour in 100ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the raita ingredients together and season. When the mince is cooked, season and stir through the coriander. Serve with the raita and some brown rice.

Wine suggestion: You don’t want something with too much acidity here but it still needs a bit of easy fruit. Try a Pinot Blanc from Alsace.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Cheat’s Funghi Trifolati

Posted in Food, Italian, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 9 November 2011| 2 Comments »

Because we’re not blessed by abundant fresh Porcini like the Italians we need to be a little inventive to capture the flavours and effect of a genuinely Italian recipe; this one delivers the goods in spades. If you find some fresh porcini grab them with both hands but otherwise try this mixture of wild mushrooms and a handful of dried porcini to boost the flavour.

Funghi Trifolati (Sautéed Mushrooms with Parsley & Garlic) – to serve 4 as a side dish

  • 25g dried porcini
  • 500g fresh mushrooms, use a mixture of wild and cultivated
  • 2 shallots
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 15g unsalted butter
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Put the dried porcini in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean the fresh mushrooms – wiping them with kitchen paper should be sufficient rather than washing them. Cut them into thick slices.

Lift the porcini out of the water and cut into small pieces.

Finely chop the shallots, put them in a large sauté pan and sauté with the olive oil and butter until soft. Add the garlic, half the parsley, a little salt and lots of pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute and then add the porcini. Cook for 5 minutes or so and then throw in the fresh mushrooms and some parsley. Cook over a fairly high heat for about 10 minutes, making sure mushrooms don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. There should be very little liquid left by the end of the cooking.

Sprinkle with the last bit of parsley before serving.

(Original recipe by Anna Del Conte, Gastronomy of Italy, Pavilion Books, 2001.)

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A Blackberry and Apple Sauce for Pork or Duck

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 8 November 2011| 2 Comments »

We made this sauce as an incidental side to some duck legs and the side trumped the main … so much so that the legs will not be reviewed but this sauce definitely will! The revelation for us is the baking of the apples whole which seems to add something special.

Apple and blackberry sauce – to serve 4 (or more) on the side

  • 4 large Bramley apples
  • 150g blackberries
  • a little icing sugar
Score the skin of the apples round the middle to prevent explosions and put them in a baking dish. Bake at 180ºC/Gas 4 or thereabouts for about 40 minutes or until they have puffed up and the apple is soft and frothy.

Put the blackberries into a small pan with a tbsp of water and bring to the boil. Crush lightly with a fork.

Scrape the apple flesh off the skins into a bowl. Beat the sugar in with a fork and stir in the crushed blackberries.

(Original recipe by Nigel Slater, Tender: Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010).

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Spiced haloumi on a warm Beluga lentil, spinach & caramelised beetroot salad

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 7 November 2011| Leave a Comment »

We’ve admired Denis Cotter from afar and when we got his new cookbook devoured it as usual. What we found was that each recipe had loads of component which built up a brilliant spectrum of flavours, and yet appeared so complex that unless you have time and patience (and sometimes the ingredients too) you’d rarely make the dishes. This one is an exception as it really comes together quite easily and the flavours are superb. We are definitely encouraged and will try more!

Spiced haloumi on a warm Puy lentil, spinach & beetroot salad – to serve 4

  • 2 medium beetroot, washed, cooked and peeled (we boiled ours for about 25 minutes)
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 100ml red wine
  • 100g Puy  lentils (we used Beluga)
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 dried bird’s eye chillies, ground (or less if you prefer)
  • 2 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, ground
  • finely grated zest of 1 lime and juice of 2
  • 200g haloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices
  • 100g baby spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.

Slice the beetroot into thin wedges, toss with the balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until starting to caramelise.

Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock and red wine to the boil in a large pan. Add the lentils, thyme and garlic, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until the lentils are just tender but still firm. If there is any liquid left, turn the heat up and boil until it is almost gone. Stir in the roast beetroot and scallions, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Mix the chillies, cumin and lime zest together. Halve the haloumi slices diagonally.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the haloumi until browned on both sides. Sprinkle the spice mix and juice of 1 of the limes over the cheese and toss to coat.

Place some spinach on each plate and scatter some of the lentil mix over. Arrange the haloumi slices on top and finish with the remaining lime juice.

(Original recipe from Denis Cotter’s For the love of Food, Collins, 2011.)

Wine Suggestion: You need something that’s earthy for the beetroot and lentils but also fruity and juicy to balance the heat of the spices. Try a Chilean red made from the Carmenere grape which is an emerging match for spicy food (including Indian curry!).

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Easy Thai Prawn Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , on 6 November 2011| Leave a Comment »

A really quick and easy week-night supper with bags of freshness and flavour. It’s also infinitely variable depending on what crunchy vegetables you may have to hand. We would have added a couple of sliced red chillies if we’d had some!

Spicy Prawn Soup – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 300g bag crunchy stir-fry vegetables
  • 140g shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp Thai green curry paste
  • 400g can reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 200ml vegetable or fish stock
  • 300g medium straight-to-wok noodles
  • 200g large, raw prawns

Heat a wok, add the oil, and stir-fry the vegetables and mushrooms for a few minutes. Take out and set aside, then tip the curry paste into the pan and fry for a minute. Pour in the coconut milk and stock. Bring to the boil, drop in the noodles and prawns, then reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes until the prawns are cooked. Stir in the vegetables and serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Low-fat Curry for Autumn

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 1 November 2011| Leave a Comment »

This is a handy mid-week curry with nothing like the calorie and fat content of an Indian take-away!

Indian butternut squash curry – to serve 4

  • 200g brown basmati rice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 butternut squash, diced
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp curry paste (we used Patak’s Madras paste but you can go for a milder paste if you prefer)
  • 300ml vegetable stock
  • 4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 3 tbsp fat-free Greek yogurt
  • small handful coriander, chopped

Cook the rice in boiling salted water according to the instructions on the pack. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the squash for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the onion and the curry paste and fry for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Pour over the stock, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas, then gently cook for a few minutes, until the tomatoes slightly soften.

Take off the heat and stir through the yogurt and coriander. Serve with the rice.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Easy Friday Night Pasta

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 31 October 2011| 3 Comments »

We’ve picked up a habit of paying for pasta dishes in Italian restaurants in town. There’s nothing wrong with the pasta dishes but there’s something wrong with paying €10 (or more!) for something you can make a vat of for far less than that. So we’ve resolved to cook our own pasta dishes from now on – starting with this Penne Arrabbiata from Silver Spoon Pasta. You will probably have most if not all the ingredients already which makes this practically free!

Penne Arrabbiata – to serve 4

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 a fresh chilli, seeded and chopped
  • 500g tinned chopped tomatoes, drained (we used a 400g tin but might use 2 x 400g tins next time)
  • 350g penne lisce (the smooth sort)
  • 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and chilli and cook until the garlic turns brown. Remove the garlic cloves at this stage and throw them away.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and cook for about 15 minutes.

Cook the penne in a large pan of salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and tip into the frying pan.

Toss over a high heat for a few minutes, then transfer to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

(Original recipe from The Silver Spoon Pasta, Phaidon, 2009).

Wine Suggestion: Italian wines tend to go with Italian foods as they are naturally high in acidity which makes them a perfect complement to tomato-based sauces. You don’t need to splash out for this dish. We had our favourite every-day wine Il Casolare, an IGT from Marche, which combines Sangiovese and Montepulciano. Interesting and food friendly but smooth and easy at the same time. On offer now in Mitchell & Son for €9.50 – bargain!

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Wild Mushroom & Venison Stroganoff

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , , on 28 October 2011| 2 Comments »

Venison and wild mushrooms are a perfect match. This is really quick and easy but such a treat!

Wild mushroom and venison stroganoff – to serve 2 (generously!)

  • 200g white rice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 300g venison loin, trimmed and sliced into finger-sized pieces
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 250g mixed mushrooms, wiped and torn into bite-size pieces
  • a small bunch of flat parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped
  • a knob of butter
  • a good splash of brandy
  • zest of 1/2 a lemon
  • 150ml crème fraîche or soured cream
  • a few little gherkins, sliced
Cook the rice until just undercooked and drain. Put it back into the pan, cover with tinfoil and leave to steam.

Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in a glug of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft and golden. Spoon onto a plate.

Season the meat really well with salt, pepper and the paprika. Rub the seasoning well into the meat. Put the frying pan back on a high heat and add some olive oil. Fry the mushrooms for a few minutes until starting to brown. Then add the meat and fry for a minute or so before adding the parsley stalks and the cooked onion and garlic. Toss and add the butter and brandy.

Flame the brandy and when the flames die down, stir in the lemon zest and all but 1 tbsp of the crème fraîche and season to taste. Simmer for another few minutes but no longer or your venison will go tough.

Spoon the last bit of crème fraîche over, then sprinkle with the sliced gherkins and parsley leaves.

(Original recipe by Jamie Oliver, Jamie at home, Penguin, 2007.)

Wine Suggestion: match with something earthy and not too heavy like a pinot noir or nebbiolo. We drank something very good from Burgundy, a Chezeaux Vosne-Romanee 1er Cru Les Suchots 2006 which was at a perfect point of youthful fruit combined with a little bit of age for the wine to mellow and be aromatically expressive. We did agree that we’d opened the wine a couple years too early but enjoyed it very well just the same!

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Ottolenghi Roasted Beetroot salad

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 25 October 2011| 5 Comments »

This is a masterful demonstration of how to balance sweet, nutty, peppery and sharp flavours and the soft, creamy, crunchy and slippery textures. If you want to really show off you can use a mixture of golden and red beetroot, but this dish is just as nice using the regular red beetroot. We wish we could claim it as our own but it’s another gem from Yotam Ottolenghi.

Roasted beetroot – to serve 4

  • 500g golden beetroot
  • 500g red beetroot
  • 80g sunflower seeds
  • 90ml maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 20g chervil leaves
  • 60g baby chard, baby spinach or rocket
  • coarse sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6. Wash the beetroot and wrap them individually in foil. Bake for anything between 40 and 90 minute. Ours came in a bag of all different sizes so we gradually took them out of the oven as they felt tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Spread the sunflower seeds out on in an ovenproof dish and toast along with the beetroot for 8 minutes or until lightly coloured.

Let the beetroot cool a little before peeling with a sharp knife (gloves are highly recommended!). Cut them into halves, quarters or dice. Mix with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well and then taste: Yotam advises that you should get a clear sweetness balanced by enough salt. Adjust the seasoning as required and serve.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi: the cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2008.)

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Roasted Mushroom Risotto

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 23 October 2011| 1 Comment »

Another cracker from Jamie Oliver. We have posted other risottos on this blog but none quite compare to this one – no doubt due to the copious quantities of butter and Parmesan. This is definitely a weekend dish! It is supposed to serve 6 but we served it as a starter for 8. Delicious!

Risotto ai funghi e prezzemolo (Roasted mushroom risotto with parsley)

  • 1.1 litres vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • a knob of butter
  • 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and halved
  • 1/2 a head of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 400g risotto rice
  • 2 wineglasses of dry white vermouth or dry white wine
  • 200g wild mushrooms, wiped clean and torn
  • a small bunch of thyme, leaves picked
  • a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 70g butter
  • 115g freshly grated Parmesan plus a bit extra for grating over
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.

Heat the stock. Put the olive oil and knob of butter into a separate pan, add the onion and finely chopped garlic and celery, and cook slowly for about 15 minutes without letting it colour. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

Keep stirring the rice as it lightly fries. When is starts to look slightly translucent and glossy add the vermouth and keep stirring.

Once the vermouth has cooked into the rice, add a ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging, allowing each ladle to be absorbed before you add another. This will take about 15 minutes but you do need to taste the rice and check if it’s cooked. If not, keep going with the stock until the rice is soft but still has a little bite. If you run out of stock just use some boiling water.

Meanwhile, heat a heavy ovenproof frying pan or tray until medium hot and add a splash of olive oil. Fry the mushrooms for a minute or more until they start to colour, and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, thyme and the tbsp of butter and mix together. Put the pan in the oven and roast the mushrooms for about 6 minutes or until cooked through. We discard the garlic at this stage.

When your rice is cooked take it off the heat and add the 70g of butter , the chopped parsley and the Parmesan. Stir well. Put a lid on the pot and allow it to sit for a couple of minutes.

Roughly chop chop half the mushrooms and stir into the risotto, adding a good squeeze of lemon juice too. Divide between plates and sprinkle over the remaining mushrooms and a bit of freshly grated Parmesan.

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An Autumnal Fish Dish

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 20 October 2011| 3 Comments »

Hake is a really versatile white fish. It has a meaty texture that holds together when cooked and is also really good value as it’s not as popular as cod, haddock etc. It’s quite mild and so goes well with firm flavours like the mushrooms and sage below.

Hake with mushrooms, hazlenuts and crispy sage – serves 4

  • 100ml white wine
  • 200ml fish stock
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 50g hazlenuts
  • a handful of sage
  • 250g mixed mushrooms, sliced if large
  • 4 hake fillets
Bring the stock and wine to boil in a small pan. Simmer rapidly until you have just 2 tbsp of liquid left. Stir in the cream, take off the heat and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and toast the hazelnuts until golden, coarsely chop and then set aside. Next, crisp the sage leaves in the same pan for just a few seconds, then drain them on kitchen paper.

Fry the mushrooms until soft, you will need a little more butter. Season, then tip them onto a plate. Cook the hake in the same pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. Reheat the sauce over a low heat.

Put the cooked fish onto warm plates, pour a little sauce over each and scatter over mushrooms, hazelnuts and sage.

Wine Suggestion: Something like a Vermentino from Italy or Sardinia that has a little more body – 13% abv or more (as some are a lighter style – 11-12% abv – which would be overwhelmed with these flavours). This should be nutty and minerally and will complement the earthy flavours in the dish.

(Original recipe by Sarah Randell for Sainsbury’s Magazine, October 2011)

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Party Lasagne

Posted in Beef, Food, Italian, Party Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 October 2011| 3 Comments »

This is our classic party dish – so popular that we have to fight to get a taste when we serve it in a buffet! We’ve just made it this weekend for our friends Nicola and Dave’s housewarming. Just to make sure we got some ourselves we made a little extra for the next day. So for all our friends that have asked … here’s the recipe 🙂

Simple Baked Lasagne – serves 6 but easily doubled (which can easily serve 20 or more strangely enough …)

  • 4 rashers pancetta or smoked bacon, finely sliced
  • pinch cinnamon
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 generous handfuls of whole, fresh herbs (use your own mix of sage, oregano, rosemary and thyme)
  • 400g shin of beef, or skirt, coarsely minced
  • 200g pork belly, skin removed & coarsely minced
  • 2 x 400g tins good-quality plum tomatoes
  • 250ml red wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly sliced
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, bashed in a mortar & pestle
  • 1 dried red chilli, also bashed
  • 400g dried, ready to cook lasagne sheets
  • 400g mozzarella

For the white sauce:

  • 1 x 250ml tubs of crème fraîche
  • 3 anchovies, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls freshly grated parmesan
  • a little milk

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

If you are making a double quantity you may want to cook the meat sauce in two quantities as it will be easier to manage unless you have a very large casserole pot. You can also make the meat sauce in advance which makes entertaining easy –  a simple assembly and cook on the night!

In a large casserole pan slowly fry the pancetta or bacon and the cinnamon until golden, add the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once mixed together add the beef and pork and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, wine and bay leaves and then bring to the boil. Wet some grease-proof paper and place it on top of the pan and then place a lid on top of this as well to complete the seal. Cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

While this is cooking rub the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and the bashed coriander seeds and chilli. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking the sauce. When you remove the sauce check that the squash is cooked and slightly caramelising; if not leave in oven until done.

When sauce is done season and put to one side. Mix together crème fraîche, anchovies, a handful of parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add enough milk while mixing until the sauce becomes loose and smooth. Don’t make it too runny!

Turn oven up to 200C / 400F / Gas 6. To assemble lasagne rub a large dish, or deep tray with olive oil, lay some sheets of lasagne over the bottom (and drape over the sides too if you are using fresh lasagne). Add a layer of meat, a little white sauce, a sprinkle of parmesan and then top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Make a complete layer with the butternut, topping it again with lasagne sheets. Repeat the meat, white sauce and parmesan layers. Finish with a layer of pasta covered in white sauce. Tear over the mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan.

Cook for 30-35 minutes and until golden. Watch the hordes descend.

[Inspired by Jamie Oliver: Jamie’s dinners, Penguin 2006]

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Anna Del Conte’s Pasticcio di Penne con Formaggi e Funghi

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 17 October 2011| 1 Comment »

We’ve been looking out for Anna Del Conte’s Gastronomy of Italy for some time now. This is a book in serious need of reprinting – a true Italian bible. The recipe’s are straightforward and authentic and there is an excellent section on the regions of Italy. We snapped this up when at last a second-hand copy became available on Amazon and suggest you do the same if you get the chance.

This is a really nice dish for autumm – a bit like macaroni cheese but with mushrooms. There is no place for calorie counting here!

Baked Penne with Cheese and Mushrooms – to serve 4

  • 20g dried porcini, soaked, drained and chopped
  • 500g fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 300g penne
  • butter for the dish
  • 150g Bel Paese cheese, thinly sliced (we couldn’t find Bel Paese so substituted Taleggio)
  • 150g fontina cheese, thinly sliced
  • 75g freshly grated Parmesan
  • 200ml double cream

Heat the oven to 200ºC/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Sauté the porcini and fresh mushrooms with the whole garlic clove in 25g of the butter over a high heat. Add salt and pepper, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes. Throw away the garlic.

Cook the pasta according to the pack. Drain and dress with the remaining butter.

Butter an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with layer of pasta. Spread about a quarter of the mushrooms and sliced cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Add another layer of pasta and cover with mushrooms and cheese. Repeat this until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a cheese layer. Pour over the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a light crust has formed on the top. Settle for 5 minutes before serving with a green salad.

Wine Suggestion: We drank a Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley  in California that our friend Jen kindly brought back from her holidays. There are some great wines being made here that we rarely see outside the US so it was a treat and a really good match for the dish. If you haven’t been travelling we’d suggest finding a pinot noir with juicy, ripe fruit balanced by a lightness of touch – avoid anything too alcoholic or jammy which will overwhelm the food. If you find a nice “earthy” pinot from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand or Burgundy then you’re on the right track.

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Seared Tuna with a Green Olive Salsa Verde

Posted in Fish, Food, Spanish, tagged , , , , , on 14 October 2011| Leave a Comment »

The leftover salsa verde will keep in the fridge and is lovely with meat, fish or bruschetta.

To serve 4:

  • 4 tuna steaks
  • olive oil
  • sea salt flakes
For the salsa verde
  • 10g each of flat-leaf parsley leaves, mint leaves and basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained and dried
  • 50g good-quality pitted green olives
  • 4 anchovy fillets in oil
  • finely grated zest of 1/4 small lemon
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To make the salsa verde, drop the herbs into boiling water for a few seconds, then drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out the water, then put on a chopping board with the garlic, capers, olives and anchovies and finely chop everything together. Scrape into a bowl and add the lemon zest, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and some black pepper.

Heat a cast-iron griddle pan over a high heat. Brush the tuna with olive oil and season with sea salt. Put them on the griddle, turn the heat down to medium high and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side so you get nice char marks but the fish is rare on the inside.

Serve the tuna steaks with the salsa verde spooned over the top.

(Original recipe by José Pizarro for Sainsbury’s Magazine, October 2011).

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If you love baked beans you’ll love this!

Posted in Food, tagged , , , , , on 12 October 2011| Leave a Comment »

Tasty beans with really great flavour from the fresh thyme. We’re in full autumnal mode at this stage – though it’s still weirdly warm outside. Serve with the greens below if you like.

Sausage & bean casserole – to serve 4

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 8 pork sausages (we used chipolatas)
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400g tin of butter beans
  • 400g tin of baked beans
  • a small bunch of thyme
  • 200ml chicken or veg stock
  • 2 slices white bread, whizzed to crumbs

Heat half the oil in a large casserole dish, then brown the sausages well. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the casserole, tip in the vegetables and fry for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute.

Heat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6. Return the sausages to the pan with the beans, thyme and some seasoning, then pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the crumbs are golden and the stew is bubbling up the sides.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Mexican Food – Queso fundido

Posted in Food, Mexican, tagged , , , , , , on 8 October 2011| 2 Comments »

We were kindly lent Thomasina Miers’ Mexican Food made simple by our friend Jenny and this is our first recipe. Very tasty! Serve with some warm flour tortillas and a green salad.

Queso fundido – serves 4-5 as a starter 

  • 3 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 120g chorizo cooking sausage, casings removed
  • 1/2 a white onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 150g mozzarella, grated
  • 150g mature cheddar, grated
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water and leave for 20 seconds. Drain and pierce them with a knife so you can peel them easily. Scoop out the seeds and dice the flesh into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and brown the chorizo over a medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon as you go. Add the onion and cumin and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated from the pan and you have a mince-like texture. Season.

Spread the mixture on to the bottom of a gratin dish so that is just covers the bottom. Cover with the grated cheeses and put in the oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Or you can stick it under the grill.

Warm your tortillas in a hot dry frying pan for a few seconds on each side. Spoon some Queso fundido and salad on your tortilla and roll them up to eat.

Wine Suggestion: You could try a Mexican Zinfandel like LA Cetto from Baja California or it might be easier to pick up a Spanish Garnacha which should be medium-bodied – don’t go for something too complex or concentrated here. A beer would work too!

(Original recipe from Thomasina Miers Mexican Food Made Simple, Hodder & Stoughton, 2010)

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Hot Buttered Beetroot

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 7 October 2011| 2 Comments »

Here’s a really lovely side dish. Good with roasts or grilled meat.

Hot buttered beetroot – to serve 6

  • 3 medium beetroot, trimmed but not peeled
  • 25g butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves.
Cook the beetroot in a large pan of boiling salted water for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool slightly, then peel off the skins – gloves are advisable! Chop the beetroot.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the thyme and cook for a minute before adding the beetroot and tossing to coat in the butter.

(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, October 2011)

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