Ren Behan - Author Wild Honey and Rye

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Risotto Caprese with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil (Gennaro Contaldo)

Ever since my trip to the Po Valley with Riso Gallo to understand more about how rice and other grains are produced in Italy, I have been obsessed with perfecting my risotto-making technique. During our visit, we ate in some truly memorable restaurants, sampling different grains and flavours of risotto, a particular highlight being a very simple aged-risotto grain, cooked with olive oil, butter and Parmesan cheese and adored with spring truffles.

Since then, making a risotto has become a weekly activity – in part prompted by the fact that all three of our children unanimously love risotto and so it’s one of the few meals that doesn’t have to be messed around with. It’s also a great, store-cupboard staple recipe. There are plenty of recipes here that you can make at home.

Of all the risotto recipe I have tried, this one, found in Gennaro Contaldo’s Fast Cook Italian is our winner – it is a Risotto Caprese – based on the flavours of the classic Caprese Salad of Tomato, Mozarella and Basil.

Contrary to the popular belief that making a risotto is time-consuming and labour intensive, you can have dinner on the table in around 25 minutes with this recipe.

I love the fact that Gennaro’s recipes are always easy to throw together and very family friendly.

Published with the permission of Pavilion Books.

Risotto Caprese - Risotto with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil

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Risotto Caprese - Risotto with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil

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The ingredients for this risotto are taken from the classic Caprese salad – tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Simple to make and extremely tasty, it’s often my go-to midweek meal for the family - Gennaro Contaldo 

 

Ingredients

  • 40 g/1½ oz/2 generous tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls of basil leaves
  • 260 g/9¼ oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 320 g/11¼ oz/1¾ cups risotto (Arborio) rice
  • 100 ml/3½ fl oz/7 tbsp white wine
  • 1.5 litres/52 fl oz/6½ cups hot vegetable stock (bouillon)
  • 200 g/7 oz mozzarella, cut into small cubes
  • 30 g/1 oz/1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

  1. Heat 20 g/¾ oz/1 generous tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and a couple of the basil leaves and sweat for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes and continue to sweat for 1 minute. Stir in the rice, making sure each grain is coated in oil. Add the wine and cook until the rice has absorbed it.
  3. Then add a couple of ladles of hot stock, stirring with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed it all. Add a couple more ladles of stock and continue to cook in this way, stirring and adding more stock, for 17–20 minutes, until the risotto is cooked al dente.
  4. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter and mozzarella, stirring well until it has nicely melted into the risotto.
  5. Stir in the grated Parmesan and remaining basil leaves and serve immediately.

Courses Main

Cuisine Italian

Photography Kim Lightbody. 

Gennaro’s Fast Cook Italian 

From Fridge to fork in 40 minutes or less

ISBN: 9781911595113

Price: £20.00

Publication date: 5 April 2018

Fast Cook Italian Gennaro COntaldo

Other risotto posts you may like:

Quick Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables 

3 Grains: Rice, Spelt and Barley Risotto with Chicken and Dill 

Sausage and Courgette Risotto  

Pumpkin (or Butternut) Soup with Kefir and Poppy Seeds

You can make this soup with fresh pumpkin, or butternut squash. Kefir is a gut-friendly dairy produce, but you can swirl fresh cream or sour cream through this soup, too. If you’re vegan, you can follow exactly the same recipe, but swap the kefir for some vegan/soy yoghurt instead and be sure to use a vegan-friendly, vegetable stock.

 

Aside from being packed full of fresh veggies, most of the other ingredients you’ll find in the store cupboard – red lentils, stock, a tin of tomatoes or passata and since I had a packet of poppy seeds open from making a Plum and Poppy Seed traybake, I sprinkled some over the finished soup, but the roasted seeds or any other seeds would be nice too.

leftover pumpkin soup with kefir

 

leftover pumpkin soup with kefir
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Pumpkin Soup with Kefir and Poppy Seeds

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Yield 6 servings

Whip up this simple and healthy seasonal pumpkin soup (or use squash) for the perfect autumnal bowl of comfort for lunch or as a light supper. Add a drizzle of kefir for a dose of healthy probiotic and a sprinkle of poppy seeds for a bit of crunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 white onions, peeled, halved
  • 700g pumpkin or squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into cubes
  • 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, washed
  • 200g/1 cup red lentils
  • 1 x 400g tin tomatoes or tomato passata
  • 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 200ml kefir (cultured milk drink) or use natural yoghurt 
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds per bowl

Instructions

  1. Take a large 24cm pan or stock pot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and fry until slightly softened and golden brown.
  2. Add the pumpkin, carrots and celery, stir well and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  
  3. Add the red lentils, tomatoes/passata and stock to the pan. Ensure everything is covered with stock, if not, add a cupful more of water.
  4. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes until all the vegetables are soft (the carrots will take the longest to cook).
  5. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
  6. Allow the soup to cool a little and then use a stick blender to blend the soup, or transfer into a jug blender (you may need to blend in two batches)
  7. Serve the soup with a drizzle of kefir and sprinkle over some poppy seeds, or other seeds of your choice.

You may like:

Beetroot and Kale Soup with Almond Crumble

Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

Polish Forest Mushroom Soup 

 

Thank you to Jude for the pretty napkins from Anthropolgie which were a book launch gift – I love them. 

Warm New Potato, Asparagus and Halloumi Salad

The asparagus season runs from April to June here in the UK. You can also use courgettes in place of asparagus.

asparagus_new_potato

 

asparagus_potato_salad

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Recipe: Warm New Potato, Asparagus and Halloumi Salad

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A simple, seasonal sheet pan supper with new potatoes, asparagus and halloumi cheese. 

Ingredients

  • 500g/2 1/2 cups Jersey Royal new potatoes
  • 500g (2 bunches) fresh asparagus
  • 1 lemon
  • 250g/2 cups halloumi cheese, cubed
  • 1 red onion, peeled
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 60g/one cup rocket leaves, rinsed, drained
  • 10g/2 tbsp fresh herbs, e.g. dill, mint
  • Sea salt and black pepper 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
  2. Chop the new potatoes in half. Spread the potatoes out evenly on a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grate over the zest of one lemon. Roast for 15 minutes in the oven.
  3. In the meantime, snap the woody ends away from the asparagus spears, then chop into 1 inch pieces. Chop the onion into 8 pieces.
  4. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Add the asparagus, cubed halloumi and onion to the tray. Mix together with the potatoes. Bake for a further 15 minutes.
  5. Take the tray out of the oven. Arrange the rocket leaves onto a large platter. Scatter the roasted potatoes, asparagus and halloumi. Scatter over some fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Notes

You can also scatter over some shredded rotisserie chicken for a non-vegetarian version

Courses Lunch

Cuisine British

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 2

Amount Per Serving

Calories 931

% Daily Value

Total Fat 61.6 g

95%

Saturated Fat 30.9 g

155%

Sodium 475 mg

20%

Total Carbohydrates 57.5 g

19%

Protein 39.9 g

80%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

You May Also Like:

Asparagus, Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pasta

Asparagus, Beetroot and Halloumi Salad

Asparagus and Mozarella Salad

Linked recipes video: Dinner Renovations created by Michelle Becker at Pink Soul Pictures.

Disclosure: Recipes and video commissioned by Safestore. #ad

Coconut, Pistachio and Goji Berry Granola Bars

You can read my full review of Packed, by Becky Alexander and Michelle Lake, published by Nourish Books here. Today, I’m happy to be sharing one of my favourite recipes from the book, Coconut, Pistachio and Goji Berry Granola Bars, from the Get Up and Go chapter. These bars perfect for mid-morning munchies or an afternoon snack. I’ve also made these with dried cranberries and raisins, in place of goji berries, but goji berries pack the most punch!

Recipe and image shared with the permission of the publisher. Image by Haarala Hamilton. 

Goji Granola Bars Haarala Hamilton
Photo: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton

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Yield 8 bars

Easy to rustle up, these bars are a good option when you need to eat breakfast on the go or for an afternoon snack. Almond, cashew or macadamia nut butters all work well to add protein and flavour. 

Ingredients

  • 100g/3 1/2 oz/ 1 cup jumbo/rolled oats
  • 50g/1 3/4 oz/ 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil 
  • 2 tbsp honey (I use raw honey)
  • 2 tbsp nut butter (of choice)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract 
  • 3 tbsp raw, shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
  • 50g/1 3/4 oz/ 2/3 cup desiccated coconut/dried shredded coconut
  • 2 tbsp dried goji berries 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 23 x 15cm/9 x 6 inch shallow baking pan with baking/parchment paper. Spread the oats thinly over the parchment and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. 
  2. Put the oil, honey, nut butter and vanilla extract in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and heat gently until well combined and the oil is melted. 
  3. Stir in the baked oats until well coated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. 
  4. Tip the mixture back into the baking pan and press down firmly using damp hands.
  5. Put in the fridge for 1 hour, or until firm, and then cut into 8 bars. Wrap each bar in parchment to take to work. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours.  

Notes

"Packed with...Vibrant red and intensely flavoured, the goji berry is rich in carotenoids and antioxidents that help to protect our eyes from damage. They are a little pricey, but they keep well and you only need to add a small amount to bars, porridge/oatmeal, granola or salads to reap their health benefits." 

Courses Breakfast, or lunchtime snack

Cuisine British

Recipe and image shared with the permission of the publisher. With thanks to Nourish Books, Becky and Michelle. 

Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale by Amy Chaplin

Yesterday I shared a book review of At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, a new recipe book by New York-based chef Amy Chaplin, who creates vegetarian and vegan recipes. Today (with the publisher’s permission) I’m sharing my favourite recipe from the book, which you can find on page 98 of the UK edition – Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale, Caramelized Onions and Marinated Goat’s Cheese. I didn’t have the marinated goat’s cheese to hand (there’s a recipe for that, too, in Amy’s book on page 116) so I used a mild and creamy locally produced goat’s cheese called Childwickbury goat’s cheese. The recipe calls for kale (cavolo nero) but you can use spinach in it’s place in this beautifully simple pasta dish.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do – it’s become my go-to supper!

Wholewheat Fettuccine

Wholewheat Fettuccine recipe by Amy Chaplin on renbehan.com

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Wholewheat Fettuccine with Kale by Amy Chaplin

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In this recipe, the author, Amy, uses her own Marinated Goat’s Cheese, inspired by Meredith Dairy, in Australia. However, it also works well with a soft goat’s cheese and so I've used a mild British goat’s cheese many times to make this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium to large red onions, thinly sliced
  • Sea salt
  • 340g (12oz) wholewheat fettuccine
  • 1 ½ bunches 700g (1 lb 9 oz/10 cups) sliced kale or cavolo nero (or fresh spinach)
  • 225g (8oz) marinated goat’s cheese (oil marinade reserved) at room temperature (I used a British goat's cheese)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the onions. Sauté for 10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add a pinch of sea salt, lower the heat slightly and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are soft and caramelised.
  2. In the meantime, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add a large pinch of salt. Add the wholewheat fettuccine to the boiling water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or following the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pan.
  3. While pasta cooks, stir the kale (or spinach) into the cooked onions, cover the frying pan and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender, stirring once or twice. Add onion and kale mixture, three quarters of the goat’s cheese and lots of black pepper to the pasta; mix well.
  4. Drizzle in a tablespoon or more of oil marinade from the cheese (or add a drizzle of good quality olive oil) and season to taste.
  5. Divide among bowls and top with a crumble of remaining goat’s cheese; serve immediately.

Courses Vegetarian

Like this recipe?

You can find more of Amy Chaplin’s recipe here on her webpage. 

For a simple, gluten-free supper, try my Brown Rice Noodles with Spinach and Tomato (GF, V, VG)

If you eat prawns or shrimp try my Wholewheat Penne with Prawns

A UK blog that I love which is full of whole food and healthy recipes is Food To Glow by Kellie Anderson- try any of her delicious dishes!

 

With thanks to Jacqui Small Publishing for their permission for me to share this recipe. Photo Credit Johnny Miller. Recipe Credit Amy Chaplin. 

Clearspring Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles with Spinach and Tomato

ClearSpring Gluten Free Noodles

It’s always nice to find ways of making our favourite recipes a little healthier and this is especially true of pasta. This month, I’ve experimented with courgette or zucchini noodles, sometimes called ‘zoodles’ and also with a new type of 100% organic Clearspring gluten free brown rice noodles – recipe below. Usually, these type of noodles are used in Asian cooking, perhaps to make a noodle salad or a Pad Thai, though the packet did say you could use them as a gluten free alternative to pasta – which is what I did. In the ‘Pasta Please’ link up that I was hosting for Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes, we also had some fresh pasta with kale, mint and pesto, eggplant (aubergine) meatballs, fresh spinach pasta and some baked salmon with spinach and basil pesto pasta. So, all very virtuous!

…

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Quick Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables

My mother (who is an amazing cook) can always make ‘something out of nothing’ and I’m hoping that this recipe will always remind me of that.

Vegetables

Last week, when my mum came to stay, I was completely on the back foot. I hadn’t managed a big shop and the fridge was uncharacteristically empty. We found a few red and green (bell) peppers, two courgettes, a plum tomato, a stick of celery, a carrot and a cup of leftover peas. There was also a chunk of Parmesan cheese. The obvious solution would have been to make a pan of soup, but I fancied something a bit more substantial than that. “We”ll stuff the veg!” declared my mum, and after a quick whizz of my cupboards she found some vegetable stock, a tin of tomatoes and one of those two-minute pouches of rice. Yes, I have those in my cupboard.

Stuffed Vegetables

Within minutes the kitchen was filled with the aroma of a bubbling ‘quick’ risotto and after a sprinkle of some sea salt and fresh pepper, the vegetables began baking in the oven.

Cooking with Kids

The pre-cooked rice was really the key to the speediness in this recipe – you can shave off a good ten minutes. If you had some leftover risotto, it would be quicker, still and you could just use that to stuff the vegetables with instead. You can also buy a quicker cook ‘pronto’ version of risotto now in pouches, too, though I haven’t tried those. You can even make it with ‘easy cook rice’ – you’ll just need to simmer it a little longer. The rice should be ‘almost’ cooked before you stuff your vegetables with it.

Risotto Stuffed Veg

Once you know how to stuff veggies (always pre-bake them for at least ten minutes before stuffing just to get them going a bit) you can make all kinds of fillings. You can even stuff them with a bolognese ragu like this one.

And look what you end up with – Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables – fit for a King or Queen.

Risotto Stuffed Veg

We serve ours with some tiny cubed courgettes and a really good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Risotto Stuffed Veg

My mother might just be the cleverest cook in the world. She’s always an inspiration to me.

 

I hope you’re enjoying the (slightly blustery) autumnal weather! If you are not, make these instead, then stay inside and keep warm and happy.

Risotto Stuffed Veg

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Quick Risotto-Stuffed Veggies

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Sea Salt and pepper
  • 2-3 bell peppers
  • 1 large (beef or plum) tomato
  • 2 courgettes/zucchini
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped into cubes
  • A cupful of frozen peas
  • 1 packet quick-to-cook rice, or 250g leftover cooked rice
  • 250ml/one cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • To garnish - half a courgette and some Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
  2. Chop the tops off the peppers and scoop out any seeds. Do the same with the tomato. Cut one of the courgettes in half and using a teaspoon, scoop out the centre. Dice the second courgette for the garnish, keep to one side. Place the prepared veggies in a foil lined baking tin, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for ten minutes. Alongside those, spread the diced courgette onto a flat baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for ten minutes, too.
  3. In the meantime, drizzle some olive oil into a frying pan. Fry the onions for three to four minutes, then add in the celery and carrot and cook for a further few minutes.Throw in the peas and the rice, pour in the stock and add the tinned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for around five minutes. If you are not using pre-cooked rice, you''ll need to cover and simmer the rice until it is cooked - around ten minutes.
  4. Take the vegetables out of the oven and carefully fill the peppers, tomato and courgettes with the rice mixture. Put the stuffed vegetables back in the oven and bake for a further ten minutes.The vegetables should be soft, take them out and set to one side.
  5. Serve the baked, stuffed veggies with some of the courgette cubes and a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese.

Love you, Mama!

Ooh, if you wanted to stuff your veggies with a traditional risotto – follow my tips over on JamieOliver.com here.

Read all about my trip to Lombardy and Piedmont, with Riso Gallo, who produce one of Italy’s best brands of rice.

Simple Risotto

British Asparagus, spinach, beetroot and halloumi salad

Hooray – foodies up and down the land are celebrating the start of British Asparagus season. It’s here for just a short window of time, officially from 23rd April to 21st June 2014 and I, for one, have been spotting lots of it when out and about. Fortunately, the asparagus season this year coincides with the last six weeks of my pregnancy, which is lucky, since my craving have shifted from sweet to savoury. Possibly something to do with a chocolate overload at Easter…At 34 weeks my body also needs more Vitamin K and iron – which I’ve been able to pack into this asparagus and spinach salad in abundance. For anyone after a quick superfood boost, asparagus contains a whole host of good stuff; soluble fibre, potassium and folic acid (it’s the leading vegetable for this!) along with rutin, which when combined with vitamin C, can protect the body from infection. Other pregnancy superfoods that could be added to this simple salad include strawberries, blueberries, apricots, tofu (replace the halloumi), lightly steamed broccoli and sunflower seeds.

Asparagus Salad

Asparagus Salad

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British Asparagus, Spinach, Beetroot and Halloumi Salad

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A superfood salad bringing together British asparagus with baby spinach, beetroot, grilled halloumi and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients

  • 250g fresh asparagus
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 250g halloumi cheese
  • 100g baby spinach
  • 200g salad beetroot
  • 100g pomegranate seeds
  • 2 tsp pomegranate molasses
  • 3 tsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

Instructions

  1. Add one teaspoon cold pressed rapeseed oil or olive oil to a frying pan. Cook the asparagus for two-three minutes until it starts to take on a little colour and soften. Sprinkle with the lemon zest towards the end. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  2. Add the sliced halloumi to the pan - you may want to cook it in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for two minutes on one side and then flip the slices over.
  3. Scatter the baby spinach over a large plate, roughly chop the beetroot and add, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds, the warm asparagus and warm halloumi cheese.
  4. For the dressing, mix a little pomegranate molasses with some rapeseed or olive oil and pour over the top of the salad.

Asparagus Salad

More Asparagus Recipes

British asparagus and mozzarella salad by Ren

Fresh pasta with goat’s cheese, lemon and asparagus – by Ren

Lemony new potato wedges with asparagus – by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours

Roasted asparagus with a carrot-miso dressing – by Kellie at Food to Glow

Another amazing superfood salad, which I adore, is this Smoked mackerel, beetroot and potato salad (use in season Jersey Royals if you are in the UK) by Jeanne at Cook Sister.

I’m also extremely grateful to Michelle at Utterly Scrummy for hosting April’s Simple and in Season – providing me with a little respite. There have been lots of simple, seasonal entries from all over the globe including plenty of wild garlic, nettle and asparagus recipes, too!

Simple and in Season

What are you looking forward to making with your British asparagus?!

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

My children love chocolate and they’d ask for a sprinkle of cocoa every day if they could. Luckily, we manage to avoid most sugary breakfast cereals and instead we go for a bowl of milky porridge or Weetabix, so they are usually allowed a little pinch of cocoa. Breakfast smoothies are a good option, too, if time is tight. I’ve even found a way of making hot chocolate breakfast smoothies, which are always a hit, by blending the ingredients with warm milk. I also add oats and chia seeds for an extra health kick.

Hot Chocolate Smoothies

When I saw that Helen’s Breakfast Club this month was being hosted by Choclette with a theme of chocolate, I knew that it would be really easy for me to rustle up one of our favourite chocolate-themed morning treats. We’re not talking bars of Dairy Milk here, just a square or two of Fairtrade, organic dark chocolate. We like chocolate orange flavour and we buy ours from The Co-operative Food as their own-brand range is Fairtrade.

Chia Seeds and Chocolate

Earlier this year I was also incredibly lucky to win a Vitamix machine, by entering my card into a draw at Food Blogger Connect. I’ve learnt that the trick, with any kitchen gadget, it to keep it out on the counter. As soon as it goes into a cupboard, whether its a juicer, blender or food processor, it never gets used again. So my Vitamix has taken pride of place on my counter and we use it most days. It has encouraged me to experiment with extra ingredients in our smoothies, such as adding a handful of spinach, or a ripe avocado, or some super-healthy chia seeds. It would be incredibly difficult to get the children to eat any of these ingredients in large amounts, so blending them with milk and dark chocolate is a great way to sneak in some extras. I’ve also been whizzing up super-fast and healthy soups, sauces (cheesy bechamel in an instant) and you can even make sorbets, frozen cocktails and ice-cream. We no longer have a fridge full of leftover vegetables, they all get whizzed up in some form or another in our Vitamix.

Vitamix

The main advantage to the Vitamix machine over a standard blender is the power of the commercial motor and the blades – the Vitamix will even blitz down peel, pulp and seeds and you can use raw ingredients, too. Unlike a juicer, you don’t lose any of the fibre because it all gets whizzed up. It can also make steaming hot soup in under five minutes and if you use ice-cubs and frozen fruit, you can make instant ice-cream. They are pricey…but if Santa is feeling generous this year…

Back to the smoothies, I think you could make these in a standard blender, too. Just keep whizzing, grate your chocolate and use a very ripe avocado. You could add spinach, a banana and more milk if it is a little thick. If you haven’t heard of Chia Seeds yet, pop down to your local health food shop. They are being described as the new super-food (there’s always a new one, isn’t there?) containing stacks of Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fibre. They are gluten free and sugar free and were the ancient discovery of  the Aztecs.

Healthy Smoothies

Healthy Hot Chocolate Breakfast Smoothies

Ingredients:

  • 50g/a couple of squares Fairtrade dark chocolate (grated if not using a Vitamix)
  • 1 avocado – super-ripe, stone removed, scooped out
  • 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds – or you can use flax seeds
  • 1 teaspoon honey, we used local honey
  • 2 tablespoons raw oats or up to one Weetabix biscuit
  • 500ml/2 cups warm milk – we used whole milk
NB You could also use a banana in place of the avocado.

Method:

Vitamix Instructions –

  1. Place all the ingredients together into the Vitamix container and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and increase the speed to variable 10. Blend for 30 seconds or until you get the right consistency. Add extra milk and blend again if the smoothie is too thick. Pour into small cups or milk botttles and drink immediately.

Jug Blender/Hand Blender Instructions –

  1. Put all of the ingredients into your jug blender or into a tall container if you are using a hand blender stick blender. Add all the ingredients together (apart from the milk) blend together and then slowly add the warm milk. Blend for another two minutes until the mixture is smooth. Pour into small cups or milk bottles and drink immediately.

Healthy Smoothies

Note: I won a Vitamix blender through a random prize draw at Food Blogger Connect – I was not required to write a post about it, but since I use it so often, it was bound to feature! Many thanks to Vitamix UK.

Hope you enjoy these smoothies for breakfast soon!

Food on BBC Three Counties Radio and a Mushroom and Thyme Cream Bruschetta Recipe

On Saturday I was very lucky again to be invited back onto BBC Three Counties Radio as a guest on Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen. What fun! It’s always such a great show to listen to and even more enjoyable to take part as a guest. The show involves two hours of food, talk and music along with host Nick Coffer. What’s not to love?! I was slightly thrown by the fact that it was a vegetarian-themed week, but I managed to pull three tasty and easy recipes out of the bag and luckily, there were no Bridget Jones-type moments live on air. 

My veggie offerings included a Mushroom Bruschetta with Thyme Cream, a Roasted Farmer’s Market Vegetable Penne Pasta with Local Goat’s Cheese (Childwickbury) and to finish, Victoria Plum & Almond Muffins with lashings of warm vanilla custard.

Three simple vegetarian, seasaonl treats

My two co-pilots were local foodies too, a lovely lady named Kate Keane who has impressively launched her own company called Whole Food Creations making wholemeal pizza and wholemeal pizza bases. Kate cleverly spotted  a gap in the market for wholemeal pizza and started her company by making them from home and selling them at her local farmer’s market. The pizzas are now produced on a larger scale and can be found in shops and online. They were thin, crispy and delicious and Kate was kind enough to share her recipe for the wholemeal bases, too. I’m definitely a convert and the kids would never know they were eating something that is good for them, especially piled high with lots of veggies.

We were also joined by Frances Hale who runs at vintage tea room at the Copper Beach Art Gallery in a Hertfordshire village called Little Wymondley. Fran made a Spinach, Pesto and Ricotta Quiche as well as her brilliantly named Disgustingly Gorgeous Chocolate Cheesecake. The best tip I took from the show was from Fran who said that she lines a deep cake tin with tin foil first, before lining the tin with pastry – letting the edges of the pastry hang over the edge. After blind baking the pastry until it is almost fully baked, she then spoons a layer of red or green pesto in the bottom before filling with the pastry with the creamy quiche mix. Once cooked, she takes the quiche outside and gently chops away the edges, leaving the crumbs for the birds! Adding pistachio to the crumb of her cheesecake was also a great tip, too.

To say that we were well and truly spoilt and well-fed would be an understatement. I made two new friends and am looking forward to visiting Fran and her fellow artists at the art gallery and tea rooms soon.  

Fran’s ‘Disgustingly Gorgeous Chocolate Cheesecake’

You can find all the recipes via the link to the Weekend Kitchen Fact Sheet here. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with my Mushroom and Thyme Cream Brushetta recipe in case you are in need of some inspiration for tonight’s supper.

You can listen to a recording of the show here on iPlayer up until this Saturday.    

Ren’s Mushroom Bruschetta with Thyme Cream

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 4 slices artisan baked bread, such as sour dough
  • 300ml double cream
  • 2 springs fresh thyme
  • 1 garlic clove, whole
  • 50g vegetarian Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped/minced
  • 500g mixed mushrooms, such as chestnut, oyster, finely sliced

Method

  1. To make the thyme cream, pour the double cream into a small pan, add the thyme springs, whole garlic clove and grated vegetarian Parmesan cheese and leave to boil gently. The cream will reduce and become thicker.  
  2. In a separate frying pan, pour in two tablespoons of olive oil, add the onions and gently fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the finely sliced mushrooms and stir well, cook gently for five minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft.
  3. Take the double cream off the heat and carefully take out the thyme sprigs and garlic clove. Stir well. Pour the thyme cream over the mushrooms, stir well again.
  4. Toast the sourdough bread and drizzle over a tablespoon of olive oil. Spoon the creamy mushrooms over the toast and serve immediately.  

 

Thank you to Nick, Emma and Alex at BBC Three Counties for inviting me back onto the show.

 

Polish Carrot and Apple Salad (Surówka z Marchewki)

There comes a point at which you have to stop eating cake. It is a sad point, but one that is necessary and as we come into summer, now is the perfect time to switch from baking to salad eating. I can see me holding out for, hmn, let’s see, about a week!

On the plus side, I have plenty of tasty Polish salad recipes to encourage me (and hopefully you, too) to eat some healthy food. My first point of call is usually a Polish potato salad  (you still get some carbs) with hard boiled egg, pickled cucumber (optional) and a bit of mayo. My second favourite is one called Surówka, literally meaning raw, and you can make it with lots of things. Grated cabbage (red and/or white) mixed with carrot, for example, is similar to coleslaw. My mum makes the best homemade coleslaw, replacing the raw onions with apple. Much better. Then there is a traditional Carrot and Apple salad (recipe below), which is even lovelier. You can add in a few sultanas and a squeeze or two of lemon juice and even a sprinkle of caraway seeds. I also have great recipes for a cucumber salad, with sour cream and dill to share, as well a Ruska Salata, or Russian Salad, made with lots of vegetables, adopted by the Poles. This salad is eaten by everyone, everywhere in Poland!

To make my Carrot and Apple Salad, I used the Russell Hobbs fine slicing disk on the Desire food processor that I am currently testing (and giving away a second one here) but, of course, you can grate your carrot and apple using a traditional grater, too. Extra calories expended! Sprinkle over a little feta cheese and you have a lovely lunch box or main salad. I have mine with potato salad served alongside.

 

Salads are a fab way to get kids involved in the kitchen – not with the grating – but with the mixing. And you might find they will even pick at some of it, too. Double bonus.

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I’m sending this leafless salad (ignore the pea shoots, they are not really leaves) across to Jacqueline who is hosting the No Croutons Challenge this month. Thank you so much to Lisa who hosted the May round and very kindly let me know that my British Asparagus, Mozarella and Egg Salad won!

I’m also very pleased to be able to send this simple salad across to Laura at How to Cook Good Food who is hosting this month’s Simple and in Season. You should be able to find some tasty English carrots and heritage apples around at the moment.


What’s your favourite salad?! How long do you think I’ll last for?!

Our Favourite Carrot and Parmesan Risotto

For the last couple of weeks I’ve managed to post a ‘family friendly’ recipe on my blog every Friday. Today we’re having  a Carrot and Parmesan Risotto for tea, which we love. Although we try to eat as much veg as possible, sometimes it is easier to keep things very simple with little ones. Ever since we helped my mum pick the carrots she had grown in her garden, my kids have been super keen to eat them, so we now eat carrot risotto at least once a week. It could be worse, I suppose.

I add a little bit of butter in with my olive oil before coating the rice and carrots,  as it really brings out the flavour of carrots. You could add chopped onion, garlic and celery, but we prefer just using carrots chopped up into little pieces. The carrots will cook with the rice so they’ll be nice and soft by the time it is all ready. Don’t forget to use hot stock too, I keep a small pan of stock simmering next to my risotto pan and then just keep pouring a ladleful at a time until all the stock is absorbed. At the end, stir in another knob of butter and plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.   To make a vegetarian version, of course, you can use vegetable stock and a vegetarian cheese instead.

 

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I’m also sending this recipe across to the lovely Niamh of Eat Like a Girl, who is judging a Christmas Carrot Competiton on behalf of Love the Garden. Their competition is open until 21st December 2011, so if you have any carrot recipes you’d like to share, send them across too!

 

And, of course, to Simple and in Season here on Fabulicious Food!

I’m also linking this up to Mediocre Mums’ Slow Cooker Sunday – to cook in a slow cooker, add all the ingredients and set to low for 3-4 hours.

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Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Baked Aubergine (Yotam Ottolenghi Recipe)

I have to say that when I popped into my local Morrisons store this week, I did not expect to be met by such an amazing array of seasonal fruit and vegetables. I almost started taking photographs, but held back, in case someone thought I was mad. They did recently refurbish the store and so now it has a true ‘market’ feel but the produce was really far beyond anything I’ve ever seen at a supermarket in Britain before. Much of it was organic, there was also a section of locally grown produce as well as more unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables, such as the graffiti aubergines and the candy striped beetroot below, as well as fresh pomegranates. There must have been at least twenty different varieties of chili, fresh herbs and salad leaves kept watered and fresh, British heritage varieties of apples, pears as well as bang-in-season fresh spinach, artichokes, salsify, wild mushrooms, really everything you could imagine or look for. I am converted. It is so encouraging to see supermarkets really starting to support and push British seasonal produce and offer it at a reasonable cost.

Find the recipe here:

When I came home I immediately dived into one of my favourite cook books, Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi  to find a recipe for Aubergines with Buttermilk Sauce. I didn’t have lemon thyme, so I just used grated lemon zest and that seemed to work fine. Everything else was as Yotam suggests.

I will say without hesitation that this dish is simple to prepare – watch the lovely Yotam make it on You Tube here – (I could just keep this playing and listen to it all day!) When cooked, it looks visually beautiful (perfect for a dinner party) and tastes delicious. I was happy to be able to use some of my Steenbergs Za’atar  (Steenbergs make organic and Fairtrade herbs and spices) which was screaming to be used since being found inside my goodie bag from Food Blogger Connect over the summer. All in all, a fun and inspiring trip to the shops and a simple but tasty lunch!  I will be linking this up with Simple and in Season where already the entries are coming in thick and fast!

 

This week I also got to meet Karen from Lavender and Lovage for lunch. Karen is based in South West France and has immersed herself this year into food blogging, having been already made a career out of professional food writing, photography and food styling, writing features and columns for Country Kitchen magazine as well as other British publications. Karen and I easily spent almost three hours chatting about food, blogging and how much we both enjoy being part of such a friendly online community.  We both said how much we enjoyed finally meeting one another, it’s always lovely to be able to meet in person, in addition to enthusiastically tweeting and commenting on posts! Karen was very sweet to my children and bought me some lovely French chocolat au Citron Noir (delicious) and also these beautiful cabbage plants. In the time that we spent together I also became slightly addicted to the Oreo Cookie Hot Chocolate I was drinking ay the Secret Garden Cafe in St Albans! Thank you Karen for my gifts and for coming to meet us.

So that’s it for now, the end of another busy half-term week. A burst pipe in my kitchen is being fixed as I type, Halloween is looming, I have to work on my macaron making skills as I have been sent a lovely gift set to try by Lakeland and next week will mark my first year of blogging milestone! I’ve also been challenged to take part in a video blogging competition, which I’m very nervous about but will do my best! 

Later today I’ll also be announcing the winner of the Leon Baking & Puddings cook book giveaway which has been very popular. There’s still time to enter if you haven’t already. 

What are your plans for the weekend? Have you been inspired by any produce or cookbooks this week?

 

British Baby Leek and Mushroom Three Grain Risotto

Having survived National Cupcake Week, my scales are pleased that we are now into British Food Fortnight. Whilst I could continue to bake cakes, I am moving instead, into savoury, autumnal cooking-mode.

I know, I know, I could have chosen a British dish to cook, but I was mainly inspired by the lovely British baby leeks that are in season at the moment and by some British mushrooms (not foraged, this time) and by coming across a ‘three grain’ risotto in the back of my cupboard.
 
I’ve been buying locally produced organic spelt flour for some time now (made at Redbournbury Mill) and often enjoy spelt bread, but I have never actually cooked with or eaten spelt as a whole grain. So, I was quite keen to try it. The three grains I used included long grain rice, pearl barley and pearl spelt and I cooked them in the same way that I would cook a normal risotto. 
 
The baby leeks and wild mushrooms give this risotto a lovely flavour and if you top it with some vegetarian cheese, it will also tick the Meat Free Monday box. Aren’t we all being so good? 
 
 
 
You shouldn’t have any trouble at all finding British produce to cook with if you are in the UK, particularly during British Food Fortnight, but I am finding that generally, shops are very keen to push British produce and the double-bonus is that fresh British produce will most likely be in season too.
 
As a random aside, if you are interested in hearing more about spelt, catch up with this week’s Nick Coffer’s Weekend Kitchen on iplayer. Nick’s guest was Edd Kimber, the winner of last year’s Great British Bake Off and about half an hour into the show you’ll also hear me talking about spelt flour in my ‘Ren Recommend’s’ slot! If you are into baking, you’ll find a factsheet on the same page with lots of free recipes on it too, including Edd’s Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and his Orange and Passion Fruit cake.
 
 
Over the next fortnight up until 2nd October, look out for ‘meet the producer’ style events, special promotions in the shops and in restaurants, healthy eating activities for kids (or, if like me, you overdosed on cupcakes, then for yourself) and generally for the “Buy British” message that the campaign is trying to push.
 
If you are a tweeter, you can follow @theBritFFGirls and add the hashtag #BritFF to your posts/tweets too.
 
You can also follow the campaign by ‘liking’ the Love British Food Facebook page.
 

 

British Baby Leek & Mushroom 3 Grain Risotto

Serves 4
 
Ingredients:
300g Three Grain Risotto (I used the Riso Gallo brand)
1 Tablespoon British Rapeseed Oil
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
220g British Baby Leeks, cleaned and finely chopped
150g British Oyster Mushrooms, chopped
50g British Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced
1 Litre Vegetable Stock
 
For the topping
110g British Baby Leeks, washed and finely chopped
15g Butter
A twist of pepper
A handful of freshly grated vegetarian-style Parmesan cheese
 
Method:
 
1. Boil the kettle and make up the vegetable stock to one litre in a separate sauce pan. Leave the pan on a low heat so that your stock is constantly simmering as you add it to your grains/rice.
 
2. Add the oil to a large heavy-based pan and gently fry the onions and leeks for around five minutes. Add the rice, stir it well until it is coated in the oil and mixed with the onions and leeks.
 
3. Add the mushrooms and risotto rice/grains, mix well until all the grains are coated. Over a medium heat, add a ladleful of stock to the rice and vegetables and simmer. As the stock bubbles in the pan and is absorbed, add another ladleful and again stir. If your rice/grains are in any way sticking to the pan, your heat is too high. Add more as necessary, until all the stock has been used up and the grains are cooked. The grains should take no more than 25 minutes to cook and should still have some bite to them, but should not be hard.
 
4. Using your (now empty) stock pan, add the butter and the extra baby leeks and gently fry for three minutes or so. Serve your risotto in bowls and top with the extra baby leeks, a twist of pepper and plenty of grated cheese.
 
 
 
I will be linking this recipe up with Simple and in Season – running up until 15th October.
 
Don’t forget to leave me comments too if you are writing about or eating British food over the next two weeks.
 
Thank you for all your help, comments and feedback about my blog name! I am sticking with Fabulicious Food! and the move is happening as I type.

Beetroot, Feta and Walnut Salad

I was having a chat on Twitter earlier on with Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes about the lovely sunny weather today, which made us both feel like eating salad. Totally the opposite to yesterday’s weather, which actually saw me making a huge Cottage Pie!

Jacqueline mentioned her love of a ‘Caprese’ salad, with tomatoes and mozzarella adding fresh avocado too. I also love the simplicity of such a salad, especially with a few basil leaves thrown over the top from the garden and even a sprinkle of puy lentils and balsamic vinegar. 
 
Today, however, I fancied a Beetroot, Feta and Walnut Salad which really couldn’t be simpler. I first had this salad at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant when I went along to a cookery demonstration there. I came home, immediately re-created it and have been making it ever since. 
Print

Beetroot, Feta and Walnut Salad

A light salad using seasonal beetroot, paired with feta cheese and walnuts

Ingredients

  • 250g Beetroot, drained (*See note below for fresh beetroot)
  • 150g Feta Cheese or Goat's Cheese
  • 8-10 Walnuts
  • 1 Tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil
  • 1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • A scattering of fresh herbs (baby basil or baby coriander)

Instructions

  1. Thinly slice the beetroot (I use a knife but you could use a mandolin) and scatter it over a large plate.
  2. Chop up some walnuts or lightly toasted pine nuts and sprinkle over.
  3. Crumble over some feta cheese, as much or as little as you like. Goat's cheese would be fine too or even Lancashire cheese.
  4. Drizzle with rapeseed or olive oil and season with the pepper. Add a few basil or micro leaves to dress.

Notes

If using fresh seasonal beetroot, remove any stalks or leaves but leave the beetroot whole and leave the skin on to prevent it from bleeding. Boil in a large pan of water for 1-1/2 hours until tender. Wear plastic gloves and peel the skin off by hand. Alternatively, microwave the beetroot (again, skin on) for 8-10 minutes.

 
I hope you get to try this simple, seasonal salad.

Tomato and Garlic Pasta

Last week I posted an interview with Vanessa Kimbell and hosted a competition to win a copy of her new book, Prepped!

As mentioned in the post, Vanessa gave up her job in order to pursue her dream of writing a cookery book, documenting the process through her blog Writing a Cookery Book giving us all a fascinating glimpse into the world of food writing and publishing. Her book offers time-saving recipes and introduces a concept called ‘linked cooking’ as well as double-cooking, incorporating flavoured sugars and syrups that can be made-ahead and ‘mixed and matched’ according to what you have to hand.

Thank you to everyone for entering and telling me which one of the chapters in Vanessa’s book would be your favourite from the inspiring selection on offer including Elderflower, Rhubarb, Lavender, Lemon, Vanilla, Tomato, Plum, Caraway, Chocolate, Cardamom or Orange & Clove.  

I’m very pleased to announce that the winner, chosen by a randomiser, is Sally from My Custard Pie who I am sure will love Vanessa’s book and make excellent use of it!

I have to say I am truly torn. Having tested recipes for the book from both the Chocolate and Vanilla chapters I am certainly won over by the ease of Vanessa’s recipes.

I’m also both intrigued and inspired  by some of the more unusual flavour combinations in Prepped! – the Victoria Sponge with Cardamom Rose Cream and Rhubarb along with the Chocolate Beef are next on my hit list. However, my favourite recipe so far (and one that, I confess, I am slightly addicted too at the moment) can actually be found in the Tomato chapter, so I’m probably with Sally on her winning choice.

Vanessa’s Tomato & Garlic Pasta, also known as “Garlic Yum Yum” pasta is possibly one the the quickest and simplest recipes in the book. It also happens to be a ‘linked’ recipe, meaning that you can make double the quantity and use it as the base for the Tomato Pizza. 

Vanessa has kindly given me permission to share the recipe with you below – I urge you to try it – it is so simple but really delicious and my kids love it too.  

Last week also marked the official launch Prepped!   It was lovely to be able able to chat and mingle in a very leisurely fashion at Rococo Chocolates with Vanessa, other food writers, bloggers and members of the ‘Prepparati’ including Helen from Fuss Free Flavours, Katie from Feeding Boys and a Firefighter, Jayne from Jaynerly and Becky from Rebecca Bakes Cakes. We also sampled some of our favourite treats and recipes from the book, including Chocolate Chilli Cupcakes, Pink Meringues with Elderflower Cream, Victoria Sponge with Cardamom Rose Cream & Rhubarb, Chocolate Cookies, a Chocolate & Raspberry Cake, the Chocolate, Vanilla & Black Pepper Cupcakes as well as the obligatory taste of some Rococo Chocolates too.

What a clever idea to host a party in a chocolate shop and not just any chocolate shop, Rococo’s was a truly luxurious experience and we all left hideously high on chocolate!

Thank you so much to Vanessa’s good friend Chantal Cody and to all her lovely staff who looked after us so well and of course, to the bright and bubbly Vanessa Kimbell for the kind invitation for us to take part as recipe testers for Prepped! and to the launch. 

Prepped! is available on Amazon, currently at £10.48 or at many branches of Waterstones (RRP £20.00) and is published by Spring Hill 

Tomato & Garlic Pasta
Posted with the kind permission of Vanessa Kimbell

 

(Serves 4)

 

Ingredients:

1 whole medium garlic bulb
500g spaghetti
1 x 200g tube tomato purée (I used a can)
80ml extra-virgin olive oil
120g fresh Parmesan, grated, for serving
Salt
Method:

 

1. Peel and finely chop all the garlic cloves (I put them in a mini blender but you can just finely chop). Put a pan of boiling water on for the pasta and add a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan for 1-2 minutes then add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (do not burn!) You are not looking to brown the garlic at all, so you must keep the heat at a medium temperature.
3. Stir in the tomato purée and turn the heat down to a slightly lower temperature. Keep stirring. As the tomato cooks it incorporates most of the oil and turns from a fresh red into a deeper, darker red. After 5-7 minutes the sauce is cooked. The pasta will be ready too.
4. Drain your pasta and add it to the tomato sauce, stirring well. Serve immediately with fresh parmesan.
There won’t be any left as it is so delicious but you could make double the quantity of sauce, as Vanessa suggests, and use it as a base for Vanessa’s Tomato Pizza and Oregano Bread

Fresh Pasta with Asparagus, Goat’s Cheese and Lemon

I was challenged by the lovely Giulia of Juls’ Kitchen to make fresh pasta for this month’s Monthly Mingle. This was such an exciting challenge for me, since I recently took a pasta class with Katie Caldesi to learn exactly how to make it although since taking the class I hadn’t put my new found skills to the test. So, the question for me was whether I had actually retained any information from that day?! My first stop was a visit to Buongiorno Italia, an award-winning local Italian food store close to my home. With Giulia as our judge, I was determined to do this the Italian way!

Established over 30 years ago, Buongiorno Italia is exactly the type of food store you want to have on your doorstep. Tony, the owner, goes to Covent Garden Market to bring back the best seasonal produce every week as well as stocking a huge array of authentic Italian food, including cheese, cured meats, olives, pasta, cakes, wine and lots more (including a small selection of Polish food which I was also pleased to spot!) Tony was lovely to chat to and he showed me his plans for expanding the store so that by the summer he will have some outdoor seating and an authentic cappuccino bar.

I was immediately inspired by the fresh produce on offer, finding some lovely bundles of British asparagus, new season’s garlic (the best I’ve ever seen) and even more exciting some goat’s cheese made on a local farm called Childwickbury by Liz and David Harris, nestled alongside the Italian cheeses. I think it is really nice to see local produce being showcased as well as Italian produce and of course, I couldn’t resist buying some Polish pasta, pierogi since they were there.

This is exactly what I love about local food shopping – you don’t always find the obvious, but in many cases you stumble across some real treats. I also picked up some ’00’ grade Italian pasta flour, some fresh, large free range eggs and a very fragrant tub of fresh basil.

      
I have no idea whether Italians would put asparagus, garlic and goat’s cheese together but I do know that Italians are very keen to use local produce and that they let the flavours of fresh food do the talking, so why not? I also had some lemon-infused olive oil at home, though regular olive oil would have been fine, perhaps just with a grating of fresh lemon zest at the end. As it’s National Vegetarian Week it was also nice to create a meal without using meat.

Back at home, the next challenge to overcome was the fact that I had not managed to find a  pasta machine. A quick phone call to a friend out in town revealed only one machine which was £60 in a cook shop. It may have been the crème de la crème of pasta machines, but I think it is a lot of money to spend especially if it is not something you will use every day. Though we had been taught how to make pasta using a machine in the class, a quick flick through ‘The Italian Cookery Course’ by Katie Caldesi (which I very much enjoyed reviewing recently for The Foodie Bugle) suggested that I could make and cut fresh pasta entirely by hand so I decided to give it a go without the machine.

I’m relieved to say that it worked just fine, though I will look into buying a pasta machine in the long run as I think you are able to get your pasta slightly thinner (it should be almost see-through) – although not having one shouldn’t deter you as my hand-rolled, hand-cut pasta actually tasted delicious. Next time I will try experimenting with beetroot to make lovely purple beetroot pasta.

To roll and cut by hand, you go through the basic stages of making a pasta dough and then you roll it on a floured surface until it is as thin as you can get it. You then roll up the two edges until they meet in the middle and using a sharp knife cut the pasta into the width you want it. You can then slide your knife beneath the pasta and as you lift the pasta up the rolls unfold.

I also found a handy step-by-step guide by Jamie Oliver – How to make fresh pasta 

I used one egg to 100g of flour and that made enough for about two portions. If you make more, you would have to split the dough into smaller portions (and keep it covered) to have enough room to roll it all out.

The pasta making was fun and I ended up with a really delicious meal – definitely superior to any shop-bought pasta though of course, you could make this recipe by using any type of pasta you fancy. I’m so pleased I did give this a go myself at home and that I had remembered everything that Katie had taught me!
Pasta with Asparagus, Goat’s Cheese & Lemon

Serves 4

Ingredients:
 
Fresh pasta (use 6 eggs and 600g of flour for four people)
OR – the best pasta you can buy if not fresh
2 bundles (500g) fresh Asparagus
4 cloves garlic
A drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil
OR plain olive oil plus a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest
140g Goat’s Cheese
A handful of  fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius

2. If you are making fresh pasta it would be better to do this first as the pasta should be left to rest for around thirty minutes.

3. Chop your asparagus into bite sized/2cm pieces and put them in a baking tin along with the cloves of garlic (no need to peel), a sprinkling of sea salt, fresh pepper and a drizzle of lemon  or plain olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
 
4. Boil a large pan of water, add a tablespoon of salt and cook your pasta according to the instructions (fresh pasta doesn’t need long at all so keep testing it to see if it is cooked.)
 
5. Drain the pasta, saving about two tablespoons of the pasta water.
 
6. Take your tray of asparagus from the oven and pick out the garlic cloves from the roasting tin (they will have infused the oil enough) and tumble the pasta into the tin with the roasted asparagus. Drizzle with more olive oil so that all the pasta is coated.
 
7. Crumble over the goat’s cheese, sprinkle with fresh lemon zest and a handful of basil leaves. Serve!
 
 
“Buon Appetito!” – I am looking forward to seeing how every one else got on with this month’s slightly more challenging mingle!
 
Thank you Giulia for setting this challenge – it was exactly what I needed and has definitely encouraged me to experiment more and continue to make fresh pasta at home.
 

Easy Macaroni Cheese with Baby Leeks

It’s Meat Free Monday again which means I have a really lovely, easy recipe to share.  This one is great for a quick kids’ tea as it really should take less than twenty minutes from chopping to serving. We really love macaroni cheese, it is lovely and warming and cheese melting under the grill really makes the house smell yummy!

Although making a roux (flour and butter based white sauce) isn’t difficult, even an expert roux-maker can have issues with lumps so I make a really easy alternative with cream, crème fraîche and cheese.  You can use half-fat versions if you prefer. I also add a touch of Dijon mustard and an egg yolk, just for flavour.

This is a really versatile sauce and can be added to any pasta dish (try adding chopped smoked or poached salmon, chopped bacon and peas or chopped left-over chicken for a non-Meat Free Monday alternative) or just make a veggie version, as I have, adding any vegetables you like.  You can also skip the pasta altogether and just use it as a sauce for pouring over cauliflower or broccoli.

I have used baby leeks this week, which are in season and make a more colourful alternative to onions.  They also have a much subtler and sweeter flavour, don’t make your eyes water and are a great source of Vitamin C as well as iron and fibre. Go for small or medium sized leeks, as the larger ones can be a bit woody.  You can remove the outer layer if you need to and give them a good wash removing and grit.

Easy Macaroni Cheese with Baby Leeks

Ingredients

250 g macaroni pasta
One tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil
6 or 7 baby leeks or 3 medium-sized leeks

200 ml double cream
50 g crème fraîche
75 g grated Gruyère cheese
1 free-range, organic egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

75 g grated cheddar for the topping

Salt & Pepper

Method

Pre-heat your grill.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.  Add your macaroni or other shaped pasta to the pan, stir and cook according to the packet instructions (firmer/al dente is best)

Finely chop your leeks, add a tablespoon of olive or rapeseed oil to a frying pan and gently fry your leeks for a few minutes until they soften.

Pour the cream and crème fraîche into a pan and gently bring to the boil. Once it is very gently bubbling, add the grated Gruyère cheese and mix well. (For extra flavour you could add some extra cheddar too)

Add the Dijon mustard and mix again. Take off the heat and add your egg yolk. Season with salt and pepper and stir again keeping it off the heat.

Drain your pasta and add it to the pan of cheese sauce, tip in the cooked baby leeks. Mix well until all the pasta is coated.

Sprinkle over the cheddar cheese (or use more Gruyèreor any firm cheese) and place it under the hot grill just until the cheese starts bubbling and melting.

Serve and eat as soon as possible.

Lovely Lentils & Homemade Labneh

So, we are a week into the new diet ‘Healthy Eating Plan’ following the Christmas and New Year binge and things are going well.  To keep myself focused, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen, rather than taking part in the usual daily snack-athon.

This week, I’ve made a healthy Middle Eastern dish called Lebneh, which is a soft cheese made from yoghurt. I made mine with some of the fat-free natural pro-biotic yoghurt sitting in my fridge. Much too sour (for my taste) to eat on its own.  However, straining it (which removes the whey) turns into a lovely and much more indulgent cream cheese, which can then be used as a dip (for crudites or wholemeal pitta) or can be used as a topping (see second recipe below.)

To make it, mix 500g natural yoghurt with one teaspoon of salt. Place the yoghurt over a paper towel or cloth in a sieve over a bowl. Leave in the fridge overnight, loosely covered with a lid or clingfilm. Some recipes suggest forming a tight bundle with the cloth and tying it with string.


The next day, the liquid should have separated from the cheese into the bowl.  Remove the cheese from the sieve, discard the liquid and place in a clean bowl. Stir in a tablespoon of olive oil if you like and flavour with nuts, herbs or spices. I used lemon olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley. Chopped cucumber, pistachios, pine nuts all work well too.

Next, I turned my hand to lentils and made a Butternut, Lentil and Chickpea Stew (which we had with brown rice). This was a really hearty meal, so much so, that I didn’t miss the meat at all.  It actually made me think about eating less meat, and in doing so, I stumbled across a few campaigns suggesting that if we ate less meat, even just one day per week, we would be helping the climate, saving money, reducing environmental impact and be healthier – all in one easy go!

I’m sure there are plenty of authentic recipes for chickpea curries or for Dhal which you could try, but here is what I threw together in my pressure cooker (times for stove top are included too).



Butternut, Lentil & Chickpea Stew


Ingredients


1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion (white or red, finely chopped)

2 cm piece fresh ginger (minced)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

300 g red lentils (dry, uncooked)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds or powder

1 tsp ground tumeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 butternut squash (peeled, de-seeded, cubed)

2 carrots (grated)


1 tin tomatoes

600 ml vegetable stock


Optional (add ten minutes before the end)


1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1 can green lentils (drained and rinsed)

1 bag fresh spinach (washed)


Method


Prepare the onion, carrots and butternut squash as above.  Mince the ginger, finely chop the garlic.


Add one tablespoon olive oil to a large pan. Gently fry the onion for a few minutes then add the ginger and garlic to the pan. Coat well with the olive oil, make sure the heat is not too hot.


Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds or powder, tumeric and garam masala to the pan. Mix well.


Add the butternut squash and grated carrot and stir around.


Add a coupe of handfuls of red lentils, stir again and pour in the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock over the top. All of the ingredients should be covered, if not, add some water.


Cover and simmer for around 45 minutes (15 minutes in a pressure cooker)


The butternut squash should be really soft, almost blending into the liquid.  The lentils should be cooked through.


Next, add in your tin of chickpeas and any other tinned lentils/beans you like.  Cook for another ten minutes.


Finally, add the spinach and mix into the stew until wilted.


Check the seasoning and serve.

For more information on being ‘meat free’ and for some lovely recipes ideas, see Meat Free Monday (Paul McCartney’s campaign) or Meat Free Mondays another site dedicated to helping us have at least one day a week totally free of meat.