Recipe a Day!

Been away for a while...but i'm back!

Source: yummy, yummy
Monday 19th November 2007, 10:19am

Some form of "If its in the cupboard, its in the pan" home creation, its probably Italian-ish.

So, considering that my cupboard was pratically empty (bar beans on toast!) i figured i should go shopping.

I went to M&S of all places and bought some mushrooms, tomatoes, mini corgettes, tinned tomatoes, onions butter, fresh pasta, german sausage (can't remember the exact one but its about a foot long and an inch or so in diameter, some blueberry wensleydale and some colesaw...

First, chop the mushrooms and onions into small chunks and fry them in butter, then chop up the corgettes and thrw those in. Cook them uptill the mushrooms become soft, then throw in the tinned tomatoes and leave to simmer, you want most of the liquid to evaporate...if you want a glug (or two) of red wine is good too.

Then get the pasta going...i used tortelini and another variety of what i can only describe as flattened spagetti!

On the plate cut up all the sausage and distribute evenly on each plate, then cut a couple of good chunks of cheese and also a good dolop of colesaw.

Once the pasta is done serve onto the plates, then put the sause on the top like you would a bolognaise.

One word describes this: LUSH!! I dont have a picture but when i cook it again i will take one and upload.

Took in total around 25 minutes and was a really substantial and tasty meal.

Hope every one is well!

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Lasagna

Source: yummy, yummy
Monday 1st October 2007, 11:55am

My favourite dish in the whole world! This is a variation on an authentic Lombardy Lasagna recipe, without the hassle of a Béchamel sauce. With locally available ingredients you can give this Lasagna a Kentish flavour.

Lasagna recipe preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Lasagna recipe cooking time: 1 hour

This is a variation on an authentic Lombardy Lasagna recipe, without the hassle of a Béchamel sauce. With locally available ingredients you can give this Lasagna a Kentish flavour. For example, why not try some locally reared lamb? You can always use dried sheets of Lasagna, but it’s best to use fresh, with pasta dishes the quality of the pasta really does make a difference. I have chosen to use minced lamb for the ragu (sauce), but you could easily use pork or beef. Don’t forget you will need a large oven-proof dish. It takes around fifteen minutes to prepare the ingredients and an hour to cook. Why not try serving the Lasagna with a rocket and red onion salad. For a vegetarian Lasagna you just use a meat substitute like Quorn mince or a tomato and red pepper salsa.

Lasagna recipe ingredients: Serves 4

400 grams of finely minced lamb
150 grams of mozzarella cheese
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Approximately ten sheets of Lasagna (let the size of the dish be your guide)
1 small carrot chopped
5 rashers of bacon cut into small pieces
1 onion chopped
2 table spoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper (a teaspoon full of each)
500ml of tomato puree (never from the tube)
A small quantity of oregano (fresh is best but dried is ok)

Lasagna recipe cooking instructions:

1. Peel and finely chop the onions and carrot then crush the garlic.

2. Add the olive oil to a low heated pan with the onion and carrot allow them to sweat in the pan for just for a few minutes.

3. Add the crushed garlic about thirty seconds before adding the bacon, stir evenly for a minute before adding the lamb mince and then brown off the meat.

4. Once the meat is brown add the tomato puree, stir evenly add the salt and black pepper. Leave to simmer for around 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Cook the pasta in boiling water until 'al dente', drain and lay the lasagna sheets out individually on a clean tea towel.

6. Add the oregano to the ragu and stir.

7. Add a thin layer of ragu to the bottom of the oven proof dish, then a layer of the grated or sliced mozzarella, then a layer of Lasagna. Continue this layering 2 or three times, bearing in mind the top layer must always be cheese, or ragu, not the pasta.

8. Cover the dish with silver foil, place in a pre-heated oven on a middle shelf at 180°C, for around 30 minutes, then remove the silver foil and leave in the oven for a further 5 minutes.

9. Cut into slices and then serve.

By Martha

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Steak Sandwich

Source: yummy, yummy
Friday 28th September 2007, 6:24pm

Dead easy and damn tasty!

Ingredients
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 tsp olive oil
140g/5oz sirloin steak
1 tsp grain mustard
55g/2oz Roquefort
handful watercress
½ ciabatta loaf , cut in half

Method
1. Roast or fry the onion wedges in the oil until soft.
2. Cook the steak to your liking.
3. Spread the cooked steak with the mustard and slice.
4. Layer the sandwich. Begin with the watercress on the base, add the steak, onions and cheese. Top with the bread lid and tuck in.

by James Martin from Housecall

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Chocolate Beer Cake

Source: yummy, yummy
Monday 24th September 2007, 5:29pm

If you come from Dublin, you make this with Guinness; if you come from Cork, you make this with Murphy's. Either way, the beer gives it an interesting and quite different flavour.

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 oz (50 g) cocoa powder
7 fl oz (200 ml) stout
4 oz (110 g) very soft butter
10 oz (275 g) dark soft brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
6 oz (175 g) plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

4 oz (110 g) icing sugar, sifted
2 oz (50 g) very soft butter
2 tablespoons stout
4 oz (110 g) dark chocolate (50-55% cocoa solids)
1 oz (25 g) walnut pieces, finely chopped

To decorate:

8 walnut halves
cocoa powder, for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

You will also need two 8 inch (20 cm) sponge tins, 1½ inches (4 cm) deep, lightly greased, and the bases lined with baking parchment, lightly greased.

Method

First of all, cream the butter and sugar together, beating thoroughly for 3 or 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Now gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Next, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda on to a sheet of baking parchment. Then weigh the cocoa and put it in a separate bowl, gradually stirring the stout into it. Now carefully and lightly fold into the egg mixture small quantities of the sifted flour alternately with the cocoa-stout liquid. Then, when both have been added, divide the cake mixture equally between the 2 tins and level it out.

Bake the sponges in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes. The cakes should be flat on top and feel springy and will have shrunk slightly from the side of the tin. Leave them to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool further, carefully stripping off the base papers.

To make the icing, beat the icing sugar and butter together until blended, then gradually add the stout, making sure it is thoroughly mixed in after each addition. Now melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Then, when it's melted, remove the bowl from the water, and carefully fold the chocolate into the icing mixture. Now remove a third of the icing to a separate bowl and stir in the chopped walnuts. After all the icing has cooled to a spreadable consistency, sandwich the cake with the walnut icing. Then spread the remaining two-thirds of the icing on top of the cake, using a palette knife. Next, dust the walnut halves with cocoa powder and arrange on top of the cake. Now try to be patient and allow the icing to become firm before eating!

This recipe first appeared in The Delia Collection: Chocolate.

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Chicken Bacon Roulades Recipe

Source: yummy, yummy
Thursday 20th September 2007, 2:05pm

Chicken breasts, pounded thin, stuffed with bacon, shallots, and Parmesan, rolled up, browned, roasted, then served sliced, with a creamy white sauce. Yowza.

This meal, a veritable feast, is dedicated to Simply Recipes frequent commenter jonathan who knows that if we could make bacon ice cream we would, just for him.

4 shallots, thinly sliced
10 bacon slices (about 1/2 pound)
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
Lemon pepper seasoning to taste (or ground black pepper with a little lemon zest)
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
1 Tbps olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Working in batches, cook the bacon over medium heat in an ovenproof heavy skillet, until lightly brown but still flexible (not crisp). Place the bacon on paper towels to drain. Cook the shallots in the remaining bacon fat over low heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer shallots with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and leave any fat remaining in skillet. Preheat oven to 300°F

2 Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With smooth side of a meat pounder pound each breast to 1/8-inch thickness. Discard plastic from boned side of each breast. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper (or ground black pepper and a little lemon zest) and salt. Place 2 1/2 slices of bacon lengthwise (parallel with grain of flesh) along middle of each breast. Top with shallots and Parmesan. Using plastic wrap to help you, tightly roll up each breast lengthwise, tucking in the ends to enclose the filling. Secure seams with wooden toothpicks.

3 Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to reserved fat in skillet and heat over medium high heat. Brown roulades on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the skillet to middle of oven and bake roulades until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (Note: we found that our skillet didn't fit in our oven, so we transfered the roulades to a smaller pan.)

4 Transfer chicken to a plate with tongs and keep warm, covered with aluminum foil. Pour off fat from skillet. (Careful! The handle is hot, use an oven mitt.) Add wine to the skillet and deglaze over medium high heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil wine until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add garlic and butter. Cook mixture over medium low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add flour and cook roux, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth and cream and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer the sauce, whisking, 2 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Keep sauce warm. Remove the wooden toothpicks from roulades and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon some sauce in center of each of 4 plates and arrange roulade slices decoratively on sauce.

Serves 4.

Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine, July 1998.

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