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Stuffed & baked ricotta shells

May 21

Posted by admin in pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“These great-looking shells make a good alternative to stuffed cannelloni and look stylish in the dish”

  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 20 (about 200g) giant pasta shells
  • 500g courgettes topped, tailed and grated
  • ½ lemon, zested
  • 100g ricotta
  • 50g parmesan, grated

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add ½ the garlic, cook for a minute then add tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened.

Cook the giant shells until almost tender. You want to slightly undercook them as you’ll be baking them again later. Drain, rinse under cold water then drain completely.

Heat another tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, add the rest of the garlic and the courgettes. It looks like a huge amount of courgette at the start, but it really wilts down. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the courgettes have reduced and all the liquid has cooked off. Cool then stir in the ricotta and zest and half the parmesan. Season well.

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Spoon the tomato sauce into the bottom of a shallow ovenproof baking dish. Stuff a spoonful of courgette mix into each shell then sit in the sauce in rows. Sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Source : Olive Magazine, June 2011

Servings/Yield : 2

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 10 minutes, Cook 50 minutes

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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West Indian Chicken Curry

Apr 26

Posted by admin in chicken, curry, the recipes | No Comments

“This punchy dish is under 500 calories, but you won’t notice you’re being healthy.”

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks
  • 400g tin coconut milk
  • 100g whole cherry tomatoes
  • fresh coriander, to serve

Cook the onion and garlic in a tsp of oil for 5 minutes. Season, then stir in the curry powder. Cook for another minute, then add the potatoes and chicken. Pour in the coconut milk. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander.

Source : Olive Magazine, June 2010

Servings/Yield : 4

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 10 minutes, Cook 20 minutes

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Feta baked with tomato & oregano

Apr 22

Posted by admin in the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“Cooked feta keeps its shape but becomes lovely and spreadable. Serve with warm crusty bread to scoop up the sauce.”

  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • a big pinch chilli flakes
  • 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes, drained
  • a small handful oregano leaves, chopped
  • 400g blocks feta cheese, broken up into large chunks
  • crusty bread, to serve

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the chilli and tomatoes and simmer for 25 minutes until thickened. Season and stir in the oregano.

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the feta in an ovenproof dish, cover with sauce and bake for 20 minutes before serving.

Source : Olive Magazine, April 2008

Servings/Yield : 4

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in 1 Hour

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Barley Salad With Green Garlic and Snap Peas

Apr 14

Posted by admin in salad, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“Here’s a spring salad that’s equally satisfying for a workday lunch or a weekend picnic. Light yet filling, it combines chewy, nutritious barley with two seasonal treats – young green garlic and crisp sugar snap peas.”

  • 1 cup hulled barley
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 stalks green garlic (white and light green parts only), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons toasted almonds
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • coarse sea salt or coarse kosher salt
  • 8 ounces sugar snap peas
  • 2 tablespoons torn mint leaves

Cook and cool barley: Combine barley and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely.

Make green garlic sauce: Blend green garlic, almonds, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. If the mixture is very thick or dry, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of water.

Blanch sugar snap peas: Have ready a large bowl of ice water, a slotted spoon, and a plate lined with a cloth or paper towel. Bring a pan of water to boil over high heat. Add a tablespoon of salt and the snap peas and boil just until bright green and crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Quickly remove the snap peas with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice bath. When the peas are completely cool, remove them from the ice bath and drain on the towel-lined plate. Cut the snap peas lengthwise on the diagonal.

Assemble salad: In a large bowl, combine barley and green garlic sauce. Then mix in snap peas and mint. Season to taste and serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator.

Source : Adapted from thekitchn.com (only slight changes)

Servings/Yield : 4-6

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours

Note : Green garlic is much more mild than mature garlic and we like it just fine raw. However, if you prefer, it can be blanched first to mellow out the flavor.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (No Ratings Yet)
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Chilli & garlic spaghetti with lemon crumbs

Apr 3

Posted by admin in pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“The lemon and heat balance out this dish perfectly, and a perfect excuse to use purple sprouting broccoli”

  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 1 long red chilli, finely diced
  • 20g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • ½ lemon, finely grated zest
  • 150g spaghetti
  • 125g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and cut into short lengths

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small non-stick frying pan and add the garlic and chilli. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Tip out into a bowl. Return the pan to the heat and add the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until golden. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and season well. Keep warm.

Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions. Add the broccoli for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain, reserving 3-4 tbsp of the cooking water, and return to the pan. Pour over the cooking water and garlic and chilli oil. Toss well together and divide between two warmed bowls. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.

Source : Adapted from Olive Magazine, April 2011. (only slight changes)

Servings/Yield : Serves 2

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 5min, Cook 15min

Nutrition: per serving : 338 kcalories, protein 13.1g, carbohydrate 66g, fat 4.3 g, saturated fat 0.6g, fibre 4.8g, salt 0.22 g

Notes: Common broccoli can be used for this recipe, just divide into bite sized floretes for easy cooking.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Spiced Lamb Meatballs

Apr 2

Posted by admin in beef, hors d'œuvre, lamb, the recipes | No Comments

“A mildly spicy and very flavourful meatball recipe for parties or something different for dinner”

  • 500g ground lamb
  • 500g ground beef
  • 2 small onions, very finely chopped
  • 3 tsps pureed ginger
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsps salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • 2 tbsps garam masala
  • 2 tbsps coriander finely, chopped
  • 3 tbsps ground almonds
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup flour

Mix together the beef and lamb until they are well combined. Using your hands, stir in the onion, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, chile powder, garam masala, coriander, almonds, eggs, and flour.

Heat the oven to 200°C. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of the meat mixture and roll into evenly-shaped meatballs. Roast the meatballs for 20 minutes or until just barely pink in the middle.

Source : Adapted from thekitchn.com (only slight changes)

Servings/Yield : 30 to 40 generously-sized meatballs

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 20min, Cook 20min

Note : We had these as a main course with a tomato sauce.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Hearty Chicken & Bean Soup

Mar 30

Posted by admin in chicken, soup, the recipes | No Comments

“A hearty bean and chicken soup, perfect for a cold winter night”

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 400g chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 carrots, finely chopped (or 2 large carrots)
  • 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
  • 2 thyme sprigs or ½ tsp dried
  • 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
  • 600ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • 800g canned haricot or cannellini beans, drained
  • chopped parsley, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chicken, then fry until lightly browned. Add the veg, then fry for a few mins more. Stir in the herbs and stock. Bring to the boil. Stir well, reduce the heat, then cover and cook for 40 mins, until the chicken is tender.

Stir the beans into the pan, then simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Source : Adapted from Chicken & white bean stew, Good Food Magazine February 2009

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 20min, Cook 1 Hour

Note : We tried the original recipe from Good Food Magazine, and found it too watery to be a stew; so we boiled it off to reduce the liquid content, and relabelled it as a hearty soup which it should have been called to begin with. Our hats off once again to Good Food for a great recipe to begin with.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Piri Piri Chicken

Mar 13

Posted by admin in african, chicken, portugese, the recipes | No Comments

“A classic Portugese and African dish that packs a punch when you’re in the mood for something spicy and a little different.”

Chicken

  • 4 large chicken thighs, preferably higher welfare, skin on and bone in
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 yellow pepper
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Sauce

  • 1 red onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1-2 bird’s-eye chillies (2 was quite hot for us)
  • 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • A large bunch of fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel and roughly chop the red onion and add to the liquidiser with the peeled cloves of garlic. Add the chilli (stalks removed), paprika, the lemon zest and juice. Add white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, a good pinch of salt and pepper, the bunch of basil and a swig of water. Blitz until smooth.

Place the chicken thighs skin side down, and score the meat on each one a few times. Drizzle with olive oil and season, then put on the griddle pan that is heating up, skin side down. Cook until golden underneath, then turn over. Slice the peppers into strips and add to the griddle pan. Turn the heat down to medium and keep moving the peppers around.

Pour the piri piri sauce into a 20 x 30cm roasting tray. Lay the peppers on top and put aside. Add the chicken to the roasting tray with the sauce. Scatter over the sprigs of thyme, then put the tray into the middle of the oven. After 10 minutes move the chicken up to the top shelf to cook for around another 10 minutes, or until cooked through

 

Source : Adapted from Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals

Servings/Yield :4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in around 30min+

Note : We love Jamie and everything he does in and out of the kitchen; but he’s kidding you if he thinks you can make his meals in less than 30 minutes without spending another 30 minutes prepping the ingredients first.

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Peanut Chicken Curry

Mar 10

Posted by admin in chicken, curry, the recipes | 2 Comments

"Peanut butter and chicken, brings this simple after work curry together."

  • 1 large red chilli, deseeded
  • ½ a finger-length piece fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 fat garlic clove
  • small bunch coriander, stalks roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 5 tbsp peanut butter
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 200g soya cream
  • splash of lemon juice

Finely slice a quarter of the chilli, then put the rest in a food processor with the ginger, garlic, coriander stalks and one-third of the leaves. Whizz to a rough paste with a splash of water if needed. I hand chopped everything very finely.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, then quickly brown the chicken chunks for 1 min. Stir in the paste for another min, then add the peanut butter, stock and soya cream with a splash of lemon juice. When the sauce is gently bubbling, cook for 10 mins until the chicken is just cooked through and sauce thickened. Stir in most of the remaining coriander, then scatter the rest on top with the chilli, if using. Eat with rice or mashed sweet potato.

 

Source : Adapted from Good Food Magazine: August 2009

Servings/Yield :4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in around 20min

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Pasta with Spiced Prawns & Chorizo

Mar 6

Posted by admin in pasta, seafood, spanish, the recipes | No Comments

"A Spanish flavour in a hearty pasta meal."

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small onions , diced
  • 120g uncooked chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
  • 800g large tomatoes , chopped
  • 350g rigatoni
  • 200g large prawns , shells and tails removed if necessary, chopped
  • 2 large spring onions , thinly sliced, keep the whites and greens separate

Put the oil, onions and a good grind of pepper in a large, cold frying pan. Place over a low heat and slowly cook for 10 mins, stirring regularly, until softened.

Add the chorizo to the onions, turn up the heat (but not too much) and colour a little. When the orange oil is released into the pan, add the tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Stir over a medium heat – the tomatoes should literally melt in about 10 mins. If the sauce is not bubbling, turn up the heat a little. Gently simmer for a few mins more.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Add the prawns to the sauce, bring back to the boil and cook for 1 min until the prawns change colour. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce with the spring onion whites. Cook and stir for 1 min. Serve sprinkled with the spring onion greens.

 

Source : Adapted from Good Food Magazine: September 2010

Servings/Yield :4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in just under an hour

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Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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