Posts Tagged bbc

Spinach & ricotta gnocchi

“These luxurious gnocchi are both light and spoilingly rich at the same time”

  • 200g young spinach, washed
  • small handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 140g ricotta
  • 85g plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100g freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese , plus extra to serve
  • freshly grated nutmeg
  • olive oil and rocket, to serve
Boil the kettle. Place the spinach in a large bowl and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 2 mins until wilted, then drain thoroughly. Leave to cool, then wrap a clean tea towel around the spinach. Hold it over the sink and squeeze out as much water as possible. Finely chop.
Place the spinach, parsley, garlic, ricotta, flour, eggs, cheese and a generous grating of nutmeg into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Use a fork to stir very thoroughly until everything is completely mixed. Using wet hands, form the mixture into walnut-size balls. Place on a large plate or tray and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to warm and bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in batches of about 8-10 gnocchi at a time. They will sink to the bottom, and when they rise to the top give them about 1 min more, then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve the gnocchi on warm plates drizzled with olive oil and scattered with rocket and more cheese.

Source : Good Food : May 2010

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 287 kcalories, protein 20g, carbohydrate 19g, fat 15 g, saturated fat 8g, fibre 2g, sugar 2g, salt 0.86 g

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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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Chunky sausage & tomato pasta

“Jazz up sausages with this spicy tomato pasta”

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 thick pork sausages , cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 200ml medium white wine
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 500g pack rigatoni or penne
  • handful basil leaves, torn, (optional)
  • Parmesan, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan (preferably not non-stick) and add the sausages. Fry for about 8 mins until golden and cooked through. Tip in the garlic and fry for 1 min. Pour in the white wine and boil until it has reduced by half.
Stir in the tomato purée and tomatoes, and season to taste. Simmer for 15 mins until the sauce is rich and thick.
While the sauce cooks, boil the pasta according to pack instructions and drain. Stir in the basil if using, and cooked pasta into the sauce, then serve in bowls with grated or shaved Parmesan.
Making it veggie or spicy Use veggie sausages, such as Cauldron Vegetarian Lincolnshire sausages, available from supermarkets. Or to make it spicy, add a pinch of dried chilli or 1 chopped red chilli as you fry the sausages.

Source : Good Food : November 2005

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in 25 min, Prep 5 min, Cook 20 min

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 655 kcalories, protein 24g, carbohydrate 103g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 5g, salt 1 g

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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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Chicken, sweet potato & coconut curry

“Serve this mildly spiced curry with rice noodles, basmati rice or chappati breads and introduce your kids to curry”

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 tsp mild curry paste
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 4 tbsp red split lentils
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 400ml can coconut milk
  • 175g frozen peas (optional)

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan or wok, stir in the curry paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes and lentils and stir to coat in the paste, then pour in the stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.

Tip in the peas, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes. Season to taste before serving.

Source : Good Food : March 2004

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Very Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Ready in 25-35 minutes

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 291 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 24.5g, fat 14 g, saturated fat 10g, fibre 3.6g, salt 0.57 g
The Book Depository

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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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Pasta Norma

“This Sicilian staple of pasta with golden aubergines makes a special, but budget-friendly, supper”

  • 1 small aubergine , cut into 1cm discs and sliced like fries
  • olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • large pinch chilli flakes
  • 400g chopped tomatoes (polpa)
  • ½ small bunch basil , shredded
  • 200g linguine (any pasta will do)
  • 50g pecorino , parmesan or feta, grated

Cut the discs across so you end up with little matchsticks of aubergine. Heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the aubergine in batches, and fry on a fairly high heat until really tender and golden. You want it to be melt-in-the-mouth with no rubberiness left. Season and tip out onto a plate.

Wipe out the pan then add another tbsp oil and cook the garlic for a minute. Add the chilli flakes and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook the linguine following packet instructions. Stir the basil and aubergine into the sauce and heat through. Toss with the drained linguine and finish with the grated cheese.

Source : Olive Magazine : May 2010 (Slightly changed by Silli)

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 10 mins Cook 20 mins

Nutritional notes : Per serving : 575 kcalories, protein 25.1g, carbohydrate 81.4g, fat 18.8 g, saturated fat 6.2g, fibre 6.7g, salt 0.99 g

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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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Quick courgette lasagne

“This comforting midweek meal is on the table in under an hour, and it’s sure to keep veggies and meat-eaters happy”

  • olive oil
  • 2 large courgettes , grated
  • 1 clove garlic , crushed
  • a pinch of chilli flakes
  • ½ 250g tub ricotta
  • 3 tbsp parmesan , grated
  • 300ml home made tomato sauce
  • 6 sheets fresh lasagne

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Cook the courgette, garlic and chilli until soft. Add the ricotta and 2 tbsp of parmesan, season and mix well.

Put a layer of the mix in the bottom of a small dish. Add a quarter of the sauce then cover with 2 sheets of lasagne. Repeat twice, ending with lasagne. Spoon over the last 1/4 of tomato sauce and sprinkle over the parmesan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbling.

Source : Olive Magazine : June 2010

Servings/Yield : 2 Servings

Difficulty : Surprisingly Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 15 mins Cook 30 mins

Nutritional notes : per serving : 573 kcalories, protein 25.4g, carbohydrate 57.8g, fat 28.3 g, saturated fat 9.2g, fibre 5.2g, salt 2.39 g

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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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10-minute couscous salad

“This makes a great lunchbox filler for a day out and is equally good at home from the fridge”

  • 100g couscous
  • 200ml hot low salt vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 red pepper
  • ½ cucumber
  • 50g feta cheese , cubed
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Tip couscous into a large bowl, pour over stock. Cover, then leave for 10 mins, until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Meanwhile, slice the onions and pepper and dice the cucumber. Add these to the couscous, fork through pesto, crumble in feta, then sprinkle over pine nuts to serve.

Notes : Be very careful with the couscous to stock ratio, when we made this the couscous came out too watery so we ended up making couscous without stock  instead.  We’ll try a little less stock next time and make it properly.  Secondly we would dice the peppers instead of slicing them.

Source : Good Food August 2009

Servings/Yield : 2 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Salad

Preparation Times : Prep : 10 mins

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 327 kcalories, protein 13g, carbohydrate 33g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 2g, sugar 7g, salt 0.88 g

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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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Pasta with Parsley & Hazelnut Pesto

“Cross that jar of pesto off your shopping list and get cooking with this fresh and super easy alternative”

  • 350g tagliatelle
  • 80g pack flat-leaf parsley
  • 100g toasted hazelnuts
  • 50g parmesan , grated
  • zest and juice 1 lemon
  • 100g olive oil

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water according to pack instructions.

Put the parsley, hazelnuts, parmesan and lemon zest and juice into a food processor and whizz to a paste. With the motor still running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Season, if you like, with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta, return to pan and stir in pesto. Divide pasta between serving bowls and serve.

Make double : Double the quantity of pesto, cover with a layer of oil and keep in the fridge

for up to a week. Or add your own flavours, like watercress and walnuts or pine nuts and rocket.

Notes : I found this a little dry, even though Silli enjoyed it immensely and preferred it to the over oily normal pesto.

Source : Good Food August 2007

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 10 mins Cook : 10 mins

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 727 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 70g, fat 43 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 5g, sugar 3g, salt 0.27 g
The Book Depository

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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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Cider Chicken with Tagliatelle

“Patrick added an English flavour to an Italian favourite mixing cider and pasta”

  • 400 g tagliatelle
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 400 g chicken breasts, skinless, cut into chunks
  • 210 ml dry cider
  • 1 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 15 g butter
  • 1 large leek, halved lengthways and finely sliced across
  • 80 g mushrooms, sliced
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp chives, snipped to garnish

Cook tagliatelle to packet instructions.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry chicken for 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden all round.  Add cider and mustard.  Season and simmer for 5-7minutes until slightly reduced.

Melt butter in a pan, add remaining oil and cook leek for 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add leek and mushrooms to chicken, stir in cream and simmer for 2 minutes.

Toss cider chicken with tagliatelle.  Garnish with chives.

Source : Adapted from, Ready Steady Cook by Patrick Anthony

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating :

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 15 mins Cook : 25 mins

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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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Tomatoes for Healthier Skin

Recent studies including a paper from the British Society for Investigative Dermatology, have shown that a component of tomatoes could protect your skin from UV damage such as sunburns, it’s the known antioxidant lycopene.  According to ststistics, approximatly 85% of lycopene in the western diet comes from tomatoes only, and the best place to find it is in tomato paste.
The BBC documentry ‘The Truth About Food’ conducted tests to establish whether eating tomato paste could help protect the skin from UV damage and UV-induced reddening. They took 23 women who were used to burning merely at the sight of the sun and asked half of them to eat 55g of tomato paste every day for 12 weeks (giving them 16mg of lycopene).

“an unbelievable 30% increase in skin protection”

After 12 weeks of rigorously following the tomato paste diet, the women were retested through a re-exposure test. The results showed that the volunteers on the lycopene diet had a 30% increase in skin protection.

This doesn’t mean that you should stop using sun block but it’s good to know that simply by increasing tomatoes in your diet you can help protect your skin from the daily sun damage which happens without us even realising.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7370759.stm / http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/young/tomatoes.shtml

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Oven-baked Thai chicken rice

thaichickenbakedrice

“A fuss-free family meal that will you’ll want to make again and again, with a lovely coconut taste”

  • 1 tbsp. Vegetable oil
  • 1 Onion, Chopped
  • 400 g Mini Chicken Fillets
  • 4 tbsp. Thai Green Curry Paste
  • 250 g Basmati and Wild Rice Mix
  • 2 Red Peppers, Deseeded and Cut into Wedges
  • Finely Grated Zest and Juice of 1 Lime
  • 400 g Coconut Milk Reduced Fat
  • 1 handful Coriander Leaves, To Serve

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a shallow ovenproof casserole dish, then soften the onion for 5 mins. Add the chicken and curry paste, then cook for 3 mins, stirring to coat.

Tip in the rice and peppers, then stir in the lime zest and juice, coconut milk and 250ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, then pop the lid on and bake for 20 mins until the rice is fluffy. Scatter with coriander before serving.

Source : Good Food : May 2007

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Cuisine : Asian : South East Asian : Thai

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep: 5 Minutes Cook: 30 Minutes

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 510 kcalories, protein 32g, carbohydrate 59g, fat 18 g, saturated fat 10g, fibre 2g, salt 1.02 g

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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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