southtier

…food, environment, shopping, reviews, life

Posts Tagged recipe

Hearty Pasta Soup

Nov 9

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

“Do something different with a pack of tortellini. This filling soup is full of fibre, low fat and full of veg. The perfect lunch or supper”

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 carrots , chopped
  • 1 large onion , finely chopped
  • 1l vegetable stock
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 200g frozen mixed peas and beans
  • 250g pack fresh filled tortellini (we used spinach and ricotta)
  • handful of basil leaves (optional)
  • grated parmesan , to serve

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the carrots and onion for 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the stock and tomatoes, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the peas and beans with 5 mins to go.
Once veg is tender, stir in the pasta. Return to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the pasta is just cooked. Stir in the basil, if using. Season, then serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan and slices of garlic bread.


Try: Make it a bake Ricotta & basil bake: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, season the tomatoes, stir in the basil, then spoon on top. In a bowl, combine the peas and beans, 250g tub ricotta and a handful grated Parmesan. Dot the mix over the pasta, scatter with more Parmesan, then bake for 20-25 mins until golden.

Alternatives: No basil – pesto will do Can’t get hold of fresh basil? If you’ve got a tub of pesto in the fridge, stir a spoonful into the soup just before you serve it.

Source : Good Food Magazine : March 2008

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 5 min, Cook 25 min, Ready in 30 min

Nutritional Notes : Per Serving : 286 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 44g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, sugar 11g, salt 0.88 g

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Asparagus Fettuccine

Sep 1

Posted by silli in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“This fettuccine is only on the menu the short while asparagus is in season. I think that makes eating it even more special”

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small Onion, Finely Chopped
  • 1 small Celery Stick, Diced
  • 1 medium Courgette, Finely Diced
  • 1 small Leek, White Part Only, Diced
  • 16 Asparagus Stalks, Tips Reserved, Stalks Thinly Sliced
  • 1 handful Basil Leaves
  • 300 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 400 g Fettuccine
  • 50 g Parmesan, Finely Grated
  • Pea shoots, To Serve
Add 4 tsp olive oil to a heavy-based pan over a low heat and sweat onion and celery until soft. Add courgette, leek and asparagus stalks and sweat for a further 2–3 minutes. Add most of the basil leaves and when they wilt, add the stock, then simmer until veg are tender. Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender or food processor, blend till creamy. In another frying pan over a low heat, add a little oil and cook garlic till soft, then add the asparagus sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
Boil a pan of salted water. Cook fettuccine, and 3 minutes before it’s done, add the asparagus tips. When fettuccine is al dente, drain, reserving a little cooking water, and add to the asparagus sauce. Loosen the pasta and sauce with cooking water, as needed. Stir in remaining basil, and serve with parmesan and pea shoots.

Source : Jamie Magazine : Issue 3

Servings/Yield : 4 Servings

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep 40 min, Cook 10 min

Tags: , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Spinach & ricotta gnocchi

Aug 14

Posted by admin in italian, vegetarian | 1 Comment

“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

Tags: , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Chunky sausage & tomato pasta

Jul 20

Posted by the editor in british, pasta, pork, the recipes | No Comments

“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

Tags: , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Sage and Leek Pasta

Apr 21

Posted by the editor in maltese, pasta, pork, the recipes | No Comments

“Sage and butter is one of the most loved combinations, this is a play on this combination with the fantastic flavour of leeks and pancetta”.

  • 140 g pancetta di fumatta
  • 25 g butter
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 large sage leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2 large leeks, white part roughly chopped
  • splash of red wine
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 150 g soya cream
  • 300 g pasta (We used Fussili)

Cook pasta to packet instructions.  In a deep frying pan, fry the pancetta in the butter and olive oil.  Once the pancetta is cooked well without getting crisp, add the sage and leeks and cook until soft.  Add a splash of red wine, season well with salt and pepper, once the wine has been integrated add the soya cream.

Source : Julian Borg Barthet

Servings/Yield : 2 servings

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Tags: , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Apr 20

Posted by the editor in desserts, the recipes | No Comments

“Put this in your oven and bake it”

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

  • 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp yeast (rapid rise)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • melted butter (for brushing top)

For swirl

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons cinnamon

In the bowl of a mixer, combine yeast and sugar.  In a saucepan, heat milk, butter and salt over low heat until butter melts 49-55°C  Slowly pour liquid into yeast and sugar. Stir and allow to rest for 30 seconds. Turn the mixer on low and add flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Midway through the addition of the flour, stop the mixer, scrape down bowl and incorporate an egg thoroughly.

Finish adding the flour and continue beating dough until soft and elastic, about 3-4 minutes in the mixer. For best results, the dough should be a little sticky. Handle dough with oiled hands to pull from the hook. Stretch and turn the dough in your hands. If kneading, turn and stretch dough on a floured board for 6-8 minutes.  Form dough in to a ball. Place ball into an oiled bowl. Cover, first with plastic wrap, then with a towel. Allow to raise until doubled in size (1-1.5hours).

Bread Raising Tip : Allow dough to rise in a comfortable, draft free location. With the oven turned OFF, place a steaming bowl of water on the bottom rack of the oven. Then, place the covered dough on the top rack of the oven. This creates the moist environment and comfortable temperature dough loves.

After dough has doubled in size, punch down, reform into a ball and allow to raise another 30 minutes, until doubled in size again. Punch down, knead and form dough into a rectangle.

When stretched and formed to the desired size, brush dough with water and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.  Roll up, tucking and stretching the dough into a spiral loaf. Tuck and pinch the ends.

Place into a lightly oiled loaf pan, seam side down. Cover and allow to raise another 30 minutes.  Loaf should puff and almost fill the pan. For a spilt-top look, use a butter knife and make an indentation into the top of the loaf. Do not slice into the dough.

Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and bake in a 180°C oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Note : Follow the link to the original recipe, averagebetty.com is a fantastic site with great recipes, and they’ve done a phenomenal job with a step by step photo explanation of how to make this recipe.

Source : AverageBetty.com

Servings/Yield : Makes one loaf

Rating : Hasn’t been tested yet

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Dessert

Tags: , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Farfalle Medie ai Funghi

Apr 16

Posted by the editor in italian, pasta, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“A rich mushroom sauce with ‘bow tie’ pasta. This is a great dish for people that love their mushrooms”

  • 25 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 900 g fresh mushrooms
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1 small sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 450 g farfalle ‘bow ties’ pasta
  • parmesan, freshley grated

Soak the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl of warm water for at least 20 minutes.  Before using, carefully drain the porcini and wash carefully, making sure that no sand clings to the mushrooms.  Cut off and remaining hard pieces.

Using a damp paper towel, carefully wipe and dirt off the fresh mushrooms.  Do not soak them in water!  Trim the fresh mushroom stems and slice lengthways into pieces approximately 5mm thick.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan.  Fry the porcini and fresh mushrooms together over high heat with the herbs and garlic until the mushrooms are tender.  Add salt and pepper at the end of cooking.

Cook the pasta to packet instructions.  Drain well and add to the mushroom sauce with a drizzle of olive oil, mix and serve immediately with parmesan available for garnishing.

Notes : This recipe used way too many mushrooms.  Next time I make this, I’m going to reduce by at least a quarter of the amount of porcini and fresh mushrooms.

Source : Pasta Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman Page 136

Servings/Yield : 4-6 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Sugar Cookies

Apr 11

Posted by the editor in cookies, the recipes | No Comments

“The classic American Sugar Cookie Recipe, perfect for cookie cutting”

  • 3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 177°C and place rack in centre of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm. (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Note : If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you may want to sprinkle the unbaked cookies with crystal or sparkling sugar.

Source : Adapted from joyofbaking.com

Servings/Yield : Makes about 36 – 4 inch (10 cm) cookies.

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Desserts

Tags: , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Aubergine, tomato & Parmesan bake

Apr 8

Posted by the editor in italian, the recipes, vegetarian | No Comments

“Every Italian cook has their own version of this classic aubergine dish ‘Melanzane alla Parmigiana’. It’s even better made a day ahead”

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 4 aubergines, cut into long, 5mm thick slices
  • 85g Parmesan, freshly grated
  • 20g pack basil, leaves torn
  • 1 egg, beaten

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. In a shallow pan, mix together the garlic and 4 tbsp of the olive oil. Cook over a high heat for 3 mins, tip in the tomatoes, then simmer for 8 mins, stirring every now and then. Stir in the tomato purée.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Brush a few of the aubergines with a little oil, then add to the pan. Cook over a high heat until well browned and cooked through, about 5-7 mins. Turn them halfway through cooking. Lift onto kitchen paper and do the next batch.

When all the aubergines are cooked, lay a few of them in the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then spoon over some sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil leaves. Add seasoning, then repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. Finally, pour the egg over the top, sprinkle over a little more Parmesan, then bake for 20 mins or until the topping is golden.

Tip : When griddling or frying aubergine slices, you’ll find that they will absorb any amount of oil instantly. Don’t be tempted to add more! As they cook, aubergines release their juices along with some of the absorbed oil.

Source : Good Food April 2009

Servings/Yield : 6 servings

Rating : 4 out of 5

Difficulty : Moderately Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 10 mins Cook : 50 mins

Nutritional notes : Per Serving: 225 kcalories, protein 10g, carbohydrate 8g, fat 17 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 5g, sugar 7g, salt 0.52 g

Tags: , , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post

Pasta with Spinach

Apr 2

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

“Garlicky spinach tossed with pasta in a ricotta sauce means a healthy meal in no time”

  • 170 g fresh baby spinach
  • 250 g penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, whole
  • ⅛ red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Steam or microwave the spinach. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta and leave in a bowl with spinach.

In pasta pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; stir 30 seconds or until fragrant. Carefully remove garlic and pour pasta and spinach. Stir in ricotta, salt and pepper.

If creamier texture is desired, stir in reserved pasta water.

Source : Julian Borg Barthet

Servings/Yield : 4 servings

Rating :

Difficulty : Easy

Course : Main

Preparation Times : Prep : 2 minutes Cooking Time : About 10 minutes Ready In : About 15 minutes

Tags: , , , , ,

Dog\'s dinnerNot my sort of thingGood but not for meWould try againLoved it! (2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...
Email This Post Email This Post