Tonight was one of those nights where I couldn't really be arsed to cook but I had to feed the starving minions. A cupbord staple I always fall back on in these times of trouble is spaghetti. There are many ways to have spaghetti, and although I can't really call this a recipe I find that adding these ingredients together are the finest tea you could have after a long day. Sometimes simple IS best.
Spaghetti, green beans, bacon and pesto.
It's really all there in the title, but to make it easy for those of you who've NEVER cooked before then here goes.
Serves a hungry two!
6 Rashers of unsmoked bacon, cooked till slightly crisp and chopped
1 Packet of spaghetti (I prefer De Cecco)
I Jar/Tub of pesto. I used Marks and Spencers and it was Goooooooood.
1 Pack of fine green beans.
Fry the bacon till crispy, whilst that is cooking add the pack of pasta to a large pan of boiling water, cover and simmer for 8 mins. When the bacon is done to your liking remove and chop into bitesized pieces. When the spaghetti has had 8 mins add the green beans and bring back to the boil, simmering for a further 4 mins.
Drain the spaghetti and beans and stir through the pesto. Serve and sprinkle with the bacon pieces.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The pie's the limit
I have been being spoilt rotten recently. Paul has some rewards from work that you can use to get Marks and Spencers vouchers, which means that I have been treating myself to scran from there. The best part is that this weekend is the two dine for £10 for mothers day. I think I'll treat myself to that. The bestest part though is the pie i bought from there. I'm not sure how much it was but it was amazing. You get four servings out of it and it has a lot of tasty meat in it. Paul has been having little daydreams about it since and I must remember to pick another one up.
nothing much else has been happening on the food front except Toni made some lovely buttery shortbread (which I have totally scoffed) and I had a very strange choclate ginger cake at John Lewis' cafe. The shortbread was really nice, and to make it even more fattening I added some icing on top. Scrummy!
As for the chocolate cake, the addition of ground ginger just made it taste stale. Somethings just don't need jazzing up, and chocolate cake is definately one of those things!
nothing much else has been happening on the food front except Toni made some lovely buttery shortbread (which I have totally scoffed) and I had a very strange choclate ginger cake at John Lewis' cafe. The shortbread was really nice, and to make it even more fattening I added some icing on top. Scrummy!
As for the chocolate cake, the addition of ground ginger just made it taste stale. Somethings just don't need jazzing up, and chocolate cake is definately one of those things!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Disappointment in a jar.
Sunday night Idris came round so I made a curry for tea. The meat I used was from Morrisons and was a really cheap cut (can't remember which) of lamb with lots of fat on it. It was on the bone when I picked it at the counter but I asked the butcher to cut it into curry sized pieces and leave the bone in. He took the bone out! I think he thought he was doing me a favour. Anyways, I got a shit load of meat out of it, about enough for two meal for four people each time, for about £2.50 and it cooked up beautifully. I would definately have it again (if only I could remember the cut).
Alas, the meat was delicious but the sauce was a bit on the sharp side. I used a Pataks jar of Balti, and I think I may have put too much in, it turned out really tangy. I like my sauces really dry so it was a bit of a problem trying to fix this. In the end I just left it and apologised. I don't think the guys noticed, and Idris really enjoyed the fatty bits of lamb. Here is the recipe, please feel free to tinker with it and tell me what you did to get better results.
Lamb Balti
1 Onion, finely diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
Approx 400g of lamb
2 Carrots, diced
3 Med Potatoes, cut into eight
1 Sweet potato, diced
2 tbsp Pataks Balti paste (from a jar)
Coriander leaves roughly chopped, to finish
2 tbsp of oil for frying
First chop the veg and put the potatoes on to boil for 10 mins, after 4 mins add the carrots.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and colour, the more colour the tastier. Then add the garlic and the meat. Brown the meat all over. Add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minute. Drain the veg and add to the pan with the meat. Add two cups of water and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the veg is properly tender. When ready sprinkle over a large handful of coriander.
I serve this with jewelled betterbuy basmati rice. It's a fraction of the cost and really easy to make. I just put the rice in the pan, add some tumeric and raisins and cover with water that is twice the depth of the rice. I bring it to the boil and leave it on a fast simmer for 12 mins. If you like you could also add chopped pistachios too.
Alas, the meat was delicious but the sauce was a bit on the sharp side. I used a Pataks jar of Balti, and I think I may have put too much in, it turned out really tangy. I like my sauces really dry so it was a bit of a problem trying to fix this. In the end I just left it and apologised. I don't think the guys noticed, and Idris really enjoyed the fatty bits of lamb. Here is the recipe, please feel free to tinker with it and tell me what you did to get better results.
Lamb Balti
1 Onion, finely diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
Approx 400g of lamb
2 Carrots, diced
3 Med Potatoes, cut into eight
1 Sweet potato, diced
2 tbsp Pataks Balti paste (from a jar)
Coriander leaves roughly chopped, to finish
2 tbsp of oil for frying
First chop the veg and put the potatoes on to boil for 10 mins, after 4 mins add the carrots.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and colour, the more colour the tastier. Then add the garlic and the meat. Brown the meat all over. Add the curry paste and cook for a couple of minute. Drain the veg and add to the pan with the meat. Add two cups of water and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15-20 mins, or until the veg is properly tender. When ready sprinkle over a large handful of coriander.
I serve this with jewelled betterbuy basmati rice. It's a fraction of the cost and really easy to make. I just put the rice in the pan, add some tumeric and raisins and cover with water that is twice the depth of the rice. I bring it to the boil and leave it on a fast simmer for 12 mins. If you like you could also add chopped pistachios too.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Saturday night tea. An Italian job.
Tonight, I was going to make lasagne for tea but couldn't be arsed, so instead I just made spaghetti Bolognese. A simple but tasty addition to anyone's cooking list, although I must warn that I like my bolognese quite dry, if you like it a bit more sloppy then just add more toms till it's the right consistency. And the meat sauce is the basis for the lasagne, so I shall add that recipe at the end.
Bolognese
250g minced beef
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 beef stock jelly
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oil for frying.
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add these to a medium hot pan and let them cook until the onion starts to go opaque. Don't let burn.
Add the beef and stir it quite vigorously so that it all colours and breaks into what looks like a fine crumb, you may have to turn the heat up a little. Then add the beef stock jelly, cinnamon, mixed herbs and tomato puree and mix into a paste. When all are well combined add the chopped tomatoes. Cook all of this for approx 20 mins or until you're too hungry to wait any longer.
Here is the recipe for lasagne. You can make lasagne with anything you have handy in the cupboards and fridge but I prefer it like this. Also, you don't need to stick to any specific kind f cheese. Sometimes I find that using up the leftovers of the cheeses in the fridge will produce an interesting sauce. It is nice to finish off the top with a strong cheese like cheddar and a bit of parmesan, but don't worry, just use what you have to hand.
For Lasagne
Bolognese sauce
Pasta sheets
White sauce with cheese (bechamel)
Cheese for sprinkling.
For the white sauce
50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
100-175g cheese, grated
2.5ml made mustard
Black pepper
Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and beat until smooth.
Add the milk a little at a time and beat well.
Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and cook gently for 2-3 mins or until thickened, stirring all the time.
Take off the heat and add the cheese and mustard.
Now to assemble the lasagne
Grease a ovenproof dish and spread half the bolognese over the base (you could do a third if you wanted a higher pasta to sauce ratio). Top with enough pasta sheets to cover then add another layer of sauce and then end with pasta.
Cover the pasta with the white sauce and top with grated cheese and black pepper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've found that the bolognese sauce has many different uses, like the time I did a twist on the Shrove Tuesday pancakes and made cannelloni. I made 8 pancakes, filled them with the sauce, rolled them, added more tomato and topped with cheesy white sauce. They were delish. It's a pity really as I haven't had them again. Hmm, something for the future...
So here are some of the things I use this sauce for.
Bolognese
Lasagne
Chilli con Carne (just add kidney beans and serve with rice)
Burritos(I shall add a list of ingredients for this in a later blog)
Hash
Bolognese toasties
Bolognese
250g minced beef
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 beef stock jelly
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tsp oil for frying.
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add these to a medium hot pan and let them cook until the onion starts to go opaque. Don't let burn.
Add the beef and stir it quite vigorously so that it all colours and breaks into what looks like a fine crumb, you may have to turn the heat up a little. Then add the beef stock jelly, cinnamon, mixed herbs and tomato puree and mix into a paste. When all are well combined add the chopped tomatoes. Cook all of this for approx 20 mins or until you're too hungry to wait any longer.
Here is the recipe for lasagne. You can make lasagne with anything you have handy in the cupboards and fridge but I prefer it like this. Also, you don't need to stick to any specific kind f cheese. Sometimes I find that using up the leftovers of the cheeses in the fridge will produce an interesting sauce. It is nice to finish off the top with a strong cheese like cheddar and a bit of parmesan, but don't worry, just use what you have to hand.
For Lasagne
Bolognese sauce
Pasta sheets
White sauce with cheese (bechamel)
Cheese for sprinkling.
For the white sauce
50g butter
50g plain flour
600ml milk
100-175g cheese, grated
2.5ml made mustard
Black pepper
Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the flour and beat until smooth.
Add the milk a little at a time and beat well.
Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and cook gently for 2-3 mins or until thickened, stirring all the time.
Take off the heat and add the cheese and mustard.
Now to assemble the lasagne
Grease a ovenproof dish and spread half the bolognese over the base (you could do a third if you wanted a higher pasta to sauce ratio). Top with enough pasta sheets to cover then add another layer of sauce and then end with pasta.
Cover the pasta with the white sauce and top with grated cheese and black pepper.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've found that the bolognese sauce has many different uses, like the time I did a twist on the Shrove Tuesday pancakes and made cannelloni. I made 8 pancakes, filled them with the sauce, rolled them, added more tomato and topped with cheesy white sauce. They were delish. It's a pity really as I haven't had them again. Hmm, something for the future...
So here are some of the things I use this sauce for.
Bolognese
Lasagne
Chilli con Carne (just add kidney beans and serve with rice)
Burritos(I shall add a list of ingredients for this in a later blog)
Hash
Bolognese toasties
Hello to a new kitchen era! Not really.
This blog has arisen from the need for me to express my love of food and at the same time drop some recipes for my daughter. Sometimes it will be all about food and othertimes it will be just one big slobber fest. A lot of the time I try to cook totally from scratch, but more often than not I will add a bought jar of this or a tin of that. It's not cheating, it's just how a busy Mum goes about feeding her hungry family. If you want you can blog back with tips on making these foods from scratch. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that people have taken time to twiddle with the ingredients. This always makes sure that you have something to your liking.
I'm going to start by blogging exactly what I make to eat each night and then maybe adding wish list recipes.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Mwah!
I'm going to start by blogging exactly what I make to eat each night and then maybe adding wish list recipes.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Mwah!
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