Artichoke, Pancetta and Lemon Pasta

I may sound like a broken record, but this recipe is not only delicious, it's healthy, too. It was a family pleaser last night (EXCEPT FOR MY FINICKY 13 YEAR OLD: I WON'T NAME ANY NAMES BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). The pasta is elegant enough to serve to adult friends, too.
Start the sauce when you put the pasta water on to boil-- it goes that quickly.


4 ounces pancetta, thin slices
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 fat cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Hefty glug of dry white wine
2 healthy squeezes of lemon (1/4 juicy lemon or 1/2 of a not-so-juicy one)
Zest of one lemon
1 can whole artichoke hearts, drained and sliced into quarters
1 and 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing
1 pound slowly dried pasta

1) Place a large, covered pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Set a non-stick skillet over medium heat and allow it to get hot, then cook the pancetta, as you would bacon, turning halfway through, until crisp (this takes mere minutes). Set aside on paper towels.

2) Pour off all of the rendered fat from the pan then add in butter or olive oil, add in the shallot and garlic. Turn the heat up to medium high and sauté until soft. *If the pasta water has come to a boil, put the dried pasta in now* Deglaze the pan with a glug of wine and lemon juice, simmer strongly for a minute or two, then add in the artichoke hearts and lemon zest. Bubble for a minute or two more, and add in the chicken stock and bring to a gentle bubble.

3) Drain the al dente pasta well, and chick into the pan with the sauce, or toss together in a large serving bowl. Crumble the crisp pancetta into the pasta, as well as the Parmesan. Toss.

Serves 6. Serve with liberal amounts of freshly crack black pepper and more Parmesan

Crustless Quiche with Roast Tomatoes, Leeks and Gruyere

Crustless, so it is healthier. Roast vegetables, so that it is vegetarian. Gruyere so that it is goooooood.

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small leeks, trimmed and sliced into rounds up to dark green part
5 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
sea salt
1 cup thinly sliced collard leaves, spinach, Swiss chard or kale
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 cup homemade breadcrumbs, or crushed garlic croutons
4 large eggs + 1 egg white
1 cup lite sour cream
1/2 cup milk (whatever you drink, skim, 2%, whole)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded Gruyere, or any sharp cheese you like

1) Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the halved tomatoes into a large bowl. Separate the leek rounds into individual pieces with your hands and add them in with the tomatoes, add in the garlic, too. Drizzle bout 1-2 tablespoons evoo over the mess and toss with your hands. Sprinkl with sea salt and place into the oven. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and edges of the leeks are beginning to caramelize, between 20-40 minutes depending on your oven. When they are done, remove from the oven to cool slightly, then place all of it into a strainer above a bowl-- catching the juices that run out (save 1 tablespoon of the tomato jus-- drink the rest as a delicious soup!) This will also dry out the vegetables a bit, which is good. Allow the veggies to sit in the strainer until completely cool. While that's going on, sauté the greens over high heat in a bit of evoo until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

2) Turn down, or preheat the oven to 325F. Butter a 9", deep-dish pie pan with 1 softened butter, then pour the breadcrumbs in and roll the pie dish around in your hands until all the butter os coated with the crumbs.







4) Whisk the sour cream, eggs, egg white, milk, 1 tablespoon tomato jus and Dijon mustard together. Lay the greens on the bottom of the pan, then scatter 1/2 of the cheese and pour the egg/sour-cream/milk mixture over top. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and place the roast tomatoes and leeks on top (it will still be soft) and scatter the rest of the cheese over the tomatoes. Place back in the oven and continue to bake for 20 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Serve warm, room temp or chilled. Makes 8 slices.

Fun Mexican Tortilla Soup

  The 'fun' lies in that I served this with tostadas rather than tortilla strips. Wahoo! I get my kicks in the most simplistic of ways. But my kids had fun dipping and crunching the tostada into the soup. They did not, however care for chopped avocado-- that was optional (but delicious to the adult palate).



8 cups chicken broth
1, 14 oz can chopped tomatoes, with juice
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 poblano chili pepper, charred or roasted to remove skin, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
a very small pinch cinnamon
Salt to taste
1, 15 oz can pinto beans
5 green onions, sliced thin
Handful of chopped cilantro

1 avocado, cubed with lime squeezed over top
Shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese
8 tostadas

  1) Char or roast the pepper, stick into a Tupperware, cover tightly and allow to steam the skin from the pepper. Remove the skin and chop.

2) Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes into a large soup pot and slip the chicken breasts in. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.

3) Add the chopped pepper, cumin, oregano and cinnamon to the soup and simmer. Taste and season with salt. Chop the chicken into small dice. Just before serving, add the beans, green onions and cilantro, bring to a simmer and serve. Top with cheese and avocado and a tostada.

Serves 6

Vegan Chili (and you would never know it)

Snowed in for the past few days, I was making due with what I could find stashed away in the cupboards and freezer. Chili seems appropriate, but I had no ground meat. I riffled through the freezer and, way at the bottom beneath a half used bag of petite pois, I found Morning Star Farms Ground Vegetarian Beef. 


I have used this in Shepard's Pie before and had great success with it. Luckily, it worked in this recipe, too-- after a day of sledding, the kids licked their bowls clean.


1tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
2 fat cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 pound vegan ground (minced) beef
1 bottle amber beer (I used Saranac, Sam Adams would be good, or Bass Ale in the UK)
1/2 square (1/2 ounce/15 grams) unsweetened chocolate
28 ounce/795 grams tin crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups/450 ml water
2 beef or vegetable bullion cubes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
dash of oregano
dash of thyme
14 ounce/400 grams tin red kidney beans, lightly drained
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Sea salt to taste

1) Heat the oil in a large pot, add in the onion and garlic, cook until soft then add in the vegan beef and cook for just a moment. Now add in the beer and bring to a simmer then add in the unsweetened chocolate and allow to melt. Stir, then add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water and bouillon cubes, and all the spices, just not the beans, red pepper flakes, or salt. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat so that it just occasionally bubbles. Cook uncovered for at least 30 minutes, but up to several hours (just watch the liquid level and add more water of needed). 30 minutes before serving, pour in the beans, continue to cook then season with red pepper flakes and sea salt, if needed.

I served with Fritos, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and plain yogurt (rather than sour cream)-- although this changed it from vegan to lacto-ovo, it was still pretty tasty.


Makes 6 bowls.

Cheese Pennies, aka: 'the crackers I can no longer bake'

I have friends who love to bake but rarely bake the sweets the adore, because they will eat them. All. And I never really understood this. Not having much of a sweet tooth, I couldn't figure out why just one bite of a rich, fudgey brownie or a sliver-thin slice of Keylime pie wouldn't be enough to satiate them. It would be for me.
I began to realize the ignorance of that train-wreck of thought yesterday after I baked up a batch of Cheese Pennies. Pulled warm from the oven, these little devils are crisp on the edges, flakey on the top and soft in the middle. Bursting at the seems with tangy cheese flavor, these guys are tiny but mighty. 
One batch makes about 7 dozen pennies. As the moon rose high in the sky over my house last night, I was closing in on finishing my 5th dozen. 
I now have a deeper understanding of exactly why my friends who love to bake and love to eat sweets, have certain desserts that are off limits. I've found my match in a cheese penny.

I've got two recipes here: The first is for the classic cheddar cheese penny, the second is for a more unusual type of penny. I call it the Gruyere cheese penny (Gruyere being the mac daddy of all Swiss cheeses). I used aged Gruyere (pricy, but worth it) and a secret ingredient, onion soup mix. Okay, I admit this is not a cracker for food snobs, but it is a delicious cracker. It's got hint of French onion soup. Friends who tried both cheese pennies unanimously liked the Gruyere best.


Easy to make up a batch, stash the raw dough-logs in the freezer, retrieving them when friends of family come around. They bake in a jiffy (and yes, I do realize how dated the term, 'jiffy' is. It just seemed to fit.)


Cheddar Cheese Pennies
8 oz (225 grams) very sharp cheddar cheese, cut into chunks
1 cup (125 grams) flour
1 stick/half cup (113 grams) cold butter, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for very slight heat, 1/4 teaspoon for serious spice)

1) Place the cheese into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it is grated up, probably 4-6 pulses. Do not over-work the cheese. Add in everything else and pulse until it pulls into large crumbles-- this happens quickly.

2) Turn the dough crumbles out onto a clean work surface and smash into 2 balls, then roll, with your hands into a rough log shapes. Place it in some wax paper (grease-proof paper, for my friends in the UK) and roll neatly into logs about 2" (4 cm) in diameter. If baking soon, place the logs into the freezer for 30 minutes. If baking within 24 hours, stash in the refrigerator. If baking in the next 3 months, stack in the fridge, but stick the logs into a freezer bag first, to avoid freezer burn. Allow frozen logs to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

3) To bake: pre heat the oven to 400F (200C). Slice the logs into 1cm, slices and lay on a non-greased baking tray. they can be close together, as they will not spread much. Bake for 12 minutes, until they are just crisp on the edges, but still soft in the middle. Cool and eat. All of them. At once. If you manage to have any left over, make sure to keep them in an airtight container.

Gruyere Cheese Pennies (or, French Onion Soup Pennies)
Make these in the exact same way as above, omitting the salt and cayenne, and adding in 1/2 packet of dry onion soup mix (hey Brits! You can use 1/2 a beef bouillon cube, crumbled and 1 dessert spoon of dried onions), also depending on how dry the Gruyere is, you may need to add a tablespoon (dessert spoon) of water to bring the dough together. Carry on with the recipes as above.


Makes 7 dozen

Baked Cheese Grits with Okra

I'm trying to like okra. I really am. I do like the flavor, I just can't get past the...slime. By roasting the cut okra on top of the grits most of the slime dries up. This is great, southern comfort food.

2 cups (420 ml) chicken stock
1 cup (210 ml) 1/2 and 1/2 (light cream) or milk
1 cup stone ground grits
6 oz (170 grams) grated cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup okra, sliced


1) Pre-heat the oven to 375F (190C) degrees. Bring the stock and cream or milk to a simmer, then lower the heat, add in the grits and stir. Slowly bring the grits to a simmer, stirring all the time. Cook for just 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir to cool the grits.

2) Grease a casserole dish. When the grits are only warm, not hot and not cold (but juuuuuuust right), stir in 1/2 of the cheese until it melts. Now add in the beaten eggs, stir well, then pour into the casserole dish. Scatter the rest of the cheese over top and toss the sliced okra over the cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, then turn the heat up to 400F (205C) and continue to bake for 20 minutes more, until the cheese is golden and the grits are set. Serve hot.

Serves 6-8 

Fabulous No-Cook Pizza Sauce

This is so straight forward, simple and ultimately, delicious. You can whip it up in literally seconds-- and it is infinitely better than jarred pizza sauce.

2, 400 grams (14 oz) cans tomatoes (stewed, whole, chopped, cherry-- doesn't matter)
1 tablespoon (dessert spoon) tomato paste (puree in the UK)
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dry oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Whiz al the ingredients up with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor...

Then spread onto pizza dough (no need to cook and cool first). Top with cheese, etc and bake in a scorching hot oven.

Makes 3-4 cups sauce

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Burgers

I have a new favourite burger. This will be, hands down, the most awesomest Memorial Day burger in your neighborhood.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Burger..? You had me at 'stuffed'


350 grams (12 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, roughly chopped
350 grams (12 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, roughly chopped
3 large green onions (spring onions), white and light green part only, roughly chopped
1 fat clove garlic, roughly chopped

Optional olive salad garnish (you could also simply use lettuce)
1 cup cabbage, sliced very thin
handful of green olive, chopped
1 small dill pickle, chopped

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Salt
Bottled Buffalo sauce (whichever brand you prefer)
4 large tablespoons (dessert spoons) blue cheese (whichever kind you like to eat-- I used a divine Oxfordshire blue)

Prepared Ranch dressing (I used homemade, but use whatever you like to eat)

1) Place the onions and garlic into the bowl of a food processor and chop until finely minced. Now add in the chicken and pulse until well chopped, but not paste-like. Place into a bowl, cover and stash in the fridge for at least 1 hour to chill and firm up.

2) Make the olive sauce, but simmering the cabbage for just a minute, then draining and mixing with the chopped olives and pickle. Set aside.

3) When you are ready to eat: Fire up the grill of preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Wet your hands with cool water and gather 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Shape it into a sort of nest and place 1 tablespoon of blue cheese into the center, then cover with 1/8 more chicken and shape into a patty. Repeat with the remaining chicken. You will have 4 burgers. They can be placed back into the fridge for up to a day (in which case, turn the oven off), or cook immediately. Drizzle a scant amount of veg oil over both sides of the burgers and a light sprinkle of salt then grill evenly on each side, basting with Buffalo sauce or bake for 15 minutes, douse both sides with Buffalo sauce and flip the burgers. Continue to bake for 15 more minutes.

This recipe is easy to double or triple. Serve on a soft bakery bun with olive sauce (or lettuce) and Ranch dressing. Be prepared for a gush of melted blue cheese when you reach the center of the burger...Mmmmmm

Gumbo

Gumbo is one of the hardest recipes to get down on paper. It seems as if there are no two gumbo recipes alike, and everyone has an opinion on what makes a good gumbo and, if you are talking to someone form the deep south, they use their great-great granny's secret Creole recipe. Gumbo can be intimidating to make, until you realize that the most important aspect of making a really good gumbo is to cook with your heart, not your head. That sounds trite, but in no dish is it more important to follow your heart, than in making a rich pot of gumbo. 

Put into the gumbo what you like—shrimp, crab, fish, chicken, sausage, duck. Use roux if you like (I do), but skip it if you want to and thicken the gumbo with okra or filé powder (one or the other, never both). I think good stock is important, but many recipes call for water instead.

Below is my recipe for gumbo—feel free to change it around and make it your own. If you've got a favourite gumbo recipe, I'd love to see it-- post it in the comment box!

4 ounces (about ½ cup) vegetable oil

4 ounces (about ½ cup) flour

8-10 cups good chicken, fish, or shellfish stock

2 tins chopped tomatoes (including juice)

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

8 ounces smoked sausage (Andouille is the best, of you can find it), sliced

1 and ½ cups fresh okra slices (or frozen)

1 large onion, chopped

2 green peppers, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

Seasoning: Cajun or Creole mix, or black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, bay leaves, mustard powder, paprika

1 pound raw shrimp, shelled

1) Combine the stock and tomatoes into a large stock pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add in the chicken. While that is going on, make the roux: Whisk the oil and flour together over medium to medium-low heat. You must be vigilant—watching, and stirring your roux constantly until it is the color that you like—I prefer a light roux and this takes close to 45 minutes-- the darker you like it the longer it will take-- and don;t take your eyes off that roux! Once it is the color that you like, dump in the chopped veg (the holy trinity-- green bell peppers, onion and celery), to stop the cooking process and soften the vegetables. Stir the vegetables around for a bit, off the heat (if the roux is threatening to burn), then add this mess into the pot of stock/tomatoes/chicken and bring to a simmer, stirring. This will flavour and thicken the gumbo.

2) Cook the sausage in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray (or a bit of oil) until just browned up a bit, set aside. In the same pan, dry cook the okra until not stringy (this will get the slimy goo out of the okra), set aside. You can skip this step, just make sure to cook the okra in the gumbo for at least 60-90 minutes to render it goo-less.

3) Whew! Now add the sausages and okra into the gumbo, stir and add in seasoning to your liking and any salt you may want. Last, add in the shrimp and simmer, gently until they are just pink and cooked—anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. This is the last step and should not be done until everything else in the pot is cooked to your liking and you are ready to serve up the gumbo-- cooking the shrimp for too long will make them tough.

Gumbo is best made a day ahead, ‘cured’ in the refrigerator overnight, and reheated the next day (or day after that). Serve with white rice, chopped green (spring) onions and hot sauce. Serves 8

Beef and Mushroom Pie

It's May. It's sunny. It looks as if it would be warm outside. It's not. It's a cold, windy English day. Eh, at least we will eat well.

2 pounds lean, stewing (casserole) beef
500 grams (2 cups) beef stock
1/2 bottle dry, red wine
1 bay leaf
Fat pinch of dry thyme
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
1 tablespoon tomato paste (puree in the UK)

1 leek, (white and tender green part only), chopped
150 grams (4 ounces) button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 large potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon Marmite (if you've got it)

1/2 cup (250 mls) cold water
2 tablespoons plain flour

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 sheet puff pastry

1) Load the beef, beef stock, wine, bay leaf, thyme, onion, garlic and tomato paste (puree) into a large, heavy pot, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently simmering, covered for 1 hour. After an hour, remove everything but the beef chunks from the broth (discard) and add in the leek, mushrooms, potato cubes and marmite into the stock with the beef. Bring back to a simmer and cook gently, covered for 30 minutes more.

2) Place a colander over a pot and drain the beef and vegetables into the colander catching all of the stock in the pot below. Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Shake the water and flour together in a jar and pour into the beef stock. Whisk until it comes to a strong simmer, then allow it to bubble away for a few minutes. Taste, add in salt and/or pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in the beef and vegetables and the frozen peas (still frozen-- this will help cool down the stew). Stir and allow to cool almost to room temperature before placing into the refrigerator to cool off completely. This is important! If you try and place the puff pastry over hot stew it will melt  
: {o}  sacre bleu!

3) Pre-heat the oven to 185C (375F). Pour the cooled stew into a large casserole dish and cover the top with the puff pastry sheet. Slice a pretty vent in the top and fix the extra bits of dough all around for decoration. You can brush with a beaten egg to make it shiny if you like. Bake until golden.

Can be made several hours ahead, stashed in the refrigerator and baked just before serving. 
Serves 6

Cuban Muffaletta

Combining two of my favourite sandwiches, and bastardising both, this takes the best of each resulting in a truly memorable sandwich.







4 par-baked ciabattas (individual size)
1 pound left-over roast pork
1/2 pound smoked ham or Canadian bacon
Cheese of your choice (optional)
Olive salad (recipe below)

Olive Salad
2/3 cup chopped green olives
1 teaspoon jarred, chopped red peppers (hot) or dried red peppers to taste
2 tablespoons, chopped dill pickles
1 rib celery, chopped
1 cup cabbage, red or green, sliced thin then roughly chopped
1 heaping tablespoon finely minced onion of your choice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Mix everything together. May be made up to two days in advance and stashed in the refrigerator.

Assembly
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F). Slice the ciabattas in half and layer 1/4 of the roast pork into each, followed by 1/4 of the ham, then cheese (if using) and finished with the olive salad. Put the top on each ciabatta and wrap each one individually in foil. Place the sandwiches on a baking tray, place a slight smaller baking tray on top of the sandwiches and weigh it down (use a brick, a cast iron pan-- anything heavy and oven-proof). Bake for about 20 minutes until the sandwiches are crunchy on the outside, gooey in the middle. Unwrap immediately and serve.

Grammy’s Chicken and Noodles

Is there any dish more universally comforting than a steaming bowl of chicken and noodles? Long ago (and still in some areas of the world) it was a celebratory dinner made when the tough, old hen stopped laying eggs (poor dear) and, after a long, gentle bath in aromatic water was transformed into the most beloved, savoury supper. In Asia, the addition of a knob of fresh ginger or a stalk of lemon grass may be added, and in Slavic countries it would be more likely served with dumplings rather than noodles. In any case, at it’s heart, a slowly simmered chicken strikes the same ring of nostalgia in our stomachs—Home.

I love my mom’s chicken and noodles. She uses the same simple recipe that her mother used (and her mother’s mother before her). Very few ingredients and several hours of hands-off cooking, yields the most sublime finished dish. It is a classic.

1 Chicken

Chicken stock or bouillon cubes and water

1 yellow onion, cut in half, skin left on

8 ounces (220 grams) fine egg noodles (or noodle of your choice)

1 tablespoon, freshly chopped tarragon

1) Place the chicken into a deep soup pot and cover with chicken stock or water with equivalent chicken bouillon cubes, and the halved onion (leaving the skin on the onion will produce a more golden stock). Cover and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook ever-so gently for about two hours—but cook longer if you like, topping up with more water or stock as needed. This can all be done in the crockpot, on high setting, starting with boiling stock, and cooking all day (your house will small divine!).

2) Carefully pull the chicken (which will probably have fallen apart by now) out of the soup pot. Make sure to get all the onion, bits and bones left behind. Allow the stock to cool, then skim off the fat from the top. Pull the meat from the bones, shredding by hand as you go—discard the skin, bones and onion.  This can all be done ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a day.

3) Bring the skimmed stock to the boil and add in noodles. Bring back just to a simmer and cook according to package directions until al dente. Add the chicken meat back in to the soup along with the tarragon and season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Serves 8

Meatball Pasta Bake

This is a good one to make up in the morning, stash in the fridge, then bake an hour before dinnertime. All of my children (except the very serious, very hormonal, vegetarian) loved this. 
The egg and yogurt mixed into the sauce keeps the bake creamy (and healthy.) The meatballs are placed in raw, which is atypical, but they roast up beautifully during cooking time-- the juices they release during baking add to the overall flavour of the dish.
Don't be put off by the list of ingredients-- you will have most already in the cupboard.

1 pound dry pasta (big and round, like rigatoni)
1/2 pound minced, lean beef (lean ground beef)
1/2 pound flavourful sausage (whichever type you like to eat-- in the States: Italian sausage would be good)
1 cup beef stock (stock cube in boiling water is fine)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (in the UK: tomato puree)
1 tin (400 grams/14 ounces) chopped tomatoes
1 cup (400 grams) tomato passata (in the States: tomato puree)
1 small container plain, fat-free yogurt (150 grams/5 ounces)
1 large egg
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 -1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons dry oregano or Italian herb mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
Several turns of the black pepper mill
8 oz/420 grams cheese (cubed taleggio is nice, but strong-- shredded mozzarella or cheddar are good, too)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (additional)

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions, but drain it 2 minutes BEFORE it is done.
2) While the pasta is cooking, mix the mince and sausage together and roll into small balls.
3) Mix the next 11 ingredients together (from the beef stock down to the pepper). Toss the drained pasta with the 'sauce' and scatter in the taleggio, mozzarella or cheddar. Oil or spray with non-stick spray a large baking or casserole dish (9" by 13" is just large enough) and tumble the dressed pasta in.
4) Snuggle in the meatballs, within and on top of the pasta, sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top, cover and bake or stash in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Bake, covered in a preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour-- removing the foil or lid for the last 15 minutes to brown. Serve 8

Market Day Potato and Leek Soup

This soup is a generous soup; it can be as simple or elaborate as you like, and is almost impossible to screw up. Make it with salted water rather than chicken stock and it is vegan. Follow the recipe below, finishing with diced, smoked ham and shredded mature cheddar cheese and it is a stand-alone meal.

3 pounds potatoes (any type, the fresher the better), peeled and cut into chunks
1 and 1/2 pounds fresh leeks, (trimmed of very dark green bit and mustachey looking end), washed and cut into thick rounds
Chicken or vegetable stock or salted water

Finishing options: Cream, diced, smoked ham, grated mature cheddar cheese, crunchy croutons


Drop the potatoes and leeks into a deep soup pot and cover with stock or salted water to come 3 inches about the veg. Simmer until soft, about 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender, or transfer to a food processor and process. Alternatively, go way old school and mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup.

Finish with a drizzle of cream (or milk, if you'd rather) and a scattering of ham, cheese and/or croutons. Let the kids add in the bits that they like, as if they are making the soup 'theirs'

Hard to say how many this serves, a lot depends on the pot you use. In my pot it made enough for 8 servings.

Beef Daube (French Beef Stew)

Called a Daube in reference to the pot this stew is traditionally made in, a daubiere, this is a lush, rich beef stew that is fabulous served with broad egg noodles, or crusty bread rolls. It is easy to make, just allow the time required to slowly simmer (3 hours) This is a great weekend dish (reheating the left-overs for lunch later in the week).

Click here to watch JennyB demonstrate how to make this recipe!

5 pounds (2 kg), lean stewing beef, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil, more if the pan gets dry
4 leeks, washed, trimmed and chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 head garlic (about 10 cloves)
1 bottle dry white wine
2 cups beef stock (tinned, homemade or bouillon- if you must)
1 tin chopped tomatoes, juice and all
1 big squirt tomato paste (puree)
1 bouquet garni (bunch of fresh herbs- parsley, thyme, bay leaf- tied together in a bouquet)
One 12 to 18 inch long piece of orange zest, or 2 tablespoons chopped zest
Chopped olives of your choice to garnish

1) Brown the meat, in batches, in a big pan. Make sure the pan is hot, set over medium-high heat, before you begin to brown in the olive oil. Do NOT crowd the pan!!! Remove browned (not cooked) meat to a plate to collect the juices.

2) After you have browned all the meat, tip the chopped onion, celery and garlic into the pot and saute for a minute or two. Pour in the bottle of wine (glug-glug), the chopped tomatoes, and the beef stock. Bring just to a simmer, then add in the carrots.

3) Pre-heat the oven to 300F (150C) and assemble the stew: In a large oven-proof pot (with a lid--preferably a clay pot), place the browned beef chunks and all their juices. Pour in the wine/beef stock/vegetable mixture, squirt in the tomato paste (puree) and snuggle in the bouquet garni, then the zest. Stir, cover tightly, then place into the oven and braise slowly for 2 hours.

4) After 2 hours, ladle out 1 cup of stew stock, stick in the fridge to cool completely to room temp, then shake in a jar with 1/4 cup flour. Pour this back into the pot and continue to braise for 1 hour more.

Garnish with chopped olives, of your choice, fat egg noodles and crusty bread. Serves 8-10

BOT, Bacon Onion Tomato Omelet

I love all eggs dishes. I think eggs are sort of perfect; they're a versatile, healthy, sustainable food. Americans don't take eggs seriously enough. Maybe it's because meat is so expensive here, but Europeans eat eggs, in one way or an other, for lunch or dinner regularly. 
Sunday noon I was hankering for a more satisfying lunch than a cold sandwich. I opened the fridge to find not much more than a few eggs, and a couple cooked pieces of bacon left over from the kids' breakfast. I found one small tomato sitting on the windowsill and some green onions shriveling in the fruit bowl (don't ask). I had the makings of a fabulous, healthy lunch and it would take me just minutes to prepare.


Check out the video to see me make it, or read the recipe below.

Click here to watch JennyB demonstrate how to make this recipe!

1 whole eggs, free range, if possible

3 egg whites, ditto

3 small green onions, sliced very thin just to the tender green part

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 small tomato, sliced very thin

2 pieces bacon, cooked

salt and pepper

1) Whisk the whole egg up with the egg whites. Add in the green onion and whisk again briefly. Get everything else ready to cook. Place a non-stock saute pan over medium heat and get it hot. Get ready, because this all happens fast- you are seconds away from eating your omelet.

2) Place the butter into the pan and allow to melt, but not brown. Now, pour the egg/onion into the hot, buttered pan and swirl it around so that the eggs creates a nice, even circle. The egg should begin to cook and set immediately.

3) With a soft spatula, pull the eggs from the sides of the pan into the middle and tilt the pan so that the uncooked eggs in the middle can dribble out to the sides. Make sure to keep the bottom of the pan covered with eggs, so that your omelet doesn't have any holes. When the omelet is still just a wee but liquidy, flip the whole thing over (if you are unsure about any of this-- watch the video). Immediately, on just one half of the omelet, layer in the tomato, a sprinkling of salt, and then the bacon. Using a spatula, fold the omelet over onto itself so it is the shape of a half moon. Eat at once and smile.

Serves 1

The Bestest, Beefiest Meatloaf

Like Whitney Houston sings in the movie The Bodyguard, "I will always love you". In my case I am referring to meatloaf rather than Kevin Costner, but the sentiment remains the same. And by 'meatloaf' I mean the food, not the bloated singer. 
I really do love meatloaf. 
I'm sure it's a cultural thing; Growing up, our family of seven ate a lot of loaves. Ham loaf was a favourite. When my mother became vegan and created 'nut loaf' in the '70s... well, she only prepared that once. 
But even if meatloaf is not your thing, this one may convert you. The trick is in two secret ingredients; one very old school and one more gourmet. Dry onion soup mix is a classic way to punch up the beefy flavour of meatloaf, but a few teaspoons of pulverized dry Porcini mushrooms is an additional way to amp up flavour (without being at all pronounced). If you can not find onion soup mix (as most will not be able to in Europe), substitute 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules, and if you have them on hand, a couple of tablespoons of dried onions.

1 pound mince (ground beef)- lean or regular, whichever you prefer
2 eggs
1/2 cup good quality bread or cracker crumbs (crushed Ritz crackers are lush)
1 big squeeze of tomato ketchup or tomato paste (puree in the UK)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 packet dry onion soup mix
2 teaspoons dried Porcini mushrooms (whiz up a few dry mushrooms in a clean coffee grinder or food processor until it is powdered)

1) Chuck everything in a resealable bag and squish all around to combine completely. Set in the refrigerator for 1-6 hours (if you have the time, otherwise, cook straight away).

2) Pre-heat the oven to 350F (175C). Push the meat mix into a loaf pan and bake until the loaf has pulled away from the sides of the pan and is firm to the touch (very roughly, 45 minutes to an hour). Allow the meatloaf to stand out of the oven for 10-15 minutes, then slices into thick slabs and serve hot with mashed potatoes and green beans. Make fabulous 1970's meatloaf sandwiches with the left-overs. Serioulsy- so good cold.

Serves 6

Caramelized Onion and Potato Soup

Snowed in for the past 4 days, this soup was developed out of necessity. I wanted to make a leek and potato soup, but found all we had was yellow onions and a few potatoes. I had simmered up the bones of a roast chicken the other day and so had the makings of a simple, tasty and cheap soup. Caramelizing the onions is not at all difficult, but it does take time and an old-fashioned pot (read: not non-stck). Be patient, it is worth the effort.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 small yellow onions (or 2 medium), peeled and sliced thin
2 tablespoons dry sherry
3 quarts good quality chicken broth (homemade is best, but whatever you've got hanging around)
2 large potatoes (whichever you got), peeled and cubed
Cream -optional

1) Pour the oil into a large soup pot and set over medium-low heat. Add in the onions and stir to coat with the oil.

Cook ever so gently, stirring every few minutes...

 until the onions are golden and caramelized- this will take about 20 to 30 minutes. You want a golden fond to develop on the bottom of the pan, but do not want to burn the onions- don't be tempted to raise the heat, this is a slow process. If the pot get's too dry and the onions stick too much, spoon in a bit of water, just don't do this too often or the onions will braise rather than color and caramelize.

2) When the onions are ultra soft and caramel in color, add in the sherry and scrape up all the fond (golden/brown bits on the bottom of the pot). Next, add in the stock and then the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are very soft (about 15 minutes) then remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender or in a standard blender or food processor. Finish with cream if you like, taste for seasoning, add salt if you wish and serve hot (a scattering or Gruyere croutons would be fabulous).

Makes about 3 and 1/2 quarts. Great made a day ahead and reheated as needed.

Chicken Curry with Lime Pickle

Are you absolutely craving exotic flavours about now? Man, I am. Anything other than bread, thyme, sausage, potato and turkey. The spicier, the tangier, the better. 
My husband and I went out to an Indian place last week and liked it so much we went back two nights later with our friend, Erin. 
We are completely in the dark when it comes to all foods Indian. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter; there are so many complexities and facets to that country's fabulous cuisine. 
The highlight of our two visits to the restaurant was a dish that used lime pickle. In our ignorance we had never heard of it, but learned that it is a common condiment on Indian tables. The taste is utterly unusual: First it is sour, then salty, finishing off with a distinct lime bitterness. Lovely.
Lime Pickle is found jarred in every major grocery store here in England, quite possibly in America, too. If not, any Indian grocery store would certainly stock it. If you are inspired, there are hundreds of Lime Pickle recipes on the internet.
It is the lime pickle that makes this simple curry sing.


Marinade
2 hefty soup spoons plain yogurt
3 hefty soup spoons lime pickle
Juice of 1 lime

2 pounds chicken breast chunks

Curry
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
2 teaspoons Garam Masala (or more is desired)
1 teaspoon curry powder (hot or sweet)
1 tin plain, crushed or chopped tomatoes, with juice
Crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

1) Mix the yogurt, lime pickle and lime juice together in a bowl and toss in chicken chunks. Stir to coat all the chicken with the marinade, cover and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but up to 2 hours.

2) Make the curry sauce (can be done a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator): Saute the garlic and ginger in vegetable oil until soft. Add in the Garam Masala and curry powders- saute a few moments more. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat and allow to gently simmer for 10 minutes- crushing the tomatoes with the back of a fork. Hold off on adding any salt or red pepper flakes until after you have added and cooked the marinating chicken.

3) When ready to eat: Steam some basmati rice. While that is cooking, grab a wok and pour in a bit of vegetable oil. Add in the marinating chicken and all of the marinade. Saute at a high temperature for 3-5 minutes, keeping the chicken in constant motion. Now, add in the tomato curry sauce. Stir well, cover and reduce heat. Simmer gently for roughly 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Taste to see if you like the heat and/or salt-- if not, add more of either now.

Serve with hot, steamed Basmati rice, naan bread and 'Almost Palak Paneer'. Serves 4

Mexican Black Bean Stew

After the last of the holiday dishes were cleared from the table, I sat in our living room, strewn with excess toy packaging, a cup of peppermint tea warming my hands, and I began thinking about what I would cook the next evening for dinner. Feeling bloated and stuffed, like the turkey we had just devoured, my mind turned to the sunny, warm flavours of Mexican cuisine. Cilantro (coriander here in Europe), spicy peppers, tomatoes and... the main ingredient eluded me for a moment. I knew that I didn't want more meat, having roasted and eaten most every farm animal and sea creature over the previous two weeks.
A creamy stew of slowly simmered black beans crept into my gastro-imagination. Lovely and satisfying, this recipe also benefits from being vegan if vegetable broth is used. Otherwise, beef stock is perfectly hearty in this. I served the stew for dinner with a scattering of queso fresco (which was nice but not necessary), steamed rice (brown or white) and sauteed Cavolo Nero and garlic.
The stew was even better the next day for lunch. 


8 ounces dried black beans (or 3 cans black beans, in which case, skip step 1)
1 red bell pepper
2 jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
Low sodium beef or vegetable broth to cover beans by 2 inches
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Leaves stripped off 2 sprigs epazote (found dried in latin grocery stores)
Handful of fresh, chopped cilantro (coriander)

1) Soak the black beans over night or for at least 3 hours. Drain, rinse and cover by three inches with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hour(s). Drain, cover with stock, bring back to a simmer and allow to cook until tender (refilling with stock or water if needed to keep quite moist).

-Alternatively, use canned black beans-

2) While the beans are simmering away, toss the bell pepper and jalapenos together with a drizzle of olive or veg oil and roast at 375F (180C) until just soft and a bit charred. Allow to cool, remove the  skins and seeds and chop.

3) Once the beans are tender, but not splitting open, add in the roasted peppers, tomato paste, onion, garlic and herbs (except the cilantro). Taste for seasoning, add salt if desired. Simmer, covered or not depending on how soupy or dry you would like the stew, for 20-30 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the flavours melded. Stir in the fresh cilantro and serve.

Makes main course for 4, sides for 6-8. Serve with crumbled queso fresco, or a swirl of sour cream plain yogurt, if desired.