Stuffed Shells

                                      Really satisfying and perfect when it's blustery outside.

8 oz pancetta, cubed
1 yellow onion, chunked
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound lean ground beef
15 oz can crushed tomatoes
28 can crushed tomatoes

24 jumbo pasta shells

32 oz part skim ricotta
1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
Handful of freshly chopped basil
Salt to taste
Dash o' nutmeg
1 egg
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Place pancetta cubes into the food processor and pulse until it is crumbled.

Add the onion

Pulse again until minced.

Sauté in a large, dry pan (no oil  needed) until cooked.








Deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer until almost evaporated, then add in the beef and sauté until no longer pink.

Add in the tomatoes (I love San Marzano tomatoes-- they are the type the pizza guys use to make sauce for pizza in Naples, Italy)

Simmer sauce for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may not need any, because the pancetta is salty.

While the sauce is cooking, boil the shells until just slightly under cooked (a minute or two shorter than boxed directions). Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.

Mix the ricotta with the Parmesan, basil and nutmeg. Taste it and add salt if you like. When it tastes good and flavorful, add in the egg.

Spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish to cover the bottom. Stuff about 1 tablespoon of ricotta into each shell and set into the pan.









Spoon the rest of the sauce over top, pile mozzarella cheese over that and bake, covered with foil in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, remove foil and continue to bake until golden and bubbly.

This can also be made up to the point of baking and held in the fridge for up to a day before baking as above (or a smidge longer).

Serves 6-8

Creamy Tomato Pasta Salad

Inspired by salad caprese-- a pasta salad for tomato sauce lovers.

1 pound penne, macaroni or farfalle pasta
1 and 1/2 cups simple tomato sauce (homemade is best, or good quality store bought)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or reduced fat)
1 bunch basil, chopped
4 green onions, sliced thin
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Optional additions: chopped sun dried tomatoes, sliced cherry tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, crumbled blue cheese

1) Start a huge pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, place the pasta in to cook and make the sauce. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large serving bowl. Set aside.

2) When the pasta is cooked just al dente, drain, rinse under cold water until completely cool, drain again very well. Toss into the bowl with the sauce and mix well. It may seem soupy at this point, but as the salad chills it will absorb much of the sauce. Stash in the fridge for at least 1 hour but up to 8 hours.

Makes 8-12 side dishes

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.

Baked Caprese

I watched Giada's cooking show for the first time this weekend. It's hard not to hate that woman; gorgeous, skinny, ultra straight, white teeth and she seems to actually EAT. I much prefer Ina. But, at least in the episode that I saw, Giada's recipes did look really delicious. 
The one dish that impressed me the most was this dish that incorporated layered ingredients of Salad Caprese topped with thick slices of bread, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and baked until the mozzarella melts and the tomatoes release their juices and the bread is golden and crisp and oh... 
It. 
Looked. 
So. 
Good. 


So I made (my version of) it and it WAS so, very tasty.

Here's my take on skinny Giada's baked Caprese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin
2 pounds (1 kilo) tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
Handful of fresh basil leaves, or Gourmet Garden's Italian Herb (squeezable herbs in a tube)
1, 8 ounce (200grams) ball mozzarella (cow or buffalo's milk), pulled into pieces
4 thick slices par-baked bread (bake and serve, not yet baked) or more if needed
Garlic powder
Sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Place the tomato slices on paper towels to draw out some of the liquid. If using buffalo mozzarella, press some of the liquid out of that, as well.

2) Smear half of the olive oil over the bottom and sides of a baking pan (I used an 8" by 8" square pan). Lay the thinly sliced onions, then the thick tomato slices, season well with sea salt. Squeeze some of the Italian herb goo over the tomatoes, or scatter fresh basil leaves. Now assemble the mozzarella chunks over the tomatoes and place the bread slices on top, the top should be covered with bread-- drizzle with remaining olive oil, sprinkle on garlic powder and more sea salt.

3) Bake uncovered for 25-45 minutes, depending upon your oven (convection or not, etc), until the bread is golden and crisp and the cheese has gone all gooey. Serve at once.

Serves 4 as a side or 2 main course vegetarian meals.

Nonna's Braciola (Beef Olives)

  This is exactly what my Italian Nonna would have made, had I had one. It is so very old school and lovely a dish to prepare on a chilly evening. You can make it ahead up until the baking time and stash in the fridge, or even make it the whole way through, refrigerate over night then reheat the beef rolls in the sauce the next evening for dinner-- it is quite an accommodating dish, just like my imaginary Nonna.


1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil- EVOO
4 ounces (120 grams) pancetta, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup chopped parsley
Freshly cracked black pepper
6 ounces (170 grams) Parmesan
3 eggs, whisked

6 large slices beef round (or any lean, slow-cooking cut), pounded thin about 8"x3"
No-cook tomato sauce (recipe here) or good, jarred sauce
Splash of dry wine (white or red)

1) Have the tomato sauce ready.  Saute the pancetta in EVOO until just beginning to crisp then add in the garlic and shallot. Cook until soft (2 minutes). Splodge into a bowl and add in the breadcrumbs, parsley, black pepper and stir. When completely cooled, add in the Parmesan and whisked eggs-- combine well.

2) Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Lay the beef slices ona a clean surface and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Scoop 1/6th of the stuffing and place at the fattest end. Now roll up, but not tightly because the stuffing will expand. No need to secure with toothpicks. Place into the baking dish as you roll them up. Add a glug of wine to the sauce and spoon it around the beef rolls to come half way up the sides. Cover and bake for 90 minutes to 2 hours, covered the whole time. Make sure that the tomato sauce does not dry out-- if it does, add some water.

Autumn Sauce

We are still getting fantastic tomatoes, and probably will for a few weeks yet. I was staring down a pound of very ripe, red beauties that sat warming themselves on my sunny windowsill. My husband loves pasta, me... not so much. I think what I don't like about pasta is how heavy it can feel, (and how heavy I feel after eating a plate of it.) 
So, my personal mission became to create a very light tomato sauce that would just skim over al dente penne. I also wanted to change tack, moving away from basil to season my tomatoes. I went with rosemary, because I knew that I would also be incorporating slivers of country ham into my sauce.
The rosemary brought a savoury sense of autumn to the sauce.  


The basic sauce has just 4 ingredients and can be used as is, or as a base for a more elaborate sauce. I give instructions for both below.


Basic Rosemary Sauce
1 tablespoon (dessert spoon) extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 pound very ripe tomatoes, squeezed of seeds, roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary (whole)

  1) Set small sauce pan over medium heat, pour in the EVOO and scatter in the garlic. Allow them to warm up together. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add in the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer, then sink the rosemary sprig into the tomatoes. Simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and most of the leaves have fallen form the rosemary sprig, about 20 minutes.

 2) If you are using the sauce as is, season with sea salt now. If you are carrying on with this recipe, do not add salt (the additional ingredients are quite salty). Remove the rosemary stick and mash with a fork, or whiz in a blender, or use an immersion blender to smooth out the sauce.






Autumn Sauce
12 oz penne
1 teaspoon EVOO
8 oz (220 grams) country ham (very salty, southern ham) or prosciutto, cut into slivers or small cubes
1 shallot, minced
handful of green olives, chopped
1 glug dry white wine (best from the glass you are drinking)
Basic Rosemary Sauce
Several shakes of  red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
A ladle (1/2 tea cup) of pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons, pats, of butter or EVOO

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add in the pasta and start the sauce. In a large saute pan, pour 1 teaspoon EVOO and add in the salty ham and shallot. If using country ham, it needs to be cooked, if using prosciutto, it simply needs to be warmed. Now add in the green olive and deglaze with a glug of wine. Allow to bubble away for a minute or two then add in the Sauce and a ladle of pasta cooking water. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to bubble until the penne is done. Once done, drain the pasta and add the butter or EVOO and red or cayenne pepper into the sauce. Incorporate, then toss in the penne.

                                Serve with Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper. Serves 4

Tomato Concasse

Sitting on a terrace in Marbella, Spain, in the Costa del Sole, looking out over the Straights of Gibraltar across to Africa, I tucked into a plate of Serrano ham and a spoonful of extremely simple, and heart-stoppingly ripe tomato concasse. No garlic, no onion, no flourish of herbs; Just this, the most beautifully cured ham and the ripest, sweetest tomato I had ever tasted. 
It was a moment in time that I will never forget. 
It was truly magic.


Tomato Concasse (con-ka-say) is a fancy way of saying 'chopped tomatoes'. It is a bit more involved than simply chopping a ripe tomato, and in most cases I like to skip steps and keep things simple, but on some occasions, it is nice to have a perfectly diced, ripe tomato without a hint of skin or seeds.

Here's how you do it:

Take a ripe tomato


















Score, (shallow slice) an X in the bottom (the end opposite the stem)

Now, get a big pot of water boiling. As soon as the water is boiling, chuck the tomato into the water and let it simmer there for just a minute or two, until the skin starts to peel off. As soon as that happens, pull the tomato out of the boiling water and plunge it into ice water

Now, peel the skin off, slice the tomato in half and scoop the seeds out. Slice what remains into strips, then cut those strips into small dice. That's tomato concasse. I like to sprinkle with the tiniest bit of sea salt and drizzle some fruity extra virgin olive oil over (this is when expensive olive oil is worth it).

Lunch today: Country ham, sauteed with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and topped with tomato concasse.

Pasta with Healthy(er) Meatballs, Kale, Cannellini Beans and Tomato Jus

This is a yummy way to get kale into your family. I actually used collard greens, because I love them, but any dark, leafy green would work in this recipe. The meatballs are delish-- if you don't want to use ground turkey or sausage meat, use whichever minced meat you like with the same accompanying ingredients. And last, the tomato jus: So light and tasty-- perfect for this time of year.

Meatballs
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 medium leek, light green and white part only, washed well, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, peeled, minced or pressed
1 pound/425 grams ground (minced) turkey or chicken
1 pound/425 grams sausage meat
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (homemade is better, or use crumbs of your choice)
3 tablespoons good quality, grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (I like salt and used 1/2 t)

1) Heat the butter in a saute pan and saute the leeks and garlic until just soft ('sweat' them). Now, squish everything together with your hands in a large bowl, cover and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but up to 24 hours.

2) When ready to cook: Roll into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Using a heavy saute pan (I like cast iron), pre heat the pan over medium heat, then place the balls in the dry pan (this is if you used good 'ol fatty sausage meat in the mix-- if you used a leaner meat, oil up the bottom of the pan). The pan can be full, but the meatballs should not touch. Saute, browning the outside until all the meatballs are golden/brown, then cover and allow to steam in their own juices for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat, shake the pan occasionally and make sure that the pan stays moist-- otherwise add in a bit of water). Remove the lid at the end to crisp up the meatballs. Makes about 48 meatballs-- more than you will need for this recipe. Enough to serve 8-12 people. Can easily be halved.

Pasta Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped kale, collards, chard or spinach
Sea or kosher salt
1/2 cup No Cook Tomato Sauce (or good quality, thick store-bought)
1/2 cup good quality chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegan sauce)
1 regular size tin of cannellini beans, drained/rinsed

1) Heat the oil over mediu-high heat then add in the greens and saute until wilting, turn the heat down, season with salt and allow to cook until getting soft (for heartier greens, like kale and collards, this takes about 5 minutes-- for spinach this happens instantly).

2) Add in the tomato sauce, broth and beans, stir well and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Cook 12 ounces of pasta until al dente. Toss with the sauce and snuggle in the meatballs. Serve with copious amounts of grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4 adults or 4 little kids and 2 adults.

No Cook Tomato Sauce

Can't believe I forgot to post this one-- I've been making it all summer, and there are VERY few recipes that I make more than once. This is GREAT on homemade pizza, as well as pasta. It also takes just minutes to make.
1 large tin plain, chopped tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste (puree in the UK)
2-3 teaspoons dry oregano (for pizza sauce, less for pasta)

1) Whiz everything together in a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Stash in the refrigerator until ready to use-- up to 5 days. Use as is -no need to cook- spread away on pizza dough, then cover with cheese or slather onto hot pasta, toss and serve.
Makes just shy of 2 cups

7 Minute Mexican Green Sauce for Grilled Meats

  2 minutes prep time and 5 minute to simmer; this is an easy, quick sauce that adds so much to grilled steak, chicken, pork or even seafood. I dolloped it over grilled skirt steak that I had rubbed with equal parts cumin and oregano and a good dash of thyme, then I stuck it into a resealable bag with 2 tablespoons of table sugar, the same amount of soy sauce and a drizzle of vegetable oil and stashed it in the fridge. A few hours later, I sprinkled the meat with sea salt and quickly grilled it on a scorching hot grill.







2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small jalepeno, seeded and minced
4 ounce can mild green chiles
11 ounce can green tomatoes/tomatillos, drained, chopped
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Sea salt

1) Heat the olive oil in a pan and add in the shallot, garlic and jalepeno. Saute just until soft, about 2 minutes. Add in the tinned chiles and green tomatoes/tomatillos, and bring to a simmer-- cook for 5 minutes. Squeeze in lime juice and season with salt.

Makes about 1 cup. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Oven Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce

This is not a typical tomato sauce; it is richer and more concentrated due to the oven-roasting. Mixing in the extra virgin olive oil turns this into a sort of condiment. Because there are so few ingredients in this, it is important to use the best you can get your hands on, especially the olive oil.

4 Medium, ripe tomatoes

4 Cloves garlic (the larger, the more pronounced their flavour will be), peeled and halved

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Half a lemon

1) Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Cut the tomatoes in half around their bellies and squeeze out the seeds. Place them, cut side up on a baking tray and snuggle a 1/2 clove garlic into each half. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 30-35 minutes, then allow to cool completely.

2) Once cool, puree the tomatoes and garlic with an immersion blender or food processor then, with the motor running, drizzle in about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste, season with salt and pepper and squeeze in some lemon juice- start with just 1/2 teaspoon- add more if you like it more tart.

Makes roughly 1 cup

Spinach and Bacon Stuffed Baked Tomatoes

Depending on where you live you may be able to get good tomatoes already. For us here in the northern part of England, tomatoes are filling the market shelves, but alas, they have little flavor and less aroma. I thought of filling the big, beautiful tomatoes with spinach, bacon and Parmesan (among other things) and baking them. If you use very large tomatoes they can be the main part of the meal, if using smaller ones they would be a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish or beef. Omit the bacon to make these vegetarian.

2 very large, ripe tomatoes or 4 medium or 6 small—scooped out, seeds discarded and pulp chopped

4-5 rashers (pieces) smoked streaky bacon (regular bacon to my American friends) - optional

½ cup frozen and thawed chopped spinach, squeezed of water

1 green (spring) onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed

1 tablespoon Marscapone cheese

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup good quality croutons that have been crushed up just a bit

1 medium egg white, whisked lightly

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon more grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoon (heaping) good quality pulverized croutons or toasted  breadcrumbs

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1) Preheat the oven to 175C (350F). Fry the bacon until just crisp them crumble. Mix the chopped tomato, bacon, spinach, green onion, garlic, Marscapone, Parmesan and crushed croutons. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Now mix in the egg white.

2) In a separate bowl, toss together the remaining Parmesan and pulverized croutons or breadcrumbs. Divide the spinach stuffing equally and stuff into the tomatoes. Sprinkle the breadcrumb/Parm mixture over top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Bake until toasted and gooey—about 30 minutes, or less depending upon the size of the tomatoes.

Sometimes tomatoes collapse while baking (as was the case in the tomatoes pictured here). They still taste excellent, but if you are concerned about appearance, try using tomatoes that will fit snugly into a muffin tin, oil it and bake to support the stuffed tomato.

Healthy Fish Curry

I have developed a better appreciation for Indian food since moving to the UK. It is a fabulous cuisine! Often though, it is loaded with gee (clarified butter)-- yummy, just not too healthy. Here's one solution for a healthy curry; no gee, no coconut milk-- just bright, vibrant flavours and lovely, fresh fish.

Watch the video here

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 huge shallot, or 1 medium onion, chopped

2" piece fresh finger root, peeled and chopped

1 heaping tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tins chopped tomatoes with their juice

2 mild green chillies, seeded and diced

1 red bird's eye chilli (hot!), carefully seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup natural (plain) yogurt

1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

1 and 1/2 pounds firm fish cut into large chunks (turbot, cod, haddock, salmon, even shrimp)

1) Have everything chopped and ready to go. Place a large wok or large soup pot over medium high heat and pour the oil into it. Heat the oil up then add in the shallot (onion), garlic and ginger. Stir fry for just a minute then add in all the spices, sitr fry to 'toast' everything, for 1-2 minutes. Now add in the tomatoes, both chillies and salt. Stir, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

2) After 10  minutes, add in the yogurt and coriander (cilantro), stir then chuck in the fish- submerge all of the pieces, cover and simmer gently until the fish is just cooked-- at least 10 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread. Serves 6

Winter Panzanella Salad

This Italian bread salad is so good when made with summer-ripe tomatoes, but by roasted pale, January tomatoes, this is a salad worthy of your winter table.


To see this recipe demonstrated, click here!


Half of one large loaf of rustic bread, cubed
8 small tomatoes (about the size of a small orange) PLUS
4 small tomatoes, or 2 large
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 green onions, sliced thin up to the tender green part
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ball fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 big handfuls Arugula, 'Rocket' in England


1) Cut the bread into cubes and set aside to dry out a bit for several hours. If you haven't the time, bake the cubes in a 350F (170C) oven until just slightly crisp, not toasted-- not nearly as hard as a crouton. Set aside. Place the 8 tomatoes cut in half (16 halves), cut side up on a baking tray and roast in a 300F (150C) oven until they are soft, maybe a bit charred but still very plump-- approximately an hour. Set aside.

2) Grate the 4 small tomatoes on the largest side of a box grater, until you get down to the skin. Discard the skin, you just want to get the pulp and juice out of each tomato. You need to end up with 1/2 cup pulp. Now whisk together the pulp, vinegar, salt, green onions, and garlic, then slowly drizzle in the oil to make the dressing.

3) Toss the bread with the dressing, add in the roasted tomatoes, toss then add the cheese and arugula and toss. Allow to stand at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.

Make 4 main course servings or 8 starters

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

Healthiest, Kid-Friendliest Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce brings just a bit of sunny flavour into dark winter days. I find that I crave it more this time of year, which is odd because tomatoes are not in season for 8 more months here in England. But, tinned tomatoes are always available, and surprisingly, even healthier (yes, healthier) than fresh. 

For some reason, all the good, healthy stuff in tomatoes are more easily accessible to our bodies once they have been cooked or processed (as in tinned or canned tomatoes). They are rich in  Lycopene. Lycopene has been proven to reduce the chance of all sorts of cancers. Harvard researchers found that men who ate seven slices of pizza each week reduced their chances of getting prostate cancer by 45%! Lycopene has also been proven to reduce wrinkles. No wonder Italians are all so beautiful.

Tomato puree/paste is heaving with lycopene, plus it will add depth and richness to the sauce. The carrot boosts the beta carotene (also an antioxidant), but also lends a faint sweetness. Puree the sauce before serving and your kids will never know there is carrot in it. This is a very plain sauce, perfect for picky eaters, but with the addition of a few other ingredients (olive, capers, anchovy to make a Puttanesca, or cooked beef for a simple Bolognese, even cooked sausages) it can be interesting enough for company.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 plump garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 small onion, diced

2 large carrot, peeled and shredded

3 (400 grams) tins tomatoes with their juice

2 tablespoons tomato puree (‘paste’ in the States)

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

dried oregano and/or fresh basil (optional)

Set a large pot over medium heat, pour in the oil and add in the chopped garlic and onion. Cook gently until the onion is soft and the garlic is just golden (not brown). Immediately add in the carrot and continue to sauté for a minute or two more. Now pour in the tomatoes and squirt in the tomato puree/paste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Taste, add in the salt, taste again then puree with an immersion blender or food processor. Serve as is, or add in dry and fresh herbs—depending on whether your children will accept green bits in their sauce.

Makes sauce for 1 pound (dry weight) of pasta. Will keep perfectly in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for 3 months. 

New Years Eve Italian Roast Salmon

Inspired by Rick Stein...This is a delicious, showy dish. No one needs to know that it is also utterly easy...

1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, washed, leaves ripped from stems
1 medium bunch basil, same as above
4-6 anchovy fillets
¼ whole lemon (all of it—peel, pith, flesh and seeds—no worries)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium shallot, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
1 whole salmon, have the fish monger fillet it out (or buy two large, same size fillets), skin on
1 medium onion (any color), peeled and sliced into thin half moons
2/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
1 tin diced plain tomatoes, drained
Sea salt and red pepper flakes

1) Place the first 6 ingredients into a food processor and work until roughly chopped. Drizzle in olive oil to create a pesto-like paste.

2) Spread the paste on the flesh side of one of the fillets, carefully place the other fillet, flesh side down on top of the pasted fillet, so that the skin of both fillets is facing outward-- sandwiched. Wrap securely twice in cling film and set into the refrigerator for 1-24 hours.

3) When ready to roast: Preheat the oven to about 200C (400F). Mix the sundried tomatoes, drained tinned tomatoes and sliced onions and season with plenty of salt; pour into an oiled, shallow casserole dish. Place the two fillets (still sandwiched together) on top of the tomatoes and season the top well with salt and red pepper flakes. Roast in a very hot oven for about 25 to 35 minutes.

Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven. Slice straight through both fillets. Serve each slice of double fillet with the tomatoes, onions and cooking juices.
Makes 8 nice servings.

Simply Chilli

There is nothing exotic about this recipe—it is just good, simple chilli. Great for cold Autumn days. I have put no ‘heat’ in this recipe, so it is very kid-friendly. If you want some spice, just add chipotle powder (which is smoked jalepeno powder), or cayenne pepper to your liking.
I served this in baked potatoes for the little ones, over pasta for the Mister and on top of fresh salad greens with crumbled tortilla chips and grated cheddar cheese for me. On this night, everyone liked their dinner.
This chilli is easy to make ahead and reheat, or allow to simmer slowly on the stove or in a crock-pot.


1 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Pounds lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 Medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 Large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
4 ounces chirizo (Spanish sausage), skin removed, diced small—optional
1 cup strong beer
24 ounces tomato pasata, sauce (plain) or sugocasa (for Americans I am talking about plain tomato puree)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet)
1 teaspoon dry thyme (powder is best)
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons mild chilli powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Few dashes of ground cloves
2 tablespoons vinegar
1, 2 or 0 cans of pinto or kidney beans, drained—optional


1) Set a large pot over medium high heat and pour in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Pile in the onions and garlic, cook until translucent, then add in the ground meat, stir and cook until most of the pink is gone. If the meat is very lean, there should not be fat to drain off, but if you do find fat, just pour it out of the pan and continue.

2) Now add in all the rest of the ingredients, stir well, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for as little as 45 minutes to as long as 3 hours—just make sure to check the piqued that the chilli is not too dry (if so, add more water).

Serve as you like!

Makes about 12 servings.

Swiss Lasagna

We are moving from Switzerland to England a week from now. In light of this, I thought it best to open up and sift through the few still sealed boxes left from our last move here-- five years ago...

I am glad that I did because I found a wealth of memorabilia; old press clippings, stacks of magazines featuring food articles I had forgotten that I had written and tons of artwork treasures from the kids.

I also found a pile of recipe cards. Each one had a handwritten recipe from friends of mine. They were given to me at a wedding shower fifteen years ago. It was lovely to see everyone's handwriting. A recipe for Minnesota Wild Rice Soup was given to me by my high school friend, Katja. Katja died of a brain tumor several years ago. As I looked at the recipe card, I ran my fingers across her words, wondering if any of the ink that she used would come off onto my skin-- sort of a last link to my friend.

I miss her.

I also found a recipe for 'Chicken a la Roma' from Jennifer-- another dear friend I have known since 7th grade. It looked really good. I reworked it just a little-- it is delicious. And great to make for company, which makes sense because Jennifer's parents (and providers of the recipe) are fantastic entertainers; gracious, attentive, witty.

So, here is my version of Chicken a la Roma, renamed, Swiss Lasagna because I added porcini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese, both of which are readily found in Switzerland.

1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots, minced
2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
125 grams (about 4 oz) fresh procini mushrooms, chopped small or 1 handful dried porcini
1/2 cup white wine
2 tins diced tomatoes (plain) with juice
1 big pinch dried tarragon
1 small pinch dried basil
salt to taste

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or good quality 'Swiss' cheese)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
10 oz non cook lasagna noodles (or traditional kind cooked to package directions)

1) If you are using dried porcini mushrooms, stick them into a deep bowl and pour boiling water over them. Weight them down with another small plate or bowl (so that the mushrooms don't float) and allow them to rehydrate for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the water by pulling the mushrooms our of the water, rather than dumping them out all together, as a lot of grit will have collected at the bottom of the bowl. Chop the porcini.

2) Melt 1 tablepoon butter in a large non-stick pan. When it becomes frothy, add in the shallots. Saute until just translucent, then add in the chicken and saute until most of the pink is gone. Now add the mushrooms and saute for a few minutes more, until they are soft.

3) Once the mushrooms are softened, add in the wine and allow to simmer for a minute or two, then add in the tomatoes, tarragon and basil. Stir and add salt to taste (do not fear salt!). Allow this whole mess to simmer contentedly for 10 minutes.

4) While the sauce is simmering, make the bechamel (cream) sauce. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan, over medium heat. Once it is frothy, add in the flour and stir to combine completely. Allow to cook for one minute, but do not allow to brown. Now add in the half and half and milk. Stir well, to make sure there are no lumps, then allow to just barely simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt.

5) Add the bechamel sauce to the tomato sauce and stir well to incorporate everything. Pour 1/4 of the sauce into the bottom of a rectangular pan, then lay down a few lasagna noodles. Next add more sauce, then 1/4 of the grated cheeses, continue this until all the ingredients are used up-- try to end with sauce topped with cheese. Cover with foil.

6) Bake at a 375F preheated oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes more until bubbly and golden. If you make the lasagna ahead it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days before baking-- adjust the baking time to be longer of it is being cooked from a cold state.

Serves 6-8

Moroccan Chicken and Chickpea Stew

Called 'Harira' in Morocco, if you like the slightly tart flavor of Avgolemono soup (that delicious Greek lemon, rice and chicken soup) then you will probably like this one, too. Harira is traditionally made with lamb, but I liked the idea of lightening the recipe up with chicken. It is so different, like nothing I had tasted before, but so very tasty. And healthy, to boot!

This would make an equally delicious vegan stew, simply by negating the chicken and adding more chickpeas.

1 small onion, peeled and chopped small
1, 14 oz can chopped tomatoes (unseasoned), including juice
1, 14 oz can water (use the empty tomato can...)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1, 2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1 chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
2 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin removed)
A good pinch of saffron threads
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 can chickpeas, drained
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cold water
2 oz, vermicelli, broken into pieces
Sea salt for seasoning

1) Dump the first 10 ingredients into a large pot, cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes.

2) After the soup has simmered for 45-60 minutes, remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Then add to the pot the parsley, cilantro, chickpeas and lemon juice. Simmer gently as you shred the chicken.

3) Stir the flour with 1/4 cup cold water until it is smooth without lumps. Pour that into the stew (this will thicken it) and add in the shredded chicken. Bring it back up to a simmer and add in the broken vermicelli. Simmer until the pasta is just cooked, then taste for seasoning, it will probably need salt-- do not be afraid of salt!

I pass Sambal Oelek with this when I serve it to spice up the stew, for those who want it (me, please!!). Serve with Pita bread.

Makes 4 main course servings.