Foodie Friday
Posted: October 14, 2011 Filed under: food, Foodie Friday, recipe, spaghetti, Spaghetti Fritti 3 Comments
Yesterday I got to try some rather interesting dishes at the cook-off for the upcoming new menu for work. One of the more unusual ones, but which I’ve decided I quite like, is Spaghetti Fritti. It’s basically deep fried spaghetti but the one we have has ricotta & parmesan in it so when you eat it warm it’s all oozy & cheesy.. delicious! It’s traditionally served with a tomato sauce & we drizzled lemon juice over it too. It’s definitely a great snack!
I’ve found a couple of different recipes for you if you fancy making it at home..
http://www.ilgiornaledelcibo.it/ricette/ricetta-scheda.asp?id_ricetta=2568&scheda=Spaghetti+fritti
http://thefragialeshow.com/2011/09/01/spaghetti-fritti/
http://www.cookaround.com/le-vostre-ricette/primi-piatti/spaghetti-fritti
We also got to try Game Ragu (hare, rabbit, venison, boar & pigeon!!!!), Chicken Liver Tortellini, the most incredible Truffled Turkey Milanese… it was a lot of rich food to be trying at 9am!
Foodie Friday
Posted: September 23, 2011 Filed under: Audrey Kitching, food, Foodie Friday, pumpkins, recipe, squash 4 Comments
One of my favourite things about this time of year is pumpkins! I love the colours, the size variations & the taste… yum! Yesterday I had butternut squash risotto for lunch & it inspired me to have a look for some recipes for you… I’ve never cooked pumpkin, but I might have to try the pumpkin ravioli myself!
If you try any of these or you know any great pumpkin recipes drop me a comment!
Happy eating!
Foodie Friday
Posted: September 16, 2011 Filed under: chilli con carne, Foodie Friday, how to make, recipe Leave a comment
Chilli Con Carne
You will need:
Onion
Garlic
Peppers
Mushrooms
Olive oil
Chilli powder
Ground cumin
Ground cinnamon
Kidney beans
Tomato passata
Minced beef
Sea salt
Black pepper
*Peel, deseed & chop your onions, garlic, mushrooms & peppers
*Pop a large pan (or Wok) on a medium heat. Put in a couple of glugs of olive oil & then chuck your vegetables in.
*Add all of your seasoning.. cinnamon, chilli powder, ground cumin, salt & pepper, adjusting to taste.
*Stir every so often for approx 5 minutes, then drain & add the kidney beans & the tomato passata.
*Add the minced beef, stir in to break down any large chunks.
*Whack the pan on to a high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking as the meat browns.
*After about 10 minutes check seasoning & then pop a lid on to simmer for 20/30 minutes (dependant on how impatient you are!)
Serve with rice, nachos or a jacket potato.
Scrumptious!
PS. Picture stolen from the BBC website & yes, that is chocolate that you can see! Adding a couple of squares of dark chocolate to chilli con carne or spaghetti bolognese gives it a smoother texture, a slightly richer taste, and a nice boost of antioxidants!
An Ode to Vegetables
Posted: September 3, 2011 Filed under: carrot, Claudia Pearson, courgettes, how to make, recipe, vegetables 3 Comments
At work today I had the most amazing flash-cooked yellow & green courgettes. Absolutely delicious! I also got quite excited about seeing a Borlotti bean pod for the first time! They are actually quite pretty… & the beans themselves are all shiny & smooth. I’ll try & take some photographs & share them with you.
I love these food-related illustrations by Claudia Pearson. If I owned my own house I think they’d look great framed & hanging up in the kitchen.
This picture on the Howies website made me giggle.. the carrot is huge!
Flash Courgettes:
You will need…
*courgettes (green & yellow preferably!)
*a fresh chilli
*garlic
*olive oil
1. Thinly slice the chilli pepper, removing any seeds. Thinly slice the garlic (use as much or as little as you like with both) & slice the courgettes.
2. Heat a glug or two of olive up in the pan, get it nice & hot & then drop in all of your ingredients. Be careful not to burn yourself!
3. Cook for approximately two-three minutes & then remove from the heat & serve.
So simple & so yummy!
Happy Saturday 🙂
Foodie Friday
Posted: September 2, 2011 Filed under: carbonara, food, Foodie Friday, how to make, Philadelphia, recipe 1 CommentThe Cheats Almost-Carbonara
You will need:
*Philadelphia
(or similar soft cheese)
*Cubed pancetta
(or diced bacon)
*Pasta
*Vegetables
(Traditionally carbonara isn’t served with many vegetables but I added spring onion, asparagus, yellow pepper & mushrooms)
*Parmesan
1. Boil the pasta according to packet instructions, drain & put to one side.
2. Dice pancetta or bacon if necessary.
3. Dice whatever vegetables you have chosen.
4. Put a dash of vegetable oil into a frying pan & put on a low heat.
5. Add the pancetta & vegetables to the pan, stirring occasionally.
6. After approximately five minutes add roughly 2 spoons of philadelphia, stirring to coat eveything.
7. Add the pasta to the pan, ensuring this is also coated. If not, add a little more philly, stirring through gently.
8. Season with pepper to taste & stir for a couple of minutes before removing from the heat.
9. Serve & grate with parmesan.
Yummy!
Foodie Friday
Posted: August 5, 2011 Filed under: chicken, food, Foodie Friday, recipe, salad, vegetables 1 Comment
All fruit & vegetables on display outside my local butchers. Beetroot, Damsons, beans, marrow, carrots… anyone know what those whitish & purple vegetables are? They’re definitely some sort of root vegetable. They had raspberries, peppers, apples, pears, courgettes, garlic & onions too.
Not sure what DB’s plans are for tonight but dinner for us either this evening or tomorrow is Kickin’ Citrus Chicken Salad… nice & simple & great in this kind of heat.
You will need:
*Chicken
*Salad vegetables
(I use spring/salad onions, peppers, red onion & mushrooms)
*Garlic
*Chilli powder
(you can use fresh chilli diced up if you want a kick!)
*1 lemon
*1 lime
*Ginger
(fresh or ground)
*Olive oil
*Salad leaves
*Ground turmeric
*Balsamic vinegar
*Dice up your vegetables & garlic. If you are using fresh chilli & ginger then prepare them now.
*Put prepared vegetables to one side.
*Pour a little cooking oil into a pan & put on a low heat.
*Add garlic to pan to gently fry.
*Dice your chicken & add to the pan.
*Cook the chicken on a medium heat, turning it often, whilst it slowly browns & absorbs the flavours that you’re adding.
*Add the chilli, turmeric & ginger.
*Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 the lemon & 1/2 the lime.
*At this stage add any vegetables to the pan that you want to cook ~ in my case the red onion & the mushrooms.
*Check the seasoning ~ if you need a bit more chilli or a little more lemon juice just go for it!
*Simmer everything in the pan until the chicken is cooked through (on average 20 minutes) & then remove the pan from the heat.
*For the salad throw your salad leaves in to a bowl (I usually use rocket, lambs lettuce & basil but chicory, trevise or sorrel are all delicious!) along with your diced salad vegetables.
*Mix together a splash of olive oil & balsamic vinegar with the remaining lemon & lime juice for a yummy salad dressing & add to the salad bowl.
*Toss through the salad bowl so everything is dressed & then serve!
DB likes his carbohydrates so I’ve been known to make this salad & then dish it up with some new potatoes or cous cous.
Happy Friday!
Foodie Friday
Posted: July 29, 2011 Filed under: chicken, Dita Von Teese, food, Foodie Friday, housewife, Moroccan Tagine, recipe 1 Comment
Moroccan-style Chicken Tagine
You will need:
Chicken (I used mini fillets)
Tomato Passata (or tinned tomatoes)
Garlic
Ground ginger
Ground turmeric
Onion
Ground paprika
Sultanas
Almonds
Peppers
This dish is so unbelievably simple to make & so yummy!
Pre-heat oven to 200c
Dice up any veg you’re using (onion, peppers, garlic)
Place the chicken, diced veg & garlic, sultanas, almonds & tomato passata in to a casserole dish.
Add the spices
Put casserole dish in to oven.
After about 15 minutes remove dish & stir ingredients ensuring spices are mixed through.
Leave in oven for another 30 minutes then taste & add more spices if necessary. Pop back in for last 15 minutes.
Remove from oven & dish up!
I had this with cous cous & a rocket salad & it was delicious!
Bread 101 #2
Posted: July 24, 2011 Filed under: bread, Bread 101, cheese on toast, how to make, nutella, recipe, toast 1 CommentThe humble sliced loaf came in to being in 1928, invented by a chap called Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Smart guy! In 1943 it was actually banned in America from January till March. It has now become the convenient mainstay of the West.
I personally am not a fan of the sliced stuff unless it’s toasted. Because then it tastes completely different!
I am a HUGE toast fan.
Toast & *peanut butter (crunchy) *jam (blackcurrant or strawberry) *chocolate spread (Nutella is the King) *soft cheese (Philaedelphia, Boursin etc) *pate… sometimes just on it’s own, super hot, with lashings of butter. Mmmmmmm!
Cheese-on-Toast
You will need: Sliced bread, cheese, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
Method:
Turn on the grill.
Slice enough cheese to cover two slices of bread.
Place bread under the grill. Toast one side then turn over & very lightly toast the other. Remove slices.
On the less toasted side arrange your cheese slices.
Place back under grill until cheese is bubbling.
Make sure you don’t burn the edges! When it is ready, remove toast from the grill & place on a plate.
Add a dash of L&P Worcestershire sauce.
Eat!
A little word about the cheese – it has to be a hard cheese as they melt perfectly. Think Cheddar or Double Gloucester.
Enjoy!
Foodie Friday
Posted: July 15, 2011 Filed under: chicken, Foodie Friday, how to make, recipe Leave a commentOven Baked Garlic & Herb Chicken in Parma Ham
You will need: chicken breasts, Boursin (or similar Garlic & Herb cheese), Parma ham (or bacon).
- Turn on oven & set to 200 degrees
- Place a slice of Parma ham into a shallow baking tray, then place a chicken breast on top.
- Open the slit up in the chicken breast & spread some Boursin into it. I usually put quite a thick spread on so that the chicken really absorbs the flavours.
- Wrap up the chicken with the Parma ham slice.
- Repeat with other chicken breasts.
- Cover tray with silver foil & pop in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Once chicken is cooked remove foil & leave to crispen up the Parma ham, remove when browned.
Serving Suggestions: We had ours with homemade chips but try the chicken with a great salad or steamed vegetables & new potatoes.
Friday Fashion
Posted: July 8, 2011 Filed under: Fashion, food, Foodie Friday, Friday Fashion, recipe Leave a commentIt’s a tad odd that I started a Friday fashion post as fashion isn’t really my thing. You can see the first ever FF post here.
I think this will be my last FF post, if you’re a fashion fan then I do apologise, but fear not I’m sure the odd fashion post will sneak it’s way in every now & again!
I’ve decided to do something more ‘me’ as my regular Friday post, so, starting next week will be ‘Foodie Friday’… recipes, photographs, drawings & whatever takes my fancy! See you next Friday! x
charismagick 