Spaghetti with Crab, Tomatoes, Chilli, Garlic, Lem...

Spaghetti with Crab, Tomatoes, Chilli, Garlic, Lemon and Basil

O.K let’s get straight to the point. I have been remiss in my blogging duties. To be fair I was battling chicken pox amongst other various lurgies. Thankfully I am better and have been cooking up a storm in the kitchen as well as organizing my garden – I just haven’t been writing about it. On my desk sits a very precarious looking stack of notebooks and important bits of paper. My SD card is full of images of baked treats, wholesome meals and new additions to the garden. There is much work to be done.

Whilst languishing on the couch in full pox delirium I decided to have a rummage through one of my old recipe binders. Tucked in between a Jamie Oliver recipe for Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara and a Nigel Slater recipe for Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Basil and Mustard, I found what I was looking for. Lovingly titled ‘pasta w/crab’, the recipe was handwritten on the back of an envelope.

Unfortunately there is no reference as to where this recipe came from, but I do remember making it a few years ago and thinking it was rather yummy. This dish didn’t disappoint the second time around and it will grace our table again. Next time, however, I will use fresh crab (a visit to the Whitsable Fish Market will be in order) and also add a Tablespoon of capers (because they make everything taste just that little bit more fantastic). In any case this is easy to make, perfect for lunch or dinner and goes very well with glass or two of wine.

Luna Raye’s Spaghetti with Crab, Tomatoes, Chilli, Garlic, Lemon and Basil (serves 2)

Ingredients

Spaghetti (or any other type of long-strand pasta such as Linguine, Angel Hair or the fabulous Fusilli Lunghi)

1 good sized glug of olive oil

12-14 Cherry tomatoes quartered (you can always add more if you wish)

1- 3 cloves of garlic (I love garlic and have no social life so I happily used 3 cloves)

2 fresh chillies (if you want it really hot – keep the seeds!)

1 unwaxed lemon (all you need is the peel so use a peeler to create lovely long strands)

1 tin of crab meat – 170g with drained weight of 121g (next time I will use fresh)

Salt and pepper to taste

A handful of fresh basil leaves roughly torn

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions

Add the olive oil and quartered tomatoes to a pan and cook over moderate heat

When the tomatoes begin to soften (after about 3-4 minutes) add the garlic, chillies, salt and pepper

Give everything a good stir and add the lemon peel

Leave the peel to soften for 1-2 minutes then add the drained tinned crab (or fresh crab)

Stir every so often until it’s heated through (approximately 5-7 minutes)

I added about 3-4 Tablespoons of the pasta cooking water during this time as the mixture was looking a bit dry

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan and toss everything together

Just before serving add the basil leaves and give it all one final toss

Enjoy!

Note: My husband isn’t overly enthusiastic about tomato skins. This didn’t put him off his dinner but he suggested that it might be worthwhile exploring recipes that do NOT include tomato skins. The thing is – tomatoes are great for you and it is recommended to use the whole tomato whenever possible in cooking. Here is a very interesting website on the many health benefits of tomatoes and a quote from their website.

Whenever possible, try to develop recipes that make use of the whole tomato. We’ve seen research showing higher lycopene content in whole tomato products. For example, when the skins of tomatoes are included in the making of the tomato paste, the lycopene and beta-carotene content of the paste is significant higher according to research studies. – courtesy of www.whfoods.com

Sorry Hubby – the tomato skins stay!

Tagliatelle With Prawns, Bacon and Courgette...

Tagliatelle With Prawns, Bacon and Courgette

Yesterday there was a lonely courgette in the fridge and a bag of prawns defrosting on the counter. I was unsure of what to make for dinner, but bringing these two ingredients together seemed like a good plan. With plenty of pasta in the pantry, I was thinking along the lines of a big bowl of penne or linguine in a rich creamy sauce.

Looking for inspiration on the Internet I came across a fabulous site called Drizzle and Drip. Sam’s recipe for Chilli and Garlic Prawn Linguine with Bacon, Zucchini and Lemon caught my eye straight away. Of course I needed to pick up some bacon but as our local butchers has the best smoked bacon I have ever tasted, I was more then happy to make the journey. The fresh air made me even hungrier (I must confess one of their freshly made sausage rolls found it’s way into my belly).

I didn’t follow Sam’s recipe exactly but it still tasted great. This is a recipe I will make time and time again. It is light, refreshing and makes a nice change from the heavy cream sauces I tend to favour (butter, cream and cheese are the holy trinity of my sauce making).

What also appealed to me was the way the courgette / zucchini was prepared. I have grated it in pasta before but the long ribbons worked really well with the tagliatelle. I was also skeptical about adding the courgette ribbons to the pasta water toward the end of cooking fearing they would be extra watery and bland. They weren’t.

So here is my version of the recipe but please do check out Sam’s website, she has a wide range of yummy looking recipes I can’t wait to try.

Tagliatelle With Prawns, Bacon and Courgette (serves 2 with enough left over for a tasty lunch the next day)

Ingredients

350-400 grams of tagliatelle

225 grams of frozen king prawns

3 rashers of smoked streaky bacon (and one sausage roll to eat on the way home!)

1 medium sized courgette / zucchini

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp of crushed chilli flakes

2 Tbsp of double cream

2 Tbsp of lemon zest

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (you might want to do this to taste)

3 Tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley

Splash of olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste (I only salted the pasta water – the bacon is quite salty)

Directions

Cook the tagliatelle in salted water according to the directions on the pack (go for al dente)

Using a peeler, peel the courgette into ribbons

When the pasta is almost done, but not quite, add the courgette ribbons to the water and cook with the pasta for 1-2 minutes before draining

While the pasta is cooking cut the bacon rashers into small bite sized pieces and add to a pan

Cook the bacon through and then add the drained, frozen prawns and mix well so the prawns soak up some of the bacon fat

After 2-3 minutes when the prawns are heated through and the bacon is crispy, add the crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp of dried chilli flakes, lemon juice and zest

Mix everything together well before adding a splash of double cream and the chopped parsley

The pasta (and courgette) should be cooked and drained at this point

Simply add the pasta and courgette to the pan with the bacon and prawn mixture

Toss well and serve immediately

Enjoy!

Vermicelli With Lemon Sauce and Capers...

Vermicelli With Lemon Sauce and Capers

This time of year I find that I indulge a little too much in festive treats and comfort food. I’m not sure whether it’s the martinis that are festive and the mashed potatoes comforting – or the other way around. In any case I do like to ease up a bit and have some meals that are a little lighter and less intense then a bowl full of mash. I have always had a fondness for Vermicelli or Angel Hair Pasta as it is known across the pond and this recipe sounded too good not to try.

The recipe I based this on is by Kyle Phillips and I found it on About.com. It is a real winner and I feel it works perfectly on a cold winters day. It brings a little bit of sunshine to your dinner plate. I pretty much followed the recipe but I didn’t remove the garlic from the cream (and I used a lot more garlic – I am after all a garlic-oholic) and at the end I added a Tbsp or so of capers. Yummy!

You can find Kyle’s original recipe here

Vermicelli With Lemon Sauce and Capers (serves 4)

Ingredients

1 pound Vermicelli

Zest of 1 lemon (make sure to used unwaxed lemons if you can)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 clove garlic (I used 3 large cloves)

1 cup cream

1 cup grated Parmigiano (I used Grana Padano)

1 Tbsp of capers

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Set slightly salted pasta water on to boil

In a large pot sauté the garlic in the butter and when it browns discard it (I didn’t let the garlic brown and I didn’t discard it. I had it minced quite finely and didn’t find it too overpowering)

Add half the cream and all the zest from the lemon – keep the sauce warm

When the water boils cook the pasta till it’s al dente and drain it

Stir the pasta into the sauce and toss it for a minute or two over moderate heat (at this point I added about 3/4 of the Grana Padano cheese)

Make sure to stir in sufficient cream to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan (with the final few tosses I added the Tbsp of capers)

After a minute or so scoop the vermicelli into a serving bowl

Serve at once with the rest of the grated cheese

Get stuck in and enjoy with a side of garlic bread!

Courgette Carbonara: Magical Meal In Minutes...

Usually I am not in a rush to escape the kitchen. For me it’s a peaceful and comforting place to be. There is something so deliciously wonderful about losing yourself in cooking. Whether you’re baking bread, tending to soups or stews, chopping, sautéing or creating an indulgent pudding, it’s a magical state of mind!

Now I have recently become quite a fan of Jamie Oliver’s 30 minute meals. This may seem strange considering I enjoy spending large amounts of time pottering around the kitchen – but his recipes are good and inspiring. Jamie has a great way of creating recipes that are simple but really pack a punch. I have started writing a list of all his recipes that I am eager to try.

As my fridge is still happily stocked with a ton of zucchini (courgette) I decided to try Jamie’s Beautiful Courgette Carbonara. This is a really lovely twist on a traditional spaghetti alla carbonara – one of my favourite pasta dishes of all time. For this I used beautiful smoked streaky bacon from our local butchers which made it a real treat. I also opted for Rigatoni instead of Penne or Spaghetti.

It was sooooo good. I went back for seconds (ok I confess, thirds!) While it didn’t take long to prepare OR cook, I am ok with not having spent ages in the kitchen today. It has given me more time to cuddle up with Nutmeg!

Go on and give this recipe a try. It is delicious!

Click here to see Jamie Oliver’s Beautiful Courgette Carbonara recipe.

Courgette Carbonara

Waiting for a cuddle

Moving Day Macaroni And Cheese...

Today was moving day for my parents. My husband and I woke up early to help pack boxes and move things into my mum and dad’s new home.

I know that moving can be a very stressful time but somehow we managed to get everything done with a minimum of fuss.

One of the big tasks was clearing out the old kitchen. That meant using up as much food as we could in the fridge. Fortunately there wasn’t much left, just some vegetables that needed to be eaten.

A great way to use up vegetables (and to hide them from kids who otherwise may not eat them) is to make macaroni and cheese. This is a super recipe I got from mum which I have adapted to use up stray veggies.

Unlike macaroni and cheese that uses a traditional white sauce, this recipe has a tomato base which makes it really quick and very simple.

The following recipe is for 4-5 people.

Luna Raye’s Moving Day Macaroni And Cheese.

Ingredients

2 tins of chopped organic tomatoes

2 cups of macaroni (uncooked)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

2 medium carrots chopped into bite sized pieces

1/2 cup broccoli chopped into bite sized pieces

6 green beans cut into thirds

2 1/2 – 3 cups grated cheese (I use mature cheddar). Keep 1/2 – 1 cup for the topping.

1 cup bread crumbs or crushed crackers, corn flakes or crisps for a crunchy topping

9 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters

Directions

Empty the 2 tins of chopped tomatoes into a large casserole dish.

Add the dried herbs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, chopped onion and mix well.

Cook macaroni according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking prepare the vegetables. You can use pretty much anything. In the past I have also used celery, courgette (zucchini), pumpkin and red or yellow peppers. (I find green peppers can go slightly bitter when cooked).

Just make sure whatever veggies you decide to use are chopped finely as they will not be pre cooked. A little bit of texture is nice but you don’t want them too crunchy.

When all the veggies are chopped set the cherry tomatoes to one side.

Add the remaining vegetables along with the cheese to the tomato mixture in the casserole dish.

Once macaroni is cooked drain it and add to the casserole dish.

Stir everything around again to really mix it all up.

Cover with 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese and 1 cup of breadcrumbs or whatever you want to use for your crunchy topping.

Finally, scatter the quartered cherry tomatoes on top.

Cook at 180 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until bubbling.

Cover the casserole dish with aluminium foil for about 25 -30 minutes of the cooking time so the top doesn’t brown too quickly.

Enjoy!

Of course you don’t have to put any extra vegetables in this dish at all. It works just as well with the tinned tomatoes, macaroni and cheese (plus herbs, mustard and Worcestershire sauce). But it IS a great way to use up those stray veggies lurking in your fridge. It also gave us a much needed boost of energy to pack a few more boxes!

Smoked Salmon Pasta...

Last night my mum made her famous smoked salmon pasta. She put us all to work in the kitchen and the result was a delicious meal with plenty of laughs and stories along the way.

I did make a version of this dish awhile back but I used inferior smoked salmon which resulted in an unpleasant fishy mush. So if you do decide to make this dish it is worth getting organic ethically sourced salmon.

The original recipe is from Simply Recipes and is for two people. We just doubled everything and there was plenty for the four of us.

Here is the original recipe for two people.

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti or linguine

Salt

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup chopped shallots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup dry white wine (can substitute pasta cooking water with Tbsp of lemon juice)

1/4 cup cream (mum uses low fat sour cream)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp lemon zest ( divided into 2 separate servings)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill

4 ounces smoked salmon cut into bite sized pieces

Fresh ground black pepper

Optional 1/2 cup lightly steamed broccoli cut into small pieces

Directions

Heat to boiling a large pot of salted water.

While water is heating lightly toast pine nuts in a single layer in a large skillet.

Once pine nuts are lightly browned remove from heat and set aside.

Once water is boiling add the pasta according to package directions and cook till pasta is al dente.

While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce. In a large skillet heat olive oil and add the shallots and garlic. Cook these over a medium heat for approximately 2 minutes or until softened.

Then gradually add white wine, lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of the lemon zest.

Increase the hear and let it boil down by half.

Then, for a slightly creamier sauce, add the cream and let it boil for a further minute.

The sauce should be done at the same time as the pasta. If not simply remove it from the heat.

Once the pasta is cooked remove a cup of the cooking water before draining it.

Drain pasta and add it to the skillet with the sauce. If it’s dry then just add a little bit of the reserved pasta water.

Add the smoked salmon, toasted pine nuts, parsley and the remaining 1 Tbsp of lemon zest.

If using broccoli you can add it at this point.

Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Enjoy!