A twist on risotto

Again I must begin by apologising for my recent lack of posts, life just got in the way :-) But I'm back!

So tonight I surprised myself with this recipe. It was born of some leftover brown rice, a few small slices of chorizo and a fridge full of cheese. I based this on a risotto, but the brown rice, chorizo and chilli really give the dish an oomph of flavour.

Brown rice pea and spinach risotto

A bowl full of cooked brown rice
Chorizo, chopped into small pieces
1 teaspoon of olive oil
Frozen peas and spinach, handful each
Chunk of gruyere cheese cut into small pieces
1 pickled or regular chilli (mild)
A pinch of salt and pepper
A sprinkle paprika

1. In a teaspoon of olive oil heat the chorizo. Add the chilli and fry for about 5 mins
2. Add the spinach and peas and cook until they are fully heated through
3. Add the rice and a splash of water, to stop the rice from going dry and crunch. Mix together and fully heat through
4. Add the cheese and mix until completely melted. Add paprika and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, maybe with a cheeky glass of white. Perfect and a bit different to your usual risotto!

Yummy breakfast - chessy egg cups!

So I got the idea for this from Annie's Eats, which I saw on a friends post on Facebook. I couldn't wait to make them, they looked so good and is my favorite combination - cheese and eggs! I particularly like that it makes cute little portions.

I made a slight change to make it vegetarian - instead of bacon I used sundried tomato.  I used the dried type, rather than the one in oil, as the oil would probably have made it too wet.

Cheesy egg cups

Serves 2

4 eggs

Shredded cheese

1 sundried tomato, finely chopped

2 slices of oval bread

1. Preheat the oven to 200

2. Grease a 4 hole muffin tin with butter.  

3. Cut each slice of the bread and place each half into each muffin hole of the tin.

4. Sprinkle a bit shredded cheese and sundried tomato in the center of each slice of bread.

5. Break one egg per muffin hole and carefully place on top of the bread and cheese. This is surprisingly tricky so be careful!

6. Bake until the eggs are cooked through - approx 10 mins.

7. Lift the egg cups out and serve - 2 per person

Mac and cheese - comfort food at it's best!

America is home of comfort food.  Everything about typical American food is comforting, filling and perfect for when you need a great big food hug.  Philly cheese steaks are dreamy with a side of curly fries.  Sausage gravy - the world's best hangover cure.  Jambalaya and gumbo warms the soul.  Clam chowder on a cold winter day is necessary.  But my absolute favorite has to be mac and cheese.

There are so many different variations of mac and cheese.  There are the packet ones - Kraft and Velveeta (I always have at least one pack of each at home, specially brought over from the US).   The side options from places like Boston Market (how I miss Boston Market!) and KFC.  Or the gourmet ones that you get at Thanksgiving, made with 4 or 5 different cheeses and often with added ingredients like bacon and/or onion to make it extra special (heart attack on a plate!)

My personal favorite is mac and cheese as a main course (when it is served as a side, I end up eating too much and feeling ill) made with Velveeta and filled with loads of other ingredients.  Every single English person I have ever introduced this to was initially a bit horrified by the bright yellow cheese (as you can see from the picture below!), but after tasting it, understood how very good it is.  It cures any hangover, warms a cold day and is easy and quick to make - comfort food at it's very best!

Ingredients
1 x pack Velveeta (any shape pasta / any cheese flavour)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
3-4 frankfurters, chopped
Frozen chopped spinach
Mushrooms, chopped
Chillies, to taste, finely chopped (optional)

1.  Cook the pasta as instructed.  Set aside
2.  In a pan put a bit of oil and lightly fry the onions until they are translucent
3.  Add the frankfurters and mushrooms and fry for another 10 mins or so.  Add the chillies and spinach (if it is frozen, cook until it is fully cooked through)
4.  Add the cheese sauce and pasta and stir

That's it - serve warm in a big bowl and enjoy (and if there is any leftover, it is good cold as a snack!)

Quiche - bake sale special!

So at work, we were asked to bake some items for a bake sale.  I have to say I was a bit nervous, especially after all my talk about loving cooking and food.  I'm also not a huge sweet fan, so when my colleague said she was making something savory, I just had to follow suit.  Decision decisions, cheese twists, cheese scones, tarts and quiche - my choice was made!  Quiche it will be.

To ensure that my quiche would be eaten by at least one person, I asked another colleague what type of quiche he would like.  Cheese, onion and spinach were the suggestions.  A sprinkle of sundried tomatoes and we are there!  And yes, I used pre-made pastry - sorry, I just did not have time to make my own...

Sundried tomato, cheese and spinach quiche

1 packet of rolled pastry

4 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

2 eggs

250g low fat creme fresh
Cheese of your choice, grated
Spinach, chopped and wilted
Half an onion thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to season
Pinch of parsley

1.  Get the pastry out of the fridge and leave for approx half an hour to ensure that it is soft.
2.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Roll the pastry out so that it is an inch bigger on every side that your pan.
3.  Grease your pan with oil and then carefully put the pastry in the pan, ensuring the pastry reaches the edge of the whole pan.  Cut off any excess.  Layer with grease proof paper or foil and fill with baking beans.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes then leave to cool.
4.  In a bowl, mix the sundried tomatoes, eggs, creme fresh, grated cheese and onion.  Add the pinch of parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Pour the mixture into the pastry.  Cook in the oven for another 20-25 mins (or until set and golden brown on top)
6.  Serve hot or cold and with a side salad for a full meal!

To buy or not to buy - a bread making machine

I remember being young and trying to cook bread with my mother.  I also remember that it often did not come out well and it was a whole lot of work.  But fresh bread is such a luxury.  I love the way bread smells as it's cooking and then breaking into a warm piece and eating it with just melting butter.  You just can't beat it.

So when my friend told me about her bread machine, I was very interested.  It's a Panasonic Bread Machine SD255.  You basically put in a number of ingredients, press a few buttons, wait a bit and presto, fresh bread.  Various different types of bread depending on your mood (and ingredients!).  You can time it so that it makes the bread for a specified time later.  Just put all the ingredients in, set when you want it to be ready for and that's it. Amazing - fresh bread for weekend breakfast!  But best of all?  It also makes pizza dough!

Homemade spring vegetable pizza

For the dough:

- 300 g flour

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

- 170 ml water

Put all the ingredients in the breadmaker.  Once the dough is ready, roll it out on a try and put it in a 180 C oven for 15 mins.  Take the dough out and stretch it out over the tray again - it will have shrunk a bit in the oven. 

Now for the toppings!

- Tomato sauce

- Pesto

- A selection of vegetables, such as asparagus tips, mushrooms, onions

- Dried chili flakes to taste

- Fresh buffalo mozzarella

- Fresh Parmesan

- Fresh basil

Cover the dough in your chosen sauce - we went for half tomato, half pesto.  Then arrange the vegetables and mozzarella cheese to your liking.  Sprinkle the chili flakes, herbs and finally grate some Parmesan over the top.  Pop it in the oven for another 15 mins or until the cheese is golden brown.  Enjoy with a cold glass of white wine!

Cheese, I need cheese!

So today was going to be the day I finally tried the amazing sounding cheese plate at Cochonnet.  We have been there so many times, really love it - the Mediterranean pizza is superb as is the Caesar salad, or on a nice sunny day, enjoy your meal in their outside terrace around the back.  We have surprisingly never tried the cheese plate though.  Reason being that it is listed on the dessert board, rather than on the menu, and by the time we realise we are already stuffed!  But this time I had remembered and I was ready.  You can imagine the disappointment then when I was told that as the chefs were having a break (OK, so it was 4pm), they were only serving pizza.  So no cheese plate for me today.  Do they really need a chef to place a few pieces of cheese on a plate. Really?!?  And who was cooking the pizzas?

Anyway, in my disappointed state I sipped some wine and contemplated what to do.  Then I had a brain storm - wasn't there a deli a few shops away?  Would I be saved?  I ran over (because it was raining) and I was greeted with an extensive selection of pastas, salads, meat and yes, of course, cheese!  Most of the cheeses in there were Italian.  Now, I used to think that French cheeses were the best and nothing else came close. But I obviously had not really explored Italian cheeses.

Often when you think of Italian cheese you think of mozzarella and parmesan. But there are so many more!! Pecorino, cambenzola, ricotta, taleggio, provolone, fontina, toma - the list goes on and on! But my personal favorite has to be Gorgonzola. So sweet and smooth, nutty and strong - perfect on bread, pasta, pizza, risotto or simply on it's own. I'm drooling just thinking about it.  So with a chunk of Gorgonzola, a few slices of mortadella and a smile on my face, off home I went. Here is what I ate:

Stuffed portobello mushrooms
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course

4 large portobello mushrooms (try and get them as concave as possible so that they hold the filling better)
Gorgonzola cheese
Soft cheese such as ricotta or cream cheese
Garlic powder
Other optional fillings: tomatoes, ham, spinach, onions, asparagus, peppers - anything you want really Breadcrumbs

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees 

2.  Remove the stalks of the mushrooms and finely chop any fillings

3.  Mix together the Gorgonzola, soft cheese, garlic powder and fillings

4.  Season the mushroom well with salt and pepper before spooning the mixture into the middle of the mushroom.  Leave some space around the edge of the mushroom as the mixture will melt and if possible you want it to not overflow.

5.  Put it in the oven for 15 minutes

6.  Take out of the oven and sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top

7.  Place under a hot grill for a few minutes or until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown

8.  Serve over salad or with a side of vegetables as a main course.  Or simply, with a side of Mortadella, as I did!

Cold days need a hearty, warming soup

I'm so tired of the cold.  I feel that this year it has been cold forever.  And so much colder than it has ever been before.  To be fair, I probably think the same thing at around the same time, every year.  But surely this year it REALLY has been so much colder for so much longer!

So how better to warm up with than a big bowl of hearty soup.  I have been eating a lot of soup this year and I've grown quite tired of the same old recipes.  So when I came across this soup in Jamie Oliver's magazine I was very pleased.  I had been looing for something new to do with lentils, and this soup is just like a big, warm hug.  Of course I made some changes here and there - so here's my version of Jamie's soup!

Lentil and Pasta Soup

Serves 4

For the lentils:

300g puy lentils

water

1 bay leaf

olive oil

salt

For the soup:

1 onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

olive oil

1 can plum tomatoes in juice

1 or 2 chillies (to taste) finely chopped

1/2 liter of stock

1/2 liter of water

200g small pasta

Fresh Parmesan to grate over the top

1.  In a big pot, cover the lentils with about 2 inches of water, add a splash of olive oil, bay leaf and salt.  Bring to the boil then turn down the heat, cover and let simmer for approx 25 mins or until the lentils are almost done - they should still have a bit of crunch.  Keep a cup of the cooking water for later and drain the lentils.

2.  Using the same pot, pour in a good glug of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic on medium heat for approx 5 mins.  Drain the tomatoes and add along with the chillies.  Simmer until the tomatoes have broken up.

3.  Add the lentils, stock and water to the pot.  Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 10 mins.

4.  Add the pasta to the pot - if the mixture looks a bit dry, add more water.  Bring the heat up so the mixture bubbles and cook covered until the pasta is done.  Add salt and pepper as needed.
5.  Serve pipping hot with (the best bit!) a good amount of freshly grated Parmesan on top.  Delish!

Quick and simple - spicy vegetable tortelloni

As much as I would love to have enough time (and energy!) everyday to make amazing, fresh food, it does not always work out that way.  Last night was one of those evenings. Store bought  tortelloni is something we almost always have in the house.  It's quick (cooks in 2 mins!) and, with a little imagination, can be made quite interesting.  Make sure you always have freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  For the recipe below I used arrabiata filled tortelloni, but it would work just as well with most of the other flavours.

Spicy vegetable tortelloni
Serves 2, preparing and cooking time 20 mins

1 packet of tortelloni
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
big pinch of dried oregano
big pinch of dried basil
1 clove garlic
1-2 dried chillies
1 courgette
4-5 mushrooms
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Mix the oil with the oregano, basil, garlic and dried chillies and set aside.

Bring a pot of water with salt to the boil.  Cook the tortelloni for one minute less than the packet recommends.  Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water then drain.

Grate the courgettes on the coarse side of your grater.  Repeat with the mushrooms.  In a non stick pot using 1/4 of the oil mixture, cook the mushrooms on medium high heat for 3-4 mins or until most of the liquid has been cooked out of the mushrooms.  Add the courgette and cook for another minute or two while continuously stirring.

Rinse the tortelloni quickly in cold water to stop them sticking together.  Add the tortelloni to the pot along with the rest of the oil mixture, cooking water and spinach.  Mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and everything is piping hot.  Serve with fresh Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

The cheese hangover

Now, being someone who loves cheese more than probably any other food in the world, it's hard to believe that I could ever get tired of it.  Or worse yet, have a cheese hangover.  But this festive season I think I truly overdid it.

My favorite cheese board was the first one of the season.  We kept it simple with a Brie de Meaux and a Montgomery's Cheddar, which I got from Paxton and Whitfield.  Now I must admit, this was my first time in this cheese shop.  My usual favorites are La Fromagerie and Neal's Yard Dairy, but as this was around the corner from work so I thought I'd give it a try.  It is an impressive shop, with an amazing array of mainly British cheeses. I was a bit disappointed that you had to ask to taste the cheese, but I'm guessing it was because it was the Christmas season.



Brie de Meaux



It always surprises me that Brie de Meaux, which is actually a French cheese, is usually available at most British cheese shops.  Don't get me wrong, I love this soft cheese with a subtle taste when young and an almost overpoweringly nutty, pungent taste when aged.  I guess there must be many other English people that share this love. I like mine aged,and eaten simple - on bread or water biscuits - with a large glass of wine!

Montgomery's Cheddar

I'm not usually a huge fan of cheddar.  I'd usually prefer something like a goats cheese or a continental hard cheese like Comte or pecorino.  Cheddar for me is a bit of an everyday cheese, probably because we always have a block in the fridge.  This cheddar though is very different to the mature blocks you get at Sainsbury's or Tesco's.  It's flavour is rich and deep, with an almost mouldy edge.  It is hard and somewhat crumbly.  It is best eaten with a large bit of brown, crusty bread, onion - pickled if you must!- and maybe some tomato chutney and olives on the side.  Amazing!