Spicy Capsicum and Bacon Pasta

I really enjoy making connections through social media so am thrilled to be taking part in the Andrew in the Kitchen series #fdbloggerfriends.

A "get to know you" series featuring food bloggers he follow on twitter.  Andrew asks the bloggers about themselves, their blogging and to create a new recipe.

As we are getting into the chiller stages of winter in Melbourne I wanted something that was full of flavour, comfort and a bit of spice to keep me warm.

This spicy capsicum and bacon pasta is quick to prepare so that in no time you'll be on the sofa under a blanket ready for an evening of Netflix and chill....winter chill...or the other type if so consensually desired.

Spicy Capsicum and Bacon Pasta Serves 4-5 

Ingredients

• 100g mix of bacon and pancetta
• 2-3 red onions sliced 
• 3-4 large red capsicum sliced (seeds removed)
• 4 garlic cloves sliced
• 5 long red chilli 
• 30ml olive oil
• 100g pecorino grated
• Handful chopped parsely
• 500g rigatoni

Method

• Add olive oil to a pot on medium heat
• Gently fry  bacon and onion for a couple of minutes
• Add capsicum and garlic and cook on low for about 15-20 minutes
• Boil pasta as directed
• Add chilli and mix through
• Increase heat and add 1/2 cup of pasta water and stir through
• Drain pasta and add to the pot (turn off heat)
• Mix the sauce through the pasta with parsley and half the grated pecorino
• Serve topped with more pecorino 

I had always thought I didn't like chilli till I really tried it and now I'm hooked!

I like the mix of bacon and pancetta but you can use just one if you prefer

The key is gentle heat you don't want char grilled capsicum on this occasion.

A good sprinkle of parsley from the garden 

A glass of red and you're in business...

Chow Down to Eurovision 2014 - San Marino

Buona sera, come state?

Sono molto bene, grazie ma fame adesso. ah scusami, parliate L'Inglese?

Ok...OK... sorry about that, just the mention of pasta and off I go.

The two dishes I found to represent San Marino were a lasagne verde (beef with spinach pasta) or Nidi di Rondine as rolled pasta with ham in a béchamel.

Well everyone loves a mashup up, don't they? So today we have spinach rolled pasta with a chicken and ricotta filling.

I'd like to give a shout out to the wonderful Joanne from What's on The List? Who is a great supporter of the Chow Down to Eurovision. I think she is almost a converted Eurovision fan now!

Interestingly a bit of Googling alerted me that Joanne also has a delicious recipe for swallows nest with prosciutto and basil, so why not invite friends over and make both versions.

San Marino also has a tradition of doing different versions of the same thing as this year will be the third connective year they will be represented by Valentina Monetta.

San Marino has, as yet failed to qualify for the final, but the songs are getting better and better with each attempt.

2012 The Social Network Song placed 14th out of 18.

2013 Crisalide (vola) placed 11th out of 17 (an improvement of 2 places)

Hold onto your hats Saucers, this recipe seems long but it's more the number of steps than the time it takes.
There is time for a vino while the pasta chills

Chicken and Spinach Swallows Nest (Nidi di Rondine con pollo e spinaci)
Ingredients

• 1 large bunch spinach
• 500g 00 flour
• 3 eggs
• 700g minced chicken
• 3 small red onions
• 600g ricotta
• 40g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 750ml milk (50:50 chicken stock if you prefer)
• 100ml cream
• 1/2 nutmeg grated (I like a lot)
• 100g parmesan or pecorino grated

Method

• Boil the spinach for about 3-4 minutes in a pot of salted water
• Drain
• Squeeze the spinach to remove most of the water (don't burn your hands)
• Put into a jug and blend till very smooth
• Pass through a fine sieve (there should be about 150g of spinach puree)
• Add flour, eggs and spinach puree to bowl of a food processor with dough attachment
• Process until pasta has come together as a ball
• Check for smooth feel, knead further if required or cover in plastic wrap to rest in fridge for 30minutes
• Finely chop the onions
• Add a splash of oil to a fry pan and fry off onions and chicken together till cooked
• Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool
• Make the sauce
• In a medium saucepan melt the butter on high heat
• Add the flour and combine to make a paste
• Cook the flour for about 1 minute
• Slowly add some milk while whisking to avoid lumps
• Reduce the heat and continue to stir
• As the sauce thickens add more milk and continue to stir
• Repeat till all milk is used and sauce is at a consistency you are happy, not too thick as it will thicken more as it bakes
• Season with salt and pepper and grate in 1/2 nutmeg
• Pour sauce into baking dish (mine is 32cm x 22cm), leaving about 1/2 cup to add to the chicken and onions

• Roll the pasta out to about 40cm wide and 120cm long
• You want the pasta to be thin, but not so thin that it will have holes
• Mix ricotta and 1/2 cup of sauce with chicken and onions
• Spread thinly over the sheet of pasta as evenly as possible (the old pallet knife came in handy)
• Roll the pasta up lengthways firmly, it will end up looking a bit like a door snake (draught excluder)
• To make it manageable cut into 4 equal lengths
• Put the tubes into freezer for 20 minutes to firm up
• Slice the tubes into 4cm slices
• Put the slices into the baking dish (it should work out to be 4 rows)
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, just to add some extra moisture to help cook the pasta
• Lightly sprinkle the parmesan over the top
• Bake in 170°C oven for 40-50 minutes till golden and pasta is cooked
• Serve with a salad or just eat it as is....remember the spinach so it practically is a salad

Will Valentina strike it lucky and make it to the final with this 3rd attempt?

Maybe?

Buona Fortuna

A Double Helping of Mutual Respect

Bear with me on this slight diversion from my usual anecdotes but it seems almost impossible to post a pasta recipe without mentioning the boycott of Barilla products following the homophobic comments of CEO Guido Barilla.

I spent a lot of the weekend following the story on social media and deciding whether I would or should comment on the incident. Would I have anything constructive to add to the discussion or would it just fuel the flames that have kept the issue at a rolling boil. (I promise that is my only pasta pun)

For me this issue goes deeper than the usual cries for tolerance, that is not the standard we should strive for. Tolerance refers to something unpleasant that you just have to put up with, and I believe nobody should be just tolerated.

The goal is acceptance.

To achieve this goal of acceptance we must recognise the diversity and validity of all people and in doing so we must recognise everyone's opinion with neither side being the victor.

I respect Guido Barilla's right to hold the opinions that he does but that respect also gives me the right to strongly disagree. It doesn't mean that one opinion is right and the other wrong, just that two different opinions exist.

Yes, I found him publicly communicating this opinion baffling especially from someone holding such a position of success but if I just wrote about all the reasons why I think he is wrong how does that demonstrate an environment of acceptance.

With the changes to the laws in Russia, and the Gambian President's recent address to the United Nations, I understand that many people don't approve of homosexuality but I also don't believe their approval is needed.

Too many young lives have been lost because we have not reached the point of acceptance of each person regardless of their difference to ourselves.*

As the old saying goes, let's agree to disagree.

I am not participating in the boycott of Barilla products mainly because I never really purchased them previously.

Pesto in a jar seems totally unnatural and I may even go so far as to say an abomination but I believe everyone has the right to do and be as they see fit, they don't need my approval.

Pistachio and Preserved Lemon Pesto
Ingredients

• Large bunch of basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 85g toasted pistachios
• 100g parmesan
• 1/2 preserved lemon (see note)
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Good pinch of sea salt flakes
• 500g penne or pasta of your choice

Method

• Cook pasta as directed on packet
• Add garlic, pistachios, parmesan, lemon the bowl of a food processor
• Add any larger but not woody stems of the basil
• Add 1/2 the oil and process for about 20 seconds
• Add the basil, salt and remaining oil
• Process till your preferred consistency, chunky or smooth
• Stir through hot pasta
• Can be used on bruschetta or risotto, anywhere a nice hit of basil is welcomed
• It can also be made in a mortar and pestle for a more traditional approach

Note
My preserved lemon's very plain with no other added spices, just the lemons, rock salt and boiled water.
I use small jars now as I found making a huge jar by the time I used all the lemons the last ones weren't looking their best.
To make them, quarter the lemon and stuff it into a jar with enough rock salt to fill up the gaps. Fill the jar with just boiled water a little at a time so that the jar can handle the heat. Ensure the lemons are covered and store in a cool dark spot for about 4 weeks. Using lemon juice instead of water will speed up the process. So easy and much cheaper and nicer than the shop bought variety.

*"Lifeline provides all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to online, phone and face-to-face crisis support and suicide prevention services."

Chow Down to Eurovision 2013 - Italy

Ciao tutti, come state oggi? Siamo arrivati in L'Itallia, penultimo paese in questa Chow Down a Eurovision 2013.

Unlike France I could probably continue this post in L'Italiano but I wont, Italy is our second last country in the Chow Down to Eurovision 2013.

The essence of Italian food is simplicity and when it comes to cucina povera it's about making do with what you can.

Today's dish is what I lived on when I was studying in Italy, not only could I eat it by the truckload but it was something I could actually say it! "Vorrei mezzo chilo di broccoli, grazie" once you have that half kilo of broccoli, pasta con i broccoli is the only way to go.

I also really love Italian cinema and spent a lot of time at the movies, I even saw Australia dubbed into Italian which was weird but there was a sneaky home sick tear shed.

Fiumi di Parole (river of words) by Jalisse was another surprise Eurovision treat when it featured in the movie Ex. She also won Sanremo in 1997 with the song but came 4th in Eurovision and Italy wasn't seen at Eurovision for 14 years!!

Pasta con i broccoli
Ingredients

• 1kg dried pasta any shape (penne or anything that holds the sauce)
• 500g broccoli
• 160g bottle of anchovies
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 200g parmesan or pecorino

Method

• Add pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water
• Cut the broccoli into pieces and add to the pasta pot once water is back to the boil
• Cook pasta till al dente and drain
• Return the pot to the stove
• Over medium heat add anchovies including their oil and olive oil to the pot
• Crush the garlic and add to pot and stir
• When anchovies have broken down add pasta back to pot and stir to coat
• Take off the heat and stir through the cheese
• Buon appetite
• You can also add a knob of butter or a touch more oil if you prefer
• The size of the broccoli is varies when I make it so it breaks down more but size if up to you.

Italy will host the 2014 Eurovision song contest, eh magari!! (I wish)

Marco Mengoni will sing his Sanremo winning song L'Essenziale in this years final, can he do better than Jalisse and win both? I can't cope with another 14 year Italian absence!

Buona Fortuna!

 

Let them eat Catfood

Family heirlooms can be funny things. The value of these items is rarely determined by dollars or sense. The most expensive diamond can not compare to a childhood Christmas angel, dirty, ratty and missing a hand.

The same is the case with family food heirlooms. It can be that one dish that no matter who makes it doesn't taste the same as the Nan's, or it can just be the dish itself. For me it is my Nanna's cream of chicken soup I have been trying to master for years, I'm close to cracking the secret, I think it's nutmeg.
AB's all time favourite is a "dish" that is known by the family as Catfood. Before I came along and took over the kitchen I do believe that a large percentage of AB's diet was made up of Catfood. Surely some of you have turned away in horror, as you should, Catfood is horrid, I mean it with love but I can't stand the stuff. I wasn't going to post the recipe just in case it was a breach of the charter of human rights, but seeing it was AB's birthday this is an extra present.
Please if you make it you do so at your own risk, although I an worried that there will be a flood of comments from people that actually love it!!
My next challenge is to do a pimped up version of catfood that I'd eat.

Catfood
makes a huge tray so it can be frozen for lunches

• 1kg of pasta, Penne works well but any short pasta will do.
• 2 cans of tuna
• 2 bottles of passata
• grated cheese to cover, I'd say about 2.5kg is needed to make it taste OK, but a 500g bag will also do the job.

Method

• Cook pasta and drain.
• Add tuna and passata/sauce to baking dish
• Add pasta and stir through
• Add cheese
• Bake at 180 degrees C for 35-40 mins until golden.
• You can try with adding onion or herbs,but be aware they aren't part of the original recipe as I found out.

Being the birthday week there has to be a cake and in the words of Kath Day-Knight, lets just say I like to team with a theme.

It's a mystery

AB has been the inspiration for some of my best cooking triumphs, remember the meat lovers ice cream, well the chico ice cream was a success. No matter what is plated up there is always praise even though I may sit there and do my best Mary Berry or Manu Fieldel and over critic each element of the dish. "oh it's is verging on a soggy bottom" "mmm butter, but there needs to be more sauce" The only time I knew I had missed the mark and risked being eliminated is when I heard "it's a strong flavour". Really you couldn't buy support like that, although I will be in trouble for writing about it.
I will in the coming weeks bring myself to blog AB's favourite dish, Catfood, it will take some time. Till then he provided this mystery box challenge after I asked him to pick up some meat for dinner.
"what do you want?"
"i dunno surprise me"
"OK...I could make you do a masterchef mystery box?"
"bring it on!"

 

Pasta south of the border



serves 4-5 and on the table in 30 minutes
Ingredients as above

• 6 italian sausages
• 360g oyster blade steak
• 1 brown onion
• 1/4 of a pumpkin
• 200g green beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 bag pasta
• 1 red chilli*
• 250ml sour cream*
• olive oil*
• bottle of pasata*

*pantry item

Method

• Add boiling water from the kettle to a boiler with a good dash of salt
• Put steak and sausages into food processor and mince
• Dice onion and saute with olive oil in fry pan
• Add meat to onions
• Dice pumpkin and add to boiler
• Add pasta to pumpkin, try to cut pumpkin the same size as pasta or smaller.
• Add pasatato meat and season
• Cut green beans into 2cm pieces
• Drain red kidney beans
• Just before the pasta is cooked, add green and red beans to sauce.
• Drain pasta and pumpkin
• Stir through sour cream, save a bit to garnish
• Add pasta and sauce to boiler and mix through
• Serve with dollop of sourcream and sliced chilli

There seems to be way too many steps but it really is just chop, add, cook, eat. Can't wait for the next mystery box, although I know you are all still thinking AB's favourite dish is catfood.

Rain, kale or shine

I would love to be one of those food bloggers that has the urban farm with the chickens, organic vegetables and a few goats to milk for cheese making. Alas I don’t have enough room. I have a small veggie patch that is fun to see things grow, but as far as sustainability goes, if we were relying on the veggie patch we’d be very thin!

I’m not very patient and my garden philosophy is “stick it in and hope for the best”. Alright, alright tomorrow I will get the patch in order that is if it has stopped raining. The rain is fantastic for the garden but also for the weeds!!

One sure fire hit in my garden is cavalo nero, kale or as my local supermarket are selling it “Tuscan cabbage”.  It loves the leave it alone approach, I pick off the leaf I need and then more just grow to replace it. You need to be careful of the number of L's in cavalo as 1 L's is kale and 2 L's is a black horse, a slightly different pasta.  

This dish is in the true cuccina povera style, whatever is on hand, make it into dinner. I am hopping by the end of the year to have chickens so not only will the eggs in the pasta be free-range they will be very, very local.

Zafferano pappardelle con cavolo nero  (saffron pasta with kale)

The pasta:

·         Put a pinch of saffron into an espresso glass (60ml) and fill with hot water, let seep for 20mins.

·         400g doppio zero 00 flour

·         4 large eggs (free-range, think of the poor ugly caged birds)

·         It has been many years since I have kneaded pasta by hand so I’d recommend doing it in either the food processor or kitchen mixer.

·         Combine ingredients and knead to a soft ball, a little more flour may be needed.

·         Let rest for 30 mins

·         Roll out as per pasta machine instructions and cut into 1.5 cm wide and 15 cm long strips.

The sauce:

·         40ml extra virgin olive oil

·         100g flat pancetta thinly sliced

·         1 clove of garlic finely diced.

·         1 bunch cavolo nero, chopped

·         1tbs verjuice

·         Season with salt and pepper

·         A big hand full of grated pecorino.

Method:

·         Boil pasta till al dente but 1 minute before it is ready put in the chopped kale.

·         While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce

·         Heat the oil in a pan, add garlic and pancetta. The pancetta will crisp up and flavour the oil.

·         Add the verjuice.

·         Drain the pasta and cavalo nero and add to the sauce.

·         Add the pecorino, leaving a little bit for garnish.

·         Serve and enjoy