Sardines with Fregula Sarda Salad

The weather cannot quite decide,  if its being hot or cold but this was a dish for one of the warmer evenings.  I bought a very large bag of fregula sarda a Sardinian cous cous .Larger than the more common morrocan cous cous, which until a few years ago I thought was a grain . Cous Cous is made by  rubbing wet semolina wheat into little balls which are dried then toasted. I have been looking for this pasta for a while and I was delighted to find a massive bag for sale at the Continental Market which is being held on Fridays in Lower Marsh Market

Fregula sarda is lovely in soup like pearl barley or another small pasta orzo  but I wanted to try it in a summery salad , it needs boiling rather than soaking like normal cous cous a few minutes in a pan of salted water. You can then add a a range of delicious ingredients .

Grilled Sardines

1. Slash the sardines , season with salt and pepper and brush with a little oil
2. Grill for a few minutes either side under a hot grill or on the BBQ
3. Serve with a squeeze of lemon

Fregula Sarda Salad

200g of Fregula Sarda ( Italian Cous Cous)
1 tbsp of preseved lemon finely chopped
1 medium avocado , chopped into 1cm peices
100g of broad beans removed from the pods
3 tbsp of sundried tomatoes , finely chopped
1 handful of fresh parsley roughly chopped
Twist of pepper
1 tbsp of olive oil

1. Simmer the fregula sarda in a pan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. Steam the broad beans over the top of the water once cooked peel the broad beans.
3. Once the fregola is cooked rinse it in cold water and peel the broad beans
4. Mix in the preserved lemon , tomatoes , broad beans , parsley
5. Season with pepper and a slosh of olive oil.

Penne with creamy smoked salmon and asparagus

So for two days on and off I have been cooking Ox tongue , the weather has been throwing it down so I thought we would be ready for a slow-cooked stew . However this evening the sun broke through the sky turned blue and braised meat went out the window ( metaphorically rather than literally )

Rooting through the freezer I found some smoked salmon and we had  scored some asparagus in the vegebox this week , also some soft cheese with garlic and herbs.

This was a rather throw-together meal  , but asparagus and smoked salmon work really well together.

Penne with smoked salmon and asparagus

300g of dried pasta
150g of smoked salmon roughly chopped
1 bunch of asparagus cut into inch long pieces
3tbsp of soft cheese with garlic and herbs
Juice and zest of one lemon

1. Boil the pene for 10 minutes.
2. Steam the asparagus over the pasta for a few minutes.
3. Once the pasta and asparagus are cooked mix in the soft cheese allowing it to melt.
4. Add the zest and juice of the lemon.
5. Finally mix in the smoked salmon and asparagus.
6. Season with pepper.

Chinese Five Spice Duck Breast

I don’t think I have ever used five spice before but it was a delicously rich and in depth. . Five spice is made from  “Chinese cinnamon” ,  cassia buds, powdered star anise and anise seed, ginger root, and ground cloves Will definitely be thinking of more ways to use this flavour  .

It resulted in an unctious sauce and for the first time pak choi tasted really lovely and had cooked to a silky texture.

Chinese Five Spice Duck Breast

2 duck breasts , look for free-range
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tbsp Groundnut oil for frying
1 large bok choi , halved
2 tbsp soy sauce
100ml fresh chicken stock
2 tsp runny honey
1tsb of sesame

Adaptation of this recipe from BBC Good Food

1. Cut slashes through the skin and fat of each duck breast
2.  Rub the duck breasts with the five spice . Heat a little oil in a heavy frying pan and when it is really hot add the duck breasts skin-side down. Turn the heat down a little and fry for 8-10 minutes or until the skin is very crisp and brown and the fat has started to melt out from under the skin. Tip out any excess fat.
3. Turn the breasts over Cook for another 5 minutes or until the duck breasts feel firm to the touch but not too solid – you want them pink in the middle. Take the duck out and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, add the bok choy to the pan with the spring onions and cook briefly. Add the rest of the ingredients and bubble together briefly.
5. Plate the duck, bok choy and spring onions and spoon the sauce over.

Mushroom, Leek & Stilton Risotto

My last day of work yesterday before the Bank Holiday weekend but getting back late from work humming “Holiday” under my breath.

Risotto is something I had never had til a couple of years ago,  now we probably have it once a month in various forms . I actually like it cold as well

• Leek and Lemon Risotto
• Hedgehog Fungus and Squash Risotto
• Mushroom Risotto

Trying to use up perishable vegetables before I head off for the weekend so this was a lovely light dinner , which  also meant we could use a lot of chicken stock , made from the leftover chicken carcass from the weekend. Oh so frugally delcious

Traditionally risotto has parmesan,  but I like the combination of stilton, leek and mushroom this resulted in a delicious creamy risotto . Next time I would finish with a scattering of toasted walnuts .But a light comforting

Making chicken stock from roast chicken carcass . Since this is a roast chicken I don’t bother adding seasoning or vegetables . Instead I cover the chicken carcass with water ( this is usually about 3 pints ) Bring the water to the boil , simmer for at least an hour skimming any foam that forms on the surface. If you want to freeze it best to then remove the carcass and simmer it to become more concentrated and small to store

Mushroom Leek and Stilton Risotto

Feeds two people

200g of risotto rice
4 handfuls of mushrooms – finely sliced
2 medium leeks finely chopped
1.5 pints of chicken stock – hot
1 tbsp of butter
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tbsp of stilton
Fresh parsely finely chopped

1. Finely chop the garlic and leeks,  gently fry in the butter ,  but do not allow to colour
2. Add the risotto rice , stir to coat well in the butter for about a minute
3. Add 1/4 of the chicken stock and continuously stir until the liquid is absorbed
4. Add another 1/4 of the stock stir well
5. You can then add the rest of the stock with the mushrooms leave on a low heat.
6. Leave on a low heat & stir regularly
7. Before serving stir in the parsley and stilton

Chicken Cacciatore

This is a classic Italian dish , Cacciatore means hunter in Italian  I had a  busy week hunting and gathering  or sitting at my desk and getting eye strain from my monitor  ,this seemed a suitable dish to be  waiting for me when I got home on Friday night with a glass of red wine .

Chicken thighs are definitely superior to breasts in a casseroled dish like this they cut easily with the side of a fork so perfect with a pasta dish allow 2 thighs per person.

Chicken Cacciatore

300g of skinned chicken thighs
400g of tinned plum tomatoes
1 large onion , roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
300ml of white wine
2 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 handful of pitted olives
2 tbsp of sundried tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp of olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 180degC
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper
3. Heat the oil in a lidded casserole dish
4. Remove from the pan and add the onions, rosemary and garlic
5. Return the chicken to the pan , add the tomatoes, olives, bay leaf, wine & vinegar
6. Place the casserole with the lid on in the oven , cook for 30 minutes
7. Remove the lid for the final 10 minutes
8. Serve with pasta or new potatoes

Chinese Spiced Pork Loin with Cucumber and Coriander Salad

A few months ago it was all over the news that Pig Farmers in the UK were in crisis the increase in grain prices meant that were losing £20 on every animal they produced , A Save our Bacon campaign was launched and I dutifully bought a loin of pork at the local slow food market

I then left in in the freezer pork is just one of those foods I have just never got into cooking , it often seems to go dry and mealy. However I have made a vow to work my way through my freezer to at least make room for some ice cube trays so for Saturday night I was determined to use up the large pork loin.

On Thursday night I made up a chinese marinade for the pork which left overnight permeated the meat which once roasted gave a tasty sticky coating

I really like cold noodles in salad so while the pork was roasting it was no effort to make a light noodle cucumber and coriander salad takind advantage of the oven being on to toast some seeds and buts to add a little crunch .

I think this would work mixing cold pork or chicken into the salad too p
it certainly had plenty of zing.


Chinese Spiced Pork Loin

750g boneless pork loin

Marinade
4 cloves of garlic , finely chopped
1 tbsp of dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp of brown sugar
5 tbsp of sake / rice wine
1 star anise , crushed
1 tbsp of coriander seeds crushed

1. Mix together the marinade ingredients
2. Rub over the pork loin
3. Seal in a plastic bag or box
4. Leave refridgerated for at least 24 hours
5. Preheat the oven to 200deg C
6. Place the pork fat side down in a roasting tray , cook for 30 minutes
7. Turn right side up and roast for a further 30 minutes
8. Leave to rest for 10 minutes
9. Slice to serve

Cucumber and Coriander Salad

1 handful of coriander roughly chopped
Half a large cucumber sliced into ribbons
1/2 fresh red chilli , finely chopped
1 tbsp of white sugar
3 tbsp of rice vinegar
100g of dried rice noodles
2tbsp of peanuts , crushed
2 tbsp of sesame seeds

1. Place the seeds and nuts on a baking tray , grill or roast at 190degC for 5 minutes
2. Simmer the rice noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes.
3. Rinse the noodles under cold water, drain.
4. In a large bowl mix together the rice vinegar , chilli and sugar
5. Add the noodles , cucumber and coriander.
6. Sprinkle over the peanuts and sesame seeds

Pasta with kale, chilli and anchovy

Lots of cavolo nero ( kale) in the vegebox hunting around for a recipe without having to hunt out extra ingredients hit upon a recipe at The Times online . I suspect may become one of my storecupboard classics with all the ingredients to hand . It tasted almost summery with the kale adding a iron touch salty anchovies and a punch of chilli .

Pasta with kale, chilli and anchovy

Tin of anchovies in olive oil 25g
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Good pinch of dried chilli flakes
Large bag of cavolo nero 300g
300g dried pasta I used linguine
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon, optional

1. In a frying pan, heat the anchovies with their oil. Stir over a gentle heat until they have disintegrated.
2. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, stir for 30 seconds or so, then remove from the heat and set to one side.
3. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
4. Strip the kale leaves from the tough stems. Discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
5. Five minutes before the end, stir in the kale leaves and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente.
6. Drain the pasta and kale then add them to the anchovy mixture.
7. Return to a gentle heat and stir in a good glug of olive oil
8. Stir well and add a little grated parmesan and squeeze of lemon

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Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera

1 handful of dried pasta
1/2 handful of Carrots , chopped to matchsticks
1/2 handful of Leek , roughly chopped
1/2 handful of Broccoli
1 tbsp of thyme leaves
1 tbsp of roughly chopped parsley
1tsp on vegetable stock powder

1. Cover the pasta with boiling water and cook until it is beginning to to soften
2. Add the vegetables and cook til al dente.
3. Pour away most of the water leaving a few milimetres in the bottom , stir in the stock power and herbs
4. Season with salt and pepper

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Happy New Year 2008

1. Wild Garlic and Chicken Soup, 2. Coarse Pork Terrine, 3. Spinach and Wild Garlic Pesto Soup, 4. Rosehip Syrup Cakes, 5. Lime Tart, 6. Salmon with Garlic and Dill Aoili, 7. Fennel ,Pancetta, Walnut and Goats Cheese Salad, 8. Rhubarb Tart with Elderflower Cream, 9. Cauliflower and Toasted Walnut Soup, 10. Wild Garlic Pesto, 11. Watercress , Roasted Butternut Squash , Stilton and Walnut Salad, 12. Rabbit with Spring Vegetables, 13. Smoked Salmon and Beetroot Salad, 14. Smoked Mackerel Pate, 15. Chargrilled Vegetable Kebab, 16. Tomato Tart, 17. Stawberry Frangipane, 18. Pear Tart, 19. Pomegranate Jewel Cake, 20. Cabbage Rolls, 21. Not quite Nicoise Salad, 22. Lamb and Cauliflower Salad, 23. Borscht, 24. Kohlrabi and Mackerel Salad, 25. Seared Salmon & Pea Puree, 26. Its spring chicken, 27. Green Tea and Cardamom Madeleines, 28. Lentil and Parsley Soup with crispy Pancetta, 29. Butternut Squash and Leek Quiche, 30. Banana and Rum Cake

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.
Its a very busy year cooking wise if you want to see all the food from 2007 is available in my set on Flickr

I am immensely proud of my growth this year in photographing the food that I cook , Flickr has been a wonderful source of inspiration and this blog has given me the chance to talk about the food I love .

Thank you to everyone who has viewed my blog in 2007 and I promise it will get even better in 2008 where my New Years Resolutions include trying even more new foods, being more personal , better spelling and grammar ( I am dyslexic , but I do try, ) , more pictures assisted by the brilliant Christmas gift of a Joby Gorillapod a tiny lightweight tripod, which should make it even easier for me to take pictures and may even mean the lovely boyfriend gets hot food.

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Courgette and Roasted Garlic Linguine

Whenever the oven is going on with a little space I like to pop at the bottom of the oven a tray of skin-on garlic cloves , lightly drizzled in oil . Once cooled I put them in a preserving jar and cover with olive oil . The garlic cloves can be squeezed out the result garlic in tasty but creamier than raw garlic fantatic in dressing , the oil too becomes infused with olive oil . Loving garlic as I do I am afraid I have never managed to leave a jar to go off they live in the fridge for a fair few weeks though.

The roasted garlic is perfect in the following pasta dish which takes less than 15 minutes to put together , lots of courgettes in the vegebox this week , usually do a tomato pasta sauce but in an unprecedented case I have run out of tins of tomatoes .

Courgette and Garlic Linguine (enough for two)

2 large courgettes – finely sliced
100g of dried Linguine
10 cloves of Roasted Garlic skin removes
2tbsp of Garlic Olive Oil / Olive Oil
1tbsp of pine nuts
2tbsp of crumbly goats cheese
Juice of a lemon and a little zest
Ground Black Pepper
Salt

1. Cook the Linguine as instructed on the packet ( Gently simmered in plenty of salty water til al dente)
2. In a pan gently fry the garlic , lemon zest , courgettes and pine nuts
3. Add the cookedLinguine stir well while adding the lemon juice
4. Finally gently stir in the goats cheese + ground black pepper
5. Deliciously zesty and creamy

This works brilliantly using substituting the courgettes for leeks and pine nuts for walnuts to create Leek and Walnut Linguini

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