The countdown to Christmas has begun

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 117

I can't believe it's only 6 weeks till Christmas. And I'm finally starting to feel a bit festive. For starters I've spent the evening watching a really bad Christmas movie on a special channel that magically graces our TV for the holiday period. Christmas 24 and Christmas 24+. I've never heard of them before and I've never heard of a single movie that's on there but it's strangely addictive. As a child my sister and I used to force our dad to buy a glossy TV magazine guide every Christmas, even though he wanted us to use the one that came free with the newspaper. We would then sit there and circle all the films and special programs that we wanted to record, and if there was a clash we had to work out which one to tape and which in to watch. And invariably someone would program the video incorrectly and something wouldn't record properly and then the dramas would really start! I'm sure that's a memory that rings true with most people growing up in our generation but I suspect it's different now. With sky plus you don't need a TV guide. You just scroll through and click record or series record and it's done. It's a lot easier but it really doesn't have the same magic. This year I will make sure I look through an actual paper TV guide, granted it will probably be a free one with the newspaper, but nevertheless I will use it to look out for my favourite movies and then use it to program the sky plus box! 

But even more important than TV is Christmas food and drink. For me the first sign Christmas is coming is my first latte in a Starbucks red cup. That really gets me in the mood. I also had my first mince pie the other day and I've already got my eyes peeled on which advent calendar I want this year. I'm thinking a Maltesers one could be fun. N's also found his first taster of Christmas. All week he has been talking about an amazing cross between a mince pie and a Bakewell tart he found in the cafe Apostrophe. He was thoughtful enough to bring one home (or half a dozen) so I could try it (sadly we don't have things like Apostrophe in Whitechapel where I work). I have to say he wasn't exaggerating. Light shortcrust pastry, sweet and fruity mincemeat laced with the flavour of almond frangipane.  Delicious! I. MUST. FIND. OUT. HOW. TO. MAKE. IT! That is my next mission. Anyone got any ideas???

 

Pasta Perfect

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 57

Can you believe there're are more than 350 different types of pasta and even more names as often one shape of pasta is known by numerous terms. But they are all made out of the same basic ingredients, 100% durum wheat and water. There is a pasta shape to complement every pasta dish out there and pairing the correct pasta shape can make a big difference in your overall satisfaction when cooking. I currently have 6 different types of pasta at home, but I always veer towards some shapes rather than others. My favourites are spaghetti and fusilli but for a change I often use French brand Panzani which make an interesting Nouilles Fines variety. And recently I went out on a limb and bought large rigatoni tubes and some fusilli lunghi pasta which looks like an old fashioned spiral telephone cord! I still have no idea what to do with these! It got me thinking about matching my sauces to my pasta. For example whilst spaghetti bolognese is probably the most popular pasta dish it is actually fundamentally inauthentic as such a thick meaty sauce would be much better served with shells or tubes to 'catch' the sauce or even with longer thicker pasta like tagliatelle.

I've spent this evening doing a bit if research and I am astonished to find out what a speciality it is. It's common to become a wine or cheese connoisseur but I wouldn't be surprised if people start becoming more interested in the science of pasta shapes. It certainly has opened my eyes to how much more interesting 'making pasta' for dinner could be. Here are a few basic rules taken from the Good Food website www.bbcgoodfood.com.

Pasta shape	Such as...	Serve with...
Long and skinny	Spaghetti, linguine, fusilli lunghi, vermicelli	Light seafood sauces, cream- or oil-based sauces.
Long ribbons	Tagliatelle, pappardelle, fettuccine, mafaldine	Rich, meaty sauces.
Shells	Conchiglie, lumache	Heavy cream or meat sauces; large ones can be stuffed.
Twists	Fusilli, trofie, strozzapreti, caserecce, gemelli	Lighter, smoother sauces which will cling to the twists, such as pesto.
Tubes	Penne, rigatoni, macaroni, paccheri	Hearty vegetable sauces, or baked cheese dishes. Also good with Bolognese or ragu.
Mini shapes	Orzo, fregola, canestrini, stelline	In soups and stews or as pasta salads.
Filled pasta	Ravioli, tortellini, cappelletti	As the filling contains lots of flavour, these are traditionally served with a light butter or oil sauce.

Top cooking tips

• Always cook pasta in a very large pan of salted, boiling water. If you don’tgive the pasta enough space to move in the pan, it will stick together. Italians say the water should be as salty as the sea to flavour the pasta.

• There is no need to add olive oil to your pasta when cooking. It won’t prevent it from sticking together, and will just end up down the drain.

• The classic British version of spag bol usually consists of cooked spaghetti topped with saucy mince, but in Italy, the pasta and sauce are always combined in the pan to ensure every piece of pasta is coated.

• Don’t cook the pasta all the way through in the water. Instead, drain it when it still has a little bite, then add to the sauce and continue cooking for a few minutes more until the pasta is cooked and has absorbed a little of the sauce.

• When draining the pasta, make sure you save a cup of the pasta water. Then, when you add the pasta to the sauce, splash in a little of the water if it looks too dry. The starch in the water will help the sauce cling to the pasta.

An Indian meal in one pot

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 68

I decided to try something new tonight. I had decided on prawns but I am bored of the usual stir fry or paella. My mum makes a great prawn pilau so I thought I'd have a go. I'm quite impressed with the result, probably not quite as good as hers but a pretty decent weeknight meal nevertheless. N is home late tonight so his plate is in the food warmer, fingers crossed he is as impressed as me! 

Prawn Pilau

(Serves 2 | total prep and cooking time 45 mins)

Ingredients

For the marinade - 2 tablespoons plain youghurt, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, pinch cayenne pepper, pinch garam masala, juice of 1/2 lemon  

For the rice

- 200g cooked prawns

- 1 small onion - diced

- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped

- 1/2 inch piece of ginger - finely chopped

- 2 tomatoes - chopped

- 1/2 chilli - finely chopped

- 8 mushrooms - sliced 

- peas (however much you want) 

- 120-150g basmati rice (6 handfuls)

- 1 teaspoon paprika

- 1 teaspoon cumin powder

- 1 teaspoon coriander powder

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 

- tablespoon chopped coriander 

- salt to taste 

Method

- Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl

- stir in the prawns and make sure they are evenly covered by the marinade. Set aside

- cook the rice until 3/4 cooked (still slightly firm to taste)

- Fry the onions in a sauté pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and fry until brown

- Add the tomatoes and fry until the tomato softens and the juice separates 

- Add the mushrooms and peas and stir

- Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, paprika and tumeric and mix well. Fry for a few mins until it starts to take some colour 

- Meanwhile in a separate frying pan heat some oil and fry the prawns until the marinade dries out and the prawns start to turn brown 

- Add the prawns to the sauté pan and stir well

- Add the coriander and salt to taste. Stir

- Add the rice and a little water and mix well. Simmer until the rice is cooked 

- Serve with yoghurt

It's a steak out!

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 98

N loves a good steak. Which is odd for a guy that claims he doesn't particularly like red meat. I have to say I don't blame him. If you get the right cut of beef, cooked the right way and with the right side it really is a perfect meal. And the fact it generally comes with chips is always a bonus for me! Now I am by no means a steak connoisseur. In fact the fanciest steak restaurant I've ever been to is Gaucho and these days we go to the Beefeater at the end of my road (hey, don't knock it, they do good steak)!

I've tried a few cuts and my favourite is definitely a fillet. I am pretty nervous about undercooked meat so I've always ordered my meat as 'well done' which might be why I never used to enjoy it. Then one day I was brave enough to order a 'medium' and it changed my life (ok not quite but you know what I mean)! So, so far we have a medium fillet steak. Pretty good. But the piece de resistance has got to be the sauce. It can make or break the dish. You can have bernaise, mushroom, peppercorn but my favourite is chimichurri. 

We hadn't had a chance to go out for a steak for a while so I treated N one night to a home made steak dinner. Now I won't insult you by telling you how to griddle a steak but I will share this amazing chimichurri recipe with you. 

Chimichurri Sauce 

Ingredients 

- small bunch parsley - roughly chopped

- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional) 

- 3 garlic gloves - finely chopped or crushed

- 1 shallot - finely chopped

- a large pinch of dried chilli flakes

- juice of 1/2 a lemon

 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 

Method

Simple. Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor and serve with your favourite steak. 

Another soup day

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 107

I'm clearly still not feeling well as all I seem to be want to eat these days is soup. Saying that this chicken noodle soup is amazing. It feels much more like a meal than a light soup and when I serve it with the delicious Japanese Gyoza I buy from Ocado you almost forget that you're eating in the comfort of your own home rather than in a restaurant in China Town. The other great advantage with soups is they reheat so well. You can make them earlier in the day or even the night before, but be careful with this one as if you leave the noodles in the broth too long they will absorb the water and become heavy, which kind of defeats the object of a nice light soup for dinner!

Chicken Noodle Soup 

(Serves 3 as a main or 4 as a starter | total prep and cooking time 45 mins) 

Ingredients

- groundnut oil for frying

- 1 small onion - diced

- 3-4 cloves of garlic - finely chopped 

- 1 inch piece of ginger - finely chopped

- 1/2 small chilli - finely chopped

- teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

- tablespoon soy sauce 

- tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

- 1 chicken breast fillet

- chicken stock cube dissolved in approx 500ml water. Have more boiling water ready 

- 1 nest of egg noodles

- approx 7 mushrooms - quartered

- other vegetables e.g. brocolli, green beans, mange tout

- tablespoon chopped coriander 

Method

- heat the oil in a deep saucepan

- fry the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until softened 

- add the five spice and stir

- add the chicken breast, stock, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil. Stir and bring to the boil

- simmer and cook for 20-25 mins until the chicken is cooked 

- remove the chicken breast and slice or shred the meat

- return the shredded chicken to the pan

- add the noodles, mushrooms, other vegetables and coriander and stir 

- add more boiling water depending on how watery you like your soup

- cook for 5-7 minutes 

- serve with dim sum 

Instant fresh frozen soup? Is that a contradiction of terms?

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 50

I really struggle with lunch ideas. Sandwiches can get so boring, and for a person like me who could easily eat half a loaf of bread a day that is saying something. Sometimes a soup is perfect, especially in this weather. It's warming and filling and a nice change. Chilled soups from the supermarket are perfect but they have a use by date and I'm never sure when I will be having lunch at home. I stopped having packet soups years ago as I always seemed to end up with a sludge if powder at the bottom of the mug! I'm still a glutton for canned soups, particularly Heinz cream of mushroom or cream of chicken. I know they're just full of salt, but sometimes that's what you need. But today I found they perfect lunchtime soup option. It's fresh and takes just over 10 minutes. And the best thing is it doesn't involve any chopping! All you need is a pack of Essential Waitrose frozen winter vegetable mix which I bought from Ocado. Boil it in some vegetable stock for 8-10 minutes and then transfer to a jug blender to blend. Serve. Simple as that. You will never need ready soup again. Of course I enjoyed mine with a lovely chunk of fresh french baguette! 

British Sausage Week

For NaBloPoMo November 2014 my challenge is to upload a post every day thoughout the month. That's 30 days and 30 posts. The more page views I get per day the more money I will donate to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT). Help support my challenge by logging on daily and donating directly www.chect.org.uk. 

Yesterday's total views: 58 

So apparently this week is British Sausage Week. Part of me thinks we are getting a bit carried away. There's always some national day or week or month. I know that's very hypocritical seeing that I am writing this post as part of National Blog Posting Month. I mean today is apparently national X-Ray day and tomorrow is national tongue twister day! Next Thursday (13th) is one I particularly like...national kindness day. But I've thought of some new ones of my own. How about national stay in bed day? Or national say-what-you-think day, now that could he dangerous. But national food days or weeks are fun. Particularly for lesser used foods like turnip! Sausage is not a food that I need a special week for though, I am quite happy to cook them all the time, but I did use this opportunity to do something different with them. Instead of my usual sausage and bean cassoulet or toad-in-the-hole I decided to try making meatballs. I read a tip that a great way to make pork meatballs it to use sausages. And it worked.  These meatballs are easy, tasty and different. Try them tomorrow, on the last day of British Sausage Week. 

Pork meatballs

(Serves 2 generously | total prep and cooking time approx 50-60 mins + 30 mins refrigeration time)

Ingredients 

- 6 good quality pork sausages

- handful chopped thyme 

- 1 onion - diced

- 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped

- 8 - 10 closed cup mushrooms - sliced

- 227g tin chopped tomatoes

- handful chopped parsley

- 200ml chicken or vegetable stock

Method

- Cut the skin off the end of each sausage and score down the edge. Peel away the skin and slip out the sausage meat into a large bowl. Once you have the meat from each of the 6 sausages mash them together with a fork and sprinkle with cracked black pepper and chopped thyme. Portion off a section of the meat and roll into a ball approximately half the size of a golf ball (or bigger if you prefer) 

- Place the meatballs on a tray and sprinkle with flour. Place in the fridge for at least 30 mins 

- Fry the onions and garlic in a sauté pan until soft and golden

- Add the meatballs and fry until brown on the outside 

- Add the mushrooms and fry for a mins

- Add the tomatoes and stir well, cook for a few minutes

- Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer. Cook on a low heat for approximately 20- 25 mins or until the meatballs are cooked. Add more water if the sauce is drying out

- stir through the parsley and serve with rice and vegetables or spaghetti