Gnocchi and parma ham bake

Cook 1 finely chopped onion and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves in olive oil for 5 minutes till softened. Stir in 175g of plum tomatoes, peeled and skinned, 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes paste and 250g of cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2tbsp of finely chopped fresh tarragon. Bring to the boil and lower the heat, simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked gnocchi to a large oven proof dish. Add the tomato sauce and toss gently to coat the pasta. Combine 125 g of finely grated cheddar cheese, 50g of white breadcrumbs and 1/2 tbsp of fresh tarragon. Scatter over the pasta mixture. Top with 50 g of parma ham and 10 halved pitted green olives. Cook in preheated oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

M's verdict: 7/10
N's verdict: 7/10

Very intense tomato taste. I find it too strong. M is fine with it. I like the texture of the gnocchi which becomes something like mashed potatoes after its time in the oven. The parma ham is a nice crisp topping for this dish. The key problem is the olives. I think I should have washed the olives to get rid of the brine as it gave a sour flavour to the overall package.

Mushroom risotto

I had the most wonderful mushroom risotto at Marcus Wareing at The Savoy. It was rich, full of the taste of mushrooms, yet light: it didn't feel heavy on the stomach. And of course, as I mentioned in the entry on this restaurant, it had a poached egg on top, an interesting complement to the mushrooms. Well, as you all would expect, I decided to try to make mushroom risotto. This recipe is taken from the BBC website.

Ingredients
1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
225g/8oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
350g/12oz arborio rice
150ml/¼ pint dry white wine
1.2 litres/2 pints hot vegetable stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
25g/1oz butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve


Method
1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Heat the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Fry over a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, until browned.
2. Stir in the rice and coat in the oil. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring, until the liquid has
been absorbed. Add a ladleful of the stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender.
3. Roughly chop the soaked mushrooms and stir into the risotto, along with the parsley, butter and salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 6/10
N's verdict: 7/10

The texture of the risotto was perfect, at least to me, and it wasn't the ridiculously creamy kind normally served at Italian restaurants in England. The problem was, unfortunately, the taste, which is my fault, I guess. Or the supermarket's fault actually. They were out of dried porcini mushrooms. As an alternative, I just grabbed a packet of dried wild mushrooms and it simply didn't have the intense flavours associated with porcini mushrooms. I will have to try and make this dish again with porcini mushrooms to see whether I can recreate that taste i savoured at Marcus Wareing. Oh and there's no poached egg, as well, I am embarassed to say this, I can't seem to poach eggs.

Tagliatelle with chicken, asparagus and mushrooms

This is my first time cooking with asparagus. It has been always been an enigmatic vegetable to me. It just looks so different and tastes so different from everything else. For this recipe, first melt 1 tbsp of butter in a frying pan, then add 2 spring onions chopped and 180 g of diced chicken. Fry for 2 minutes. Add 8 chopped chestnut mushrooms and continue frying for 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of white wine and allow to reduce. Pour in 150 ml of cream and 1 tbsp of chopped chives. Cook gently for 5-7 until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is tender. Mix in cooked tagliatelle, toss and mix thoroughly. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 5/10
N's verdict: 5/10

Was hoping the asparagus added a special taste to the sauce but it turned out to be an average creamy pasta. Nothing exceptional.

Traditional lasagne

Garfield's favourite food and one of my brother's as well I think: lasagne. Another traditional Italian recipe to master for my education in Italian cuisine. Cook 2 slices of smoked bacon and 250 g of lean beef mince for 10 minutes. Add 2 celery sticks finely chopped, 1/2 onion finely chopped, 8 button mushrooms finely chopped and 1 carrot finely chopped. Cook for 4 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of flour and 1 garlic clove finely chopped. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp of mixed herbs, 1 cup of beef stock and 3 tbsp of tomato puree. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 30g of butter in a small pan and stir in 3 tbsp of flour, 1 tsp of English mustard and a pinch of nutmeg until well blended. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually blend in 2 cups of milk until smooth. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Gradually stir in 30 grams of grated cheddar cheese and 30 grams of grated parmesan cheese until melted. Season to taste.

Spoon half the meat mixture into the base of an ovenproof dish. Top with a single layer of precooked lasagne sheets. Spread over half the white sauce, and scatter more parmesan and grated cheese. Repeat the layers finishing with the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven, at 200 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked the top is golden brown and bubbly.

M's verdict: 9/10
N's verdict: 9/10

Need to make sure the pasta sheets are properly cooked though.

Pasta with spicy red pepper and anchovy sauce

Another simple and quick recipe to prepare. First roast 2 red peppers under a grill, until the peppers are charred and soft. Remove the skins and chop finely. In a pan, fry 1/2 a finely chopped onion with olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, 4 anchovy fillets and 1 finely chopped chilli and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the red peppers, a can of chopped tomatoes and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of fresh basil and serve with cooked pasta and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 7/10
N's verdict: 6/10

It's a bit plain but i guess that's what you get for a simple meal.

Chicken cacciatore

I have been experimenting with different recipes for Chicken and tomato casseroles, to find out which is the best and whether I can combine elements of it together to form what i consider the perfect chicken and tomato casserole. So far, I have chicken chasseur, chicken with olives, capers and tomatoes, chicken and porcini casserole, chicken with chorizo and now chicken cacciatore, the Italian version of this recipe. I think the conclusion so far is that the chicken and porcini casserole is the best.

Anyway, for this recipe, first fry 125 g of diced bacon in olive oil for 2-3 minutes till they are golden brown and crispy. Reserve. Brown chicken pieces dredged in seasoned flour for around 15 minutes. Reserve. Stir 2 cloves of chopped garlic into the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Add 125 ml of red wine and cook. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 150 ml of chicken stock, 12 small oinions, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 tsp of dried oregano and stir well. Season to taste. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped and 225g of mushrooms. Simmer for 15-20 minutes till the chicken and vegetables are tender. Serve with pasta.

M's verdict: 6/10
N's verdict: 5/10

A very average chicken and tomato casserole.

Pasta with broccoli and bacon sauce

Something less rich and filling for dinner today. First, cook 450g of broccoli florets in boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain, allow to cool and chop finely. Cook 50g chopped bacon in olive oil for 5 minutes till brown and crisp. Add 1 chopped small onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 finely sliced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add broccoli to the bacon mixture. Add 200 ml of milk. Bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 5/10

Because M doesn't really like broccoli

N's verdict: 6/10

Spaghetti Bolognese

My self taught education in Italian cuisine (well I hope the recipes in my Italian cookbook are authentic) cannot be complete without one of the most traditional Italian recipes: Spaghetti Bolognese. I don't normally order this dish in restaurants as they tend to taste artificial with lots of preservatives and I am glad that mine turned out bursting with natural flavours.

First, saute 450g of minced beef and 125g of smoked bacon until browned. Add 1 finely chopped carrot, 3 finely chopped celery sticks, 1 finely chopped onion and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. Cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 tbsp of flour and cook for 1 min. Add 150ml of red wine, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 2 tsp of mixed herbs and 1 tsp of sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Spoon over cooked spaghetti the sauce, garnish with oregano leaves and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 9/10
N's verdict: 9/10

It's something I don't mind cooking for guests.

Creamy chicken and chorizo pasta

So far, this has been a week of rich flavours. For today, it is the combination of the intense taste of smoked spanish sausage: chorizo, red wine and cream cheese. First, pan fry 3 shallots for 3 minutes till the shallots are golden. Set aside. Next, brown 4 chicken thighs for around 5 minutes. Reserve. Pan fry chestnut mushrooms and chorizo for 3 minutes till brown. Set aside. Add the chorizo, chicken and shallots to the pan. Add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh thyme, 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 tbsp of paprika. Cook for 1 minute. Add 75 ml of red wine and 150 ml of chicken stock. Season with black pepper. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue simmering for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender. Add in 200g of cream cheese, stir well and heat gently. Serve with pasta.

M's verdict: 6/10

Because it's too smoky.

N's verdict: 7/10

I absolutely love the taste of chorizo but it's not a dish you can eat on a regular basis as it's really heavy.

Mediterranean fish stew

No more mediterranean fish soup for us. I have discovered that that soup is just the basics of fish soup. This is the real stuff, a much more complex blend of different flavours. In a saucepan, cook 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped fennel, 3 finely chopped celery sticks and 5 garlic cloves thinly sliced in olive oil at low heat for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp of mixed herbs, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp of fresh oregano finely chopped, 1 tsp of saffron strands and the juice of 1 orange. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 3 tbsp of white wine and 750 ml of fish stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add 500g of fish ( I used cod fish and salmon, cut into 5cm cubes) and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 225g of prawns and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

M's verdict: 9/10
N's verdict: 9/10

It's my best fish dish so far.

Gnocchi with grilled cherry tomatoes sauce

Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay have been complaining about how people don't bother to cook their meals these days, relying on frozen meals and takeaways instead. Well, this dish is really quick and easy to prepare. You can do it in 15-20 minutes. Place 500g of cherry tomatoes (halved lengthwise) in a shallow flameproof casserole dish. Add 1 tbsp of chopped basil, 1 tbsp of chopped thyme, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Mix well. Cook under a pre-heated grill for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are charred and soft, stirring once or twice. Serve with cooked gnocchi and grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 7/10
N's verdict: 6/10

I added too much lemon. The recipe requires the zest of half a lemon. I think it's way too much so I have now reduced it to just 1 tbsp of lemon juice

Pasta with proscuitto and mushrooms

I used to dislike the taste of parmesan cheese until I realised that the taste of freshly grated parmesan cheese is completely different from the packet ones. For this dish, place dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour over hot chicken stock. Leave to soak for 15-20 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add 1 finely chopped small onion and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat until the onion is soft. Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add roughly chopped prosciutto, (it's a kind of italian ham) and cook for a further minute. Drain the porcini mushrooms and reserve the liquid. Roughly chop and add to the frying pan together with fresh mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Pour the reserved liquid into the pan. Stir in 3 tbsps of creme fraiche and chopped parsley and heat gently. Season with salt and pepper and serve with pasta and top with grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 8/10
N's verdict: 8/10

Simple yet flavoursome dish.

Pasta and pork ragu

I first tried pork ragu at Angela Hartnett at The Connaught and I was quite impressed with the dish. So, I was delighted to find it in my new Italian cookbook. First, fry 1 leek (trimmed and thinly sliced) in a frying pan with sunflower oil, stirring frequently for around 5 minutes till soft. Add 225 g of pork fillet (diced) and cook, stirring for 4 minutes. Add 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tsp of paprika and 1/4 tsp of chilli powder to the pan and stir until the pork is lightly coated in the garlic and pepper mixture. Pour in 150 ml of white wine and 450 mil of chicklen stock. Add 4 chopped sundried tomatoes and 2 carrots diced. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to the boil, lower the heat and simmer till the carrots are cooked. Add cooked pasta to the pork ragu, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over it, toss well and adjust the seasoning. Serve with chopped parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

M's verdict: 5/10

Because M doesn't like pork.

N's verdict: 7/10

Chicken with porcini mushrooms

I first cooked this a few years ago when I bought this Italian cookbook from The Works in Nottingham for my mom. Interestingly, it was also the first time I cooked for an audience; it was a Christmas dinner party at my uncle's place. So when I took this book, from my mom, back to London, it's one of the first recipes from it that I wanted to cook from it as I recall it was quite popular at the dinner.

Fry brown 5 chicken thighs (deboned) with olive oil in a frying pan. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add two crushed garlic, stir into the juiices and cook for 1 minute. Pour around 1/2 cup of white wine into the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to the chicken to the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. In another frying pan, heat some butter and add 15g of porcini mushrooms (hydrated with boiling water for 20 minutes previously) and 400 grams of mushrooms. Fry for around 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden. Add the mushrooms to the chicken. Season to taste, then add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh oregano. Stir together gently and cook for 1 more minute. Serve with rice or pasta.

The dish has a strong white wine taste so if you don't like such flavour, this dish isn't recommended.

Chicken and porcini casserole

I love using porcini mushrooms. There's a certain richness that it generates in stews and soups, that you can't get from normal button/chestnut mushrooms. For this recipe, place 20g of porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are fully hydrated. Lightly toss 1.5 kg of chicken pieces in 1/4 cup of seasoned plain flour to coat. Heat oil in pan and cook the chicken over medium heat in batches until browned. Set aside. Add 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pan with the porcini mushrooms and the liquid. Add 1/3 cup of white wine, 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, 3 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leave. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add 300g of field mushrooms. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Serve with pasta.

Beef carbonnade

Yet another recipe from the One Pot cookbook. First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Brown beef chunks (1kg) with butter and olive oil. Remove from the pan. Cook 2 sliced onions, and 2 crushed garlic cloves at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of plain flour, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Combine 1 1/2 cups of brown ale with 1 1/2 cup of water and add to the pan. Stir well, bring to the boil and return the meat to the pan. Add bouquet garni, season with salt and pepper, and return to the boil. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover well with foil and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Spread French bread slices with dijon mustard and butter. Place bread on stew, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes until the bread becomes crusty.

Balti chicken

I am on a roll, this week. The One Pot cookbook is really excellent, so far I have cooked 5 recipes from it, and they all turned out pretty well. For Balti chicken, first fry 1 diced onion over high heat for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped and 1 tbsp of grated ginger and continue frying for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 tsp of ground cumin, 2 tsp of ground coriander, 1 tsp of ground tumeric, 1/2 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of water. Increase the heat to high and stir fry for 2 minnutes until the mixture has thickened. (Don't burn it!) Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of water and cook, stirring often for 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Add 1 kg of chopped chicken thigh fillets, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 diced capsicum and 1 diced chilli and simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Stir in 4 tbsp of chopped coriander and 2 chopped springs onions. Serve with rice or in our case, prata!

Pork, coriander and potato stew

I used to abhor and detest coriander but recently i have started to move towards a nonchalance about it with the carrot and coriander soup i had on a regular basis at the Uni's cafeteria. I am actually even cooking with it now. I am really getting old. Anyway, this is the second of the four recipes I had planned for this week, pork coriander and potato stew as taken from my one pot cook book.

First marinate pork fillet cubes (800g) with 1 1/2tbsp coriander seeds (crushed) and 1/2 tsp of cracked balck pepper. Season with salt. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Toss the pork in 1 tbsp of plain flour and brown the pork over high heat. Remove from the pan. Add 1 diced onion and 2 chopped potatoes to the pan and cook over medium heat for around 3-4 minutes. Return the pork to the pan and add 1 1/2 cup fo red wine, 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 tsp of sugar. Add 1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 1 hour. Serve with fresh coriander.

Saffron chicken and rice

It's been two weeks since I returned from Singapore/Paris. Been sorting out some administrative matters and I haven't really settled back into a routine of cooking till this week. Last two weeks, I have been cooking old favourite recipes, just to get myself reacquainted with my london kitchen. So this week, I have bought the ingredients for four new recipes, taken from the two cookbooks that I brought from Singapore. For this post, it's Saffron chicken and rice, taken from Favourite One-Pot recipes, a present from my mom.

First brown 6 chicken thighs with olive oil at high heat. Then remove them from the pan. Next, at medium heat, cook gently 1 diced onion and 1 diced green pepper for five minutes. Stir in some paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes and simmer for 1-3 minutes till it thickens. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of boiling water, add 1 1/4 cups of rice and 1/2 tsp of ground saffron. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, till the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is tender.

Baked salmon with fresh herbs and lemon

Saw this on a JO show. First, scatter salt, black pepper and lemon rind on a chopping board. Drizzle some olive oil on it. Place the salmon fillet on the board. Place some fresh dill, basil and parsley on top of the fish. Place another piece of salmon on top of it. Season with more salt and pepper. Drizzle more olive oil. Place some lemon slices on top of the salmon and bake in the oven, 180 degree for around 15-20 minutes.