Oven baked pork balls with peppers

This is my first time making pork balls, and amazingly, they didn't distintegrate into little bits and pieces during the cooking process. First, mix 500 g of minced pork with 1 finely chopped garlic clove, 4 tbsp of fresh basil, finely chopped and 3 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper. With damp hands, roll the mixture into balls and reserve. Spoon 3 tbsp of olive in a large roasting tin and place in the preheated oven at 200 degrees for 3 minutes. Stir in the pork balls, 1 finely chopped garlic cloves, 3 peppers, cut into chunks and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in 225 g of cherry tomatoes, and season to taste. Bake for another 20 minutes. Remove the pork balls from oven and stir in 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Serve with garlic bread.

M's verdict: 5/10
N's verdict: 8/10

M doesn't like the pork balls as the taste of the pork is too strong, overpowering. I don't have any problems with that. I quite like it as it is a mediterranean recipe, full of the natural flavours of the peppers and tomatoes. Too bad, M doesn't like it, but i am sure my parents will. I think this is definitely one of the dishes i will cook for them.

Seafood risotto

First, fry 1 finely chopped onion in olive for 4 minutes until softened but not coloured. Add 120g of arborio rice and stir for minute. Slowly add 75ml of white wine. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until reduced by half. Bring 700ml of fish stock to a gentle simmer, then add to the rice, a ladleful at a time. Cook, stirring frequently until the stock has been added and the rice is cooked. Add the seafood you like depending on how long it takes to cook them in the rice mixture although for fish, it's better to poach it or fry it separately before placing it on top of the risotto. Stir in 25 g of butter, 1 tbsp of freshly snipped chives, 1 tbsp of freshly chopped dill, 1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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

This was a huge success. Light and not overly rich, it was light on the stomach. The trick for me, is not to use 'natural' chicken stock and to use stock cubes as you need quite a lot of seasoning to get the appropriate taste. Oh and don't be an idiot like me, when I cooked this for the second time, i forgot to descale the salmon. While the taste was still good, it wasn't that enjoyable biting into the scales.

Cream of butternut squash soup

Cook 900g of butternut squash, peeled and cubed in olive oil for 2-3 minutes, coating it completely with oil. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 finely chopped leek, 1 finely chopped carrot, 4 garlic cloves finely chopped and 2 finely chopped celery sticks into the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Cover the vegetables with 1.7 litre of chicken stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Blend the mixture. (I like my soups to be a bit chunky, with bits and pieces of the vegetables so I don't blend it till it forms a smooth puree.) Adjust the seasoning, add 140 ml of cream. Bring the soup to boiling point, add 1/4 tsp of chilli powder and serve with a swirl of cream on top and warm bread.

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

Good, wholesome natural food. Excellent for a quick dinner. But as M points out, it's just a soup. Nothing exceptional about it, and so the maximum it can get is a 7.

Oatmeal and raisin cookies

We were watching the movie 'Stranger than fiction' and Ana Pascal was making cookies for Harold Crick. That gave us the idea of making cookies. We spent quite a lot of time burning the first batch of cookies on Saturday but at least by the end of that day, we were more or less sure of the time required in the oven. On Sunday, it turned out pretty ok. This recipe is taken from the goodhousekeeping website.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 1/2 cups raisins
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with nonstick foil (or use nonstick cookie sheet).

2. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat sugars and butter until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in vanilla, then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in oats and raisins.

4. Drop dough by heaping measuring teaspoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake cookies for 6 minutes or until tops are golden. Cool cookies on cookie sheet 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Baked codfish with anchovies and parmesan cheese

A really interesting recipe from my Italian cookbook. I don't think I have had anything similar in my life. First, deskin 2 cod fillets. Divide them into half lengthwise. On each of these portions, place 1/2 tsp of chopped anchovies. If the anchovies are salted, soak them in water to get rid of the salt. Roll the fillets up from the thickest side and reserve. Pour boiling water oven 250 g of spinach and leave for 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Place the spinach in the base of an ovenproof dish. Arrange 2 tomatoes sliced on top of the spinach. Arrange the fish on top and pour over 100ml of cream. Place 1 slice of wholemeal bread, and 25g of rocket in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Stir in 25g of grated parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the topping over the fish and bake in preheated oven at 220 degrees for 16 minutes until the fish is cooked. Serve with freshly cooked pasta.

M's verdict: 8/10
N's verdict: 9/10

I really like this dish for its uniqueness and how the taste of the anchovies complement the simplier taste of the codfish. Need some practice cooking this dish, as the fish was undercooked. That's why i increased the time in the oven from 10 minutes (in the cookbook) to 16 minutes.

Herb baked chicken with tagliatelle

A really simple dish to prepare, which doesn't require any frying. First place 3 chicken thighs on a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix 1 and a half slices of wholemeal breadcrumbs, 1 tsp of oregano, 1 tbsp of sundried tomatoes paste and 1 tbsp of olive. Press the breadcrumbs onto the chicken thighs. In another bowl, mix 1 can of plum tomatoes, 1 tbsp of white wine and 1 tbsp of chopped fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the sides of the chicken thighs in the baking dish. Place in a preheated oven 200 degrees and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with cooked tagliatelle.

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

M think it's boring. She likes the breadcrumbs though and that's probably why it's a 6 rather than a 5. I quite like this dish, it's simple, healthy and I do like the breadcrumbs as well.

Classic minestrone

I have always thought that the distinctive taste of minestrone soup is from beef stock. I only realised that it is actually the bacon that gives it that wonderful flavour when I cooked it yesterday. First chop up 3 bacon rashers and fry it in butter and olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Leave the juices in the pan and add 1 large onion finely chopped, 1 garlic clove finely chopped, 1 celery stick finely chopped and 2 carrots finely chopped. Add one ingredient at a time, stirring well after each addition. Cover and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 1.1 litre of stock,bring to the boil, cover the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in 175g of finely shredded green cabbage, 50 g of french beans, trimmed and halved and 50 g of spaghetti pieces. Cover and simmer for another 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the soup, bring it the boil and serve with crusty bread.

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

M really likes the soup, she said that it was extremely savoury, full of the taste of the various vegetables. Of course, she may be biased as she had the soup at 3am, having had no dinner previously. I enjoyed the soup as well, and at least in my view, it did taste exactly like minestrone soup. The recipe requires 3 tbsp of peas as well but as M abhors peas, it's not in my cooking. So if you like them, by all means add them.

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