Caprese style salad

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
This is an easy salad very tasty!

5 small tomatoes cut in flat rounds
5 bocconcini cheese balls cut into flat rounds
10 fresh basil leaves and a few tiny ones to top
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzle
Salt and pepper for top


Place the rounds of tomato,bocconcini and basil on top of one another in whatever way you like on a small plate and drizzle olive oil and shake salt and pepper on top.

Delicious!!!!

Tagliatelle alla carbonara

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 slices of pancetta diced up
handful of garden italian parsley chopped up
small shake of garlic (either dried or fresh)
2 eggs beaten in a cup
4 tablespoons of grana padano cheese grated
4 tablespoons of pecorino romano grated
small shake of black pepper finely ground
375g fresh tagliatelle egg pasta


Place a large saucepan on the stove top and fill with water in preparation to boil the pasta.  Add a pinch of salt and set on heat to start to boil.

Prepare in a bowl the eggs with the two cheeses and pepper and set aside.

Place in a fry pan the oil with pancetta, parsley, garlic and heat slowly until browned then turn heat off.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and this should only take 2 minutes to cook perfect.  Drain the water out and add this pasta to the pancetta mix and turn heat on slowly.  Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pasta/pancetta and stir with a wooden spoon  quickly on a fairly medium heat until for a small amount of time (around 2 minutes) until it is just shiny still.  Do not let it dry out and make sure to keep moving it around while heating it.

Serve immediately.  Very tasty meal idea for people on the go.

Crostoli

Preparation Time: 60 - 90 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 - 20 minutes

Makes around 50 biscuits (depending on shape sizes)

You will need a pasta machine for this

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain flour
1 cup of self raising flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 tablespoon of lemon rind
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
2 tablespoons of brandy
2-3 spare tablespoons of water to balance if too dry
500ml olive oil for frying them in
Icing sugar to dust them after they are cooked


First place the flour into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sugar, oil, lemon rind and juice, vanilla, eggs and brandy and blend with fingers until it starts to form a nice dough.  Add the additional water if required to make a smooth dough ball.

Knead the dough gently on a floured board and when smooth divide this up into four equal pieces and wrap each in glad wrap and set aside.

Place your pasta machine on the bench and set roller on the thickest (widest) setting (8)  .  Unwrap one of your dough balls and place in hand to flatten slightly.  Dust rollers with a little flour.  Feed dough slowly through the machine approx 3 to 4 times , folding as you go to get a rectangle shape.  Do not stress if you cannot get an exact perfect shape they are individual and are all tasty whatever the shape.  Reduce setting if you like by one size and roll through machine.  Some people like to use eg. ravioli cutters to cut into strips.  I did not have one however so i used a normal knife to cut them.

Heat your oil as you go and in a fry pan that is quite deep add some oil to cover the top of around 3 at a  time (next to each other).  Cook each side for approx 2 minutes.  Try to not brown them too much.  Use tongs to remove them one at a time and set on wire rack to dry and shake icing sugar over each.  Repeat until all batches are done.

Place  into airtight containers after they have cooled down.

Home Made Pasta Sauce - Bolognese Recipe

Home Made Pasta Sauce - Bolognese Recipe

 

Cooking Time: 1 to 2 hours

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Serves approx 4

Beef mince 250g

1/4 onion chopped finely

Tomato Passata 250g bottle 

Basil leaves 3 fresh
Olive Oil
Salt
1/2 beef stock cube (quality cube) or you can use 1/2 cup fresh beef stock


Cook the onion in some olive oil until opaque.  Then place mince meat into the onion mix and stir while cooking making sure its all broken up well.  Brown mince nicely and then you can add the tomato passata, basil and salt to taste.  I use beef stock cube for extra flavour in my sauce.  1/2 a cube with 1/2 cup of water can be added and the sauce should be cooked for around 1.5 hours to 2 hours for a nice flavor.


You can freeze this sauce if the meat is purchased fresh and defrost as you require for pastas, etc.

Roast Chicken with Rosemary

Roast Chicken with Rosemary

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 hours approx

Serves 4 approx

1 x 1.5kg size Free range chicken

2 sprigs of rosemary

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons (a good shake over your chicken) of extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 cup of chicken stock

Preheat your oven to around 200 degrees celcius.  Place one rosemary sprig in the chicken cavity with the garlic and the vinegar.  Shake some salt and pepper over the chicken and place another sprig of rosemary on the top (breast side up).

Place in oven and reduce temp to around 180 degrees.  Cook for approx 1.5 to 2 hours. 

Turn the chicken after one hour of cooking this makes the juices run through it instead of it draining away. 

When cooked place on warm serving dish and discard the rosemary sprig.  Spoon off the fat from the roasting tin and place it in a saucepan over the stovetop burner.  Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan.  Boil until it begins to thicken.  Taste and add salt and pepper to liking.  Pour into a gravy boat to accompany the chicken. 

Serve with my side dish of roast potatoes and zuccini (see blog recipe)

Tomato Osso Bucco

Tomato Osso Bucco

Serves : 3  (3 fit in an average fry pan)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 2.5 hours for perfection

1 Bouquet garni which is made by bundling herbs together. I used fresh parsley (italian), thyme, celery leaves and bay leaf. Twine together with the thyme or parsley ends.

3 pieces of the Veal shank from the butcher cut into 1 1/2 thick pieces
1 cup of plain all purpose flour in a bowl seasoned with salt and pepper (OR for Gluten free use gluten free flour)
60ml olive oil
50grams of butter
1 garlic clove whole or 1 teaspoon crushed
1 small carrot chopped finely
1 large onion chopped finely
1/2 celery stalk chopped finely
1 1/2 cups of home style chicken stock (see my blog recipe)
1 cup of dry white wine
800ml chopped tomatoes or passata
1 cup of chopped mushrooms if you like?



Prepare your Bouquet garni first which is very important as it adds the flavour to this dish.
Place each piece of veal carefully one at a time into the flour to dust.  Heat your oil in a heavy frypan with the butter and garlic and in single layers place the veal and cook until browned on both sides (approx 15 minutes).  Discard the garlic after this (unless you use crushed then its ok). Set the veal pieces aside in a large cast iron baker.

 Using the same frypan (with the juices of the meat) add your carrot then add celery and onion and cook without browning until it is going soft.  Increase the heat and add the wine cooking for approx 5 minutes.  Then you can add your stock with the tomatoes and bouquet garni on top.  Season with some salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce into the baker with the meat. Add mushrooms into sauce if desired.  Cover baker with a little foil and place in your oven for approx 2 hours at 180 degrees (i prefer this method instead of on the stovetop) . 

The meat should be tender after this time. Check every 30 mins the sauce is halfway up the baker.  Test meat is ready by poking it with a fork to see if it melts into it. 

Best served with my cheesy polenta!
http://deliciouscookingwithmandy.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/baked-polenta-with-three-cheeses.html

Whitebait with fresh lemon wedges

Whitebait with fresh lemon wedges

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Serves: 4 small side dish

300g Fresh Whitebait

1/2 cup of plain flour

salt and pepper

Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley

Lemons to serve cut into quarters

Combine your Whitebait with some salt and pepper.  Then toss the whitebait into the flour in a large bowl.  Shake of any excess flour and then cook in batches in hot oil for approx 1-2 minutes or until crispy and golden in colour.  Drain on absorbent paper and serve with fresh homestyle chips or just alone with the lemon wedges.



Spaghetti with Chilli and Prawns

Spaghetti with Chilli and Prawns

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

1 pack of spaghetti (depending on how many eating)

400g Green Prawns

1 red chilli chopped finely and take out the seeds if you dont like it too hot

a few sprigs of fresh italian parsley finely chopped

1 flat teaspoon of garlic chopped finely

olive oil

salt and pepper if desired

Boil water for the spaghetti in a large saucepan to fit.  Cook for approx 10 minutes.

While your pasta is cooking in a frypan add some olive oil, prawns, garlic, chilli and parsley and cook for approx 5 minutes or until prawns are cooked through. Make sure to stir occasionally. Do not let the chilli burn  this is very important.

When the spaghetti is ready drain the water and then add the frypan ingredients to the cooked pasta and stir through.

Serve with a nice glass of white wine ( Moscato )

Enjoy!





Prawn Pizza with bite!

Prawn Pizza

Serves : 4

Preparation Time: 20

Pizza base flour as per instructions on pack

12 prawns with tails intact (green)

2 tablespoons of pizza base tomato sauce

Ball mozzarella cheese grated (half the ball small size)

Fresh oregano chopped finely

100g fresh ham or bacon

Chilli flakes if desired small sprinkle

Prepare your pizza base as per the packet instructions and roll out into approx 2 cm height.  Prepare on pizza tray with holes and pre cook the base for 10 minutes on 180 degrees celcius.

Once cooked place pizza cheese on top evenly and spread the oregano herbs across the cheese.  Then place the bacon or ham into a frypan and cook until slightly brown before adding to the cheese topping.  Then cook the prawns in the frypan until pink/orange and place on top of the pizza evenly.  Sprinkle the chilli if desired.

This is a fresh and easy pizza and everyone really enjoys them.



Baked polenta with three cheeses

Baked polenta with three cheeses



Preparation Time: 30 minutes to make the polenta. 2 hours to cool the polenta (so able to cut) or make day earlier and refrigerate.

It will take only 10 minutes to assemble

Baking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

250g of Polenta

6 cups of Water (1.5 litres) little more if too dry

50g butter

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 bottle of tomato puree (mine had basil included)

thyme leaves 1 teaspoon

1 cup of fontina cheese grated

1 cup of grana padano

8 tablespoons of marscapone cheese

Boil the water in a large heavy based saucepan and add the salt.  Add polenta slowly whisking gently.  Reduce heat immediately so water is just simmering.  Stir to break up any large lumps appearing.  Once you have stirred the beginning you can let the polenta slowly bubble stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking to pan.  Add the butter and stir through after approx 25 minutes.

Pour the polenta into a shallow casserole or baking dish approx 5 cm deep.  Leave to cool completely.

Once cooled preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius fanforced.  Turn the polenta out onto a board and slice it horizontally in two.  Pour half of your tomato puree into the empty dish base.  Place the bottom slice of polenta on top of the sauce and season with the thyme. Scatter some fontina cheese and marscapone cheese over the polenta with tablespoon.  Sprinkle with half the grana padano.

Place the other layer of polenta on the top and pour over remaining sauce.  Then sprinkle the remaining grana padano on top and some thyme leaves.  Bake for approx 30 minutes and then let sit for an additional 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes approx

2 Large chicken fillets skinless cut in half lengthwise

2 eggs lighty beaten in a bowl with a splash of milk

1 cup of breadcrumbs in a bowl

pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup of flour in a bowl

Olive oil in frypan to fit two fillets

Tomato sauce, just tomatoe puree  (i used home made italian sugo) 200g approx

Mozzarella cheese ( soft ball grated)  1/2 of a ball or enough to top the four fillets

Finely cut garden parsley for each to top

Garden salad

Lettuce cos a few leaves on each plate

finely sliced carrots peeled for each plate

radish washed finely sliced for each plate

1 tablespoon olives pitted each

few slices of finely sliced grana padano cheese

Place chicken fillets each into the egg mixture and let drip for a moment then dip into flour and shake off excess.  Then dip the floured chicken fillet back into the egg and milk mixture.   Then roll in the breadcrumbs with the salt and pepper.  Fry in pan (two at a time until golden brown in frypan) and place on some baking paper or foil on a baking tray / dish. 

Place the tomato puree on the top of each fillet and top with mozzarella.  Bake in oven for approx 30 - 45 minutes on 180 degrees.

Then when ready top with finely chopped parsley to serve with salad.

Home Made Pizza - Capricciosa

Home Made Pizza - Capricciosa

Ingredients:

Pizza dough home made i use Lighthouse brand (as per pack instructions)

Leggos Tomato paste or any pizza base tomato sauce 

To make your dough do as per the pack and half the ingredients for two people as they make quite a large pizza.  Make sure when mixing the dough you dont over do the water (or add more flour) and let it sit for around 3 hours in a bowl covered with gladwrap or a teatowel.  When ready roll out with some flour on board and make a nice flat pizza rotating the dough around and around and keep flouring board if its too damp.  Use a proper pizza tray from the supermarket or wherever you can get one.   I use only a flat tablespoon of tomato sauce.

Cook this with the tomato base sauce on it for ten minutes at 200 degrees celcius  (while preparing your toppings) and then take pizza out and place on top of a board for toppings.

Toppings:

Garlic if you like a few small pieces finely chopped (as per your liking on the tomato base)

Onion finely chopped small one

Pancetta or bacon 3 pieces cut roughly

Mushrooms 1 punnet of cut up buttons

Mozzarella cheese 2 cups for 2 pizzas roughly (depends on how much cheese you like)

Black olives pitted one small bottle drained

Italian herbs (oregano and basil )

Salt and pepper

Small drizzle of olive oil

Anchovies if you like them (i didn't add them to mine)

Arrangement of toppings:

First place the mozzarella on the base sauce and spread evenly then add your herbs (shake around evenly finely).  Then i add the pancetta, garlic, onion, mushrooms, olives, a shake of salt and pepper and olive oil and if you like anchovies on top. I like a little more herbs on top too.

Bake your pizza at around 200 degrees celcius for around 20 minutes or check around 15 minutes to move tray around for even browning.  Cook a little longer if its still not brown enough.

Serve with a nice bottle of Merlot Red Wine :)

Orecchiette al Ragu Bolognese!

300g Orecchiette pasta

60g Grana Padano cheese grated

The Ragu

50g Butter

50g Pancetta diced finely

1 carrot diced finely

1 celery diced finely

1 small onion diced finely

100 g minced beef or veal

2 pork sausages preferably continental hot ones for some spice

1 glass red wine (one for you too)

250 ml water and 1 beef stock cube in it

3 tablespoons of tomato paste concentrate

salt and pepper if preferred

Preparing the Ragu.  Heat the butter in a large saucepan that is deep.  Then add the pancetta, carrot, celery and onion. Cook for around 10 minutes.  Then add the diced meats and the sausage must be squeezed from its casing into the mix as we are using the inner part of the sausage and discard the casings.  Add the wine slowly when the meat is cooked and keep stirring it and keeping it finely chopped.  Add tomato paste and stock.

To prepare the Ragu is the easy part but remember that to make a marvellous Ragu you need to cook it for a few hours to perfect it.  I normally cook mine for around 3 to 4 hours.  Simmer low and use extra wine or stock when it gets a bit dry.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.  Then drain and mix the sauce with the pasta.  Serve with the parmesan cheese.  Bellissimo!!! 

Mixing the meats into the vegetable mixture

Basic easy made Lasagna with spinach meatballs on top ( like Vincisgrassi lasagna italian style)

LASAGNA WITH SPINACH MEATBALLS

This receipe is what the main picture is on my blog page. Its a really easy receipe to make and even quicker if you have a ready made sauce like Latina Bolognase sauce in your fridge.


for 4 people make in a 17.5cm x 28cm baking dish


Ingredients


1 pack of the latina pasta sheets
grana padano cheese 1 cup grated
Latina Bolognese sauce 500g (or a brand you prefer)
Boil an egg if you want egg in yours (hard boiled then sliced up put aside)
Pre arrange in a saucepan 2 cups of milk with a shake of nutmeg and a handful of grana padano parmasan cheese (this is the cheese sauce) heat for 5 mins stirring ( a knob of butter for extra creamy)
shake of oregano
1 cup of mozzarella cheese


for your balls which will be fried in light olive oil lightly
1 egg lightly beaten
Spinach say 200g chopped up finely
1 cup of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of granda padano parmasan cheese


Preparations:


Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of the bolognese sauce.
then put some grana padano over the layer then you put the lasagna sheet layer on the top then again the bolognese sauce, some of your cheese sauce, lasagna sheet, and sauce keep going until you get to a desired height and make the top layer sauce and top with some mozzarella and oregano.


Make the balls by combining the spinach, egg, grana and however much breadcrumbs to get nice consistency to bind them into little balls.  Heat some olive oil and deep fry these balls until golden brown. Set these balls on top of your lasagna.


Remember you can add zucchini and or egg slices to your lasagna adding them to any level you like.


Bake with a foil cover for approx 40 min on around 180 degrees celcius.


Take the foil off at the end if you like your crust brown on the pasta.


Serve with a nice bottle of Australian Red wine... :) enjoy