Penne with Tomato & Balsamic

This isn’t a quick supper though it is easy. It does depend on good Balsamic vinegar and decent tinned tomatoes.

350g dried penne pasta

400g tinned tomatoes

4tbsp Balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, sliced

180g salted butter, cut into small pieces

100g grated parmesan

 Extra virgin olive oil

3tbsp Basil leaves

Understandably the boy is not at all convinced by this. Telling him it comes with salad and garlic bread helps.

Make the sauce first. Warm the oil and cook the garlic. Drain the tomatoes – if they are really good, not much water will come out. Add them to the pan and crush them with a fork. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes. You’re looking for a thick sauce.  Add the Basil leaves.

Let he boy have a taste. He thinks it needs a good bit of salt and pepper.

Cook the penne until al-dente. Drain and put it back in the same pan. Lower the heat and add the butter. Stir it through on a low heat and add the vinegar .This must be really good stuff unless you enjoy sour pasta.

Add half the parmesan and stir through.

Pour in the sauce. Stir again and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad of lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and Kalamata olives.

Luckily the boy rarely complains about carbs.

Tabasco Salt

I'm rather excited about this simple recipe. The boy is less enthusiastic until I mention frying up a big batch of chips to sprinkle it on.

100g flaky Maldon sea salt
A few hefty shakes of Tabasco

That's it. Just pour the salt in the bowl and shake on the Tabasco. It's just the regular red kind. The boy likes to dip chips (French Fries) in the green kind but this will give them a similar kick.

Heat the oven to low - 100 degrees. Stir the salt and Tabasco well and spread on a baking sheet. I'm putting down some greaseproof paper first. Dry it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Let it cool and store in a screwtop jar, for chips, roasted vegetables, anything.

Visiting Avery Island, where they make Tabasco is on my bucket list. I couldn't do without it.

Supreme Burgers

This is a lovely burger suggestion from Nigel Slater. It's easy to make your own burgers though best to make them at least an hour or two in advance so they can firm up in the fridge. 

400g minced (ground) beef
1 pickled gherkin
a sprinkle of sesame seeds
a little ketchup
Salt & pepper
Hot French mustard

We don't get measurements here but I'm thinking two teaspoons each of sesame seeds, ketchup and mustard. I thought most French mustard was quite mild. The stuff we have certainly is, so I need to look into this. I am using some chipotle ketchup that I made last year but the regular stuff will still be good. The gherkin needs to be medium chopped. If they are small, use two. Add salt & pepper. Mix well - i.e. get your hands in and give it a good squidge.

Shape into burgers and chill down. Fry them in light olive oil. The better quality your beef, the better these will be. The cheap stuff will just spit water at you. Serve in ciabatta rolls. I think a dollop of chilli infused mayo on top would work nicely.

The boy wants to try these barbecued. Me too.

Mexican Pork Scratchings

The boy loves these with a bowl of Guacamole and a couple of bottles of Mexican beer. I would never have thought of pork scratchings as Mexican, but apparently it’s very popular there. Pork rind is incredibly cheap and some supermarkets sell it on its own.

A piece of pork skin (approx. 600g)

1 heaped teaspoon black peppercorns

1tsp allspice berries

1tsp fennel seeds

1tsp finely chopped sage leaves

Zest of 1 orange

2 heaped tbsp. sea salt

Grind the dry spices together (bash in a pestle & mortar or use a coffee grinder) and mix well with the orange zest and sage. Set aside.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cut the pork rind into pieces about the size of a credit card. Drop into the boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and drain.

Rub the spice mix into the skin side and then dry it out in the fridge for about four hours, ideally on a rack.

Get the oven to its hottest and then spread the pork rinds out on baking trays in a single layer. Give it 10 minutes at this heat. The boy is getting bored now so give him a beer with a wedge of lime in the neck. Then turn the heat down to 170/Gas 3, and cook for anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes. Check it from time to time – it should be golden and puffed up, rather than burned.

If you’re smart, drain the fat off every half an hour and use for frying other things during the week.

The boy is mellow from a couple of beers but is getting the munchies. Make up the Guacamole (recipe is here under December 2011). Serve up to one happy boy. He’s doing the world’s worst Mexican accent.

Chicken with Grapes

I think the boy will like this as it’s got a sweet kick. It’s Italian. I’ve put a Baroque Italian CD on to get the mood right.

50g butter

Olive oil

4 chicken quarters

2 sprigs rosemary

4 whole cloves garlic

150ml vin santo or marsala – sweet wine at a pinch

500g seedless white grapes

Salt & pepper

I’m getting the boy to joint the chicken with a heavy knife, as I’ve never been any good at this. You want to separate the leg from the breast.

In a really large pan or flame proof casserole, melt the butter with some olive oil. The oil will stop the butter burning. Add the chicken and rosemary.

Brown the chicken, turning once or twice. Season.

Pour in the wine and add the garlic and cook, covered for 15 mins. Remove the breasts. (check they are cooked through with a skewer).

Give the legs another 15 minutes, but take the lid off so the sauce has chance to thicken.

In a skillet, gently soften the grapes in a little more olive oil, turning them often.

When the legs are done, put the breasts back in and add the grapes and heat everything through together. Check the seasoning. I assume it wil need plenty to cut through the sweetness of the wine and grapes.

Serve with rice or baby new potatoes, and perhaps some baby carrots. I’m in a minority as I’m not usually a big fan of chicken but I like it if it’s interesting. The boy loves it as it’s sweet. As is he.

Root Veg & Peanut Stew

I love this Nigel Slater recipe as it makes winter root veg seem light instead of stodgy. The boy loves the croutes, which are a kind of garlic bread I suppose. Also I never know what to do with Jerusalem Artichokes so this is a good call.

200g carrots

300g parsnips

200g swede

200g Jerusalem artichokes

300g celeriac

2tbsp oil

1l chicken stock

200g roast salted peanuts

The peanuts are the oily kind, without skin. Set the oven to 200/Gas 6. Put Wagner’s Parsifal on and start peeling the veg. Chop into fairly large pieces, but small enough to sit in the bowl of a spoon.

Tip into a roasting tin and pour over the oil. Add some salt and pepper. I think some Thyme wouldn’t hurt. Toss well so everything is covered in the seasoned oily mix. Roast for 40 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and taken on a golden colour.

Pour the stock into a large pan and bring to the boil. Meanwhile get the boy to grind 2/3 of the peanuts to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Accept that he will moan. They may well end up quite a pasty powder, depending on how oily they might be. Whisk this into the hot stock.

Once the veg are cooked (Act 3 of Parsifal?) lift from the roasting tin and add to the stock. Don’t pour as you don’t want the oil. Add the whole peanuts and simmer for 25 minutes. This makes a very liquid stew so the crunchy croute make all the difference.

8 thick slices of baguette

3 preserved lemons

2 handfuls parsley

1handful coriander

3tbsp olive oil

We made preserved lemons last year. Cut out the flesh as you only need the peel. We are actually only using one lemon, as shop bought ones are usually tiny. It goes into the food processor with the parsley, coriander and oil. Add some salt and pepper. Ensure the boy’s love by cutting the baguette on long diagonals so you get really big slices.

Lightly toast the baguette slices and spread some of this paste on. Ladle the veg stew into bowls and serve with the toast. Give the boy the toast first to tempt him. This is a rich broth with big chunks to spear pieces from.

Pea Soup with Ricotta & Cucumber

The boy is proving a master at making nice soups. It’s been a lovely warm day and this is the freshest soup I can imagine.

30g butter

2 shallots finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

1kg fresh shelled peas

2tbsp single cream

Flaky sea salt

Garnish

About 10cm peeled, diced cucumber

200g fresh ricotta

Extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp finely chopped parsley

The boy melts the butter and softens the shallots and celery slowly. We have both been shelling the peas and these go in but just to turn them over in the butter. Add half a litre of water. This is so fresh tasting, it doesn’t need stock.

The original recipe suggests no pepper, but I think a shake of white pepper would be good. Simmer for 15 minutes and then pass through the finest blade of a mouli (or blend then sieve).

Reheat and stir in the cream and season with the salt. The boy is expert at how much this needs.

Serve in soup bowls with a good spoonful of the cucumber on top, along with the ricotta, parsley and  a drizzle of olive oil. It’s so green it must be good for you.

Serve with hot buttered sourdough toast.

Jerk Chicken Sandwiches

This is possibly the boy’s favourite sandwich ever. It’s best barbecued but as it’s cold, wet and windy we have done our best with the George Foreman Grill

4tbsp Jerk Seasoning

4 Chicken thighs

1 lime

1 tub coleslaw
Coriander leaves

2 small baguettes

I really favour Walkerswood jerk seasoning, which is a thick brown paste. The chicken thighs are free range organic. Ideally skin on and give them a deep slash with a knife.  They go in a bowl with the jerk seasoning , the juice of the lime and a little salt. I also like to add a good shake of hot pepper sauce. Rub it all in.

Leave it for as long as you can – at least 6 hours.

Get the grill really hot and cook so the skin is crispy and the meat cooked through. Let it cool. I find a Mozart piano sonata is about long enough. I like #14 (K457).

Pull the meat off the bone, shredding it with your fingers.

Stuff into baguettes with some coleslaw – ideally as coarse cut as you can find it. Add coriander leaves. Often I will include sliced tomato sprinkled with salt and a little white pepper. This is pretty much the boy’s favourite sandwich. We've gone out onto the beach with these as a picnic with a tomato salad. It’s freezing so these are nicely warming. I look forward to when we can barbecue the chicken.

Sausage & Cheese Baked Potatoes

The boy likes a cheesy baked potato at the weekend. This is a special version.

2 baking potatoes

2 sausages

Flaky sea salt

50g Port Salut cheese

A thick slice of butter

I like to rub the potatoes with oil and then rub with salt. Paws will need a good wash afterwards.They need nearly an hour in a hot oven 200/Gas 6.

The biggest choice here is the sausages. I love Toulouse, which are garlicky and Lincolnshire which have sage. The boy likes Cumberland which are pork and pepper. I like that you can buy just two fat ones at the butcher’s counter.

Fry the sausages and cut them up into small pieces. We did go for the boy’s favourite in the end.

When the potatoes are cooked, halve them and scoop out almost all of the flesh. Mix it with the butter, cheese and sausage. Season well and pile it back into the skins and give it another 10 minutes in the oven.

Coleslaw on the side wouldn't hurt.

Russian Dressing (for burgers)

I love the dressing Byron use on their burgers. My best friend Jon doesn’t like mayonnaise or pickles and said “I definitely don’t want that” when the waiter described it to him. The boy loves Byron burgers however and I think this might be close to their own classic dressing. It’s from an American cook book I bought in California few years ago.

½ cup mayonnaise

2tbsp ketchup

1 ½ tbsp. sweet pickle relish

I think the pickle needs to be the green kind, that you find ready-made, and really finely minced. It needs to be mostly gherkin. I’m never fussed about ketchup and often buy the budget kind, but do believe mayonnaise must be free range.

The method is just – mix well.

Our burgers are simple coarsely minced meat made from good beef, seasoned with salt and pepper , a little dried oregano and a good splash of Worcestershire sauce and a shake of Tabasco. We do have a mincer though I can’t remember when we last got it out.

 I think the buns should be toasted and the burgers served with a slice of tomato. I like red onion rings but the boy doesn’t. Top with the Russian (Byron) dressing and squash the top of the bun down.