Category: Mains

Mains

Chorizo and butterbean stew

Posted on


This is an easy and delicious rustic stew.

Ingredients for the stew:
350 g butter beans
225 g cooking chorizo
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
175 ml red wine (preferably Spanish)
1 x 400g can plum tomatoes
Tomato puree
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

How to make it:
Cut the chorizo and garlic into thin slices. Put the olive oil and garlic in a pan over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the chorizo and cook until the slices are lightly browned on all sides. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook until the onions are soft. Add the red wine and cook until the wine has reduced to almost nothing.
While the wine is reducing chop up the plum tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and a bit of tomato pure. Add the beans, thyme and some chopped parsley as well. Season with salt and pepper. Let the stew simmer for a good 15 minutes until it’s nice and thick.
Check for seasoning and squeeze some lemon juice into the stew if you think it needs some acidity.
Spoon the stew into bowls, scatter some chopped parsley on top and serve with a nice toast of bread.

Mains, Soup

Gazpacho

Posted on

It’s been really hot in London this week, so a perfect time to do the first proper recipe from “The French Laundry Cookbook” that I got last weekend. Gazpacho!

I made the balsamic glaze the day before making this and it was really easy, the only thing to keep in mind is to keep the heat very low. I used my diffuser which made it a lot easier but the glaze still started to bubble a bit after 2 hours on the hob so I had to move it to one half of the diffuser to keep the temperature. All in all the cooking of the glaze took about 2,5 hours. After the glaze was done I stored it in a little squeeze bottle in my cupboard.
This soup was truly amazing… bursting with flavours. First you got tomato and cucumber, then the heat from the cayenne and the onions and finally the sweetness from the balsamic glaze.
Perfect for a warm summer night in the beginning of July.
We enjoyed the soup with some bread sprinkled with extra virgin olive oil and then lightly toasted under the grill.
The wine was a kiwi Chardonnay that worked very well with the soup. Since the soup is quite powerful and spicy you need something like a buttery and big (think New World wines) Chardonnay with quite low acidity to match it.

Ingredients for the balsamic glaze:

500 ml balsamic vinegar (I used Aceto Balsamico Di Modena)

Preparing the balsamic glaze:

Heat the vinegar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the liquid. Place the saucepan on a heat diffuser and let the liquid reduce very slowly (it shouldn’t simmer) for 2 to 3 hours, until it has reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze. There should be approximately 1/2 cup of glaze. Keep the glaze in a squeeze bottle at room temperature for garnishing: if the glaze is too thick, warm the bottle in hot water to loosen the glaze.

Ingredients for the gazpacho:

240 ml chopped red onions (about 1 medium sized red onion)
240 ml chopped green bell pepper (about 1,5 medium sized green pepper)
240 ml chopped English cucumber (about 1 cucumber)
240 ml chopped and peeled tomatoes (about 4 medium sized tomatoes)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 2-3 cloves)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
60 ml tomato paste (I couldn’t find tomato paste so I around 2 tablespoons tomato pure instead)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
90 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
710 ml tomato juice (I used 750 ml because that’s what was in the bottle)
Sprig of thyme

Preparing the gazpacho:

1. Mix all the ingredients except the balsamic glaze together in a bowl or other container, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

2. The next day, remove the thyme and blend all the ingredients in a blender until the gazpacho is smooth. You will have about 2 quarts. For a smoother texture, strain the soup to yield about 1 quart. Refrigerate the gazpacho until ready to serve.

To complete: Ladle the cold soup into bowls and squeeze dots of balsamic glaze over the top.

Mains, Pasta

Pasta salad with chicken breast

Posted on

This is a pasta salad that I keep returning to and I cook it pretty much all year around, biased towards the warmer months of the year though.  It’s best in the summer when one can barbecue the chicken.

Ingredients for Pasta salad with chicken breast:
4 chicken breasts
400 gram penne
1 red onion
1 red chili
500 gram cherry tomatoes
100 gram mozzarella
20 or so black pitted olives
Olive oil
Half a pot of basil
4 cloves of garlic
White wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper

For the butter:
200 gram room tempered butter
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 shallot

Preparing Pasta salad with chicken breast:

Preparing the chicken:
Start by preparing a simple marinade for the chicken. Mix one part of white wine vinegar and three parts extra virgin olive oil. Chop the garlic cloves finely and mix with the oil and vinegar. Add some chopped basil as well.
Put the chicken filets in a bowl or oven dish and poor the marinade over. Cover with cling film and leave the chicken in the fridge to marinade for an hour or so.

The butter:
Chop the shallot very finely. Mix it with the butter, vinegar and black pepper in a bowl. You can also add some pressed garlic if you want. When it’s all mixed put it on a piece of greaseproof paper and make into a roll. Put the roll in the fridge so the butter becomes more solid again.

The salad:
Finely chop the red onion. Cut the chili lengthwise and take out the kernels. Chop the chili finely as well. Cut the olives in chunks if you want. Put everything in a bowl and tear the mozzarella in pieces to put in as well. Mix everything a bit.
Cook the pasta and let it cool if you want to serve a cold pasta salad or cook it later if you want the pasta to be hot. Mix the pasta with everything else in the bowl.

Turn on the oven at about 150 C (for fan assisted oven). Put some of the shallot butter in a frying pan and let the chicken fillets fry for a few minutes on each side. Then put the frying pan in the hot oven and let the chicken cook for about 15 – 25 minutes or so.

When the chicken is finished put the chicken fillets on top of some salad on the plate and then put a slice or two of the butter on top of the chicken.

Mains

Lamb burger with goats cheese and tomato relish

Posted on

Being a big fan of hamburgers but often being disappointed about what’s on offer in London, even in the upmarket burger joints, I decided to give it a shot myself. The result was very nice and also quite light which for me is a nice contrast to bellybusting burgers.

Enjoy with a tempranillo or similar medium bodied red wine.

General stuff:
Two heads of little gem lettuce
Two tomatoes
One red onion
200 g of goats cheese

For the tomato relish:
(this makes about half a liter finished relish so have some jars around to store it)

800 g tomatoes
1 onion, finely sliced
200 ml red wine vinegar
200 g sugar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 red chili, finely chopped
A handful of fresh coriander
Salt and freshly grounded black pepper
30 g capers in vinegar, rinsed in water and finely chopped
30 g baby gherkins, finely chopped
Olive oil for frying

How to make it:
Start by putting the tomatoes in a pot with warm water to later get their skin off.
Fry the garlic, onion and chilli in some oil in a big pot until soft. Skin the tomatoes, chop them finely and then add them to the pot. Mix welll with the onions.
Add the vinegar and sugar. Season a bit with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. When the relish is the consistency of jam add the capers, gherkins and coriander. Cook for a few more minutes but be careful not to reduce it too much. Check seasoning. Let cool.

For the burgers:
500 g minced lamb
6 or so leaves of basil, torn into small pieces
A tablespoon of capers, finely chopped
Half an onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Flour

How to make it:
Mix the mince with onions, capers, basil, pepper and a pinch of salt. Make four patties.
Put flour on a plate and mix with a bit of pepper and salt. Put the patties in the flour mixture to coat on each side.
Heat some butter and olive oil in a big frying pan. Turn on the oven at approx 200 C on Grill to toast the ciabatta buns.
Fry the patties approx 4.5 minutes on each side in the frying pan.
While the burgers are frying prepare some lettuce, slice the tomatoes and the red onion.
When the burgers are fried, take a piece of ciabatta, spread with the goats cheese, then assemble with tomato, onion, lettuce and the lamb burger, add a sprinkle of pepper if desired.
Assemble on plate with some more lettuce, onion, tomato and tomato relish.

Mains, Soup

French onion soup

Posted on

This is an excellent soup and very easy and quick to make. Enjoy it with a dry white wine with some acidity to counter the sweet savory flavor of the onions.

4 portions

500 g onion
2 – 3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp white flour
1 liter of water
2 cubes of chicken stock
100 ml dry white wine
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of dried thyme
White pepper

White bread
Grated cheddar cheese
Some parmesan

Half the onions and then cut them into thin slices. Fry in a big pot with the butter until they are translucent and golden. Add the flour and stir.
Dissolve the stock into water and add to the pot with the herbs and spices. Boil for 15 minutes on medium heat. Add the wine and boil for another few minutes.

Cut some white bread into cubes and then fry in a little olive oil to create croutons. Let them dry in a piece of paper. You can add some herbs to the croutons if you want.

Pour up the soup into bowls, add croutons and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Add a bit of parmesan on top of the cheddar cheese. Put the bowls (make sure that they are ovenproof!) into the oven, about 250C, for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and a bit brown over the top of the soup.

Mains, Pasta

Lasagna

Posted on

This is my mothers recipe for lasagna.

For the basics:
A packet of lasagna sheets
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Mature cheddar
Parmesan

For the sauce:
2 medium sized onions
2 cloves of garlic
400g beef mince
400g can of chopped tomatoes
4 or so vine tomatoes
Mushrooms, sliced
Splash of red wine
One cube of beef stock
Chili flakes
Oregano
Fresh basil

For the bechamel sauce:
2 table spoons of butter
4 table spoons of plain flour
About 600ml milk

How to make it:
Chop the onions and garlic. Fry them gently until translucent in a frying pan. Transfer to a big pot. Fry the mince and then transfer to the same pot. At the same time as frying the mince put the tomatoes in boiling water and then remove their skin. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot together with the can of chopped tomatoes. Add the splash of wine, a pinch of chili flakes, the beef stock and the oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Let it all boil for 20 – 30 minutes until reduced and a good reduced consistency. 5 minutes before ready to use add 10 fresh basil leaves or so (chopped up) and the mushrooms.

How to make the bechamel sauce:
Gently melt the butter in a saucepan. When butter is melted add the flour. Take the saucepan of the heat and start whisking. When flour is dissolved return to the heat (medium) and add the milk. Keep whisking all the time until the sauce is the right consistency (a bit like wallpaper glue).

Grate the cheddar and parmesan. You need about 600 ml. Around two parts cheddar and one part parmesan.

Assembling the lasagna:
Get an ovenproof dish and put some bechamel sauce in the bottom of it. Sprinkle some cheese over the sauce then put the first layer of lasagna sheets. Put a layer of the ragu sauce on top of the lasagna sheets then bechamel sauce on top of that and then sprinkle with cheese then lasagna sheets again. Repeat this until you get to the top. You should end up with lasagna sheets on top and then put the rest of bechamel sauce and cheese on the top.

Mains, Pasta

Pasta al forno

Posted on

This was an excellent soul food dish. The sauce is like a traditional Italian ragù (aka bolognese), which is so much better than the northern European version of ragù. Like lasagna this really benefits from a night in the fridge (intensifies the flavors a bit) so be sure to make enough to last for lunch the day after.

What you need:
500 g penne
125 g mozarella, in small pieces
150 ml parmesan cheese, grated

For the ragù:
300 g mince meat
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 pieces of celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, in small pieces
500 g crushed tomatoes
200 ml red wine
10 basil leafs
50 ml olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
1 pinch of sugar

For the béchamelsauce:
1.5 desert spoon of butter
1.5 desert spoon of flour
300 ml milk
3 pinches of salt
About 1 pinch of white pepper
About 1 pinch of nutmeg

How it’s done:

Heat the oil for the mince in a big pot. Add the mince, celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Separate the mince a bit with a fork.
Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, salt and sugar and boil under a lid for about 30 minutes.

Melt the butter for the béchamelsauce in a pot on low heat. Add the flour and mix properly. Add the milk gradually and whisk all the time. Boil the sauce on low heat for 5 minutes and whisk occasionally. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg according to your taste.

Turn on the oven, 225 C.

Boil the pasta according to the packet. I would recommend al dente.

Coat an ovenproof pot with butter. Add half the pasta and then put half of the ragù and béchamelsauce on top. Add 1/3 of the parmesan cheese and all the mozarella.
Put the rest of the pasta on top and then put the rest of the ragù and béchamelsauce on top of that as well as the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Mains, Pasta

Walnut and parsley pesto

Posted on

From the same article about walnuts as the walnut soda bread recipe below.

Walnut and parsley pesto Pesto is, of course, perfect with pasta, but I also serve this one as a sauce-cum-relish with grilled lamb chops or steak. Serves four.100g walnuts 1 fat garlic clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped100g hard, mature goat’s cheese (or Parmesan), grated50g flat-leaf parsley leavesAbout 150ml good olive oil (or extra-virgin rapeseed oil)Juice of ½ lemonSea salt and freshly ground black pepperPut the walnuts and garlic into a food processor and process until finely chopped – but still with some granular texture. Add the cheese and process again briefly. Add the parsley and blitz again to chop the leaves, then begin trickling in the oil, while the processor runs. Stop when you have a sloppy purée. Taste, season as necessary with lemon juice, salt and pepper. If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the pesto with a large pestle and mortar, crushing the ingredients together in the same order.Store in the fridge – if you completely cover the surface of the pesto with oil so all air is excluded, it should keep for a couple of weeks.

Mains

Lambstew with beans, olives and tomatoes

Posted on

This is very easy to make. Had it with cheddar mash and then with cous cous for lunch the day after. Definitely a red wine dish. I had it with a nice Gigondas but Italian reds like Primitivo will work great as well (and cheaper than Gigondas).
This is an autumn/winter dish.

Recipe makes two big portions and two lunch size portions.

You need:
500 g of minced lamb
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1,5 – 2 red chili
2 red peppers
Olive oil
1 piece of meat stock
300-400 ml of water
200 ml of cooked beans
100 ml black olives
About 8 normal sized tomatoes
About 6 mushrooms
1 pot of parsley
Salt and pepper

How it’s made:
Chop the onion, garlic, chili and peppers.
Fry the meat with some olive oil until properly fried. Add onion,
garlic, chili and peppers and fry for another minute or so. Add stock and
water and let cook for 30 minutes.
Add beans, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms and parsley after about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Mains, Pasta

Tagliatelle di Pollo

Posted on

This is one of my favorite recipes.
Enough for four portions.

Ingredients for Tagliatelle di Pollo:
400g tagliatelle
250g chicken breast
300g leaf spinach
Half an onion
150g goats cheese
400ml cream
3 cloves of garlic
Fresh parsley
Fresh chive
Pinenuts
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Preparing the Tagliatelle di Pollo:
Slice the chicken in thin slices. Chop the onion, herbs and garlic finely. Fry the garlic gently in some olive oil. Add the chicken and let it fry.
Add the cream, herbs and goats cheese (in small pieces). Let this cook until the cheese is melted. Lower the heat.
Put on water for the tagliatelle.
In another pan, roast the pine nuts. Put in a bowl for use later.
Fry the onion with some olive oil in the same pan. Add the spinach leafs and fry this.
Put the cooked pasta in the sauce and let this cook together a bit.
Put the spinach on a plate, add some roasted pine nuts, add the tagliatelle on top of this. Add some more pine nuts, a string of extra virgin olive oil, some black pepper and maybe some basil.