Spaghetti Carbonara

Here is another quick and relatively easy pasta recipe to try. I made this last night using homemade pasta and it was really delicious. If you have time, do try making your own pasta (following this RECIPE) because it makes such a difference flavour-wise.  

This is the proper Italian way of making carbonara, without any cream or milk. If you decide to make this you must be careful not to scramble the eggs. The heat of the cooked pasta and hot pan is enough to cook the eggs so don't try and cook the sauce on the hob - you'll just end up with cheesy scrambled eggs! Just drain the pasta then quickly add the egg and cheese mix to the pan and everything will turn out beautifully! 

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

• 300g spaghetti
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed - I love garlic so I use 3 cloves, but 2 is enough
• 4 rashers bacon
• 3 eggs
• 75g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• pepper

Method

1. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil.
2. In a large frying pan (large enough to hold all of your pasta), fry the bacon and garlic until the bacon is crispy. Garlic becomes bitter if you burn it so, to avoid this, cook on a medium heat. If your bacon is crispy before the pasta is ready just take it off the heat and put it to one side. Return it to the heat 2 minutes before the pasta is cooked to heat it up.
3. When the water is boiling, cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs together in a bowl with the grated Parmesan and a little pepper.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a small amount of pasta water (about 2 tbsp).
6. Take the bacon and garlic pan off the heat.
7. Add the pasta and the reserved water to the bacon and garlic pan and mix.
8. Pour in the egg mix.
9. Stir until the sauce looks glossy and coats the spaghetti. Using tongs or a pasta spoon makes this easier.
10. Serve immediately. 

One final pasta related comment... I have just discovered that the hole in the centre of a pasta spoon can be used to measure one person portions of spaghetti! Maybe everyone else out there already knew this but I had no idea! 

Good luck and have fun! x

Tomato Bruschetta

Spending three weeks in Tuscany over the summer was enough time to realise just how delicious bruschetta is. It is also enough time to realise that Italian people (at least the ones I met) pronounce it bru-ske-tta not bru-sche-tta. So now we all know how to say it, here's how to make it!

My version of bruschetta is very easy to make but it is packed full of flavour thanks to the basil pesto.  To get the best flavour, make your own basil pesto (here's the RECIPE). If you are using a shop-bought version, go with a fresh pesto from the refrigerated aisle rather than a jarred version. 

Bruschetta makes a great starter for an Italian feast, which could be followed by some home-made pasta with pesto and pancetta (here's the RECIPE).

 You could also make a slightly larger portion and have any leftovers for lunch the next day. 

BRUSCHETTA

Ingredients

• Ciabatta, baguette or a nice rustic loaf, sliced
• 1-2 tbs of Olive oil - try to buy good quality olive oil, it can be pricy but it's worth it for the flavour. 
• 1 clove garlic, halfed
• 4 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ball mozzarella, torn into bitesize chunks 
• Basil pesto (homemade version)
• Ground black pepper 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Put the tomatoes and mozzarella into a large bowl and mix together. 
3. Arrange slices on bread on a baking tray.
4. Rub each slice with the clove of garlic and then drizzle with a little olive oil.
5. Top each slice with the tomato and mozzarella mix.
6. Put the bruschetta in the oven for about 10 mins, or until the bread is crisp and the mozzarella has melted. 
7. Arrange the bruschetta on a plate or board and drizzle with pesto, about a teaspoon per slice.
8. Sprinkle a good pinch of ground black pepper over each slice.

in bocca al lupo (which is the Italian way of saying good luck) and have fun!

x

Spicy Mince Beef

This is a great tortilla filling and, because it is quick and easy to make, it is perfect for a weekday dinner. 

This recipe will make enough to fill four wraps.

Hot and Spicy Beef Wraps
Difficulty: Easy
Timing: less than 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 500g mince beef
• 1 tbs tomato puree
• fresh chillies, chopped - as many as you need to get your desired heat. I usually use one 'hot' chilli. 

Extras

• kidney beans
• tortillas
• long grain rice
• hot sauce - Tabasco or Frank's works well
• sour cream or greek yoghurt
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• avocado

Method

1. Add the onion and oil to a large frying pan and fry on a medium heat until soft.
2. Put a small saucepan of water on for the rice
3. Add chilli and garlic to the onion and fry for about a minute. 
4. Stir in the tomato puree and fry for about a minute.
5. Put the rice in the boiling water and follow packet instructions for timing (I use 10min boil in a bag rice).
6. Put the kidney beans and their water into a saucepan and heat up.
7. Add the mince, turn up the heat, and fry until all the meat is cooked. 
8. Meanwhile, put the wraps in the oven to warm up and chop the tomato, avocado and salad for your wraps.

Construction - everyone has their own way of filling a tortilla, here's how I fill mine... 

• Tortilla
• Sour cream/greek yoghurt layer
• Rice layer
• Kidney bean layer
• Mince layer
• Hot sauce (lots!)
• Salad, tomato, avocado

Good luck and have fun!

x

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me.... A PASTA ROLLER!

This is possibly the best present I have ever received. I have always wanted to make homemade pasta. I was given the Imperia Pastaia Italiana kit by my boyfriend for Christmas, which came with two extra roller attachments which slot into the main roller base. This means I can roll lasagne sheets and 4 different types of 'long pasta' (including spaghetti and tagliatelle). The kit also came with a star ravioli mould which can be seen in the picture below.

I haven't used a pasta roller before so I don't know how this model compares to other models/brands but I am really really happy with mine. After a couple of goes with it I would definitely recommend it. The main roller comes with a small clamp so you can attach it to your work surface. I didn't appreciate the importance of this clamp until I started rolling my first batch of dough. You really do need it. So if you are thinking of buying any roller, make sure there is a clamp included, it will make your life a lot easier!

Pasta dough is relatively easy to make. Ingredients wise it is extremely simple. Just eggs, flour and a pinch of salt. Obviously free range eggs are preferable and it is VERY important to use 00 flour so that your pasta has a silky smooth texture. The slightly more strenuous part is the dough kneading. Most recipes I came across said kneading should take about 15mins. 30mins of kneading later I was pretty happy with my dough and decided to give my sore hands a rest. The important thing is to have a dough which is very smooth and elastic feeling. Then you can start rolling it or shaping it.

If you are going to make 'long' pasta, like spaghetti, you should also invest in a drying rack. My boyfriend says that the racks are surprisingly pricey, so have a good look on amazon for a good deal. Having a drying rack means that drying your pasta is much easier, especially if you don't have a lot of counter space to lay it all out on.

Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• 300g 00 flour
• 3 medium eggs
• a pinch of salt

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt onto a work surface, creating a large mound. Make a well in the middle of the mound.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and then pour them into the well. 
3. Gradually draw the flour into the eggs, at first forming a paste, and then eventually a floury dough. The eggs will stick to your fingers so make sure you scrape it off and incorporate it into your dough mix.
4. Once you have a dough, put it to one side and clean your work surface. 
5. Sprinkle the clean work surface with more 00 flour and start kneading the dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. As I mentioned above, this took me about 30 mins so set aside plenty of time! 
6. Now you can use your new pasta roller, following the instructions that come with your machine, to create any pasta you want.

Alternatively you can roll the dough by hand. To do this I suggest rolling the dough bit by bit (unless you have a huge countertop and an even bigger rolling pin!). Just cut the ball of dough into manageable chunks and roll the dough on a floured surface (00 flour of course), rotating it a quarter turn after each roll, until it is really, really thin. The thinest setting on my machine rolls the dough thin enough to see my hand through it so that's what you are aiming for!

Once the dough is rolled leave it to dry for 10mins before cutting or shaping it.

The second time I made the dough it spent the night in the fridge before rolling. This didn't seem to affect the quality at all. 

Fresh Tagliatelle with Basil Pesto and Pancetta

Ingredients

Basil Pesto:

• 50g basil leaves 
• 175ml good olive oil (the better the olive oil the better the pesto!)
• 15g pine nuts
• 35g parmasan
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Blend together the basil leaves, olive oil, parmesan, garlic and half the pine nuts.
3. Toast the other half of the pine nuts in the oven for a few mins at about 200C, then coarsely chop them and add them to the pesto.
4. You should have a course textured basil pesto. Taste to see if you are happy with the garlic/basil/olive oil levels and add extra if needed. 

This makes enough pesto for a few meals so have a jar handy and keep it in the fridge. 

Now onto the pasta:

1. Put a saucepan of salted water on the heat for the pasta.
2. Meanwhile fry the pancetta until crispy.
3. When the water is boiling add the pasta. With fresh pasta I think it is best for you to try it after 4 or 5 mins to see if it's ready rather than giving you a specific cooking time. It will be al dente (firm) and should not taste too floury. Be careful not to over cook it, no more than 6mins for 'long pasta' I should think. 
4. Drain the pasta, add the pancetta and stir in enough pesto to coat the pasta.

And that's it! Fresh pesto tastes completely different to the jarred version you can buy in the shops so definitely give it a go, even if you're not a huge pesto fan. Or you could add some of my Hot Red Pesto if you like a bit of heat! 

Good luck and have fun 

x

Christmas Train

Why make a gingerbread house, when you can make a vanilla biscuit train?

All you need is a batch of Vanilla Biscuits, a lot of sweets, and a bit of imagination...

x

Swiss Roll

Swiss Roll

Ingredients

• 3 eggs (at room temperature) 
• 75g caster sugar
• 75g plain flour

Filling

• Choose your favourite jam, like strawberry or raspberry, or use some lemon curd for a tangy lemon twist on the classic swiss roll. 
• 200ml double cream, whipped

a 20x30cm swiss roll tin greased and lined with greaseproof paper.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
2. Put the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until the mixture is very thick and pale. This takes some patience and some strength if you're doing it by hand! You'll need to whisk for at least 5mins. When lifting out the whisk, the mix should leave a distinct, ribbon-like trail as it falls back into the bowl.
3. Sift the flour into a separate bowl, and then sift half of the sifted flour into the egg and sugar mix. You are trying to get lots of air into the mix, hence the double sifting.
4. Use a large, preferably metal spoon to fold the flour into the egg. Again, you're trying to keep all that air in the mix so don't beat it all out!
5. Sieve and fold in the rest of the flour and combine, making sure there are no floury streaks hiding anywhere.
6. Pour the mix onto the lined tray and spread evenly.
7. Bake for 9-10 mins or until golden and springy to touch. 
8. Lay another piece of greaseproof paper on the counter and sprinkle with some caster sugar. 
9. As soon as you take the sponge out of the oven transfer it onto the sugary paper. I find the easiest way is to flip the tray over onto the paper and then lift it off. Remember the tray will be super hot so be careful! This will coat the sponge with sugar adding a slight crunch to your roll.
10. Peel of the paper and then make a shallow cut about 2cms in from one of the shorter ends of the sponge. This little cut will help with the folding but not if you cut all the way through!
11. Gently roll up the sponge from the end you cut and set on a cooling rack to cool completely. Rolling it unfilled when still warm helps the sponge stay neatly rolled without cracking.  
12. Once the sponge is completely cool you can unroll it and fill it with jam and whipped cream. Then gently reroll the sponge and you have a swiss roll! If you are a perfectionist you can trim the ends of the roll to make it slightly neater. 

If your sponge does crack don't panic, rolling sponge is always going to be risky! It will still taste delicious.

Good luck and have fun 

x

Thanksgiving Dinner For Malawi

My boyfriend's brother, Oli, is heading to Malawi in the summer to help with several charity projects. To raise money for one of the charities, Open Arms (http://www.openarmsmalawi.org), we held a pop-up restaurant for 23 guests. The basic idea of the pop-up restaurant was that guests could come and enjoy a delicious three course dinner, listen to a presentation about Oli's plans in Malawi and the charities involved, and then they could pay whatever they thought the meal was worth, with all the donations going to Open Arms.

 Thanksgiving Turkey with the Malawian Flag

It was in November so we went for a Thanksgiving feast theme with some Malawian surprises thrown in!

Nsima is a staple food in Malawi and is similar to polenta. It is usually shaped into solid patties which can then be dipped into other dishes, a delicious homemade pea and ham soup for example! The main meal was pretty straight forward. The glazed sweet potatoes were simple but very delicious, a good alternative to roast potatoes. I will try and find the recipe and share it with you. The Malawi yellow rice was full of spices like cinnamon and some raisons. It was surprisingly good, especially as I don't actually like cinnamon! The Malawian cabbage was a mixture of cabbage and tomatoes and was also delicious. I will find and add the recipes for these dishes asap, just in case anyone out there wants to try some Malawian food.

 Malawian Cabbage

I was in charge of the desserts and I thought a selection of mini desserts would be more fun than just one dessert.

Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

I am particularly proud of the pumpkin pies because I have never made one before and they turned out so perfectly. They were a joint effort with my boyfriend's mum and I think she was equally happy with the results. Whoopie pies are half way between a cake and a biscuit with a marshmallowy filling. The mini Boston Cream Pies were little vanilla cupcakes filled with a vanilla custard and topped with a chocolate ganache. Both the whoopie pies and the Boston cream pies recipes came from the Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days recipe book, which is a must have for any cake lover. It is one of those recipe books where you want to make everything immediately. It also has plenty of photos which I like in a recipe book, and some good technical hints and tips which helps when you're trying something new, like the whoopie pies.

It was a fantastic evening and we managed to raise over £900 for Open Arms. We are planning a second event in the spring with an Italian theme. Hopefully it will go as well as the first one did!