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Innocent Pea Salad with Evil Porky Pepita Crunch January 22, 2014

Filed under: Meat,Salads and Dressings — delishuss @ 11:54 am
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I’m not overly convinced about sweet and savoury combinations normally but I think this recipe really works. It’s great to source nice salad recipes. I know some of my nearest and dearest would not associate nice and salad in the same sentence but trust me this is great. I have taken the recipe from Matt Preston’s Fast, Fresh and Unbelievably Delicious cookbook which I got as a lovely Christmas gift (Thanks Robyn :-)).

Ingredients

1 cos lettuce, dark leaves discarded and the paler inner leaves finely shredded

360g (3 cups) frozen peas, cooked

140g (1 cup) celery, cut into pea-size dice

100g (1/2 cup) green apple, peeled and cut into pea-sized dice

Juice of 1 lemon

6 rashers streaky bacon, diced

40g butter

160g (1 cup) pepitas

100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar

Salt flakes

200g fresh ricotta, cut from a wheel at the deli counter, not in a tub

100g feta

1 bunch mint, chopped

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 spring onions, cut into rings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

 

Method

1. Lay the shredded lettuce down the middle of a platter. Layer the peas and the celery on top. Toss the apple in the lemon juice and sprinkle over the platter.

2. Make the bacon and the pepita crunch. Fry the bacon in the butter until it’s tanned in places. Throw in the pepitas and let them start to toast. When some of the pepitas are starting to go golden at the edges, stir in the sugar and let it melt. Keep stirring and a caramel with form from the brown sugar and the rendered pork fat which will coat the pepitas and bacon. Sprinkle with come salt flakes and spread out on baking paper.

3. Now finish the salad. Crumble over the cheeses- large lumps of ricotta, smaller lumps of feta- and scatter on the herbs. Dress the salad with olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar. Smash up the pepitas of evil and strew over the top.

Done! Serve!

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Broccoli and Bacon Orecchiette October 22, 2012

Filed under: Pasta — delishuss @ 10:14 am
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This is a Jamie Oliver recipe  (Jamie’s 30 minute meals) that I made a few additions to. Word of warning if you don’t like fish or a strong fishy taste then this is not for you. If you do then you’ll love it. I just fancied a bit of meat in this recipe so I added some bacon. I also think the sauce needed a little something so I added lemon.

Ingredients

125g Parmesan cheese

1 large head of broccolli

200g purple sprouting broccollini

1 heaped teaspoon capers

1 small dried chilli

3 cloves of garlic

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

500g dried orecchiette

3 slices of bacon, chopped

Juice of one lemon

Method

1. Trim the rind off your Parmesan and set aside. Grate the chunk of Parmesan in the food processor, then tip into a bowl.

2. Slice all the florets off the stalk of the large head of broccolli. Trim the florets off from the purple sprouting broccollini and chop up just the tender stalks. Put all the broccolli to one side.

3. Fit the standard blade attachment to the processor. Halve the large broccolli stalk and out into the empty processor with the anchovies and their oil, and the drained capers. Crumble in the dried chilli. Peel and add the 3 cloves of garlic, then pulse it all to a paste.

4. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Add the brocolli but not the brocollini to the water and cook. Add the broccollini about 4 minutes before the end of cooking.

5. Meanwhile heat a frying pan and add the olive oil. Fry off the bacon bits until brown. Add the sauce mixture to the pan. Stir, then pick and tear in some thyme leaves, discarding the woody stalks. Pour a wineglass of water into the pan and add the reserved Parmesan rind and lemon juice. Give it a good stir and turn the heat up to medium. Keep your eye on it, stirring every now and then.

6. Drain the pasta and broccolli in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and add to the frying pan of paste and bacon.

7. Fish out the Parmesan rind and discard. Add a big handful or two of grated Parmesan and a ladle or two of the cooking water. Carefully and quickly stir around and keep it moving until you achieve shiny, loose, lovely pasta.

8. Taste and correct the seasoning, then tip on to a serving platter and sprinkle of Parmesan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter over some oregano leaves.

 

Creamy Sweet Chilli and Bacon Penne February 20, 2012

Filed under: Fast Food,Healthy Eating,Meat,Pasta — delishuss @ 10:50 pm
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My mum passed this onto me this week. I wasn’t so sure about it but I’m up for giving most things a try. I haven’t pointed it but I reckon it wouldn’t be too bad.

It probably took me about 20 minutes in total to prepare.

Serves 1

Ingredients

40g pasta

2 medallions of smoky bacon, chopped

1 large tablespoon of sweet chilli light philadelphia cream cheese

1 large tablespoon of light cream cheese

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 red pepper

1/4 orange pepper

1 clove of garlic, crushed

One cal cooking spray

 

 

Method

1. Boil the pasta according to the packet instructions, normally 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan and spray with the one cal spray. Add the bacon and fry for 4 minutes.

3. Add the peppers and onion and fry for a further 4 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or so.

4. Pour a little of the pasta water into the frying pan with the veg and bacon. Stir in both cream cheeses and blend in. Once the sauce has been heated, drain the pasta and add to the frying pan. Stir everything together.

I was going to say that you should add some chopped parsley but there’s no real need, there’s enough going on as it is.

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

 

 

Spaghetti with Bacon Breadcrumb Topping September 6, 2010

Filed under: Meat,Pasta — delishuss @ 9:31 pm
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I was watching Rick Stein’s cookery programme at the weekend and he was in Sicily. He made a very simple pasta dish. I have taken his recipe a step further. I think it’s great, but then again I am biased 🙂

 

Ingredients

150g spaghetti

15 olives, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 red pepper, diced

1 tray of cherry tomatoes, pith removed and diced

50g breadcrumbs

50g grated parmesan

5 medallions (100g) smoked rasher

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp of chilli flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

Cooking spray

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a pan and spray with cooking spray. Fry the bacon for 3 minutes until turning brown. Add the breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the parmesan, stir and set aside.
  3. Heat an additional large pan and add the olive oil. Fry the pepper for 3 minutes, add the garlic and olives and fry for another 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, chilli flakes and season with pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes until the tomatoes are heated through.
  4. Drain the pasta and add to the large saucepan with the tomato and olive mix. Stir through and cook for another 3 minutes.
  5. Distribute into large serving bowls and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
 

Hot corncakes with avocado, bacon and basil August 29, 2010

Filed under: Brunch,Meat — delishuss @ 7:51 pm
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I got this recipe from www.bbcgoodfood.com. The recipe instructions were really bad so I have edited their version. I tried the recipe with the avocado and I really don’t think it needs it. I didn’t have basil so I just used spicy italian herbs instead (from Schwarz). I also doubled up on the batter and kept the remainder in the fridge for the following day. These are not really the healthiest option but you have to indulge sometimes.

  • 100 ml olive oil for deep frying
  • 1 red pepper , diced
  • 1 fresh red or green chilli , deseeded and chopped
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 2 egg , beaten
  • 6 tbsp milk
  • 2 x 330g sweetcorn nibblets, drained
  • handful basil leaf , chopped, plus extra to serve (or use 2 tsp spicy Italian herbs)

TO SERVE

  • 8 rashers, back or streaky bacon
  • juice 1⁄2 lemon
  • 1 or 2 avocado , peeled, stoned and sliced

Method

  1. Heat grill to high. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sizzle the pepper for 5 mins until softened, adding the chilli for the final min. Remove and set aside.
  2. Put the flour into a large bowl, make a well, then stir in the egg and then the milk to make a batter, whisking to remove any lumps. Stir in the corn, peppers, chilli and chopped basil, then season well.
  3. Heat a wok and add the remaining oil and heat until very hot. Then carefully drop 4 large tbsps of the batter into the pan. Don’t panic they look like they will seperate but they bind together. Try not to agitate them while they are cooking.
  4. Cook for 2 mins until risen and golden underneath, then cook for 1 min more. You’ll need to do these in batches, remove and drain on the kitchen paper to remove the excess fat. Keep warm.
  5. Meanwhile, grill the bacon.
  6. Mix the lemon juice and remaining oil together with seasoning. Serve 4 cakes each, topped with the avocado, bacon, a scattering of basil leaves and a drizzle of the dressing.
 

Leek, Bacon and Goat’s Cheese Pie August 2, 2010

Filed under: Meat — delishuss @ 9:21 pm
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I subscribed to a cookbook, which came with some of the ‘BEST’ magazines, one of the cookbooks contained recipes for pies. A few took my fancy  but I ended up making this recipe based on the ingredients I had at home.  It’s good wholesome, comfort food. Give it go and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

1 pack of puff pastry (2 x sheets. If frozen leave out overnight to thaw)

1 ½ leeks, chopped

4 slices of smoked bacon, chopped

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

5 eggs beaten

1 egg beaten for sealing and glazing

6 slices of goat’s cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 218 degrees Celsius.
  2. Fry off the bacon until browned.
  3. Grease an ovenproof dish (about 15 cm deep) and roll out one sheet of your puff pastry into your dish. Cut off any edges and patch any areas that you may be short of pastry using some of the beaten egg to help the patches of pastry to stick together.
  4. Add the chopped leek, fried bacon, cherry tomatoes and goat’s cheese onto the pastry base.
  5. Add some salt and pepper to the beaten eggs and pour over the pastry base.
  6. Place in the oven and cook for about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Brush some of the beaten egg around the rim and place the second sheet of puff pastry across the top, cut off any excess pastry. Glaze to top with the egg.
  7. Place back in the oven for a further 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on it as the pastry can burn quite quickly.

 Note: Serve with a salad with balsamic dressing.

 

Creamy Tomato and Bacon Pasta Bows June 26, 2010

Filed under: Fast Food,Pasta — delishuss @ 11:48 am
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Hi everyone,
 
I experimented and stumbled across this recipe, which I think is pretty tasted I have to say. Very quick and easy.
 
Enjoy

Serves 2

Ingredients

200g pasta bows

1 small onion, diced.

1 tin of chopped tomatoes with garlic

1 small tub of low fat crème fraiche (250 ml).

2 tablespoons of olive oil.

6 medallions of smoked bacon.

½ finely chopped red chilli

Salt and pepper

75g grated white cheese

Instructions

  1. Bowl the pasta according to packet instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, fry off the onion and bacon until browned.
  3. Fry off the chilli for 1-2 minutes with the onion and bacon.
  4. Add the tin of tomatoes to the cooked ingredients, bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle in the grated cheese and stir.
  6. Stir in the crème fraiche and cook for 2 minutes more.
  7. Add in the pasta, stir and season to taste.