Ingredients 2 cups Penne 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cups broccoli florets, blanched 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, thinly sliced 2 cups arugula 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced zest of 1 lemon 1/2 cup, grated parmesan 4 hard boiled eggs roast chicken, shredded salt and pepper
To make pasta salad... In a large bowl add cherry tomatoes, blanched broccoli, artichoke, arugula, and penne that has been cooked and lightly rinsed under water. In a saucepan heat olive oil over medium-low heat and add garlic, cook until fragrant about 2 minutes. Poor in cream and cook stirring, about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened and reduced. Add lemon zest to cream and season with salt and pepper. Poor desired amount of cream over bowl of penne and vegetables, then add parmesan. Carefully mix everything till combined and evenly coated in cream. Season pasta salad with salt and pepper. Divide pasta salad evenly among 4 plates. Top each plate with shredded roast chicken and a boiled egg cut in 4 pieces. Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients buns... 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/2 cup sugar, superfine 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon all-spice 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) butter, melted 1 egg 1 1/2 cups raisins glaze... 1/2 cup sugar, superfine 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin 1 tablespoon water icing... 1/2 cup powder sugar 1/4 cup marscapone
To make buns... Place the yeast, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and all of the milk in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture should start to foam, indicating that the yeast is active. Add the sifted flour, all-spice, cinnamon, melted butter, egg, raisins, and sugar to the yeast mixture and mix using a butter knife until a sticky dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes, add a little extra flour at a time if dough is still too sticky, dough should start to feel elastic. Place ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and set in a warm place for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. Divide the dough into 12 pieces, or desired size or number, then roll into balls. Grease a 9 inch square cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper. Place the dough balls in the tin, cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until they rise. Preheat oven to 400F, bake buns for 35 minutes or until well browned and springy to touch. While buns are baking make glaze. Brush buns with warm glaze while they are still hot. Then pipe icing crosses on top of each of them. Serve hot cross buns warm with butter.
To make glaze... Place sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove any sugar crystals from the side with a pastry brush dipped in water. In a small bowl sprinkle powdered gelatin over tablespoon of water. Add gelatin mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Set glaze aside until buns are ready.
To make icing... In a small bowl whisk together icing sugar and marscapone to a nice thick consistency. Add a little extra powder sugar if mixture is to thin. Place icing in a piping bag or a plastic bag with one corner snipped off, after buns have been glazed pipe crosses on top of each of them.
Ingredients 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup milk 2 ripe bananas, slightly smashed 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 egg yolks 2/3 cup sugar, superfine 1 tablespoon honey pinch of salt 3 shortbread biscuits 1/3 cup raisins
To make ice cream... In a sauce pan heat cream, milk, smashed bananas, and vanilla over low heat for 10 minutes, make sure the mixture doesn't boil. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale in color. Strain the milk mixture into a separate bowl to discard all the banana pieces. Next slowly poor the warm milk mixture into the bowl of eggs and sugar, continuously whisk so that the eggs don't scramble. Poor combined mixture back into saucepan and return to heat. Add honey and a pinch of salt. Stir continuously over medium-low heat with a wooden spoon for about 4 minutes or until thick and creamy. Place mixture in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes. Next churn the mixture in your ice cream machine following manufacturers directions, about 30 minutes. When ice cream is almost ready crumble in shortbread cookies and add in raisins. Continue churning until evenly mixed. Place ice cream in a freezable container and freeze for a few hours to firm.
Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 onion, diced 4 large leeks, chopped 2 medium butternut squash, cut into 1 inch pieces 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 3/4 quart chicken stock 1/3 cup heavy cream salt and pepper
To make soup... In a heavy based pot heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, leek, and pinch of salt and saute for at least 10 minutes until soft and fragrant. Next add chopped butternut squash and curry powder, stir to coat the squash in the butter and oil. Cover pot and let sweat over low heat for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, stir, and simmer for 30 minutes or until squash is tender and soft. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand for 10 more minutes to cool slightly. Using a bar mixer puree squash and leeks to a silky smooth consistency. Add cream and blend to combine. Return pot to heat, cover and bring to desired temperature for serving. Serve butternut squash soup with sourdough bread for dipping.
Ingredients crust... 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour 3/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk filling... 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 pears, cubed 1/2 inch pieces 1 container fresh raspberries 1/2 cup sugar zest of 1/2 lemon 1 egg, beaten raw sugar
To make crust... Combine both flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor, blend for 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse until butter is reduced to pea size pieces. Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl to blend, add to processor and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather dough into a ball, flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 1/2 hours. To make filling... Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, set aside. Combine pear, raspberries, zest and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and juices are released, about 4 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil stirring continuously, mixture should thicken. pear will not be tender and pieces should still be intact. Transfer mixture to a bowl and chill until cool, about 30 minutes. To make pie... Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on floured parchment paper to 12 inch round, brush with beaten egg. Mound filling in center of crust, gently spread out leaving a 2 inch border. Gently fold edges of dough over filling, pleating as needed. Brush border with egg, sprinkle with raw sugar. Slide parchment with crostata onto a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let crostata cool on baking sheet on a rack. Transfer to a platter, cut into wedges, and serve with ice cream.
Ingredients olive oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped carrot, finely chopped celery stalk, finely chopped 1/2 lb ground beef, grass fed 1/2 lb ground lamb 2 pieces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped 1/2 cup wine 1 can whole plum tomatoes 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 tin tomato puree, pomi 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 4 basil leaves, finely chopped 1 mint leaf, finely chopped zest of 1/2 lemon salt and pepper
To make bolognese sauce... Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Saute until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add beef, lamb, and pancetta; cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, abut 15 minutes. Add wine, boil for 1 minute, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Add can of tomatoes breaking them up into chunks with your spoon. Add chicken stock and tomato paste stir to combine. Add sugar, balsamic vinegar, chopped herbs, and zest. Reduce heat to very low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors develop, 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. Gradually add in tomato puree, continue stirring occasionally and simmer for 1 more hour. If sauce thickens to much add a little more chicken stock to thin. Serve over your favorite pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients olive oil 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 small carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/4 fennel, finely chopped 3 pieces pancetta. finely chopped 1 can whole tomatoes, with juice 4 cups chicken stock small chunk of parmesan rind 1 carrot, sliced 1 zucchini, halved and sliced 1/4 fennel, cut into pieces 1/2 cup small cauliflower florets 1 cup white beans 2 cups fresh spinach leaves conchigile pasta 2 basil leaves salt and pepper
To make Minestrone... In a heavy based pot heat some olive oil and add all the finely chopped vegetables and add pancetta cook over low heat stirring occasionally until softened. Add can of tomatoes and its juice then add chicken stock. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Add parmesan rind, carrot pieces and fennel pieces. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. In a separate pot boil salted water and half cook the pasta. Drain pasta and set aside. Next add the chopped cauliflower florets, cover pot and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add zucchini pieces, half cooked pasta, and basil leaves. Cover pot and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove lid stir in white beans and spinach and season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes stirring until spinach has wilted. Serve minestrone with fresh grated parmesan on top.
Ingredients 4 pears, pealed, cored, and quartered 1 stick butter 1 cup sugar, superfine puff pastry
To make Tart Tatin... Preheat oven to 400F. In a ovenproof heavy paced pan melt stick of butter over high heat. Add cup of sugar and stir continuously until sugar begins to dissolve. Sugar should start to brown and liquify into a rich caramel sauce. Add pears and sauté them in the caramel for a couple of minutes. Arrange pears cored side up and evenly placed in pan. Cover your rolled out puff pastry, that has been cut into a circle a little bigger then the size of your pan, over your pears and tuck in the edges. Place pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until puffed and golden. serve with a scope of double cream or marscapone.
Ingredients lamb shanks 1/4 cup flour, seasoned with s&p olive oil onion, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 cup pitted black olives 2 tablespoons tomato paste zest of 1 orange zest of 1 lemon 1 cup white wine 1 can whole tomatoes 3 cups chicken stock 4 bay leaves 2 thyme sprigs salt and pepper 1 cup polenta 3 cups water 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup grated parmesan
To make lamb shanks... Lightly coat lamb shanks in seasoned flour. Heat olive oil in a large heavy based pot and cook shanks browning them on all sides. When shanks are evenly browned remove from pot. Reduce heat to low, add a little more olive oil if needed, then add chopped vegetables and cook until softened. Next add olives, tomato paste, citrus zests, wine, tin tomatoes, and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together then add the lamb shanks back into the pot. Cover pot and lightly simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Uncover pot and turn the shanks onto their other side. Recover pot and simmer for another 45 minutes. Then remove lid from pot and simmer uncovered for 30 more minutes or until meat is almost falling of the bone.
To make polenta... In a pot bring the 3 cups of water to a boil. When water is boiling, slowly poor in polenta while continuously whisking. Simmer polenta over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring once in a while. Add butter and parmesan and stir until polenta is creamy and smooth. Serve lamb shank over polenta and enjoy!
To make pasta... In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until ingredients resemble coarse bread crumbs. Poor crumbly mixture carefully onto a work surface and use your hands to form dough into a ball. Need the dough for 5 minutes until it has become slightly more workable. Place the ball of dough in a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes. Remove from fridge and continue to kneed for 5 more minutes. Cut ball of dough in a half. Place one of the halves back in the fridge. Press the half your working with to slightly flatten. Then roll the dough a few times through the thickest setting on your pasta machine. Gradually reduce the thickness setting until you have a long thin strip of pasta. You can cut your pasta sheet how ever you like. Repeat the same steps with the second halve of the dough.
Ingredients 1/2lbs ground pork 3/4lbs ground beef 1/2 cup pine nuts 1/2 cup raisins 1 egg 6 basil leaves, finely chopped 4 parsley leaves, finely chopped 1/4 cup ricotta 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated day old rustic white bread 1/4 cup milk salt and pepper 1/2 onion, finely chopped can of plum tomatoes can of tomato puree, Pomi 1/2 cup white wine 3 thyme sprigs 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar
To make meatballs... Remove the soft inside part of the white bread and place in a small bowl. Poor the milk over the bread and set it aside. In a large bowl mix together ground meat, raisins, pine nuts, ricotta, chopped herbs, egg, parmesan, and the soaked bread. Season mixture with salt and pepper then form into golf sized balls. Mixture should make about 20 meatballs.
To make tomato sauce... In a heavy based pot heat some oil then add the chopped onion. Season with salt and cook over low heat until onion has softened about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer for a few minutes until alcohol has cooked off. Next add the can tomatoes and the tomato puree. With your wooden spoon break up the tomatoes into smaller chunks. Bring the sauce to a simmer, add balsamic, thyme sprigs, and sugar. Stir to combine everything and season with salt and pepper.
To cook meatballs... Increase the heat of the sauce to a boil. Place balls evenly throughout the sauce cover pot with a lid then reduce heat to low. Cook meatballs covered for 30 minutes. Then uncover and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve meatballs over spaghetti with fresh grated parmesan!
To make corn... Soak corn for at least 30 minutes in water. Remove outer husks until just the light green husks remain. Carefully pull down light green husks and remove the silk threads from the inside of the husks. Put the husk leaves back to were they where. Using 1 of the removed leaves tie the tops of the husk leaves together to keep them secured. Preheat BBQ to high heat. Place corn cobs on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes or until outside has browned or slightly blackened. The longer you cook them the smokier the taste. Yummmyyy!!! Remove corn husks and serve with butter.
Ingredients Snapper, deboned and spine removed lemon lime, sliced 3 mint leaves 6 basil leaves 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 scallion, finely chopped salt & pepper
To make snapper... With a knife lightly slice the skin of the fish on both sides. Stuff the fish with sliced lime, mint, basil, salt and pepper, and chopped scallions. Then rub the outside of the fish with lemon juice, lemon zest, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Cover fish on a plate with plastic wrap and place in fridge to marinate for a couple hours. Preheat BBQ to high heat. Wrap stuffed fish with aluminum foil then place on the BBQ. Cook for about 15 minutes, flipping fish over a few times. Fish should be white colored and cooked through. Unwrap fish and remove stuffing. Divide among plates and enjoy!
To make syrup... Combine all ingredients and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Can be made a day in advance.
To make baklava... Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Spread pistachios and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast nuts in oven for 5 minutes. Cool nuts, then transfer to a processor. Add sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon turn processor on and blend until nuts are ground to a medium fine texture. Transfer nut mixture to a large bowl and stir in chopped dried apples. Place phyllo sheet stack on a work surface and cover with a damp cloth. Brush metal baking pan with melted butter. Arrange 1 phyllo sheet in pan, brush over melted butter. Repeat staking and buttering until you have a total of 10 layers. Spread 1/3 of nut mixture over phyllo in pan leaving 1/2 inch from the edge. Repeat layering 2 more times and 1/3 remaining nut mixture each time. To with 10 more layers of phyllo dough. Using a sharp knife, cut through top phyllo layers to create equal squares of desired size. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, or until phyllo is golden. Gradually spoon cold syrup over hot baklava. Cool to room temperature. Serve!
To marinate chops... Mix minced shallots, chopped mint, chopped oregano, minced garlic, and sugar in a small bowl. Then cover each lamb chop with the shallot herb mixture. Place chops on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To cook chops... Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a small bowl until slightly thickened and well blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon oil mixture lightly over chops to cover both sides. Let stand for about an hour to absorb flavors. Heat BBQ to medium high heat. Grill lamb chops to desired doneness, about 4 minutes each side. Serve with lemon roasted potatoes.
