Garlic Bread

I hadn't made this for years, following on the BBQ theme, I had a few friends over and I decided to add this to the menu, ever since I've given the recipe to dozens of people!

Ingredients

7 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tblsp dried/fresh basil
2 tblsp dried parsley
150g butter
salt
1 baguette/ciabatta halved

Method

1.In a small saucepan mix all the ingredients together
2.Place over a low heat
3.Cook until the butter has completely melted and the mixture just starts to bubble
4.Spread over the bread
5.Place in the oven (200°C) until just starting to brown

You can add chilli paste for a little kick, or sprinkle cheese over the bread to make cheesy garlic bread.

Serves : 4 - 8 (depending on how you cut the bread after cooking)
Preparation : 10 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

Stale Bread and Squidgy Tomatoes

Are you sick of throwing food away? This traditional Italian peasant dish is a great way of using up those ingredients that are just past their freshness.

Tuscan Bread Soup

Ingredients

2 tblsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
500g of over ripe tomatoes, peeled (or 1 tin of peeled whole tomatoes)
60ml (2fl oz) water
1/3 loaf of stale bread, pulled (by hand) into bite sized chunks
20 fresh basil leaves/ 3 tblsp of dried basil
Salt & pepper

Method

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil gently
2. Add garlic, stir into the oil
3. Add tomatoes whole
4. Using a wooden spoon/spatula, cut the tomatoes into chunks
5. Add salt & pepper
6. Add water and stir
7. Add bread and toss (not stir) bread chunks into the soup
8. Add basil (leaves/dried)
9. Simmer for 3-5 mins

Serves : 6

Preparation time : 5 mins

Cooking time : 5 - 10 mins

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

50g/2 oz stale white bread *
milk (enough to moisten the bread)
450g/1 lb button mushrooms, rinsed and chopped
50g/2 oz butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tblsp parsley
570 ml/1 pint chicken stock
100 ml/4 fl oz double cream
nutmeg, salt & pepper

* Moisten the bread with the milk and leave to soak whilst you chop the mushrooms

Method

1. Melt the butter and stir in the mushrooms
2. Cover and leave to stew for 4 - 5 mins
3. Squeeze the surplus milk from the bread and tear into strips
4. Stir the bread into the mushrooms
5. Add the garlic, parsley, generous pinch of nutmeg and chicken stock
6. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 10 mins
7. Liquidise, return to the pan, adjust the seasoning and bring back to the boil
8. Stir in the cream and serve

Serves : 4
Preparation time : 10 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins

Truffle Oil

I’m not a fan of the fungi family, but I fully understand why the truffle is a delicacy. Its rich taste and meaty texture makes it less of a mushroom and more a slice of heaven.

Unfortunately, it is rather expensive. So to get that truffle flavour into your everyday dishes, without re mortgaging your house, buy truffle oil. It costs about £5 a 50cl bottle, and all you need is a drizzle. Here’s a few examples of how to use your new found treasure.

Over Potatoes

Ingredients

2 tblsp butter
3 tsps truffle oil
500g New Jersey/Charlotte/Rebecca potatoes

Method

1. In a large pan of salted water, boil the potatoes
2. Over a gentle heat, melt butter in a pan
3. Add truffle oil
4. Mix well
5. Pour over the hot drained potatoes

Over Pasta

Ingredients

2 tblsp basil (chopped fresh/dried)
2 tblsp parsley (chopped fresh/dried)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tsps truffle oil
250g pasta (of choice)

Method

1. In a large pan of salted water, cook the pasta
2. In a small bowl mix basil, parsley, garlic and truffle oil.
3; Pour over hot drained pasta
4. Mix well
5. Serve hot with grated (parmesan) cheese

Over Bread

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, chopped finely
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tblsp basil (chopped fresh/dried)
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tblsp olive oil
3 tsps truffle oil
100g grated (parmesan) cheese

Method

1. In a small saucepan gently heat the olive oil and truffle oil
2. Add onions
3. Stir constantly until onions are soft
4. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and garlic
5. Simmer over minimum heat for 2-3 minutes
6. Take off the heat and spread the mixture over crusty bread (ciabatta/baguette for example)
7. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the mixture
8. Place under a hot grill under golden and bubbly

This recipe is commonly known as Bruschetta. It will keep 2 days in the fridge (uncovered), 4 days if in kept in a tupperware dish and it freezes beautifully.

Add a drizzle of truffle oil to your vegetable water, over your roast potatoes or even your cauliflower cheese. Once you taste the difference it makes you’ll be drizzling it everywhere!

Naan Bread

Ingredients

230ml/8 fl oz/1 cup warm water
7g/0.25 oz package active dry yeast
600ml/2 fl oz/1/4 cup white sugar
3 tblsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
1 L 600ml/2 pts ¼ /4 cups ½ bread flour
2 tsp minced garlic
60g/2 oz/1/4 butter

Method

1.In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water, let stand for about 10 mins, until frothy
2.Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and enough flour to make a soft dough
3. Knead for 6-8 mins, or until smooth, on a lightly floured surface
4.Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, set aside to rise. Let it rise for 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume
5.Punch down the dough and knead in garlic.
6.Pinch off small handfuls of dough (golf ball size) roll into balls and play onto a tray
7.Cover with a towel and allow to rise, 30 mins or until doubled in size
8.Lightly oil grill tray and preheat the grill to high
9. Roll out one ball of dough into a thin circle
10.Place dough on grill tray cook for 2-3 mins or until puffy and lightly browned
11.Brush uncooked side with butter and turn over
12.Brush cooked side with butter and cook until browned, 2-4 mins
13.Repeat the process until all of the naan has been prepared

Serves : 14 individual naan breads
Preparation : 2 hours
Cooking time : 7 mins each (1 h ½ total if cooking them all, freeze them uncooked)

¡Hola, Mis Amigos!

I've just come back from a wonderful week in LLoret de Mar on the Costa Brava in Spain. Sun, sea, sand and of course lots of scrmptious food! I'm afraid I was too busy eating all the food to remember to take lots of photos, but my chéri did manage to remind me a few times to snap a shot before I tucked in!

Cheesy fried chicken wings with garlic bread.

Paella Mixta and a pint of lager!

Fish & chips and a can of Irn Bru, not very Spanish, but I just couldn't resist!

Huge hams in a beautiful side street restaurant.

Ginormous mussels and mediterranean salad, beautifully presented don't you think?

You can't go to Spain and not eat at least once in a tapas bar. We kept ordering and ordering until we nearly burst!

One of the things I didn't take a photo of was our daily breakfasts. Every morning we had a full english breakfast. I used to snub english tourists for doing that on holiday but for 2.75€ for a full english of a sunny morning, well who wouldn't!

Stuffed Ham and Eggs

Here’s another great example of a mucky mixture. I couldn’t face the hoards in the supermarket on a Saturday so I’d made do with what was left in the pantry. Here’s what I made

Ingredients

4 slices of country ham
4 triangles of spreadable cheese
4 eggs, each fried both sides then chopped into bite size pieces
4 tsp humous

Method

1.For each slice of ham spread 1 triangle of cheese and 1 tsp humous
2.Add one egg for each slice
3.Roll into a long sausage

I served this with new potatoes, a mixed salad and garlic bread.

Quick and delicious!

Serves : 2

Preparation : 5 mins

Cooking time : 5 mins

French Onion Soup

Everytime I would order French Onion Soup in the brasseries of Paris as a little girl, I would slurp happily away as my Dad told me the story of how this fantastic dish was born. In the cold mornings of the old Les Halles market, the stall holders would warm themselves with the boiling hot liquid and gather around the huge marmite to exchange news and gossip.

I always thought it would be a complicated recipe and I would never be able to master this soup in the same way as the Parisiens. But a few years ago I decided to give it a go, and in fact it's the simplest recipe I've ever followed! All you need is a bit of patience and some good stock and voilà soupe à l'oignon à l'ancienne.

Ingredients

500g onions, peeled and chopped
2 pints brown stock
1 tsp plain flour
½ clove garlic, chopped
60g butter

Method

1.In a large saucpan, gently melt the butter
2.Add the onions
3.Over a very low heat, gently brown the onions (this should take about 1 hour)
4.Add the garlic after 45 minutes
5.Once browned add the flour and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly
6.Add the stock, a pinch of salt and pepper
7.Simmer for 20-30 minutes

Serves : 6 - 8

Preparation time : 10 -15 mins

Cooking time : 1 - 1 & 1/2 hours

Serve with crusty bread coated with cheese.

Night Owl's Diet

I'm still carrying a few extra pounds from my visit to England and Christmas (yes I know that was 4 months ago, but I can't help being greedy!). Working in an all you can eat buffet restaurant doesn't help either! So I'm getting myself back into the routine of preparing my meals for my shift at home. Today on the menu is

Pasta Pimentée

Ingredients

200g penne pasta
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp chilli purée
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbslp olive oil
2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
salt & pepper

Method

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil gently
3. Add onions, garlic and chilli purée
4. Stir until well mixed
5. Add the chopped tomatoes, spices and salt & pepper
6. Simmer gently for 5 mins
7. Drain the pasta and pour over the sauce
8. Mix together

Serves : 4

Preparation time : 5 mins

Cooking time : 10 - 15 mins

Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread

I will be packing a fruit yoghurt, a banana and an orange. Can't get much healthier than that!

Bagel....My Long Lost Friend

I don't know why but since moving to France I'd almost completely forgotten about bagels. I suppose it's because they aren't widely available over here. I rediscovered them in the UK last week. This little bread with a hole in the middle is so versatile. The following have definitely given me some great ideas, from filling them to burst or even just mini pizzas, bagels have been put on my next food shop list and I will be getting the creative juices flowing.

Classic Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese

Bacon, Goat's Cheese & Pine Nuts

Peppered Ham, Tomato, Red Onion & Lettuce

Grilled Vegetables & Cheese

Turkey, Avocado & Bean Sprouts

Bacon & Egg

Garlic Prawns, Egg & Cherry Tomatoes

Ham & Olive Bagel Pizza

Roasted Vegetable Bagel Pizza

Spaghetti Bolognaise

This is my quick and easy recipe for this Italian favourite.

Ingredients

500g spaghetti
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tblsp olive oil
500g minced beef/lamb
1 litre passata/chopped tomatoes (use a good brand otherwise the sauce will taste watery)
1 small tin of chopped tomatoes and meat
3 tsps salt
3 tsps basil
3 tsps parsley
10cl orange juice

Method

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the pasta
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil gently
3. Add onions and garlic, stir constantly for 1-2 mins
4. Add the mince meat, salt, 2 tsps basil and 2 tsps parsley
5. Stir constantly until the meat starts to brown
6. Add the tin of tomato & meat and the passata
7. Add the rest of the herbs and orange juice
8. Stir until well mixed
9. Simmer over a low heat for 5-10 mins

Hey presto! Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread.

Serves : 4
Preparation : 5 mins
Cooking time : 15 mins

Light Supper

After a few twelve hour days in the land of Mickey Mouse full from popcorn and all things sugary, for my cousin's last supper in Paris I made it simple and light.

Pork Filets with Charlotte Potatoes and Simple Rocket Salad

Ingredients

4 pork filets
250g new/charlotte/rebecca potatoes
250g rocket
4 tsp olive oil
4 tsp coarse sea salt

For the vinigrette

2 shallots/1 red onion, peeled and chopped finely
4 tblsp olive oil
4 tblsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp chilli purée

Method

1. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes
2. Coat the filets with the oil (1tsp per filet)
3. Rub in the salt (1tsp per filet) crushing lightly into the oil
4. In a griddle pan, cook the pork (4-5 mins each side)
5. Meanwhile prepare the vinigrette
6. Wash the rocket and pour over the vinigrette

Serves : 4

Preparation time : 5 mins

Cooking time : 20 - 30 mins

Serve with fresh bread and condiments