Homemade Dulce de Leche

So I've been a bit out of the loop lately, but I have some excuses all prepared;

1. Work has been insane!  So insane that I actually ended up having to work all of last weekend and stayed back till 7 most nights too.
2. Exercise is not good for your health people!  I sprained my ankle while out running and a week and half down the track (pardon the pun!) it is still swollen and painful ... apparently there is some potential its not just sprained but I'm not exploring that possibility at the moment and excuse three is the reason why ...
3. Remember this post?   Well tomorrow is the big day and I have been asked to make 150 cupcakes (yep, 150!) for the reception ... in a castle ... in the highlands (practically) ... no pressure!  This has taken a fair amount of planning let alone time actually in the kitchen making and decorating them.  I'll be sure to share with you all the pics and recipes from the big day, starting today!  I'm so excited for both of my lovely friends, I can't wait to share in their day.  Miss KH performed two beautiful songs for us at our wedding, one of which she had to rewrite the music for because the sheet music was only available for the piano and she was playing the guitar.  If she loves the cupcakes half as much as I loved her songs I'll be very proud!

Does that get me off the hook?  I really will try to be a much better blogger ... one day ;0)

There are three flavours of cupcakes for the wedding.  White Chocolate and Raspberry which I've made before, Chocolate and Peanut Butter (a favourite flavour combo of the bride's) and Dulce de Leche.  The last two I have never made before and I would have loved to have had a dry run with them both but thanks to work that plan went out the window.  Dulce de leche is something I've heard a lot about but never actually tasted or seen available in the shops so to make these cupcakes I had to start from scratch and make my own Dulce de Leche, a vanilla infused milk that is basically boiled / simmered until it becomes caramelly and lush!

Homemade Dulce de Leche (Dolce di Latte)
2 litres whole milk
500g caster sugar
1 tsp sea salt
2 vanilla pods

Pour the milk into a large non stick pan over a medium heat.  Add the sugar and salt.  Split the vanilla pods length ways, scrape the seeds out from the pods, then add the seeds and pods to the milk.

Turn the heat to medium-high, and whisk or stir the mixture constantly until it comes to a full boil.  Turn the heat down to a bare simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, for 2-3 hours, until you see the dulce de leche reduce and become thicker.  If in doubt, move the pan to your smallest ring once the milk is at simmering point and use your lowest heat to keep it turning over very gently.  If the heat is too high, your milk will boil over and develop a rough skin on top, which won't dissolve no matter how much you whisk it later.  Whereas if the heat is too low you'll just have to cook it longer, no harm done.

Check the consistency after about 2 hours and remove the vanilla pods.  Continue to simmer if necessary - the consistency you are looking for is a loose caramel, remembering that the mixture will thicken more as it cools.  (My batch took 3 and half hours).

When it gets there, whisk it until smooth, using a balloon whisk.  Pour into small jars and leave to cool.  when completely cold, seal the jars with lids and keep in the fridge for up to a month.  if you hermetically seal the jars, they will keep (unopened) in a larder for up to a year.

Makes 750ml
Taste Italia Magazine, July 11

I'm a bit of a vanilla freak, just can't get enough of that sweet comforting flavour but when paired with the caramel notes in dulce de leche I have to admit I am in 7th heaven! 

Lizzie Kamenetzky’s Summer Berry Jelly and White Chocolate Pannacotta

This is a recipe I discovered at the end of summer last year when the summer berries had well and truly passed their peak.  When we had some of the family around for a barbie last Sunday night it seemed only logical to pull this recipe out for dessert.  It was a real treat!  I made a few changes to the recipe of course, I used pink bubbles instead of the rose wine and I only used strawberries and raspberries that I had picked up at the farmers market the day before.

Lizzie Kamenetzky’s Summer Berry Jelly and White Chocolate Pannacotta
7 fine gelatine leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
150g caster sugar
250ml medium sweet rose wine
250g mixed raspberries, small strawberries (hulled and quartered), blueberries and redcurrants, plus extra berries to serve
For the Pannacotta
500ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g white chocolate, broken up into chunks
3 fine gelatine leaves

Soak the 7 gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 mins to soften. In a pan, bring 300ml water and the lemon juice to the boil. Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatine and add to the syrup. Stir until dissolved, then stir in the wine.

Put the jelly aside to cool to room temp. Meanwhile, divide the mixed berries among 6 x 200ml dariolr moulds (or a 1.3 litre loaf tin), then pour over the cool jelly to half fill the moulds / tin. Chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge to set.

Once the jelly has set, make the pannacotta. Heat the cream in a pan over a medium heat. As it starts to boil, reduce the heat, then stir in the vanilla bean paste and white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then remove from the heat.

Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 mins to soften, then squeeze out the excess water and place in a bowl with 4 tbsp boiling water, stirring to melt. Add to the cream and chocolate mixture and allow to cool a little. Pour the pannacotta mixture into the dariolr moulds or loaf tin on top of the set jelly and berry layer. Leave to set overnight in the fridge. Turn out and serve with more berries.

Serves 6
Delicious, Aug 10

I have to admit that I was so pleased with the way this dessert turned out that it got a tour of the living room for everyone to see, in a style not too dissimilar from the way a haggis is traditionally carried into the room for Burn's Night!  Its always a relief when jelly and pannacotta turn out nicely instead of ending up in a pool on the bench.  Next time I would make these in individual moulds, for presentation purposes alone!
 

 
This one is going over to Jac's Bookmarked Recipes blogevent, a fantastic event to help you finally use some of those long stored away recipes!
 

 
And while I'm on a post using fresh and local strawberries I thought I would show you my first ever home grown strawberry!  I feel like a proud mother (who eats her babies!)  Our plants have now produced three stunning little red berries, super juicy and sweet ;0)

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Watching the Barefoot Contessa not so long ago and she made this very yummy sounding sandwich using Goat's Cheese.  I've played around with the original recipe a little bit to make it more of an 'express' sandwich and not too taxing to make on Monday morning's!  Or any morning for that matter, mornings aren't my best look!!!!

Goat's cheese is my most recent food discovery, A Room At The West End introduced it to me a few weekends ago when they served it in a bridie (I'd never heard of a bridie till I moved to Scotland, click here for more info!) for my starter.  Dressed with a hazelnut vinaigrette it went down very well indeed so I've been on the hunt for more Goat cheese recipes ever since.  Trust the Barefoot Contessa to come up trumps ;0)

Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches
1 jar ready roasted peppers
A glug of olive oil (I sometimes don't bother with this though)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Ciabatta, halved horizontally
125g goat's cheese, at room temperature
8-10 large basil leaves

Combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.  Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters, add to the oil and vinegar mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom half of the loaf with the goat cheese. Add a layer of peppers and then a layer of basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with the top half of the ciabatta and cut into individual servings.

Serves 4
Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa (to see the original recipe click here)

These are great in a picnic hamper too - we'll be taking them with us the next time we visit the squirrels at the Botanics.  And if you want to bump up the veggie count add some baby spinach leaves along with the basil.  Yum!

The Girl's Christmas Hamper 2010 - Christmas Biscotti

As promised, here is part 2 of 'The Girl's' Christmas Hampers.  To go along with the Christmas Cream Liqueur I decided to make them some biscotti too.  This is a recipe my Mum made for Christmas Hampers quite a few years ago, I believe it is possibly a Belinda Jeffery recipe originally but I'm not 100% sure!  The only problem with making biscotti is that one of the girl's is wheat intolerant and another has just been advised to cut gluten out of her diet altogether.  I frantic search of the Internet for suitable recipes and / or substitutions proved fruitless so I called upon the wonderful Katie from Apple and Spice for a bit of advice!  With Katie's help I was able to make a wheat and gluten free version as well as the originally, thanks Katie ;0)

Christmas Biscotti
250g plain flour (for the wheat and gluten free version I used a plain flour mix from Doves)
3/4 tsp baking powder (for the wheat and gluten free version I used bicarb ... but I am now the proud owner of gluten free baking powder!)
125 caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g almonds, chopped
50g dried cranberries or cherries
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 180C.  Lightly grease a baking tray.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.  Stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt.  Add the vanilla extract and then the nuts and fruit.  Pour in the egg and mix until the mixture forms a firm dough.  You may need to use a little extra flour if the mixture feels too sticky (if it sticks to the bowl for example).

Flour the work surface or a large board, and your hands, and shape the mixture into a log about 30cm long.  put into the baking tray and cook for about 30 mins until firm.  Allow to cool for about 10 mins then cut into 2cm wide slices.  Put slices onto a clean baking tray (ungreased) and bake for another 15-20 mins, turning halfway through, until golden.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Makes around 20 slices

* You can flavour the biscotti with anything you like; almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, pistachios etc.

Because its Christmas time I thought the biscotti called for a bit of added bling.  I tempered a batch of milk chocolate and dipped the biscotti in it and then sprinkled some edible golden stars over before the chocolate set.

Homemade Pizza ... Take Two

Making pizza is nothing new to me, back in my high school days I used to make it quite often after the one I brought home from Home Ec class went down a treat.  I posted a recipe for homemade pizza late last year and although it was good, it just didn't quite do it for me.  So quite a few weekends ago (I'm a bit behind with my posts!!!) I gave this recipe a whirl.

Simple Pizza Base
600g string white bread flour, plus plenty for rolling
1/2 tsp dried yeast
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Semolina, for dusting

Put the flour, yeast and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl.  Stir in 500ml of slightly warm water and the oil.  You should end up with a wettish dough that is rough and lumpy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover with a tea towel and if your kitchen is cool keep it out, but if it is warm put it in the bottom of the fridge.  Leave the dough to rise for at least 6 hours or until doubled in size.

When ready to cook, bring the dough to room temp.  heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C.  Dust 2-4 baking sheets with semolina.  Dust the work surface with flour, then divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces.  Knead each piece on the floured surface, incorporating enough flour to stop the dough being sticky.

Roll each piece into a pizza shape and lift onto baking sheets.  Leave to rise for 10 mins while you sort toppings (see below).  Top the bases with your chosen ingredients, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and bake for 18 mins for a large pizza or 12 mins of an individual pizza, or until the crust is crisp and the top is bubbling.

Makes 2 large or 4 individual pizzas
Good Food Magazine, March 11

* You can prove the dough overnight or during the day. 
* If the dough looks like it might climb out of the bowl, squash it down. 
* It will be sticky when you roll it out, but with a little kneading on a floured surface it will become smooth and pliable. 
* Cook two large pizzas at a time, swapping oven positions halfway through, or cook individual pizzas in two batches.

Wild Mushroom and Mascarpone Pizza Topping
Soak a large handful of dried wild mushrooms in boiling water until soft.  Meanwhile, mix 6 tbsp mascarpone with a crushed garlic clove and season well.

Heat 2 tsp olive oil and fry 6 sliced cap mushrooms until just starting to soften, then add the drained soaked mushrooms and 1 tsp thyme leaves.  Spread the mascarpone mix on the pizza base and top with the mushrooms.

Bake for 12 for individual pizzas or 18 mins for a large pizza, then remove from the oven and sprinkle with 4 tbsp grated Parmesan.  Return to the oven for 1 min and finish with extra thyme leaves.

Makes enough topping for 1 large pizza or two small pizzas
Good Food Mag, March 11

This is my all time favourite pizza topping now!  I love the creamy mascarpone sauce instead of the normal tomato one.  Heaven!!!

Hubby had a 'Meat Eaters Feast' complete with chicken, pepperoni and chorizo!!  Sis-In-Law was here to help us munch our way through the pizza's too, the overall winner was the Wild Mushroom ;0)

Left Over Pasta Dinner

I was in a lazy mood last night but I wanted something really nice to eat at the same time - don't you just hate when that mood strikes! 

So I put my left over dried pasta to good use and pan fried some chicken breast with salt and pepper and then made my stand by creamy pasta sauce recipe for smothering over the top.  Freshly grated Parmesan was showered over the top to complete the look ;0)

This was honestly the loveliest pasta meal, and as we all know the real test comes when Hubby asks for it again, which he has!  The pasta was lovely and silky ... not sure ready bought pasta will ever be allowed to grace my shopping basket again!

Ravioli with Ricotta and Hazelnut Filling in Green Herb Sauce

The pasts machine got another workout last night.  Without trying to sound too ego filled, this is possibly the best pasta dough I have made yet ... my Granny was right, if at first you don't succeed try, try, try again!  While the pasts dough may have been a triumph, the ravioli filling can not really be labeled in the same way ... unfortunately!  Its a shame really, it sounded so nice on paper, but in real life it was a touch bland.  I think next time I'd maybe bump up the amount of garlic and maybe even include some Parmesan or blue cheese to the mix.  Other than that though, this was loads of fun to make and I put the scraps of dough to good use and made spaghetti from it, which I dried overnight and will use in tonight's dinner.  Bonus!

Ravioli with Ricotta and Hazelnut Filling in Green Herb Sauce
1 quantity homemade basic pasta dough (see recipe below, I used my regular pasta dough recipe though)
225g ricotta cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
120g skinned hazelnuts, grated (or lightly whizzed in the food processor)
1 egg, beaten
150ml single cream
6 tbsp chopped mixed fresh herbs (chives, parsley and dill are good)

Make the pasta dough as described below, then roll out as thinly as you can into long pieces and place on a lightly floured surface.

Mix the ricotta, garlic, nuts and seasoning to taste. Place small mounds of the ricotta mixture about 3cm apart on half the pieces of pasta, brushing around each mound with beaten egg. Cover with the rest of the pasta, pressing down around the edges to try and exclude as much air as possible. Cut between the mounds with a sharp knife or pastry wheel.

Put the ravioli on a lightly floured surface and leave to dry for 30 mins. Drop them into a large saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 4-6 mins.

Meanwhile, heat the cream and herbs in a small pan, then pour over the drained ravioli and serve.

Serves 4
Good Food, Aug 10

Basic Pasta Dough
200g plain flour (wholemeal, wheatmeal, unbleached white or a mixture. Bread flour made from hard wheat is best)
½ tsp salt
2 eggs (size 3 or large)

Put the flour and salt into a bowl and crack in the eggs. Using your hands, mix the flour, little by little, into the egg until you have a fairly smooth dough.

Set the rollers of your pasta machine to their widest position. Take a piece of pasta dough about the size of an egg, flatten it roughly with your hands, then feed it through the rollers. Fold the piece of dough into three, then feed it through again. Do this six or seven times, until the dough is smooth and pliable, then put aside and repeat the process with the rest of the dough, keeping the pieces in the right order.

Next, tighten the rollers a notch and feed the pieces of pasta through again, once only this time, and without folding. Repeat three times, tightening the rollers a notch each time. Cut the pasta pieces in half if they become too long to handle, and support them as they come through the machine so that they don’t fall in folds and stick together.

Serves 4-6
Good Food, Aug 10

Forever Nigella ~ Chocolate and Frangelico Tiramisu

For this month's Forever Nigella the them was Italian.  Originally I was toying with the idea of following Sarah's suggestion and making some gelato but while searching through the various books I stumbled across the recipe that was somewhat of my nemesis at Christmas time.  You see both Nigella and Nigel appeared on TV in the lead up to Christmas preparing recipes that included my most beloved Frangelico.  Ordinarily not a problem except that in this case it had the 'Delia effect' and stocks of Frangelico totally disappeared and my local supplier had a 6 week back order!!!!  You can imagine that finding out the week before Christmas that a batch of my Christmas Cream Liqueur was not going to be available on our table caused a wee bit of a strop.  Bl**dy Nigella!  (We never curse Sir Nigel in this house!)

Now that the Frangelico balance has been restored I felt I was able to forgive Nigella her fopar and graciously I thought I would give her recipe for Frangelico Tiramisu a try and have it for dessert after today's family lunch.  In keeping with the challenge I haven't included the recipe here but you can find it in 'Kitchen'.  The only real change I made to the recipe was to swap the coffee for hot chocolate and I reduced the quantities by half and preparing the tiramisu as individual desserts in glasses.

Sis In Law and I really liked it (she makes a mean tiramisu herself so I was a little worried what her verdict would be!) by Hubby didn't care for it quite so much, oddly enough because the coffee flavour was too strong for him even though there was no coffee in it.  I was surprised to find it did actually have a coffee tang to it, must be the frangelico but it was the lovely nutty side of the flavour rather than the strong bitter side that so often over powers.  Next time I make this I 'll stick to the original quantities and and make it as one large dessert to serve up, it was a bit tricky to make the individual ones look as pretty as they could have been.

Not all Panna Cotta's are created equal!

When I was searching for a recipe to make the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta's for Valentine's Day I came across quite a few that used Greek Yogurt as the base. To me this seemed like cheating a little bit - surely the real deal involved copious amounts of cream and gelatine to get the flavour and texture just right. Let's face it, there is nothing more disappointing in this (dessert obsessed) world of mine than a rubbery panna cotta ... OK maybe one that 'smooshes' all over your plate would be worse, jury is out on that one for me, they would both be a travesty in my book! So when i recently took delivery of lots (my fridge is still packed to the rim!) of Total Greek Yogurt I immediately knew that I wanted to give the yogurt based version a try. Purely for comparison reasons you understand.

Pannacotta al frutto della Passione (Passion Fruit Panna Cotta)

2 1/2 gelatine leaves, or 7g powdered gelatine

500ml greek yogurt (I used Total Greek Yogurt - the regular variety i.e. not 2% or 0%)

125g passion fruit seeds and pulp (from about 6 or 7 passion fruits)

100g caster sugar

Soak the gelatine leaves in a little cold water, or follow the packet instructions for softening the powdered gelatine. Tip the yogurt into a bowl and set aside.

Gently heat the passion fruit and sugar together for 5 mins, until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Squeeze out the gelatine sheets and add to the pan, or add the powdered gelatine. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved, returning the pan to the heat if necessary.

Strain the warmed liquid through a sieve (to remove any undissolved gelatine and the passion fruit seeds) into the yogurt in the bowl. Stir to combine. Cool the panna cotta, then divide it between moulds or glasses.

Serves 4

The Italian Cookery Course

The result? Lets just sat that I think I have found my new favourite dessert ... for this week at least! The tart tang from the yogurt is there in the first mouthful but then it mellows as the passion fruit flavour starts to make itself known. Its smooth and creamy and an absolute delight to eat!

Homemade Pizza

Not much of an intro to this one ... other than can anything be better on a Sunday night than homemade pizza for dinner while vegging out on the couch in front of the idiot box?!!?  No, we didn't think so either ;0)

Pizza Dough
1 tsp sugar
15g fresh yeast or 2 level tsp (7g sachet) dried yeast
225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp salt
Extra virgin olive oil, for greasing

Measure 150ml lukewarm water into a bowl. Add the sugar and crumble in the fresh yeast with your fingers. Swirl the water to dissolve the sugar and yeast. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it over the water and whisk it in with a fork. Allow the mixture to stand for 10-15 mins in a warm place until the yeast activates – a froth should develop on the surface.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Lightly oil or flour your hands and gradually incorporate the flour and liquid until they bind together.

Sprinkle your work surface generously with flour. Tip the dough onto the floured surface and scrape out any dough sticking to the bowl. Knead for 5-10 mins until the dough is smooth, silky, soft and supple. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, ‘knock it back’ (this releases large air bubbles which would make the pizza uneven). To do this: rub a little oil or flour on your fingers and slide them underneath the dough. Gently lift up the dough and punch it down again.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces by pinching it in the middle with your thumb and forefinger. Roll each into a ball on the palm of your hand until it is sealed underneath and place on a lightly floured work surface. Cover each ball with an upturned mixing bowl or damp cloth and leave to rest for 10-20 mins.

When the dough balls have rested and are soft to the touch, they are ready to be stretched. Start with plenty of flour on the work surface and give the dough ball a sharp slap. Next, flatten the dough gently using your fingers. Spread the dough with a rolling pin, preferably a thin one. Use one hand only, pressing lightly on the middle of the rolling pin (heavy rolling will make it tough). Roll the dough into an oblong shape, roughly 18cm x 32cm. Or if you prefer, roll the dough out to a 28cm diameter circle.

Makes 2 pizza bases (about 35cm in diameter)
Delicious, May 10

• I opted to make my pizza bases ahead of time.  To do this all you need to is make up to the end of step 5, wrap each ball in cling film, then foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temp and continue with the recipe.

Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
400g fresh or canned plum tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a gentle heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook very gently for about 10 mins until soft – don’t let them brown. Add the remaining ingredients and season. Stir, then simmer for 20 mins until you have a thickish sauce. If using fresh tomatoes, you will need to break them up with a spoon. This keeps well in the fridge, in a sterilised screw top jar for up to a week.

Makes about 320g
Delicious, May 10

My pizza base rolling skills are still in the development stage, thankfully this doesn't effect the flavour though!  We topped out pizza with chestnut mushrooms, sliced chicken breast, mozzarella, chorizo slices, dried oregano and grated chedder (Hubby insisted on this last ingredient!) and I popped them in the oven which had been preheated to 200C.  I had also popped some upturned baking trays in to warm up at the some time as we don't own a pizza stone.  They baked away happily for between 10 and 15 mins and voila ... homemade pizza for dinner!

Random Recipe Challenge ~ Ricotta and Herb Baked Chicken

For this months Random Recipe Challenge, Dom decided to mix things up a little bit.  We each had to select the 18th book in our collection and select something from that to cook.  Book number 18 for me is Donna Hay's 'Simple Essentials - Chicken', oh how I wish the number had been number 17, then I would of got Donna Hay's 'Simple Essentials - Chocolate'!!!  But I wanted to do Dom's challenge justice this month seeing as I had slightly adjusted the rules last month and stuck fast to the chicken book.  Keeping true to my blog I needed to find a baked recipe and Donna did not fail ... as if she ever would!

Ricotta and Herb Baked Chicken
190g ricotta
1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tbsp chopped basil leaves
1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 x 200g chicken breast fillets
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
125ml chicken stock
Extra basil leaves, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Place the ricotta, rind, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine.  Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the side of each chicken breast to create a pocket.  Spoon the ricotta mixture into the pockets.  Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish.  Add the tomatoes, garlic and stock and bake for 25 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with basil to serve.

Serves 4
Donna Hay, Simple Essentials - Chicken

We had this for dinner last Sunday night served with char grilled asparagus and some cherry tomatoes.  It was OK, not as special as I had hoped for but not a disaster either.  We would probably have this again but next time I would rather that the tomato sauce was a wee bit thicker so it could be served alongside the chicken, the vast majority of the sauce remained in the pot and was ultimately wasted because it was far too soupy to serve on a plate.  A shame but with a few tweaks here and there it has some potential ;0)

Rigatoni with Spicy Chorizo and Rosemary Sauce

We tried this recipe for the first time on Friday night. The picture of the dish in the magazine had my mouth watering! Its really quick and easy too, perfect for a midweek meal. The only change I would make next time is the sauce, it tasted a little on the 'tinny' side to me, canned tomatoes can often have that effect on me though. I think I'll use the pasta sauce recipe for the Arrabiata Sauce next time.

Rigatoni with Spicy Chorizo and Rosemary Sauce

200g rigatoni

75g chorizo, chopped into small chunks

Olive oil (I didn't use any oil at all)

A pinch of chilli flakes

2 rosemary sprigs, needles chopped

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

4 tbsp double cream (optional - I didn't use it this time round!)

Cook the pasta following packet instructions. Fry the chorizo in a little olive oil for 3 mins (I didn't use the olive oil, instead I used a non stick pan as chorizo has enough oil in it all of its own!)

Add the chilli flakes and rosemary and cook for 1 min then tip in the tomatoes. Simmer for 15 mins then add the cream (if using) and stir well.

Toss with the pasta and serve.

Serves 2

Olive Magazine, Jan 2010

Note to self: Remember that adding cold tomatoes to a hot pan should be done with finesse and a fair amount of caution!

Three Cheese Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

Hubby and I have enjoyed some much needed time off work this week but in the lead up to Christmas we decided to stay close to home.  The only real plans we have had is to take each day as it comes and see where it takes us ... I love holidays like that!  Wednesday wasn't a particularly nice day so we vegged out at home, Hubby caught up with the PlayStation and I finally managed to watch Chocolat on DVD.  Such a wonderful movie ... although the title of this post may have given away that I didn't head into the kitchen with a bag of chocolate nor was a French cookbook in sight!

Instead, I decided to break out my new pasta machine ~ going for much cheapness at Morrison's ... its not exactly a whizz bang brand but I thought it would do the trick to get me started ;0)

Basic Pasta Recipe
200g '00' flour, plus a little extra if you need it
2 large eggs
1 tsp fine salt

Sift the flour into a mound onto a work surface, or into a large bowl.  Break the eggs into the centre.  Blend eggs into the flour with a fork, then use your hand to slowly work in flour until a paste forms in the middle.  Keep going, until you have a rough textured dough.

Dust the work surface and your hands with flour.  Hold dough with one hand, push down and away from you with the heel of other hand, then fold back towards you.  Repeat for 10 mins, giving it a quarter turn each time, until smooth and elastic.  Wrap in cling film then leave to rest in the fridge for 30 mins.

Making with a pasta machine
Set the rollers to their widest setting, then cut the dough into 4.  Flatten one piece and roll it through machine.  Fold it into three, give it a quarter turn and roll it through again.  Repeat three or more times, until smooth and an even shape.  Reduce opening of machine one notch and roll sheets through.

Continue this process, reducing a notch each time until the pasta is smooth and thin.  cut the dough with a knife to shape, or run the pasta through the preferred cutter on your machine.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Three Cheese Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
100g ricotta
100g blue cheese
50g finely grated parmesan, plus shavings to serve
1 quantity of fresh pasta dough, rolled and left in sheets (recipe above)
50g butter
8 sage leaves

Mix together the ricotta, blue cheese and parmesan in a bowl.  Season with some black pepper.

Cut out 7cm squares (I opted for circles with a cookie cutter!) from each sheet of pasta dough.  Knead trimmings together, re roll and cut out more squares.

Spoon a little of the cheese mixture into the centre of half the pasta squares.  Dampen the edges of each square with a little water, then top with remaining pasta squares. Using fingers or a fork, press edges together to seal.  Arrange on a tray dusted with flour, not letting ravioli touch each other, until ready to cook.

Melt the butter in a small pan on low heat.  Add the sage leaves (mine were massive so I tore them up before adding them to the butter), then cook for 2 mins, until butter is lightly browned and sage leaves are crisp.  Meanwhile, cook ravioli in batches in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for about 5 mins, until al dente.  Drain thoroughly and toss with sage butter.  Serve immediately, topped with the parmesan shavings.

Serves 4
Good Food Home Cooking Series - Italian

This meal was perfect for a rainy-do-nothing kind of a day .... but it did take me two hours from beginning to end and I did get to the point where I was sick to death of rolling the pasta dough out that I maybe didn't use all of it ... or the filling (but shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell Hubby)!  Besides, the clock was ticking ever closer to time for the new Masterchef Australia of which I am totally hooked on again, and I couldn't miss the show as it was the night of the team challenge ... and I do so love the team challenges!!  So next time I'll make sure its another lazy day and I'll start it much sooner.

That said though, I was well chuffed with myself for producing home made ravioli.  I had visions of the little blighters bursting open in the pan of boiling water and all we'd end up with for dinner was water laden pasta circles covered in sage butter and parmesan ... but to my utter joy this didn't happen and it was really very tasty.  Hubby absolutley lapped it up, a sure sign of success!  This is defo on my must make again list and now I can't wait to try out some more recipes with homemade pasta ;0)

Random Recipe Challenge ~ Basil, Mascarpone and Ricotta Tart

We had friends around for dinner last night, one is a veggie, the other is a 'freedom' eater (vegetarian although he eats meat as and when he chooses, which usually tends to strikearound about the time we are at the German Christmas Market and he's had a few gluhweins!) and then there are the fussy eating habits of Hubby and I.  No pressure when planning the menu there then!

Fearing this challenge wasn't fraught with enough danger already I also decided to up the ante by taking part in Dom's  Random Recipe Challenge, and find a recipe for our main meal from one of my neglected and seldom appreciated cookbooks.  Dom's idea is to randomly selected one of your books and then randomly select a recipe from the index which you then need to make, if you've made it before then you should turn to the recipe on the next page and make that instead. 

Forgive me Dom but I cheated!  While the book was randomly selected, it was actually shortlisted from a whole host of books that I've had in my collection but either haven't used at all or I've used quite sparingly.  Then given the constraints of my dinner guests I selected a recipe from the index that was not only vegetarian but would also suit the carnivores.  But I figure the point of the challenge is to encourage everyone to use books that are often neglected and to try recipes that maybe wouldn't be considered normally, in which case I didn't cheat at all ... at least that's my excuse and I am sticking to it ;0)

Basil, Mascarpone and Ricotta Tart

1 pre-baked 26cm tart shell (another cheat!  I used store bought shortcrust to make the tart shell as I was short on time)
Filling
250g mascarpone
350g creme fraiche
370g ricotta
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
3 big handfuls of basil leaves (or 3-4 tbsp pesto if stuck for fresh basil)
80g freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Make the tart shell!

Then pile all the ingredients for the filling in to a food processor and whiz them until they're thoroughly mixed together, stopping to scrape down the sides once as you go.  Don't over mix or the texture can turn grainy.  Taste to see how strong the basil is and add more if required.

Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell and bake for 40-50 mins, or until the filling is wobbly set and a bit puffed.  Remove the tart from the oven and leave it to settle in the tin for a few mins.

When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the tart from the tin and slide it onto a serving plate.  Its best served warm rather than hot.

Serves 6-8
Belinda Jeffery's Tried and True Recipes

I confess to being slightly disappointed with this tart.  It was a bit luck luster really ... but now I've typed the recipe out I realise that I forgot to put the parmesan in!  Doh!  It did create some lively conversation around the dinner table though once I had stated that it seemed to be missing something.  The freedom eater thought maybe blue cheese would do the trick , I wondered if maybe parmesan would add the missing sparkle (20:20 hindsight!) ... possibly the addition of a very finely chopped semi dried tomato or two?  At lunch time I even tried it with a dollop of caramelised onion chutney, which was delicious but totally overpowered the basil in the tart.  Well ... now I know what was missing ... we'll just keep that one between us ;0)

Tomato and Mozzarella Spaghetti Bake

A quick and easy weeknight meal!

Tomato and Mozzarella Spaghetti Bake
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 x 400g canned chopped tomatoes
Good pinch chilli powder
400g spaghetti, broken into short lengths
Handful basil leaves, plus a few extra
250g pack mozzarella, sliced
50g grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, chilli and seasoning, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, then drain. Mix the spaghetti with the tomato sauce and basil, then spoon half into a large oven proof dish. Arrange half the mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat the layers, then bake for 15-20 mins until lightly browned on top. Scatter with extra basil and serve with a big green salad.

Serves 4
Good Food, Oct 09