Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta

This is a very simple to make Italian style pasta sauce, the thing that makes this sauce so special is the roasted peppers they add such a wonderful sweet rich flavour.

This sauce can also be used as a base for a great tasting spaghetti bolognaise.

You will need

2 – Large Red Peppers

100 Ml - Red Wine

2 cloves – Garlic (crushed)

1 teaspoon – Dried Coriander

1 table spoon – Chopped Fresh Basil

1 - 400 Gm can of Chopped Tomatoes

50 Gm – Tomato Paste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A little olive oil

Deseed and quarter the peppers then place them on an oven proof tray and roast them in a 180°c pre heated oven for 20 minutes then take them out of the oven, let them cool for a couple of minutes and blitz them in a liquidiser until smooth.

Heat a little olive oil in a wok or pan and gently fry the garlic and dried coriander for about 2 minutes then add the peppers and the red wine and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste stir well then add the tomatoes and the basil, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering cook your pasta as per instructions on the pack and serve with the sauce poured over.

Alternatively this makes a great ragu or bolognaise sauce, just add to 400Gm of cooked minced or ground beef and onions stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes then serve with spaghetti.

Braised Beef in Red Wine

Braised Beef in Red Wine

A classic winter meal.

I love this kind of winter food it’s warming, simple to prepare and very flavoursome. If you like great winter warming comfort food; why not also try my Chicken Stew with Herby dumplings.

For 2 generous portions of this winter goodness;

You will need

500 Gm – Braising Beef

1 – Onion

2 – Carrots (about 100 Gm)

½ a large Swede (about 280 Gm)

1 – Parsnip (about 50 Gm)

1 teaspoon - Dried Mixed Herbs

½ teaspoon - Dried Thyme

½ teaspoon - Dried Tarragon

25 Gm - Butter

2 – Beef stock cubes

150 Ml - Red Wine

1 desert spoon – Corn Flour (made into a paste with a little water)

Peel, top and tail, and chop the vegetables then boil them in water for about 20 minutes.

Chop the onion and cut the beef into cubes of about 1 ½ cm.

Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onions for 2 – 3 minutes until soft then put the beef in to brown along with the mixed herbs, thyme and tarragon for about five minutes.

Pour the wine onto the beef and simmer for 10 minutes then add the corn flour paste.

After 10 minutes stir in the stock cubes and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper then transfer to an oven proof dish, the vegetables should have had their 20 minutes by now so pour them into the dish along with the water they have been cooked in, cover and place in the oven at 180°c for two hours.

Serve with mash or other vegetables of your choice.

5 Really Simple to make Valentine’s Sharing Dishes

5 Really Simple to make Valentine’s Sharing Dishes

You want to impress your loved one but what you don’t want is to spend all evening in the kitchen doing it, so try one of these really delicious simple to make dishes and enjoy your special evening.

Rainbow Trout on Noodles with Fennel and Parsley

Something that looks and tastes really impressive but at the same time is so simple to prepare.

Honey Roast Chicken Platter with Roast Potato Cubes

Served with Parsnip Crisps and Deep Fried Pickled Onion Rings, impressive to look at so good to eat and so simple to make.

Crispy Mackerel with Tomato and Basil Rice

An oh so simple and delicious Valentine’s meal for two.

Salmon Lemon Butter en croute

The lemon and parsley butter melts in between the salmon fillets complimenting it wonderfully.

Sticky Banana Caramels with a Dark RumDip

This is a very indulgent sharing Valentine’s desert, the banana balls are unsweetened then there is the sweetness of the caramel and then the hit of the punchy rum dip.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone

Sticky Banana Caramels with a Dark Rum Dip

Sticky Banana Caramels with a Dark Rum Dip

This is a very indulgent sharing Valentine’s desert, the banana balls are unsweetened then there is the contrasting sweetness of the caramel and finally the hit of the punchy rum dip.

What a combination.

This a very easy dish to prepare although you will have to follow the instructions in order if you want to serve it warm.

It’s just as delicious cold so if you are having it cold then just make each component separately in your own time.

You will need

2 – Ripe Bananas

120 Gm – Fresh Breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

For the caramel

1 table spoon – Golden Syrup

200 Ml - Condensed Milk

50 Gm – Butter

For the rum sauce

2 table spoons – Corn Flour

250 Ml - Milk

2 table spoons – Sugar

3 table spoons – Dark Rum

First of all mash the bananas to a pulp with a fork then add the breadcrumbs and mix well together.

Roll the mixture into balls you should get about 14 balls about ¾ the size of golf balls, arrange them on a plate and set aside.

Next start the caramel, put all the ingredients in a pan and heat very gently stirring all the time until the butter has melted.

Now gently bring to the boil still stirring, and then simmer gently for 10 minutes. All this must be done gently or you could get bits in it where it has burned at the bottom of the pan, if this happens don’t worry just pass it through a sieve at the end.

Now is a good time to turn the fryer on to 180°c.

To start the rum dip, place the milk in a pan and mix in the corn flour while gently heating.

Make sure you mix the corn flour with the milk well, heat gently until it thickens then stir in the rum.

Now deep fry the banana balls for 2 – 3 minutes.

Put them in a nice big sharing bowl, pour over the caramel and serve to the table with the rum dip in a separate bowl.

Salmon Lemon Butter en croute

Salmon Lemon Butter en croute

Another great sharing Valentine’s meal for two, this is so easy to make and looks very impressive when you bring it to the table. The lemon and parsley butter melts in between the salmon fillets complimenting it wonderfully.

You will need                                                                                                                                   

 

2 – 150 Gm Salmon Fillets (skinned)

500 Gm readymade Puff Pastry

100 Gm - Lemon and Parsley Butter

1 – Egg (beaten)

For the lemon parsley butter

100 Gm – Butter (softened not melted)

1 table spoon – Fresh Parsley (finely chopped)

The zest and juice of half a lemon

To make the flavoured butter beat the softened butter, parsley and lemon zest in a bowl then add the lemon juice little by little as you are mixing.

Put in a ramekin and place in the fridge, this will make more than you will need for the dish but it will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Roll out some of the puff pastry about 3 - 4 mm thick so that when you place the fillets onto it you have about 4 cm of pastry all the way round.

Roll out another piece of pastry about 8 cm bigger than the first piece.

Place the salmon onto the first piece, season with salt and pepper and spread a generous layer of lemon parsley butter and place the other fillet on top then season with salt and pepper.

Brush on some beaten egg around the edge of the pastry and place the larger piece on top and crimp the edges together firmly.

If you want to you can also make a fish scale pattern on the pastry with a teaspoon.

Put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes pre heat your oven to 200°c and place your salmon parcel into the oven for 25 minutes until the fish is cooked through.  

Serve with rice or vegetables on a platter or large plate and slice up at the table.                                                                                                                                                            

                 

Crispy Mackerel with Tomato and Basil Rice

Crispy Mackerel with Tomato and Basil Rice

Another oh so simple and delicious Valentine’s meal for two.

You will need

2 - Whole Mackerel
A little Olive Oil
A little Sea Salt

150 Gm - Long Grain Rice (cooked) 

2 - Fresh Tomatoes (chopped) 

1 table spoon - Fresh Basil (chopped)
2 – Medium Flat Mushrooms (chopped)
4 - Spring Onions (shredded)
2 teaspoons - Light Soy Sauce

Clean trim the mackerel if you’re not sure how to do this you can find out here it will also show you how to fillet the mackerel but you won’t need to do that for this dish so when you get to that part just remove the head and tail.

Now make some small cuts in the skin on both sides and rub a pinch of sea salt into each side.

Heat a little olive in a pan and fry on a high heat for about 6 minutes on each side or until the fish is cooked through.

While the fish is cooking heat a little olive oil in a wok or large frying pan and stir fry the mushrooms, spring onions and soy sauce for 2 or 3 minutes on a high heat.

Now add the tomatoes and basil, stir fry for about a minute then add the rice and cook until warmed through.

When the mackerel is ready the bone is easily removed by splitting the fish open and carefully lifting it out along with any other stray bones you may find.

Serve hot on a platter for two for the perfect Valentine’s meal.