Creamy Mushroom Pasta

As a brit I've been having a real identity crisis when it comes to food recently, the British seem to have an overwhelming obsession with all things potato and I'm absolutely sick and tired of potatoes and potato based products (obviously excluding fried potatoes, frying just makes everything better).

Baring that in mind I've been eating a fair amount of pasta as of late and therefore a lot of the recipes I've come up with are pasta based. The recipe below is yet another pasta dish, it's a rich, flavourful and satisfying meal that feels a lot more decadent than it really is. Since both the sauce and pasta can be cooked in advance and kept in the fridge for several days, or even frozen, this can easily make a super quick, lazy midweek dinner.

You will need:
400g dried pasta
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
600g mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp hendersons relish
200g fat free quark
120g parmesan cheese
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cornflour

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain, retaining the water and set aside.
2. Pre-heat the oil in a large saucepan, over a medium high heat.
3. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, stir through and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.
5. Add the mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and relish, stir and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
6. Stir through the quark and parmesan.
7. Add the cornflour to the water, mixing until all the cornflour dissolves, before adding to the pan and bringing up to the boil.
8. Add in the drained pasta, stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer, if the mix looks a little dry add in some of the retained pasta water and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
9. Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, stir through to ensure everything is evenly distributed and serve in 4 bowls.

Notes:
Swap out the vegetable oil for spray oil and cut down on the parmesan to make it more diet friendly. If you're not too bothered about calories, add more cheese and some broken up crispy bacon for more flavour and to give the dish a little texture.

Super Simple Salmon

I love salmon, but don't often eat it because of the cost. When I do I like to taste the salmon, I want it front and centre with the rest of the meal complimenting the flavour rather than overpowering it.

Below are two simple, quick and delicious salmon recipes that I've absolutely loved eating.

Watercress Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle in a watercress sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
1 small onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic
150g watercress
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to season
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)

Method:
1. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the onion, garlic, watercress, lemon juice, seasoning and 2-3 tbsp of the pasta water to a food processor and pulse until a paste is formed.
3. Add the watercress paste to the pasta, thoroughly stir through, place a lid on the pan, cook over a very low heat for 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

Creamy Salmon Pasta

Pan fried salmon with tagliatelle and spinach in a creamy sauce.

You will need:
400g tagliatelle
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 spring onions, sliced to a thickness of around 5mm
200g reduced fat soft cheese
400g spinach
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 good sized salmon steaks (around 200g each)
Pinch of smoked salt flakes
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the stated cooking time, drain the pasta, but retain the water in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic, spring onion and 2 tbsp of the pasta water to the pasta, stir through, cover and cook over a very low heat for 1 minute.
3. Remove the pasta from the heat, stir through the soft cheese, if needed add in another tbsp of the pasta water, add the spinach to the pan, cover and set aside.
4. Pre-heat the oil in a pan over a high heat, pat dry the salmon, season the flesh side liberally with the smoked salt and pepper, place in the pan skin side down and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of the pasta water over the salmon, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove the frying pan from the heat and set aside to rest for 1-2 minutes.
7. The spinach should have started to wilt from the residual heat in the pasta pan, season to taste and stir the wilted spinach through the pasta.
8. Serve up the pasta into 4 bowls and place a salmon steak on top of each.

With both of these dishes if you wanted to really boost those salty savoury flavours you could add in a few capers as you're stirring everything through the pasta or grate some parmesan cheese over the dish before serving.

Both recipes could also be made a little more budget friendly by swapping the fresh salmon for frozen prawns, or even tinned salmon, and stirring them through just a few minutes before serving.

Cheeseburger Pasta Bake

When I call this Cheeseburger Pasta Bake I’m not joking, the simplicity, the flavours, the carb hit from the pasta, come together nicely and really do conjure up those old school cheeseburger vibes. This pasta bake is a super simple, super comforting, tasty, and surprisingly healthy, nostalgia hit of a dish. It can be knocked up fairly quickly, with absolutely no nonsense, and stored in the fridge, or freezer, ready to be popped in the oven at a moment's notice.

You will need:
400g dried penne (or other pasta shape)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
500g lean beef mince
125g lean bacon, cut into 1cm chunks
2 cans peeled plum tomatoes
120g extra mature Cheddar, coarsely grated
6-8 pickled gherkins, halved and sliced
Good sized pinch of salt and pepper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan).
2. Add the pasta to boiling, salted, water, cook for 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time, drain and set aside.
3. Pour the oil into a fairly large, oven safe, low sided saucepan and allow to heat over a medium/low heat.
4. Add the onions to tha pan, stir to coat in the oil, cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, until thoroughly softened.
5. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to high, add the beef and bacon and fry for about 5 minutes, until browned.
6. Remove from the heat, add in the pasta and stir through.
7. Add in the tomatoes, half the cheese, some of the gherkins and the salt pepper. Gently break the tomatoes with the back of the spoon and stir everything through.
8. Sprinkle over half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven, divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle over the remaining cheese and gherkins then serve.

Notes:
If you’re not a fan of gherkins then simply don’t add them, they’re there simply because I feel like they give the dish a more authentic burgery taste.

If you want to really ramp up the burgeryness, serve with a simple side salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato and thousand island dressing.

Reduced Fat Mince Beef Stroganoff

I love a beef stroganoff, but it's an incredibly rich dish and doesn't exactly make for the most healthy of meals. This is my attempt at making something that is both healthy(ish) and scratches that comfort food itch.

You will need:
1 calorie spray
500g 5% fat minced beef
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
300g mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp english mustard
½ tsp black pepper, ground
200ml beef stock
6 tbsp reduced fat creme fraiche
Salt to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Put a high sided pan over a medium/high heat to warm.
2. Spray in a few squirts of 1 calorie spray and add the minced beef. Once browned, tip the beef into a bowl and set aside.
3. Add the onions, to the same pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent.
4. Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
5. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened.
6. Add the worcestershire sauce, mustard and pepper, stir through until incorporated.
7. Add the beef stock, bring to the boil, reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced slightly.
8. Add the browned beef and creme fraiche and stir through.
9. Check for seasoning and add salt, if needed.
10. Serve over rice, pasta or mash and sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

Notes:
Stroganoff is a very widespread dish, with dozens of different variations, so adept it to suit your own taste. I often add a couple of spoons of paprika, mostly because I love paprika.

Chicken And Vegetable Pasta One Pot

A super simple, rustic, budget friendly and flavoursome pasta dish. The simplicity of this recipe makes it a good midweek meal, add a little extra fluid, and a bit of spice, and it makes an excellent winter warmer.

You will need:

400g fusilli/penne or similar pasta

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 large onion

2 medium carrots, roughly chopped

2 sticks celery, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, roughly chopped

1 tin of tomatoes

A small handful of fresh sage, finely chopped

160g good quality cheese, grated

100g spinach

Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time.

2. Drain the pasta, retaining some of the cooking liquid, in case you need to thin the sauce later, and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid, add the onions and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add the carrots, celery, garlic and chicken to the pan, cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

5. Add the tomatoes and sage, stir thoroughly, bring the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Add the pasta, spinach and cheese, stir until the spinach wilts, season to taste, put the lid on the pan, remove from the heat and allow it to stand for about 5 minutes.

Notes:

I wrote this recipe whilst locked down, due to covid-19, so my access to fresh veg etc. was slightly limited. To really ramp up the veg content, and give it a little more flavour, add a green pepper and a head of broccoli. 

Homemade Gnocchi

Homemade gnocchi (using left over mashed potato), meatballs (made from sausage meat leftover from Christmas), cheese and a rich tomato sauce.

A Quartet Of Tangy Chutneys

It's a new year, but it's still only January and, if you're anything like me, you have a ton of leftover cold meats and cheeses in the fridge and/or freezer. I refuse to waste food and my leftovers are in desperate need of using up (I'm forever short of freezer space). For me at least, the ideal way of using up this type of leftovers are meat and cheese boards or good old fashioned sandwiches and neither are complete without a healthy dollop of chutney or pickle. With that in mind here are 4 super simple, tangy chutneys that go great with meat and cheese.

Apple And Cranberry

You will need:
250g onion, sliced
250g apple, peeled and chopped
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp peppercorns, cracked
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp salt
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar
250g cranberries

Method:
1. Add everything, but the cranberries, to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.
3. Add the cranberries and continue to cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes.

Onion And Pepper

You will need:
250g onion, sliced
150g red pepper, chopped
150g green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Root Vegetable

You will need:
200g onion, finely chopped
100g carrot, finely chopped
100g swede, finely chopped
100g parsnip, finely chopped
100g apple, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Tomato And Onion

You will need:
250g red onion, sliced
250g tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm chunk ginger, grated
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
250g brown sugar
100ml cider vinegar

Method:
1. Add everything to a heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Place over medium/high heat until boiling, reduce the heat until just simmering and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened.

Notes:
Store in the fridge in sterilised jars and these should keep for weeks, if not a couple of months.

Just A Home Cook, And Not Even That Good At It

Today I’ve cooked a roast turkey, a roast duck, a glazed ham, 3 different types of stuffing, pigs in blankets, honey roast carrots and parsnips, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts with pancetta, baked leaks and turkey gravy… I’m knackered, I don’t know how chefs do it day in and day out.

Chicken, Pumpkin And Chickpea Curry

Rich, creamy, flavoursome and a little bit seasonal (it's currently autumn/winter). I know this is very similar to a couple of other recipes I’ve posted in the past, but I do love a curry and sometimes changing just a few little things can alter the flavour dramatically.

You will need:
1 tbsp vegetable oil (rapeseed oil)
3 medium onions, sliced
6 chicken thighs, boned and very roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
3 chillies, finely chopped
2/3 tbsp curry paste*
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
250ml chicken stock
1 can reduced-fat coconut milk
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped

Method:
1. Heat the vegetable oil over low/medium heat in a large saucepan with a lid.
2. Add the onion and cook for 10-15 minutes, until they begin to caramelise.
3. Turn up the heat to medium, add the chicken and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes, until just coloured.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for another minute.
5. Stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring constantly to stop it catching, for 1 minute, until fragrant.
6. Add in the pumpkin, stock and coconut milk, stir, bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Add in the chickpeas, stir and continue to cook until the pumpkin is tender.
8. Remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and serve.

Notes:
Serve over rice, with a naan or maybe both (definitely both).

* You can easily substitute with curry powder if you don't have paste.

Nan’s Victoria Sponge

This is my Nan’s victoria sponge recipe, it's super simple, always gives decent results, nicely fills two 8 inch cake tins and is the starting point for every sponge style cake that I ever make.

For the cake you will need:
8oz (roughly 225g) caster sugar
8oz (roughly 225g) butter
8oz (roughly 225g) self raising flour
3 large eggs, beaten

For the buttercream you will need:
12oz (roughly 340g) icing sugar
6oz (roughly 160g) butter
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

6 tbsp apricot jam (approx)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Add the sugar and butter to a fairly large bowl and cream together until fluffy.
3. Add in the flour and fold until combined.
4. Add the egg, a little at a time, folding in until fully combined.
5. Pour the mix into 2 lined 8 inch cake tins and bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and a cocktail stick comes out clean.
6. Once cooked, turn out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
7. In a large bowl cream the icing sugar, butter and vanilla essence together until smooth.
8. Once the cakes are completely cool spread the jam onto one of the cakes, top with the buttercream and sandwich with the second cake on top.
9. (Optional) Sprinkle the top with a little caster or icing sugar for decoration.

Notes:
Believe it or not these cakes actually freeze really well. Once completely cooled, rather than filling, wrap the cake in cling film, place into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. My Nan would use a slightly modified, and scaled up, version of this recipe to make large batches of cupcakes, freeze them and simply get one out, before putting the kettle on, to have alongside her cup of tea. My Nan always insisted on using buttercream, NEVER fresh whipped cream, and apricot jam as the filling, anything else just wasn’t right.

Apple And Cinnamon Sponge Cake

IT'S AUTUMN... is there a more autumnal flavour combination that apple and cinnamon? It's possible, but I'm hard pressed to think of one. This lovely cake instantly conjures up images of wool jumpers, thick socks, hot chocolate and leaves changing colours. Please note this recipe isn’t entirely mine, it’s a modified version of the recipe my Nan always used for her victoria sponges.

You will need:
100g soft brown sugar
100g caster sugar
200g butter
200g self raising flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 tsp ground cinnamon (I'm aware 3 tsp is 1 tbsp, but have you tried to get a tbsp in a supermarket jar of ground cinnamon?)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 - 6 apples (depending on their size), peeled, cored and chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. Add the sugar and butter to a fairly large bowl and cream together until fluffy.
3. Add in the flour and fold until combined.
4. Add the egg, a little at a time, folding in until fully combined.
5. Add in the spices and fold through.
6. Add the apple and fold until fairly evenly distributed through the mix.
7. Pour the mix into a lined cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Once cooked, turn out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

Notes:
Eat this as is or glaze it with a simple sugar glaze, made from a mix of milk, icing sugar and vanilla extract. When I first made this I left the apples fairly coarse, I would advise chopping them slightly more finely.

Wintery Packed Lunch

I’m heading out for the day, it’s cold, wet and windy and there’s going to be a whole bunch of us there, I decided to put up a little packed lunch of soup and a sandwich for everyone. Butternut squash soup and a honey glazed ham, baked in cider, sandwiches anyone?

Monday Breakfast, What? I’m On Holiday…

Freshly brewed coffee, pumpkin spice bagel and a pot of skyre, maybe not the healthiest of breakfasts, but it was absolutely lovely.

Time For A Tea Time Treat

A slice of cinnamon apple cake and a mug of tea? It would be rude not to.

My Weekend In Images

A brief summary of my weekend in images, I cooked a little, ate way too much, bought some pumpkins/squashes and enjoyed a very long soak in a hot bath (I also binge watched all 3 series of She-Ra because I’m totally an adult).

First Pumpkin Of The Season

First pumpkin of the season, it’s going to taste so good cut in half, seasoned with a good sized pinch of salt and pepper and then simply roasted in a hot oven.

Chicken Kebab And Chips

It looks like I'm going to have to be particularly strict with my diet over the next few days, after a somewhat food heavy weekend.

I got in Friday night feeling tired, emotionally drained, a little depressed and absolutely ravenous. As payday was, and at the time of writing this still is, several days away, ordering a takeaway simply wasn't an option and that meant getting my head together, raiding the fridge, freezer and larder for whatever odds and ends I could find. Fortunately I always tend to have things like onions, garlic and pasta in stock as they're cheap, keep really well and are easy to cook, making them an absolute store cupboard essential. I coupled this with a good sized chunk of leftover chorizo, some mushrooms and a large chicken breast, I found in the back of my freezer drawer, to make a quick, easy and actually really tasty chicken and chorizo pasta. I added some additional flavour with a glug of dark soy sauce and a couple of teaspoons or dried oregano from the larder.

I did my weekly food shop, after my driving lesson, on Saturday morning and decided, with having not being able to afford a takeaway the night before, to treat myself to a dinner of homemade chicken kebab and chips. I bought a couple of packs of chicken thighs, I skinned and boned them out myself as they're considerably cheaper to buy with skins and bones still intact, a pot of yoghurt, a bag of 'wonky' potatoes, a bag of 'wonky' onions ('wonky' veg is just as nice and a fair amount cheaper than standard, uniform, veg), a cabbage, a couple of corn on the cobs and a pack of wraps. The whole lot came in at less than £10, about what it would have cost to order in a take away for myself, and I ended up making easily enough food for 2 people, with plenty of leftovers besides.

I started my prep as soon, as I got in from my shopping trip, by seasoning the yoghurt with paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, onion powder and garlic powder before adding in the chicken thighs, coating them thoroughly and putting the whole mixture in the fridge to marinade for most of the day. In the evening I impaled the chicken on skewers, set them on a high sided tray and placed them in an oven set to 150°C. While the chicken was in the oven I cut up some potatoes, added them to a pan of water and bought it to the boil. Once boiling I removed the pan from the heat, poured the potatoes into a colander to drain and spread them out on a lined tray to steam dry. once the potatoes stopped giving off steam, I lightly sprayed them with oil and seasoned with smoked salt and dried rosemary. Before adding the potatoes to the oven I removed the chicken and turned it over to ensure it was evenly cooked throughout. While the potatoes and the chicken finished off, I chopped some onions and cabbage leaves to make a salad for the wraps, made a mint yoghurt sauce with the leftovers from the marinade and some mint picked from the garden, boiled the corn on the cob and lightly charred some peppers I'd found in the fridge. Once the chicken and chips were cooked I removed them from the oven and carved the meat directly from the skewer. I filling the wrap with salad, sauce and meat then served alongside the chips, corn and charred peppers. All in all it made for a very large, very tasty and extremely satisfying plate of food, with the added benefit of leaving me lots of leftover food and ingredients for other meals during the week. food, food blog, food porn, foodie, cook, cooking, cooked, home cook, home cooking, home cooked, home made, homemade, fat boy, fatty, meat, fat boi,