Spaghetti with tuna & parsley

 This is the perfect pasta dish to make mid-week when you fancy something a bit comforting, a bit special, but quick and easy. It uses ingredients you will most likely already have which is a bonus (who doesn't always have a tin of tuna in the cupboard?)

 It would also make a super quick Valentine's meal, if you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but want to make something special for a fellow pasta lover.

(I made this just for myself but will double the quantities below to serve two)

Serves 2 

- 200g spaghetti

- 25g butter

- 2 garlic cloves, crushed

- 1 large onion, finely chopped

- 1 tin of tuna, in oil

- 50-100ml creme fraiche

- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

- parmesan, to grate on top

1. Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions in salted, boiling water (around 10 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the garlic for a couple of minutes.

3. Then add the onion and cook until softened. 

4. Drain some of the oil away from the tin of tuna and pour the rest of the tuna oil into the pan with the onion and garlic. Tip the tuna into a separate bowl and mash with a fork, then add to the pan and stir.

5. Mix the crème fraiche and parsley into the tuna mixture and heat through.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the tuna mixture, stirring until combined.

5. Serve and top with a generous grating of parmesan!

 Enjoy :)

Chicken and stuffing pie

This is the ultimate comfort food pie - you will love it.

As with all great pie recipes, it comes from Lisa Faulkner - her books are my favourite and this recipe is from her most recent book which I would highly recommend. I have also made her chicken and mushroom pie (click here for recipe) and her turkey and leek pie before (click here for recipe)

I changed Lisa Faulkner's recipe a bit, adding garlic and wholegrain mustard to mine, and I also used half the amount of stuffing to her recipe which I thought was the perfect amount, but if you love stuffing and want it oozing then feel free to double my quantity! The stuffing is layered between two sheets of puff pastry so I was sceptical and thought this may make the pie soggy but no no no, it was absolutely perfect and had the most delicious flavour and textures.

I used leftover roast chicken from the previous night to make this pie (click here for recipe!) I would highly recommend using leftover roast chicken because it just has such great flavour and will be moist and tender, and you can use a mixture of breast, thigh, wing etc. Equally, if you are wanting to make this so desperately (which you should be) and haven't got any leftover roast chicken, then cooking chicken thighs or breasts would still work.

Bake this pie and then curl up on the sofa in comfort food heaven. A perfect weekend treat with some oven cooked chips and a glass of wine.

Serves 4

- 85g sage and onion stuffing

- 50g butter

- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

- 1 onion, chopped

- 50g flour

- 200ml chicken stock

- 150ml single cream

- 2 tsp wholegrain mustard

- 500g cooked chicken, torn

- 200g mushrooms, sliced

- handful of fresh parsley, chopped

- black pepper

- 375g ready rolled puff pastry (Sainsbury's size - quantity can vary)

- 1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Make the stuffing (mix with boiling water according to packet instructions) and set aside.
3. Fry the garlic and onion in the butter for 5 minutes, or until softened.

4. Mix in the flour, then add the chicken stock, cream and wholegrain mustard. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the cooked chicken, mushrooms, parsley, and pepper, and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

6. Transfer the mixture to a pie dish.

7. Cut two layers of pastry to fit the pie dish. Spread one layer with the prepared stuffing.

8. Place the other sheet of pastry on top of the stuffing and press into the other sheet of pastry.

9. Brush the insides of the pie dish above the filling with beaten egg, then place the pastry on top, pressing lightly into the sides to mould to the shape of the dish. Brush the top of the pastry with egg and using a sharp knife, pierce three slits into the middle.

10. Cook in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until bubbling inside and golden brown on top.

Enjoy :)

Creamy fish pie

I made this a few months ago after wanting to try it for ages, since I'd never even had a fish pie before! It was just as good as i'd expected - creamy and smooth with a lot of flavour and delicious mashed potato with a crispy, cheesy layer. Perfect comfort food!

Serves 6

- 800g potatoes, peeled and chopped

- 25g butter (+ extra for potatoes)

- 25g plain flour

- 400ml milk (+ extra for potatoes)

- 100ml double cream

- around 600g fish - salmon, haddock and white fish (pollock or cod)

I bought Sainsbury's fish pie mix which is salmon, haddock and pollock ready skinned and cubed

- bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

- generous amount of cheddar cheese, grated

1. Boil the potatoes according to packet instructions.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, to make a smooth white sauce.

4. When thickened, stir in 75ml of the cream and season with salt and pepper. Mix in half the parsley.

5. Place the fish at the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Scatter over the remaining parsley then pour the white sauce on top.

6. When the potatoes are cooked and soft, mash them until smooth with butter, milk and the remaining cream.

7. Spread a layer of mashed potato on the top and fluff up with a fork.

8. Finish with a very generous layer of cheddar cheese and cook in the oven for 30 minutes (half covered with foil, half without) or until golden and the fish is cooked.

Enjoy :)

Pasta bows

This is my absolute favourite meal, and for the first time ever I actually cooked it myself. This is one of those special meals that my mum always cooks and it is just absolutely delcious (even better when she makes it) - I guarantee this will be up there with your favourite pasta dishes. I had no clue what to call this since in our family we just call it 'pasta bows' and the original recipe is called 'McEvitt's bows with meat sauce' as it's named after someone that made it. I wanted to give more of an indication of what it actually is in the title but 'pasta in mince, cream, parsley, white wine and parmesan sauce' didn't really sound all that special... I love how this is a creamy dish but is perfectly balanced with the mince and parsley and therefore isn't rich and sickly like other creamy pastas can be. The flavours in this are just amazing together - what is better than cooking with wine and fresh parmesan and herbs!? My mum changed the chilli powder to cayenne pepper and I would use all olive oil and not butter for frying but other than that this is the original recipe from an old cookbook. Definitely stick to pasta bows, it would not be the same with any other pasta!

Serves 2

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 onion, finally chopped

- 250g minced beef

- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

- salt and pepper

- 100ml white wine

- 150ml double cream

- generous amount of fresh parsley, finely chopped

- 50g parmesan, grated

- 250-300g pasta bows

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan and add the onions, cooking for about 5 minutes until softened.

2.  Stir in the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned. Add the pepper and seasoning.

3. Pour in the white wine and bring to the boil for a couple of minutes to reduce.

4. Reduce the head and add the cream and parsley - cook for a further ten minutes.

5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions.

6. Add the parmesan to the sauce, leaving some for sprinkling on top.

7. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce to heat through, then serve with the remaining parmesan and a sprig of parsley

Enjoy :)

Creamy mustard pappardelle with leek and green beans

This is a bit of a cheat, because I didn't actually make this - my mum did - but we put together our ideas to whip this up as a quick but delicious dinner. As I've mentioned before, I love adding green vegetables like green beans to pasta because it's a yummy way to incorporate the nutrients. Having said that, this meal is not particularly healthy since it has double cream in it... I like how the creamy mustard sauce just coats the pasta rather than being an actual sauce, which shows how not much cream is actually used - it would be too rich with lots of sauce. This is a really delicious meal, and will impress even though it only takes about 15 minutes to make!

Serves 2
- 200g pappardelle pasta
- knob of butter/margarine
- 1/2 leek, chopped
- handful of fine green beans, cut in half
- 100ml double cream
- 2-3 tsp wholegrain mustard
- handful of parmesan, finely grated

1. Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to packet instructions (about 10-15 minutes)
2. Melt the butter in a pan, and cook the leeks.
3. Add the green beans to the pan with the pasta in when there is about 5 minutes of cooking time left.
4. Drain the pasta and green beans and add to the pan with the leeks, stirring.
5. Pour in the double cream and the mustard and mix together until combined and the pasta is coated in a sauce.
6. Serve with fresh parmesan on top!

Enjoy :)

Creamy bacon and leek risotto

I have a really similar post here so I wasn't sure whether to bother putting this up, but this recipe doesn't have chicken in it and is more creamy because of the crème fraiche so it is kind of different! This is really simple, and really delicious so give it a try...

Serves 2
- knob of butter
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 4 rasher of bacon, cut into chunks
- 1 leek, sliced
- 175g rice
- 300ml water with 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 heaped tsp of crème fraiche
- parmesan, grated
- parsley, for garnish


1. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the bacon and continue to fry for a few minutes.
2. Add all the leeks and cook until separated and softened. Next, stir in the rice until coated.
3. Meanwhile, make up the stock and add to the pan - bring to the boil, then simmer for around 15 minutes - or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft.
4. Stir in the crème fraiche and serve with grated parmesan and a sprig of parsley!

Enjoy :)

Chicken and mushroom puff pastry pie

I had been craving a pie for ages; pastry is such a weakness for me, and puff pastry is definitely the most satisfying! I decided to make this creamy, comfort food chicken pie after coming across the recipe in Lisa Faulkner's cookbook (check here for info on her book). However, I altered it in a few ways - her recipe is for pot pies (small individual ones) and I made one large one, I lined the dish with puff pastry so it has a pastry base and topping rather than just topping, I used parsley instead of tarragon, and I didn't use any fennel. It was absolutely delicious, I recommend to anyone who likes pies. I had never made a pastry pie before, and it was exceptionally easy considering you can buy ready-rolled puff pastry! My boyfriend and I both loved it, although it is very rich - I guess this is one of the reasons why in the original recipe it just has a pastry topping rather than the filling being completely encased. I served the pie with creamy, parsley mash (I didn't take a picture of this but will write the recipe down below) and green beans. Mmmm, re-living the amazing taste of the mushrooms and parsley - I cannot wait to make this again!

Serves 4
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium chicken breasts, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 300g mushrooms, quartered
- 100ml double cream
- 270ml chicken stock
- bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- puff pastry (1 or 2 sheets if just covering top, but 4-6 if lining the dish as well)
- 1 egg, beaten


1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat the butter and oil in a deep frying pan and fry the chicken until browned. Put aside and return the pan to the heat, adding the garlic and onion, cooking until softened.
2. Add the mushrooms (adding a bit more oil if necessary) and cook until reduced down and softened.
3. Pour in the double cream and prepared stock, and reduce for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Add the cooked chicken, and parsley.

4. Meanwhile, oil a deep baking dish and line it with puff pastry (only one layer thick). You may need to cut different shapes for it to fit round the sides. Pour the chicken and mushroom mixture into the pastry-lined dish.

5. Top with the remaining pastry and brush with the beaten egg - this helps it crisp up, and gives it that gorgeous golden brown colour. If you want you can save some pastry and make shapes to stick on top, my boyfriend made the star! Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until hot in the middle and the pastry is crisp and golden.

For parsley mash

- mashing potatoes

- salt

- margarine

- double cream

- fresh parsley, chopped

1. Simply cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water according to packet instructions (20-30 mins)

2. Drain and return to the pan, adding a dollop of margarine and some cream. Mash until smooth - season to taste and add more cream if necessary. Add the parsley and stir through... delicious!

Enjoy :)

Chicken, bacon and leek risotto

It still amazes me how creamy and filling a risotto is when it has no creamy ingredients in it what so ever! (apart from some parmesan) It's so clever how by cooking rice this way you get an amazing, rich texture that isn't even too unhealthy. I never used to be that keen on risotto but I am slowly changing my mind... They are so much easier to make than I assumed as well; this dish will definitely impress!

Serves 2

- dash of olive oil

- knob of butter

- 1 1/2 chicken breasts, sliced

- 4 rashers bacon, chopped

- 1 leek, chopped

- 200g rice

- 450ml boiling water with chicken stock cube

- parmesan, grated, for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan and cook the chicken breasts until browned (well, white).

2. Add the bacon and leeks and cook until the leeks are soft and the bacon has turned lighter in colour.

3. Add the rice and stir through, coating in the ingredients and adding more butter if necessary. The grains of rice should start to fry and go translucent (try not to let them stick to the pan though, keep stirring!)

4. Prepare the stock in a jug and pour into the saucepan and stir. Cover and simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the water is absorbed and the rice if soft to bite (try some).

5. Serve and top with a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan, mm

Enjoy :)

The best macaroni and cheese

I had never even made mac n cheese before the other night, which shocked me because it is such a delicious meal. I hadn't actually eaten it for a couple of years which also came as a shock, and probably added to the reason why I loved it so much! I bought Lisa Faulkner's new cookbook (which is absolutely amazing by the way, will post a link at the bottom) the other day, and I found this recipe in there, and it worked perfectly. I was sceptical at first about using leeks in this dish as I'd never heard of it in mac n cheese before, and I wasn't even sure I liked leeks. But honestly, the leeks work so well in this - and they don't have an overpowering flavour like I thought they would - they are just soft which mixes well with the roux sauce. I'd never even made a roux sauce before and everyone always barks on about how difficult it is because it can get lumpy etc. But I had no problems with the ratio of milk, butter and flour, or with the method in this book. The sauce was so smooth, silky and cheesy that I practically ate half of it before it even went in the oven! This recipe has pancetta/bacon in, but of course it would be just as lovely without if you are vegetarian. The only complaint me and my mum had about this dish was that we wanted more! So definitely try this recipe, because it is hands down the best mac n cheese I have ever tasted....

(Sorry for the long intro and that the pictures aren't that clear/great. Need to invest in some fancy square white plates!)

Serves 4-6  (I halved it)
- 300g macaroni
- 75g pancetta, cubed (or bacon)
- 2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml milk
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- a dash of Worcestershire sauce (like Lea & Perrins)
- 225g cheddar cheese, grated
- 75g parmesan cheese, grated
- 65g breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper

Few notes: definitely make sure you stick to the ingredients because they really do all add different flavours and textures to the dish which make it so delicious. Particularly the flavour of the Worcestershire sauce, and the texture of the crunchy breadcrumbs on top!
Also, don't be afraid of making a roux sauce, just stick to the method!

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees. Cook the macaroni for 10 minutes in salted water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, brown the pancetta over a medium heat, add the leeks and fry until softened. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Cook this for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the milk gradually, stirring all the time until the sauce has thickened. Add the mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheeses (saving a little to sprinkle on top)
5. Mix the leeks and pancetta into the macaroni then spoon into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the cheese sauce and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. (My sauce was quite thick so I mixed the sauce with the macaroni, leeks and pancetta, and then spooned into the dish - I'm sure the other way works just as well though!)
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and crisp on top

Enjoy :)

Amazing book - definitely recommend - so many different recipes to suit all different styles and tastes. Love how it is separated into Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, rather than starters, mains etc. Her mini intros of each recipe really make you inspired to try them. I sat for about 2 hours reading it from cover to cover!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Recipes-My-Mother-Daughter/dp/0857206168/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334007221&sr=8-1

Toblerone mousse

My boyfriend and I love Toblerone so when I came across this recipe I just had to try it! Making chocolate mousse is really simple, with only 3 ingredients, buuuuuut I recommend you buy a whisk or electric hand whisk because I was only equipped with a fork and making 'stiff peaks' in the egg whites was a challenge to say the least! Nonetheless, it still worked perfectly - this dessert is deliciously creamy, rich and soft. It topped off our salami pasta bake nicely (will post this recipe as well!) You can use any chocolate you like with this recipe; normal cooking chocolate, or anything - I think Cadbury's Wispa would taste yum. However, I liked the Toblerone because it left crunchy bits of almond nougat in the mousse giving it an interesting texture. But don't worry it still has that smooth, airy chocolate mousse texture that everyone loves.

Serves 4

- 200g Toblerone, roughly chopped

- 2 eggs, separated

- 125ml whipping cream

1. Melt 150g of the Toblerone, stirring so it doesn't burn. Cool slightly.

2. Stir the egg yolks into the melted chocolate. Whip the cream until thickened, then fold into the chocolate mixture.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then lightly fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into 4 glasses or bowls and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

4. Decorate with the remaining Toblerone, and serve.

Enjoy :)

Classic Tiramisu

I made this for my mum's birthday last year as she absolutely adores tiramisu, and at the time I thought I hated it - although it was one of those moments where you say you don't like something even though you haven't tried it. This was the evening I discovered I love tiramisu! And other coffee flavoured desserts, like the delicious mocha cupcakes I made (see link at the side). I got this recipe from an Italian cookbook I have; I will post a link at the bottom of this post. The downside of this recipe, however, is that you need Marsala wine which is expensive, but luckily my mum already had a bottle lazing around at the back of the cupboard. I'm sure you could try it without, and just use extra coffee for dipping the sponge fingers in, but it wouldn't be quite the same without the rich, boozy flavour...

Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, separated
- 125g caster sugar
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 200ml cold espresso coffee (I think I just made a regular coffee, but very strong)
- 4 tbsp sweet Marsala 
- 32-34 sponge fingers (you can get huge packs of these for really cheap)
- 75g plain chocolate, grated

1. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until light and airy.
2. Put the mascarpone in a large bowl and beat in 1/3 of the egg mixture until smooth, then fold in the remaining egg mixture.
3. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they hold their shape (if you can turn it upside down over your head!), then fold into the mascarpone mixture
4. Pour the coffee and Marsala into a shallow bowl and dip in the sponge fingers until soaked on both sides, but not all the way through - be careful here because I left them in too long and they went a bit too soggy and it meant there wasn't as much liquid mixture for the other sponge fingers. I actually ended up using more coffee and wine than it said, so this is always an option too.
5. Arrange a layer of tightly packed biscuits in four 4 inch bowls. Spread with half the mascarpone mixture, then top with a second layer of sponge fingers. Cover with the remaining mascarpone mixture.
6. Cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight,
7. Just before serving, garnish with the grated chocolate!

Enjoy :)
I also have a blackberry and lemon version of this recipe that I want to try out so watch this space!

This is the recipe book if you are interested: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hamlyn-Colour-Cookbook-Italian-Favourites/dp/0600619362/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331760603&sr=8-1

Fettuccine alfredo with bacon and mushroom

As I've mentioned before, I adore Italian cuisine, it is definitely my favourite type of food to cook and to eat. An alfredo sauce is traditionally just made using butter and parmesan cheese and tossed with pasta. However, I make my alfredo sauce with the extra ingredient of single cream as it creates a thicker, creamier sauce. In this way it is similar to carbonara, although this sauce does not contain egg and the parmesan provides a different flavour - this sauce is stronger and richer and absolutely delicious! I added smoked bacon, mushrooms and chives, but this would also be great with chicken and a different herb such as parsley. The key ingredient here is the parmesan - I know it is expensive but it is definitely worth it for such a luxurious dish. Do not use the fake, dried parmesan that is finely grated and comes in a tub! It will not have a nice flavour once mixed in at all! This parmesan should be used for sprinkling on top of dishes only (in my opinion anyway). This pasta dish is traditionally made with fettuccine, however I couldn't find any in the supermarket so I used tagliatelle - which is basically the same anyway. This dish is best served with garlic bread (I bought tear and share garlic bread and added extra parmesan), but be careful as it is very filling... Fettuccine alfredo obviously isn't for those watching their weight, but is perfect for a Saturday night treat as part of a balanced diet!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 200g fettuccine, or other pasta such as tagliatelle

- 40g butter (I used unsalted because there is strong, salty flavour from the bacon)

- 4 rashers of smoked bacon, cut into small strips (I used lean bacon with the fat cut off)

- 200g mushrooms, sliced or chopped

- 80ml single cream (more or less depending on the richness and consistency you want)

- 60g parmesan, grated (same as above), plus extra to garnish

- handful of fresh chives or parsley, finely snipped or chopped, to garnish

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook according to instructions on the packet (should take about 10-12 minutes)

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a smaller pan and fry the bacon and the mushrooms until the bacon has crisped and the mushrooms are soft and shrunk down.

3. Add the cream and parmesan shavings to the butter, bacon and mushrooms. Stir and season as required. This is where you can decide whether to add more butter, cream or parmesan - don't be afraid to taste it and experiment with quantities!

4. Drain the pasta once cooked and return to the pan, stir in the sauce and toss with the pasta. The sauce shouldn't be runny, but should coat the pasta. Serve on a plate and garnish with parmesan shavings and the fresh herbs. Serve with garlic bread.

Enjoy :)