Tapas ideas/recipes

I have already posted individual recipes for Patatas Bravas with chorizo and sweet potato fries but just wanted to share some other 'tapas' ideas and quick recipes to make at home for the perfect Saturday night in!

1. Cheesy garlic pizza bread with brie & red onion

Shop-bought cheesy garlic pizza bread then simply slice a red onion, and whack on some brie and freshly chopped parsley! Heaven.

 2. Smoked cheese & tomatoes

 Visit your local fresh cheese counter and see what you can find - I bought some smoked cheddar with a paprika crust (to die for), and just bought some simple cherry tomatoes.

3. Lamb & mint meatballs with tzatziki

 You can't make everything... so you can pick these delicious meatballs up from Sainsbury's - they have amazing flavour and taste so good dunked in tzatziki (which was also not home-made...)

4. Chicken & mushroom wholegrain mustard wraps

Fry some chicken chunks in olive oil until cooked, then add in some fresh garlic and mushrooms. Once cooked, stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and some soft cheese (e.g. Philadelphia). Serve in a bowl then spoon into wholegrain wraps with some fresh spinach leaves. Delicious!

5. Don't forget the dips!

Of course you can make your dips from scratch but if you don't want to be slaving in the kitchen all night long then opt for some ready made salsa, tzatziki and garlic mayonnaise - perfect dips for all of the above dishes.

Enjoy :)

Pasta, pasta, pasta

Just a quick post on three pasta dishes I have made over the last couple months. Two I have posted about before so I will link them below, and one which is pretty simple but delicious.

Carbonara

This is the best carbonara recipe I've ever come across and it turned out even better the second time - just make sure you let the sauce reduce enough! You can find the recipe here

Pesto pasta with salmon and green beans

If you've read my other posts you will know I love pesto pasta - and this is exactly that, with green beans, spinach and salmon which I brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic before baking in the oven (wrapped in foil, 180 degrees) for 20 minutes. Finish it off with lots of fresh parmesan mm mm.

Macaroni cheese

This is the amazing Lisa Faulkner recipe that I've posted about before here. This time I left out the leeks and added a lot more bacon (I made it for my sister and she's very fussy!) This is perfect comfort food for this cold month.

Enjoy :)

Lasagne

 This is the perfect comfort food now we're getting into the winter months. This is just a standard lasagne recipe, nothing special, just absolutely delicious pasta, mince, sauce and cheese! It takes a fair bit of time but it is definitely worth it and this made enough for two huge portions for my boyfriend and I, plus 3 extra meals for me to freeze for other dinners - yipee! I served this with some make-shift garlic bread - my mum bought me up some home made soda bread which is yummy on it's own, but we made some garlic butter (just melted butter and crushed fresh garlic, believe it or not) and spread it on top and baked in the oven, mm mm.

Serves 4-5
- 500g lean beef mince
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- handful of mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 a jar of tomato pasta sauce (or more chopped tomatoes)
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- dried mixed herbs (basil, oregano, parsley etc.)
- pack of dried lasagne sheets
- 25g butter
- 25g flour (plain or self raising)
- 500ml milk
- generous handful of cheddar cheese, grated

1. Brown the mince in a large pan, then add the onion and garlic, cooking until softened. Add the peppers and the mushrooms, and cook for another few minutes.
2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil, then simmer. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees / gas mark
3. Spoon some tomato pasta sauce in the bottom of some baking dishes and place some lasagne sheets on top. Put a layer of the mince mixture on top then layer with some more lasagne sheets.
4. Meanwhile, to make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly until thickened. This can take up to 20 minutes - be patient and just keep stirring, it will be worth it!
5. On top of the pasta sheets place another layer of mince, followed by some bechamel sauce. Finish with a final layer of lasagne sheets, followed by bechamel sauce and lots of cheddar
6. Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes, or until piping hot, the pasta is soft and the top is golden brown.

Enjoy :)

Oven-baked rigatoni with salami

Yay, I've finally followed a Jamie Oliver recipe! I always tab loads of recipes off his site that I want to cook, but for some reason I never get round to cooking them. This was a delicious pasta bake - something different from the usual thanks to the crisp, salty salami. It had strong Italian flavour from the tomato and balsamic, and lots of different texture from the melted mozzarella, crisp salami, soft pasta etc. What I liked about this dish was that the pasta wasn't coated in sauce, it was more like rigatoni with a topping, kind of like a pizza. Having said that, it wasn't dry or bland or anything, although some people do prefer a pasta bake to have more sauce. If you do prefer it this way then I suggest adding more tinned tomatoes, balsamic and crème fraiche than the recipe suggests. If you're worried about this meal being too unhealthy then cook less pasta to have a smaller portion, and use reduced fat crème fraiche and mozzarella (I did this - both in Sainsbury's be good to yourself range). I served this with garlic bread for a delicious Saturday night feast!

Serves 4
- drizzle of olive oil
- pack of sliced salami (I used milano)
- 1 red onion, chopped
- sprinkle of garlic
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp crème fraiche
- fresh basil leaves, chopped (I didn't have any fresh basil so bought chopped tomatoes with basil in)
- salt & pepper
- 300-400g rigatoni
- ball of buffalo mozzarella, sliced


1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry half the salami until crisp. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly until the onion is soft.
2. Add the balsamic, chopped tomatoes crème fraiche and basil. Mix together, season to taste and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions (around 12-14 mins) and drain once cooked. Tip into a baking dish and pour over the sauce.
4. Lay the mozzarella over the top with the rest of the salami. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Enjoy :)

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 :)