Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas

Well look at that, a recipe that actually does use half a pot of cream!

I found myself with some leftover cream this week so turned to my blog first of all for some inspiration, however there was none to be found! Shameful considering it's name! I've posted about plenty of sweet recipes calling for cream but I was looking for something savoury. Ideally something that could be used to feed the whole family.

Luckily Jamie O came to the rescue with this recipe which turned out to b exactly what I was after. It uses precisely the amount of cream I had left in the fridge and I had pretty much everything else to hand in the fridge and freezer.

As with most of Jamie's recipes, the portion sizes are generous so I cooked a little less pasta than the 455g stated in the recipe. It still seemed a like lot but luckily it went down very well and by the end of the meal it had all been demolished.

The original recipe includes some freshly chopped mint, however I didn't have any in the house and I'm not that keen on it anyway. I didn't feel like the recipe was lacking without but you might want to give it a try if you like fresh mint.

All in all this was a great success. It was very easy to prepare and the simple creamy pasta mixed with salty bacon was a hit with the whole family.

Farfalle with Carbonara and Spring Peas
(adapted from Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver)

14-16oz/400-455g farfalle pasta
1 egg
100ml/3 1/2 fl oz double cream
salt and pepper
12 rashers of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, roughly sliced
3 handfuls of fresh podded or frozen peas
2 handfuls of freshly grated parmesan cheese

1) Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.

2) Fry the bacon in a large frying pan until golden and crispy

3) Whisk the egg, double cream and some salt and pepper in a bowl.

4) When the pasta is nearly cooked, add the peas for the last couple of minutes.

5) When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cupful of the cooking water then drain in a colander and add to the bacon pan.

6) Add the egg and cream mix to the pasta and stir well to combine. Add the parmesan and check for seasoning. If the sauce seems a little dry add some of the reserved pasta water.

Serves 4

Warm New Potato Salad with Bacon & Blue Cheese

Here's a fantastic recipe and another one that I've made several times now but for some reason haven't got round to writing about.

Salad doesn't always sound like the most exciting option on the menu but this one is so much more than just a salad and the fact that it's warm means that it's just as nice to eat in the winter as it is in the summer.

It's not the quickest salad to throw together as the potatoes and onions need to be roasted for 40 minutes and then left to cool for a bit so your salad leaves don't dissolve into a soggy mess on contact. That said though, if you're not under pressure to get dinner on the table quickly then it's relatively hassle-free.

Warm potatoes, bacon, blue cheese...what's not to like? It's definitely a dinner I particularly look forward to when it's on the menu.

Warm New Potato Salad with Bacon & Blue Cheese
(from BBC Good Food Magazine)

500g/1lb 2oz salad potatoes, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, each sliced into 6 wedges
4 rashers smoked bacon, trimmed and cut into large pieces
140g/5oz mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (Dijon mustard works just aswell)
1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
100g bag mixed watercress and spinach salad (or any other mixed leaves you fancy)
85g/3oz creamy blue cheese, eg St Agur

1) Heat the oven to 220c/fan 200c/gas 7. Place the potatoes in a roasting tin, then rub with 1 tbsp oil and a sprinkling of salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then add the onion wedges to the tin and everything a good shake.  Roast for 20 minutes more until the potatoes have turned a deep golden brown and the onions have caramelised and softened. Leave to cool slightly.

2) Heat a non-stick frying pan and dry-fry the bacon until crisp. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for 5 minutes more until they have softened.

3) Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk the mustard, vinegar and remaining 1 tbsp oil with a splash of water. Place the potatoes, onions, bacon and mushrooms in a large bowl with the salad leaves, pour over the dressing and mix well. Divide between 4 plates (see below!), then crumble over the blue cheese.

Serves 4 - that's 4 very small people presumably. Two of us can polish this off in one sitting without breaking a sweat.
 

Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pie

Ok, so I'm about a week too late with this recipe as Pie Week was last week.  Oh well, if I had it my way every week would be pie week! A dinner that includes some sort of pie is pretty much perfect in my book - flavoursome pie, smooth creamy mash and a few veg on the side - I feel hungry just writing about it.

This particular pie became one of my new favourites when I was sent Innocent's cookbook Hungry? The innocent recipe book for filling your family with good stuff to review last year.  It's so simple but oh so delicious and always a hit whenever I make it.  It also works really well with leftover cooked ham in place of the bacon.  

Chicken, Bacon & Leek Pie
(from Hungry, by the Innocent Smoothie People)

olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
8 chicken thighs, skinned, boned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped
1/2 a small butternut squash, deseeded, peeled and cut into small chunks (I haven't tried it with this yet)
a few springs of thyme
2 tablespoons plain
200ml chicken stock
1 x 500g packet of puff pastry
1 large free-range egg
a splash of milk

1) Preheat your oven to 190c/375f/gas mark 5.

2) Fry the leeks and garlic in a little olive oil over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the pan and set aside, then put the pan back on the heat.

3) Add a little more oil to the pan and add the chicken and bacon and cook until the chicken starts to brown, then add the leeks, squash (if using), thyme and flour and stir for a few more minutes. Then add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a clean work surface dusted with flour until about 5mm thick and big enough to fit over your pie dish.  Beat the egg and milk together and use some of it to brush the edge of the pie dish. Tip the filling into the dish then lay the pastry on top.

5) Use a fork to press the edges of the pastry to the side of the dish, then trim of any excess round the edge.  Brush the top of your pie with the egg and milk and add any decoration that you might want to make with the left over pastry (ensuring that this is brushed with egg and milk too).  Make one or two small holes in the top of the pie to allow any air to escape.

6) Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.  Serve with mash and veg of your choice.

You can also make the pie up to the stage just before you brush with egg, then allow to cool completely before freezing.  It will keep for a few months.

Serves 4

Chicken and Tomato Supper

Here we are in March already.  I know I say it every year but I really don't know where the time is going and I can't believe it's almost a month since my last post!

Today's dish is a simple recipe ideal for family dinners and comes from my trusty Dairy Book of Home Cookery: New Edition for the Nineties. I've had it for years and it's the book I always turn to it if I want a basic recipe for something like Shepherds pie or pancakes.

This is a great dish that's delicious and really easy to make. The toasted bread and cheese on top add interest to an otherwise simple dish and it's just perfect with a few greens on the side.  

Chicken & Tomato Supper
(adapted from The Dairy Book of Home Cookery)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped
1 courgette, cut into half moons
400g passata
1 tsp italian herb seasoning
350g/12 oz chicken breast fillets, cubed
1 tsp cornflour
100g/4 oz wholemeal bread, toasted and cubed
100g/4 oz cheddar cheese, cubed

1) Warm the oil in a large saucepan or frying pan and cook the onion and pepper for three minutes. Add the courgette, tomato, chicken and herbs. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

2) Blend the cornflour in a little water and stir into the chicken. Cook until thickened.

3) Spoon into a flameproof dish and scatter over the bread and cheese. Place under a preheated grill until the cheese begins to melt (keep an eye on it to make sure the bread doesn't burn).

Serves 4

Pasta with Bacon & Vegetable Sauce

This recipe comes from Tana Ramsey's recent cookbook, which I picked up on a whim for the bargain price of £3 in one of the discount bookstores.  I really shouldn't have but at that price I just couldn't resist.

I'm welcoming my weak will on this occasion, though, as it is a very nice book with lots of great-sounding recipes suitable for all the family.  This one is the first I've tried so far and on the whole it was a success (my eldest was a bit sniffy about the aubergine).  The best part of the dish for me was the bacon as this one of my favourite things to pair with pasta.  It effortlessly adds bags of flavour and texture.  This is a great everyday pasta recipe that I'll definitely be using again.

Pasta with Bacon & Vegetable Sauce
(adapted from Tana's Kitchen Secrets by Tana Ramsey)

2 tbsp olive oil
150g/5 1/2oz fresh breadcrumbs
50g/1 3/4oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
400g/14oz spaghetti, or pasta of your choice

For the sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 courgette, cut into half moons
1 small aubergine, diced
8 rashers of smoked bacon, diced
400g can tomatoes
12 button mushrooms, halved
salt and pepper

1) First make the sauce. Put the oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onion, chilli (if using) and garlic. Fry gently for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened but not coloured.  Add the courgette, aubergine and bacon and cook for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.  Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and basil and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

2) Bring a large pan of water to the boil ready for the pasta.  Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan over a high heat and toss in the breadcrumbs, stirring constantly until they are toasted a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the parmesan and basil. Set aside.

3) Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Drain and drizzle over a little oil.

4) Serve the pasta in warmed serving bowls or plates and spoon the sauce over the top, then top with the toasted breadcrumbs and a little more chopped basil.

Serves 4

Risotto Bolognese

When you think of flavours to add to a risotto, bolognese is not something that immediately comes to mind. However, when I saw that this recipe had been highly recommended on another food blog (Cooking the Books with Kelly Jane) and thought I'd give it a try.

The recipe comes from Nigella's recent book, Kitchen, and while making it I have to confess that I wasn't convinced it was going to work - sorry Nigella! The combination of the meat sauce and the stock seemed to me to be way too much liquid and I was worried it wouldn't all be absorbed by the time the rice had cooked. But I was wrong of course and it turned out just fine with the amount of liquid being exactly what I needed to cook the rice to perfection.

It is a fairly long-winded recipe so it's best saved for a Sunday afternoon or a day when you have lots of time on your hands. Having said that, though, you can prepare the meat sauce in advance and either keep it in the fridge for a day or two or freeze it. I froze half the meat sauce and used the rest to make a half portion of the risotto. This fed two adults and two children with a little bit left over for my lunch the next day.

This is a really delicious recipe which is just full of flavour and definitely worth the extra effort required to make it. 5 stars from me!

Risotto Bolognese

(adapted from Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

1 onion, peeled and quartered

1 carrot, peeled and halved

1 stick celery, halved

1 small glove of garlic, peeled

handful fresh parsley

75g rindless streaky bacon

4 anchovy fillets (optional)

50g unsalted butter plus 1 x 15ml tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon regular olive oil

250g minced beef, preferably organic

80ml marsala

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 x 15ml tablespoon tomato puree

2 x 15ml tablespoons full-fat milk

2 litres veal stock (500ml plus 1.5 litres), preferably organic (I used beef stock)

2 bay leaves

500g risotto rice

6 x 15ml tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve

salt and pepper to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 150c/gas mark 2. Put the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley, bacon and anchovy into a processor and blend to a fine mush.

2) Heat the 50g butter and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a deep heavy ovenproof casserole with a lid (I don't have one of these so used a large frying pan then transferred everything to a regular, lidded casserole dish). Tip in the contents of the processor and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

3) Add the meat and let it brown a little, breaking it up in the pan, then add the marsala. Process the tomatoes until smooth and add to the meat. Stir the tomato puree into the milk then add this mixture to the pan, along with the 500ml veal stock and the bay leaves.

4) Bring to the boil on the hob then put on the lid (or transfer to your dish of choice) and put in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove it from the oven and take out the bay leaves.

5) Heat the remaining 1.5 litres of stock in a saucepan and keep it warm over a low heat, then put the meat sauce on a low heat next to it.

6) Stir the rice into the meat sauce and then add a ladleful of the hot stock. Stir until the rice and sauce become thick again and then add another ladleful of stock.

7) Continue to add the stock as needed, a ladleful at a time, stirring all the time as you go. Check to see if the rice is cooked after about 18 minutes - you may not need to use all the stock.

8) When it's ready, turn off the heat and stir or beat in the cheese and the extra tablespoon of butter before before seasoning to taste. Serve in warmed, shallow bowls with extra Parmesan on the side.

Serves 6-8

Stir-fried Rice with Bacon & Tuna

I originally wrote about this recipe several months ago but annoyingly it somehow got deleted, along with the posts of many other bloggers. So if you think you've seen this before, you probably have!

Here it is again then, a recipe I came across in delicious magazine many years ago and have made many times since. There's nothing intricate or fancy about it, just a great dish for a weeknight dinner that's easy to throw together and tastes great.

Stir-fried Rice with Bacon & Tuna

(adapted from delicious magazine)

175g long grain rice

1 tbsp olive oil

2 rashers unsmoked back bacon, diced

1 garlic clove, crushed

80g frozen peas

198g can tuna steak in oil, drained

1/2 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce, plus extra to serve

1) Put the rice into a saucepan, cover with 450ml cold water and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until just cooked. Drain.

2) Halfway through cooking the rice, heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the bacon and fry for 4-5 minutes, until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

3) Add the cooked rice and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the peas, tuna, most of the spring onions, cooked bacon and soy sauce. Stir-fry until the rice is piping hot.

4) Serve sprinkled with the remaining spring onion slices and extra soy sauce.

Serves 2

Spaghetti with 5-minute tomato sauce

This is a delicious pasta recipe that's just perfect for this time of year when you want something a bit fresher and lighter than a heavy pasta bake. The lovely summery flavour comes from the fresh tomatoes so it's definitely worth trying to make the most of the British varieties as they arrive in the shops over the next few weeks. The soft tomatoes are complimented by the hint of garlic and salty pancetta in the background and the whole dish is finished off perfectly by the bright, tangy goats cheese.

I should say that the title, "5-minute tomato sauce" is a little misleading as it doesn't account for the fairly lengthy and messy process of skinning, deseeding and chopping the tomatoes. It's a bit of a chore but definitely worth the effort and when done you are just minutes away from putting your feet up with a delicious dinner.

Spaghetti with 5-minute tomato sauce

(adapted from Good Food Magazine, September 2005)

5 large ripe tomatoes

140g/5oz spaghetti (This never seems like much for two so I use 6oz)

3 tbsp olive oil

100g/4oz diced bacon or lardons (the little plastic tubs of pancetta work really well)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

50-85g/2-3oz soft fresh rindless goat's cheese

handful basil and/or snipped chives

1) Pour boiling water over the tomatoes to cover, leave for 1 minute, then drain and slip off the skins. Quarter and seed the tomatoes, then chop the flesh.

2) Bring a large pan of salter water to the boil, add the spaghetti and give it a stir. Cook as per the instructions on the packet.

3) Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and fry until starting to crisp up. Add the garlic, tomatoes, the rest of the oil and pepper and salt if using. Heat through for 1-2 minutes until just simmering.

4) Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan, tossing in the sauce until lightly coated. Divide between two warm soup plates, crumble over the cheese and scatter over the herbs. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

Serves 2

Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

I do like it when I come across a recipe that fits in with the title of my blog! If you happen to have a bit of cream to spare then this is just the thing if you want to rustle up something simple for tea. It's a lovely variation on the creamy, carbonara theme that I discovered in Rachel Allen's recent book, Home Cooking, a really good book full of great ideas for family-friendly meals. Salty bacon and mushrooms are fried and mixed with cream, gruyere and parmesan cheese to make deliciously flavoured pasta sauce which I'll definitely be making again.

Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta Sauce

(adapted from Home Cooking by Rachel Allen)

1 tbsp olive oil

175g/6oz back bacon (about 6 rashers), chopped

250g/9oz button mushrooms

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

250ml/9 fl oz double or regular cream

75g/3oz gruyere cheese, grated

25g/1oz parmesan cheese, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Squeeze of lemon juice

1) Pour the olive oil into a frying pan on a medium heat, add the bacon and fry for 3-4 minutes or until crisp and golden.

2) Meanwhile, blend the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop by hand. Add to the bacon and saute for a further 3-4 minutes or until softened. Season with a little salt and plenty of pepper

3) Reduce the heat, add the cream and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan, followed by the parsley and lemon juice and check the seasoning. Pour the sauce over cooked pasta (I do about 100g per person), tossing together to coat evenly, and serve.

Serves 4

Egg and Bacon Pie

Look at this for a great weeknight supper. A tortilla/frittata of sorts but cooked in the oven rather than in a pan on the hob. There are a few stages to the recipe so it takes a little while to prepare but once all the component parts have been prepared you can just put it in the oven and relax. I should point out, though, that this did NOT take the 20 minutes to cook stated in the recipe, not even close! This one was in the oven for 40 minutes and still wasn't set in the middle (and my tin was definitely the right size). In the end I gave up and put it under the grill for a few minutes to finish if off.

Don't be put off though, this is a great, filling dish with a good balance of carbs, protein and veggies so you could serve it just as it is if you wanted to. Otherwise a nice salad on the side would be great too. Just make sure you all some extra cooking time when planning your evening!

You can find the recipe here on the the Delicious Magazine website.