Pasta

Orzo with shitakes, caramelized onions and spinach

Belinda

Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish.

Orzo works really well with Asian flavors and this recipe makes a lot. It’s a great side for a dinner party but you can easily cut it in half.
Thank you to “Fine Cooking” magazine.

Kosher salt
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp  rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
5 tbsp peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
pinch of dried red chile flakes
6 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tbsp dry sherry
freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
10 oz fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped
1lb dried orzo
4 scallions,(white and green parts) thinly sliced
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 lime, cut into small wedges

Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil.
In a small bowl whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and 2 tbsp of the peanut oil.
Set a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. When it’s hot pour in 1&1/2 tbsp of the peanut oil and after a few seconds add the garlic, ginger and chile flakes.
Stir for 20 seconds making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. (or it will go very bitter)
Add the mushrooms and stir fry until they soften, 2 to 3 mins.
Add the sherry and cook for another 30 seconds.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium, heat the remaining peanut oil and add the onion. Season with salt and pepper then saute, stirring often, until the onion is soft and slightly caramelized, 9 to 10 minutes.
Add the spinach, cover the pan and steam, shaking the pan occasionally until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.
Remove and discard the garlic from the mushrooms, put the mushrooms back in the pan and toss.
Remove from the heat and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reserve until needed.
Cook the orzo in the boiling salted water until it’s just tender, about 9 minutes.
Drain it well and put it in a large bowl.
Add the mushroom mixture, soy vinaigrette, scallions and sesame seeds and toss.
taste and season.
Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with lime wedges to squeeze over the pasta.

 

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Lemon spaghetti

Belinda

This is so easy, fresh and tangy. It takes no time to put together and is as good at room temperature as it is hot. It can be served as a carb on the side with a broiled fillet of salmon or chicken or as it is on it’s own.
Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis again!

Serves 6

1lb spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 heaped tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the oil, parmesan cheese and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Toss the pasta with the lemon juice and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil

 

Fish · Pasta

Salmon cream tagliatelle

Belinda

This is a recipe from Debbie Cottis in England. It is so simple and is lovely as a small starter for a dinner.
Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped finely
4 oz good smoked salmon shredded
4 fl oz dry white wine
10 fl oz heavy cream
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
6 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1lb fresh egg tagliatelle
salt

Het the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Fry the onion gently until softened, around 5 minutes.
Add the smoked salmon and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes
Pour in the white wine, bring to the boil and cook briskly for 1 minutes
Mix in the cream. Mix in the cayenne pepper, paprika and 5 tbsp of dill. Cook, stirring for a further 3 minutes.
Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook until al dente, around 3 minutes; drain.
In a large serving bowl toss together the tagliatelle and the salmon cream sauce.
Sprinkle over the remaining dill and serve at once

 

Fish · Pasta

Spaghetti with grilled shrimp, zucchini and salsa verde

Belinda

Summer is the perfect time for this recipe.You can BBQ the zucchini and shrimp but I do them on the ridged pan over two gas elements. Like this one below.

Serves 4

Salsa Verde
2/3 cup lightly packed Italian parsley leaves
3 tbsp drained capers
1 large clove garlic
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste
a level 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1&1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Rest of the dish
2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
1&1/4lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
wooden or metal skewers for cooking the shrimp
3/4lb spaghetti

Put the parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper into a food processor, Pulse, just to chop, 6 to 8 times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin stream to make a coarse puree.
Leave this salsa verde in the food processor, if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify just before adding to the pasta.

Light the grill or heat the ridged pan to hot. Brush the zucchini with 1 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt.
Grill the zucchini, turning, until just done, about 10 minutes in all.
When the slices are cool enough to handle, cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in a large bowl.

Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Brush the shrimp with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
Grill, turning, until just done, about 4 minutes in all.
Remove the shrimp from the skewers, slice them in half horizontally and add them to the zucchini

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes.
Drain. Add the pasta to the grilled zucchini and shrimp and toss with the salsa verde.

 

Do-ahead · Fish · Gluten Free · Meat

Tonnato sauce (Italian tuna sauce) with sliced pork fillet

Belinda

This is the easiest and most delectable cold sauce to put over thinly sliced pork fillet.
You can also use thinly sliced turkey, chicken, veal and even roasted peppers. It’s so versatile and I highly recommend it.

Serves 4

For the pork
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1lb pork fillet

For the sauce
3.5 oz a good brand of canned tuna in olive oil, drained
2 egg yolks
2 anchovy fillets
8 – 9 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 -2 tbsp capers
freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley to garnish

Pout the stock into a large saucepan and poach the pork fillet for 20 minutes until cooked through. Leave it to cool in the stock.
When the fillet is quite cold, remove them it the stock and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving plate.

Meanwhile, put the drained tuna into a food processor with the egg yolks and anchovy fillets. Turn the motor on and gradually add the olive oil in a very thin trickle.
Add the ground pepper and lemon juice, to taste
Spoon the sauce over the pork and scatter with capers
Garnish with parsley and serve

 

Gluten Free · Meat · Nuts · Salad

Grilled asparagus,mozzarella, prosciutto and melon salad

Belinda

Thank you to Giada De Laurentiis for this recipe. I like to serve this with a fillet of broiled wild salmon on the side.

4 -6 servings

3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
1 lb asparagus
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbsp
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 small melon (about 12 oz) peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2″ cubes
4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4″ cubes
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the prosciutto in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. bake for 12- 14 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Chop the prosciutto into 1/4″ pieces
Place a grill pan over medium high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. In a medium bowl toss together the asparagus and 2 tsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for 2- 3 minutes each side until crisp tender.
In a medium bowl combine the lemon juice and 2 tbsp olive oil. Whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the melon and mozzarella cheese and toss until all ingredients are combined.
Arrange the asparagus on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the melon and mozzarella cheese on top of the asparagus.
Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette over the top. Sprinkle the prosciutto and pine nuts on top and serve.

To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 8 to 12 minutes until lightly browned

Asian flavors · Fish · Gluten Free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Marie Claire’s Vietnamese prawn and chicken salad (CleanCuisine)

Belinda

This is so light and tangy and one of the best salads I know. Well worth making and wonderful for entertaining in the summer!

Serves 4 – 6

12 oz small cooked prawns
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
15 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1 tsp sugar
2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
4 oz snow pea sprouts or other sprouts
1&1/2 English cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
6 scallions (spring onions) , finely sliced
3 x baby cos (romaine) lettuce, finely sliced
1 -2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
optional  1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
optional  1 avocado, cubed

Peel the prawns and put them in a bowl
In a small bowl, combine the cumin, fish sauce, lime juice, olive oil, sesame oil, mint and sugar.
Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then pour the mixture over the prawns and toss until the prawns are well coated.
Add the chicken, carrot, snow pea sprouts, optional cubed avocado, cucumber, spring onion and lettuce.
Lightly toss together then pile onto a serving platter or into individual bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  (dry roasted peanuts)

 

Accompaniments · Do-ahead · Gluten Free

Green Goddess dressing

Belinda

I don’t understand why this is not used as much these days. It’s fabulous!
A great idea is to slice tomatoes in half, put a piece of mozzarella and basil inside and sandwich them together then pour over the Green Goddess dressing. The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

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This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing, the recipe is slightly adapted from  the original recipe from”The Palace Restaurant” in San Francisco.

1/3 heaped cup fresh chives or green onions (packed in to a measuring cup)
1/3 heaped cup fresh tarragon, (packed into a measuring cup, tarragon is optional but if you like tarragon it’s really good in this dressing)
1/3 heaped cup fresh Italian (flat leaf)  parsley (packed into a measuring cup)
1 1/2  tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2  tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp anchovy paste (or more, depending on how much you like anchovies)
1 cup mayonnaise (a good brand like Kraft or Helmanns)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

I used a food processor for this recipe, it makes life a lot simpler.
Measure 1/4 cup each of chives (or green onions) tarragon and parsley and add to the food processor.
Pulse the processor until the fresh herbs are finely chopped then add the lemon juice, white wine vinegar and anchovy paste and pulse a few more times.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper and run the food processor about 20 to 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well combined,
Chill at least for a few hours before serving

Baking · Do-ahead

Really easy Irish soda bread (almost no knead!)

Belinda

This bread is SO simple, which means you can have fresh soda bread at the drop of a hat.
Thank you to the Ballymaloe Cookery School, Shanagarry, Ireland

3&3/4 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1&1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375F
Sift the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one (clean) hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, add more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky
When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board, knead lightly for a few seconds, just enough to tidy it all up.
Pat the dough into a round, about 1.5 inches deep and cut a deep cross on it to let the fairies out!
Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure.
Bake on a baking sheet in a hot oven (375F) for 45 minutes or until cooked. You can tell that it is done by tapping the bottom of the bread. If it is cooked it will sound hollow.

Baking · Do-ahead · Nuts

Pine nut and rosemary shortbread

Belinda

These are fabulous!!   The recipe makes about 24 small cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine-grain sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup natural cane sugar or white sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and loosely chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix again, then add the flour mixture, nuts and rosemary and mix until the dough goes just past the crumbly stage and begins to really clump together (don’t over mix but under mixing will make the dough seem a bit dry, which can be difficult to handle) It’s a fine line!
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough just once or twice to bring it together, then divide it into a ball (or 2 balls) and flatten into disks about 1 inch thick.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Roll the dough out to 1/3 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
Cut into whatever shapes you desire and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are beginning to brown on the bottom.
The baking time will vary depending on the size of the cookies, taking less time for smaller ones.

Variations-  Use chopped raw or toasted walnuts and 1 tbsp coarsely ground coffee in place of the lemon, pine nuts and rosemary