Best Bolognese sauce out there

February 24, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda2 Comments

From Bon Appetite magazine
It doesn’t take a lot of ingredients (or a lot of money) to make a classic Bolognese recipe. What it does take, though, is patience for the sauce to achieve the ideal authentic texture. You’re going to go low and slow—it’ll take around 3 hours, but most of that cook time is hands-off.

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1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb ground beef (20% fat), patted dry
Kosher salt
3 oz. thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
2 cups (or more)chicken broth
1 cup whole milk
1 lb. fresh tagliatelle, pappardelle, or dry rigatoni
3 oz. finely grated Parmesan (about ½ cup), plus more for serving

Pulse the onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium.
Break the beef into small clumps (about 1½”) and add to pot; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally but not breaking meat apart, until beef is lightly browned but not crisp, 6–8 minutes. It may be gray in spots (that’s okay!) and still a little pink in the center. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a medium bowl.

Wipe out the pot. Cook the pancetta in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released some of its fat and is crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add onion mixture to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and beginning to stick to surface, 6–8 minutes.

Return the beef to pot and pour in the wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, smashing down on beef with a wooden spoon, until wine is evaporated, surface of pot is almost dry, and meat is finely ground, 12–15 minutes. (The meat should be reduced to what looks like little bits. It takes a bit of effort, but you can take breaks.) Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, and nutmeg and cook, stirring occasionally, still pressing down on meat, until the tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 5 minutes.

Pour the stock and milk into the pot; add a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the meat is very, very tender, 2–2½ hours.
There shouldn’t be any rapid bubbles at this stage. Instead, the sauce should release the occasional small bubble or two. When finished, the sauce should have the texture of and look like a sloppy joe mixture. If the liquid reduces before the meat is completely tender, add an extra ½ cup stock and continue cooking. Discard bay leaf. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt; keep warm.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. If using fresh pasta, cook about 3 minutes. If using dry, cook until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.

Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid and ½ cup Parmesan. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the pasta to a platter and top with more Parmesan.

Do Ahead: The sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Vegetable sides

Sweet potatoes with tahini butter, lime and sesame seeds

February 24, 2019February 24, 2019 Belinda

Such a gorgeous mixture of flavors. From “Where Cooking Begins” by Carla Lalli Music in Bon Appetite magazine.

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3 lb. sweet potatoes. (6 small or 3 large), scrubbed
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Flaky sea salt
Toasted sesame seeds and lime wedges (for serving)

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium pot fitted with a steamer basket. Halve the sweet potatoes crosswise if large and place in steamer. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and steam until fork-tender, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, smash together the butter, lime juice, tahini, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl with a fork until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Season the tahini butter with kosher salt and lots of pepper.

Arrange the sweet potatoes on a platter or a large plate.
Let cool until you can just handle them, then split them open and generously spread the tahini butter over.
Season with sea salt; top liberally with the sesame seeds.
Serve with lime wedges (this dish really comes alive with lots of bright citrus).

Appetizer Vegetarian · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Vegan

Green pea hummus

February 24, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is delicious and oh soooo easy, using frozen peas!

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Makes about 2 cups

1lb frozen baby peas or petit pois, thawed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Set aside 1/4 cup peas for garnish. Place remaining peas, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in bowl of food processor and process until smooth puree is formed, scraping down sides as necessary, about 30 seconds total.

Transfer hummus to serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining whole peas, drizzle with additional extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with crostini or pita bread.

** For Green Pea Hummus with Mint and Feta:
Follow directions for Green Pea Hummus adding 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves and 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese along with other ingredients to food processor in step 1. Serve garnished with additional chopped mint and crumbled feta.

Dairy-free · Pasta · Vegan · Vegetarian pasta

Easy pistachio, chili and lemon spaghetti

February 24, 2019 Belinda

This recipe from Meera Sodha was in the Guardian newspaper, a great resource for wonderful and inventive recipes. This easy vegan dish is packed with zest and spice.
* If you’re not as fond of heat as I am, add as much chili as you’re comfortable with.

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Serves 4

Salt
4oz fresh basil, leaves picked
1 -2 garlic cloves, peeled
4oz pistachios
2 red bird’s eye chillies
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
3 fl oz olive oil
1lb spaghetti

Put a large pan of water on to boil and add two teaspoons of salt for every 2 pints of water.
In the meantime, finely chop the basil, and do the same with the garlic, pistachios and chili.
Run the knife repeatedly over all the chopped ingredients, until they’re very, very fine, then transfer to a large bowl.
Add the lemon zest, three tablespoons of lemon juice, the olive oil (if you like, use a little more, to loosen the sauce) and half a teaspoon of salt (or to taste), and mix well.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water for seven minutes (or according to packet instructions), until al dente.
Scoop out 1/2 cup or so of the pasta water with a ladle, then drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the pesto bowl, toss to coat thoroughly, adding a little pasta water, if necessary, to loosen the sauce, then serve.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat · Sauces

Mushroom, sherry and grain mustard sauce

February 24, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

If you want to take your steak up a notch, try Gordon Ramsey’s superb sauce.

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3 tbsp olive oil
4oz button mushroom, quartered
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
1 sprig thyme
5 fl oz of dry sherry
1 tbsp sherry or balsamic vinegar
5 fl oz beef stock or brown chicken stock (could be made with a good bouillon powder)
2 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp grain mustard
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the mushrooms with the garlic and thyme, stirring until softened.

Pour in 3 fl oz sherry and cook until reduced to a glaze, about 3 mins. Add the vinegar and cook for a few secs more. Mix in the remaining sherry and the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 mins.

Remove the garlic and thyme, then mix in the crème fraîche and mustard. Pour in any juices from the steak, then add the parsley.

Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Pappardelle with butternut squash and blue cheese

February 23, 2019 Belinda

Nigella Lawson has created this vegetarian and complex-flavored pasta dish.
This is one of those welcoming, big-bowl suppers, perfect for feeding friends cosily. Soft, oniony cubes of squash are answered by the salty, sharp and pungent cheese; a little sage breathes its necessary but not overbearing bitterness, and the waxy, scorched pine nuts give quiet crunch and a hint of nuttiness, to this meltingly gorgeous concoction.

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Serves: 6

1 large (approx 2¾-3¼lb) butternut squash or 1¾lb ready-cubed squash
1 medium – large onion
2 tbap regular olive oil
¾ tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp marsala (don’t miss this out!)
½ cup water
Salt to taste
⅔ cup pinenuts
1 lb pappardelle or other robust pasta
6 fresh sage leaves
5 oz soft blue cheese (such as Saint Agur)

Peel and de-seed the butternut squash, and cut into roughly (1-inch) cubes.
Peel and finely chop the onion and fry in the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan that can accommodate the pasta later. When the onion starts to become golden, add the paprika.

Tumble in the cubes of butternut squash and then add the butter, turning everything together in the pan. Once the squash is slicked with the oniony oil and butter, add the marsala and water. Let the pan come to a bubble, then put the lid on, turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, put a large pan of water on for the pasta, adding salt only when it comes to the boil; and toast the pine nuts separately in a hot, dry pan on the hob until scorched a dark gold, then tip them into a bowl or plate to cool.

Lift the lid off the squash pan and check the butternut is tender; if not, then cook for a little longer without the lid on – the squash should hold its shape and not turn to a mush. Once it’s ready, season to taste – go easy with the salt because the blue cheese will add extra saltiness later – and take off the heat and let it wait for its happy union with the pappardelle.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, though check a couple of minutes before the manufacturers declare it will be ready. While waiting for the pasta to cook – you should give the pan a loose stir or swirl every now and again – you can finely chop the sage leaves and crumble the cheese. Sprinkle most of the sage over the squash, keeping some back, and give a quick stir; but keep the cheese for now.

Before you drain the pappardelle, lower a mug or cup into the pan and hive off a little pasta-cooking water, then tip the drained pasta into the resting sage-sprinkled squash pan and slowly turn the pasta in the sauce to combine; or you can do this in a capacious warmed bowl. If you find the sauce too dry, or if it all needs a little help coming together, add some of the pasta-cooking water – the starch in it encourages the sauce to emulsify, the better to cling to the pasta.

Drop the crumbled cheese and about a half of the pine nuts, then – much as though you were tossing a salad – gently combine, before sprinkling the other half of the pine nuts and the reserved chopped sage on top.

Make ahead note:
Squash sauce can be cooked 1 day ahead. Simmer until the squash is just tender then transfer to non-metallic bowl to cool. Cover and refrigerate as soon as possible. Reheat gently in a saucepan before adding sage and continuing as directed in recipe.

Freeze note:
Squash sauce can be frozen, in airtight container, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge and reheat as above.

Appetizers · Do-ahead · Meat

Nigella’s beef and eggplant fatteh

February 23, 2019September 7, 2022 Belinda

Nigella Lawson’s beef and eggplant fatteh recipe is a subtly textured, richly flavored arrangement of toasted pieces of flatbread topped with meaty aubergine and beef, a garlicky tahini-yogurt sauce, red pepper flakes, pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and fresh shredded mint. Sort of like a Middle Eastern nachos.

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FOR THE BASE:
4 pita breads (split open and cut into nacho-sized triangles)

FOR THE TOPPING:
2 cups Greek yoghurt
5 heaped tbsp tahini (at room temperature)
1 – 2 lemons (to give 3 tbsp of juice)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 – 2 tsp
Kosher salt (to taste)

FOR THE AUBERGINE-BEEF LAYER:
3 heaped tbap regular olive oil
1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
1 medium-large eggplant (cut into small cubes)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Aleppo pepper or paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
1 – 2 tsp Kosher salt (to taste)
1lb ground beef

TO SPRINKLE OVER:
¾ cup pomegranate seeds
⅓ cup toasted pinenuts
1 tbsp fresh mint (finely shredded leaves)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spread the pitta triangles out onto a large baking sheet and toast for 10–15 minutes, or until they are crisp. You don’t need them to color, but if they do just a little here and there, that’s not a bad thing. Set the pitta triangles aside for the moment.

Beat the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tsp of kosher salt together in a heatproof bowl that will later sit over a saucepan. Taste to see if you want any more salt.
Put to one side while you cook the eggplant-beef layer.

Warm the oil in a wide, though not deep, heavy-based saucepan or casserole and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and carry on cooking it, still stirring occasionally, until soft and a pale caramel color. This will take another 4 minutes or so.
Turn the heat up to medium, tumble in the eggplant cubes and stir well to mix with the onion. Stay by the hob as you will need to stir frequently, and cook them for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down if they look as if they’re catching.

Stir in the cumin, coriander and a tsp each of Aleppo pepper and kosher salt and, now over a high heat, add the ground beef and use a fork to break it up a little and turn in the pan until it’s lost its red color.
Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through. Taste to see if you want to add more salt, then take off the heat while you return to the tahini-yogurt sauce.

Pour some just-boiled water into a fresh pan, enough to come about 1¼ inches up the sides, and put over a low heat. Sit the bowl with the tahini-yogurt mixture on top, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Beat well until the yogurt is slightly above room temperature and has the consistency of lightly whipped cream.

Now for the grand assembly: arrange the crisp pitta triangles on a large round plate (I use one of about 12 inches diameter).
Top with the eggplant-beef mixture, followed by the yogurt-tahini sauce. Sprinkle with the Aleppo pepper (or paprika, if you’re using that) to give a light dusting.
Scatter over the pomegranate seeds and toasted pine nuts and, finally, strew with the finely shredded mint leaves.
Eat with your fingers, nacho-style.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Poultry

One-pot garlic, lemon-herb Mediterranean chicken and potatoes

February 21, 2019March 3, 2019 Belinda

Allow time to marinade the chicken, then throw everything in the same pot after searing the chicken and go and watch your favorite tv series!
Recipe c/o Cafe Delites

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4 skin-on , bone-in chicken thighs. (I have also used boneless, skinless, if you don’t need crispy skin)
¼ cup lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
3 tbsp olive oil , divided
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp salt, plus extra
8 baby potatoes, halved
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 red bell pepper (capsicum) deseeded and cut into wedges
1 large zucchini, sliced
4 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives
Lemon slices , to serve

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towel. In a shallow dish, combine the lemon juice, 2 tbsp of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and salt. Pour out half of the marinade and store in a pitcher to use later.

Add the chicken to the marinade in the dish and coat evenly. Cover and marinate for 15 minutes if rushed; 1 hour if time allows; or over night, turning each chicken thigh occasionally in the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden browned (about 4 minutes each side). Drain some of the excess fat, leaving about a tablespoon for added flavor.
Arrange the vegetables around each chicken thigh. Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining marinade, tossing them through the oil mixture to evenly coat.

Cover the skillet or dish with lid (or foil), and bake until the potatoes are soft and the chicken is completely cooked through (about 35 minutes).
Change the oven setting to broil on a medium heat setting; uncover and cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are crispy and golden browned. Serve with olives and lemon slices.

Gluten Free · Vegetable-related

Cheesy, garlic, parmesan, spinach spaghetti squash

February 21, 2019 Belinda

This delicious garlic, parmesan spaghetti squash is great and it’s pasta-free!

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Serves 4
1 medium spaghetti squash (approx. 2-3lbs)
2 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
5 oz fresh spinach chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp cream cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus extra for topping
salt and pepper to taste
Grated or sliced mozzarella for topping to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
For easy cutting, feel free to stick your squash in the microwave to soften it up just a tad.
Pierce it a few times with a knife (to help vent so it doesn’t burst) and cook for for 3-5 minutes. The knife slides through way easier this way! Smaller squash will need about 3 minutes while larger ones will be good to go at 4-5 min.
Next grab a lipped baking sheet or a rimmed baking dish.
Rub the cut side of the squash with a teeny bit of olive oil and place on your baking dish/sheet cut side down. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash, and larger squash will need to roast a bit longer to tenderize. Once ready, the once rock-hard exterior of the squash will be visibly softened with a tender interior.

The squash can be roasted and stored in the fridge for a few days if you’d like to meal prep and plan ahead for a speedier dinner.
While the squash roasts, start on the sauce.
In a medium pot or skillet, bring a drizzle of olive oil to medium-high heat and sauté the garlic until fragrant.
Next add the spinach and stir until wilted. Add your cream, cream cheese and parmesan cheese and stir well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Once the squash is done roasting, allow to cool until easily handled or pop on an oven mitt and use a fork to separate and fluff the strands of spaghetti squash.
Pour your sauce over each squash boat, stir to mix, and top with a little mozzarella cheese and additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees F for around 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

A few extra thoughts…
For a golden cheesy topping, flip your oven to broil on high for just a minute or two until lightly browned.
Feel free to add chopped cooked chicken if you’d like! Stir it in with the sauce and veggie noodles or serve it up on the side. Shrimp is also a tasty addition to the squash.