Pasta · Vegetarian pasta

Pappardelle with butternut squash and blue cheese

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

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

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

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.

Chocolate · Do-ahead · Grains

No-bake chocolate oatmeal bars

Belinda

Everyone needs an easy, no-cook dessert in their lives.

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1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Line an 8 x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is completely melted, stirring to combine. Add the oats, ground cinnamon, and salt.
Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.
Pour 1/2 of the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Spread and pack down.
Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a liquid measuring cup in the microwave in 30 second increments, until fully melted.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan (reserving some) and top with the remaining oat mixture, packing down once again.
Drizzle the reserved chocolate mixture over the entire pan.
chill for at least four hours before serving.

Pasta · Poultry · Soup

Crack chicken noodle soup

Belinda

Another easy, tasty and comforting recipe for the whole family.

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3 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken breast (You can also use rotisserie chicken)
1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed chicken soup
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 (1 oz.) packet Ranch dressing mix
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Thin Spaghetti or Angel Hair – uncooked

Combine the chicken, condensed soup, chicken stock, milk, cream cheese, carrots, celery, ranch dressing mix, and crumbled bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes.
Add the noodles and cheese and simmer until noodles are fully cooked.
Top with extra crumbled bacon if desired.

Meat · Pasta

Creamy French Onion Sausage Pasta

Belinda

If you love French onion soup, sausages and pasta, this is the recipe for you!

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2 tbsp olive oil
1lb spicy or sweet ground sausage
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 onion, diced
1 tsp sea salt
1/ ground black pepper
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed french onion soup
2 1/2 cups beef broth
2 cups egg noodles
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and add in the onions, sausage, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Brown the sausage and mix well.
Pour the condensed french onion soup, cream cheese, beef broth, and egg noodles into the pot and stir. Boil until noodles are fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the sour cream and grated parmesan cheese and stir.

Baking · Do-ahead

Paula Deen’s Ooey Gooey Butter cake

Belinda

Sometimes you just have to post a Paula Deen recipe and this one is pretty darn good! Literally soft, creamy, ooey-gooey cake great served with ice cream.

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The cake
1 box yellow cake mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted

The filling
1 (8 oz.) package full fat cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9-inch by 3-inch round cake pan with baking spray or line bottom with parchment paper.
Combine the cake mix, eggs, vanilla and melted butter in a bowl until fully incorporated.
Press the cake mixture into bottom of prepared pan and get it as flat as possible.
Filling
In a stand mixer beat cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, salt and melted butter on medium speed until creamed.
Stir in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
Pour the cream cheese mixture over cake mixture.
Bake for 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

ENJOY!

Appetizers · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Meat

Incredible bacon jam!

Belinda

This is the most delicious spread that can be used in so many different ways, including slathering on burgers.
The bacon is basically slow-cooked with onions, spices and brown sugar.

 

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1 lb thick cut hickory smoked bacon, finely chopped
2 medium white onions, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup brewed dark coffee
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy.
Remove all but 2 Tbsp. of the bacon grease.
Turn the heat to low and add in the onions and salt then cook until browned or lightly caramelized.
Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
Remove all but 1/2 tbsp of the grease.
Add in the brown sugar, cider vinegar, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, and prepared black coffee.
Let cook down until slightly thickened and lightly browned, or about 20-25 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.
Serve warm or in the refrigerator in an airtight container or mason jar.

Pasta

Bacon cheeseburger pasta

Belinda

This is the perfect family meal and such great comfort food. From the website Myincrediblerecipes.com.

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8 oz elbow pasta, cooked according to package instructions
1 lb ground beef
12 slices thick bacon, cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, olive oil, onions & garlic until fully cooked.
Combine beef broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl and whisk.
Pour into the skillet, along with the cooked elbow noodles.
Toss to combine and heat until simmering and sauce thickens.
Top with both cheeses and bacon and serve hot.
ENJOY!