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The lentil and my lentil cottage pie

12 Mar

  

* Lentils are legumes and originated in central Asia

* They were found in the tombs of the Ancient Egyptians in 2400BC

* lentils come in all shapes and colors – brown, yellow, red and black

* French lentils are known for a delicate taste and they hold their shape better after cooking

* The optical lens is named after the Latin word for lentil

* Lentils are wonderful nutritionally low in fat, high in protein, folate, phosphorus, fiber and iron

* Lentils are used around the world and are particularly popular in Middle Eastern countries, Greece, France and India.

* In the Middle East they are made with onions and garlic, in France often served with roasted meat and in India made into dal.

* Lentils are easy to cook and don’t need soaking like dried beans

* There is even a National Lentil Festival in Pullman Washington

* The Soluble fiber in lentils helps keep your cholesterol down and blood sugars under control
My lentil cottage pie

  

Ingredients 

 the lentil sauce

* 50g butter

* 2 onions chopped

* 4 carrots, diced

* 1 head of celery, chopped

* 4 garlic clove, finely chopped

* 200g pack chestnut mushroom, sliced

* 2 bay leaf

* 1 tbsp dried thyme

* 500g pack dried green lentils

* 100ml red wine (optional)

* 1.7l vegetable stock

* 3 tbsp tomato purée

For the topping

* 2kg floury potato such as King Edwards

* 85g butter

* 100ml milk

*50g cheddar, grated

Method

* To make the sauce, heat the butter in a pan, then gently fry the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for 15 mins until soft and golden. Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms, then cook for 4 mins more. Stir in the herbs, then add the lentils. Pour over the wine and stock – it’s important that you do not season with salt at this stage. Simmer for 40-50 mins until the lentils are very soft. Now season to taste, take off heat, then stir in the tomato purée 

* While the lentils are cooking, tip the potatoes into a pan of water, then boil for about 15 mins until tender. Drain well, mash with the butter and milk, then season with salt and pepper.

* To assemble the pies, divide the lentil mixture between all the dishes that you are using, then top with mash. Scatter over the cheese and freeze for up to two months (see tips, below) or if eating that day, heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5, then bake for 30 mins until the topping 

  For more info mail or call ; simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031(0)642297107

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One-Pan Spinach and Cheese Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce.

15 Oct

One-Pan Spinach and Cheese Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Tomato Cream Sauce.image
Yes Autumn is here and I have another comforting dish! I’ve taken it from Halfbakedharvest.com I’ve added my own touch! truly simple and deliciously warming for the changing of seasons all cooked on one panimage
Ingredients
Serves 4-6

* 6 tablespoons fresh pesto
* 1 bulb roasted garlic *To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Chop off the top portion of the garlic head to reveal cloves. Place the bulb onto a piece of tin foil and pour about a teaspoon of olive oil on top. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool five minutes. Squeeze the garlic out of the paper skin into a bowl and mash well with a forked knife imageimageimage* 1 400g can tomatoes
* 6 tablespoons spicy shop bought taco sauce
* 3tbs balsamic vinegar
* 120ml cream
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 300g fresh spinach cooked and drained and
* Handful fresh basil, chopped
* 10 fresh sage leaves chopped
* salt + pepper, to taste
* 200g cherry tomatoes
* 1 tablespoons capers
* 3 tablespoons green and black olives roughy chopped
* 500g shop bought gnocchi ( homemade is too soft to use for this dish)
* 175g ricotta cheese
* 120g gorgonzola cheese (may use goat cheese or feta cheese), crumbled
* 50g grated parmesan + more for serving
* fresh basil + sage, for serving

Method

Preheat the oven to 190degrees C.
In a mixing bowl add the pesto, garlic, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, balsamic vinegar, heavy cream and butter. Whisk everything together to combine.
Stir in the spinach, capers, olives, basil, sage, salt + pepper. Add the tomatoes and gnocchi. Toss to combine.image
Pour the mixture into a baking dish, Dollop the ricotta over top the dish do the same with the gorgonzola, sprinkle parmesan on next. Cover the dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.image
remove the foil and continue baking another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly, the cheese is golden and the gnocchi is soft.image
Remove from the oven and top with the fresh basil and sage Serve with more parmesan and hot crusty bread. image
For more info contact me ; simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031(0)642297107

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Tortellini of asparagus with fonduta and black winter truffle /Tortellini di asparagi con fonduta e tartufo nero d’inverno

11 Mar

Tortellini of asparagus with fonduta and black winter truffle /Tortellini di asparagi con fonduta e tartufo nero d’invernoimage
With my love of Italian food and truffles I have to share this recipe with you, it comes from Jamie magazine that I’ve just adapted a little .
Fresh asparagus, pasta, parmesan and truffle this is just heaven!
If you can’t get fresh truffles truffle oil can be used, but use sparingly, just a few drops as it can over power and ruin this wonderful dish.image

Ingredients
Serves 4

For the rich pasta dough
•300g Tipo 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
•10 egg yolks

Filling
•A bunch of fresh asparagusimage
•100g crumbly ricotta
•A few sprigs of basil, leaves picked
.A pinch of ground nutmeg
•1 lemon

Sauce
•200ml crème fraiche
•2 egg yolks
•1 garlic clove, crushed
•100g parmesan, gratedimage
•Fresh black truffle, to serve

Preparation method
To make the rich pasta doughimage

1.Place the flour in a food processor and pulse it. Add the whole egg and egg yolk and keep whizzing until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs (it shouldn’t be dusty, nor should it be a big, gooey ball). This takes 2-3 minutes.

2.Tip out the dough and knead to form into a ball shape. Knead it briskly for 1 minute, it should be quite stiff and hard to knead. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place for 1 hour before

3.Now cut the dough into 2 pieces. For each piece, flatten with a rolling pin to about 5mm/¼ in) thickness. Fold over the dough and pass it through the pasta machine at its widest setting, refolding and rolling 7 times (not changing the setting) until you have a rectangular shape 7.5x18cm/3×7 in. It is important to work the dough until it is nice and shiny, as this gives it the “al dente” texture. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

4.Now you are ready to roll out. Start with the pasta machine at its widest setting, pass the dough through the rollers. Do not fold but repeat this process, decreasing the roller setting down grade by grade with each pass. For most uses, I take the pasta down to the penultimate setting – especially for tortellini Cut into 7cm squares (this should make about 30). Set aside under a damp cloth or cling film until ready to use.

For the tortellini and sauce

1.Place a steamer basket on top of a pan of hot water and bring to the boil. Snap the woody stalks off the bottom of the asparagus spears and discard. Place the spears in the basket and cook for 5 minutes.

2.Remove and leave to cool, then chop roughly and place in the food processor with the ricotta and basil. Blitz until finely chopped and scoop into a mixing bowl. Season well with salt, pepper, ground nutmeg and a squeeze of lemon juice.

3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle (or use a sandwich bag and snip 1cm off one corner). Pipe a teaspoon-sized blob onto each square of pasta, then brush the edge with a little water. Fold each parcel in half – corner to opposite corner – so you end up with a triangle of pasta with filling in the middle. Squeeze the air out, and press the sides to seal.

4.Place each pasta triangle in front of you, with the flat edge towards you and the tip of the triangle pointing away. Roll the bottom of the triangle up onto the top, almost like you are folding it in half, then bring the sides up and weave together. Sit the tortellini right way up and lightly press with your thumb to flatten out slightly. Repeat with all the tortellini, then set aside on a well-floured tray.

5.Whisk the crème fraîche, egg yolks, garlic clove and parmesan together in a small mixing bowl and sit it over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the base of the pan isn’t touching the water. Whisk the mixture and cook gently for 5–10 minutes until the egg yolks just cook and thicken the mixture. Take off the heat then grate in some of the truffle and fold into the mix.

6.Cook the tortellini for a couple of minutes in plenty of boiling salted water. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to 4 plates. Spoon over the fonduta, then top with a grating of parmesan and shavings of black truffle.image
For more info please mail or call: simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031(0)642297107image

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Spaghetti with fennel and anchovy

23 Dec

This is a dish I’ve loved for so long! Simple and delicious easy and self seasoning. It can be as a mid week meal or jazzed up for a dinner party.

Ingredients
375gr spagettini, cooked according to the instruction and drained, al dente please!
1 fennel bulb sliced if you can’t get don’t worry
I large sliced onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped.
6 anchovies
Enough cherry tomatoes or normal tomatoes chopped ( a hand full per person )
olive oil
A spoon of capers
A spoon of black olives
A hand full of chopped basil
A hand full of chopped parsley
A handful of breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan or other hard cheese to serve.

Method:
1,Heat a wide shallow saute pan, add a bit of olive oil and pan fry the breadcrumbs until golden then add the parsley and set aside until u serve

2, In a pan heat olive oil add onion and fennel cook until soft.

3, Add the garlic, tomatoes, olives, capers and the anchovies to the pan, add more olive oil if necessary.cook until just hot and the the anchovies have slightly melted.

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The Artichoke and my “tagliatelle with artichoke and black summer truffles”

21 Jul

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Artichoke facts.
Technically, an artichoke is a flower. In full growth, an artichoke plant can spread nine feet in diameter and stand five feet tall, and one plant can produce over 20 artichokes a year.

Artichokes are a significant source of vitamin C, folic acid and magnesium. Virtually fat-free, the artichoke weighs in at 25 calories (per medium artichoke) and is low in sodium.

Artichokes are one of the oldest foods known to humans

The artichoke is a perennial thistle that originated in the Mediterranean.

The artichoke is technically a flower bud that has not yet bloomed.20140721-152616-55576405.jpg
The first mention of artichokes in literature was around 40-70 AD in The Greek Herbal of Dioscorides, a book on the medicinal uses of plants.

The Greeks and Romans considered them to be an aphrodisiac.

Until the 16th century, women were prohibited from eating them in many countries because they were still considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

King Henry II’s wife, Catherine de Medici, introduced the artichoke to France in the 16th century . She said, “If one of us had eaten artichokes, we would have been pointed out on the street. Today young women are more forward than pages at the court.”

Artichokes were introduced to England by the Dutch in the 1500s.

They were brought to the United States in the 19th century by French and Spanish immigrants.

The top artichoke producers today are Spain, France, and Italy.

California produces 100% of the United States artichoke crop, with Castroville, California calling itself the “Artichoke Center of the World.”

In 1947 Marilyn Monroe, then still going by her given name Norma Jean, was crowned Castroville’s first Artichoke Queen.

Artichoke preparation.

1. Fill a bowl with cold water, then squeeze in the juice of a lemon and add some lemon slices. Have a halved lemon to hand to rub over the cut edges of the artichoke as you prepare it. The lemon juice will prevent the artichoke from oxidising and turning brown.

2. Pull off the tough, dark green outer leaves of the artichoke. Continue until you’re left with the light tender leaves in the centre, then rub all over with the halved lemon.

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3. Slice off the top 2cm of the remaining artichoke leaves. Trim the stalk, leaving about 2.5cm, and rub the cut surface with the lemon.

4. Use a small knife to trim the remaining dark green skin from around the base of the artichoke and the top of the stalk, rubbing with lemon as you go. Trim to give a neat shape and flat bottom.

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5. Halve the artichoke lengthways to expose the fibrous choke in the centre. Rub with lemon juice, then use a teaspoon (or a grapefruit spoon if you have one) to scoop out the choke from each half. Pull out the tough, spiky red leaves from the centre and rub again with lemon. Put the prepared artichoke hearts in the bowl of lemony water until you are ready to cook them.

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Tagliatelle with artichoke and black summer truffles. Tagliatelle con carciofi e tartufo nero estivo

Ingredients
Serves 2

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2 globe artichokes prepared and sliced ( see my tip for perpetration )
2 tbsp olive oil
I medium onion or banana shallot
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp double cream
salt and pepper
250g tagliatelle pasta fresh or dried it’s up to you
75g parmesan half grated and the rest as shavings ( a potato peeler is fantastic for this )
25g toasted pine-nuts
50g/1¾oz fresh black truffle

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Slice the prepared artichokes in half and cut into fine slices.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the artichoke onion and garlic for two minutes.

Add four tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and cook for four minutes, or until the artichokes are tender.

When the artichokes are cooked, add the parsley and cream and season with salt and pepper.

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Meanwhile In a pan of boiling salted water, cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the tagliarini to the frying pan containing the artichokes.

Add a couple of tablespoons of pasta water and half of the grated parmesan to the frying pan. Toss well and grate a little truffle into the pasta.

Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Toss again so the truffle is absorbed into the sauce.
Serve in hot bowls with more truffle slices, toasted pine-nuts and the remaining parmesan shavings on top.

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For more info don’t hesitate to mail or call
: simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031 (0)642297107

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Beetroot and my Beetroot risotto, Barbabietole risotto

31 Oct

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What is a beetroot?

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Also known as the garden beet, the beetroot is a sweet, maroon coloured root vegetable. It is a healthy, low-calorie food filled with fiber. It is known to help improve health conditions such as high blood pressure. The leaves of the red beet can also be eaten.

Beetroot can be consumed in a variety of ways. If consumed raw, beets should first be peeled. The top and bottom of the root should also be removed prior to ingesting. Beets can also be boiled, sautéed, pickled, fried, juiced, steamed, pureed, grilled, or baked. When cooking beets, the skin may be left on until it is loose enough to fall off, retaining the vegetable’s vivid color.

Soups made from beets, such as cold borsch, are popular in Europe. Pickled beets are a typical way of serving the plant; these are often served on hamburgers in Australia and New Zealand. Juices from the pickled vegetables are often used to prepare other dishes, such as hardboiled eggs, as well. Another common way of serving the vegetable is as a side dish or salad component.

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Canned beets are generally considered to have an inferior taste to fresh beets. Beetroot can be grown at home by planting seeds following the last frost of the spring. The plants require sparse, weekly watering during the majority of the season, with daily moisture provided on hot days.

Caution should be used when preparing beetroot. The colorful pigmentation of the vegetable can stain clothing. If consumed in large quantities, the vegetable can also cause discoloration, typically in a shade of pink, of the urine. This light sensitive vegetable will also turn colors when cut and exposed to light.

Ten beetroot facts

1. The beetroot we eat now is Beta vulgaris, which evolved as a cultivated version of the sea beet, Beta maritima.

2. The ancient Greeks offered beetroot to the god Apollo on silver platters at his temple at Delphi.

3. The 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper said that beetroot juice is good for headaches and afflictions of the brain.

4. Martin Chuzzlewit is the only novel by Charles Dickens that mentions beetroot.

5. The sugar beet has been the official state historic vegetable of Utah since 2002.

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6. The ancient Romans considered beetroot to be an aphrodisiac.

7. The Lupanare, the official brothel of Pompeii, had its walls decorated with pictures of beetroots.

8. One of Alan Sugar’s (the English entrepreneur )first jobs at the age of 11 involved boiling beetroot for a local greengrocer.

9. When American astronauts on Apollo 18 docked with Russians on Soyuz 19 in 1975, the Russians offered them traditional foods including beetroot and cabbage soup.

10. The world’s biggest beetroot was grown in 2005 by Dutchman Piet de Goede weighing 156lb 10oz.

Beetroot risotto, Barbabietole risotto

Ingredients
Serves 4

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1.5 litres good quality vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1tbsp olive oil
4 shallots or 1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g (12oz) fresh beetroot, peeled and diced. ( while peeling and chopping wear latex gloves, otherwise you lend up with red fingers )

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250g (8oz) risotto rice
100ml (3½fl oz) white wine
50g (2oz) butter
100g (3½oz) Parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
2 tbs fresh thyme leaves chopped

Method

1, Heat the stock in a saucepan until almost boiling, then reduce heat until barely simmering to keep it hot.

2, Heat the oil in a shallow heavy-based pan. Sauté the shallot, garlic, bay leaves, beetroot and half of the thyme until softened (about 6-8 minutes).

3, Add the rice and stir well until the grains are well coated and glistening.

4, Pour in the wine, stir and let the rice absorb everything

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5, add one ladleful of hot stock let it simmer, stirring all the time until it has been absorbed.

6, Continue to add the stock at intervals and cook as before until the rice is tender but firm.

7, Add the butter and most of the cheese and stir gently.

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8, Serve scattered with the remaining thyme, the remaining cheese, a good grinding of black pepper and a touch of salt but not too much as the Parmesan gives salt too

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Boun appetito 😊🍴

For more info , questions or queries mail or call:
simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com. 0031 (0) 642297107

And of course I can come and cook it for you🔪🍴

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ONION & OLIVE TART

22 Sep

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Ok for a while now I’ve been baking tarts! This tart is so easy and delicious.
No need to make your own pastry just buy ready made, no hassle and no mess!!!
This tart can be made within 45 mins ( well that is if your good at chopping 🔪) a quick, easy and tasty dish for any occasion.
Serves 4
Ingredients

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1 sheet of puff pastry (I love Dufour brand)
2 small red onions thinly sliced
1 banana shallot
150g mixed olives black and green de seeded roughly chopped
200/300g mix of cheddar and parmesan cheese grated
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

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Method
1.Preheat oven to 200c
2.Place the sheet of puff pastry on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.

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3 score the pastry 1.5cm from the edge all around the pastry
4. Scatter within the scored edges with onion, cheese, olives and rosemary.
5. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

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6. Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes. (be sure to check often to make sure it’s not overdone) 7. Serve with a tasty green salad and a delicious glass of rose or white wine! Chablis grand Cru could be an option

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Still don’t fancy making it yourself ! I could come and cook it for you
For more info don’t hesitate to mail or call :
simon.bingham@simons-sauces.com 0031 (0)642297107

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Recipe of the day: Spinach and Homemade Sun-Blush Tomato Pasta

11 Sep

A simple Sicilian-style pasta dish using my sun-blush tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 12 sun-blush tomatoes
  • 224 g uncooked penne pasta
  • 15 g pine nuts
  • 15 ml leftover  oil from the sun-blush tomatoes
  • 0.8 g crushed chilli flakes
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 20 g grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place penne pasta in the pot, cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
  2. Place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted.
  3. Heat the leftover sun-blush oil and chili flakes in a pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic 1 minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Pour in the reserved broth, and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated through.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture and pine nuts. Serve with freshParmesan cheese.

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