Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake

Sometimes I feel like my casserole dishes are unreasonably small.  You know what I mean - stop pretending you don't.  You start to make a recipe and it's great.  This is looking awesome.  Oh no! Shit! Shit! Everything is overflowing and you're not even finished putting it all in the pan? WHAT THE HELL, CASSEROLE DISH!? What. The. Hell?

This can't just happen to me.  I cope with this either by putting everything into two casserole dishes or by smashing it down ridiculously and hoping that I'm squishing it enough to fit into one.  It rarely ends well and I usually forget to put a baking sheet underneath so I end up with a horrific mess in my oven.  This is one of those recipes.  Save yourself a mess - spread it out into two dishes unless you have one very large one.

Spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake

Serves: 8

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

300g angel hair pasta
1 - 400g tin diced tomatoes
1 - 800ml jar tomato puree
150g fresh baby spinach
300g ricotta cheese
4 eggs
150g sour cream
1/2 cup mozzarella
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 200C/400F and lightly oil a very large oven-proof dish (Or two, as discussed above.  The original recipe I based this on called for a shallow dish.  AHAHAHAHAHA bullshit.)

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.  Add the angel hair pasta and stir until starting to flex (this will prevent clumps of it sticking).  Drain the cooked pasta and stir in a small amount of olive oil to prevent a giant clump.  Allow to cool (seriously, let it cool, you have to touch this shit with your hands).
3. Spread the tin of diced tomatoes along the bottom of the pan.  Top with half of the spinach, half of the pasta and half of the ricotta.  Pour half of the tomato puree over the ricotta.  Follow with the remaining spinach and the remaining pasta.  Pour over the last of the tomato puree; top with the remaining ricotta.
4. Whisk together the eggs and the sour cream in a large jug until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set.

So bad for you - yet so...so good.

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories		345.8
Total Fat		13.2 g
	Saturated Fat	6.3 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	3.6 g
Cholesterol		165.4 mg
Sodium		678.5 mg
Potassium		883.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate		40.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	6.0 g
	Sugars	5.9 g
Protein		19.5 g

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Spaghetti with Chili and Asparagus

I'm trying new things this month - and one of those is stepping outside of my comfort zone with things like food spiciness.  I've never been a fan of chillies.  I don't have a lot of heat tolerance most of the time but have tended to be downright paranoid with it.

This was fantastic.  It contains two whole chillies and you'd think that makes it super spicy - but it had only the tiniest hint of spice unless you were actually chewing on bits of chilli (Don't do that.  Aaaaugh burn.).  Most of the chilli in the bites you take won't go through such a direct crushing process and you miss the vast majority of the potential heat.  My son's biggest complaint about the existence of the chillies was, "I don't know what this is.  I don't want it." and that's just 4 year olds.

I want to start this with a couple of relevant tips.  A lot of people avoid things like chillies and asparagus because they don't know how to best prepare them.  What parts do I eat? How do I cut them up?  Let me help you with that by showing you (or rather telling you) what I do.

Chillies

So a recipe once suggested that you put chillies into your meal - thinly sliced.  Sweet.  You're going to be a total badass and try this with a mild chilli.  Fuck yeah!

You grab a whole chilli, cut the stem-end off and then slice it finely into rings full of seeds.  You toss it with your meal.  You immediately feel as though you were horribly lied to.  This shit is absurdly spicy.  It's almost inedible.  OMG make the burn stop!

Many recipes unfortunately neglect some basic instructions on exactly HOW to process certain vegetables such as chillies.  They assume a certain level of knowledge that should -never- be assumed.

So here's how I do it.  This works so much better.  Don't be afraid of chillies.  It'll be okay.

1. Keep your hands completely away from your face until you have finished.  For serious.
2.. Cut the stem end off of your chilli.
3. Slice the chilli in half lengthwise.
4. With super clean hands, use your thumbnail to scrape out the ENTIRE inside of the chili.  We want to discard of all of the seeds and membranes.  Contrary to popular belief - the heat is in the membranes, not the seeds.  Get all of that shit out unless a LOT of heat is what you WANT.
5. Set your chili skins aside and clean your cutting area of all membranes and seeds as well as the juice from these parts.  This will reduce the heat of your final dish.
6. On a fresh cutting surface, finely slice your chili skins and add to your dish.
7. Wash your hands -very, very, very thoroughly-.  I usually have to wash mine (including under my nails) at least twice before I can touch my eyes, lips or mouth without it burning.

Asparagus

I avoided asparagus for a long time.  When I tried to prepare it I was overcooking it terribly or undercooking it.  I would eat it past its freshest and I would include the woody parts because I didn't know how to properly prepare it.  This is what I have learned.

* Asparagus is best when either steamed lightly, blanched or roasted.  Squishy is bad.  You want a little crunch.
* The woody, inedible bits of asparagus getting you down? Easily fixed.  Hold the asparagus in your hands and flex it along the stem until it breaks.  It will snap almost precisely along the line where the stem becomes woody.
* Choosing asparagus at the store isn't, unfortunately, as simple as grabbing a bunch and hoping for the best.  After I finally learned how to identify fresh asparagus, I realized that many of the bunches at my local shops were very over ripe.  Asparagus should be firm and crisp.  If you hold up a stalk at one end, it should not bend downward with its own weight.  It should never be wrinkled (as asparagus will tend to become when it starts to wilt).   The tips should be firm when you pinch them.  If they are squishy, it is rotting.

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Knew all of that already? Sweet - you're totally better informed than I was when I started cooking (I couldn't make toast, seriously). Let's move on to the recipe bits.

Spaghetti with Chili and Asparagus

Serves 4

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

100ml olive oil

16 asparagus spears, cut into 5cm pieces

400g spaghetti

150g rocket, chopped

2 small red chillies, deseeded and chopped

1 lemon - zested and juiced into a bowl

1 clove garlic, minced

120g parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. 

2. Blanch the asparagus for 3-4 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately run under cold water (this halts the cooking process). Drain and set asdie to cool.

3. Return the water to the stove and bring back to a boil.

4. Add the spaghetti - cooking until just al dente.  Drain and return to the pan.

5. Meanwhile, add the rocket, lemon zest and juice, garlic and 65g of the Parmesan to the asparagus and toss.

6. Add this mix to the pasta, pouring over the remaining olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  

7. Mix to coat - divide among 4 bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan.  Serve hot.

Tomato & Mango Salad

I've tried to get more creative with salads these days.  I'm that person who makes a main dish and then suddenly realizes that we can't eat just meat for dinner - about 5 minutes before we're meant to be having dinner.  I'm super grown up, for serious.

So I looked at what I had in my fridge (oh shit, overripe mango!) and whipped up this salad - which was a total and utter hit.  Especially with my 4 year old.   He gobbled his up and asked for more without even touching his (stupidly delicious) chicken.  Pardon the imprecise measurements - I made this on the fly.

Mango & Tomato Salad

Serves 4
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup of rocket
1 mango, cubed
2 tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
mozzarella (I used string cheese because I'm ultra classy)
fresh lemon juice
honey

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the cubed mango, tomatoes and rocket.
2. Slice a cheese stick if, like me, you are the classiest bitch around and don't actually bother with fancy schmancy stuff like bocconcini (which I totally can't spell without having to look up - shut up, you know it happens to you too).
3. In a small bowl, mix together small amounts of fresh lemon juice and honey until the dressing is tangy but not too sour - sweet, but not sickly.  Grind in a little fresh black pepper.
4. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

A lovely summer salad that my kid went nuts for!  We served this with Roasted Chicken Breasts with Leeks, Basil & Lemon.

Roasted Chicken Breasts With Leeks, Basil & Lemon

It's been a while.  My memory is awful and I've been super busy with my attempts to shave down my ass ever-so-slightly.  When I get home and my body hurts, the last thing I often want to do is even cook dinner - let alone then blog about having cooked dinner. 

However this month is full of excellent recipes and experiments and I intend to share more of them with my lovely peeps.  Also you guys. The chickens don't appreciate my recipes as much as I wish they would, the bastards.

I apologize for my epically shitty pictures.  I don't have a good camera and am stuck with using my phone in a mostly quite dark house.  I have, however, ordered a good camera so things should improve dramatically within a week or so.

Roast Chicken Breasts w/Leeks, Basil & Lemon

Serves 4
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1kg leeks
1 tablespoonolive oil
2 tablespoons chicken stock
30g butter, softened
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 chicken breasts

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 240C/475F.
2. Trim the leeks and slice thinly.  Toss with the oil in a baking dish and season lightly.  Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine the butter, chicken stock, lemon zest, basil and garlic in a small bowl.
4. Lay the chicken breasts atop the leeks and score them lightly.
5. Spread the basil and lemon mixture atop the chicken breasts, pushing it gently into the scores.
6. Roast, uncovered for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly.  Spoon the juices over the breasts every 10 minutes until completely cooked.

Note: Mine actually took about 40 minutes to cook. Chicken cooking times can vary quite a bit and my oven takes ages to cook everything - we think we need to replace the seals (already - it's 3 years old).  Basting constantly is, of course, optional - but it can be the difference between melt-in-your-mouth chicken and dry-as-fuck chicken so....keep that in mind.

Enjoy!  It was delicious! My 4 year old wouldn't touch it.  SUCKER! More for me!

Tomato Soup Recipe

This soup is a bit more than just tomato soup - it's really more of a lovely vegetable soup that is simply dominated by the tomatoes in it.  Those other vegetables, however, provide a delicious flavour and a beautiful creamy texture.  This soup is incredibly healthy and incredibly addictive.

Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, halved

2 brown onions, roughly chopped

4 sticks celery, roughly chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

10 fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped

black pepper

salt

fresh basil leaves

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 lugs olive oil over medium heat.    

Add the garlic and onions, stirring until glassy.  

Add the celery and carrots and stir until the carrots begin to soften slightly. 

Pour in the prepared stock and add the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the carrots have softened.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Let the soup cool significantly and pour into a blender.  Blend until the soup is smooth and creamy.  

Please remember that blending freshly boiled soup is a recipe for horrific third degree burns.  You've been warned.

Serve hot with a garnish of fresh basil leaves. Yum!

Spicy Pan Fried Chicken Wings Recipe

In the eternal search to find something that my son will eat and that the rest of the family finds delicious (this morning he requested a carrot with a piece of ham wrapped around it, dipped in ketchup), I came across a recipe for fried chicken wings.  My first attempt was abysmal.  My second attempt was pretty bad.  Several months later and many, many changes to the original recipe later - this is my result.

Tender, juicy and (just a little) spicy fried chicken wings.  My entire family loves them and they are a massive hit for dinner.

Spicy Pan Fried Chicken Wings

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients

8 chicken wings

1/3 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1 -2 cup cooking oil of your choice

Instructions

Firstly, to prepare your chicken wings you'll want to cut them into pieces.  This video illustrates the process beautifully.  We'll be using the "wingette" also called the "mid-joint" and the "drumettes".  The wing tips are great for feeding to your pets and will help clean their teeth.  You can also boil them to make stock.

Rinse your prepared wings in cold water and pat dry with clean paper towels.  Chicken wings that are too moist will make it difficult for the coating to stick.

In a large bag or plastic container, combine your flour, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika.  Add the chicken wings and toss well to coat.  Refrigerate the chicken (I leave it in the seasoning) for at least 30 minutes - preferably 2 hours.  The more chilled your chicken is before you cook it, the better the coating will stick.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk and set aside.  Pour your breadcrumbs into a bowl.  Heat your oil in a heavy pan to 165C (I use my multimeter for this, you can just as easily use a kitchen thermometer).  Much higher and your chicken will burn but be raw in the middle.  Much lower and your chicken will be greasier and the coating will not be as crisp.  This takes practice.  Lots of practice.

Once chilled, remove your wings from the refrigerator.  One at a time, dip each piece first in the egg mixture and then roll through the breadcrumbs.  If you missed any spots with the egg mixture you can apply it with a pastry brush without having to dip the entire wing back in the mixture.

Using tongs, put the uncooked chicken into the hot oil 5-6 pieces at a time.  Leave some space between the pieces.  Overcrowding the pieces will affect the temperature of the oil and give an inconsistent cook.

Cook for 6-8 minutes, then turn the chicken pieces and cook again for another 6-8 minutes.

I have overcrowded them and had to cook these a little longer because of it.

Test for doneness by cutting into the thickest part of the wing and checking for any pink meat.

Remove your chicken wings from the oil, giving them a very gentle tap on the edge of the pan to shake off a bit of the excess oil before placing them on a stack of absorbent paper towels.  This will remove even more oil.  I sometimes like to put them in a box completely lined with paper towels and give them a little shake - but I can't stand greasy food.

Serve immediately with vegetables.  Chips also go very nicely with these and you can re-use the oil!

Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe

I'm on a ketosis diet at the moment.  Don't judge.  It works for me and my doctor knows what's up, so I'm not doing anything that is going to hurt me.  Sometimes I just need a little help getting my hunger signals under control.

Anyway, what that means is that my diet consists entirely of protein shakes and non-starchy vegetables.  It's harder to find delicious things to eat when your diet is so limited.  Harder, but certainly not impossible.

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 lugs of olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 spring onions finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2kg (2.2 pounds) of carrots peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock (I use homemade chicken stock so sodium is at a minimum)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger (or 1.5tbsp freshly grated ginger)
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp whole almonds

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over a low flame, heat your olive oil.  Add to the pan the garlic, spring onion and yellow onion and toss with a wooden spoon until glassy.

Add the carrots, giving them a good stir to coat them in the olive oil, garlic and onions and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in the nutmeg, ginger and pepper - stir for another minute or until fragrant.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the carrot is tender.  Remove from heat.

When the soup has cooled significantly, place into a blender with the almonds to puree (or use a stick blender).  Do not attempt to blend the soup while it is hot unless you're a masochist and you really love getting horrific burns and boiling soup on your eyeballs.  It isn't pleasant.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, a garnish of chives and a sprinkling of pepper.  Goes nicely with a slice of lovely crusty bread.

For people trying to watch their waistline, this is also a really healthy dinner when served without sour cream or bread.

Per serving:

Calories		182.8
Total Fat		8.8 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.5 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	5.9 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		499.1 mg
Potassium		740.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		23.5 g
	Dietary Fiber	6.9 g
	Sugars	9.5 g
Protein		4.5 g