The Devil Made Me Do It!

Maccheroni al Forno alla Diavola
Oven-Baked Spicy Macaroni

This was the first morning of the Fall that I actually woke up feeling cold- and that's saying something! And it was definitely not warmer as I walked home from work in the rain at 8.30 this evening! Now, if that is not the perfect scenario for crying-out for comfort food- I don't know what is!

I was tired, I was cold, I was wet... but I was home! And all the way back from the office I was thinking and re-thinking what I could do with the few ingredients I had in the fridge: bacon, paprika, tomatoes and a little Parmesan cheese.. so yes, this was maybe a little challenge- but the result was delicious all the same, as well as being quick and easy!

Whilst the macaroni boiled, I had time to chop a little onion, carrot and celery and to fry them together in a dry frying pan with a little chopped garlic. I then added a small, fresh red chili pepper with the seeds removed- I wanted this to be very hot and spicy- but I also wanted to live to tell the tale!

Next came the red bell pepper and the cherry tomatoes, some finely chopped fresh basil and some dried oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg. With the heat turned up nice and high, I now added some tomato paste, a pinch of sugar and some ground cayenne.

I drained off the pasta and added it directly to the sauce- along with a good splash of milk
and stirred everything together well. Grate generously with nutmeg- along with the milk we have just added, it will give the sauce a flavor reminiscent of Bechamel- delicious!

Fill the pasta into an oven-proof dish and grate lightly with Parmesan cheese- ad a final sprinkle of pepper and chili and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a moderate heat until the cheese melts and the top layer of pasta begins to crisp-up a little... and serve piping hot, in more ways than one... and enjoy!

 

The Fantastic Five

Maiale con 5-Spezie, Pepe, Cavolini di Bruxelles al Olio di Sesamo & Vermicelli Asiatiche
5-Spice Peppered Pork with Sesame-Toasted Brussels Sprouts and Glass Noodles

Time for quick, tasty, fiery and fun! This is a little old-school, harking back to the 70's and those first days of the Chinese take-aways and restaurants here in Europe, when everything was exciting and exotic! For me it was always the 5-spice powder that I loved, not the soy sauce or the stir-fry... it just tickled my taste buds and made me feel good! 


It is the combination of fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns and you can pick it up at any Asian Supermarket. And yes, I do have a ready-made mix at home that I usually use. But being as this evenings dish was going to be a simple affair- I thought I would go to the trouble of grinding my own powder by hand. So I gently roasted the spices in a dry pan to heighten their flavors and then ground them up with my mortar and pestle...
and what a divine fragrance they gave off!

For my simple little dish, I cut the pork into bite-sized strips and marinated them for 20-30 minutes in a little light soy sauce, some sesame oil, orange juice, and a few slices of ginger.
Whilst the pork was marinating, I prepared the glass noodles by pouring boiling water over them, letting them sit for 10 minutes and then draining them off. I added a drop of oil and  a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to them and set them to one side to keep warm whilst I turned my attention to the Brussels Sprouts... Asian food is all about timing and that means being able to juggle and multi-task!

For the sprouts, I cut off the ends, peeled off the outer leaves and then proceeded to pluck the sprouts apart into separate leaves. They cook much quicker this way and have a totally different character to them- obviously much lighter tasting and especially nice I think cooked like this: In a hot frying pan, add a little sesame oil and then toss the sprout leaves gently, along with some very finely sliced ginger. Season with salt, pepper, a hint of sugar and a pinch of chili powder- after about 2-3 minutes, de-glaze with a half glass of orange juice, stir, turn off the heat and let them finish cooking in the residual heat.

Fry the pork in a very hot but relatively dry frying pan, adding finely sliced ginger, finely sliced garlic, bell peppers and some finely chopped Thai basil. Sprinkle with the 5-spice mix and keep stirring, so that all of the pieces of pork are coated. Now add some slices of bell pepper and continue frying for a further 2-3 minutes and then add some finely sliced spring onions. Add a little sweet chili sauce and a little soy sauce, a splash of sherry and you are ready to serve!

 

The freshly prepared spices are what make this simple dish special, but an added sprinkle of fresh pepper, chili and Szechuan pepper make it really wonderful. But don't take my word for it- give it a try!

Crispy Mushroom Crackers

Piadina Croccante con Funghi, Porri e Parmigiano
Home-Made Piadina Crackers with Mushroom, Leek and Parmesan Cheese

Unhealthy as it is, we all like to snack on occasion... but for some people like me, who are constantly doing battle with our maintaining our weight, it is not always easy knowing that he have to resist the temptation. So here we go... this was my little attempt at making something tasty and delicious but light and healthy at the same time- and for a first attempt, it really wasn't that bad!

Piadina is a traditional Italian flatbread- a great accompaniment to cheese, olives or salami and basically rather similar to a cracker rather than a bread. The dough is a very simple, unleavened affair made of 2 parts flour to one part water, a little oil and a pinch of salt. In this case I used 1 cupful of flour and a half cup of water, mixed it well and added a drop of oil before kneading it to make it into a smooth, malleable dough. Wrap in Ceran wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime we can prepare our leek and mushroom topping.

Chop the mushrooms, leeks and parsley very finely, season with salt and pepper and add a little olive oil. Season with a little paprika, nutmeg and ground coriander. Grate some Parmesan or Grana cheese and turn up that oven to its highest setting... we are almost ready to go!

Take the dough out of the wrapper, knead one last time and sprinkle the dough, your rolling pin and your surface with flour before you begin rolling out the dough. Roll out and turn 90°, continue rolling and turn 90° again... sprinkle with flour and continue this procedure until you have the right thickness of dough- meaning very thin!

To transfer the dough to your tray without it tearing, roll it up onto your rolling pin, carry it over to the tray and un-roll it directly on there. Cover evenly with the mushroom, leek and parsley paste, grind once more with fresh pepper and then sprinkle a nice layer of Parmesan on top.

Bake from between 10-15 minutes depending on your oven, until golden-brown and simply irresistible... as in the picture below!

Bittersweet Symphony

Zuppa Dolceamaro di Puntarelle, Sedano e Porri
Bittersweet Puntarelle, Celery and Leek Soup 

I am going to be brave and post this little gem anyway- even though probably 95% of you out there would not want to eat this... it really is quite bitter! But, being Sicilian, I like that- and I know that it is good for you too... and apart from that, being Sicilian, I was not going to throw away the left over pieces of Puntarelle from Saturday!


So my challenge was to try to think of a way to reduce the bitterness of the Puntarelle and make something good out of it. The only way I could do it was to follow my intuition- after all, I don't know one other person that has eaten this stuff! 

I started off by gently frying some finely chopped bacon in a small saucepan. After a couple of minutes, the bacon should have given off quite a bit of its fat- which is perfect for us to now fry the remainder of the ingredients in. That meant the Puntarelle, celery and leek, all fairy finely chopped, along with some parsley and garlic. Stir together well and sautée for 3-4 minutes before de-glazing with some boiling water.

Add only a little water at this point, then stir vigorously, so as to break down the structure of the vegetables a little. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a few caraway seeds. Turn up the heat, add a tablespoon of sweet mustard, a tablespoon of honey and stir in a cupful of boiling milk. What may happen next, is that the milk may appear to curdle a little- but don't let that irritate you... carry on boiling and stirring and you will find that it becomes smooth again after a couple of minutes. Add one small, finely grated potato and keep stirrng until everything becomes smooth and creamy.

At this point, you can add more boiling water, to get the consistency and thickness of the soup right. Add a handful of finely chopped parsley and turn off the heat. I discovered, purely by chance, that if you let the soup cool down and then re-heat it later, that it does in fact taste a little less bitter... with me, it was due to the fact that I had to take these photos first and that the soup of course cooled off... but I would recommend trying this method and will be trying it again myself. Adjust the seasoning (salt + pepper, add honey if still too bitter) and serve with a nice grind of pepper and chili and kiss that cold, damp weather good bye with a hearty bowl of soup!

Tarte Bombay

Torta Salata di Patate, Romanesco, Porri e Pancetta al Curry
Curried Potato, Romanesco, Leek and Bacon Tarte

You haven't seen the end of that Romanesco cauliflower yet my friends- remember, I live alone- so there are another couple of meals waiting to be made from the rest of it methinks. But fear not- I won't bore you with similar recipes over and over- I will do my best to do cool and flavorful things with it for you... like this for example...


Sure, this is another one of those dishes you can make from leftovers, but it is quick easy  and delicious all the same. I basically wanted to use up that cauliflower and my initial thought was to do an Indian curry of potato, leek and cauliflower. Then I noticed the eggs... and I thought, hmmm- also not getting any fresher... and soon after that THIS idea was born...

I started off by slicing and blanching the potato and the Romanesco for 4-5 minutes in water which was spiced with ginger, turmeric, garam masala, garlic, bay leaf and cumin seed. I then drained them off, rinsed them under cold water and set then aside to use in a few minutes to the filling.

After buttering out my baking-dish, I lined it with a thin layer of a simple dough- basically a pizza dough but without the yeast.  I pricked it all over with a fork and pre-baked it for 3 minutes... it's better to think ahead than to have a soggy pastry base!

Next step is to boost those flavors- so sprinkle the veggies with garam masala, Madras curry and a little turmeric and lay them out onto the pastry base. Add a few rings of leek and a sprinkle of bacon. Now beat two eggs with a little milk, salt, pepper, finely chopped parsley and Madras curry to make a "royale". And yes- regular milk is fine- there is no need to be using cream! We already have the bacon in there and that is enough fat as well as being great flavor. Pour the royale in-between the filling, creating an equal filling all around. 


Bake in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes covered with aluminum foil and for a further 5-6 minutes without... and you should have a lovely, aromatic, steaming-hot dish of deliciousness to enjoy!


I made a simple tomato, basil and onion relish to go with it, a little Thai sweet chili sauce, a little cayenne, a little lime juice- and the perfect accompaniment for the tarte was made- perfect!

Piggy in a Twist

Maiale Rotolato con Miele, Funghi "Castagne", Romanesco e Sugo al Senapé & Miele
Pork Roll with Honey, Chestnut Mushrooms and Romanesco on Honey-Mustard Sauce

More of those little chestnut mushrooms and another of my favorite vegetables- the Romanesco cauliflower... it is just such a pretty little devil! At the moment I am walking a tight-rope walk between Summer and Fall recipes- on the one hand it is hard to let go and on the other it is tough accepting that colder weather is already here.

I prepared the mushrooms by frying them in a saucepan, with very little clarified butter and no salt until the end. I also squashed them flat to squeeze out any excess moisture.  I then seasoned with salt, pepper and a little Cajun pepper/chili mix.

The romanesco, I separated into individual  little "florets" and poached in boiling water with a slice of ginger and a hint of vanilla. It should be good after 5-6 minutes and can be drained and kept warm for later.

Basically, the pork was spread with mustard, sprinkled with cumin seed and the faintest hint of cinnamon and then rolled into a tight little parcel and tied together with kitchen twine.

I fried it in very little clarified butter, making sure to rotate it and get it nice and brown all around. I added garlic and rosemary to the pan along with a drizzle of both honey and olive oil at the end- this gave it a lovely sheen and a wonderful, full-bodied flavor.

Once the pork was done, I set it to one side and de-glazed my sticky frying pan with a splash of brandy. I then added a mild mustard and honey and stirred it into a smooth creamy paste, which I thinned down by adding milk- which appears to curdle at first, but fear not, continue stirring and you will find that it becomes smooth and shiny within a couple of minutes. Add plenty of chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a hint of lime and reduce down for a further 3-4 minutes until it is a nice consistency.

I served-up everything on a thin layer of the mustard sauce and enjoyed it with a glass of white Corvo-and gave myself a pat on the back for having whipped together yes another fun and elegant little dish- but the best thing about it was how quick and easy it was!

Shroom Soup

Zuppa di Patate, Porri e Funghi "Castagne"
Potato, Leek and "Chestnut Mushroom" Soup

The weather has been really wonderful here the past couple of days- blue skies, sunshine... but undeniably COLD and very much Fall weather... but that's ok by me! Fall is probably my favorite season and that for many reasons. The colors of the leaves is breathtaking, the return to wearing proper clothing rather than shorts and flip-flops is more than welcome for me and the switch back to heartier, more comforting fare is also nice. I love soups at the best of times and would even trade my salad for a soup on a hot Summer's day given the choice!

This is a very simple soup I whipped together in 15 minutes this evening. I had to make it quick, because otherwise I would have started nibbling on snacks and I didn't want to do that. I reckoned a soup would be a more sensible thing to indulge in- as well as actually being a lot more satisfying than some nibbles... and this is how I made it...

These little beauties are known here in Germany as "Maronenpilze", which translates as "Chestnut Mushrooms". Which I thought would be an ok translation, until I googled it and discovered that chestnut mushrooms are known to be poisonous elsewhere! Hmmm... well, I am still alive, so something must be wrong somewhere!

In any case these are tasty mushrooms, but they are very moist compared to most once you start to cook them- although they are bone-dry to the touch and not soft when they are raw. Strange. So definitely do not wash them or you will only make things worse! Brush them off or rub them gently clean with a paper towel. Make sure your frying pan is very hot and use only the tiniest amount of butter or oil. Once they are brown on either side, squash them down with your wooden spoon so that you squeeze some of the liquid that accumulates out of them. It ain't rocket science- but it will make for much more pleasant eating later! Only salt them towards the end of the cooking time, as the salt also draws the moisture out of them and you will end up with a soggy mess in the pan.

So I fried myself up one mushroom, in slices, for my garnish. The soup was made as follows. I sautéed some onion, garlic, celery leaf and finely grated carrot in butter, seasoning with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. I then added 1 medium sized potato per person, finely grated- and stirred like crazy! I added a handful of finely chopped parsley- stalks and all and splash of boiling water and kept stirring till it was absorbed- and continued doing this for a while- just as you would do making a risotto. I then boiled a half a cup of boiling milk and put it into my mixer with a couple of the mushrooms and then whizzed them together. This went back into the potato soup mix and I carried on stirring.  Next came the finely sliced leeks and then I let it simmer gently for another 10 minutes or so.

After 10 minutes, the potato should have cooked down to nothing and the soup should be thick and creamy. Great isn't it?- especially as we have not used any cream! But the milk will give that nice, mild creamy flavor and we can save ourselves some calories... and that IS great- isn't it?

Serve with the mushroom slices, a pinch of cayenne and a good sprinkle of parsley on top- delicious!