22Jul
Fish

Classic tomato salsa with basil

July 22, 2015

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1″. Bring to a boil, season with salt, and cook until fork-tender, 15–20 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Return water to a boil and cook haricots verts in same saucepan until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water. Chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.

Return water in pot to a boil and cook eggs 8 minutes. Transfer eggs to bowl of ice water and chill until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Add capers and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until capers burst and are crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Let oil cool; set aside.

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17Jul
Fast Food

Cheesy pasta with crispy pangritata

July 17, 2015

To make the pangritata, lightly toast the sourdough. Peel the garlic, then blitz in a food processor with the toasted bread, herbs and walnuts until fine. Preheat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, then add the pangritata and fry for around 5 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and place a large heatproof bowl on top. Add the mascarpone or crème fraîche to the bowl along with the leftover cheeses, crumbling or grating any harder varieties first, then stir until melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and set aside, then turn the heat up to high. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of cooking water, then add to the bowl of melted cheese and toss to coat, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed.

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01Jul
Soups

GIF Smoked salmon rolls with basil sause

July 1, 2015

These are a kind of sushi-style take on a classic combination of smoked salmon and crème frache inside a pancake. You can make them up the day before, keep them in the fridge wrapped in cling film, then slice them up at the last minute. They look great if you serve them up-ended, like sushi-rolls, on a rectangular or square plate with the dip in a little bowl. You could use mustard mayo or even horseradish sauce instead of the vinaigrette dip if you like.

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26Jun
Pizza

Roasted chicken breast

June 26, 2015

Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tin foil tray.

Preheat the oven to 200°C and put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good lug of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavorings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 4 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavor the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don’t burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.

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