novel34

This recipe showcases Capellini pasta.    Capellini is not something which I have had a very easy time finding here in the UK actually. Capellini, or angel hair pasta traditionally cooks in a fraction of the time as regular pastas.  I decided to do an all in one pan dish, with the pasta actually cooking in the sauce.  I thought Capellini would be perfect for this because of it's shorter cooking time. I used fresh chorizo sausage, which was easily crumbled and gave the sauce a bit of a kick.  Feel free to use the dried version as well.  Both are good. Some tinned chopped tomatoes, a tin of drained borlotti beans, some frozen peas along with onion, garlic and stock and I had a very delicious entree indeed, and all in one pan. I like it when I can cut back on the washing up don't you???   All in all it made for a lovely and fairly quick supper.  A scattering of grated cheddar on top and we were good to go.  The pasta worked very well...

  I don't know about you, but I find that it's getting harder and harder to stretch my food budget these days.  Food just seems to be costing more and more and sizes are getting smaller.  (Don't get me started on that scam!!) I am always looking for ways to make a little bit go further, but at the same time keeping things to the same standard of deliciousness and nutritiousness that we are used to.   Pasta is a great meal stretcher.  I know it's not Todd's favourite thing to eat, but he does like the idea of saving money, and so he tolerates it.  Myself . . . I adore pasta, and so these types of meals are my absolute favourites! Meals which take a little bit of protein, some vegetable and some pasta, combined in a tasteful way.   Simple recipes which make good use of simple ingredients in a delicious way. I have no idea why this is called Irish Supper.  I am not even sure if this is actually Irish!  Certainly there would be cabbages and sausa...

  As you all know I occasionally get sent products to try.  I was recently contacted and asked if I would like to try some of  the Garofalo range of gluten free pastas.  New to the UK since last autumn it is made with a combination of corn, quinoa and rice.  I'm not normally a fan of quinoa, but I figured that it wouldn't really matter if it was in a pasta and not served as a grain on it's own. I was sent a package of Penne Rigate and a package of  Casarecce.  (Don't ask me to pronounce that last one!)  As you can see from the package they looked just like regular pasta. From their page: Can a producer of ‘normal pasta’, using a raw material containing the best gluten, produce an excellent gluten free pasta? The answer is in our philosophy and focus on the product: Good taste is a right.  We set our selves the objectives of creating a product with the knowledge that Garofalo pasta is synonymous with the experience of taste. We knew that the...

         I don't know about you, but I am about done with all that holiday food of the past few weeks.  Today I was craving something simple.   I also wanted to use up a bit of stuff that I had leftover from the hols . . . but I didn't want it to be holiday food, if you know what I mean.      I had some chorizo that was left from all the finger food snacking/tapas occasions . . . and some cheddar cheese that needed using up and so I decided to torture the Toddster with some pasta . . . because as all my readers have surmised.  He only thinks he doesn't like pasta.  He usually eats it up whenever it is served and seems to enjoy it.  Methinks he doth protest too much.  'Nuff said.        Anyways.   I browned the chorizo in a large skillet and added onions and garlic, until everything was nicely softened and fragrant.   I then added some stock, tomatoes and pas...

I make no apologies for it . . . when it comes to my every day cooking, I can be rather lazy.   I don't like a lot of fiddle faddle and faffing about.  I like to just get on with it.  I also don't like to eat out of tins, so I try find a compromise somewhere in the middle.   A middle place where I can cook from scratch, but where the cooking is quick, easy and simple. Don't get me wrong . . . I do enjoy a challenge and will rise to it on occasion . . . but occasion is the key word here, and every day cooking isn't an occasion.  Which doesn't mean that the food isn't tasty or delicious or exciting.  It just means that it doesn't take a lot of work to create it. That's why I like to keep a well stocked store cupboard and larder of essentials such as pasta, tinned tomatoes, fresh lemons and herbs, cheese and dairy, amongst other things.  Those are things you will always find in my house and having them means I always have a tasty and quick meal at my fin...

Gnocchi is one thing I always have in my cupboards.  Oh, I know you can easily make your own, but I am of the opinion that if you have a packet of ready made gnocchi in the cupboard, you are never much more than a half an hour or so from putting a tasty meal onto the table.   It lends itself beautifully to all sorts . . . especially if you treat it a bit like a potato from time to time.   I have done sauteed Gnocchi with Egg (pretty much like egg and chips, only better with the addition of sage and garlic!)  Gnocchi Mac and Cheese with Purple Sprouting Broccoli (beautifully sauced!)    Gnocchi Breakfast Scramble (a fabulous morning delight with eggs, cheese, bacon and chives!)  Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (think Chicken and Dumplings!) and then there is my personal favourite . . . Hashed Gnocchi (Corned Beef Hash, except with plump little gnocchi!) So, you can see how very versatile a package of Gnocchi can be!  If you can do it with a pota...