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Gemmill
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Should give your own pasta sauces a go, CT. Especially as you like to dabble in the kitchen. Absolute piece of piss compared to making biscuits and the like.

 

 

Well get the recipe posted then. :blush:

 

Just do what Cath posted ;)

 

She just posted ingredients not a recipe and tbf, following Meezners reccommendation I would like to try the maestros :lol:

Well, Meenzer's was the Spag Bol one. It's just in me head though but you're welcome to get the pm off him if he's still got it. Re: Tomato-based pasta sauce: all you do is fry finely chopped or crushed peeled garlic cloves in olive on a low heat (so they don't burn) until they're translucent rather than browned. The amount you use is all down to taste, but I like loads. The taste is stronger if you crush the garlic though. When they're done, chuck in tinned chopped tomotoes or passata. I like the former as you have a bit of 'chunkyness' to the sauce. Alternative is rustic style passata which is like a cross between the two. Add salt and pepper to taste, some tomato puree (not much) and a little bit of sugar. Then you just cook it on a low heat so it bubbles away. The longer you cook it the better. This is just a basic sauce but you can add fresh basil, dried/fresh oregano, chillies (to make arrabiata) or add mascarpone at the end for a creamy sauce. Whatever you fancy really. If the sauce gets a bit too thick you can add a little water. Dead easy. The longer you cook it the better it tastes imo as the tomatoes start to break down and you get a more intense flavour. Check the seasoning as you go and if you add a little bit at a time it tastes nicer than chucking it all in at the end. If it seems like a fanny on remember you can make a big batch and freeze some. Honestly, you'll never look at Dolmio in the same way again.

 

Cheers for that Alex I'll give it a go. But I would need an approx ingredient qty for the ones in red. I appreciate its down to taste, but if you give me a starting quantity I'll change around down the line.

 

Finally, when you say ideal cooking time for best taste.... are you talking 15 mins, 30, 60??

 

 

 

Fry finely chopped or crushed peeled garlic cloves in olive on a low heat

1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tomato Puree

Sugar

 

Cooking Time? Approx

Rough guide would be one can of tomatoes for every two people. Half a teaspoon of sugar per can of toms, one teaspoon of puree per can of toms and probably two garlic cloves per can of toms (I like more but see how that goes). Hope that makes sense. Hour on a low heat is more than enough. It'll be ok after 30 mins though but like I said, the longer the better (within reason obviously).

 

 

And off we go.... ;)

 

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Well into my homemade soup as well btw. Especially at this time of year.

 

Owt you recommend? I love a good homemade soup.

Pea and basil is a good one I did recently (base of onion/carrot/celery/garlic), veg stock and peas / petit pois (frozen is fine). Season, add torn basil leaves near the end and serve with parmesan and nice bread. Lush.

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Well into my homemade soup as well btw. Especially at this time of year.

 

Owt you recommend? I love a good homemade soup.

Pea and basil is a good one I did recently (base of onion/carrot/celery/garlic), veg stock and peas / petit pois (frozen is fine). Season, add torn basil leaves near the end and serve with parmesan and nice bread. Lush.

 

Whey, I'll be the judge of that ;) Cheers though, I'll give it a whack tomorrow since I'm off.

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Alex that was bloody gorgeous. ;)

 

As I was cooking it Im thinking, "bloody hell its only a tin of chopped toms with a bit of salt and pepper in it", but my god it was delicious. Would say I gave it just short of an hour.

 

Chucked a little bit of cooked chicken at the end and just polished it off.

 

Even more impressive was my six year old who hates anything half healthy and detests tomatos. She asked for a try and then proceeded to polish off a plate full!!!

 

The wife and I just kept looking at each other as she tucked in.

 

4 bottles of Dolmio going cheap anyone?

 

 

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Edited by Christmas Tree
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i just made sexy baked potatoes. i scooped out the inside and mashed it up then added fried leeks, with garlic, posh olive oil, dijon mustard and montgomery cheddar. back in the oven for 5 with a little parmasan on top until it browns.

 

servived with a rocket and tomato salad ;)

 

Top stuff.

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Well into my homemade soup as well btw. Especially at this time of year.

 

Owt you recommend? I love a good homemade soup.

Pea and basil is a good one I did recently (base of onion/carrot/celery/garlic), veg stock and peas / petit pois (frozen is fine). Season, add torn basil leaves near the end and serve with parmesan and nice bread. Lush.

 

hmmm. you're right, there's nowt like soup this time of year. i like to do a green soup that sounds pretty similar - broccoli, whatever leaves you've got lying around in the fridge, celery, maybe peas, bit of green chili, veg stock then melt in gorgonzola and parmesan at the end and blitz it all up till its smooth. scooping the scum off the top and putting it through a sieve will make it even smoother. lush

 

also roasted butternut squash blitzed up with veg stock and cream until its smooth and velvety with a bit of nutmeg. pure comfort food

Edited by Dr Gloom
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Jamie's a hero like. Got a lot of time for him.

 

I'm thinking of getting a food processor. Chopping veg is such a faff. Watching the 30 minute meals thing where he just chucks stuff in the processor and it's chopped. That's more like it.

 

Im a Jamie fan now too, he used to annoy me abit but he really cares about what he does and is full of handy tips. He cooks like I do at home, none of this fancy 3 peas and some mangetout arranged prettily on a plate! :lol: Just good, wholesome food.

About food processors, I was watching Jamie the other day finely slice potatoes in one and said to hubby thats so quick! I'm going to get one but he says Im too dangerous and 'cack handed' in the kitchen and would slice my fingers off ;)

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Cack handed... Eh? ;)

 

Only with certain things :lol:

 

I think he says that to annoy me cos I'm left handed...ok I do smash the odd glass or plate maybe :blush: but thats cos Im always in a rush and being a woman have to multi task. Plus having carpal tunnel in both hands doesnt much help ;)

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Alex that was bloody gorgeous. ;)

 

As I was cooking it Im thinking, "bloody hell its only a tin of chopped toms with a bit of salt and pepper in it", but my god it was delicious. Would say I gave it just short of an hour.

 

Chucked a little bit of cooked chicken at the end and just polished it off.

 

Even more impressive was my six year old who hates anything half healthy and detests tomatos. She asked for a try and then proceeded to polish off a plate full!!!

 

The wife and I just kept looking at each other as she tucked in.

 

4 bottles of Dolmio going cheap anyone?

 

 

009grn.jpg

Nice one. Glad you enjoyed it. Like I say it's dead easy to modify it to make a different sauce.

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Alex that was bloody gorgeous. ;)

 

As I was cooking it Im thinking, "bloody hell its only a tin of chopped toms with a bit of salt and pepper in it", but my god it was delicious. Would say I gave it just short of an hour.

 

Chucked a little bit of cooked chicken at the end and just polished it off.

 

Even more impressive was my six year old who hates anything half healthy and detests tomatos. She asked for a try and then proceeded to polish off a plate full!!!

 

The wife and I just kept looking at each other as she tucked in.

 

4 bottles of Dolmio going cheap anyone?

Nice one. Glad you enjoyed it. Like I say it's dead easy to modify it to make a different sauce.

 

Well thats your next cookery lesson, to post a few varieties, particularly with cream (bye bye diet).

 

Also when we go to our local Italian they do a dish called chicken Alexandria. This is a chicken breast covered with a delicious creamy curry / spicey sauce containing prawns.

 

If anyone has a recipe for this sort of thing I would get major browny points. Hard to describe it really. Nothing like chinese or indian just a lovely thick creamy curry flavoured spicey source??????

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There's nothing to the variations really. If you add chilli it's an arrabiata sauce (I add some chilli flakes and fresh red chillies as they each give a slightly different flavour). De-seed the chillies if you don't like it too hot and if you can't get fresh, just the chilli flakes are fine. Flakes are better than chilli powder imo but that's fine as well really (powder seems to lose its potency quicker). Add some torn fresh basil to the basic sauce near the end of cooking too for another variation. Another one is to put in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense tomato flavour (I like the dried ones as they keep for ages). Another one is my sort of take on a Sicilian sauce with added chopped olives and capers (I also stick a bit of grated lemon zest in this but make sure the lemon isn't waxed, or if so wash it thoroughly, and make sure you only get the zest as the pith is bitter). Another one is roasted red pepper and mascarpone. Used the jars of roasted red peppers (chop them into small bits) and add the mascarpone near the end. That would work with cream as well. If you want to do a healthier version you could use Light Philadelpia. I also like to hoy a bit of booze in. Red wine works with most of them but for a creamy one use white. For an Arrabiata a variation is to add vodka (sounds minging but it goes well for some reason). Just make sure you add the booze early in the dish so it cooks off. I usually have a bottle of dry vermouth in the cupboard as that goes well in all of them I think and it lasts for ages once it's been opened (wine, dry sherry etc. goes off within a few days).

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Must... fight... Olympisches Feuer cravings...

 

(I have flights to Hamburg mid-February for an event that's been postponed to April. Easyjet, non-refundable. I'm tempted to come over just for an O-Feuer hit. ;))

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Must... fight... Olympisches Feuer cravings...

 

(I have flights to Hamburg mid-February for an event that's been postponed to April. Easyjet, non-refundable. I'm tempted to come over just for an O-Feuer hit. ;))

 

Let me know when you are here. :lol:

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Must... fight... Olympisches Feuer cravings...

 

(I have flights to Hamburg mid-February for an event that's been postponed to April. Easyjet, non-refundable. I'm tempted to come over just for an O-Feuer hit. :lol: )

 

Let me know when you are here. ;)

 

 

I shall. Assuming I resist the February temptation (and I will... probably), it should be the middle weekend of April. I'm sure we can squeeze in a quick slice of Törtchen at the Gnosa or something. ;)

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