Three Meat Cannelloni Casserole

One of the coolest things about preschool was making pasta necklaces. You remember it, don't you? You'd come into the classroom and there would be seemingly millions of bowls of brightly colored pasta all in different shapes and sizes. I was the type of kid, whose hands twitched (literally) with excitement when I was near something I was thrilled about.

Without fail, my enthusiasm would get the better of me and I would immediately lurch for the bowls of pasta, grabbing at the shapes as if they were treasures and not cleverly disguised food. Of course, my zealousness always sent me to the corner (this was before naughty steps and before ridiculous research suggested that banishing kids to corners of rooms caused low self esteem) and I had to wait a whole two minutes before being allowed to join the group!

The maverick that I was at three, felt like this was an unjust punishment, for my only transgression had been to be excited about learning! (They were using those brightly colored pasta pieces to help us develop our motor skills and our dexterity, weren't they?) Why I should be made to stand with my nose against a wall while my classmates plucked up the good pasta always confused me. Alas, some 20-odd years later, while standing in my kitchen, stuffing a concoction of meat and vegetables into cannelloni pasta, I was reminded of my edible jewelry making days.

Three meat cannelloni casserole is what I'm calling it. The original recipe, swiped from a comfort foods cookbook, called it something else, but, like always, I have adapted this recipe.

This is one of those, home-y meals, where measurements aren't important. For that reason, and the fact that I didn't bother with measurements and I can't be bothered to go downstairs to the kitchen to get the original recipe, I'll let you work out your own measurements.

What you'll need:

• Three types of ground (minced) meat--I used pork, beef and turkey.
• A carrot
• An onion
• Oil of your choice
• A can of peeled plum tomatoes. You'll need to chop these.
• A box of cannelloni pasta
• Salt and pepper
• Oregano
• Basil
• A packet of cheese ( I used cheddar because it's what I had on hand. But I'd suggest Dutch Edam, because it gives you those long, melty cheese strings that Italian food is known for.)
• You'll also need to make a bechamel. None of that going out and buying pre-made white sauce; bechamel's easy to make and if you learn how to make a good one, you'll use it over and over again
  
  For your bechamel (measurements are important):
• 500 ml milk
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter

 Method:

1. Fry the diced onion and carrots in oil until soft. I left the carrots kind of big because I like the texture they bring to the dish, but you can make both as fine as you'd like.
2. Add the tomatoes and generous helpings of salt, black pepper, oregano and basil.
3. Add all of the mince, being sure to break up any large pieces. Stir occasionally and let cook for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180 C/350 F. 
5. Prepare your bechamel by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add in the flour and stir until a roux is formed. Then gradually, whisk in the milk. After all the milk is whisked in, stir the sauce until it thickens.
6. Pour a bit of the bechamel into the bottom of a casserole dish/roasting tray.
7. Stuff each cannelloni needed until you have one layer in your dish. Spread any leftover stuffing mix over the top of the cannelloni, cover with the remaining sauce, a bit of oregano and basil, handfuls of cheese and then bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
8. I serve it with garlic flatbread.

P.S. Apologies for being away! But I was still cooking while I was gone, so I have an arsenal of posts to create and recipes to share including pork and pease pudding, seafood risotto and a celeriac dish!

Gluten Free Mexican Lasagna

If I had to choose two global cuisines to rule the world, they would Italian and Mexican, respectively. Although, Mexican food only falls into second place slot of my Best Ethnic Cuisine of All Time list, this dish, an interpretation of a Nigella Lawson recipe, is good enough to make me reconsider my ranking.
Me and Mexican food. Me and tacos, taquitos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas ... we go way back. I'm sure by now, you're aware of my infatuation with Italian food, and my opinion that it is the single greatest cuisine on the planet ... so, what could be better than marrying the pizazz of spicy, colorful Mexican food with the carbby, rich, decadent palate of Italian food?
I present to you the greatest, Friday night dish ever: Mexican Lasagna with avocado dip.

Mmmm mmmm mmm.
What you need to make this mouthwatering and tummy-filling meal:

an avocado
a red bell pepper
green chillies (as much as you can handle)
coriander (cilantro)
sweet corn
black beans
a can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 an onion
ground nut oil
spicy cheese
gluten free corn tortillas
chili powder
Mexican flavored chicken breast from the deli
lime juice
spring onions (scallions)
a bit of lemon juice just to keep the avocado from discoloring

There are no measurements because this is the kind of dish that you fill with all the things you like and use less of the things you don't like. This is the kind of dish that will turn out fantastic no matter if you use twice as many black beans and just a few ounces of corn or if you scrap the corn altogether! Experiment and make it to reflect your tastes, not mine.

Method

Fry the peppers, onion and chopped, deseeded chillies in the groundnut oil. Salt and cook until tender.

Boil the black beans and the corn together according to the instruction on the black bean package. Strain and topped pour into a bowl and top with a generous portion of the cheese. Cover.

Add a generous serving of coriander and tomatoes with a little bit of water to the pan with the onions and chillies and allow to bubble away for about 10 minutes.

Layer to make your lasagna:
Take one tortilla shell and place it in the bottom of your dish. (I used a circular Pyrex.)
The spoon over 1/3 of the tomato/onion mixture. Top with a few pieces of chicken and some cheese. Layer another tortilla and spoon over 1/3 of the black bean mixture. Top with chicken and cheese. Continue on this way until you have used all the ingredients that you would like to use, ending with a tortilla.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 200 degrees C/400 degrees F.
For the avocado dip:
Mix the avocado with a bit of lemon juice, lime juice, spring onions, coriander and some chopped chillies if you'd like. You can make this as chunky or as smooth as you like. Pack into a bowl and refrigerate until the lasagna is finished. Serve on the side with sour cream or dolloped on top.

Do you know the (blueberry) Muffin Man?

Do you know the (blueberry) Muffin Man?




The Muffin Man aka Mambru, for all my Hispanic readers, may live on Drury Lane, but the Blueberry Muffin Man and his whole little muffin family lives in my kitchen belly. These little guys were so moist and delectably delicious and vaguely lemony with a hint of vanilla. Blissful way to end a Monday, let me tell you.

There's no point in me giving you a recipe for blueberry muffins. You're bound to have some indeed, but, enjoy the photos of my adorable blueberry muffin men. I'm planning on making a whole army of them once the blueberries get a little sweeter!

For those of you who don't like the idea of eating little men.

Here are the bulbous babies from the front.

And with more definition from the back.















Okay, go make some!

Pan-fried Patagonian Sea Scallops with Bacon

I've only very recently come to know (& love) scallops. It was a crash-course in tastes, actually. I first had them in paella at a Spanish restaurant in Manchester.

Before then, I always avoided them, shoved them onto the boyfriend's plate and happily munched away on everything else.

I've always been a picky eater and I'm starting to realize that that's a bit unfortunate. I'm hoping to expand my palate and to try new things, one grimacing bite at a time. Most recently it was the scallops. I was surprised by how fishy they were, which for most picky seafood eaters is a no-go, but for me, it was a tick under the right column. I love their fishyness. I love that they're firm but not too firm. They look like they should be gooey. They look like mini orbs of panacotta. They look unappetizing. Well, I should say the looked unappetizing. Now, I'm their biggest fan.

There's this ... culinary canon of dishes people who have not been trained as a chef are always wary to try cooking. It's normally things like: cheesecake, meringue, risotto, scallops. Some conniving (and insanely smart) chef started spewing the rumor that these foods were difficult to prepare. As a result, homecooks shy away from them and we all flock to restaurants for our fill of these dishes thought best left to the pros.

I'll admit, I first felt that way when it came to tackling the scallops. But, my gusto and my memory of how divine they tasted (plus the fact that they were on sale at the supermarket this week) all combined and saw me in my kitchen, plopping these babies into a wok of warmed olive oil.

I fried them, splashed on some lemon juice and a bit of white wine and added some diced bacon. I had intended to wrap the bacon in the scallops but the scallops, as you can see were far too small. Next time I prepare them, I'll prepare them as originally intended.

Everything else went according to plan. They were served on a bed of salted, steamed savoy cabbage with a baked potato added for sustenance. It was simple, quick, flavorful and delicious. I have no complaints.

Afternoon Memory by Gary Soto

It occurred to me the other day that I don't post enough food poems on here.
So here, you are, one of my most favorite poems about food. Click the link to hear him read.

Afternoon Memory by Gary Soto

Sometimes I'll look in the refrigerator
And decide that the mustard is vaguely familiar,
And that the jar of Spanish olives is new to me.
What's this gathering? The butter
And salsa, the two kinds of tortillas
And, in back, the fat-waisted Mrs. Butterworth.
I'll study the plate of cross-legged chicken,

And close the refrigerator and lean on the kitchen counter.
Is this old age? The faucet drips.
The linoleum blisters when you walk on it.
The magnets on the refrigerator crawl down
With the gravity of expired coupons and doctor bills.
Sometimes I'll roll my tongue in my mouth.
Is this thirst or desire? Is this pain
Or my foot going to sleep? I know the factory
Inside my stomach has gone quiet.
My hair falls as I stand. My lungs are bean plants
Of disappearing air. My body sends signals, like now:
A healthy fleck is floating across my vision.
I watch it cross. It's going to attack a virus
On the right side of my body
And, later, travel down my throat to take care of knee,
Little latch of hurt. I swallow three times.
I have to help my body parts. Fellas, sour liver
And trusty kidney, I'm full of hope.
I open the refrigerator.
I've seen this stuff before. What's this?
The blow dart of bran? Chinese ginger?
No, fellas, they're carrots. The orange, I hear,
Is good for your eyes.

Tiramisu

Y'know what I love? I love that tiramisu means "pick me up" in Italian. I love that this decadent dessert is a bona fide slice of comfort food--in every sense of the word.

Before this weekend, I would flit from Italian restaurant to Italian restaurant, cafe and coffee shop to cafe and coffee shop, in desperation, seeking my pick me up.

I'd stand before the counter, ragged and run down, only capable of eeking out of the word tiramisu, before they handed over the goods. Yeah, my infatuation with this dessert has been that serious. It's a bit shocking, really, because I don't drink coffee or espresso. But ... who can make heads or tails of matters of the heart, I ask ya.

Anyway, if you want to begin a relationship with this rich and heavenly dessert, here's my own recipe of what you'll need:
(apologies for them being metric & not superior imperial)
250 milliliters ounces of hot water
110 milliliters of Chambord black raspberry liqueur divided into 60 milliliters and 50 milliliters (alternatively, use any liqueur that you like ... I personally like the sweet flavor of this fruity liqueur)
15 milliliters of instant espresso (make sure it's espresso & not coffee!)
2 eggs, separated
75 grams of sugar
1 package of lady fingers (if you can't find lady fingers, I bet vanilla wafers would work)
150 grams of mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons fromage frais
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
chocolate curls
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Here's what you do:
Add the espresso the to required amount of hot water along with 50 mls of the Chambord. Set aside to cool.
Separate the eggs into individual bowls. Whisk the whites with an electric mixer so that they are aerated and frothy but not stiff.
Pour your sugar over the egg yolks along with the remaining liqueur. Whisk using a normal, non-electric whisk until aerated. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the mascarpone followed by the fromage frais and the vanilla essence. Finally, whisk in the remaining contents of the mascarpone. Whisk until smooth and thick.
Gently fold in the egg whites.

In your serving dish, lay out a layer of lady fingers. Pour 1/2 of the espresso mixture over the lady fingers, being careful not to spill too much in the bottom of the dish. Allow to absorb. Once absorbed, spoon over half of the cream and egg mixture. Repeat this pattern of lady fingers then cream until you have used all of the ingredients, being sure to end with a cream layer.

Refrigerate for at least six hours.
Just before serving: sprinkle on the cocoa powder and chop with chocolate curls. Serve with ice cream or more mascarpone.

Gluten Free Galician Broth

Although I've been to Spain numerous times, I've never actually been to Galicia. This broth, as it is called (I think it's more of a soup) is divine and would be reason enough to visit the region alone! (Oh, how many voyages would I take in search of culinary delights?!)
I digress. This soup, is heavenly. Surprisingly tasty with a nice ingredient twist that I would have never considered serving as the base flavor in a soup: paprika. The recipe I used has been modified unintentionally, because I forgot an ingredient when I went shopping! I'll give you the ingredient I added in and I'll give you the ingredient that was supposed to be added in. I plan on making this again in the very near future, hopefully incorporating all of the correct ingredients!
So what you need if you're wanting to experience Galicia my way:

1lb. gammon (ham)
3 bay leaves
2 onions, sliced
6 1/4 cups cold water
1 tbsp paprika
1lb potatoes, skinned and cut into large chunks
a few handfuls of frozen peas
1 can white kidney beans
1 pork stock cube
salt and pepper

Put the ham in a large saucepan with the bay leaves and the chopped onions. Pour over the water and crumble a stock cube into the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Don't allow to boil over.

Remove the ham and, using kitchen scissors, cut into dices. Return the diced ham to the liquid in the pot and add the paprika and potatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the beans and the peas to the pan along with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and serve piping hot with a nice piece of rustic, crusty bread like a baguette.

Easy peas-y and delicious!

Spicy Chicken White Chili

Allow me to whet that appetite ...

Since I work from home and am self-employed, I'm always looking for ways to save extra cash ... especially when it comes to grocery shopping. It's just the boyfriend and I so buying food isn't necessarily that expensive, in fact, the items on our bill that usually cost the most are meat items. Sensible people who do not have the relationship with meat and sinew that we have, might go veggie in order to save a few pesos. That's not an option for us. We need meat like a baby needs milk.

Because of this happy dependence and blatant unabashed carnivorism, we shop on the sales aisle. Which at Asda(UK Walmart) is pretty easy since they constantly roll back prices. In fact, they tend to do this amazing deal: mix and match 3 packages of meat for £10. It's brilliant. We always get a package of boneless pork chops, usually prawns (shrimp) and some chicken, beef or lamb, depending on the mood. Because most people grocery shop for families of four or more, packages of meat tend to contain about six pieces, which is far too much for two people to eat in one sitting.

And, I'll be honest, I am a bit wary of the chemicals in meat and things, so I try to eat the smallest amount possible, favoring veggies and grains more than the meat, sometimes. That said, we normally have one piece each, unless it's really tiny, then we'll have two. In an effort to not waste food and to not be blocked into having a variation of the same thing three days in a row, we repackage our meat before freezing. Basically, when we get home and are putting away the groceries, we open up the meat and place enough for one meal in Saran wrap. Wrap it up and group all of the meat by type in labeled and dated freezer bags. So that one pack of six pork chops, pack of four chicken breasts and massive tray of ground beef or lamb, all gets divided. We get three meals out of the pork chops, two out of the chicken and usually two, sometimes three out of the ground beef or lamb.

Anyway, that's just a little tip from me. But, I said all that because, the chicken in this white chili recipe is from one such pack. Last shopping trip, we went to a different supermarket and they had packs of six chicken thighs and legs for £1.50 each. That's like ... less than $3. So, what we did was divided the chicken thighs and the chicken legs. I used the chicken thighs (after deboning and pulling off the skin -- I don't eat skin-on, bone-in chicken) to make the stir fry in the previous entry. I saved the chicken legs, cut the meat from the bone and removed the skin for the chili.

Alright here's what you need for the chili:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp hot chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin + more for marinading
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans white kidney beans/navy beans
3 cups boneless, skinless chicken, boiled*
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp margarine
1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
white pepper
2 cups white rice, cooked
Edam cheese (or any other white cheese)
*keep the water the chicken was boiled in for adding to the chili with the stock*

The method in the madness:
Coat the chicken pieces in cumin and allow to marinate. I let mine marinate all day.
Boil the chicken for about 10 minutes or until cooked. Boil the rice (1 1/2 cups rice for 3 cups of water).
Warm the oil in a large pan (I used my wok). Add the onions and the garlic and sautee until soft. Stir in the chili powder, cumin and oregano. Combine and sautee for about a minute. Stir in the beans, chicken, corn, chicken stock and a good portion of the water from the boiled chicken as well as salt and pepper.
Bring everything to gentle simmer and partially cover for 5 minutes. While it's cooking, combine the flour and the butter in a small bowl. Add the rice to the chili along with the flour mixture and cook until all incorporated, about another 5 minutes. Add a dash more of chili powder (if you like it hot), salt and pepper, if needed. Serve hot, topped with smothered in white cheese.

Nom nom.

Gluten Free Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

To stir fry: to cook food in oil (mostly of the Asian persuasion) in a wok while stirring it.

That, is a spicy chicken stir fry, adapted from a recipe seen in the Everyday Chicken Cookbook.

I'll admit, the recipe in the cookbook is a bit ... lacking. The food looked good and the flavors all sounded brilliant. A big reason I chose this recipe was that it features the spice turmeric and I've been dying to cook with it.

Mostly because I wanted it stain my fingers that lovely ocher color and I love its fragrance and it's distinguished taste. My boyfriend's mom recently went to Morocco and brought us back a gift of spices and a cute mini tagine. Among the spices she picked up for us from the souq was a glowing bag of turmeric. Every time I went into my kitchen, I'd see it, like magical gold fairy dust, begging me to cook with it. Get some turmeric. It'll light up your palate.

Gluten Free Pork and Tarragon Tart with Cabbage and Smoked Bacon

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

 

So, this recipe was modified from the pages of the Master Chef cookbook. It's a pork and tarragon tart with cabbage and smoked bacon and it is amazing. The pork is succulent and tender after absorbing the red wine and balsamic vinegar. The Granny Smith apples add a nice element of tartness to the dish and the charred red onions and garlic round everything out.

I tend to make my shortcut pastry a little bit rich, which helps it to absorb all of the juices from the pork and apples.

Served with a surprisingly yummy savoy cabbage dish, this is a phenomenal meal. I loved it instantly and am making secret plans to have it again. It's a quick meal if you're handy with making pastry dough. Quicker still if you prefer to buy pre-made pastry. The most tedious bit is chopping and dicing, but if you're wanting to work on your knife skills (or have a food processor) that's no problem either.