Penne Arrabiata with Chorizo

This is an extremely mouth-watering dish that tastes as good cold as it does hot. I make a big batch up on a Sunday most weeks and take it to work with a salad for lunch all week - it never gets boring!
Arrabiata means angry in Italian and usually contains chilli peppers or powder in it. The spice in my dish, however, comes from the chorizo and paprika. You can use any pasta you like, but I like penne because it holds the sauce nicely within it.

Ingredients:

250g penne pasta

400g chopped tomatoes

1 medium brown onion, finely diced

1 red pepper, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

half of a chorizo ring, finely diced

A generous glug of good quality balsamic vinegar

Recipe:

Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over a moderate heat and fry the onions for 7 mins until softened, then add the crushed garlic and fry for another minute. Pour in the balsamic and turn up the heat until the onions start to caramelize. Add the diced pepper and chorizo and fry for another 5 mins. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, paprika and parsley and lightly simmer, stirring frequently whilst you cook the pasta.

To cook the pasta, bring some salted water to the boil, add the pasta and boil for 9-12 mins depending on how you like your pasta. I like mine the traditional al dente, so I cook mine for 9 mins. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well in a colander and rinse with boiling water from the kettle. Add the tomato purée to the sauce and mix the pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve with garlic bread and my home-made coleslaw with a punch!

Coleslaw with a Punch

This coleslaw packs an almighty punch, so it isn't for the feeble. It goes extremely well with chili con carne, Nando's style peri-peri chicken or my penne arrabiata with chorizo (watch this space). If you prefer a milder slaw, increase the cabbage to half a head or only use half an onion.

Ingredients:
1 medium brown onion, finely diced
A quarter of a head of white cabbage, finely diced
2 Carrots, finely diced
5-8 tbsp Mayonaisse, to taste
A splash of Louisiana hot sauce
Juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Recipe:
Simply chop up the veg and mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. If you have a chopper like mine, you can get an even dice for a better look.

My amazing chopper:

Get one of these and your life will be so much easier! Instant diced onions with no tears!

Quiche Lorraine

This is my take on the classic Quiche Lorraine. The garlic and parsley that I put in the filling really gives a kick of flavour and makes this dish really memorable. You can use fresh garlic and parsley, but I think dried is actually better for this particular dish. 

Ingredients:
Shortcrust Pastry:
225g Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
50g Lard
50g Margerine
30 ml very cold water (around 3 tbsps)

Filling:
300g tub of Full Fat Soft Cheese (such as Philadelphia)
4 eggs
salt & pepper
1 tbsp dried garlic flakes
1 tsp dried parsley
110g bacon (3 rashers)
75g Cheddar Cheese
100 ml single cream (optional)

Equipment:
Mixing Bowl
Round-edged Knife
Rolling pin
12" Flan-tin with removable base
Greaseproof Paper
Baking Beans/Rice

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 190C.
To make the shortcrust pastry, mix the flour and salt in a bowl and rub in the fats. Whilst you do this, add air to the mixture by lifting the mix out of the bowl and letting it fall between your fingers. Use a round-edged knife to mix in the water and stir and cut the mix until you have a soft dough. This process takes quite some time but stick at it and don't be tempted to add more water as it will go sticky. It is also important to keep the dough cool. When ready, knead the dough very lightly on a lightly floured surface and roll it to size using a floured rolling pin. The rolled-out dough should overlap your flan-tin by about two inches all the way around. Use the rolling pin as a lever to help place the dough over the flan-tin and press it into the base, making sure to press the pastry into the fluted sides of the tin. Make sure you prick the dough all over with a fork at this point. Roll the pin over the tin the cut off the excess dough. Cover the dough with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans. I keep a jar full of rice for the same purpose. Blind bake the pastry for 15 mins then remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 mins. If you haven't pricked the base the pastry will bubble at this point. Once ready, take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly on a rack while you make your filling.

To make the filling, preheat your grill and then cook your bacon rashers for 3 mins on both sides. You don't want it too crispy as it will cook further in the oven. Use scissors to cut the bacon into very small pieces and spread them around your pastry case. Sprinkle most of the cheddar over the bacon, reserving some for later. Whisk together your soft cheese and eggs in a mixing bowl and season to taste. You can also add 100 ml of cream here to make the topping nice and rich. Add your parsley and garlic flakes and mix well. Pour the mixture evenly over the bacon and cheese, then top with the remaining cheddar. Crack some more black pepper on top and bake in the middle of the oven, still at 190C for around 36-40 mins, until the topping has set and is golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly before serving with a nice crunchy salad and my home-made coleslaw, which packs its own punch!

Introduction

Whenever I get together with the family, we often end up discussing our recent culinary experiences and new recipes that we have fallen in love with. Sometimes though, some recipes deserve to be written down for all to share and enjoy...and this is why I have started this blog - to keep a record of those mouthwatering recipes that deliver show-stopping results; those jaw-dropping recipes that make you actually stop eating just to comment on how wonderfully flavoursome they are. 

I will provide a list of all the ingredients and a step-by-step guide to each recipe, which will help you make fantastic dishes to share with family and friends. You won't need a huge amount of skill as long as you follow the simple steps - this is home cooking at its best. Enjoy!