Potato Ravioli, with Mushrooms, Garlic and anchovies

Here is my version for potato ravioli, based on a recipe of Paul Rankins, It sounds very plain and dull, but it is completely the opposite - try it.

50gm butter
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
175ml milk
20g dried mushrooms
3 tbs chopped chives
Salt and black pepper
Fresh pasta( made with 285g pasta flour or strong plain flour, 1/2tsp salt, 2 large beaten eggs, 1tbs olive oil, flour for dusting)
1 egg
6 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

Heat 25g butter in a large frying pan,
Add the chopped onion and 1/3 of the garlic.
Sauté gently for about 3 mins.
Add the potatoes, half of the dried mushrooms and the milk and cover, cook over a very low heat until tender.
Mash the potato mixture with another knob of butter, add 2 tbs of chopped chives and season.
Put remaining chopped dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with boiling water - leave to soak until later.
Make the pasta in a food processor. Then using a pasta machine roll out into thin sheets the width of the pasta machine.

Place one sheet of pasta on a flat surface, lightly floured, On one long side of the pasta place small spoonfulls of the potato mixture about 7.5 cm appart.
Brush the edges of the pasta and between the potato mixture with beaten egg, fold over the other half over the filling and press to seal around the potato mounds. Cut the ravioli into square and make sure the seals are closed by using the prongs of a fork to seal the edges of each pasta parcel.
Put to one side on a lightly floured tray.
Repeat with the remaining pasta.

To serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water until the ravioli rises to the surface, this only takes 2 - 3 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the dressing.
In a small pan heat the remaining butter, add the remaining soaked dried mushrooms, cook for a few minutes and boil off the liquid until a small amount is remaining. Add the anchovies, the oil from the tin/jar, remaining chopped chives and the garlic and a little course ground black pepper and just heat through.

Drain the pasta and serve on warm plates, drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Tagliattelle with mussels

We enjoyed a supper of mussels, steamed simply with white wine, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. There were a few mussles left when we had eaten sufficient, so I took the remaining mussels out of their shells and saved them and the liquid which was left. The next day we enjoyed a lovely dish of homemade pasta and a simple mussel sauce.

We enjoyed a supper of mussels, steamed simply with white wine, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. There were a few mussels left when we had eaten sufficient, so I took the remaining mussels out of their shells and saved them and the liquid which was left. The next day we enjoyed a lovely dish of home-made pasta and a simple mussel sauce.

200g Pasta - tagliattelle either bought or home made
100g streaky bacon, cut into thin strips
small knob of butter
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200g spinach leaves or the green part of swiss chard cut into 1 cm strips
liquid from mussels
4 tbs creme fraiche / sour cream
mussels (just a cupful is sufficient)


Sauté the bacon gently in the butter
When the fat starts brown add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft but not brown
Add the spinach to the pan and allow to wilt.
Add the remaining juices and reduce rapidly
Stir in the cream
Add the mussels and allow to warm through gently.

Add the cooked pasta and toss together serve immediately.
Sufficient for two people

Welsh Amber Tart

4 eggs
75g sugar
grated rind 1/2 lemon, optional
2 heaped tablespoons marmalade
100g unsalted butter, melted
shortcrust pastry to line a 15cm/7inch flan dish, homemade or bought

Bake the pastry case at 200C for 10 - 15 mins, until set.
If using a foil pastry case put it onto a baking tray first so that it is easier to move in and out of the oven, and avoids the pastry from cracking.

Beat the eggs, sugar lemon rind and marmalade together.
Whisk in the melted butter.
Pour this mixture into the warm pastry case and return to the oven and bake at 190C for another 20 mins.
Serve warm or cold

Toasted Bulghur Wheat Salad

3/4 cup of Bulgar wheat
1 1/2 cups of hot vegetable stock (a stock cube dissolved in hot water)
Good seasoning of black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs mint sauce (if possible use fresh mint sauce from Salisbury's)
1/2 cucumber diced
4 spring onions
2 tomatoes chopped
1/3 cup oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1 clove garlic

Put the Bulgar wheat into a dry frying pan, stir over a gentle heat until lightly browned, don't for get to keep stirring and don't walk away and leave it - it burns very quickly!
Turn off the heat and carefully pour over the hot stock with the pepper and salt.
Stir until combined and leave for 20 mins for the stock to be absorbed.
Add the onions, cucumber and tomato.
Blend the oil lemon juice and garlic together until smooth and add pour over the salad, toss until combined.
If you have fresh parsley add a good handful of chopped parsley for extra flavour and colour.

Grapefruit and Spinach Salad

Small bag of salad spinach (320g)
2 red grapefruit
Parmesan cheese either in a piece or flakes

Dressing
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1/3 cup olive or sunflower oil
1/2 course ground pepper
1 clove of garlic

Using a serrated knife cut the top and bottom off the grapefruit then cut off the rest of the peel and all white pith. then cut out the segments. Cut over a bowl to catch the juices.
Mix the spinach leaves with the grapefruit.
Put all the dressing ingredients into a container with the juice of the grapefruit and using a had held blender (or food processor) puree until everything is incorporated.
Pour over the spinach and toss until all the leaves are coated.
Using a potato peeler flake the Parmesan cheese over the top of the salad.

Lazy

Hi,
I have been wondering which recipes to add to my blog. If there is a recipe you would like me to add please let me know as I think I have added all the ones you have asked for so far. It is a wonderful time of the year on the market yesterday there was plently of local asparagus, not cheap I admit but tastes really good and the season is so short we really have to enjoy it while it is here. Simply boiled until just cooked with a butter sauce is superb or make a bunch go further by adding it to smoked salmon or prawns and toss with pasta and some creme fraiche for a simple supper dish.

New potatoes are coming on to the market too, again why spoil them just boil and toss in butter and freshly chopped chives.

Let's enjoy food as it comes into season and try to buy it locally but don't pay over the odds for something special unless you really can afford it - wait a week or two until it becomes more plentiful and the price comes down.

Enjoy!

Aubergine cooked in the pickling style

2.5 cm cube fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
55ml water
800g aubergines
sunflower or vegetable oil, about 350ml
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2tsp kalonji or cumin seeds
1 400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbs ground coriander seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like)
1 tsp salt

Put the ginger and garlic in a small blender/food processor with 55ml water, blend until smooth.
Cut the aubergines in to wedges or slices about 2cm thick and about 5cm long
Put a metal sieve over a heat resistant bowl.
Heat some oil in a heavy frying pan enough to give about 1/3 cm depth.
When hot add the aubergine in a single layer, fry until a reddish brown colour, turn them over and brown on the other side. When well coloured remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or fish slice and put into the sieve and allow to drain.
Repeat until all the aubergine has been browned.
You can turn off the heat at this time and allow the aubergine to drain for an hour or continue. I normally just let the aubergine drain for the time needed to complete the recipe.
Add a little more oil to the pan and heat gently. When hot add the fennel seeds and kalonji, as soon as the fennel seeds start to get a little darker, this only takes seconds add the chopped tomatoes, the ginger and garlic paste, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt.
Stir and cook gently for about 6 mins, turn down the heat and allow to simmer very gently until the mixture starts to thicken.
Add the fried aubergine to the tomato mixture and mix gently.
Cook on a medium heat for another 5 mins, then cover with a lid and simmer very gently for another 10 mins.
This dish can be eaten hot or cold and can be made in advance. Any excess oil can be spooned off when cool before serving if required.
This dish works well as part of a cold buffet meal or with meat dishes as a side dish or with a BBQ meal. Enjoy!