spork me

Orange Chili Duck with Cabbage Pasta and Anchovy Breadcrumbs

The pasta is based slightly off this recipe, the best bit being the delicious albeit weird sounding anchovy breadcrumbs. They’re amazing and would work in quite a lot of dishes to add a bit of crunch and salt, and only take 5 minutes to make.

My version of the pasta used a different type of cabbage and likely wasn’t nearly as nice as that recipe, so I suggest you just make that. The breadcrumbs recipe though, I will copy over, as you can put them on anything.

Ingredients (duck):

1 orange, zest and whole orange in half
Sea salt
1 red chili, chopped
2kg whole duck

In a mortar and pestle, mash the zest, salt, and chili. Spread and massage this into the skin of the duck. Put the orange halves in the duck cavity, and tie the legs shut with some butchers twine. Cook at 180C / 350F for about an hour, until the skin is crispy. If it’s not crispy yet, crank the oven and cook for 10 minutes more.

Ingredients (anchovy breadcrumbs, from the New York Times):

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
4 anchovies
2 garlic cloves, diced
2 tbsp butter

Melt the butter and add the anchovies. Cook and mash until you had a paste, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add in the breadcrumbs and coat with the butter. Cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Serve with absolutely anything.

Beetroot, Sage and Goat’s Cheese Ravioli

Ages ago, I took a stab at Chew Town’s beautiful ravioli recipe, without first stocking up on pasta flour. I was ready to make both batches of ravioli to freeze for later, but instead did my version of a “best of” rav with my 3 favorite ingredients from what I had prepared, and tried my best to find creative ways to eat pureed pumpkin for the next 2 days.

I still have a lot to learn making pasta; due to the lack of dough (and the last lot I tried making being way too doughy), I overcompensated and made them too thin. I also overfilled them since I had so much filling. But they froze well, and I’d do it again, provided I check that I have the right ingredients first.

Master Stock Duck and Mushroom Ragu with Pappardelle

The master stock step here was fairly unnecessary, other than I wanted to cook my duck it in to flavor the stock. Really, you could butterfly and roast it any way you’d like, just so long as you’ve cooked it. Or buy it cooked. I won’t judge.

I made the pasta for 2, but the ragu is about 4 serves, so make enough pasta accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 whole duck, cooked (mine was cooked for an hour in master stock, then roasted for 20 minutes), then pulled apart into bite size pieces, or a bit larger
Cooked pappardelle (pasta), 1 handful per serve
1 onion, diced
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used oregano and thyme, but you could also use sage or rosemary)
1 cup red wine
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup of chicken stock
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Parmesan, to serve

In an oven-proof pan with a lid, saute the onions and mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, before adding the carrots, celery, and herbs. Cook for 5 minutes more. Add the wine and stock, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir through the tomatoes and duck, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven, covered, for about 1 hour, at 170C / 325F. You’ll know it’s done when the duck is just about falling apart.

Remove the lid and put back on the stove. Give it a good stir, and put on medium heat until the liquid has reduced and the ragu is thick (as you can see, I got lazy and didn’t finish this, so there’s some liquid coming out from the ragu). Put onto the pasta, and top with parmesan.

Balsamic and Pomegranate Short Ribs with Bacon, Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomato Trofil

One of the best things I’ve made. The ribs fell apart, they were so tender, and the pasta kept really well for leftovers.

Ingredients (short ribs):

1 cup diced onion
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 sprigs rosemary
Salt, pepper, and olive oil
Approximately 6 short ribs, in 2 rows

Season the rows of ribs with salt and pepper, and brown well in the olive oil. Remove the ribs and add the onions, sauté for 3 minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the pan, and then add the brown sugar. Cook for 3 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and add the ribs back in. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours.

Remove the ribs and place under a heavy pan or plate in the fridge for at least 2 hours to press (or overnight). Strain and refrigerate the liquid.

To finish, remove the layer of fat from the top of the liquid, and reduce until you have a thick sauce. Slice the ribs apart into individual pieces and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with a drizzle of sauce.

Ingredients (trofil):

1/4 cup chopped raw bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1.5 cups sliced oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 bunch of fresh thyme leaves
Olive oil, salt, pepper
Parmesan to serve
2 cups cooked trofil or other pasta

Sauté the bacon and onion in a bit of olive oil. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and mushrooms once the onion has turned translucent, and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the freshly cooked pasta. Top with Parmesan to serve.

Osso Bucco with Pea, Lemon, Mint and Goat’s Cheese Fettuccine, and Crispy Brussel Sprouts

This is inspired by the Maggie Beer beef cheeks recipe I made a few weeks ago, it worked pretty well with the osso bucco and I went lighter on some of the ingredients so the veal didn’t get overpowered.

Ingredients (osso bucco marinade):

4 pieces of thick cut osso bucco
4 roughly chopped garlic cloves
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 bay leaves
Rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp juniper berries
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Toss together the day before cooking.

Ingredients (osso bucco):

Osso Bucco, removed from marinade
1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
1 cup red wine
Juice of 1 orange
2 cups of beef stock

Sear the osso bucco in a hot pan with a bit of olive oil, then remove, cleaning the pan of most of the oil. Saute the carrot and onion until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper. Mix in the liquids and bring to a simmer before adding the osso bucco back in. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Before serving, remove the osso bucco and reduce the liquid so it forms a sauce.

Ingredients (brussel sprouts):

3 cups of brussel sprouts, sliced in half
Zest of half a lemon
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Mix and bake for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until crispy.

Ingredients (fettuccine):

2 cups of cooked fettuccine
1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup crumbled goat’s cheese
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Saute the peas in a bit of olive oil. Once warm, mix with the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Salmon, Cilantro and Avocado Pasta

I wouldn’t typically put a nice piece of salmon in pasta dish, but here you go. It doesn’t taste too heavy with the cilantro and lime, and I used skim milk (gasp!), but I promise you it will be fine.

Ingredients:

Half box of spaghetti, boiled to package directions
2 large salmon fillets
2 cups of milk
1 cup of white wine
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Parmesan)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 red onion, sliced
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 avocado, cut in cubes
Salt, pepper and olive oil

Sear salmon, seasoned in salt and pepper, 2 minutes on each side in a bit of olive oil. Set aside.

In the salmon pan, saute onions in butter, once soft mix in the flour until the liquid is absorbed. Add the milk and wine and stir until the flour absorbs and it comes to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Remove the skin from the salmon, and break into bite size pieces into the sauce. Mix in the coriander and lime juice, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes more so the salmon is cooked through (it would have still be fairly raw), then mix in the avocado chunks and spaghetti. Serves 4.

Herb Crusted Roast Eggplant with Ravioli

I bought some fresh ravioli for a quick weeknight meal, it’s so much better when you throw together a quick sauce instead of using pre-made, and it barely takes any time.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut in half
Half a bulb of garlic
1/2 cup chopped sage
2 cans of whole roma tomatoes
1 cup of water
1/4 cup red wine
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
Olive oil, salt and pepper

In a mortar and pestle, mash up the garlic with a bit of salt, adding the sage at the very end.

Spread about 1 tbsp on each half of the eggplant with some olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden.

In a big saucepan, saute the rest of the garlic/sage mixture in a bit of oil. Add the tomatoes, water, wine, brown sugar and nutmeg. Cook down for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and mash up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon before adding the fresh pasta straight into the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes, and serve with the eggplant.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

This would have to be one of my “signature dishes” if I had to choose; I’ve been using the same recipe for years and it’s always amazing. For the cheese, use any kinds you’d like, but I really suggest using one smoked cheese. It’s great for leftovers as well!

Ingredients:

1 big bag of pasta, boiled and drained
300g bacon, fried and chopped
4 tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
3 cups of milk
3 cups of grated cheese (2-3 different kinds)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter and saute onions until soft. Mix in the flour well, and then add the milk, stirring constantly. Once warm, add the 3 cups of cheese, as well as the rosemary, and stir until combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook until it’s thick enough to stick to a spoon. In a baking dish, mix well with the pasta and bacon, top with parmesan and breadcrumbs, and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200C / 375F until golden on top.

Tofu and Spinach Cannelloni

It poured earlier this week. The forecast was “possible hail”, so when it started to rain, I ran home from work and skipped a trip to the shops to pick up anything I could make for dinner. I had some pantry items, some stuff in the freezer, 3 tomatoes and a block of tofu, but managed to (eventually) make a pretty nice dinner out of it. Recipe for the roasted garlic meatballs I made with this are next!

Ingredients:

2 cans of tomatoes
3 whole tomatoes
1 cup of wine
1/2 cup water
3 cloves of garlic, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups of type 00 flour
2 eggs
1 block of tofu
1 package frozen spinach
1 chili, diced
1 tsp nutmeg

In a pot, heat olive oil and saute garlic. Add the tomatoes, wine, and water, and let simmer. If you have any fresh herbs, definitely throw them in! Cook until you’re ready to use, and then process with a handheld blender or food processor.

[Note: you could also just you store bought cannelloni shells and skip this step] In a bowl, beat eggs and add a pinch of salt. Slowly add flour, a half cup at a time, and knead into a dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes wrapped in cling film.

Thaw spinach and drain. Crush up tofu, mix with spinach, chili and nutmeg, and season with salt. Set aside and start to make your pasta.

Either in a pasta maker or with a rolling pin, run the pasta through until it’s thin, dusting with flour as you go to prevent sticking. Cut into 5x5 inch squares and set aside.

Put a scoop of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (or similar size) so the pasta doesn’t stick. Line up a few tablespoons of filling on the edge of the pasta, and roll into a tube. Put in the pan and repeat with the remaining pasta. Cover with the rest of the sauce and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan.

Mixed Mushroom Lasagna with Chili Garlic Pasta

Finally, I was victorious over the pasta maker! And it was worth every minute… surely it will get easier?

Ingredients (chili garlic pasta):

2 cups of Type 00 flour
2 eggs
2 chilis
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sea salt

Mash the chili, garlic, oil and salt in a mortar and pestle until it’s a paste. Mix into the eggs, and then add to 1.5 cups of the flour. Mix together, knead, and slowly add the rest of the flour until it’s not sticky but a pretty solid ball (it may not be all 2 cups). Keep kneading for 5 minutes until it’s smooth, wrap in cling wrap and put in the fridge for about an hour.

Cut into thirds and start rolling until it’s thin enough to go through the pasta maker. Run through on the biggest setting, flour the pasta a bit, fold and run through again. Once it’s long put it on a smaller setting until it’s pretty thin. Add flour when needed so it doesn’t stick to itself, and cut into rough lasagna sheets (it doesn’t have to be pretty). Set aside.

Ingredients (bechamel sauce):

100g butter
1/2 cup flour
1 onion, diced
3 bay leaves
1 liter of milk (I used skim, it was fine)
1/2 cup chopped thyme and rosemary
Salt and pepper
1-2 cups of grated cheese, depending on how cheesy you want it

Saute the onions in butter until soft, and then add the flour and mix well. Add the herbs, then start adding the milk, 1 cup at a time, stirring well. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, and then mix in the cheese (save some for the top!) and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients (mushroom filling):

3 large portabello mushrooms, sliced
100g of black trumpet mushrooms
50-100g dried porcini or forest mushrooms

(Note: use whatever mushrooms you want, just get plenty!)

1 cup white wine
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup chopped thyme and rosemary
4 chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk or cream

Soak the dried mushrooms in the boiling water, set aside.

Saute the rest of the mushrooms in the olive oil with garlic and herbs, adding the wine, rehydrated mushrooms, and half the reserved water once the mushrooms are soft. Season with salt and pepper, and cook down for about 15 minutes. Add the milk/cream and cook for about 20-30 minutes until most of the liquid is gone.

To put the lasagna together, start with bechamel, then pasta, half the mushrooms, bechamel, and then pasta. Repeat. Top with the rest of the bechamel to finish, and top with extra cheese, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes at 200C / 375F until the top is golden. Served with sauteed radishes with greens and almonds.