MY FAVOURITE RECIPES (Continued)
SPINACH AND RICOTTA TART
This a veggie dish that I have recently discovered.
Ingredients
2 plain short crust pastry tart cases (O K if
you want to make your own I'll let you).
250 g
fresh spinach washed and de-stalked.
3 medium eggs
250g Ricotta cheese
250ml Double cream
50g freshly
grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 crushed garlic
clove
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to season
1 large bowl of
iced water
Method
Pre heat oven to 190C
Place the spinach
in a large saucepan with just the water from the washing that clings to
the leaves. Cook for two or three minutes until it is only just wilted.
Remove from heat and plunge into bowl of iced water this will retain
its vibrant colour.
In a large Bowl mix together the eggs, ricotta
cheese, double cream,parmesan cheese,cayenne pepper,garlic and season to taste with
salt and ground black pepper.
Drain the spinach, place in a clean
cloth, and squeeze out all the excess moisture. Roughly chop the spinach and
then add to mixture.
Spoon the mixture carefully into the tart cases.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and just firm to the touch.
Why make two? Well this is very good served hot but it is
absolutely delicious served cold, so stick the other one in the fridge for
tomorrow.
This tart may be adapted to use Asparagus
To do this,replace the Spinach in the above ingredients with 1 bunch of fresh
asparagus
Method
Pre heat oven to 190C
Snap the Asparagus heads away from the woody stalks (save stalks to
make cream of asparagus soup)
Place the Asparagus heads in a steamer
over a large saucepan of boiling water.
Steam for five minutes.
Remove from heat and plunge into bowl of iced water this will retain
it's vibrant colour.
In a large Bowl mix together the eggs, ricotta
cheese, double cream, parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, garlic and season
with salt and ground black pepper.
Drain the Asparagus thoroughly..
Spoon the mixture carefully into the tart cases.
Place the
Asparagus tips evenly on top of the mixture like the spokes of a wheel and
push down gently until they are half submerged.
Bake for 20 to 25
minutes until golden and just firm to the touch.
Tastes good hot even better cold
Easily
frozen
For the soup.
Simmer the stalks until tender.
Whiz in a
blender until mushy.
Add some of the water to make enough for two
generous servings.
Crumble in one chicken or vegetable stock
cube.
Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of cayenne
pepper.
Add cream to taste.
Whiz again.
If you want it "posh"
push through a sieve, if you want it "rustic" don?t.
Heat gently if you
want to eat it straight away.
Cool and freeze it if you want it for
later.
COURGETTE AND TOMATO BAKE
Ingredients
1.5 ml Olive Oil plus more for drizzling.
1 large onion (approx. 8oz) sliced.
1 garlic clove finely chopped.
1lb tomatoes.
1lb courgettes.
5 ml dried herbes de Provence.
30ml freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Heat the
oil in a saucepan over a low heat and cook the sliced onion and chopped
garlic for approx. 20 minutes until soft and golden brown.
Spread over the
base of a large gratin dish or preferably 4 single serving ones.
Slice the tomatoes crossways into 1/4 inch rounds.
Slice the
courgettes into the 1/2 inch rounds (leave the skin on).
Over the
onion mixture arrange the courgette rounds on each side of the gratin
dish, overlapping the rounds in a cascade.
Arrange the tomato rounds in
lines in the centre of the gratin dish, overlapping the rounds in a
cascade.
Sprinkle the herbs and freshly ground cheese over the top.
Season
with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle all over with olive
oil.
Bake for 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot
or warm.
HONEY ROASTED VEGETABLES
Ingredients
Any of the following vegetables-
Carrots,Parsnips,Swedes,Turnips,Potatoes
Onions,Red
Onions,Shallots (banana shallots are best)
30ml runny honey
Olive
oil
Rosemary sprigs
Thyme sprigs
Salt
Freshly ground black
pepper
Method
Peel the root vegetables and cut into
chunks or strips according to the shape of the vegetable
(e.g. Potatoes
into halves or quarters, carrot and parsnips lengthways into halves or
quarters according to size)
Cook in lightly salted boiling water for
5 minutes.
Tip into a roasting pan of sizzling oil and add the
butter.
Remove the outer leaves from the onions, cut into halves or
quarters according to size and add to the pan.
Remove the outer
leaves from the shallots and add to the pan.
Season with the salt
and pepper
Scatter with the sprigs of rosemary and thyme
Place
in a preheated oven (200c) for thirty minutes.
Remove pan from oven
drizzle with the honey.
Baste all the contents with the honey and
oil and return to the oven for a further 15 to 20 minutes until
golden.
POTATO LYONNAIS
Ingredients
Olive Oil
1oz butter
1lb of onions
sliced
(English are best Spanish are a bit too sweet)
2lb of waxy
potatoes sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons
of fresh chopped parsley (fresh rosemary and/or thyme are also
good)
Method
Par boil the sliced potatoes.
Gently
fry (sweat) the sliced onions in some of the olive oil until they are
translucent
Melt the butter in a pan together with olive oil
Starting with a layer of potatoes arrange the slices in the bottom of a
large casserole dish.
Follow with a layer of onions and repeat
alternate layers. Season each layer with salt and black pepper and drizzle
with some of the warmed butter and oil mix as you go.
Finish with a
layer of potatoes.
Pour the remaining butter and oil mix over the
top layer
Place lid on casserole dish and put in a preheated
moderate oven (180c) for 1/2 an hour.
Remove lid from casserole and
cook for a further 1/2 of an hour
Check if potatoes are tender (timings
can vary with the variety of potato used).
Sprinkle with parsley
and serve hot.
MY FRIED POTATOES
Ingredients
Waxy potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Olive Oil
Seasoning to taste
Method
Par boil some potatoes (waxy ones preferably)
Liquidise an onion and put the onion into a frying pan with some Olive Oil and a crushed clove of garlic
Bring up to a medium temperature, add the sliced potatoes and fry until golden brown.
Absolutely superb when served with a wild mushroom omelette and a glass (or two) of red wine.