Linguine alla Puttanesca

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
• 4+ cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3+ anchovy fillets
• 1 x 28oz can whole plum San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives (preferably oil cured)
• 2 tbps capers (drained)
• 1/4 tsp or more red pepper flakes to taste
• Sea salt and black pepper to season
• Italian parsley for garnish
• Linguine or other long pasta for two people (~1/2lb dry weight)

Instructions

Place 2 tsbp olive oil in a large saute pan along with the garlic and anchovy. Heat on low until just sizzling, stirring occasionally until the garlic takes on some color.

Add tomatoes and crush with spoon to break apart somewhat. Season with salt and pepper. Turn up the heat until bubbling and cook until they break down and the mixture becomes a nice thick sauce, about ten minutes. 

Add the olives, capers and red pepper flakes, reduce heat and put on a lid and leave the sauce simmering.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to the saute pan along with 1 tbsp olive and stir well to combine with the sauce and cover all the pasta. 

Serve garnished with the parsley.

Split-pea Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 6oz green split peas
• 4 oz yellow split peas
• 1 pint vegetable stock
• 1 oz butter
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1lb baby spinach leaves
• 1 clove garlic, crushed/finely chopped
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg (1/2 tsp sounds like a lot but works really well)
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Plenty of mashed potato -- make it firmer than usual with just a little butter and milk. Season with salt and white pepper.

Instructions

Rinse the split peas and put them in a saucepan with the stock. Cover and cook 45-60 minutes until soft and all the stock has been absorbed. The filling seems nicest when they are soft, so cook longer if necessary and add more stock if it evaporates before they're done.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onion, carrot, celery and pepper. Cook until really tender, about 10-15 minutes. 

Add the garlic, oregano, nutmeg and paprika along with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the cooked split peas. If the mixture seems dry at this point add some additional stock.

Spoon the filling into a casserole dish and then spoon the mashed potato on top.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Quinoa Fritters & Aioli

 Ingredients

• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions (white parts only)
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp garlic infused oil

Instructions

Rinse the quinoa, place into saucepan with olive oil, toast a minute or so over high heat then add the stock. Bring to a vigorous boil then turn down heat and simmer until cooked, ~12-15 minutes.

Whisk eggs and flour, add curry powder, paprika, carrot, chives, cilantro and scallions. Mix well, season, add quinoa and mix further. 

Heat frying over medium heat, when hot measure out ~1/4 cup scoops of fritter batter. Cook about 3-4 minutes per side. 

Make the aioli by combining the mayonnaise, garlic oil and lemon juice in a blow with black pepper to taste.

Onion-free vegetable curry

 Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower cut into florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 carrot diced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 zucchini, skin on, diced
• 6 medium tomatoes
• 1/2" ginger
• 1 green chile (jalapeno, serrano...)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp asafetida
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp hot chile powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped

Instructions

Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and set aside.

Blend 5 of the tomatoes, green chile, and ginger to make a paste.

Slice the remaining tomato thinly and set aside.

Heat oil, when hot (test by dropping in a single cumin seed) add cumin, asafetida, and then when the seeds pop add the tomato-chile-ginger paste. Immediately add the coriander, turmeric, sugar and salt. Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, peas, carrot, mushrooms and zucchini and 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan and cook a further 10 minutes over medium heat.

Add the cornstarch set aside earlier and cook a couple minutes to thicken the sauce.

Turn off the heat, add the reserved tomato slices, garam masala and cilantro. Stir, cover and leave a few minutes for flavors to infuse.

Serve with some or all of dal, rice, raita, flatbread (naan, etc.)

Saffron fig and spinach chicken rolls

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
• 6-10+ saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound baby spinach
• 1/2 tsp cayenne or hot Indian chili powder
• Salt
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 cup tomato sauce (or canned chopped tomatoes for more texture)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Put the chicken under some plastic wrap or similar and bash it with a heavy rolling pin into a uniform thickness.

Heat 2 tbsp of the sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add figs and saffron and stir fry for 2 minutes until they soften up and take on saffron color.

Add cumin seeds and chopped onions and stir fry about 5 minutes. Mix in the spinach and stir until incorporated and they are well wilted. Stir in cayenne pepper and about 1/2 tsp salt or so to taste.

Spread the spinach and fig stuffing over each chicken breast and wrap and roll over the stuffing (difficult, messy). Secure the breasts with toothpick (not strictly necessary).

Heat remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil in another, smaller skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add tomato sauce (or chopped tomatoes) and heavy cream and cook till sauce is thick and smooth. Add a little salt, maybe 1/4 tsp or so. 

Preheat the over to 350F. Arrange chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish and pour the tomato sauce over them. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice garnished with chopped cilantro.

 

Greek salad

Salad ingredients

• Between a third and one half English cucumber, peeled, quartered, seeded, sliced 
• Green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 16-20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Half a red onion, sliced
• ~14 pitted Kalamata olives
• 4 ounces feta cheese, cubed

Salad dressing

• Quarter cup extra-virgin Greek olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 0.25 tsp dijon mustard
• 0.25 tsp sea salt
• Black pepper to taste

Lemon & Thyme salmon

1 - 1.5lbs salmon
~2-3 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Juice of 2 lemons
1-2 garlic cloves
1 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp olive oil

Put the marinade ingredients in a jug or bowl and combine well. Pour over salmon and marinade for 3-60 minutes.

Bake at 280F for 18 minutes.