Spaghetti Carbonara

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI

Another pasta dish as promised, this time a classic, cheap and easy to do, OK is not the most healthy but certainly makes up for taste.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 200grs mushrooms (sliced)
• 150grs smoked bacon (strips sliced)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 onion (very...very finely chopped)
• 2 egg yolks
  
• 200mls fresh single cream
• 50grs Cheddar cheese (grated)
• 2 soup spoons of parmesano cheese (grated)
• 4soup spoons of olive oil
  
• one measure of fire-water or vodka
• 400-500grs spaghetti (or fettuccine or even linguine)
• salt and pepper
• (optional) decoration a bit of parsley
  

This is a very easy and simple recipe to make, so if you in a hurry this is what you do:
Put a skillet frying pan on the fire and a deep pan with water for the spaghetti, on the spaghetti pan add a little salt and a little vegetable oil (about one spoon full, this does two things: stops the water from foaming to much and helps the pasta not stick too much), once this reaches a boil add the spaghetti in (or the pasta of your preference).

In the skillet, place the olive oil until hot, then in goes the garlic, bacon and the onions, let them cook stirring occasionally until the start to caramelized, once this stage is reached add the mushrooms + a pinch of salt and pepper, once the mushrooms are virtually cooked throw in the fire-water (or vodka) lean the pan forward so that it catches the flame as soon as it does straighten it and shake it, the flame will burn all the alcohol in the booze and will flavour the contents, don't worry it will only burn for a few seconds.

At this stage add the fresh cream leave about 2 spoons of that fresh cream in a glass and mix with it the 2 egg yolks once the fresh cream on the pan starts to bubble add the egg yolks and the cheeses (both of them) the cream should thicken up to a nice consistency, turn the fire down and let it simmer for a little while about 2-3 minutes, the whole process will probably take 10-12 minutes in which the spaghetti is also cooked. So drain the spaghetti passing boiling water through once well drained dish it and serve some sauce over it, and if you want add a little chopped parsley on top and you're done ...all in all will take you about 15-20 minutes to prepare this meal and even less to eat it :)

Thanks for coming to my blog...and if you like it please follow it, button is at top left hand corner...cheers!!!

Salmon Fetuccini (with an extra)

My apologies for the wait to everyone especially to Chef E.

This is what you all have been waiting for, I need to warn you this is a very seriously delicious meal, and I beg you to make it for you and your family you will not be disappointed.

Actually being winter I am going to be doing a few pasta dishes to delight you all over the coming days!!!

Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 glass of milk.
• 100mls double cream.
• 2 soup spoons butter.
• 1/3 freshly ground nutmeg (if already in powder one third of a tea spoon).
• 1/3 tea spoon of freshly ground black pepper.
• 1 tea spoon of sea salt.
  
• 1 measure of white port wine (red will do, or you can use half a glass of white wine).
• 2 heaped soup spoons of plain flour dissolved in a glass of water.
• 4 skinless and boneless wild salmon portions (frozen is best, but you can use fresh)
• a bunch of parsley (finely chopped, equivalent to about 2 soup spoons full)
• 400grs of egg fettuccine (to be cooked "al dente")
• 200grs king prawns (other will do. I used frozen)
• olive oil (see how much is enough)

This was so darn easy, I got inspired by a couple of photos at my local supermarket.
In a large pan put the salt, the milk, the butter, the black pepper and nutmeg, let this come to a boil, turn the fire down to a simmering and add the frozen salmon, make sure milk is boiling gently and after about 3 minutes turn the salmon around, and after another 3 again and again, this until the fish is completely cooked (poached, poaching from frozen I found to produce better fish flakes) once fish cooked take it out onto a plate. Now add the double cream to the milk and the port let it again come to the boil and slow it to simmering and add the prawns, if they already cooked just enough time to make sure they are heated through, if they from raw (which their colour is gray, wait till they turn bright orange and then about 2-3 more minutes.

While that is happening flake the salmon in the plate (make sure the pasta is cooking during this time as it will take about 12 minutes to be "al Dente"). Once the prawns are done raise the temperature and add the flaked fish in and pour half of the glass of water with flour in, always stirring, it will start very quickly start to get thicker, well you want the consistency of bechamel or thick gravy, if to liquid add a little more until it does, if too thick (which I will not believe will be, add a little more milk) once the right thickness add the parsley and turn the fire off, now drain the cooked fettuccine passing it through boiling water and add it to the sauce, mix it well and then dish it, I then dressed it with a little pure virgin olive oil, you can do the same is delicious if you get a very good olive oil, or you can sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top or even crumb some Gorgonzola on the top of it ...it is really up to you...but this was the best meal I ever made...apart from the gigantic enchiladas I made some time ago on this blog. YUM YUM!!! please try it.

Crepes with Vanilla Cream and Maple Syrup

Receita em Portugues clique AQUI.

Here you are something to celebrate about, easy peasy to do pancakes (crepes) I made these on a non stick frying pan. This I offered to my family as a New Year treat breakfast ...Obviously with a steaming cup of coffee...but I am sure you know how to make the coffee....lol

Recipe Ingredients:
Crepes:

• 6 soup spoons of plain flour
• 3 soup spoons of sugar
• 1 egg
  
• 3 soup spoons of vegetable oil
• about 1 and 1/2 glass of milk (consistency should be of gravy)
• a dash of vanilla essence

Whipped Cream:

• 1 glass of chilled fresh double cream
• 2 tea spoons of sugar
• 1 dash of vanilla essence (or a scraping of vanilla seeds from a split pod)
• 3 drops of lemon juice

In a jug put the flour and the sugar in, whisk it together. Make a little well and pour the oil and the egg, star whisking it and as it starts to get pasty add milk little by little always whisking it, last add the vanilla essence whisk once more and it's done.

Place the non stick frying pan in the fire, once hot reduce fire to just bellow medium, pour a drop of oil and with a dried tissue spread that oil evenly on the whole area of the pan, then with the jug pour in the center of the pan the liquid until it fills 2/3 of the area then stop spread the rest by inclining the pan and going around motion always over the fire until liquid sets. Once it sets let it cook it takes about 2-3 minutes on each side, to flip with a spatula lift the side of the pancake enough to get your fingers in then with your hands (fingers) pull it up gently without ripping it and flip it to the other side. Then once cooked is ready for the filling...which you can just add sugar and lemon, or just syrup or chocolate sauce or fresh cream or many many more combos.

I used a vanilla whipped cream with maple syrup. To make this pour one cup of chilled fresh cream into a bowl and start whisking it once is half way through add the 2 tea spoons of sugar the lemon juice and whisk a little more then the dash of vanilla essence (remember at this stage you van also add liquor like Tia maria (coffee flavour) or baileys (caramel flavour) cointreau (orange flavour) see ...your only limit is your imagination...one cap full will suffice. And that is that.

Obviously there is many many more fancy stuff you can do with pancakes, I know a few maybe I'll tell you later.... ;)

Picture in the reverse order of making process:

Chocolate and Almond Mousse with Port

Every year (normally) I have my family around for my birthday. As my birthday is so close to xmas (27th) I ask them to come along and I celebrate by cooking for them something made by me entirely, so no peeking is aloud (into other peoples recipes), I can take past experiences in restaurants and cafés, and come up with my own thing.

So this birthday I decided to spoil them a little, well I do that every year... So I made for main course a Cod Fillet "en croute" with an Asian twist (Indian) and a plain rice portion with a special hot curried sauce (this inspired by Wagamamas, just the rice not the fish), and for desert I made a dark chocolate and almond mousse with an almond and port digestive base.

But on this post I will only provide you with the desert recipe, as I'll do another posting with the main meal, to make things simple. This desert was enough for 10 people.

Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 250mls double cream pots (one for the almond one for the chocolate)
• 8 chocolate squares ( dark chocolate cocoa from 30% to 50%)
• 9 Mcvites digestives (other brand will do)
• 2 soup spoons of Port Wine
• 1 + 1 teaspoons of almond essence
• 1 hand full of almonds (about 50grs) with the skin (chopped)
• 2 soup spoons of denmerra sugar
• 1 + 1 + 1 soup spoon of butter
• some white sugar
  

In a bowl crush all the digestives add one (full) spoon of butter, half of the almonds (chopped) a tea spoon of white sugar, one tea spoon of almond essence and the port, mix this very well and should be enough to place one soup spoon of this mixture into each one of the 10 ramekins, after doing that press mixture down with a flat object I used the bottom of a small glass.

On two separate bowls pour each of the creams and whip them until they are Chantilly, but remember to half way before that happens to add a tea spoon of sugar to each cream part, set them aside for a little while, while you do the flavouring.

Put two little pans on the stove one with a little water and a bowl inside that (bain Marie) inside the bowl put the 8 pieces of chocolate once hot enough the chocolate will become very soft, add now one soup spoon of butter mix well it starts to go harder and darker, remove bowl from heat and add one egg yolk and mix well, pour this mixture into one of the bowls of whipped cream and fold gently, once well mixed set it aside.

On the other pan, put a (full soup) spoon of butter, and the remaining almonds, let them sizzle for about 3 minutes them add the denmerra sugar and and a soup spoon or two of water, let this continue to boil until is near caramelized but not caramelized as such. Let this cool briefly than pour it into the second bowl of whipped cream but not directly into the cream, let it cool a little more, than fold int into the cream adding also a tea spoon of almond essence.

Spoon both types of cream into the ramekins two have two halves each colour (see picture), then decorate top, i did the chocolate side with chocolate shavings, and the almond part with a little more chopped almonds and refrigerated these for 30 minutes.

It was a great success with the guests. You can also use instead of port amaretto (almond liquor) I did not try but I bet would be nice too.

Fettuccine al Fungi - spinach and egg fettuccine with mushrooms and cream

Receita em PORTUGUES Clique AQUI

Please check this out a simple fantastic spinach and egg fettuccine al fungi.

Recipe Ingredients (feeds 4) :

• 400grs fettuccine "verdi & Uovo" mix green and egg
• 250grs mushrooms (I prefer brown organic, sliced)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 soup spoons of brandy
  
• a soup spoon full of parmisiano (parmesan) cheese (or similar)
• 2 heaped soup spoons of grated cheddar cheese.
• 1 soup spoon of chopped parsley
• 1 half onion (chopped finely)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1 tea spoon sweet paprika
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 soup spoons of olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (crunched)
• 250mls fresh cream
  

Very simply put some water boiling and ad one glug of normal oil to the water + some salt and the crushed garlic clove, add then the fettuccine, and cook it for 7-10 minutes you want it "al dente" I mean cooked but still semi hard the pasta.

While that is doing, on a wok or large frying pan put in the olive oil, the garlic and the onion, cook these until very golden. Now add the paprika and cook for one minute more, then add the sliced mushrooms, once they are cooked which will take approx 3-4 minute add the brandy and leaning the pan at a 30-45 degree angle ignite the brandy (flanbéing it), this will give it a smoky flavour and also brandy although will contain no alcohol as it has been consumed by the flames, so is a safe food for kids too.

After that add the cream and let this heat up again until nearly boiling, dissolve the egg yolks with a little milk about 3-4 soup spoons full in a glass, pour this mixture into the cream always stirring this will start to thicken up the sauce then add the parmesan and the cheddar which will thicken up even more, both the sauce and the pasta will be done roughly at the same time.

So drain the pasta drizzle a little olive oil over it and toss it then serve (preheat the plates if need be if you ant it to stay hotter) and pour over the pasta a couple of servings spoons. To decorate it you can do either of these three: sprinkle some sweet paprika on top of the sauce or sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top and drizle in a circle a little extra virgin olive oil around the parsley but still on the sauce or sprinkle a little more parmesan cheese and freshly grind some black pepper over it too... they will all look quite impressive and add to the taste too.