Cowbow Pasties AKA 'Man Pies'

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Dear Sally,

March Break has started and I cannot tell you how relaxing it is just to have time to tidy, cook and clean! Ede is here for a visit while his owners are away. He is already a favorite with one of our neighbours and he is a great dog to run with. 

I pulled Jamie’s America out of the cupboard last night and decided on a recipe for Cornish Cowboy Pasties. I didn’t really have the ingredients for this so I used what I could find in the fridge and freezer. Jesse really liked them. And I felt they turned out well considering my lack of ingredients. This recipe could easily be modified for vegetarian by adding beans in place of the meat.

Cowboy Pasties AKA ‘Man Pies’

Adapted from Jamie’s America

Ingredients

For the Pastry:

1 cup unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups hot water

4 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg (beaten)

For the Filling:

1 red onion, peeled and diced

2 hot Italian sausages

1 - 8 oz piece of steak or stewing beef, cut into ½ inch chunks

6 sprigs fresh sage

½ tsp. dried rosemary

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1 ¼ cups beef broth

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. flour

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

3 potatoes chopped into small chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring your butter and water to a boil in a large saucepan, then take the pan off the heat. Stir the flour and salt into the mixture bit by bit with a spatula, until you’ve got dough. Tip it onto a floured surface and use your hands to shape into a smooth ball. Put the ball of dough into a floured bowl, dust the top with flour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 3o minutes while you make the filling.

Meanwhile, get a large frying pan and fry your chopped onion in a lub of olive oil for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the diced meat and sausage and fry for 5 minutes until brown, then add the rest of the chopped vegetables and herbs. Fry for another 5 minutes, season well with salt and pepper, then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the flour and simmer on a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the stock has cooked away and you’re left with nice thick gravy.

Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with flour, then divide your pantry dough in half and roll each half out until it’s slightly thinner than ¼ inch. Use a cereal bowl (about 6 inched in diameter) to cut 4 circles out of each half, so you end up with 8 circles. Dust the circles with flour, and spoon your filling into the middle of each one. Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the beaten egg, then fold each circle in half over the filling and crimp the edges with your finger and thumb to seal them.

Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper, scatter a handful of cornmeal or polenta over the paper, and place your pasties on top. Brush the pasties all over with more of the beaten egg and sprinkle over a little more cornmeal. Bake in the hot oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden, serve straightaway with a fresh green salad.

Hopefully we will be able to cross paths on Saturday. I'm soooo excited for spring and GARDENING! Jesse and I have some ideas for our garden and I can't wait to see yours. 

Love ya!

 

Jamie Oliver's Farro Salad with Roasted Veg

Dear Jess,

Happy winter! What a bummer that you can't get here as soon as you had hoped. This storm is beautiful, and looks like it is to continue into tonight. The snowplows here keep going by though, so they're trying to keep up!

In preparation for your (possible) visit, I picked up ingredients for this salad. I have made this a couple times. Once for Kristy's bachelorette, and once for my wedding dinner! I have made it again today with great joy and excitement! My house smells like roasted veggies, garlic and fresh herbs!

I always make this with bulgar wheat, as it was suggested as a perfect Farro Substitute. 

Farro Salad with Roasted Veg
adapted from jamieoliver.com

1 3/4 cups bulgar wheat
3 yellow zucchini, halved lengthways and chopped
2 green zucchini, halved lengthways and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
2 red peppers, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
herb or white wine vinegar
1 good bunch fresh herbs (I used rosemary and chives... I have done it with many different combos though)
1 squeeze lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Cover Farrow or bulgar wheat in cold water and soak for 20 minutes. Slice the zucchinis, and put them into a large bowl. Add the remaining vegetables and the garlic cloves and toss together with a good splash of olive oil. Season with pepper and a tiny pinch of salt.

2. Spread veg mix onto a roasting tray (I used 2 foil-lined cookie sheet) in one layer, as they will roast better this way. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, removing the trays and carefully shaking them now and then, until the vegetables are cooked through and crisp around the edges. Sprinkle a little vinegar over the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven and set aside to cool. (I usually forget to do this... it still tastes fine if you do too.)

3. Chop herbs and set aside. Place the Farrow or bulgar wheat in a large saucepan, cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender, and drain well. Dress with olive oil and the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the roasted vegetables and chopped herbs.

4. Serve warm or cool. It tastes good both ways!


The snow is still blowing outside. As I look out the window, snowmobiles are passing on the road, and the neighbours are frantically shovelling their driveways trying to keep up with the snowfall.

I love you and hope to see you soon!

Love,

Jamie Oliver's Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

Dear Jess,

What a busy last couple of weeks! Fortunately, I have today off. This means I have time to write this small little post.

I made this recipe quite a while ago. Jason wasn't a huge fan because of the mushrooms, but I truly enjoyed it. It is simple and comfortable, and you know how I feel about cooking with wine!

Chicken and Leek Stroganoff
From Jamie's Food Revolution, Page 34
(Serves 2)

3/4 cup long-grain or basmati rice (I used long-grain brown rice)
1 large leek
a big handful of crimini or oyster mushrooms (or your favourite kind)
2 chicken breast fillets
olive oil
a pat of butter
a glass of white wine
freshly ground black pepper
a bunch of fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used 5%)
1 lemon

1. Pour boiling water from the kettle into a large pan, place on a high heat and add a pinch of salt. Add your rice, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly. Cook for the length of time given in the instructions on the package. Cut both ends off the leek, quarter lengthways, slice across thinly, then wash well under running water. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the chicken breasts into little-finger-size pieces.

2. Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a good lug of olive oil and a pat of butter. Add the leek to the pan with the white wine, a small glass of water; and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes, covered loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, stalks and all. Remove the foil and add the chicken strips, most of the parsley, the cream, and the mushrooms. Stir, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain your rice. Just before serving, cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the stroganoff. Season to taste.

3. Spoon some rice onto each plate and top with the stroganoff. Scatter with the rest of the chopped parsley. Serve with the other lemon half, cut into wedges.

I love you and miss you! I hope your kindergartens are doing well, and you're not overwhelmed with is all. I can't wait to see you again!

So much love,

Jamie Oliver's Sher Ping Pancakes

Dear Jess,

On Mondays I do the grocery shopping. So on Sundays I always ask Jason, 'What would you like to eat this week?' He then goes through some cookbooks and picks one or two things he would like to have. I then add a third 'new' thing that I would like to try to make.

This week I was craving Sher Ping Pancakes from Jamie's America. That's right. I'm back to Jamie. I missed him and his creative food genius. I have, in fact, made this once before when I first got this cookbook. Probably just over 2 years ago. I made them the day Jason asked me on our first 'official' date. I remember I had trouble with the dough and was interested to see if I could do better. Also: they are delicious. Jamie says:

'Sher ping translates as "pan-cooked filled pancake," and they are one of the best things I've eaten in ages. A lovely lady from the north of China taught me how to make them at her food counter in the Roosevelt Food Court. It sounds like a cheat to explain how to make these pancakes, but it's well worth mastering, because you can swap the pork for other delicious fillings like chicken or seafood.' - Jamie's America, page 49

If you make these (which I definitely think you should) keep in mind that you will need the whole afternoon. The dough has to sit for a couple hours, and then after stuffing them they need to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes before you cook them.

I doubled this recipe and used whole wheat bread flour instead of white. (I know... risky... but it turned out so good!) I am going to try to freeze half of them and see how they turn out. (One single batch will make 8. A double makes 16.)

On last thing that is very important... I find you need way more water or less flour. You want your dough to be really stretchy. Whenever I do it exactly like the recipe it's always too dry.

Sher Ping Pancakes
from Jamie's America, Page 49

For the dough
3 1/4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting (I used whole wheat bread flour)
scant 1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling
14oz ground pork, the best quality you can afford
a handful of finely grated white cabbage (No Frills didn't have any... so I used Savoy cabbage)
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks finely chopped
a thumb-sized pieces of root ginger peeled and finely grated
4 scallions, trimmed and finely grated
sea salt
freshly ground Szechuan pepper (I used Cayenne pepper)

To serve
sweet chile or hot chile sauce
soy sauce
2 limes, cut into wedges

Make the dough by mixing the flour, water, vegetable oil, a bit of pepper, and a pinch of salt with a fork. Then use your hands to knead it until smooth and elastic. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for a couple of hours.

When you're ready to make your pancakes, mix all your filling ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands to really scrunch everything together, and season well with a good pinch of salt and Szechuan pepper.

Dust a clean surface with flour and cut the dough into 8. Divide your filling into 8 even piles. Oil a sheet pan and your hands. Pick up a piece of dough and create a patty like a mini pizza about 4 3/4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. (I just do it as thin as I can while pretending I'm making a pizza with Dad's secret recipe dough.)

Take one of your piles of filling and pop it into the middle of the dough. Pat it flat with your fingers, then slowly stretch the edges of the dough out, folding them back in over the pork mixture. Do this all the way around and, once closed, press down on the stuffed pancake with your hand. It should be about 1 inch thick and 3 1/4 inches across. (mine were wider because I find it easier than doing it on the frying pan...)

Do the same with the other 7 pancakes, then lay them on your oiled sheet pan and put them into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or so. After that, get a large dry frying pan on a medium heat. Add a tiny drizzle of oil and lay each pancake, folded side down, in the pan. Gently push down on them with a spatula to flatten them slightly. Keep doing this until they're about 1/2 inch thick and about 4 inches wide. Be careful that the pan's not too hot, though, otherwise your pancakes will brown before they're properly cooked through.

After about 4 minutes you'll have a nice golden color happening, so turn the pancakes over, push them down lightly, and cook them for 4 minutes on the other side. Only push down once on this side. When they're golden and crisp, the meat will be perfectly cooked, but you can always break one open to check.

To serve, pour some chile sauce into one bowl and some soy sauce into another. Pop a few wedges of lime on the side for squeezing over, and dunk away in your sauces. These pancakes hit all the right spots!

So yummy!

I have so much to tell you about Spain! The trip was incredible (duh!) and I will post an entry all about the food we tried once I get all the pictures together! I have already tried to make a couple of them at home!

I love you and miss you. I hope we can get together soon.

Love,

Jamie Oliver's Dark Sticky Stew

Dearest,

I have been watching Sense and Sensibility and BBC's Pride and Prejudice. 'Dearest' is one of the great pet-names in Sense and Sensibility. So imagine I am addressing you with an English accent wearing a great bonnet and a dress with a frilly apron. It will have more of an effect.

Other phrases that have infiltrated my dialogue include: 'don't vex me!', 'make haste!', and 'capitol!' - all of course said in an English accent.

My meal last night followed this theme. I picked (yet another) Jamie Oliver recipe. It's called 'Dark Sticky Stew' and I believe it also sounds much better when paired with an English accent.

I'm not sure this one will make it in the binder. I really wish I could have found some Lamb to use as the recipe called for. I really believe it would have made it a little thicker, (I used pork tenderloin) which I think was Jason's main issue. He was hoping for something a little thicker. We also ate it straight out of the oven. I believe the left overs will thicken as any chili/stew/soup does overnight.

 Although it was actually quite tasty, I think it was too flavourful for this time of year. It would be better suited for a freezing blizzard day in January (if we are to ever get that weather again...) This recipe was mainly attractive because it was a blustery day and it looked so cozy. Also... it calls for half a pint of Guinness... my mind was made up pretty quickly once this fact was revealed.

This recipe fills your house with such savoury aroma and (other than the Guinness) the ingredients are quite humble and (including the Guinness) compliment each other quite well.

Dark Sticky Stew (Serves 6)
adapted from Jamie Oliver's Dark Sticky Stew, from Jamie's Dinners

1 1/2 lb Pork Tenderloin, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2 heaped tablespoons flour
extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped
8 mini-bello mushrooms, torn in pieces (any mushrooms will do)
1 handful of baby carrots, cut in half
1 parsnip, peeled and grated
1 dessertspoon Marmite
2 heaped tablespoons pearl barley
1/2 pint rich ale (Guinness, Caffrey's, John Smith's)
1 pint chicken stock
3 Italian sausages, taken out of casing and chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Put your pork into a bowl and season well with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop your rosemary leaves and add to the bowl with the flour. Mix around so that the meat is completely covered. Fry the port in a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a hot casserole-type pan - do this in batches so the pieces get a nice bit of colour, then remove from the pan and put to one side.

2. Turn the heat down, then fry your onion, mushrooms and carrots for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly coloured. Add the pork back to the pan along with the parsnip, Marmite, pearl barley, ale and stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes while you prep your sausages. Just before the stew goes in the oven, add the sausage. Then place a lid on or make a cartouche*, wet it and tuck this over the pan. Cook for around an hour.

3. Serve with some crusty bread! 

*A cartouche is simply a piece of parchment paper cut to the size/shape of the top of your pot. You simple cut it out, wet it with some water, and place it on top of your stew instead of a lid. 

I was also stoked because I was able to use my brand new Lagostina pots! I actually got them for Christmas a couple years ago but have never used them. They have been taunting me for long enough! We took the convenient opportunity to move them from my parents' house to Jason's (our future home). It was a dream cooking with this pot! I love everything about all of them. The shape, the way the food stirs in the bottom, the way you can see your reflection in the side, how they are oven safe (an important fact for this recipe), how they react immediately to any heat adjustments, how they all match, how they all have glass lids, how the handles don't get hot when using them on the stove, and how they're mine!

I hope all is going well. I miss you dearly, but am comforted by knowing I will see you in a couple weeks! Both our weddings are creeping up on us. I believe we need to do a Skype date soon. Let me know what time works for you!

All My Love,

Jamie Oliver: Grilled Fillet Steak with the Creamiest White Beans and Leeks

Dear Jess,

I have made a binder. It contains all the recipes I have made that I would make again. I got tired of searching through dozens of magazines trying to find a recipe I had used months before. Now I can rip out the recipes and tuck them safely into my organized binder. Yesssssss.

What I made today will go in said binder. The steak was pretty straight forward... you can season it with whatever you want and cook it to your liking. The Lima beans and Leeks are what I am excited about. They are so soft and comforting. They make your kitchen smell amazing and you get to put white wine in them! Mmmmm, delicious. (Please excuse the brown plate... it does not compliment the meal very well, but it was all I had to work with...)

Jamie Oliver's Grilled Fillet Steak with the Creamiest White Beans and Leeks (Serves 4)
adapted from Cooking with Jamie
4 leeks, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
a knob of butter
a wineglass of white wine
1lb 2oz good-quality canned lima beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 tbsp Greek yogurt
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
7oz well-marbled fillet steaks (Can be any steak you like)
optional: The juice of one lemon

1. Sweat the leeks, thyme and garlic with a splash of olive oil and the butter in a saucepan on a low heat for 20 minutes until they are soft and sweet. Turn up the heat and add the white wine. Let the wine come to a boil, then add the beans and a splash of water, so that the beans are almost covered. Allow to simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the beans are lovely and creamy. Remove from heat. Add the Greek yogurt and salt and pepper. 

2. Grill Streak to your liking. Optional: squeeze lemon juice over steak and beans before serving.



I think next time I might add some spinach or kale to the mix. But honestly... the way it is... so good! 

I hope your weekend was enjoyable. The weather was spectacular! I haven't worn a jacket since Friday!

I love you,

Jamie Oliver's Lebanese Lemon Chicken with Moorish Crunch Salad

Dearest Jessica,

It is well known that we like Jamie Oliver. His books, style, magazines, TV shows... everything.

That being said... Jason got me a present. Jamie's Kitchen. The book is beautiful! Full of amazing pictures, recipes and tutorials! I was given this gift during a work shift so I was unable to dive into it as soon as I would have preferred. When we got home, however, it was a whole different story. I snuggled up on the couch with a cup of peppermint tea, a stack of post-its, a pen, and the book. I only bookmarked the recipes I want to make immediately... because eventually I would like to make them all!

Yesterday I decided to make dinner for my parents. I called Jason and asked him to pick out two recipes (one salad and one main) from the bookmarked pages of Jamie's Kitchen. He couldn't have chosen any better than this: Lebanese Lemon Chicken with Moorish Crunch Salad.

We learned many things from these two recipes alone. For the chicken we got to follow some great (and photo-illustrated!) instructions on how to cut a whole chicken down to sizes appropriate for a serving; and we learned what a 'cartouche' is and how to make one. For the salad we were reminded what 'tahini' is and where we can get it fresh in Peterborough (The Main Ingredient!) We were also reminded that salads can be so interesting and hold so much flavor by themselves. A lot of times we just see it as a 'side' to the main course. This salad held it's own for sure. (I added chicken to the leftovers and will eat it for lunch today! So excited!) 

Moorish Crunch Salad (serves 4)
adapted from Jamie's Kitchen, Page 29
10 1/2oz carrots, peeled
5 1/2oz radishes
2 crunchy eating apples
1 small handful of dark or white raisins (I left these out)
1 handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
4 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
8 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Tahiti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted in the oven

First of all, finely slice your carrots into matchstick-sized batons. Finely slice your radishes - you can leave a little of the tops on if you like. Quarter your apples, remove the cores and finely slice. Add all these to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the sesame seeds. Toss together, carefully checking the seasons, and serve with the sesame seeds sprinkled over the top. Eat straight away.

Try this: Turn it into a warm salad by adding some pan-seared chicken, shrimp or scallops which hae been dusted with a little paprika.

And this: Make it more of a snack by frying some halloumi cheese until golden with some chopped fresh chilli and crumbling this over the top.


Or this: Grill some pita bread and serve stuffed with Crunch Salad. Crumble in some feta cheese too. Lovely.

Lebanese Lemon Chicken (Serves 4)
adapted from Jamie's Kitchen, Page 164

Note: this can be made into a veggie dish. Instead of chicken you can use root veggies such as carrots, potatoes, onions etc. and veggie stock instead of chicken stock. It will still be very tasty!

1 large chicken, cut for sautéing (If you can't find instructions for this, you can just use 4 chicken breasts instead.)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp sea salt
3 heaping tbsp flour
extra virgin olive oil
1 large bulb of fennel, roughly chopped, herby tops chopped and reserved (I didn't use this. I'm not the biggest fan of fennel.)
1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 small preserved lemons, chopped (no where in Peterborough has these... I just used lemon juice)
1 small bunch of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
2/3 cup farika or bulghur wheat (I used bulghur)
1 wineglass of tequila, vodka or white wine (I used white wine)
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 small tub of sour cream or créme fraiche (I used light sour cream... Greek yogurt would also work!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. First, cut your chicken for sauté, then bash all the spices up with a mortar and pestle with the salt until you have a fine powder. Add your flour and mix together well. Rub this intensely flavored flour all over your chicken and in every crack and cranny. You may have a little flour left over, so just reserve this for later.

2. Heat an appropriately sized casserole-type pan, or a roasting pan, on the stovetop and add 5 tbsp of olive oil. Begin to brown your chicken pieces on all sides - you want them to fry in one layer. Once they are nicely coloured, remove to a plate, turn down the heat and then add your fennel, onion, preserved lemons and rosemary to the pan. Fry for around 5 minutes, until nice and softened. Then add any excess flavored flour and your farika or bulghur wheat, and give it a good stir.

3. Add tequila, vodka or wine and allow to cook down to leave a fabulous fresh and fragrant taste. Cover with chicken stock or water until it reaches the same level as the grains and the veg. Now you need to make a cartouche. (a piece of parchment paper cut to the size of your dish/pan) Run it under the tap to make it flexible, then rub it with olive oil so it doesn't stick. Place the cartouche over the couscous and veg in the pan and put the chicken on top. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes, until the chicken skin is really crisp. Sometimes the grains start to burn on the bottom and they get a little bit of colour. I quite like it when this happens, but to prevent it just make sure you place the pan at the top of the oven so it's not getting direct heat from the bottom. Serve straight away with a good dollop of sour cream or créme fraiche and sprinkle with the fennel tops.


(For serving: place chicken in one dish, discard your cartouche and place bulghur mixture in another dish.)

It all came together so wonderfully! I prepared the chicken first, and put the salad together in the last 10 minutes of the chicken baking. The flavours were amazing in both the chicken and the salad. The salad is so crunchy and satisfying! To add to all this, my mom did a quick calculation of how much this meal costs, and she estimated it came to only four dollars a plate! I was very impressed with this meal.

I hope all is well on your end. Wedding plans, teaching and everything else. I am very excited to start our training program for Oxfam. Lots of fun times to come!

All My Love,

Jamie Oliver's Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Dear Jess,

Over the past couple months, Jason and I have been getting to know his cousin Noel and his girlfriend Sarah. They are an hysterical couple who love having fun and laughing with and/or without reason.

Last night they had a joint birthday party and we found ourselves privileged with an invite. They decided on an Italian themed potluck dinner followed by some retro glow-in-the-dark bowling. I was thrilled to be assigned to provide a main course. In a flurry of excitement I ripped into my copies of Jamie's Italy, Jamie's Meals in Minutes and many other favourite 'go-to' cookbooks. I ended up finding the predestined recipe on his website. Please note as you're reading through the ingredients and looking at my pictures: I doubled the recipe! One single batch will serve around 6 people. I needed enough for 8, so I doubled the recipe and we ate a portion of it before the party to make sure it turned out as delicious as I planned.


Aaaaaaand it is!

It is so Italian, so delicious and it doesn't take forever.

The only thing I would like to point out is the part when you have to get the filling into your cannelloni noodles. Jamie says it's easy. And I think if this is a regular occurrence for you it would become easy... If it's your first time (as it was mine) it's a little tricky. The important thing is: it's do-able! So no worries. It's worth it all!

Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni 
adapted from Jamie's Dinners
2 knobs of butter
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large handful of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
¼ of a nutmeg, grated
8 large handfuls of spinach, thoroughly washed
a handful of fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves ripped
2 x 400g tins of good-quality plum tomatoes, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
400g light ricotta cheese
1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 cannelloni tubes, oven ready
200g mozzarella, broken up

for the White Sauce
1 x 500ml tub of light Greek Yogurt
3 anchovies, finely chopped
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Then find a metal baking tray or ovenproof dish that will fit the cannelloni in one layer so it's nice and snug. This way you'll get the right cover of sauce and the right amount of crispiness on top. When I cook this at home I just use one pan to cut down on lots of washing up! Take your metal tray or a saucepan, put it on a high heat and add your butter, a drizzle of olive oil, one of the sliced garlic cloves, a handful of oregano and the grated nutmeg. By the time the pan is hot the garlic should be soft. Put as much spinach as will fit into the pan. Keep turning it over; it will wilt quickly so you will be able to keep adding more spinach until it's all in. Moisture will cook out of the spinach, which is fine. By cooking it this way you don't lose any of the nutrients that you would if boiling it in water.

After 5 minutes, put the spinach into a large bowl and leave to cool. Place the pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil, the other clove of sliced garlic, your basil stalks and the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, add a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until you get a loose tomato sauce consistency. Then take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.

By now the spinach will have cooled down, so squeeze any excess liquid out of it and pour this back into the bowl. Finely chop the spinach and put it back into the bowl. Mix it with the liquid, add the ricotta and then use a piping bag to squeeze the mixture into the cannelloni. You can make your own piping bag by getting a sandwich bag and putting the spinach mix into the corner of it. Then twist the bag up and cut the corner off. Carefully squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes so each one is filled right up.

Lay the cannelloni over the tomato sauce in the pan. Or you can pour the tomato sauce into your ovenproof dish and lay the cannelloni on top. To make the white sauce, mix together the Greek Yogurt, anchovies and the 2 handfuls of Parmesan with a little salt and pepper and spoon it over the cannelloni. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the mozzarella pieces, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

I hope you have such an amazing Christmas break! If I don't see you before you leave: safe travels! Have so much fun visiting Hogwarts! (So jealous...) Say hello to your parents for me. Enjoy the break and remember to take pleasure in our Lord Jesus Christ always. He is truly the reason for this season.

So Much Love,

Looking Back: The Favourites of 2011

Dear Faithful Readers,

It is that time of year again. As January 1st sneaks up on us, we are given these few relaxing moments to reflect on the year that is about to close behind us.

Many things have happened in these past 12 months that neither of us dreamed would come to be. Jess moved to a different city, received a real teaching position, and got engaged! Sally did her first 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge, started learning Spanish, and successfully paid off half her student loan (and is still going strong!) Throughout everything we bonded and celebrated together. We also were blessed with an amazing community willing to give as much support, encouragement and love as we needed in whatever form they could. We are truly blessed, and inspired by you all.

In this post you will find your top 10 favourite recipes of 2011 (plus a couple of our favourites that didn't make the list). We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 10. The Oo-la-la Burger

From Food and Drink Summer 2011

9. Cookie Ice Cream Pie 

From the brilliance of Jess Koning's Creativity 

8. Quinoa Risotto

From Food and Drink Autumn 2011

7. Grilled Hanger Steak with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and Sauce Bordelaise  

From The New Brooklyn Cookbook, Page 116-118

6. Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

From this link 

  

5. Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

From this link

4. Paprika Lamb Burgers and Home Made Oreos

From BBC Good Food and this link

 

3. Mountain Meatballs

From Jamie's America, Page 308

2. Sausage Carbonara

From Jamie's Italy, or JamieOliver.com

1. Broccoli Orecchiette, Zucchini & Bobboncini Salad, 

Prosciutto & Melon Salad 

From Jamie's Meals in Minutes

Jessica's Favourite of 2011: Sweet Potato Skins, Mushroom Polenta Diamonds,  and Flourless Chocolate Cake
From MarthaStewart.com 

 
Sally's Favourite of 2011: The Olé Burger

From Food and Drink Summer 2011

   

 

 

God Bless,

Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula

Dear Jess,

I have been thinking about you a lot lately. I miss you. I am so excited for our upcoming adventures on the 3rd.

Jason has been wanting pasta for about the last... 14 months. I don't eat a lot of pasta because I find it too heavy. So when I was craving spaghetti I ripped open my copy of Jamie Oliver Italy and scoped the pasta pages for inspiration.

I found: Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula). I think any recipe where I get to cook with alcohol is my favourite. There's something about the aroma that jumps out of the pan at you... there is just nothing else like it. So when you add some sun-dried tomatoes, hot peppers, shrimp, garlic, lemon and fresh arugala to white wine... mmmmmmmmmm.

Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola
From Jamie's Italy
1 lb. dried spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
1 lb. peeled raw large shrimp (If you're using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed)
1 small wineglass of white wine
2 heaping tbsps sun-dried tomato puree, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of arugala, roughly chopped (I used way more than this)

Cook your spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good glugs of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the shrimp and saute them for a minute. Add the white wine and the tomato puree and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, and add half the chopped arugula, using a little of the reserved cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, and correct the seasoning. Divide between four places and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the arugula leaves.

As I am always saying: I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you.

So much Love,