Recipe: Ham Quiche for whole family (15mins to make)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Quick note: please excuse the photography on this post, I was just making notes really, but the recipe is so good and so simple I had to share it! 

On that note . . .

I’ve never really liked quiche, I think the reason is that I’ve only ever had rubbish quiche. I think that’s a fair bet, cold quiche always reminds me of crap buffets, you know, all cold and tasteless, rubbery egg, sad pastry, a suicidal looking pie basically! Yeah that’s my experience of quiche . . .

Well not so long ago I popped into a coffee shop in White Chapel (I always go in if I’m in the area and I have a minute. The coffee is genuinely good.) I hadn’t had anything to eat yet and it was already 2pm so I thought I’d take 5 minutes and refuel, and for who knows what insane reason I picked their quiche to try.

The thing is, all of the food there looks spectacularly well turned out, (as do the staff, always so pleased to see you! That in itself perks up your day as much as the coffee!) so it was very difficult to choose. I guess on some level I thought, well if they can get a quiche to taste good . . . and it looked kinda nice.

When it came, accompanied by a smile, I gave it a once over and tucked in. Big chunks of juicy ham, in no way over cooked egg, nice pastry, not undercooked. It put me in such  good mood for the rest of the day.  Anyway if your in the area Aldgate East / White Chapel check out Exmouth Coffee Company (83 White Chapel High St)

The quiche I had that day was in the back of my mind when I was making this: it delivers on flavour but it’s no where near as pretty. Nowhere near. But every bit as juicy, tasty & comforting!!

Here goes . . .

ingredients (serves 4)

for the quiche

350g flakey pastry (or short pastry if you prefer)

2 tbsp garlic onion reduction (recipe here / or caramelised onion)

1 yellow pepper (pips, removed, coarse dice)

1 large onion (coarse dice)

100g soft cheese

4 eggs (beaten)

200-300g good quality ham

200g mature cheddar (grated)

apparatus / equipment

16x22cm pie tin / pyrex dish

method

Pre-heat your oven.

Dust the pie dish with flour, then line it with pastry, cover that with baking paper and line that with ceramics or coins.

Blind bake for 15mins @ 200C

While it’s baking sweat off the yellow pepper and onion. 

Add a little garlic at this point if you’re not using the garlic onion reduction.

The veg should finish soft but not coloured - no tough bits!

When the pastry comes out, remove the paper and ceramics and return to the over of another 5 mins to dry out the bottom a little more.

On it’s second return from the oven brush the bottom with garlic onion reduction.

Mix the pepper, onion and soft cheese and pour them into the pie case.

Next add the chucks of ham and pour in the beaten egg leaving at least half a cm to the top of the pastry.

The egg mix will rise a little during cooking so it needs a little space!

Top with cheddar cheese and grated black pepper and return it to the oven at 180C for 20min or until golden brown.

Take it out and let it cool for 15mins before serving.

Juicy, tasty, lovely!

to serve

Serve with a little of your favourite salad. Or not!! ; ) 

Comfort Recipe: Smokey Linguini - Vegetarian (works w/ Spaghetti, why not add Chorizo!)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

When I’m feeling like something that’s going to satisfy me, and not be a giant pain in the arse to make this really hits the spot!!

It does have one shortcut which is the garlic and onion reduction, I usually make a batch and store it in the fridge in an old mayo jar - one of the big ones!! Then I don’t have to chop onions or garlic or mess about at all!! Recipe for the garlic onion reduction is here (it’s basically lob ingredients into a pot and reduce it for a couple of hours).

This one’s just as simple!!

ingredients (serves 2-4)

for the linguini

200g linguini 

1 tsp salt

1.5L water

for the smokey flavour

2 tbsp garlic onion reduction (recipe)

1 tsp smoked paprika

10g picked thyme (optional but really nice)

slug of olive oil

for the garnish

chives or spring onions (chopped)

apparatus / equipment

colander

boiling pot

method

for the linguini

Bring 1.5L water to the boil (use kettle for high speed results!) 

Add the water to a boiling pot with the salt, dissolve the salt and add the pasta.

Cook for ~9-11mins depending how you like it. (9min al dente - 11min sooooft)

Then strain it, keeping the water to add a little to the sauce.

smokey flavour

First make sure you get hold of some decent smoked paprika: I use La Chinata - it has a great smokey flavour much better than most of the generic ‘smoked’ paprika you get in a lot of places. (you can get it at the supermarket too!!)

OK that said, dust a healthy tsp of smoked paprika over a medium hot dry frying pan. As soon as it starts to change colour and start giving off a smokey aroma (which will be 5-10seconds) add 2 tbsp of garlic reduction, a slug of olive oil and the thyme and mix well! Add the pasta and a 1/2 ladle of pasta water and toss the pasta with a couple of wooden forks. 

to serve

Serve on hot plates dusting with chives or spring onion.

thinking ahead

Now the pasta purists out there would probably have me shot, but this is just as good the next day and microwaves pretty well so it’s great to load up a takeaway box and have it for lunch the next day!

variations

Make it meaty!! Dice 100g chorizo and cook until browned on the outside, add the picked thyme, cook for 2 more minutes then put aside. Use the same pan for more flavour and add the paprika etc and follow recipe above, adding the cooked chorizo just before the pasta!Makes for a nice meaty variant!! 

Recipe: Succulent Chicken Breast Rigatoni (aka Teriyaki Mac n Cheese)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This recipe is really nothing more that a bit of chopping and mixing, simple and tasty. The key is succulent chicken and pasta a touch softer than al dente. You don’t want it to come out as if it came form a tin can, but make it too al dente and it all becomes to much effort to eat!!

Who likes sucking on a cross between a rubber bullet and a piece of chalk? Meh . . .  not so much! Who likes raw chicken? Nobody! 

So, the key to succulent chicken, is not to over cook it! 

Teriyaki Mac and Cheese is fast and simple comfort food, some soft cheese and some cured Mediterranean sausage and you’re ready for bliss!

ingredients (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts (cut into chicken tenders, and left to marinate)

400g rigatoni pasta (dry weight)

for the marinade

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp medium peri peri sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

for the sauce

2 onions (diced and cooked translucent)

50ml EVO

50g italian salami (diced)

50g chorizo (diced)

200g soft cheese

2tbsp garlic onion reduction

for the spring onion vinaigrette (enough for 8)

250ml EVO

200ml cider vingar

1 tbsp sugar

4 spring onions (chopped into thin rings)

This dish is, as with most cooking (specially with pasta), all about timing! Definitely don’t want hard chewy chicken and soggy pasta. It’s about a smooth sauce with a little kick, succulent and tasty chicken, with morsels of Mediterranean cured meats, all mixed with a pasta that holds a little shape and plenty of sauce . . . . now we’re talking!!

Before starting put a kettle of water on to boil.

chicken

Pull the centre piece out of the breast, the kind of mini breast (the bit you make chicken tenders with), and cut the remaining breast into 3 slices the same size, put it all into a food bag or a take away box with the marinade, 30mins is fine, while you put the kids down or a have a glass of wine. Thinking about it the kids will love this recipe! When you feel the chicken is ready put the olive oil into a medium hot frying pan, and using tongs shake off the excess marinade and put it into the pan. Keep the excess marinade. Turn the chicken once to colour each side. The chicken pieces should be golden when you turn them and should be cooked on the outside. Put them on a plate to one side.

rigatoni

Add 2L of boiling water to a pot, add 1tbsp salt and bring the water to the boil. Add the pasta and boil for 9-10min, the pack I had said 12-14mins but if you put it in that long it would come out as mush at the end. Secondly it’ll be inedible if you keep it for lunch tomorrow. Whereas if it’s al dente, it will be fine for tomorrows lunch!! : )

sauce

Using the pan from the chicken, fry off the onions until translucent.

Then add the diced cured meat, and let it render a little fat into the pan. 

Add 2 tbsp of garlic onion reduction (alternatively 1/2 a crumbled chicken stock and a little garlic salt, and 200ml water). Then add the soft cheese and stir in until all the lumps have gone. Add a little water if it’s too thick. It should be the same consistency as cream. Turn the heat down until it’s bubbling lightly, then cut chicken tenders into 1/3’s with a pair of scissors add them to the sauce.

Leave for about 5 mins then turn off the heat and wiat for the pasta.

to serve

Once the pasta is ready drain it and add it to the sauce. Mix well. Serve immediately.

If it’s come out a little under seasoned you can grate some parmesan on it but it shouldn’t need it.

A touch of parsley for that retro garnish look? It’s up to you!!

Personally I went with a rather sharp vinaigrette and spring onion to balance the cheese sauce and compliment the spiciness.