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: Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Lollipops (like Rees’s Pieces only better!)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Christmas just passed I was asked to make a belated Christmas dinner for friends which I was only to glad to help with. I got a rather inexperienced volunteer helper, and rather than waste the offer I gave him this recipe to follow. He did a very good job to be fair!

Technically these will last a month in the fridge. Practically, unless they’re under guard, they might last a day maybe 2!

Needles to say you can prepare them in advance. (Along with your will of steel)

The results were stunning!!! : )

ingredients (makes ~24)

for the centre

340g smooth peanut butter (1 jar)

397g caramel (1 tin)

couple of pinches of salt flakes

for the coating

300g dark chocolate

apparatus / equipment

1 pack toothpicks

bain marie

method

Mix the peanut butter, caramel and salt. Adjust the salt to your taste.

Once it’s perfect line a freezer proof tray (not glass) with cling film and put the mix into it.

Spread it out to create a layer about an inch thick. 

Cover the top with another layer of cling film, and put it into the freezer for 60mins to set.

Once set remove from the freezer, unwrap and cut into pieces 1 inch cubed.

Put a layer of cling film onto your original tray.

Working quickly roll each cube into a ball, push a cocktail stick into it and pop it onto the tray.

Once they’re all done put them back into the freezer until you need them. (Another 60 mins preferably)

to coat

Put the chocolate into a small pyrex (heat proof) bowl. 

Put this over the top of a pan of simmering water, with the bottom of the bowl not touching the water.

Leave until the chocolate has completely melted. (Make sure the water doesn’t boil dry)

Once the chocolate is ready remove the spheres of loveliness from the freezer.

One by one, dip the ball into the chocolate coating completely, and letting the excess drip off.

Place the coated ball onto a tray lined with cling film or greaseproof paper, and leave it to set.

thinking ahead

As I mentioned, technically these will last a month in the fridge. Practically, unless they’re under guard, they might last the day maybe 2! Needles to say you can prepare them in advance. (Along with your will of steel!!)

variations

Why not try it with white chocolate!! 


this is the version we do for  ferdiesfoodlab

iced salted caramel & peanut butter crunchy bottoms

Recipe: Zero Fat Salmon & Pork Wonton Soup

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

A friend of mine came round to lend a hand with hanging a door, a bit of sawing cutting varnishing that kind of thing. As a thanks for lending a hand I knocked this recipe up for a late lunch. I’m not gonna lie, it would have gone down exceptionally well accompanied by an ice cold beer! Unfortunately no beer allowed today - booooo! - watching that there waistline : /

Not bad for a bit of lunch - to be fair we'd earned it!!

Salmon is optional!! : )

Cucumber noodles

This recipe is a great recipe because you can have it with carbs or as a carb-less cucumber version!! Aye! So really good if you’re cooking for others while watching your own intake. Oh the sneakiness!! : )

It’s also quick and simplicity to make!

ingredients (serves 2 hungry people)

for the noodle soup

500g fresh noodles

1 chicken stock cube

1 tsp yellow bean paste (soya bean paste)

1L boiling water

1 medium red onion (finely sliced)

2 small green chillies (cut into rings, keep seeds)

1tbsp fish sauce (season to taste)

for the pork wontons

10 pork wontons (recipe post coming soon)

for the cucumber noodles

Mint & Sweet Basil

1/3 cucumber (mandolin to noodles)

1 tsp soy

for the salmon

300g salmon (cut into 2 pieces)

olive oil

salt

Ready for action!!

for the topping ~ garnish

2 tbsp cucumber noodles

10g sweet basil (stalks removed, torn)

10g mint (stalks removed, torn)

10g coriander (stalks removed, torn)

2 spring onions (cut into strips and then thirds)

~

2 spring onions (fine sliced into rings)

sweet basil (picked)

crispy fried onion

1 lime (sliced into 1/4’s)

apparatus / equipment

mandolin

method

for the noodle soup

Put the yellow bean paste and chicken stock cube in a pot, dissolve in the boiling water.

Add the green chillies, 1/2 of the red onion and the wontons, bring to the boil then set to simmer.

Add the spring onions just before serving. (or to the noodles, either will do)

for the cucumber noodles

Run the cucumber through the mandolin. Add a touch of soy if you fancy it!

Simple and fast! WARNING: Be so sooo careful with your fingers on the mandolin!!

Cook it 90% skin side down!! (Don't forget to de-scale it!)

for the salmon

I like my salmon ‘mit cuit’ but that’s a lot of ****ing about for lunch, so a nice quick alternative is to literally half cook it!

Quickly sear the remaining sides

Pat the salmon dry and coat it in olive oil. Salt the skin side to give a really nice crispy skin, and put it into pan on a medium high heat, skin side down. Leave it for 5mins until crisp and golden. the sear the remaining sides to finish. The centre should warm and still pink! If you’re using the skirt of the salmon, which is a lot thinner and fattier (and really nice) use a hot pan on a high heat for a shorter time.

for the pork wontons

I grabbed these out of the freezer!! I’ll put up a post on how to make them soon!

to serve

Unpack the noodles then loosen them and put them in a bowl. Microwave them so the broth stays warm when you pour it in.

Dress the noodles with herbs, cucumber noodles, spring onion and the red onion and pour in the broth. Sprinkle with round spring onion slices, crispy fried onion and chillies. Pop the salmon on top and serve with a slice of lime.

variations

If you’re making the cucumber noodle version replace 250g noodles with 2/3 of a cucumber that’s been sliced into noodles!

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.

Leftovers - Recipe: Duck & Date Pie

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I hate food waste, so very important to cook nose to tail! (Ahem - parsons nose to bill in this case!) 

I’ve been developing a couple of new duck dishes recently. Our ducks come with giblets, which includes neck, heart, liver, and kidneys. The liver and kidneys are easy to use, the wings and neck on the other hand? 

Well I decided to make a stock out of them, after about 2 hours of slow braising I pulled them out. 

Turns out there’s quite a lot of meat on duck necks!  The wings have bizarrely little meat on them because the muscle is in the breast obviously!!  If you’re roasting a duck, the wing dries out in the oven and becomes tough and chewy, if you braise them however you get a fair amount of meat form them!! Which is a good reason to cut the wings off before roasting. 

So from making the stock I got a great sauce and wing and neck meat, I picked them both, reduced the stock and turned them into pies!!!  And jolly good they were too!

I served them with a tangerine cauliflower cous cous - light and fruity - great combo!

ingredients (makes 8 pies)

for the duck stock

4 duck necks

8 duck wings

leftover carcass

1 tomato (diced)

1 onion (diced)

2 chillies (chopped into rings)

2L water

for the pie

duck meat (picked from the carcass, wings, and neck)

8 dates (copped)

2 onions (medium dice)

chilli sauce (to taste)

3cm ginger (peeled and fine dice)
180g haggis (cooked, crumbled)

for the pastry

700g flaky pastry

1 egg

duck stock

This is really simple, chuck all the ingredients into a pot bring to the boil, then set to simmer. Leave for 2 hours.

Then take out the wings, necks and any carcass and pick the meat from them once they’ve cooled a little but are still warm.

Sieve the remains of the stock and reduce it by half. A quick taste check to make sure it’s nice, if it needs more reduction to develop the flavour then crack on! If it’s too salty add some water to loosen it a little.

for the pie

Sweat off the onions until they’re translucent, add the duck and let them brown a little.

Add the ginger, dates and chilli, this should make a meaty pie filling!!

Next add enough of the reduced stock to give the perfect pie filling!

Finally mix in the haggis.

for the pastry

Get some flakey pastry (or make you own).

Dust the pie dishes with a little flour. 

Once you’ve line the pie dishes with pastry, put a piece of cling film or baking paper in them and fill them with ceramic beads or pulses of some sort. (lentils, chick peas, rice works too, as do coins!)

Put them in the oven, 180C 15mins.

Remove them from the oven and turn it up to 200C.

Remove the pulses and cling film from the pie cases and brush them with egg wash. This serves two purposes: to make them shiny and to water proof them - no soggy bottoms here!!  

Put the pie cases back in the oven for 5 mins @ 200C.

Fill the pies with the filling, then brush the rims with egg wash. 

Put tops on the pies and put them back into the oven for 15-20mins.

If you’re a perfectionist you should probably crimp them around the edges!!!

thinking ahead

These will freeze.  Re-warm from frozen, at 160C for 15-20minutes - AWESOME!

to serve

Since this is quite a naughty dish I served it with a tangerine cauliflower cous cous, which is cous cous made 50% out of cauliflower, really tasty an really healthy with a nod to that classic Duck L’Orange.

and I quote . . . . "Oooh, so sooo tasty!!"

I served it w/ tangerine cauliflower cous cous

Leftovers Recipe Experiment: Cauliflower & Couscous

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I was having a bit of a clear down in the kitchen last weekend and decided to clear out all the nearly empty sauce bottles, veg and bits that were on their way out. 

I find couscous is quite a good way to use up a load of veg! An onion, some chicken stock, roast veg and some couscous and you can usually make something acceptable!

Now given what I had, I thought a slight moroccan lean would be appropriate. Kinda!? A technique I’ve seen a couple of time recently is blended cauliflower! Just blitzed in a food processor! Anyhoo I thought I’d give that a try and mix it with the couscous a sort of  low carb couscous. And have a looksee how it came out.

As it turns out: Really really good!! 

It has the same texture as the couscous but a lot less carbs! 5% vs 25%! Really good substitute. 

Luckily I took notes  .  .  .   

: ) 

Quick note: I’ve put to a quick reference together for use int kitchen w/ tablets and phones here: Quick Ref

Includes Grains vs water ratios for types of couscous, and other grains.

ingredients (serves 6)

for the couscous

50g sultanas

75ml OJ

75ml apple juice

125g barley couscous 

220g boiling water 

1 chicken stock (dissolved in water)

1 cauliflower (blended)

2 onions (medium dice)

1 green pepper (medium dice)

6 dates (stoned, small dice)

20g almonds flakes

40g butter (melted for almonds)

3 tangerines (peeled, and segments cut into halves)

1/2 salted lemon (fine dice)

5g coriander (optional)

for the garnish

a little coriander (of course)

apparatus / equipment

food processor (I used the blender attachment for my stick blender)

or a grater (watch your knuckles)

method

Put the juices and sultanas in a small pot and bring to the boil. Then turn it off and put aside to soak.

Dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water and add it to couscous.

Remove the stem from the cauliflower, break it up into florets and blend it until it’s the same consistency as couscous, maybe slightly larger, but not much.

Sweat off the pepper, onion and dates and put aside when ready.

Melt the butter and toast the almonds in it.

Use a wooden spoon or fork to lightly break up the couscous so it’s light and fluffy then mix in the cauliflower until homogenous.

Prep the tangerines, salted lemon & coriander, and add it all to the couscous, including the sultanas and juice!!

Mix, garnish and you’re ready to rock!!

Cracking combo!

thinking ahead

You can make this in the afternoon, and serve it room temp, or microwave it to heat it up.

what could go wrong? (notes)

Water logged cous cous? 

For normal couscous use a ratio of 1 : 1.25  couscous : water by weight.

For barley couscous use a ratio of 1 : 1.75  couscous : water by weight.

Quick Ref for your phone, includes temperature conversion, couscous obvs, rice, meat doneness and more : )

Why Not Bookmark Me On Phone Or Tablet!?!

variations

If you want to eliminate the butter, you can toast the almonds under the grill.

You can use normal couscous too, just use a less water - 165g. 

Grains vs water ratios here: Quick Ref < bookmark me on phone / tablet!

You can get away with blending a little finer than this!!

Experiment - Recipe: Lamb breast / Belly cooked w/ a Cartouche & Topped Caramelised Veg.

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Originally this was and experiment, which explains why the images don't exactly match the pictures. The recipe is 3 experiments later, and seriously lush!! So simple to make, inexpensive and so tasty!

Makes a great Sunday dinner recipe!! Succulent, juicy

Cartouche? Probably better at preventing spitting than any other use, not sure it brings anything to this party! You’re welcome to post a comment on that if you feel strongly about the benefits of a cartouche!!

ingredients (serves 4-6)

for the lamb breast / belly 

  (roast:  150C/180min)

2 lamb bellies 

4 onions

2 leeks

4 cloves garlic

2 lamb stock cubes

2 pints / 1L water. 

for the sauce

1 pint skimmed milk

1 tbsp flour

200ml water

for the roasties

8 medium / large potatoes

7g thyme (bruised)

7g rosemary (bruised)

4 cloves garlic (peeled and squashed)

150ml olive oil

for the greens

broad beans

radish pods (optional)

for the garnish

a touch of parsley if you fancy it

apparatus / equipment

pyrex dish & lid

method

lamb breast / belly

Put all ingredients into a roasting tray.

Coat the skin of the lamb with oil, and sprinkle with salt (draws water out of the skin makes it crispy).

Roast for at least 3 hours.

If it needs it, top up stock with another pint after 2hours.

After 3 hours, remove lamb and cut off the butcher's string.

Slice the lamb belly rolls into 1 cm pieces, and lay out on a tray.

Drain the vegetables, and put the stock to one side in a tall thin container. This makes it easier to skim off the fat.

Spread the remaining onions leak and bits over the sliced lamb and return to the oven at 180C/60m 

After an hour the top with have for a caramelised crunchy gorgeous surface.

make the sauce

Skim off as much fat as desired - more fat more flavour - but also A LOT more calories (and it's saturated fat from this cut).

Add 1/2 - 1pint of milk - add enough so that the seasoning is balanced.

Mix 1tbsp of plain flour with water until smooth paste, then gradually add more water until you get to a cream liquid consistency.

Add the flour liquid mix to the jus, stirring vigorously to start,  and bring to the boil stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened and the flour is cooked out - about 5-10mins. Season if required.

potatoes

While the lamb is in the oven boil the potatoes in salt water, drain and leave them until they stop steaming.

Add the oil, salt and garlic and mix with a wooden fork until the potatoes have a fluffy coating of mashed potato.

Pour out onto a baking tray and roast 180C/45m - then turn them and return to the oven for another 15m.

Serve the lamb with roast potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings!!! Oh my goood, soooo good!!!

thinking ahead

This is great pre-movie fare. Stick it on while you making lunch for the evening viewing!! It really is as simple as chopping up a few onions and a squirt of anchovy paste, and into the oven with some stock. You can then claim 5 hours of cooking and hand the potatoes over to somebody else!!! : )

what could go wrong? (notes)

Not much, this is a pretty forgiving dish, just make sure it doesn't go dry! That, would be bad! Specially just before the movie!!

conclusion 

A must try lazy Sunday recipe! Don't forget the red wine!