Pasta sauce with slow roasted mushrooms (and other yummy things)

This is a pasta sauce that I like to make from time to time. It's basic, rustic and good for you. The giant field mushrooms have a really meaty texture, and the mushroom flavour becomes potent through the roasting. It takes a little while, but is ridiculously simple, and can be varied according to your preference and whatever you have to hand. Sometimes I also slow roast some tomotoes brushed with balsamic, then add some pecorino or fetta, other times I've just sliced and tossed the mushrooms through some pesto.

It always goes well with a chunkier pasta, like parpadelle, farfalle, orichiette or similar.

This time I mixed the mushrooms through with some sauteed kale and toasted walnuts and had it on gnocchi. This was an excellent combo. In a perfect world I would have made the gnocchi from scratch with a mix of both standard and sweet potatoes, but this time I used fresh potato gnocchi. Here's the recipe:


Ingredients
3 large field mushrooms
1 bunch of kale or Tuscan cabbage
lotsa garlic
a big knob of butter
olive oil
gnocchi
salt and pepper and parmasan to taste

Brush the mushrooms lightly with olive oil on both sides. Place them on their caps and throw a shake of salt and ground pepper over them. Put them in a slow oven (about 140 Celcius).

After about 30 minutes, start the rest of the preparations. First chop the walnuts into big ol' chunks and scatter them around the mushrooms, then return to the oven. Boil some water for the gnocchi, then melt the large knob of butter in a deep, non-stick frying pan.  While this is melting add the gnocchi to the water. Throw the roughly chopped garlic into the buttery pan and after about half a minute, the equally roughly chopped kale and toss through the butter.   At about this time the gnocchi will be done. It takes about 2 minutes, but will float to the top of the water when it's done. Drain the gnocchi on a plate. You can add a splash of the pasta water to the kale to help it wilt, and if you have a bottle handy, add a splash of wine (white or red, either is good but I prefer red) to it as well.

Remove the kale from the pan and rest in a dish. Take the mushrooms from the oven and slice in half, then across in approximately 0.5 centimeter slices. Mix the mushrooms and garlic through the kale.

In the same frying pan you cooked the kale, add a generous splash of olive oil and then scatter the gnocchi into the pan. Toss at 1 minute intervals, until each gnoccho is golden brown on at least one side.  Throw the mushrooms and kale mix over the top, add a small amount of salt and plenty of cracked pepper and grate parmasan over the lot.

Potato and Leek Tart

Ingredients:

• potatoes - 5 small or 3 large
• 2 leeks
• mustard (your preference, I use French or Dijon)
• 1 egg
• 1 block of gruyere, grated
• a small amount of parmasen cheese, grated
• shortcrust pastry (make your own, or if in a hurry, use frozen sheets)

Boil the potatoes until just cooked and still firm (the same consistency you might use for a potato salad). Thaw the pastry sheets and line a greased, fluted pie or tart dish with the pastry, and trim the edges. Line with dry rice or beans and blind bake for 10 minutes or so, the packet will specify the time.  If I don't have beans I sometimes line with foil and blind bake at about 200 degrees - it's not perfect but it's pretty good. While the pastry is in the oven and the potatoes are boiling, thinly slice the leeks and and sautee in butter or olive oil until soft.


Once the potatoes are cooked, run under some cold water to cool them quickly, then slice in half longways, then in half centimeter slices (half moon shaped). 


Mix together the leeks, potatoes, raw egg and half the gruyere cheese with some salt and pepper. Be careful to mix carefully so the potatoes do not turn to mash. 


Spread a generous layer of mustard over the floor of the pastry, then spoon over the potato and leek mixture and spread it to the edges. Cover with the remaining gruyere and the parmasen and bake for a further 15 or 20 minutes, until the top is browning. 


Devour.

Scallop and prosciutto salad

Prosciutto, sliced into a dozen or so thin pieces
Scallops (about 8)

Peas

Cherry Tomatoes

Rocket

Fresh mint, finely chopped

Some unsalted butter for frying

Fry the scallops in the butter, remove and drain, then fry the prosciutto until crisp. Drain on paper towel.

Cook the peas, drain, and rinse in cold water to cool. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and toss through with rocket, peas and mint. Toss with a small dash of olive oil and cracked pepper. Add prosciutto and scallops, and scoff right down with some crisp white wine.

Buckwheat Soba Satay with Chilli Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Ingredients:
Small head of broccoli
Small head of cauliflower
Chilli powder
Olive Oil
1 packet of buckwheat soba noodles
Satay sauce:
Crunchy peanut butter (half a cup to a cup worth)
2 small hot red chillies, finely chopped
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
Lots of garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Generous pour of soy sauce
Several tablespoons of brown sugar
Spring onions

Method:
Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets, and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle liberally with chilli powder and olive oil and toss until all florets are coated. Place in hot oven to roast until getting brown and cripsy (25-35 minutes).

Prepare the soba according the the instructions on the packet (ie boil in water, and drain).

To make satay, in a medium sized saucepan brown onions in olive oil, add chillies and garlic. Then add peanut butter and lower heat. Once peanut butter is runny, add soy and lemon juice and stir through. If getting too thick add some water. Add brown sugar. Taste (this is the best bit). Adjust to your liking by adding more sugar, lemon juice, soy, or peanut butter as required.

Place roasted vegies on noodles, and dole the satay over the lot, and stir through (gently so as not to break the noodles too much). Sprinkle with finely chopped spring onions.

NB This satay sauce is fantastically delicious, and can be used for many other purposes, including marinade for shish kebabs, and as a dipping sauce for rice paper rolls. Yum.

Pink and Green Salad

Ingredients:

Peas
Fresh Mint (lots)
Fetta
Beetroot

Cook the peas and allow to cool (soak them in iced water if you need to speed this process up). Roughly chop the mint and fetta, and peel and grate the raw beetroot. Throw all the ingredients in a large bowl, and toss. The beetroot will stain the fetta a hot pink colour almost immediately.

Dress with raspberry vinaigrette and olive oil.


NB Peas can be substituted for other lovely green vegies such as green beans, or broad beans. All other ingredients remain absolutely essential.

Penne Puttanesca

This is a slight variation on the classic. I find capers too salty on top of everything else, and opt to add capsicum instead.
 
Ingredients:
packet of penne pasta
1 capsicum, finely sliced
generous handful of kalamata olives
6 anchovy fillets
tin of crushed tomatoes
lots of garlic
lots of finely chopped continental parsley
slug of olive oil
salt and cracked pepper
parmasen to serve

Bring pasta water to the boil. While it's heating, fry up the garlic and anchovies in olive oil, add capsicum and olives and fry on high heat for a minute, then add tinned tomatoes and half the parsley and the salt and pepper, and simmer. Add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente.

Once pasta is cooked, drain and then add to sauce and stir through. Top with parmasen and devour with a glass of delicious red wine.

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
chicken fillet, sliced (can also be made with fish, seafood, or just vegies)
some vegies (broccoli, carrot, bok choy or mushrooms are all good)
packet of rice vermicelli noodles
500 ml of stock
splash of rice wine vinegar
splash of fish sauce
cinnamon stick
lemon grass (or a few strips of lemon rind)
star anise
chilli
ginger
coriander and spring onion

Utensils: bamboo steamer (cheap cheap cheap from asian supermarkets)

Place the stock, fish sauce, vinegar and spices in a wok on a high heat. Once hot add vermicelli. Place steamer on the wok with chicken and cover.  Leave on high heat about 5 mins, then add vegies. Steam another minute or two.

Pluck out spices from the liquid, and pour the soup and noodles into a bowl, and serve with chicken and vegies on top. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and spring onion.

Serves two.

* This recipe is delicious in its vegetarian incarnation, and is MOST delicious with jumbo prawns.