Geri's Food

Tag: Main Dishes

  • Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

    Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

    The pear tree is casting a gentle shade in the garden. Half-light, half-dark. Cool enough to protect from the burning sun and warm enough to invite us for a lunch outside. It is a perfect summer day and we are eager to set the table underneath the brunches. A plate of delicious food, a glass of chilled rosé, bird songs and butterflies, transform the day into pure magic. Who new that life could be so simple?

    My husband doesn’t stop to smile or to compliment the cooking. He takes a bite and marvels how home cooked spaghetti could taste so divine. We both take second helpings, eating more than we should, but with the flower scented setting and our eyes full of green, is seems perfectly alright. The spaghetti are so sweet and light. Home made sauce and a plate full of garden veggies – tomatoes, paprika, croquette and aubergine. All the basic recipe ingredients of the famous spaghetti alla Puttanesca!

    Most people consider making a tomato sauce a difficult task. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. Frying a minced garlic clove, diced onion, chopped tomatoes and paprika is all that it takes. The vegetables do the cooking. Adding a few dry herbs and spices brings everything together and before you know it you have a home made spaghetti sauce. I guarantee, it is sweeter and lighter than anything you may choose from the store. Once the sauce is ready, I add the pre-cooked vegetables and the boiled spaghetti mixing well. Serving with plenty of fresh basil leaves elevates the flavour of the dish, making it all Italian. Easy and delicious every day cooking, but when made with love, it is always turning into something more.

    Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

    Ingredients

    • Store bought spaghetti
    • Olive oil
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 1 courgette, chopped into cubes
    • 1 aubergine, chopped into cubes
    • 1 red paprika, chopped into cubes
    • 5 ripe red tomatoes, chopped into cubes
    • pinch of salt
    • ground black pepper
    • 1 tsp of sugar
    • 1 tsp dry oregano
    • 1 tsp red paprika powder
    • 1 tsp dry basil
    • fresh basil leaves

    Method

    1. Boil the spaghetti in a deep pot full of water, a pinch of salt and a few droplets of olive oil.
    2. Cut all vegetables in cubes.
    3. Heat two table spoons of olive oil in a frying pan and add the aubergines. Fry on a medium heat until they become soft and golden brown. Take the cooked aubergines out of the frying pan and set aside.
    4. Add a table spoon of olive oil in the same pan and dry the courgette until soft and golden brown. Take out of the pan and mix together with the aubergines. Set aside.
    5. In the same frying pan, if needed add more olive oil and the onion, garlic and red paprika. Season with the red paprika powder, the dry oregano and dry basil. Fry for a few minutes until the onions and paprika become soft. Add the cubed tomatoes and a table spoon of water. Cook the souse for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have disintegrated and have mixed well into a harmonious souse. Season with salt, black pepper and sugar.
    6. Once the sauce is ready, add the already cooked courgette and aubergine. Cook for additional 5 minutes allowing all flavours to combine. If needed, add more salt and black pepper.
    7. Add the spaghetti to the sauce and mix everything well.
    8. Decorate the spaghetti with some fresh basil leaves. Serve warm.

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  • Country Bread

    Country Bread

    A warm, fresh out of the oven home made bread is cracking in my hands. The smell is intoxicating. The feeling wonderful and light. Like the whole world is smiling at me and I am smiling back. Now I finally understand what the French mean, by saying “the bread sings”!

    You won’t believe how easy it is to make this beautiful homemade artisan bread! Only 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes of hands-on time for a gorgeous loaf that looks like it came from a bakery. Perfect for beginners! I know that baking bread can be intimidating. There’s mixing and kneading and rising and it seems like it’s going to take forever and have a high chance of failure. If you’ve ever thought: “I just can’t make bread” then this easy artisan bread recipe is for you! Seriously, I can’t overstate how easy this recipe is and how beautifully the loaf turns out. The outside is crusty and chewy, while the inside is soft and tender. It’s perfect for serving alongside soup, with a creamy dip, or for making hearty sandwiches.

    The secret to this incredible artisan bread is a long rise time, so you do have to plan ahead. The nice part is that the dough can rise anywhere between 8 and 24 hours, so it’s very flexible. You can start it the night before you plan to serve, or in the morning before work, and either way it will still turn out great! There is very little hands-on time so I find it’s a lot easier to make on a busy weekday than a traditional loaf. Plus it just looks fancy, which is fun.

    You’ll start by mixing 3 cups white flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1.5 cups of warm water in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon and just mix until everything’s combined, probably less than a minute. No kneading, and no worries it if looks like a shaggy mess. It’s ok. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8-24 hours. It will get all bubbly. About 90 minutes before you’d like to serve it, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Form it into a ball by pulling the four sides into the centre and flipping the bread over. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

    In the meantime, turn on the oven to 230C degrees and put whatever dish you’ll cook it in inside the oven to preheat. You can use a dutch oven, or the crock from your slow-cooker, or a casserole dish with high sides, or an oven safe pot…pretty much anything that’s oven safe and has high sides will work. After the dough has rested and oven has preheated 30 minutes, use a sharp knife to slash across the top of the dough. Spray your baking dish with nonstick spray, pick up the dough with floured hands, and plop it in. Cover the dish with a lid and put it in the oven.

    Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 30 minutes more until top is nicely browned. I like to let it cool for at least 15 minutes before I slice, but sometimes I simply cannot wait. There is nothing like a warm slice of bread covered with home made strawberry jam!

    Country Bread Breakfast Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon yeast
    • 1.5 cups warm water

    Method

    1. In a bowl, stir the flour, salt, yeast and water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
    2. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and form a ball. (Place on parchment paper if desired.)
    3. Rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven safe baking dish with high sides into the oven and preheat to 230C degrees.
    4. Cut a line on top of the bread. Carefully transfer to baking dish and cover. (If using parchment paper, you can pick up the edges of the paper and transfer the dough and the paper together into the baking dish.)
    5. Bake covered 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 30 more minutes until quite golden brown.
    6. Cool before slicing.
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  • Courgette Spirelli

    Courgette Spirelli

    Have you ever noticed, how despite endless varieties, we seem to always gravitate towards the same kind of vegetables. It is different with fruits as they change with every season. It is different with fish and meat, as they are linked to specific recipes of types of meals. Whatever I do, I seem always to choose carrots, leeks, paprika, aubergine and courgette as part of our weekly shopping. Let’s be honest. They really do make fabulous meals!

    Like this amazing fresh and filling courgette spirelli. The recipe comes from one of my favourite cook books by Tom Kerridge called “Lose Weight for Good”. I am not sure about losing weight, but the recipes inside are really good. The Courgette Spirelli is a classic take on the Italian pasta-and-pesto combo. However, 10 times lighter and 10 times fresher! Something wonderful happens with all ingredients mixed as one. The meal feels vibrant, delicious and simply just right.

    I mentioned classic Italian, yes… and no. There is a freshness of lemon zest in the courgette. The seasoning includes the spices of nutmeg. The pesto is made with basil and spinach. It takes a real chef to know how to play with flavour and Tom Kerridge is simply the best. Just try and see!

    Ingredients

    • 180g half-dry cherry tomatoes
    • 500g courgettes, spiralized
    • 150g baby spinach
    • 30g basil leaves
    • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
    • 1tbsp virgin olive oil
    • Zest 1 lemon, finely grated
    • 2tbsp fresh vegetable stock or water
    • ½tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    • 10g pine nuts
    • Small handful basil leaves, shredded
    • 2tsp Parmesan, grated
    • 125g Ricotta

    Method

    1. To make the pesto put the basil leaves, spinach, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and parmesan into a jug blender or food processor, add some seasoning and blitz until smooth.
    3. Toast the pine nuts for the garnish in a small, dry pan for 30 secs, then tip onto a plate and set aside.
    4. Put the spiralized courgettes and the lemon peel into a bowl and season. Mix well with your hands, then leave to stand and wilt for 20 mins. Drain in a colander, patting the courgetti firmly with kitchen paper to remove all the excess water and seasoning.
    5. Tip the spiralized courgettes into a large pan, season with the nut meg, salt and black pepper and add the pesto. Stir well to coat with the sauce and cook over a medium heat for 2 mins.
    6. Divide the courgetti between 2 warmed serving bowls and sprinkle with the shredded basil leaves, Parmesan, pine nuts, half-dry tomatoes and a table spoon of Ricotta cheese.

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  • Wholemeal Bread

    Wholemeal Bread

    There is something so amazing with the smell of fresh baked bread coming from the oven. I am almost transformed back in time, remembering my grandmother baking bread. The dark shadows and light in the tiny kitchen. Her low round table and dark wood chairs. Her soft white hands in the soft white dough… A couple of years ago, baking my own bread felt like such an achievement. Nowadays, I feel nothing but pure joy. This is what tried and tested recipes should really look like.

    A a simple wholemeal bread could be deeply satisfying. I love to eat it fresh out of the oven with butter and some sea salt. My husband, however really adores it toasted with some cream cheese and smoked salmon. However the meal, the most amazing thing about the recipe is that stored well, the bread can last soft with a lovely crust for several days.

    The first recipe I have tried, using 500g of wholemeal flour made the bread really dense. Since then, we love to diversify using 300g wholemeal flour plus 200g plain white flour, or 100 white and 100 rye flour. This makes the bread slightly more soft as texture. But our ode of variation does not stop here, we have since learned to add walnuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds making the bread deliciously crunchy… A simple slice and chocolate spread – hmmm… simply divine!

    Wholemeal bread / Рецепта за пълнозърнест хляб
    Wholemeal Bread/ Рецепта за пълнозърнест хляб

    Ingredients

    • 300g strong wholemeal bread flour
    • 200g white flour, plus extra for dusting
    • 10g instant yeast
    • 10g salt
    • 340ml cool water

    Method

    1. Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast to one side and the salt to the other (salt in direct contact with the yeast could kill it or slow it down).
    2. Add the water and, using a plastic dough scraper or your fingers, work together the flour mixture and water. Slowly add the remaining water until you’ve picked up all the flour from the sides of the bowl and the dough is soft, but not soggy. You may not need absolutely all the water.
    3. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5 – 10 minutes until the dough forms a smooth, soft skin. At first it will feel wet and sticky – continue kneading and you’ll end up with the smooth texture you’re looking for.
    4. Shape the dough into a round and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until the dough has doubled in size. This could be anything from one hour to three, depending on how warm your kitchen is but don’t worry too much about leaving it too long, the dough should be fine left for up to three hours.
    5. Rub a thin layer of olive oil into a 1kg loaf tin. Tip the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock the air out of it by folding inwards repeatedly. Then flatten the dough slightly and form into an oblong by folding the sides into the middle. Press firmly on the dough where it joins to create a good structure then place your dough in the prepared tin, making sure the join is underneath.
    6. Place the tin inside a black plastic bag and leave to prove for about one hour, or until the dough is doubled in size and springs back quickly if you prod it with your finger. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees C and fill a roasting tray with hot water, placing it on the bottom shelf. This will create steam to help your loaf rise with a lovely crust.
    7. Dust the risen dough with flour and slash the top with a sharp serrared knife or razor. Bake for 30 minutes or until the loaf is cooked through. Check by tipping the loaf out of the tin and tapping the base – it should sound hollow.
    8. Remove your loaf from the oven and cool out of the tin on a wire rack.

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  • Mushroom Toast

    Mushroom Toast

    One of my all-time favourite British, or should I say Anglo-Saxon, dishes is Mushroom on Toast. Ideal for a quick light lunch this is such a pleasant meal. Mushrooms are usually associated with the autumn season, but luckily nowadays we can find all year round abundance of varieties. The most easily accessible for me are the supermarket bought chestnut mushrooms. Something wonderful happens when thrown in a pan. Their nutty, earthy flavour gets even more pronounced after they’re browned and crisped. Lemon juice and fresh herbs makes them sing. Butter, garlic and a toast slice of bread offer the ideal accompaniment and trust me when I say, a part from a glass of white wine, you will not need anything more.

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 slice country-style bread
    • 1 garlic clove
    • Kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 500g chestnut mushrooms, coarsely chopped
    • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon dry white wine
    • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
    • ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

    Method

    1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Fry bread until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer bread to a plate; wipe out skillet. Rub garlic clove onto bread, then season with salt. Using a paring knife, poke holes all over bread (so it can soak up all the sauce).
    2. Heat butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the mushrooms are golden brown and slightly crisp, 6–8 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice and cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Stir in thyme and lemon zest, then remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.
    4. To serve, decorate mushroom mixture on top of the toast and add extra chives and parsley.

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  • Red Pesto Rigatoni

    Red Pesto Rigatoni

    There is hardly a week passing by without cooking pasta at home. Such a quick and easy meal. Just a few ingredients and a few minutes prep and cooking time and a steaming, fragrant magic is ready to serve. I admit, cooking a pasta is within everyone’s ability. But how to cook pasta like a real Italian is a slightly different matter. There are plenty of ready made pasta sauces on offer, but once you know how to make your own deliciousness, you will never ever spare the time to make your own proud creation.

    Today, I am making a simple rigatoni with sun-dried tomato pesto sauce. Rich, luscious, robust pesto packed with sweet, tart sun-dried tomatoes and studded with aromatic fresh basil, sweet roasted red bell peppers, buttery pine nuts and salty parmesan. Insanely quick and easy to make, this homemade tomato pesto is the perfect versatile condiment to have on hand in your kitchen! Use it to jazz up pastas, soups and pizza, or spread it on sandwiches and toast! No matter how you use this pesto, I promise you will never go back to store-bought pesto ever again!

    Once my rigatoni are ready I mix them with the red pesto sauce. The smell is amazing. But my pasta is not quite finished yet. To serve, I select a deep plate and next to the pasta add a mozzarella burrata, half-dry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and fresh oregano and basil leaves. Only when the ball of burrata is pierced and its juices run into the pesto sauce I am ready to have a bite. A real, rich and gratifying perfection, enhanced by the sweet-sharp taste of the half-dry tomatoes and the nutty flavour of the pine nuts. I can only sit, close my eyes and enjoy every single bitе.

    Ingredients

    For the Red Pesto

    • 1 Jar Sun-Dried Tomatoes packed in oil – tomatoes removed from oil & oil reserved
    • 2 Garlic Cloves – peeled
    • 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
    • ¼ cup Roasted Red Peppers from jar
    • ¼ cup Fresh Basil Leaves
    • ¼ cup Pine Nuts
    • ¼ heaping tsp Kosher Salt
    • 1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
    • Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
    • 1/3 cup Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    For Serving

    • Mozzarella Burrata
    • A handful of roasted pine nuts
    • Half-dry tomatoes
    • Fresh oregano and basil leaves

    Method

    1. Set a deep pot filled with water over a medium heat. Once the water starts boiling add the pasta, a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil and mix well. Leave the pasta to boil until ready.
    2. In the meantime, prepare the red pesto. Add the raw nuts to a small skillet. Place skillet over medium-low heat and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly golden around the edges, about 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer the toasted nuts to the bowl of a food processor.
    3. To the bowl of the food processor, add the tomatoes (not the oil), garlic, cheese, red peppers, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Pulse until finely chopped and uniform in size, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add ¼ cup of oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse until ingredients are minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, stream in enough olive oil until the mixture has a slightly smooth, but still chunky, pesto-like consistency. Taste and adjust pesto for seasoning with salt and pepper.
    4. One the pasta is ready, rinse the excess water and bring the pasta back to the same pot. Add the red pesto and mix well.
    5. Serve generous portions of pasta and red pesto sauce, add a few half-dry tomatoes, mozzarella burrata, toasted pine nuts and fresh oregano and basil leaves.

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