Rosemary

I love rosemary,the herb that is.So here's two recipes I make fairly often that use it.
Both very different.
Sorry no photo's again,I will add them when ever I next cook these dishes.Had I been organised enough I would of had this all planned with piccies but since it was a spur of the moment thought on Monday,I don't.
That's why I don't do spur of the moment very well or very often :)

The first is a pasta one,using chicken and chorizo but I've made it with only chicken and added a good pinch of smoked paprika and with only chorizo(I just added more chorizo and reduced the stock to 100ml)Both are good.If I haven't had the lima beans(butter bean) I've used white kidney beans(cannellini)

Mediterranean Chicken

Serves 4

150g Chorizo,roughly diced
1 tbsp Olive oil (if needed,sometimes the chorizo produces enough)
4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs,chopped into big bite size pieces
1 onion sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste(puree)
400g chopped tomatoes
200ml hot chicken stock
leaves from 3 sprigs of rosemary
100g pitted black Olives
400g lima beans(butter beans)

Pasta to serve,penne is best.

1. Heat a large frying/saute pan over a heat heat,add the chorizo.Cook for 2/3 minutes until lightly browned and the oil has begun to run.Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the olive oil if needed,and add the chicken to the pan.Cook over a medium heat for 3/4 minutes,stirring occasionally.Add the onions and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute.

3. Add the tomatoes,stock and rosemary,bring to the boil,then simmer gently for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the olives,beans and cooked chorizo.Simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced a little.Season to taste.

5. Serve over the pasta :)


Next one !!


This ones more wintry and don't be put off by the lentils,it's really,really good !!


Spicy sausage and lentil one pot

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
6/8 spicy sausages (I use the Italian ones)
1 large onion,chopped
1 large carrot,diced
2 cloves of garlic,finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2/3 sprigs of rosemary
250g puy lentils
600ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
400g chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley(optional)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan and fry the sausages for 8-10 minutes until beginning to brown.Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Add the onion,carrot and garlic to the pan and fry on a medium heat for 3/4 minutes until the onions are soft and just lightly browned.

3. Return the sausages to the pan(I cut mine in to 3 to 4 big pieces first but you can keep them whole if you want)Stir.

4. Add the bay leaf,rosemary sprigs,lentils,hot stock and tomatoes.Bring it all to the boil.Then reduce the heat and simmer gently,covered for about 45 minutes,or until the lentils are tender.If you feel it needs more liquid just add a little water.

5. Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of rosemary(should only be the stalks left!) and season to taste.

6. Serve sprinkled with the parsley,if using and some steamed greens and wholewheat chunky bread.



That's it recipes done for now ! Back tomorrow with a couple of layouts and a card and unimportant ramblings !

Creamy mushroom and prosciutto pasta.

This is what I cooked for dinner last night.Sorry no photo to accompany this post as as much as the sauce was yummy,my mushrooms were not at the freshest and the sauce was a grey rather than mushroomy in colour.

I'll credit where this recipe originally came from but I have altered it considerably, of course it's much better and I would say it serves 3 not the 4 it quotes.

To make it veggie I would add a pinch of salt and a good dollop of mustard.

Ingredients:

6 prosciutto slices (ripped into shreds)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
350g assorted mushrooms (cut into good size chunks) I normally use chestnut/portabello and shiake or some dried if I have them.
good pinch of chili flakes
200ml of vegetable stock
100ml cooking cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley
fresh parmesan to serve

1. In a non stick pan dry fry the prosciutto until crispy,set to one side.

2. In a heavy bottomed pan,heat the oil over a medium heat and cook the onions until softened slightly,add the mushrooms,garlic and chili and cook until the juices are out of the mushrooms.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the stock,bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.

4. Add the prosciutto and cream and stir,warm through and then add the parsley.

5. Pour over pasta,I tend to use pappardelle for this one and top with the parmesan.


original recipe: Delicious magazine,November 2006