Aubergine Parmigiana

Aubergine Parmigiana with lemon chicken and green veg

Aubergine Parmigiana

I was first introduced to Aubergine Parmigiana by my Italian ex-flatmate Alessio. He cooked it early in the morning, leaving it to cool before we took turns to carry it across London to a picnic in Victoria Park. It smelt amazing and I couldn’t wait to try the dish. We tore pieces of baguette and spooned the intensely flavoured aubergine into our hungry mouths. It was delicious, so I quickly wrote down what I remembered from Alessio’s cooking (as he refused to share his grandmother’s secret). I have now cooked my version many times and not had one complaint – even Alessio was impressed when I made it for him.

Serves: 4 as a side dish

2 aubergines, sliced to discs with ½ cm width

2 cans (approx 400g each) chopped tomatoes

Handful fresh herbs – parsley, thyme, rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

Tomato puree

1tsp sugar

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Chunk of Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Sprinkle the aubergine disks with a little salt and leave the moisture to be absorbed while you make the tomato sauce.

In a medium sized pan heat a glug of olive oil and fry the onion gently until it starts to brown, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, almost fill one of the empty tins with water and add that to the pan too. When the tomatoes start to bubble add a squidge of tomato puree, a teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle over the fresh herbs. Stir everything together and season to taste. Leave on a medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, brush a large frying pan with olive oil and gently fry the aubergine disks for a few minutes on each side. They will start to appear almost translucent. Leave these to drain on kitchen paper and repeat the process until you have used all of the aubergine.

Heat the oven to 180º/Gas mark 4.

Layer a baking dish with tomato sauce, aubergine discs, more tomato sauce, a little seasoning and cover with a layer of finely grated cheese. Repeat until all ingredients are used.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

I like to cook this dish a few hours/a day in advance, letting the flavour intensify before re-heating again just before serving. 

M: I was in the mood for Chicken so cooked up a few chicken thighs (they are cheaper and have more flavour than chicken breasts).

2 chicken thighs

Juice of ½ lemon

Few sprigs of rosemary

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

Gravy: Knob of butter

Tbsp flour

Heat the oven to 180º/Gas Mark 5.

Rub the chicken thighs with the olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, sea salt and black pepper and place them into an ovenproof dish along with the leftover lemon peel.  Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

5 minutes before serving make a little gravy by melting a knob of butter in a pan and off the heat quickly stir in the flour until you have a paste. Gently add the juices from the chicken and return the chicken to the oven. Mix the gravy together over a medium heat and season to taste.

V:  The vegetarian was at work late so he had his dish with a simple poached egg and green veg (cooked similar to this)when he got in.

My First BBQ!

My first BBQ!

Lemon Roasted New Potatoes

On Easter Sunday I made my first ever BBQ! I have always been in charge of the food that goes on to a BBQ but never had to man the fire too. As I was with my mum and 92 year old grandma this weekend, I pulled the short straw and somehow ended up with all the responsibilities as they read their books in the gleaming sunshine. My mum was a great sous chef for a bit but she soon got bored and retreated back to the garden. My BBQ was an absolute disaster to begin with but after three hours, three attempts and three phone conversations to friend, boyfriend and brother I finally managed to keep the coal burning long enough to cook the food on top. I think I know where I went wrong and pretty sure the next BBQ i do will be a great success.  We had chicken marinated in lemon, rosemary, paprika and honey. Minted lamb kebabs, chipolatas, minted halloumi kebabs, cauliflower and lemon roasted new potatoes.

The lemon roasted new potatoes were delicious so I will share this recipe with you.

Lemon Roasted New Potatoes

2 handfuls new potatoes, halved

1/2 juice of lemon

1/2 lemon,cut into wedges

Handful parsley, finely chopped

Sprig rosemary

1 bay leaf

4tbsp vegetable stock

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 200º/Gas mark 6.

Add all the ingredients together in an oven-proof dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook in the oven for about 50 minutes, turning occasionally. 

England Meets Italy in the Norfolk Countryside: Local Asparagus, Focaccia and Pizza

For the bank holiday weekend three generations of women in my family went to Norfolk– my grandma, my mum and me. The car was packed full with us, two cats (Figaro who has now returned, slightly larger than before but not as large as he used to be – see post) and my dog Sally.

We may have been in the English countryside but my cooking palette was in Italy so I thought I would try and combine the two.

After a long drive up from London we had a snack of local asparagus (the first of the season, which was early this year) with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. I then got to work on kneading the dough for the focaccia and pizzas; I was in a real bread-making mood! I just about had enough time for a brisk walk across the fields before the sun set, my dough rose and it was time to finish off the pizzas. My grandma is a semi-pescatarian (she eats white meat and fish but prefers vegetarian dishes) so I hadn’t quite escaped ‘The Vegetarian’ for the weekend. I decided to make a pescatarian and a vegetarian pizza.

For dessert we had strawberries and blueberries with a dollop of yoghurt and drizzle of local honey. 

Asparagus with lemon vinaigrette

 

Mama’s Lemon Vinaigrette

Finally, I was taught mama’s famous lemon vinaigrette dressing and now I can share it with you. It’s not actually famous it’s just that my grandma and I can never make it as good as her so we insisted on a step by step lesson. It’s quite simple actually.

10tbsp olive oil

5tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp English mustard

Pinch off brown sugar

Sea salt and black pepper

1tsp white wine vinegar

Add all ingredients together and test for flavour.

Focaccia with Rosemary

 

Focaccia with Rosemary

Focaccia is eaten all over Italy. Classic focaccia is famous for the many indentations that cover the surface. Fred Plotkin says ‘the bread should be like a series of hills and valleys.’ Some regions add dry white wine to the dough and you can also add toppings such as onions, tomatoes, peppers and cheese. Here is a classic focaccia recipe, based on one by Aldo Zilli.

Makes: 1 loaf

750g strong white untreated flour

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp easy bake yeast

4tbls butter, melted

450ml warm water

Olive oil

Sea salt

Sprig of rosemary, torn

Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the butter and rub the mixture until it looks similar to breadcrumbs before stirring in the warm water.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until it is smooth and springs back when gently pressed. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place (I use an airing cupboard) for 45 minutes. The dough should almost double in size.

Heat the oven to 200º/Gas mark 7.

Gently knead the dough and knock back the air, then roll into a shape to fit your pan with the thickness of 2cm. Place on a greased baking sheet. Using floured fingers make indentations at 2.5cm intervals. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.

Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, and then reduce temperature to 180º/Gas mark 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Can be served warm or cold.

Pescatarian Pizza

Vegetarian Pizza

Pizza: As I was making focaccia as well as pizza I was aware this was a pretty bready dinner so decided to mix strong white untreated flour with wholemeal flour for the base. It was a healthy and interesting alternative to the usual white pizza base. The flour was particularly delicious as it was super fresh from the local mill at Garboldisham, Norfolk.

Pizza Base:

250g strong untreated white flour

250g wholemeal flour

7g easy bake yeast

Pinch of sugar

1tsp salt

250/300ml warm water

2tbsp olive oil

Tomato sauce:

1 packet passata (approx 400g)

Small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Sprig of thyme and rosemary

1 bay leaf

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Toppings:

Mozzarella, sliced

Small chunk of Parmesan, grated

P: 2 small cans tuna fish

9 anchovy fillets, drained

10 calamity olives, pitted and halved

V: Handful of spinach

Portobello mushroom, thinly sliced

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

Tomato sauce: Fry the onion in a little oil until colour starts to turn, add the garlic for a few minutes and pour over the passata. Sprinkle the sauce with the fresh herbs and season to taste. Leave to cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pizza Base: Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir in the olive oil and gradually add the water to make a soft dough.

Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until it is smooth and springs back when gently pressed. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place (I use an airing cupboard) for 45 minutes. The dough should almost double in size.

Heat the oven to 200º/Gas mark 7.

Gently knead the dough and knock back the air. Cut the dough in half. Grease two baking trays and gently roll each piece of dough to fit each tray (mine were approx 10x10”).

Spoon on the tomato sauce, scatter with the mozzarella followed by your choice of toppings and finishing with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.Cook in the oven for 15/20 minutes.

 

Ratatouille with Crumb Topping

Ratatouille with Crumb Topping

Fillet of Sea Bream, Ratatouille and Roasted Baby Potatoes

I had a craving for vegetables so I decided to make a delicious ratatouille. This dish can end up quite mushy so to avoid this, make sure the vegetables aren't cut up too small. The breadcrumb topping on this particular recipe adds a lovely crunch.

 

Serves: 4

Ratatouille:
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1/2 aubergine, chopped into chunks
1 red onion, quartered
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 courgette, halved then cut into chunks
Handful cherry tomatoes

A few sprigs rosemary

A few sprigs thyme
1 tin chopped tomatoes

Handful, capers

Olive oil

Sea salt & pepper

Crumb Topping:
300g spinach
15g roughly chopped basil
3 slices brown bread
Chunk of butter

Chunk of Parmesan, finely grated 

Heat the oven to 180º.  Place all ratatouille vegetables except the tinned tomatoes and capers in a dish, sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper and scatter with the fresh herbs. Roast for 35 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and capers to the dish, stir the ingredients together and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread and then place in a food processor and turn into crumbs. Wilt the spinach in a pan then add the bread along with the butter and basil. Stir until the butter is melted then remove from heat.

Add the crumb topping to the dish, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to oven for 10 minutes.

I served this with a fillet of sea bream, the vegetarian had a poached egg and we both had a few roasted baby potatoes. There were some leftovers from the ratatouille which I heated for lunch the next day.