FOOD CLUB

30 MINUTE MEALS

ALISON LAMBERT

www.tasteofmylife.com

PASTA WITH SAUSAGES AND SPINACH

Using sausages in pasta makes life a lot easier and it saves considerable time as you don't have to worry about seasoning the meat, getting the right consistency etc as it is all done for you. It is also easy to do variations on this dish as there is a vast array of tasty sausages on the market, tomatoes and greens can all be altered to suit your mood!

Serves 4

4 lamb, pork or spicy beef good quality sausages 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic 2-3 tomatoes, roughly cut Olive oil for cooking Handful fresh spinach, rocket or calvalo nero (optional) Salt and freshly ground pepper Freshly grated parmesan cheese 500g fresh or dried pasta, penne, orechiette etc

Method

Start by 2/3 filling a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a rolling boil.

Meanwhile heat a large fry pan up with a dash of oil, remove the meat from the sausages by simply squeezing the meat out so they form little meatballs. Add them to the fry pan and cook for a couple of minutes or until golden, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, add the garlic, and tomatoes and toss through with the sausage. Allow to fry for another minute so the tomato starts to colour and caramelises a little, add ¼ cup water to loosen up the tomatoes and to get all the tasty bits off the bottom, reduce until thick and glossy.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and give a brief stir to ensure it doesn’t stick. If using fresh pasta it will only take about 3-5 minutes (always check the packet for times), if using dried it will take considerably longer.

When your pasta is cooked drain away 90% of the cooking liquid and reserve the remaining. Add your spinach or greens to the sausage mixture and toss well to combine, add the pasta and a little of the cooking water this will loosen the sauce so that it clings comfortably to the pasta – add more liquid if needed. Season well with salt and fresh ground pepper and generously grate over plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

FISH PIE

I love fish pie but often weigh up the options of cooking it as it can take a lot of time, cause a lot of dishes and fill my kitchen with a fish-stock kind of aroma and to be honest it's not always appetising! I now use this recipe all the time and the results have been overwhelming! Feel free to add fish, shellfish to your liking and availability. Enjoy!

Serves 6

12 tiger prawns - peeled and shelled

500g cod fillet

500g smoked fish fillet

500g salmon fillet

5 boiled eggs

250g cheddar cheese

400 ml cream

100 ml milk

1 stock cube (chicken or fish)

Creamy mash potato for pie topping (made from 6 large potatoes)

METHOD

Take the fish, smoked fish and salmon fillets and cut into large chunks. Place the fish and prawn pieces into round pie dish approx 24cm in diameter.

Add the cream to a pan and heat gently. Dissolve in 1 stock cube and bring to the boil. Reduce the mixture to thicken. Pour the mixture over the fish.

Chop the boiled eggs and sprinkle into the fish pie.  Finish off with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and pat down gently.

Take the mash potato and spoon onto the top of the pie. Using the back of a fork, gently distribute the mash evenly to cover the pie.  Make small indentations over the top of the pie for decoration.

Place the fish pie in the oven on a high heat for approximately 15 minutes. When the top has browned, take out of the oven and serve immediately.

TRAY BAKED CHICKEN, SEASONAL VEG AND FRESH HERB SAUCE

Whether it be chicken, pork, fish or beef this is a great way to cook.  Layer the base with your choice of vegetables, a few sprigs of herbs and your choice of protein, bake till cooked and there you have it, a simple, flexible and very tasty one dish dinner.

Serves 4

4 x 180g chicken breast

Fresh thyme sprigs or sage, basil, oregano, rosemary

1 lemon

Pinch smoked paprika (optional)

Drizzle of oil

Knob of butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

VEGETABLES

4 zucchinis

300g cherry tomatoes or tomatoes (preferably on vine)

2 red onions

6 cloves garlic, kept in skin and lightly squashed

LEMON, BUTTER COUS COUS

250g cous cous

1 lemon

25g butter

Seasoning

METHOD

Preheat the oven 200C

Place a roasting dish in the oven to heat up.

Begin by preparing the vegetables.  If using zucchini, cut it into large pieces, perhaps in half lengthways or cut thickly on the angle.  Prepare the onions by peeling and cutting in half, ensuring that the base is kept together as this will help hold it together when you cut it into thickish wedges.  Place all the vegetables and garlic into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and squeeze over 1/2 the lemon.  Add a generous amount of your chosen fresh herbs and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Put the cous cous into a serving dish, peel zest of lemon using a potato peeler, add butter and season with salt and pepper.  Just cover with boiling water and then cover with a lid or plate and allow the cous cous to absorb the water (approx 10-15 minutes). Fluff up with a fork.

Chicken - season the chicken breasts lightly all over with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Remove the hot roasting dish from the oven and pour all the vegetables and any oil and flavoring’s that is left in the bowl.  Place the chicken breast on top allowing space between and sprinkle over the tomatoes still on the vine (if possible). Give it one last drizzle of oil and squeeze of lemon and then place back into the oven and roast for 10 minutes, remove from oven and spoon any juices over the chicken.  Turn the oven to grill and finish under a hot grill to colour up the chicken and vegetables.

Remove from the oven and check the breasts are cooked through.  Take straight to the table along with the cous cous and enjoy!

THE PERFECT STEAK

Serves 2

When cooking the perfect steak, you should buy the best quality meat you can afford and choose the right cut for you – for instance, if you like your steak butter-soft, try eye-fillet, but if you want super-tasty and don’t mind a bit of a chew, go for rump or skirt. It’s also vital you rest the steak properly. As a rule of thumb, rest it for up to as long as you cooked it.

2x rump steak 200g approx each

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Baked potatoes, watercress and herby butter (recipe below), to serve

Method

Remove the steaks from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill pan to medium-high. Lightly rub steaks all over with oil and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. For medium-rare, cook the steaks for 2 minutes on one side, then turn at a 90° angle and cook for a further 2 minutes – this will create a cross-hatch pattern on the steaks. Turn the steaks and repeat the process on the other side. To test if the steak is done to your liking, see Note below. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil. Leave to rest for 4 minutes. Serve with potatoes and watercress, topped with some herby butter.

Note: Many chefs warn against cutting steak to check if it’s done, as you lose some of the juices, but it’s an easy approach if you’re a novice. Rest the steak for 2-3 minutes, then make a small cut in the thickest part. You could also press the steak with your finger (the more yielding, the rarer it is). For sure-fire results, check the internal temperature on a meat thermometer: 35°C is rare, 45°C medium-rare, 55°C medium, 65°C medium-well and 75°C is well done.

BAKED POTATOES WITH CHEESE AND CHIVES

serves 4

4 medium baking potatoes - agria, nadine, desiree

2 Tbsp olive oil

Thyme, rosemary, sage, leaves only

100g grated fresh parmesan cheese (or any varieties you like)

Sea salt and plenty freshly ground pepper

Chives for scattering over potatoes when cooked (optional)

Butter for serving

Method

Preheat oven and baking tray at 200C

Wash potatoes and pat dry, prick all over with a fork and place into a microwave bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water (approx), cover with cling film and microwave 10 minutes on high.

Whilst cooking prepare the olive oil mixture by adding the finely chopped herbs and seasoning to the oil and mix well.  Set aside

Remove potatoes carefully from the microwave, peel back cling film and drain away water.  Add the olive oil mixture to the bowl with the potatoes, toss around in the oil to well coat and to rough up the potatoes a little.

Place onto preheated baking tray in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Remove and cut a criss-cross, lightly squeeze the potato so that the flesh pushes up, add a knob or two of butter per potato and grate over parmesan cheese and sprinkle with chives if so desired.

HERB BUTTER

Makes 300g

Butter will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 Tbsp smoked paprika (pimento) 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 Tbsp chopped coriander or dill

1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method Beat the butter in an electric mixer for 10 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, then mix well to combine. Tip the flavoured butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and roll to form a log. Twist the ends securely and chill for at least 4 hours or until required.

SALSA VERDE

This is a simple herb sauce which goes well with pork, fish, chicken or meat. Because of its freshness along with the salty content it off sets the steak well.

When making this sauce it is better to just make what you need as it doesn't last well it loses its freshness and vibrancy.

2 anchovy fillets

2 clove garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 cups loosely packed fresh parsley

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Pinch sea salt flakes

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

 Method

Add the garlic, anchovies and capers in a mortar and pestle or food processor.  Mash lightly then add the herbs, add a little sprinkle of salt and pound until a thick coarse paste has formed, add the mustard and lemon juice or red wine vinegar. Mix to combine add the oil and taste for seasoning, you shouldn't need any salt, if anything you may need to get the balance of vinegar verses oil correct.

ROASTED STONE FRUIT

This is simplicity at its finest. I like to roast a large dish so it can be used in many ways.  I like it for breakfast with porridge or served warm for pudding with ice cream or cream. Make a quick crumble using gingernuts, butter, oats and bake.  It can also be layered with Greek yoghurt and nuts; for so little effort the options are endless.

serves 4

175g golden caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, split in two

5 cardamom pods

Zest and juice 1 lime or orange

6 apricots, halved and stoned

3 peaches quartered and stoned

3 nectarines, or plums quartered and stoned

Method

Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C.

Tip the sugar, vanilla pod, cardamom, lime zest and juice into a food processor, then blitz until blended, or mash together using a pestle and mortar.

Tip the fruit into a shallow baking dish, then toss in the sludgy sugar. Roast for 20 mins until the fruits have softened, but not collapsed and the sugar and fruit juices have made a sticky sauce. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days