fresh tomato and peppered pancetta pasta

this was such a simple supper to pull together and, as long as you have decent tomatoes, it’s well worth a try on a lazy sunny evening – slices of peppered pancetta fried in a little olive oil while the pasta cooks and until it starts to crisp up, add halved cherry tomatoes and a glug of white wine, let it bubble to boil off the alcohol, stir in a handful of basil and add to the cooked pasta. super simple, super delish.

prawns with fennel and brandy

 

this dish tastes incredibly rich and decadent – i think it’s the combination of butter and brandy that does it. you can accentuate this by adding cream or crème fraiche as well but i really don’t think it needs it.

i’m sharing this with claire of chez cayenne who is hosting this week’s presto pasta nights.

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the perfect tomato and mozzarella salad

"for starter i had the (tomato and mozzarella) salad, which sounds dull but was actually amazing. really fresh lovely mozzarella, rolled in grated parmesan, with mint, basil, cherry tomatoes and a tomato jam.”

i read these words and knew that i needed to recreate this dish. which meant i needed to make tomato jam.

i posted this on 17 september. the picture above is the tomato and mozzarella salad i created.

tangy tomato jam smeared on the plate so it’s part every mouthful; some beautifully soft and delicate buffalo mozzarella, rolled in a mix of grated parmesan, lemon zest and black pepper; purple and red cherry tomatoes (thanks to david’s colleague david, who grew the purple cherries– what a treat to have proper tasting tomatoes in october!) plus a few peppery rocket leaves, some shredded basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

the flavours worked fabulously and i loved this dish. it’s hopeless to have only just found it, as summer departs, but i will be making it again next year. many times. i suggest you bookmark this and do the same!

spicy lamb cutlets with lentil & rice pilaf

 

recently i was asked what a pilaf is – “a dish in which a grain, such as rice or cracked wheat, is browned in oil, and then cooked in a seasoned broth” according to wikipedia. i tend to make my pilafs with rice and love having them as an accompaniment to a roast (roasted tomato and fennel pilaf was a recent choice to accompany some slow-roasted lamb) or as a meal in the own right (my mackerel and spinach pilaf is a much loved favourite).

they are incredibly versatile, using up whatever you happen to have in and good served hot or just at room temperature (which makes them an ideal packed lunch option). 

adding protein to the pilaf is something i usually do with fish or meat but in this bill granger recipe he suggests lentils  which works really well. in fact the dish as a whole was great – the lamb cutlets are marinated with a mix of spices and the accompanying tomato sauce is spiked with ginger, chilli and garlic. perfect, with some flat breads, as a cosy supper when you need something comforting but still want to be reminded of summer’s light days and fresh flavours.

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smoked paprika aubergines with tahini yoghurt dressing

 

these smokey aubergines are from my new maria elia book and, whilst they are not the most elegant-looking dish, i’ll definitely be making them again.

the smoked paprika added a real kick– i used the picante (spicy) version of spanish smoked paprika, rather than the dolce (sweet) one and its worth thinking about what effect you want rather than to just blindly use whatever you pick out of the cupboard. i think the dolce version would work better in this recipe or, if you use the picante you should reduce the quantities.

something that you shouldn’t skimp on is the wonderful tahini yoghurt dressing that maria elia suggests is served with the dish. this would be really delicious with falafel or in the place of the yoghurt in chicken fattee, which is how i used my leftovers.

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