food – Page 3 – style dispenser

Sausage and gluten free pasta.

Published on May 21, 2016February 19, 2021 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

If, like me, you are a fan of good pasta and cumberland sausages then this will be a welcome addition to your dining table. The original recipe came from Jamie Oliver but I’ve updated it to my own taste. You can use any kind of shape and size of pasta. Have fun’!

You will need:

One small grated apple. Tart are best.
300-500g of gluten free fusilli pasta
6 good quality cumberland sausages (I’m using skinless from Heck), broken into small pieces before cooking
a handful of oregano (fresh or dried)
2 spoons of pickled chili pepper / chopped chili peppers
1 tbsp of wholegrain mustard
2 garlic cloves
250-300 ml of white wine
zest and juice from 1 unwaxed lemon
shaved parmigiano cheese to sprinkle

This dish can be prepared in 3 simple steps:

Mix freshly chopped oregano, chili peppers and garlic with the sausage meat and fry with a dash of olive oil in a heavy bottomed dish. When the meat is about to caramelise and turn golden brown add mustard, pour in the wine and add the lemon juice and zest finishing with apple.
Lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid.

In the meantime cook the pasta following the instructions on the packaging.
The best way to prepare the pasta is al dente which matches the texture of the meat perfectly.

When pasta is drained add it into the pan with the meat and mix it all together.
This is the moment you decide how much pasta to add to the meat, depending on how you like your meal. I’ve balanced mine as I am not a huge fan of having more pasta than meat and vice versa.

TIP: wholegrain mustard isn’t necessary, however it enhances beautifully flavour of this meal.

Serve immediately with sprinkled parmigiano on top. Enjoy!

Courgette&Quorn&Miso

Published on May 13, 2016May 13, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

The idea was born the moment the Spiralizer was delivered to my doorstep. Initially I wasn’t really sure about this funny plastic machine, but I soon enjoyed the benefits of substituting classic carb noodles for pasta made entirely from fresh vegetables using the Spiralizer. After perfecting the technique of homemade courgette pasta, I combined my japanese friend Mariko love of Miso, with my partner’s love of quorn. Voila! It is a super solution for a late spring/early summer menu and you can play with the ingredients to make this meal more bespoke (e.g. chicken instead of quorn and shrimp replaced with radish). Although it sounds exotic, this one of the easiest meals to prepare. Go on, start winding this courgette!

1 courgette
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp of good soy sauce
2 tbsp of miso paste (red is the best)
1 small shallot onion, diced
about 350-400 ml of boiling water (depending on how intense flavour you’d like to achieve)
a 300g bag of “chicken” quorn (frozen is absolutely fine)
a few tiger prawns for a garnish

Shred the courgette on the noodles blade of the spiralizer. Heat a glug of olive oil in a non-stick pan and sauté onion, garlic, and quorn pieces until softened. In the meantime mix the miso paste with soya sauce in boiling water and pour into pan. Stir gently and add courgette noodles.
Cook for about 5 mins. Ready, simple and yummy!

Charming Mr Chard

Published on April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Easter. Rabbit. Casserole.

Published on March 26, 2016March 26, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Whilst clearing out the freezer I found a portion of rabbit given to me by a friend from countryside; which inspired me to create a seasonal dish for the Easter weekend!
Although I am a huge fan of traditional meals enjoyed with family during this period, I think that preparing something slightly different is always a bonus. Rabbit has been popular with my family since I can remember. My granddad had his own farm with muscovy ducks, guinea fowls, and rabbits. There was nothing better than a kitchen full of steam emanating from cast iron dishes mixed with the aromas of fresh herbs and braising rabbit. So my goal was to recover from memory a particular favourite dish prepared by the lady who looked after the kitchen at my grandparents household. However, as usual, thats only the starting point, and the end result is something quite personal.

I have roasted the ingredients gradually and then braised all together in a heat resistant dish, to keep the meat and veg soft and tender.
A perfect solution for a family Easter lunch!

And this is how it goes:
4-5 of rabbit fillets ( you can also use chicken if you like)
2-3 medium carrots
1 medium parsnip
2 medium red onions
3-4 garlic cloves
fresh herbs (thyme and oregano are best)
handful of dried tomatoes ( I used the sun-dried variety preserved in sunflower oil)
a bag of kale
a few tsp of a good quality fig chutney
a handful of onions marinated in balsamic vinegar

Marinate rabbit in olive oil, sliced garlic, coarse pepper, salt flakes and herbs, for a couple of hours. In the large non-stick frying pan, roast chopped vegetables with a generous splash of olive oil. While the vegetables are sautéing, place the marinated meat on another pan, and fry gently but do not cook throughly. Place them into a heat resistant glass dish (e.g. Pyrex). At this stage add kale, sliced tomatoes and marinated onions on top of the veggies and rabbit. Cover by lid and sweat for another 10 mins or so on low heat, in the meantime add the fig chutney until all soft and moist from the juices and the meat is cooked through.

As I am a barley lover I found the barley groats as a great compliment for this casserole. Rice seemed a bit too plain. And above all, this is the original meal we’re cooking, right?

One more thing, this dish goes so well with a glass of grenache red wine!

Braised pollock

Published on February 28, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

I am a big fan of fish, pollock in particular. Mostly because this type of fish was often served by my Mum when my hungry brother, sister and I got home from school. She always kept extra pieces frozen for emergencies, but most of all she knew that thanks to its white, chunky yet delicate flesh, Pollock was a lighter and healthier alternative to meat. To cut a long story short; Mamunia (our affectionate petname for our Mum) is a master in one particular fish-based meal; Greek style fish. Although the origins of this meal has nothing to do with Greece, its named that way in my home country and usually served for celebratory occasions. Not in our house. It was the ideal meal when she had limited time and wanted to make something easy for the whole family. My version is slightly updated with ingredients such as capers and lemon zest. As a result you’ll get a traditional meal with modern twist. I served it to Mamunia once with mixed feelings whether she’ll like it…or not. And let me tell you, there’s no bigger pleasure when your Mum is asking for an extra portion of what you’ve cooked!

Ingredients:
3 peeled carrots
1 medium peeled parsnip,
1 medium leek
1 large onion (Spanish is best)
1 unwaxed lemon, few bay leaves
2 tbsp of marinated capers, 4 allspice corns
bunch of lemon thyme, salt, pepper
1 bottle (700ml) of tomato passata

Pollock fillet seasoned with capers, thyme, lemon zest and pepper.

Season the fillets and place them on a baking tray. Add capers, thyme and lemon zest.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins at 180C

In the meantime chop onion and leek and stir in a lightly oiled heavy bottomed pan with allspice and bay leaves over a low heat. Then add grated carrot, grated parsnip and sweat until veggies are tender. When it’s time, pour the passata into vegetables and cook thoroughly. Place everything in an oven proof dish with baked fish and leave in the warm oven for another 10 mins.

Processed with VSCOcam with s3 preset — Version with poached egg and chopped parsley-my favourite!

Cavolo Nero!

Published on February 20, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Not cabbage nor lettuce. Actually Cavolo Nero is a cousin of kale.
It has an interesting, slightly earthy and peppery flavour and is a great alternative if you are tired of the greens that regularly appear on your plate.
Until recently, I didn’t have a clue what Cavolo Nero was and what I could make with it.
I bought it from my local grocer attracted by its beautiful colour and interesting structure (AKA Dinosaur skin!) He said I’d like it and he wasn’t wrong. These unusual leaves were in my fridge for two days before I decided to cook it, and it was still fresh and firm.
I created this new meal out of what I had left in the fridge and cupboard, a bit of a stir fry idea with an Italian twist. And the result was rather flavoursome.

It consists of:

2 bunches of cavolo nero
2 tbsp of grated ginger
1/2 of unwaxed lemon
1 large spanish onion
4 garlic cloves
1 chilli pepper
a pinch of crunchy salt and coarse pepper

Heat up a glug of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add chopped onion and stir until soft. Add sliced garlic, chilli, rosemary (optional) and grated ginger. Cover with lid and sweat for a few minutes. Add the cavolo nero, stir with vegetables on very low heat until wilted. Season with crunchy salt and pepper. Mix with freshy cooked linguine pasta and serve immediately sprinkled with lemon juice.
I didn’t have any parmigiano in the fridge last night but I think it would be a perfect ingredient to grate on top of this meal before serving.

#yum!

Spontaneous Sea Bream

Published on February 10, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

This dish is another example of a quick but lip-smacking idea for an afterwork dinner. It’s easy to pepare. Each of the ingredients takes the same amount of time to cook, so there’s no worry that something will get cold whilst preparing the others.

The way I prepare it:
season filet of fish (sea bream in this case) with white pepper and miso soup topping (they soften into the flesh adding an amazing flavour)
Simmer white buckwheat in medium size pot with salted water for 15 minutes, whilst sauting asparagus slowly with butter in a non sticky pan.

Processed with VSCOcam with s2 preset — sauteéd asparagus

cooked buckwheat — cooked and seasoned buckwheat ready to serve

Few suggestions:
– Bake the fish wrapped in aluminium foil at temperature of 180C.
It will keep the fish moist and prevent from drying.
Put the wrapped fish in the oven when you begin to simmer the buckwheat for perfect timing.
– Sauteé asparagus on the medium heat with good butter, they soften beautifully and prevent butter from burning out.
– Simmer the buckwheat in salted water rather than seasoning afterwards and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Red is the colour

Published on February 7, 2016February 7, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Red borsch. Traditional, tasty and warming beetroot soup.
Mostly served during the Festive period; however in my house, Mum was making this wonderful soup during cold spells. As she had the tendency to cook far too much broth for other dishes on Sunday, the borsch was usually a post weekend lunch prepared with leftover boullion. Well, that’s one of the only reasons why I loved Mondays. They were just so flavoursome!

To cook red borsch you need:
for 2 litres of broth:
3 chicken thighs
2 carrots cut lengthwise
1 parsnip cut lengthwise
a quarter of celeriac
1 shallot onion, halved
half of the garlic bulb
bouquet garni
3 medium beetroots ( thickly sliced )
1 small apple cut into 2 halves
3 bay leaves, 4 whole spice berries, few cloves

Note: if you’re a vegetarian, instead of chicken add a portion of Herb Infusion Pot by Knorr. A tasteful alternative.

When chicken is ready after about 20mins, remove it and the bouquet garni then add;
a generous handful of marjoram, a pinch of nutmeg to your own taste
a bunch of fresh lemon thyme
Simmer on the lower heat until all vegetables are al dente (there’s nothing worse than overcooked veggies, right?) and the mouth-watering smell of spices is filling the kitchen.
Serve with mini dumplings, aka mini ears.

Voilà! x

Sunday sausages.

Published on January 31, 2016 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Comfort food with a twist – Chicken sausages seasoned with fresh herbs then braised in a tomato and vegetable sauce. Sounds good? Tastes even better! (ask my friends if in doubt.) The preparation is obviously easy and you can enjoy this meal straight from the pan, or day after. #yum!

To prepare sausages you’ll need:

a pack of good chicken sausages, ideally from organic meat ( yes, you are what you eat, my dear!)
bunch of lemon thyme, pickled chilli peppers (great taste), lemon,
4 garlic cloves, table spoon of grated ginger, salt flakes, pepper,
and a small bowl of chopped kale

Pre-heat the oven to 180C and dress the sausages with herbs and spices. Put them on a tray in the oven with the kale for 7-10mins. This is to heat the meat but not to cook it thoroughly.

Sausages slightly roasted with chilli, ginger and kale

For the rich sauce:
2 medium carrots
1 large parsnip
5-6 similar size baby potatoes
1 large onion, 2 garlic cloves, a half of lemon
salt, pepper, pinch of herbs
a bottle of passata (one from Mutti is my favourite)

Chop the veggies into chunky pieces, and braise in a oven-proof dish with a glug of olive oil in the oven at 180C. When the vegetables start to get soft, pour in the tomato passata. Add the sausages and kale into the dish and leave covered in oven for about 15-20mins until all ingredients are perfectly cooked.

When ready, serve over boiled barley.
It’s a great alternative to white rice.

Straight from the oven – mouth watering!

Barley is a great alternative to white rice.

Stuffed + Peppers = Yum.

Published on January 15, 2016 by wojtekvanportek2 Comments

Like most of the food ideas presented here on my blog, this one is super easy and simple to prepare. And tastes oh-so-good!
It takes 20 mins to make this meal happen; perfect timing for a quick after-work dinner. Another bonus- it’s healthy as hell!

And this is how it goes…

3-4 long sweet red peppers
2 unwaxed lemons
1 bag of white buckwheat
1 red onion
1 can of tuna (an option for pescatarians)

Place the buckwheat into boiling water for 15 mins. In the meantime:
set the oven to 200C
Sauté chopped onion in olive oil on a low/medium heat until soft and season with salt,
coarse pepper and juice from 1 lemon and zest.
Add the cooked buckwheat to the pan with the softened onion mixture and stir on low heat for a couple of minutes.
If like myself, you eat fish, add tuna at this moment.
It will give a perfect flavour.

Stuff the peppers with the cooked mixture and tie them with thread. Sprinkle with lemon juice and place on tray with a glug of olive oil.
Bake for 15-17mins. Voilà!