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Food And Nutrition

Preparing Caponata

Published

3 days ago

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This authentic caponata is somewhere between a stew and a salad. Sweet and sour aubergines mix with salty olives, capers and tangy tomatoes. Best eaten at room temperature or just warm, this is our dream lunch, served with crusty ciabatta.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium aubergines, chopped into 2cm/1in cubes
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 100g/3½oz green olives
  • 3 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp sugar, or to taste
  • handful flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method

  1. Sprinkle the aubergines with salt and leave to drain in a colander for 30 minutes.

  2. Heat some of the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the aubergine on a moderate heat for 10 minutes. When softened and browned, set aside. You may have to do this in batches.

  3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan and gently fry the onion and the celery until softened and transluscent, but not browned. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the red wine vinegar and sugar. Add this to the pan with the aubergine and cook for 10 minutes. It is ready when the red wine vinegar has been absorbed.

  5. Transfer the caponata to a large bowl, add the chopped parsley and mix well. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to serve. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Food And Nutrition

Moroccan Tagine of Shrimp in Tomato Sauce Recipe

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3 days ago

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September 28, 2023

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A zesty homemade tomato sauce with Moroccan spices forms the base for this flavorful shrimp tagine.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds plus 3 ounces (1 kilogram) large shrimp
  • 2 pounds plus 3 ounces (1 kilogram) fresh tomatoes, ripe
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 7 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 bay leaf, optional
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  • Coarsely ground black pepper, for garnish
  • Lemon slices, or wedges, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Clean the Shrimp

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Wash the shrimp under running water and drain.

  3. Remove the head, legs, and shells (and tails if desired)

  4. Devein the shrimp if necessary.

  5. Wash the shrimp again and set aside in a colander to drain.

Make the Tomato Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes. (Or, if the tomatoes are very soft, you can cut them in in half, seed them and grate them.) ​

  3. Set the tomatoes aside.

  4. Place the base of a large tagine over medium-low heat. (The use of a diffuser between the heat source and tagine is recommended.)

  5. Add the olive oil and onions and saute gently for several minutes, or until the onions begin to soften.

  6. Add the garlic and sauté just for a minute or two, until very fragrant.

  7. Remember to maintain the low heat, and avoid burning the garlic.

  8. Add the tomatoes, spices and herbs and stir to combine.

  9. Cover, and allow the tagine to slowly reach a simmer.

  10. Do not increase the heat to speed things up.

  11. Continue simmering the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes can be mashed with the back of a spoon and a thick sauce forms.

Cook the Shrimp

  1. Add the cleaned shrimp to the tomato sauce, along with a few tablespoons of water if you feel the sauce should be thinned, and cover.

  2. Cook the shrimp for several minutes then stir gently to turn the shrimp over.

  3. Continue cooking for several minutes more, until the shrimp are just done.

  4. Remove the tagine from the heat.

To Serve

  1. When ready to serve, discard the bay leaf and garnish the tagine with chopped parsley, a few turns of the pepper mill and fresh lemon slices. Wedges of lemon may be offered on the side.

  2. It is customary to serve the shrimp directly from the tagine, with each person eating from his side of the dish. In lieu of a fork, Moroccan bread is used to scoop up the shrimp and sauce.

  3. Enjoy!

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Food And Nutrition

Chorizo and meatball stew

Published

3 days ago

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September 28, 2023

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This is a real store cupboard saviour. Pork mince can vary wildly in fat content, so make sure you check before buying. You could add more vegetables to this stew if you like – spinach, sweet potato, carrot or celery would all work. Chickpeas are a nice substitution for the beans, too.

Each serving provides 366 kcal, 27g protein, 44g carbohydrate (of which 7.5g sugars), 7.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.6g salt.

Ingredients

  • 250g/9oz lean pork mince (8% fat or less)
  • 25g/1oz dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp garlic granules
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 onion, grated
  • spray oil, for frying
  • 20g/¾oz chopped chorizo
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained
  • 200g/7oz roasted red peppers from a jar (not in oil), drained weight, chopped
  • 100g/3½oz basmati rice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Mix together the pork mince, breadcrumbs, garlic granules, cumin, half the grated onion, plus a little salt and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Shape into 16 small meatballs and set aside.

  2. Spray a large, lidded pan with a little spray oil and add the chorizo. Fry until the chorizo begins to create a little more oil in the pan, then add the rest of the onion and fry gently for a minute.

  3. Add the tinned tomatoes, beans, chopped red pepper and half a tomato tin of water to the pan. Stir everything together and bring to a simmer. Put the meatballs carefully in the sauce, pushing them down with a spoon into the sauce.

  4. Season with more black pepper, then partially cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the stew as you cook the basmati rice according to the packet instructions. Serve the stew with the rice alongside.

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Food And Nutrition

How To Prepare Ham and pea pasta

Published

3 days ago

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September 28, 2023

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Even if you’re new to cooking you can tackle this ham and pea pasta with confidence, as a sauce like this requires little more than warming through to come together. The cream adds a touch of luxury to this supper for one.

Each serving provides 1140 kcal, 38g protein, 86g carbohydrates (of which 7g sugars), 69g fat (of which 42g saturates), 11g fibre and 1.5g salt.

Ingredients

  • 100g/3½oz dried pasta shapes
  • 100g/3½oz frozen peas
  • knob of butter or splash of olive oil
  • 1–2 spring onions, white and green parts separated and finely sliced
  • 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
  • 25g/1oz Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
  • 1 thick-cut slice of ham, diced
  • ½ lemon, zest and juice
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the pasta and cook for 9–11 minutes until done to your liking, adding the frozen peas for the final minute.

  2. Meanwhile, heat a knob of butter or splash of oil in a frying pan, add the spring onion whites and fry for a minute until just softening. Turn off the heat and set aside until the pasta is cooked.

  3. Drain the pasta and peas, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water, and tip into the frying pan. Add the cream, Parmesan and ham with 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Stir over a low–medium heat until the cream starts to bubble, then turn the heat down and stir briefly until the sauce is clinging to the pasta. (If you overcook it and it starts looking dry, add a little more of the pasta water.)

  4. Stir in the lemon zest and spring onion greens, then season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.

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