Penne with Tomato and Basil

This is a simple pasta dish that you can have on the table in around ten minutes and the good news is that it tastes delicious.

What you will need:

100g gluten free penne pasta (but any will do) per person
100g ripe tomatoes per person, chopped
5 - 6 basil leaves per person, torn
1 clove garlic per 1 to 2 people
2 tbs olive oil per person
1/4 cup frozen peas

What you need to do:

1.  Put the pasta on to boil.
2.  Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Crush or slice the garlic and cook in heated olive oil over very low heat until soft.
3.  Add the tomatoes and basil and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
4.  Just before the pasta is ready throw the frozen peas into the boiling water and cook another minute or so.
5.  Drain the pasta and peas and add to the sauce.
6.  Mix well and serve with lots of freshly ground black pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and additional basil if you have any left.

Peas with Garlic and Cumin

I love this simple side dish that can be served with all curries, rice or even enjoyed on it's own.

What you will need:

1 cup of frozen peas
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
ghee or oil
Salt, to taste

What you need to do:

1.  Heat a small fry pan and melt the ghee (if you are dairy free then use oil such as rice bran).

2.  Rinse the peas in a colander with hot water until they thaw.

3.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook over low heat then add the cumin seeds.  Cook until fragrant.

4.  Add the peas and stir well.  Cook for a few minutes until the peas are hot.

5.  Add salt to taste before serving.

Delicious Roasted Veggies

When you are eating a lot of vegetables it's always nice to vary how you prepare them.  This is a simple but tasty way to prepare a mixture of veggies that both my girls love.

What you will need:

A mixture of vegetables such as sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes
Some herbs such as rosemary or thyme
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What you need to do:

1.  Cut the vegetables into 2cm cubes and mix together in a large baking tray.

2.  Wash the herbs and roughly tear or chop into the veggies.

3.  Add salt a pepper to taste (I use Herbamare) and olive oil.  Mix well and cook in a hot oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Ready to go in the oven

Rice with Quinoa and Turmeric

When cooking curries I almost always serve them with rice, usually steamed basmati.  This is an alternative to plain rice and the quinoa adds extra protein and fibre to the meal.  I think it goes especially well with vegetarian or vegan dishes.

What you will need:

1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
2/3 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp vegetable or chicken stock powder

What you need to do:

1.  Bring the water to the boil and add the turmeric, stock powder, quinoa and rice.

2.  Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 12 minutes.  By this time all the water should have been absorbed and the rice and quinoa tender.

3.  Remove from the heat and leave covered for another five minutes before serving.

Served with Chicken Korma and Peas with Garlic and Cumin

Apology

Apologies for the lack of recent posts.  Our house is being renovated and we have been without a kitchen or internet connection on and off for the past month.  The new kitchen has just been finished and soon I hope to be cooking up a storm and posting again as normal.

Chicken Soup

Home made chicken soup is one of those wonderful winter miracle foods.  I cook this if myself or anyone else in the family are feeling under the weather and in need of a good pick-me-up.  It's like a food cuddle really and definitely worth the time and effort involved in the preparation.  The soup can be made over two days but my recipe below can be done in one day.  I remove the skin and all excess fat from my chicken but if you didn't want to do this then you'd need to let the stock sit overnight so you could remove the fat.  I've used this recipe for many years and I think I originally found it on taste.com.

What you will need for the stock:

• Whole organic chicken
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 5 flat-leaf parsley stalks

What you will need for the soup:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium leek, washed and diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 2 small to medium zucchini, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

 What you need to do:

1. Remove chicken skin and trim any excess fat.  Place chicken in a large saucepan or stock pot.  Add onion, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley stalks.  Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken.

2.  Cover and bring to the boil then reduce heat to low.  Simmer, part covered, for about an hour or until chicken is cooked through.  You may want to skim the surface during cooking.

3. Remove from heat and lift chicken from the broth and place on a plate.  Strain the broth through a sieve and discard the vegetables.  Allow the stock to cool.

4. Remove the chicken from the bones and set aside.

5. Begin to prepare the soup by heating the oil in the stock pot and then cooking the leek and garlic over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add the carrot and celery and cook until they begin to soften.

6. Add the stock and chicken and cover to bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

7. Add the zucchini and simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

8. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley before serving.

I have included below step by step photos if you want or need them:

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Rice with Quinoa, Spinach and Capers

This is another one of my super fast lunch ideas but you can also serve it as a side dish with dinner.

What you will need:

3/4 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
handful of baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon baby capers

What you need to do:

1. Bring stock, rice and quinoa to the boil and then reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 12 minutes.

2. Fluff rice and quinoa and stir through spinach and capers.

3. Cover again and allow to sit for another 5 minutes before serving.

Notes:  I find the quinoa gives this quick dish all the flavour it needs but feel free to add a splash of your favourite dressing, or some lemon juice and olive oil, if you want something more.  I don't drain the capers so the liquid they are in also adds flavour to the rice.  You could add whatever you like, peas, olives, cherry tomatoes, or whatever else takes your fancy.