23/01/2012 by D.

This is great for little ones as leek is quite mild and the overall pasta bake is whitish…

2 leeks
1 tsp butter
1/2 pint milk
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup ham cubes or broken pieces of sliced ham (optional - you could use tomato or sundried tomatoes)
500g pasta

Heat the oven to 180c.  Clean and chop the leeks.  Sweat them in the teaspoon of butter in a saucepan with the lid on and don’t allow them to brown. 

Add milk, tablespoon butter, flour, nutmeg and mustard to another saucepan and heat gently, whisking occasionally.  As it begins to heat up, concentrate on the whisking and don’t allow it to catch on the bottom.  Once bubbling gently remove from the heat and stir in half the cheese.  Season to taste.  It should have a thick texture.

Break up the leeks with a spoon -they should now be softish.  Add to the cheese sauce.  Mix in the ham.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet.  Drain it before it becomes too soft as it will be cooked further in the oven.  Mix the sauce with the pasta, pour into an oven proof dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until piping hot with a brown cheesy top.

This is great for putting in mini ramikins and freezing for quick suppers (don’t do the last step of putting it in the oven as that will happen when you reheat).

Posted in Milk, Cheese, Ham, Butter, Leek, Recipe, Vegetarian, Pasta, Weaning | Print | No Comments »

05/06/2010 by D.

1 bunch asparagus
3 slices thickly cut ham
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 glass white wine (opt)
1 pack spaghetti
grated parmesan and toasted sunflower seeds to serve

Snap the woody ends off the asparagus - it will naturally snap at the ‘right’ place, and discard the woody ends or use in stock.  Chop it into 1cm length pieces.  Place in a pan and just cover with boiling water.  Simmer for 2 mins, then drain the water into a bowl.  Chop the ham slices lengthways and crossways to form little squares.

Bring a pan of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions.

Add the butter, flour and wine to a pan.  Heat gently and whisk.  Add a cup of the asparagus water as the butter begins to melt and keep whisking.  Once the butter has completely melted, add the rest of the asparagus water and keep whisking until the mixture bubbles gently and thickens.  Mix in asparagus and ham, then season to taste.

 Drain the pasta, then mix with the sauce.  Serve in bowls, topped with grated parmesan, toasted seeds, and a grind or two of black pepper.  Lovely with a mixed salad.

Posted in Asparagus, Ham, Parmesan, Sunflower seeds, Pasta, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

09/03/2010 by D.

2 courgettes
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 mugs chunky pasta
1 tbsp parsley (optional)
grated cheddar and ground black pepper to serve

Boil the pasta as per instructions.  While it is cooking, wash the courgettes and finely slice (I use the slicer side of my grater).  Crush the garlic.  Heat the butter and oil in  a pan, add the courgettes, garlic and lemon juice.

Fry for around ten mintues, stirring occasionally.  The courgettes should become transparent, but retain some bite.  Drain the pasta and stir into the courgette mixture.  Season to taste with a little salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a scattering of chopped parsley.  Sprinkle over grated cheddar and serve.

 We have this with fish dishes, as the lemon, garlic and sweet courgette compliment the light fish perfectly.

Posted in Cheese, Courgette, Olive Oil, Supper, Butter, Parsley, Pasta, Lemon, Garlic, Recipe | Print | No Comments »

16/01/2010 by D.

6 rashers dry-cure streaky bacon
1 red pepper
6 eggs
500g spirali pasta
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp thick greek yoghurt
salt & pepper to taste

Boil eggs for 10 mins and put bacon on to grill until crispy.  Boil pasta until al dente.  Chop pepper into small cubes.

Cool eggs by running under cold water.  Peel and mash the eggs and mix in the mayonnaise and yoghurt.  Season to taste.  If it’s a little dry, add some more yoghurt and mayo in the same proportions… some eggs are bigger than others and you need it to make a creamy sauce for the pasta.

Crumble the bacon into the egg mixture, add the red pepper and drained pasta and serve while still warm.

I love this as a lazy hangover brunch, served with a tall glass of fresh blood orange juice, or just a plate of orange cut into segments with the rind still on.  If you have some left over, it is delicious as a cold salad for a working lunch.

Posted in Brunch, Yoghurt, Red Pepper, Mayonnaise, Eggs, Bacon, Toddler, Recipe, Pasta, Pepper, Weaning | Print | No Comments »