Toulouse Pasta Sauce

July 7, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

This is one of those recipes that I love so much, based on one really incredible ingredient, quick and easy because the butcher, in this case, has done all the hard work by creating an incredible product.

Toulouse sausages are characterized by their distinct flavour, achieved by adding wine and garlic to ground pork, sometimes bacon is also added into the meat mixture. I used this sauce for pasta, but it is really delicious on a hot baked potato, or topped with a fried egg for breakfast. This is a slightly strange recipe because instead of using cream I add milk, 15 minutes before the sauce is done and allow it to all reduce away, leaving a sauce that is creamy without being creamy!

Toulouse Sausage Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 8 Toulouse Sausages, or any other pure pork sausage, removed from the casing
– 1 red onion, finely chopped
– 1 dry birds eye chili
– 250ml red wine
– 1 can plum tomatoes
– 200ml milk
– 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
– 2 tbsp Olive oil

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan. Once it is hot, add the sausage meat, and crumbled red chili – allow the meat to start to colour. As it is cooking, use your wooden spoon to break apart the sausage, don’t crumble it completely try to keep some of the texture. Once the meat is almost all browned, add the onions and thyme and allow them to cook till soft.
Increase the heat, add the red wine and allow it to reduce away, once it is almost all reduced add your tomatoes. Drop the heat and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. At this stage add your milk, it will seem like a lot of milk, but as the meat finishes slowly cooking the milk will reduce and leave a nice creamy tomato mixture. Allow the sauce to continue simmering for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid reduces too much add a drop more milk, if it looks too runny, increase the heat and allow it to reduce some more. Serve with a great organic gnocchi like the one from Angela’s Kitchen at Organic emporium topped with some grated parmesan.

Spinach, Broccoli & 4 Cheese Lasagne

June 18, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

When I was a kid this would have been my idea of a cruel and twisted punishment devised by adults — a lasagne with not only spinach but broccoli too!!

As an adult I’ve learnt an important lesson “Cheese makes broccoli taste good and as the grown up I am in charge of the cheese!” So whilst this is a spinach and broccoli lasagne it is layered with white sauce rich in wine and pecorino and every layer gets more cheese (4-different cheeses to be exact)! Veggies? What veggies!

Spinach Broccoli & Pecorino Lasagne

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Spinach

– 2 large bunches of spinach, cleaned and trimmed

– 1 red onion

– 2 cloves of garlic

– 300gms ricotta cheese

– 1 head of broccoli, broken into spears

– 1,5 liters béchamel

– 120mls white wine

– 250gms grated pecorino (or other sharp cheese)

– 60gms grated mozzarella

– 60gms grated Parmesan
– dry lasagne sheets

To prepare the spinach, trim and wash carefully, place in a large pan over high heat. Once the spinach has wilted and softened, remove and place in a colander. Press as much of the water out as you can. In the same pan, heat some oil and cook the onion till softened, then add the spinach and cook for two minutes, check the seasoning – now add the ricotta cheese and stir it in till combined – set aside. To prepare the broccoli, heat a cm of water in a small pan, once boiling add the broccoli and cook for 1-minute, drain and rinse under cold water, then drain. Cut the broccoli into slices, so that you can layer it in a single layer.

When you are preparing your bèchamel replace 120mls of the milk with white wine, once it is ready add 250gms of grated cheese and allow it to blend in. It will be more like the cheese sauce for a mac ‘n cheese than for a lasagne.

To assemble the lasagne place some of the white sauce on the bottom of the lasagne dish. Then a sheet of the lasagne, more of the white sauce and then half of the spinach and ricotta mix. Top the spinach with half the grated parmesan cheese and then more white sauce, top this with a sheet of dry pasta. Top this with more white sauce and then place the broccoli in a single layer, top that with some of the reserved grated pecorino cheese and then more white sauce. Top with pasta and repeat with the last of the spinach & ricotta and the remaining parmesan. A final layer of white sauce and pasta all topped off with the mozzarella cheese! Bake at 180°C for 25-35 minutes till golden and bubbling.

Roasted Butternut & Gorgonzola Lasagne

May 26, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

It’s Monday so it’s number 4 in my lasagne a week challenge, don’t know which is more amazing, that I have eaten lasagne every Monday for 4-weeks and I am still loving it or that I have already been writing this page for four weeks! Tonight’s lasagne is a really simple one, and yet, from two simple ingredients it becomes one of the most delicious and indulgent.

Layer lasagne sheets with a well made bèchamel top that with small size chunks of roasted butternut, and sprinkle each layer with some Gorgonzola and more bèchamel. Make sure you use enough bèchamel or the lasagne might seem dry. To roast the butternut, cut a butternut into chunks, drizzle with olive oil and dot with butter. I add plenty of garlic and fresh thyme. Roast the butternut till crisply charred on the edges, I roast the butternut at around 200°C, so that it chars on the outside whilst still keeping its shape.

I like to get a fair amount of the Gorgonzola on the very top layer to give it a rich finish. Since the butternut and lasagne are both cooked it only takes around 20-25 minutes in a hot oven.

Giant spicey meatballs

May 22, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

This is the type of meal my mom would make when we had friends round for the weekend. The meatballs are only browned in the oil and then allowed to finish cooking in the sauce, because you aren’t turning them repeatedly you can make the meatballs without adding any extra binding agents. I like to add some chili to the meat mixture but if you are making it for people who don’t like the heat, leave it out they are still delicious.

Giant Spicey Meatballs
Serves 4

Ingredients
Meatballs
– 600g beef
– 1 medium onion, finely chopped
– 2 cloves garlic finely minced
– 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
– 1 free range egg (optional)
– 2 chili finely chopped
– salt & pepper
– 250ml oil
– 2 tbsp flour

Sauce
– 1 can cherry tomatoes
– 1 onion sliced
– 1 clove garlic
– 10 basil leaves, torn
– salt & pepper
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 cup red wine
– 200g mozzarella, grated

To start get your sauce on first. Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan, before adding the finely chopped garlic and onion, allow this to cook for a few minutes, till the onions begin to soften. Now add the red wine, tomatoes and fresh herbs, reduce the heat and allow to simmer.

To make the meatballs combine all the ingredients except for the oil and flour in a bowl. Combine thoroughly and then divide the mixture into 4 large meatballs. Heat the oil in a shallow pan before dusting the meatballs with some flour, now gently place the meatballs in the pan and allow them to brown. Do not keep turning the meatballs or they will break apart. Once they have browned on both sides add them to the simmering tomato sauce. Cover with a lid and let simmer for about 15 minutes before removing the lid and cooking for a further 10-minutes. The sauce should be nicely mellowed and the meatballs juicey and fragrant. If you are using the mozzarella switch the heat off and then cover the meatballs with the cheese and allow it to melt in the residual heat.

You can eat these meat balls with mashed potatoes, or simply with some good crusty bread. I always give them a sprinkle of extra herbs, some grated Parmesan and a good slug of a great quality extra virgin olive oil.

Chicken & Black Olive Lasagne

May 19, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Week 3 and my third lasagne, I’ve done one beef, one veg and one chicken – next week will have to be a seafood lasagne – yum!

This chicken lasagne is actually a combination of two recipes I have published before, firstly the quick chicken breasts with cherry tomatoes and a standard béchamel.

Chicken & Black Olive Lasagne
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
Provençal Inspired Country Style Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients
–  8 large free range chicken breasts
–  3 medium red onions, finely chopped
–  4 cloves of garlic
–  4 tbsp olive oil
–  3 tbsp butter
– 700gms ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
–  5 sprigs thyme
–  2 bay leaf
–  30 sage leaves
– 600ml wine
–  1,5 cup stock (optional)/water
– 300gms black olives pitted

Start by heating the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Now add the garlic, onion and finely chopped thyme. Once the onions have begun to brown some of the oil should separate. Move the onions to one side of the pan and place the chicken breasts on the other side. Reduce the heat and allow the chicken to start to brown, before turning. Now add the tomatoes, olive and bay leaf, once the tomatoes have started to break down add the wine and allow this to cook for a few minutes. Cover the pan and allow it to cook for about 10-minutes before removing the chicken breasts – set them aside. Allow the sauce to cook for a further 20-minutes, add some of the stock if you need to, the tomatoes should have started to break apart. Add salt & pepper and check seasoning, before adding the chicken breasts, cut into pieces, back in with the sage leaves. Cook for 2-minutes and then set aside.

Bèchamel
Makes 1litre
Ingredients

– 1/2 onion
– 2 bay leaf
– 1 clove
– nutmeg
– 80gms butter
– 120gms flour
– 1litre full cream milk

Start by heating the milk in a heavy based saucepan. Whilst the milk is coming up to the boil, take the half onion and attach the 2 bay leafs to it with the clove. Add this to the milk. Once the milk has come to the boil, switch it off and finish making the bèchamel. This is one of the key steps because now the milk will infuse with the aromatic and woody flavours of the onion and bay leaf.

In a second heavy based pan add the butter and allow it to start melting. Using a balloon whisk (you must use a whisk, wooden spoons work but the whisk ensures a perfect silky béchamel) Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk vigorously till all the flour has been absorbed by the butter. Now start by adding a ladle full of the hot milk. Whisk this is, keep adding milk and whisking between each addition until you have a light creamy sauce. Reserve about 100ml of milk and at the very end you can decide if you want your sauce thinner and if you do add the milk. Your sauce should have no lumps. Check the seasoning and keeping whisking cook it for a further 10 or so minutes. Keep the heat low so that it does not burn or catch. Once the béchamel is ready add a grating of fresh nutmeg to the sauce. Press a sheet of cling wrap to the sauce whilst it stands to prevent a skin from forming on the top.

ASSEMBLING THE LASAGNE

When you assemble your lasagne, start with a thin layer of white sauce at the very bottom of the dish. Top this with a sheet of pasta and then chicken and bechamel followed by pasta again. By doing this you will give your lasagne a bottom layer to scoop it up with. I add grated parmesan on top of the bechamel as I make the layers. Bake it in a hot oven, 180°C, for about 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and golden.

DO NOT FORGET: you must let your lasagne stand for at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. This will allow the white sauce to hold its shape a bit better and will make for easier cutting of the sheets.

Spinach, Mushroom & Ricotta Lasagne

May 12, 2014 by TSJC 2 Comments

I was serious a week a go when I proposed to produce one lasagne recipe a week for the duration of winter. So here it is, week two and lasagne two, I thought I would change things up a but this week and keep the dish vegetarian. But by using loads of mushrooms the lasagne still delivers a meaty richness, I don’t use a tomato sauce when I make a mushroom lasagne I prefer the creaminess of the mushrooms against but you could use one if you liked. I also use a mix of mushroom, starting with a bulk mixed pack, then portabellini, then wild mushrooms. Allowing the cheaper mushrooms to handle texture and volume while the more flavourful mushrooms give the dish its umph!

You can get the recipe for the bechamél here https://www.thesecretjozichef.co.za/?p=422

Spinach, Mushroom & Ricotta Lasagne
Makes a large tray

Ingredients
– 400gms bulk mixed mushrooms
– 100gms portabellini mushrooms
– 100gms wild mushrooms
– 2 medium red onions
– 3 cloves garlic
– 4 sprigs thyme, plucked and chopped
– 70gms butter + 70gms butter for spinach
– 100 mls brandy
– 4 tbsp olive oil
– 1 dry birds eye chili
– 2tsp finely chopped parsley
– 2 bags baby spinach
– 400gms fresh ricotta
– lasagne sheets
– 1,5 litre bechamél
– 100gms grated parmesan
– 150gms grated mozarella

Prepare your white sauce, now heat a large heavy based saucepan on a high flame. Add the butter for the mushrooms, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, crushed dry birds eye chili, thyme and cook the onions until softened. Now increase the flame to high and add the mushrooms, be careful to not over crowd your pan, you want the mushrooms to develop some colour first. If you put too many mushrooms in the pan, they will broil instead of browning so rather split it into two batches. Once the mushrooms have browned and the brandy and cook until it has reduced, the mushrooms should have some liquid in them but not be too wet. Add the fresh parsley and check seasoning. Once it has cooled slightly stir the ricotta in so that it is nicely combined, check seasoning again.

In a large pot add the washed spinach (if its too much put as much as you can and put the lid on, after a few minutes it will have collapsed allowing you to add more) and place on the heat, once the spinach has wilted remove it and place in a colander to allow it to drain. Press gently with a spoon to remove some, but not all of the water. Now return to the heat and add the butter and stir through, check the spinach for seasoning.

To assemble the lasagne start with a thin layer of bechamél on the bottom of the dish, then a layer of dry lasagne. Top that with half of the mushroom mixture and a 1/4 of the spinach just spread the leaves out loosely, top with bechamél and more dry lasagne and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms, another 1/4 of the spinach and this time add half the parmesan, before adding another layer of lasagne sheets. Top this with some bechamél, the balance of the spinach the rest of the parmesan and half of the mozarella before adding some more bechamél and another sheet of lasagne. Top this with more bechamél and the last of the mozarella, bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Dinner is all wrapped up!

May 8, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Chicken breasts seem to be extremely popular and yet at the same time they are my least favourite part of the chicken. The meat generally lacks any great flavour and has a tendency of drying out. This is one of those recipes that requires a little preparation but then its takes care of itself in the oven. The wrap of parma ham or bacon keeps the breast nice and moist as does the juicy filling in the centre.

Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Parma Ham
Serves 4

Ingredients
– 4 large free range chicken breasts
– 120g ricotta cheese
– 60gms sun dried tomatoes roughly chopped
– 100g mixed wild mushrooms
– 1 dry birds eye chili
– 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
– 1 single sprig thyme
– 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
– 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
– 1 tbsp butter
– 3 tbsp mascarpone/cream
– salt & pepper
– 25mls brandy
– 8 slices parma ham

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Now prepare the mushroom stuffing. Heat your pan. Now add the olive oil, butter, pinch finely thyme with the finely chopped garlic. Allow it to soften but not to brown. Now add the mushrooms, cut into rough chunks, the chunkier the better as it will add to the meatiness of the sandwich. Add the crumbled chili and stir once to coat, now leave the mushrooms to start browning and colouring, do not keep stirring them or they will lose their water and boil. Also make sure when you add your mushrooms that you do not over crowd the pan as this will also cause them to boil. Once the mushrooms have begun to get good colour, add the brandy, BE CAREFUL, the alcohol may burn off, don’t get a fright. Once the brandy has all but disappeared add the mascarpone, fresh parsley and salt and pepper, before dropping the heat and allowing the mascarpone to melt into the mushrooms. Stir to loosen all the yummy sticky bits. Set the mushrooms aside.

To prepare the chicken breasts cut a slit into one side of the breast, try and get as close to the other side as you can but be careful to not pierce the breast all the way through. Now add the ricotta and sun dried tomatoes to your mushroom mixture. Place two pieces of parma ham on a sheet of grease proof paper now place a chicken breast on top of those. Opening the pocket you have created try and squeeze in as much mushroom mixture as you can, but at most a 1/4 of the mix. Gently wrap the parma ham around the breast and using a piece of cooking string close the parcel up. Don’t squeeze it or you will force the mixture out. Once all 4 breasts are prepared, drizzle a little olive oil and place in a baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the juices run clear from the thickest part of the breast.
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Conchiglie

April 27, 2014 by TSJC Leave a Comment

Conchiglie, which translated from the Italian means shells which is what the pasta looks like and makes for or a great wintery change from lasagna. Start by par cooking the shells for 8 minutes, drain. Then layer in a small baking dish, starting with some bechamel and some bolognese sauce followed by the empty shells. Then fill each shell with some bolognese sauce, top the whole lot with more bechamel some grated mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes till bubbling and gooey!

For something different make a mixture of pan fried mushrooms and ricotta cheese for a vegetarian alternative

Beef and Polenta

April 27, 2014 by TSJC 1 Comment

Beefy winter treat!

I thought this was a great recipe for a quick supper or with a little more flair a delicious dinner party dish. If you are using the instant polenta the whole dish can be prepared and plated in 15-20 minutes, and it tastes amazing. Sadly by the time I typed this up, the temperature had managed to sore to over 30 in Jozi, so save the recipe for the winter – it deserves a hearty appetite and a cold evening with a good glass of wine.

ROSEMARY BEEF WITH POLENTA
Serves 4 generously

Ingredients
– 800g beef fillet
– 4 large zucchini
– 2 sprig fresh rosemary
– 1 large clove garlic
– 2 tbsp butter
– 2 tbsp olive oil
– 200ml white wine
– 500ml cream
– Salt & pepper

– 400g instant polenta
– 500ml water
– 500ml milk
– Salt & Pepper

Step 1:
Get the polenta on to the cook, see my earlier recipe for how to make it and decide how luxurious you want it, the beef topping is rich.

Step 2:
Using a potato peeler shave ribbons of zucchini length ways, don’t make them too thin, by increasing the pressure on the peeler you will get thicker slices. In a pan heat 3 tbsp butter and olive oil together with a whole clove of garlic lightly bruised (pull the garlic out at the end) Pan fry them till they get some colour and begin to soften, season with salt & pepper.

Step 3:
Once the zucchini is on the cook you can start the last stage, the meat. Cut the fillet into strips, finger thickness. In a pan heat the olive oil and butter gently, add the garlic and whole sprig of rosemary. Add the strips of beef when the oil is hot and allow it to begin to brown, don’t over crowd the pan or the meat will broil, avoid turning the beef too often, allow it to develop some colour. You should have browned the meat within 4/5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and with tongs remove the beef from the pan. The meat should still be rare as it will cook again after a few minutes. Add the white wine to the hot pan and return it to the heat to allow the pan to deglaze. Once the wine has begun to cook off add 100ml beef stock, and the cream. Drop the heat and allow the cream to slowly come up to the boil and to begin to reduce. After a few minutes drain the juices that will have collected from the beef into the cream mixture. Once the cream mixture is thickened enough that the mixture coats the back of a spoon lightly, chuck the beef back in and switch it off. I usually add fresh chopped parsley and stir it in, allowing the meat to stand in the sauce while I plate the rest of the meal.

Plate up the meal starting with the polenta, then the zucchini so you have something to soak up all the delicious sauce, your beef strips should be cooked medium with loads of rosemary, garlic and white wine flavour.

HINT: If you want to use this dish on a winter’s night to entertain friends, spend a little more time with how you plate it, creating a central mound of polenta, pike the beef strips on this. Then place the zucchini ribbons around this and spoon sauce over

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