Bellisimo Bolognese

If I think 'Bolognese', I think comfort. I think of a gorgeous night in with the family slurping up pasta with a delicious and hearty bolognese clinging so wonderfully to all that we slurp. I think of the kids with big bolognese grins holding their bowls to the big red cast iron pot for more. I always make more! You see, I make more, usually in the hope to freeze (it freezes so well) or to layer a delicious lasagna (flexible little number, isn't it!) but then it is impossible for a Mother to resist the pleading gorgeous eyes and more, the big bolognese smile of my gorgeous girls?

Many know the dish as 'Spaghetti Bolognese' however the real thing is called Tagliatelle al Ragu'. This meaty sauce comes from Bologna in Emilia Romagna. The real deal is a mixture of at least two types of meat, such as lean beef and pork or veal. Use a deep heavy-based saucepan, pour yourself a glass of wine and picture yourself in Bologna (it makes it taste better so don't miss this step) as this hearty and beautiful sauce simmers away, just waiting to smack itself on to your own loved ones 'Bolognese smile!'

Buon Appetito!

Bolognese Sauce

Olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
100g pancetta, diced
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
Murray River Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
2-3 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
1 large bay leaves
1 x 400g good quality Italian tinned tomatoes, chopped
300ml red wine
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
125ml water
Fresh basil, to serve or if it's not basil season, use chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion for a few minutes to soften but not to colour. Add the celery, carrot, garlic and pancetta and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and smelling sweet.

Increase the heat and add the meat, in batches if need be, and brown well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the oregano, tomato paste, bay leaf, tomatoes, wine, stock cube and water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, with the lid slightly askew, for approximately 1 hour. Stir your sauce from time to time and do keep an eye on it. If it looks like it is drying out, add a a splash of water. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. The colour of your sauce should be deeply rich and if not, you may want to cook for a touch longer.

Season bolognese to taste with sea salt and a good grinding of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with drained pasta, fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan (despite the fact that purisits like this dish without!).

Sometimes, I do like to tie some fresh rosemary to a wooden spoon and stir my sauce, every so often, with this. It infuses the sauce with a truly lovely flavour. Whatever you do, DO NOT, leave your rosemary spoon just sitting in the sauce whilst it cooks as the rosemary will completely dominate and your sauce loose all the balance and sweetness that it should have.

Spiced red lentil and carrot soup (that won me a farmer)

It has only just dawned on me that you would not be silly for thinking I am Vegetarian. In recipe 1, there was cauliflower fritters and in recipe 2, I confessed to the world that I am an avid Brussel Sprouts lover!
I am going to knock you down with a feather right here, right now. I am not vegetarian!!! This fact now on the table and I am still truly desperate to share this next recipe with you! I have cooked it so much of late & I simply love it so much. This week we have been donning the apron for ......drumroll.............yes, all non vegetarian's favourite (eh hem), Spiced red lentil and carrot soup! Don't jump ship guys. This is awesome and we will soon move on to meatier dishes (I promise).

I had a farmer attend one of my Vegetarian cooking classes last year. We only run this class a couple of times a year & this is the one class out of all of them that his girlfriend (bless her cotton socks) booked him in to. Apparently this guy has never had a day without meat! Talk about pressure & he was a big burly lad too. Needless to say, I was a wee bit afraid! Reading through the menu with him of what we were to cook this particular night, I thought he was going to a) run and b) practice his left hook right between my eyes as he read the word 'lentil'. He lived through the trauma of adding lentils to the pan & I kid you not, he raved about the final result (even though he did add that it could be improved with a touch of lamb!!)

This soup makes me feel so 'good'. This is big praise for food I think. Delicious & that you can feel it doing you 'good'. This makes me one happy girl! Oh...and a little word of advice - you just have to try the toasted bread with the goats cheese (with or without the soup). Many of you know already know the avid affection I hold for 'Meredith Dairy' fabulous goats cheese. I like to hold a fairly large supply in our massive fridge & have been know to get the shakes if we go below 6 jars! Therapy anyone?

4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
250g Persian Red lentils, washed and drained
A pinch of dried chilli flakes or 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 litres of water (or can use half water and half chicken stock for even
More goodness & more flavour)
100ml natural yoghurt
Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Olive oil and finely chopped parsley or coriander, to serve

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and
Celery and cook, stirring gently for 5-10 minutes. Add the red lentils,
ground coriander, ground cumin and stir to combine. Cover with 1.5 litres
of water (or stock) and bring to the boil. Turn heat down, season to taste,
cover saucepan and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Stir in the yoghurt and check again for seasoning.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnished with the freshly chopped
parsley or coriander.

In addition, I love to serve this (or any soup) with some thinly sliced olive bread,drizzled with olive oil and chargrilled. Whilst hot, I spread with a layer of 'Meredith dairy' goats cheese. If I
have some caramelised onions in the fridge, some of these on top of 'Meredith Dairy' goats cheese is, well 'heaven on a plate' for me!My preferred way to caramelise onions : Heat a large pan over low heat. Add 2 or more finely sliced brown onions & cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until very soft. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (it is this extra touch that makes all the difference to your everyday caramelised onions), pinch of salt & some pepper & cook for 5 minutes longer until the onions are caramelized.Remove from the heat & leave to cool.

Brussel sprouts - are you a lover or a loather?

I just love putting brussel sprouts on the menu! Not that I am a spiteful person but it is always funny to watch everyones faces when they arrive on the table - I do think they seem to mess with everyones heads!
Brussel Sprouts cop such a bad wrap, in my opinion. You are either a lover or loather. For the loathers, I hope this recipe can convince you that if cooked properly, they are a vegetable fit for a queen & a worthy addition to any gorgeous spread. I adore them & get so excited when they start to ‘sprout’ each winter.


24 small brussel sprouts
A good glug of extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good knob of unsalted butter plus another reserved for later
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
A good handful of finely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons of slivered or chopped almonds, toasted

Wash the brussel sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves.
Blanch the brussel sprouts briefly in boiling salted water. Remove & drain.
Cut in half from stem to top and gently toss them in a bowl with a good glug of olive oil.

Heat a good knob of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Don't overheat the pan or the outsides of the brussel sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussel sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and cook for roughly 5 minutes. The bottom of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Taste one of the sprouts & check for tenderness. If not cooked enough, cover and cook for a few minutes more.

Once just tender, turn up the heat, and cook until slightly caramelized. Add the reserved butter, season with a little more salt as well as a few grinds of pepper. Add the brown sugar and toss gently. Once the sugar has dissolved, and the parsley & toss the almonds through the dish.

Brussel sprouts really must be served immediately for best enjoyment & man, are they enjoyable!

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

Cauliflower fritters

It's getting cold outside which causes me to live like a hermit,
wax way less often than one should and the inevitable struggle to
get the kids out of bed. The good news is, it also means wonderful,
wonderful cauliflower does this make up for hairy legs??!!).

This dish is delightfully simple and has 'comfort' written all over
it for me. Make bite size versions for a wonderful starter / great
party food or make larger ones and serve for dinner with a big
green salad and a glass of wine. Is this not the perfect Sunday
night?


½ cauliflower
300g (2 cups) self raising flower
125g (1 ¼ cups) grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons of Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
Sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Olive oil


Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Break or cut
the cauliflower in to quite small pieces. Add the cauliflower to
the boiling water and cook for a couple of minutes, until soft (you
should be able to pierce the cauliflower stem with a knife with
ease if cooked through). Drain & cool.

Combine the flour, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, chives, salt
and pepper and then mix with the cauliflower. Add the lightly
beaten eggs and mix again. Add a little of the milk, if needed, to
bring the mixture together.

Add enough olive oil to cover the base of a frying pan and heat
over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add tablespoons of the
mixture and cook on the first side until golden. Turn each fritter
over and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook on the
second side until golden and cooked through.

Serve these warm but not hot to enjoy their maximum flavour or at
room temperature.

Makes approx 18 small fritters.


I always serve these fritters with my ‘beetroot & aceto balsamic
relish’. They are so perfect together! Alternatively, you could
make your own spicy dipping sauce to make these tasty gems even
tastier! To do this, grab yourself a blender and whizz up 4 roughly
chopped tomatoes with some dried chilli flakes (or fresh chilli), a
few drops of balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of roughly chopped
flat leaf Italian parsley.

welcome

I hope my recipes and passion for all things food, in my blog, in our cooking classes and always around our table inspire you to want to cook and celebrate the pleasures of the kitchen and table. The pleasures truly are amazing!