Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Braised Borlotti Beans

Mr R. and I made this last night and it kinda rocked. We got some fresh borlotti beans (a rarity in Australia) and I googled my go-to man in italian cooking - Stefano Manfredi - and away we went! The original recipe is for skate - but given my local fishmonger didn't know what cuttlefish was, I wasn't going to even try and source it.
It is completely gluten and lactose free, and something I'm sure my dietician won't get angry at me for eating :P
This recipe can be found in the original here


Grilled Salmon with Braised Borlotti Beans

• 4 salmon portions, small & skinless
• 2 cups fresh borlotti beans, shelled (or 2 x 400g tins)
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 eschalots, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 250 g roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges, to serve

1. If using fresh borlotti beans, place in pot with plenty of cold water. Bring to boil, cover with lid and lower heat to simmer 25-30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool in liquid.
2. In a pan, heat 4 tbsp of olive oil. Lightly fry eschalots and garlic until soft. Add chopped tomatoes, thyme and oregano. Add 2-3 pinches of salt, mix well and simmer gently for 15 minutes. 
3. If using canned borlotti beans, drain and wash well. Otherwise, drain cooked beans. Add to simmering tomato mix. Mix well. Add parsley and simmer for 10 minutes. Check for salt. Add freshly ground pepper. 
4. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on a barbecue plate or large pan When hot, grill salmon for a few minutes each side, depending on thickness. Serve with braised borlotti beans and lemon wedges.

Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Olives, Feta and Cucumber

This recipe was given to me by my dietician Susie Burrell who prefers low carb low maintenance types of cooking. I had it for lunch yesterday (along with tuna and corn thins) and it was great. The dressing doesn't look like much but you don't need extra because of the moisture in the olives and watermelon.
I gave this to Mr R. last night and he even said he could take this to work for lunch - that can't be right I think I'll have to get my hearing checked.
For the lactose freebies - you can get lactose free feta - I got an organic one from Whole Foods but also saw it in Coles.

Serves 4
- 4 cups watermelon, diced
- 12 black olives, pitted
- 100 g feta, crumbled or chopped
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
Dressing
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Toss all ingredients
2. Eat

:)

Recipe: Chargrilled Cuttlefish Salad with Beans, Tomato and Pesto

Sometimes Delicious Magazine publishes recipes that are easy to prepare, with ingredients that are easy to find, and not expensive. This is one - and Superman made it!
It was chosen for tonight's dinner as it is low carb and of course gluten and lactose friendly. I'm getting weighed in later in the week by my dietician Susie and I gotsta be svelte!
We used calamari - our local fishmonger looked at Superman blankly when he asked for cuttlefish. We also used Roma tomatoes that we roasted - fresh from one of my customer's farm : D
To learn how to clean squid, google it or look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fdPl777Ji0&feature=related

Recipe: Grilled Cuttlefish with Beans, Tomato and Pesto
Serves 4

• 400 g cuttlefish tubes, cleaned
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) EVOO
• 200 g green beans, trimmed
• 400 g can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (65 g) good quality basil pesto
• small basil leaves to serve

1. Cut cuttlefish tubes along one side and open out
2. Using sharp knife, lightly score the inside surface in fine criss-cross pattern
3. Place cuttlefish in a bowl; season and drizzle with 1 tbs of oil
4. Blanch green beans in boiling, salted water for 2 mins or until tender, then drain and refresh
5. Place in a bowl with the cannellini beans, onion and cherry tomatoes and then season
6. Char-grill the cuttlefish for 1 min either side until lightly charred and just cooked through
7. Halve, then place in a bowl and toss with pesto
8. To serve, arrange the bean salad on plates then top with cuttlefish and basil leaves

Recipe: Nigella's Quick Chilli

This Chilli con Carne recipe rocks! I have made this so many times the page in the Nigella Express is badly stained. Nigella suggests serving this with coriander, sour cream and grated cheese. I serve it also with roasted tortilla chips.
NB: If you are making this as/for a gluten freester, the things you need to check the gf status of are the chorizo, pasta sauce and sweet chilli sauce.

http://ironchefshellie.com/2011/05/07/quick-chilli/

Oh, and believe Nigella when she says use a heavy based pan/pot, I winged it last time and ended up scrubbing the pot for about half an hour :S
This photo is from the blogger Iron Chef Shellie :)


Quick Chilli

• 150 g chorizo sausage (not the salami sort), halved lengthways and cut into 5mm half moons
• 500 g beef, minced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 cardamon pods, bruised
• 1 x 500g jar good quality tomato and chunky vegetable pasta sauce
• 1 x 390 g can mixed beans
• 60 mL sweet chilli sauce
• ¼ - ½ tsp chilli flakes

1. Put the sliced chorizo into a hot, heavy based pan and cook over a medium heat until the sausage crisps and gives up its orange-red oil
2. Add the mince and cook for ~ 5 mins, breaking it up with a wooden spoon to help it brown
3. Stir in the spices and then add the tomato-vegetable pasta sauce, beans, chilli sauce and flakes.
4. Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes
5. Eat with rice or just as it is - I add sour cream, coriander, grated cheese and tortilla chips.

Recipe: Cocoa Sponge Cakes

This is a recipe I am going to try out soon, and I'll let you know how it goes.. it's from Rowie Dillon's Indulge which is an awesome gluten free cookbook. I like the look of this recipe because it doesn't just substitute gf flour for normal - which normally gives average results.

Cocoa Sponge Cakes


1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (gf)
1 tsp baking powder (gf)
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup coffee, chilled
2 tsps vanilla extract (gf)
2 tsp white vinegar

Icing
125g dairy free margarine
1 1/4 cups icing sugar (gf)
1/2 tbs cocoa powder (gf)

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases
2. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl
3. Combine the oil, coffee and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients and stir well. add the vinegar and quickly stir to combine. Pour immediately into the paper cases
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until skewer inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin and turn out onto a wire rack for icing
5. To make the icing, beat the margarine and sugar in a small bowl with beater until well combined. add the cocoa powder and beat until well combined and the icing is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife (or metal spatula), spread the icing generously over the cakes

Recipe: Nigella's Party Popcorn

The recent popcorn recipe that I posted I have grown frustrated with because despite the flavours being good, they never evenly disperse in the popcorn. Nigella to the Rescue! This recipe can be found on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmR9h5F6cQc

http://drizzleanddip.com/2010/05/24/nigellas-party-popcorn

Party Popcorn

2 tbs olive oil
200g popcorn kernels
4 tbs butter
2 tsp cinnamon, ground
2 tsp cumin, ground
2 tsp sweet paprika
4 tsp salt, ground
4 tsp sugar

1. Heat oil in pan
2. Add popcorn to pan and immediately put a lid on. When popcorn begins to pop, shake pan.
3. When popping slows, take popcorn off heat and place aside.
4. While popcorn is popping, melt butter in a second pan, and add all spices to butter.
5. Before popcorn has cooled, pour butter mixture into pan and mix well.

Recipe: Teresa Cutter's Prawn Cocktail

This recipe was created by Teresa Cutter (www.teresacutter.com.au) who is an organic, gluten free chef from Avalon on the Northern Beaches. I discovered her via my wonderful dietician Susie Burrell (http://www.susieburrell.com.au) .
I have made this a handful of times now, always when Superman is at work; there is no way he would eat it, what with it having coriander and mint in it. It is just awesome, so light, healthy and delicious. I make it as a salad, increasing the volume of lettuce and cucumber. I also grill corn to go in it to increase the carbohydrate and make it a meal.
This can be found in the original here: http://www.teresacutter.com/2011/11/my-prawn-cocktail/

Teresa Cutter's Prawn Cocktail
Serves 4

Ingredients:


400 g prawns, cooked and peeled
1 Lebanese cucumber sliced
125 g  (1/2  punnet ) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado,  diced
2 tablespoons, mint chopped
2 tablespoons, coriander or Thai basil, chopped
2 spring onions, sliced
juice from 2 limes
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
baby lettuce leaves


- mix together prawns, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, mint, coriander, lettuce and spring onions in a bowl
- whisk together lime juice, honey, gish sauce, garlic, ginger in a separate bowl
- mix contents of both bowls together. serve in bowls :)

Recipe: Gluten-free Jaffa Cake

We all our have foodie strengths.

PhoodiePharmacist is always my first port of call when I need a restaurant recommendation. Or to know which brand of chocolate is gluten-free. I will always insist that Mr R pick out cheeses for a platter, and I would (and do) travel great distances for his Eggs Benedict.  And I’m sure if I ever need to order the world’s most boring pizza, I can call Superman.

And I don’t think my esteemed compadres would argue with my declaration that I am something of a baking diva. In short, I love to bake. I love the smell of something baking wafting through the house, I love taking baked treats to work to share with my colleagues and I love nibbling on a piece of home-baked cake – the secret ingredient is love, surely? In times of great stress, some people turn to meditation or yoga. I switch on the oven and drag out a favourite recipe.

This recipe is a new favourite because it has such a spectacular result for so little effort. It’s a luscious, rich chocolate cake with a delicious hit of orange. It’s an old Nigella Lawson recipe and receives bonus points because it is gluten and lactose free (because, according to Mr R, that makes it healthy). If you’re a baking diva like me, this is definitely one to try.

Gluten-free jaffa cake

Ingredients

2 small thin-skinned oranges (about 400g total weight)

6 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

200 g almond meal

250 g caster sugar

50 g cocoa

 Directions

Put the whole orange/oranges in a saucepan with some cold water. Bring to the boil, cooking for 1 ½ hours or until skin is soft.

Drain and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter and line a 20cm springform tin.

Cut the cooled oranges in half and remove any big pips. Cut each orange into about eight pieces. Put the pieces in the food processor and pulp.

Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar, cocoa and eggs to the food processor and process until you have a cohesive batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin.

Bake the cake for 50mins – check after 45 but it could need as much as an hour. It varies from oven to oven.

Leave the cake to get cool for half an hour, then turn out onto a cooling rack

If you don’t have any lactose-free requirements, top with a dark chocolate ganache and serve with double cream (it’s worth the extra calories).

Clementine xx

Recipe: Lasagne al Forno

I cooked this last night - it was kinda awesome! I have, however, altered the original recipe if only because the pedant pharmacist (and italophile) in me doesn't agree with some of the mise-en-place. At the bottom of the recipe, I have written how I made the recipe more lactose free. It is gluten free if you use gf pasta sheets.
The original can be found here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/simple-baked-lasagne

Lasagne al forno

• 100 g pancetta or speck, sliced/diced (depending on how you buy it)  
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, cubed
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 handfuls of fresh herbs (sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme) - chopped roughly
• olive oil
• 400g veal mince
• 200g pork mince
• 2 x 400g tins of diced italian tomatoes
• 400 mL (1/2 a bottle) red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 400g fresh lasagne sheets (or gf ones if required)
• 400g mozzarella, torn up 

for the white sauce
• 1 x 500ml tub of crème fraîche
• 3 anchovies, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
optional: a little milk


for lactose free white sauce option

• 1 x 250g tub of soy sour cream
• 1 cup lactose free thickened cream
• 3 anchovies, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of parmesan, grated

Method

1. In a large pot or pan slowly fry the pancetta and cinnamon until golden, then add the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs and about 4 tablespoons of olive oil. 
2. Add the veal and pork mince. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the tinned tomatoes and the wine or water. 
3. Add the bay leaves and bring to the boil. Then get some greaseproof paper, wet it and place it on top of the pan with a lid placed on top. Simmer on a low heat for ~1.5 hrs. 
4. When the sauce is sufficiently reduced, season to taste and put aside. 
5. Mix together your crème fraîche, anchovies, and a handful of Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. You may need to loosen the mixture with a little milk. 
6. Turn the oven to 200ºC. To assemble the lasagne, rub an earthenware lasagne dish with olive oil, lay some sheets of lasagne over the bottom and drape them up the sides of the dish.
7. Add a layer of meat, a little white sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of pasta covered in white sauce. Tear the mozzarella and sprinkle with some extra Parmesan. Cook in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes until golden.

Recipe: Milk Chocolate Rocky Road

This is the other rocky road that I'm going to make for Christmas. I always buy Rowie's Cakes' gluten free, dairy free Rocky Road from the supermarket for morning tea at work, so thought I'd make the one from Rowie's cookbook! (Indulgence, by Rowie Dillon)
I have made it dairy free by using Sweet William dairy free chocolate (health food aisle).

Not So Nutty Rocky Road
Makes 18 - 20 pieces

• 2 cups marshmallows, roughly chopped
• 30 g puffed rice (make sure gf - had to go to organic grocer to get one that was uncontaminated)
• 70 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 50 g sultanas
• 50 g fresh or frozen raspberries or cranberries
• 375 g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Line a tray with baking paper
2. Combine the marshmallows, puffed rice, hazelnuts, sultanas and berries in a large bowl
3. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth
4. Pour the chocolate onto the marshmallow mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon onto the tray and allow to set. Beak into random pieces and serve.

Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw

This is another addition to my Christmas lunch because I just recently got this book for my birthday.. Thanks Mr R.! Indulge by Rowie Dillon - completely gluten free cook book.
Superman is going to have to shred the cabbage, last time I was let loose with the cutter I sliced off part of my thumb :p


Sweet and Spicy Coleslaw
Serves 4

250 g red cabbage, finely shredded
250 g green cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 white onion, grated

Dressing
1/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise (S&W is gf)
1 tbs Dijon mustard (Masterfoods is gf)
2 tsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbs caster sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine cabbages, carrot and onion in a large bowl.
For the dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar and peppers.
Add dressing to the slaw and toss. Cover and leave in fridge for at least 2 hours to allow flavours to develop. Toss slaw again before serving.

Enjoy

Recipe: Meatballs & Zucchini Pasta

This recipe is a favourite of mine from Teresa Cutter (aka The Healthy Chef). I like it because 1. Superman will eat it 2. it's gf and low carb 3. it's tasty and filling. For once I don't have to feel guilty about eating pasta!

The original can be found on Teresa's website here. She also has instructions for making the tomato sauce, and making it vegetarian. Well worth a look!

Meatballs and Zucchini Pasta

Serves 6 (I freeze the meatballs, they reheat well)

• 500 g beef mince (organic, lean, grass fed)
• 125 g ricotta (deli-style, firm, drained)
• 200 g baby spinach (Teresa suggests cooking it quickly beforehand, I dont bother)
• ½ cup parsley, chopped
• 1 egg (organic, free range)
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups passata w/basil or simple pasta sauce such as Barilla Napoletana
• parsley and parmesan to top

1. Combine beef, ricotta, spinach, ½ cup parsley, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
2. Shape into large balls and coat in a little olive oil then place in a deep tray lined with greaseproof paper.
3. Bake meatballs for 10 minutes, then add napolitana half way up the pan. bake for a further 20  minutes until sauce is bubbling.
4. Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley a little grated parmesan and zucchini spaghetti.

zucchini spaghetti:

• ½ to 1 leek - sliced thinly
• 1 ½ to 2 zucchini per person, cut into spaghetti on a mandolin or similar
• black pepper
• freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
  1. Cook the leek in a pan over medium heat with some olive oil
  2. add the zucchini and toss through for a few seconds until warm
  3. season with lemon juice and black pepper
  4. divide between bowls and top with the meatballs

Recipe: Mirin Glazed Salmon

While we are on the subject of things Superman and I cooked when we had just moved out of home, here is another Nigella dish that we cooked when we had important company (read parents) and would splash out and buy salmon. It is from Nigella Express, and can also be found online here:

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/mirin-glazed-salmon-21 

Mirin Glazed Salmon

serves 4 as a main

• 60 mL mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 50g light brown sugar
• 60 mL soy sauce
• 4 x 125g pieces salmon, cut from the thick part of the fillet so that they are narrow but tall rather than wide and flat
• 2 x 15ml tbs rice vinegar
• 1-2 spring onions, halved and shredded into fine strips

Method

1. Mix the mirin, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish; marinate the salmon in mixture for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Meanwhile heat a large non-stick frying pan.
2. Cook the salmon in the hot, dry pan for 2 minutes and then turn the salmon over, add the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Remove the salmon, add the rice vinegar to the hot pan, and warm through.
4. Pour the dark, sweet, salty glaze over the salmon and top with the spring onion strips.
5. Serve with rice.

We often served this with stir fried bean sprouts and bok choy with soy sauce and rice vinegar - I'm sure you can be more creative than the novice cooks that we were!

Phoodie Pharmacist xx

Recipe: Lamb Tagine with chickpeas and sultanas

I saw Jeff Campbell cook this on Ready Steady Cook back in my Arts degree days when I watched a lot of daytime TV, still lived at home, and couldn't cook to save my life :P

This was one of the first dishes I mastered when I moved out of home, because most of the ingredients could be found in the pantry. 

This for Greta, who always requested I cook it for her when we lived in the same apartment block back in the day :)

NB: If you can't find ground fennel, I use a mortar and pestle to grind the seeds - it is messy though.

Lamb Tagine with chickpeas and sultanas
 

• 1 tsp each of ground fennel, coriander and cumin
• 1 lamb backstrap, cubed ~ 1.5cm
• Olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger
• ½ cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup sultanas
• ½ cup chicken stock (Massel's is gf)
• 1 cup tomato passata
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• Greek style yoghurt, to serve

1. Combine fennel, coriander and cumin in a bowl, add lamb and toss to coat. Shake off excess.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, cook garlic, ginger and lamb for 2-3
   minutes or until lamb is sealed. 
3. Add chickpeas, sultanas, stock and passata and cook for a further 10 minutes or until lamb is tender. 
4. Add coriander and remove from heat
5. Serve Tagine topped with yoghurt. 

Pre-gluten free, low carb days, I served this also with toasted, oiled bread such as focaccia to mop up the sauce. Traditionally, I supposed cous cous should be the accompaniment - gluten freebies could use quinoa.

Recipe: Lemon and Garlic Potatoes

Lemon and Garlic Potatoes (serves 4 as a side)

Ingredients

1kg potatoes (I know a lot of people are very particular about types of potato. For the purposes of this recipe, I’m not. I like to use baby potatoes because I’m lazy)

50ml olive oil 

4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 210C. 
• Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce to a medium heat and simmer for 10mins or until potatoes are tender.
• Drain well
• Toss in olive oil, garlic, juice and zest.
• Transfer to a roasting pan lined with baking paper and season with salt and pepper
• Roast potatoes for 35-40mins until golden brown
• Remove from oven and serve immediately, with a sprinkling of fresh oregano, if you feel so inclined.
  
  
  Clementine xx

Recipe: Tiramisù

This recipe is from my "italian mamma" who lives in Mantua, Lombardy. I went on exchange when I was 16 here and have stayed in touch. Giovanna is famous for her tiramisù, and makes this often. I will try and find some of her other recipes in my paperwork to post here. It is so easy, and so tasty. Please excuse the clumsy directions, I translated it from italian.

NB: To make gluten free: I have just found gf savoiardi (Schär brand, called Ladyfingers) in T. Dux

Tiramisù

For 4-6 ppl

1 cup of weak coffee
4 eggs
4-6 tbs of caster sugar
500g marscapone
4-6 tbs brandy
300g savoiardi (aka ladyfingers)
powdered bitter cocoa

1. mix egg YOLKS and ~3tbs sugar together well (keep 2 WHITES aside for step 3)
2. add to this the marscapone and 2-3 tbs brandy (check for sweetness, add more sugar if necessary)
3. beat 2 egg whites until well beaten, and add to mixture
4. in a shallow bowl, put the weak coffee, 2-3 tbs brandy and 2-3tbs sugar - make sure everything dissolved
5. dip the savoiardi lightly into the bowl, and place them side by side in a pyrex dish (as a layer)
6. on top of this, put a layer of the marscapone mixture
7. repeat 5&6 until all used up - with marscapone as last layer
8. dust cocoa on top and put in fridge for 2 hours.
9. EAT

Recipe: Anglo Asian Lamb Salad

This is a favourite in our house, and has become a staple in many of our friends' homes too. It can be made gluten and lactose free, healthy, and although salads can sometimes be Superman's kryptonite - he actually eats this!

This recipe is from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express; it can also be found online (see link below).


Anglo-Asian Lamb Salad
Serves: 2 as main course

• garlic oil
• 1 lamb sirloin, approx. 250g
• 1 packet baby salad leaves
• 3 tbs chopped mint

Dressing:

• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs redcurrant jelly
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce (gf)
• 1/4 tsp crushed chilli
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

 Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan; cook the lamb for 5 minutes on one side, and 2 1/2 minutes on the other.
• Wrap the meat in foil, making a tightly sealed parcel, and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
• Open the foil parcel, and empty the meat juices into the dressing. Cut the lamb into very fine slices or strips and add them too; the acid in the dressing will cook the lamb a little more while it steeps. If the meat is not rare, I'd leave it for just a short time, but for a longer time if it seems undercooked.
• Divide the salad leaves between plates and then arrange the soused lamb with the dressing over each one. Finally scatter the chopped mint on top.

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/anglo-asian-lamb-salad-39

Recipe : Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

This is Superman’s favourite pasta dish. The name derives from the town of Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast, however it is found on menus throughout the Campania region. As his friends know, SM doesn’t like overly complicated food, and this pasta dish suits him perfectly. Best made with fresh tomato sauce, I have also included the recipe for this. If you want the instructions for making gnocchi, see the link below to Napoli Unplugged.

Gnocchi alla Sorrentina

Serves: 4

 750g potato gnocchi
1.5 cups tomato sauce (recipe below)
350g mozzarella cheese, cubed
4 basil leaves, plus one sprig for garnish
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• Bring 8 cups of well-salted water to a boil.
  
• Place the gnocchi in the boiling water a few at a time, making sure the water remains at boiling point.
• In a pan, heat the tomato sauce.  As soon as the gnocchi rise to the top of the water, drain off the water and place them into the pan with the tomato sauce.
• Mix together, adding the mozzarella and parmesan as you go, allowing it to melt.
• Serve into bowls, adding basil as a garnish. Enjoy.
  

To Make the Tomato Sauce:

(Makes about 2 cups)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1-1.5kg fresh tomatoes, peeled & seeded (NB: you need to buy 2x this)
2 tsps salt
1-2 tsps sugar (optional – if using any Australian tomatoes, inc. Roma – add this)
4 basil leaves 

• Using a pan, heat the olive oil and sweat the garlic for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat.  
• Add tomatoes, salt and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook off the liquid for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 
• Place the tomatoes in a colander to drain, reserving the tomato liquid.   
• Blend the sauce using a barmix or a food processor, as little or as much as you want according to preferred texture. 
• Return the sauce to the pot, add the basil leaves, and cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, until it reaches the desired consistency.  If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice to it.  You can remove the garlic and basil before use, but I don’t bother.

NB: Unless you are using italian varieties of tomatoes that are naturally sweet such as San Marzano, add sugar to the tomato sauce.

Adapted from Napoli Unplugged http://napoliunplugged.com/Gnocchi-alla-Sorrentina-A-Taste-of-Sorrento.html