by Fiona Rossiter on September 21, 2012
This pasta recipe is simple to make and utterly delicious! It is perfect for a weekday dinner or a light meal for entertaining. You can serve it with a green salad and crusty ciabatta bread. If you like you can always reduce the amount of chilli you use if you are not a lover of hot food or add more if you are.
The first step to this recipe is to make the Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce, you will find the printable recipe here; this is something you could do in advance and either store in the fridge or freezer, for when you need it. I have tweaked this recipe slightly from the original by adding cream and parmesan cheese. This recipe does make more sauce than you need for this dish, but you can use any leftovers for other meals or over pasta for a quick easy weekday lunch.
Ingredients for the Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 1 tin large plumb tomatoes in their juice (or 2 smaller tins)
- 15ml tomato paste
- 2 -3 garlic cloves(crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried oregano (If fresh then chop finely)
- 2 tsp. chilli paste or 2 small chilli’s (chopped finely)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A splash of balsamic vinegar
- 50ml red wine
- 75ml fresh Cream (you can add more it you like it more creamy)
In a large saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and then add your garlic, chilli and herbs; sauté over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the tin of whole tomatoes to the pan and cook on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. You can begin to break up the tomatoes now, then add the sugar, tomato paste, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar, red wine, and stir to combine. Continue simmering for a further 20-30 minutes to soften the tomatoes and reduce the liquid. Once you are happy with the consistency remove from the heat and add your cream and parmesan cheese; set aside.
Ingredients for the Pasta:
- 800g -1kg shelled and cleaned prawns
- 500g penne pasta
- 1 small chilli finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 small lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add your dry penne pasta. Cook the pasta for the advised time on the packaging. Once cooked, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
In a saucepan heat your olive oil and butter, add your garlic and chilli; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add your prawns to the pan. The pan must not be too cold or the prawns will stew and become tough. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, then add your white wine and lemon juice. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Once the liquid has reduced sufficiently, add half of your tomato sauce, which you made earlier. I usually add half first to check the flavour and then add more if necessary. Whatever sauce you have leftover you can store in the fridge or freezer for next time.
Serve the prawns on a bed of penne pasta, with shaved parmesan and wild rocket. As I mentioned earlier you can accompany it with a green salad and crusty bread.
Bon Appetit!
Prawn and Chilli Pasta
Author: Fiona Rossiter
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian Fusion
Serves: 4-6
- Ingredients for the Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 1 tin large plumb tomatoes in their juice (or 2 smaller tins)
- 15ml tomato paste
- 2 -3 garlic cloves(crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried oregano (If fresh then chop finely)
- 2 tsp. chilli paste or 2 small chilli’s (chopped finely)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A splash of balsamic vinegar
- 50ml red wine
- 75ml fresh Cream (you can add more it you like it more creamy)
- Ingredients for the Pasta:
- 800g -1kg shelled and cleaned prawns
- 500g penne pasta
- 1 small chilli finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 small lemon
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- In a large saucepan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and then add your garlic, chilli and herbs; sauté over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the tin of whole tomatoes to the pan and cook on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. You can begin to break up the tomatoes now, then add the sugar, tomato paste, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar, red wine, and stir to combine. Continue simmering for a further 20-30 minutes to soften the tomatoes and reduce the liquid. Once you are happy with the consistency remove from the heat and add your cream and parmesan cheese; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add your dry penne pasta. Cook the pasta for the advised time on the packaging. Once cooked, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
- In a saucepan heat your olive oil and butter, add your garlic and chilli; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add your prawns to the pan. The pan must not be too cold or the prawns will stew and become tough. Allow them to cook for a few minutes, then add your white wine and lemon juice.
- Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes. Once the liquid has reduced sufficiently, add half of your tomato sauce, which you made earlier. I usually add half first to check the flavour and then add more if necessary. Whatever sauce you have leftover you can store in the fridge or freezer for next time.
- Serve the prawns on a bed of penne pasta, with shaved parmesan and wild rocket. As I mentioned earlier you can accompany it with a green salad and crusty bread.
3.2.1215
Photography: ©FAR Photography
by Fiona Rossiter on July 28, 2012
Roast Pork with Cranberry and Apples Recipe as featured on the Expresso Show on SABC 3 cooked by Super Mom Blog:
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
1kg Deboned Leg of Pork
1 KNORR Cook-in-Bag (I used Chicken Rosemary & Garlic)
1 Onion chopped
1 Apple cored & sliced (skin on)
2 Tbsp. Cranberry sauce
1 Tbsp. Honey
50ml cold water
1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Place sliced apples and onion in the bag
3. Place 1kg deboned pork leg in the roasting bag
4. Sprinkle seasoning mix over the pork
5. Add the cranberry sauce, honey and 50ml cold water
6. Seal the bag with the tie provided
7. Roll gently to coat the pork evenly
8. Pierce the top of the bag 3 times with a sharp knife for the steam to escape
Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 90 minutes or until the Pork is cooked through. Once cooked cut the bag open and remove the roast, set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Transfer the sauce from the bag into a pot and place over a medium heat to reduce if necessary, serve over the Pork once you have sliced it. Serve the Pork with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, glazed carrots, cranberry & apple sauces.
by Fiona Rossiter on July 23, 2012
I love cooking and always try to put a great tasting, nutritious meal on the table for dinner. Sometimes when I am feeling a bit adventurous, I can be known to whip up a gastronomic midweek-feast. There are also those occasions, after running around playing mom’s taxi all day, that even I have a bit of a “cheat” day. My “cheat-meals” are by no means boring or tasteless, I simply take a few shortcuts.
One of these meals is a Lamb Rogan Curry, perfect for a cold winters night and it will definitely impress your family and guests if you are entertaining. For my “cheat” version I use Woolworths Rogan Josh paste or if you are feeling your inner domestic goddess, I have included a link to my recipe for Rogan Josh Curry Paste for you to try.
Ingredients:
- 800g Lamb leg cubes (You can also use lamb knuckles)
- 1 Large onion
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- 100ml Tomato puree
- 15ml Tomato paste
- 2-3 Tbsp Rogan Josh curry paste
- 250ml Water
- 75ml Plain/Bulgarian yoghurt
- Olive Oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 tsp sugar or palm sugar
- A squeeze of lemon juice
- Fresh coriander for serving
Preheat your oven to a moderate heat, 160-180°c. If the lamb has not yet been trimmed, then trim off all the excess fat and connective tissue. This allows the meat to brown evenly and prevents the meat from becoming tough. Once you have trimmed the fat off the lamb, season with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven proof casserole (I highly recommend Le Creuset pots – a worthwhile investment) on the stove and brown the lamb in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Chop your onion and garlic and sauté over a medium heat until soft and lightly browned. I also add a bit of extra ginger and chilli at this stage but it is personal taste, if you would like a milder curry leave this part out. Once your onions are softened and lightly browned add 2-3 tablespoons or the Rogan Josh Curry paste that you have made or a sachet of the Woolworths paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat and then add your lamb back to the pot. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, sugar and water, stir to combine and cover.
Place in a preheated oven at 160-180°c for 1-1½ hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. I usually add 4 Medium sized potatoes, sliced into quarters, to the curry after it has had half an hour in the oven. After the curry has been in the oven for 45 minutes add the yoghurt, a squeeze of lemon juice and stir to combine. When the lamb is tender remove from the oven, if the sauce is too thick simply add a dash of water to the pot and stir.
I serve my Lamb Rogan Josh Curry with Basmati Rice, a tomato and onion salad and a lemon, coriander and yoghurt raita. You can also serve it with naan bread if you like.
by Fiona Rossiter on July 12, 2012
A Question that I am often asked when hosting a dinner party is “how do you cook your rice so perfectly?” What I can tell you, is that it is not as simple as it looks and I remember during my early cooking days having at least one or two bin-able rice disasters! We eat rice fairly often and my product of choice is Tastic Basmati Rice, which may be the slightly more expensive option but in my opinion its worth it.
How to cook perfect rice by Fiona Rossiter
Ingredients:
{Serves 4-6 people}
- 2 Cups Basmati Rice
- 1litre Cold Water
- 1 tsp Maldon Salt
Begin by heating the water in a pot over a high heat, to bring it up to boiling point. Meanwhile soak your rice in cold water, fill the bowl so that the water just covers the rice. Soak the rice for 8 minutes. When the water has reached boiling add the salt. Drain your rice in a sieve or colander and rinse under cold water. Place the drained rice into your boiling water and partially cover, immediately lower the temperature to a medium heat or simmering temperature. The key here is to not allow your rice to boil rapidly. Cook the rice over this medium-low heat for 6 minutes or until just al dente.
Remove pot from the heat and drain the rice into a rice colander. Place 500ml water into your pot and rest the colander above the water, cover and place your pot back on the stove over a high heat to allow the rice to steam. Steam the rice for a further 5-6 minutes until perfectly fluffy. Serve as an accompaniment to your favourite stew or curry.
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by Fiona Rossiter on June 4, 2012
Crème Brulee is a family favourite as far as desert goes when eating out, but has always been a nemesis as far as making them at home. But I never let a challenge get the better of me, so after much research I decided to give them another try. Last week, with the help of my Commis Chef’s, we made them for a dinner party I was hosting. This is what you will need for my crème brulee recipe:
Ingredients:
- 8 Egg yolks
- 3/4 Cup castor sugar
- Soft brown sugar {for topping}
- 2 Cartons double thick cream
- 1 Carton whipping cream
- 1 Vanilla pod
Preheat your oven to 150°c {300°F}. Separate your egg yolks and set to one side. Place all the cream into a sauce pan ready to heat. With a sharp knife slice down the centre of the vanilla pod, then scrape down the length of the pod to remove the seeds. Add the vanilla seed to your cream and place over a low heat until it is lightly simmering; do not allow your cream to boil.
While you are heating your cream and vanilla, whisk together your egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Pour your heated cream and vanilla into a heat-resistant jug and begin to slowly add to your egg mixture while gently whisking {do not add it too quickly or you may end up with scrambled eggs!}
Once everything is mixed together, return your mixture to a jug for easier pouring. Pour the mixture into individual ramekins, fill each one approximately ? full, then placed them in a bain-marie {water bath} to allow for even cooking, in your preheated oven. Cook in your preheated oven for 30-35minutes or until just set. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool down before placing in a refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.
Just before serving, place a layer of soft brown sugar on the surface of the crème brulee and melt using a blow torch, to form a hard caramel layer.
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I am Fiona, a Capetonian with a passion for all things beautiful and creative. Inspired Living, is a melting pot of things that inspire me from beauty to fashion & photography. I love to cook & family is super important to me! I hope you stay a while & please do come back! Thank you for visiting my blog! Please follow me on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with future posts... 
