20130808 Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

400g can chopped tomatoes

1/4tsp chilli powder

1tsp dried basil

1tsp sugar

100g can tuna, drained

Black olives, pitted and sliced

2cups pasta

Grated cheese

Freshly grounded black pepper

Olive oil

Methods:

1. Cook the pasta as per instructions on package. 

2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the onion. Add garlic, tomatoes, chilli, basil, and sugar. Give it a good stir, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

3. Flake the tuna and add the olives and drained pasta into the sauce. Heat through and serve with a generous amount of grated cheese. 

20120822 Chicken Pasta Salad

The Netherlands has a "tropical summer" this year as it has been 30+ degree C for the last couple of weeks. So I am too lazy to cook, and have made this easy pasta salad several times already. It's easy and yummy, so why not?

INGREDIENTS
250g cooked pasta
3 hard boiled eggs, cut into small cubes
1 small can of sweet corn, drained
1/3 cup diced pickles
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
dried dille
freshly grounded four-season pepper
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise

METHOD
1. In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients. Mix in as little/much mayo as you like. Season with dille and pepper. Voila!

20120718 Boursin Pasta

This is a really simple dish that can be ready within 30 minutes - okay, it took me about an hour as I have to entertain a 5-month-old in the meantime. If I would have cooked the broccoli and pasta in advance, the cooking time will be even less (and the oven does most of the work anyways). I thought of making a simple sauce with Boursin cream cheese, creme fraiche, and milk. But I discovered this wonderful Boursin Cuisine Garlic & Herbs at the supermarket - it is perfect and is actually cheaper than making the sauce with the Boursin cream cheese myself! An easy and flavorful dish that I would strongly recommend.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 broccoli, cut into florets, steamed
300g minced beef
300g pasta, cooked and drained
1 Boursin Cuisine Garlic & Herbs
grated cheese
salt and freshly grounded black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 160 degree C.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and brown the beef. Add the onion and fry until fragrant. Then add the broccoli and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Finally add the Boursin Cuisine. Turn the heat down and let it cook for about 5 minutes until heat through.
3. Remove the pan from heat, and transfer the pasta mixture into a casserole dish. Generously sprinkle grated cheese all over the pasta. Leave the casserole in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

20110805 Oven-baked meatballs

(SOURCE: SimpleDailyRecipes.com - Meatballs Baked in the Oven)

I mixed all the ingredients together and let the mixture sit in the fridge for an hour for "flavor melding". I thought of making meatballs as my husband usually has afternoon events at work on Friday and hence only wants snacks at night. So I thought I will have meatball spaghetti for dinner and my husband can munch on the meatballs. But as he didn't have any events tonight, I simply cooked a big pan of spaghetti and tossed the meatballs in some ready-made pasta sauce - dinner served! These meatballs were super garlicky, so I would recommend using 2 garlic cloves instead.

INGREDIENTS
450g ground beef
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp dried basil
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 205 degree C. Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients well together.
3. Use a tablespoon to scoop out meatball onto the greased sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.

20110415 Pasta Casserole with Mozzarella

(SOURCE: Koken & Genieten Magazine - Pastaschotel met mozzarella)

We were not crazy about this dish as it was quite bland. It was not bad at all, but we just like strong flavored dishes better. I think I like to serve mozzarella with slices of tomatoes and fresh basil leaves than to use it for pasta dishes. In my opinion, parmesan or cheddar simply goes better with pasta or casserole dishes.

INGREDIENTS
250g tagliatelle, cooked and drained
salt and pepper
500g broccoli, cut into small florets, cooked and drained
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
150g thick slice of ham, cut into blocks
3 eggs
375ml milk
50g dried tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
200g mozzarella, sliced

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 175 degree C. In a small bowl, beat the milk and eggs together. Add the dried tomatoes and oregano to the bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and ham in a lightly greased casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture all over. Cover the dish with foil, and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes.
3. Top the casserole with sliced mozzarella, and bake it in the oven uncovered for about 25 to 35 minutes, until piping hot.

20110303 Spinach and Minced Beef Lasagne

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Cannelloni met spinazie en gehakt)

I planned to make cannelloni, but unfortunately, the lasagne sheets were a bit dry and all stuck together. I tried to Google ways to rehydrate lasagne sheets to make them softer and easier to separate/roll, but couldn't find any. My husband tried to help out but got increasingly frustrated when every single sheet was broken. So I took his advise and turned this dish into a lasagne instead. The result was not bad at all!

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil
300g minced beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
750g frozen finely chopped spinach
250g fresh lasagne sheets
175g grated cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
125ml cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 200 degree C. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and brown the minced beef for about 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. In another pan, heat the remaining oil and brown the garlic for about a minute. Add the frozen spinach and heat over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the spinach well. Mix the spinach with the minced beef.
3. Spread a layer of spinach-meat mix in a greased casserole dish, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, another layer of spinach-meat mix, and then another layer of lasagne sheets. Top the lasagne with the grated cheese. Cover the dish with foil and cook it in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until the top is golden brown.

20110302 Spinach and Cheese Oven Casserole

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Ovenpasta met kaas en spinazie)

I made enough so my husband could have some leftover for lunch tomorrow. But when I suggested that, he frowned and said it was dangerous to reheat spinach - a Dutch taboo I learned tonight. There are a lot of discussions in various forums about this myth, and this article my husband found explains it all. The Dutch taboo won't stop me from reheating spinach for sure, but I will try to avoid keeping spinach in the fridge for longer than 2 days. Better be safe than sorry, right?

INGREDIENTS
300g big macaroni, cooked and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
300g minced beef
2 tsp dried Italian herbs
400g can peeled tomatoes
300g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
125g mozzarella cheese, in blocks
salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 200 degree C. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat, and brown the garlic and onion for about a minute. Add the minced beef and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Add the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the cooked macaroni and mozzarella cheese to the pan. Mix well, and remove from heat. Pour the content from the pan to a casserole dish. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes.

20110111 Pappardelle with Spicy Sausages

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Pappardelle met pittige worst)

I like this as it took only 20 minutes to make and it tasted good. I was amazed that all those roma tomatoes simply "melted" and made the sauce so juicy! But it is a bit odd that my meat-loving husband didn't like those Catalonian sausages and preferred the pasta instead.

INGREDIENTS
200g Catalonian sausages (Catalaanse braadworstjes), cut each into 3 pieces
75g chorizo, sliced
2 small onions, thinly sliced
500g roma tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp dried oregano
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
250g fresh pappardelle pasta, cooked and drained
100g grated old cheese

METHOD
1. Heat a pan and fry the chorizo over low heat. Add the sausages and brown them. Add the onion and fry for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
2. Add the pasta to the sausage-tomato sauce, and mix well. Scatter with grated cheese and chopped basil. Serve.

20101228 Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

(SOURCE: Some magazine - Gevulde schelpen)

I wanted to make a vegetarian dish to give our bodies some time to detox before all the oliebollen in the New Year. Unfortunately this dish failed the purpose because of the awesome and cheesy spinach stuffing. Next time I may add some finely chopped basil leaves to give it a little more aroma.

INGREDIENTS
450g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
300g jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente and drained
salt and fresh ground pepper
30g pinenuts, roasted
2 eggs
200g cream cheese
125g mascarpone
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
200g grated Gouda cheese
100g grated parmesan cheese
dash of nutmeg

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 190 degree C. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, cream cheese, and mascarpone with a hand mixer. Then mix in the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and spinach with a wooden spoon. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Finally add half the Gouda cheese and parmesan cheese to the spinach mix.
2. Stuff the shells with the spinach mix and lay them in a greased casserole dish. Bake the dish in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Scatter with the roasted pinenuts and serve.

20101103 Baked Cannelloni

(SOURCE: Delia's Complete How to Cook by Delia Smith)

The meatball sausage tasted really good - thanks to the bacon bits - but the bechamel sauce just didn't tickle my fancy.

INGREDIENTS
8 fresh lasane sheets, each cut in half
150g mozzarella, diced
50g freshly grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)

FOR THE MEATBALLS
225g minced pork
1 tsp chopped sage leaves
95g unsmoked bacon
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 1/2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp milk
1 large egg
a little nutmeg
salt and pepper

FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE
570ml (1 pint) milk
50g butter
35g plain flour
1 bay leaf
some nutmeg
65ml creme fraiche
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. To make the meatballs, place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix everything well. Divde the mixture in half and then each half into eith, then lightly roll each of these into a sausage shape about 7.5cm long. Set aside.
2. To make the sauce, place the milk, butter, flour, ba leaf, nutmeg, and seasonings into a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk all the time and slowly bring it up to simmering point until the sauce has thickened. Then turnn the heat down to its lowest setting and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove the bay leaf, stir in the cream, taste to check the seasoning, cover and leave aside.
3. Place each meatball sausage on to a piece of lasagne and roll it up. Arrange them in the baking dish with the join underneath. Pour the sauce over and scatter the mozzarella cubes here and there. Finally, scatter the parmesan over the top and bake the dish in the oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.
4. Then remove it from the oven and let it settle for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan over, and serve.

20101005 Pasta Casserole

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recepten - Ovenpasta met gehakt en courgette)

I would recommend scattering your dish with some freshly grated parmesan too to make it prettier and cheesier.

INGREDIENTS
300g pasta, cooked and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
300g minced beef
1 courgette, finely diced
450ml sugo basilico tomato sauce
3 tomatoes, sliced
two 125g mozzarella balls, sliced

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 200 degree C. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the onions for about 1 minute. Add the meat and cook for about 3 minutes, and then add the courgette and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour the sauce in the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
2. Stir the pasta into the sauce and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Cover the top with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until top is golden.

20100810 Pasta with Meatballs

The meatballs were good but the pasta tasted a little bland, so I added LOTS of parmesan to my dish! Next time I may add some chopped basil leaves to the chopped tomatoes to give the sauce more flavor.

INGREDIENTS
200g spicy sausage, skin removed and made into 16 meatballs
150g pasta, cooked and drained
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp oil
400g can chopped tomatoes
grated parmesan
salt and pepper.

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add meatball and brown them for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter with grated parmesan (lots of it!!) and serve.

20100328 Two-cheese Tagliatelle

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recipes - Twee-kazen-tagliatelle)

INGREDIENTS
300g tagliatelle, cooked and drained
500g passato di pomodoro
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 mozzarella ball, torn in small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
600g spinach
50g grated Grana Padano

METHOD
1. Heat up the tomatoes and cinnamon in a pan. Add mozzarella, and keep stirring until all the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the pasta into the sauce.
2. Meanwhile, in another pan, heat the oil and cook the spinach. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Serve pasta with the cooked spinach, scatter with Grana Padano.

20100320 Mac n' Cheese with Broccoli

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recipes - Mac 'n cheese met broccoli)

INGREDIENTS
350g big macaroni, cooked and drained
600g broccoli, chopped
125g smoked bacon
50g butter
50g flour
500ml milk
125g grated cheese

METHOD
1. Cook broccoli in salted water for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy.
2. Heat oven to 200C. Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook for a minute. Slowly stir in the milk, and cook until the sauce gets thicker. Finally add half the cheese, and cook the sauce on a low heat until the cheese is melted.
3. In a greased baking dish, mix together the broccoli, sauce, bacon, and pasta. Scatter the dish with the remaining cheese. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until brown.

20100117 Lasagne

(SOURCE: A friend)

INGREDIENTS
25g lasagne, cooked
MEAT SAUCE
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
500g beef mince
100g mushrooms, sliced
two 400g cans chopped tomatoes in juice
1 cup tomato puree
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
CHEESE SAUCE
50g butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat oven to 180 degree C.
MEAT SAUCE
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan, and cook onion and garlic until onion is golden. Add meat and brown well. Stir in mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, basil, and sugar. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until meat mixture has thickened slightly, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside until cool.
CHEESE SAUCE
3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook until frothy. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Set aside until cool.
LASAGNE
4. Place half the lasagne in a greased ovenproof dish. Spread with half the meat mixture and half the cheese sauce. Repeat the layers. Top with parmesan cheese. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and heated through.

20090809 Ham and Courgette Tagliatelle

(SOURCE: BBC Easy Cook Magazine)

INGREDIENTS
400g tagliatelle, cooked and drained
3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved and thinly sliced
4 courgettes, very thinly sliced
175g wafer-thin ham, cut into thin strips
3 tbsp pesto

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a largee wok. Add the garlic and courgettes, and fry over a high heat for about 3 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Add the ham and toss together for 30 seconds, until it has heated through.
2. Add pasta to the courgettes with the pesto, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and serve.

20090704 Courgette and Ricotta Cannelloni

(SOURCE: BBC Good Food Magazine)

Next time I will squeeze as much water as possible out of the grated courgettes as they realease a lot of juice during cooking.

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oiil
4 courgettes, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
grated rind of 1 lemon
250g ricotta
50g grated parmesan
700g passata
250g fresh lasagne sheets

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 180 degree C. Fry the onion in the oil for 3 minutes, until soft. Add th courgettes and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon rind and half of both cheeses. Season.
2. Pour half the passata into a baking dish. Spread the courgette mixture down the center of each lasagne sheet and roll into tubes. Lay on top of the sauce, seam-side down. Pour the rest of the passata over, dot with the remaining cheeses and bake for 15 minutes, until golden.

20090314 Mushroom Pasta Ragu

(SOURCE: BBC EasyCook Magazine)

I think it is best to leave the dish under the grill for a little longer, so the dish is piping hot!

INGREDIENTS
350g conchiglioni shells, cooked and drained
2 tbsp olive oil
250g mushrooms
300g minced beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
150ml beef stock
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp dried oregano
150ml slagroom
125g mozzarella cheese, torn
2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

METHOD
1. Heat half the oil in a large fying pan, add the mushrooms and saute over a high heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, add the mince, onion and garlic and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes until browned. Add the stock, tomato puree, oregano and plenty of seasoning, then bring to the boil, stirring well. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add the slagroom and mushrooms and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Spoon the mincce over the pasta shells, then stir well. Scatter over the cheeses and place under a hot grill. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

20090113 Pasta au Gratin

(SOURCE: Fun Cook Pasta by T. Spierings)

I am afraid this tasted a little too bland for me. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
400g pasta, cooked and drained
4 eggs
150ml cream
150g grated cheese
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
dash of nutmeg

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 240 degree C.
2. Beat the egg an cream in a mixing bowl. Add parsley, half the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add pasta and mix well.
3. Pour the pasta mixture into a greased baking dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Put in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

20090112 Grande Macaroni with Smoked Chicken

(SOURCE: Albert Heijn Recipes)

I would recommend a dash of tobasco too. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
350g macaroni grande, cooked and drained
3 tbsp olive oil
400g Italiaanse roerbakmix (diced courgette, carrot, red onions, etc.)
200g smoked chicken strips
1 tsp kerrie powder
4 tbsp ketchup
175g grated cheese
Salt and pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a pan and stir fry the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and kerrie, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add ketchup and macaroni, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir in half the cheese and remove the pan from heat. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with more cheese.