Tag Archives: spinach

Ginger Meatballs and Coconut Broth

30 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by in Dinner, Pork, Rice

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Saturday night – need something that is reasonably easy to eat for Mr MWCED had a tooth extracted/stitches so doesn’t want anything too hard on his gums. I had pork mince and a quick search on my favourite food blog soon found the inspiration. Thank you once again, Smitten Kitchen.

The original recipe suggests that the broth is sieved – but I wanted to ‘beef’ it up with some vegetables so added some onion, celery and carrots. You can add whatever else might be in the magic fridge – I would.

This would serve about 4 people – though I’d probably add a few more veges, make more meatballs or have a side of something. While I halved the original recipe for the meatballs I kept the broth at around the same amount of ingredients – for you can never have enough of a delicious broth, right? Chile is up to you – you could use more, or less.

MEATBALLS

  • 500g minced pork
  • 1 large egg
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
  • 1-1/2  tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  •  teaspoons salt

BROTH

  • One 165ml can coconut cream
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 fresh red chile, thinly sliced
  • Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • salt
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced celery stalk
  • 1 small carrot thinly sliced
  • 100g baby spinach
  • Coriander and mint for serving

Make the meatballs: Preheat oven to 220 celsius. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Make small size meatballs and place them on a baking tray about 1-inch apart. Bake until the meatballs are golden brown and just cooked through, about 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the broth: In a large saucepan, combine everything except the spinach and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat so the broth is simmering. Simmer 10 minutes, until the flavours are infused into the broth. Season to taste, if needed, with salt. 
Add the meatballs to the broth, return to a simmer, cover, and simmer until cooked through and tender, about 10 to 15 more minutes. Add spinach and cook just to wilt. Season the broth with salt and lime juice if necessary. Serve with herbs, additional chiles, lime wedges, rice and roti.

Pork, Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni

30 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Pasta, Pork, ricotta, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

If you have read my previous posts, you’ll probably have a sense that I am pretty comfortable with easy and quick.   This is one of those recipes too.  I bought pre-prepared lasagne sheets and used a can of Italian chopped tomatoes for the ‘pasta sauce’.  This doesn’t take much time to put together, is tasty and allows you to spend more time watching a movie, sharing a glass of wine, or going for a walk (yes, that’s right, the last option is the one we all do).

IMG_1484.JPG

Serves 6.   Turn on oven to around 180C.

  • 500g Pork mince
  • 150g Ricotta Cheese
  • 100 g baby Spinach roughly chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp mixed herbs
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Lasagne Sheets (one packet)
  • 400g can tinned Italian diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons pesto
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
  • Combine pork, ricotta, spinach, eggs, mixed herbs and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
  • Take lasagna sheets and cut into 2 or 3 sections depending on the size of your lasagna sheet.
  • Spoon the pork mixture onto the centre of each sheet of lasagna, then roll the sheet to enclose the filling. Brush each edge with milk to seal the join.
  • Mix canned tomatoes, pesto and tomato paste in a small bowl (to save dishes perhaps the one you already mixed the pork in – I would)
  • Put a tablespoon or so of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the dish you are going to bake the cannelloni in.
  • Place each roll, seal side down in a baking dish in a single layer.
  • Pour the tomato mixture over the cannelloni and sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
  • Serve warm with salad or vegetables.   We had fresh lettuce from the garden (first of the season – and it is Very Good), with some sliced red pepper, finely chopped chives and shredded fresh basil leaves, finished with a bit of raspberry vinegar and olive oil.

IMG_1482.JPG

Ready for the oven

Shallot and SpinachTart with Walnut Pastry

02 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by in Dinner, Pies

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , ,

It felt like a Spring day.   For the first time in a few months we had the doors open all day and didn’t feel the need to throw on extra clothing or turn the heaters on.  Not quite the same today,  but great to think that warmer weather is not too far away.  Given the warmer weather,  it seemed wrong to cook anything too heavy for dinner, so I thought a fresh light tart with salad would be perfect.  Found this recipe for Taleggio Tart and although I wasn’t looking for vegetarian,  I did like the walnut pastry idea.    We are blessed with a very old walnut tree,  which some years yields kilos of wonderful walnuts, and other years they seem to not quite do their thing.  Luckily the last crop was great, so we have many walnuts to use.

Shallot, Spinach Tart with Walnut Pastry

Ingredients:
Pastry:
200g plain flour
50g shelled walnuts
50g cubed cold butter
25g parmesan, grated
1 egg
1 tablespoon cold water

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 shallots, sliced – I had to mix shallots and onion as I didn’t have enough shallots
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
misc other veges, sliced and diced – I had some red pepper and zuchinni, about a cup
2 rashers middle bacon, chopped (fat and rind removed)
parsley, chopped
2 eggs
200ml cream (double cream)
spinach leaves – about 100g – I used about two large handfuls
100g cheese – we had grated Edam so I used that – but you could experiment here!
lemon zest – from one lemon

Method
To make the pastry add the flour and walnuts to a food processer. Whizz until the walnuts are well blended. Add the butter and whizz again until the mixture looks a bit crumbly. Lightly beat the egg and add with the water to the food processor and pulse until mixture forms a dough. If you need to, add more water, but in small amounts at a time. Take out of the food processor, cover with cling film and put in refrigerator for around 30 minutes.

Turn on oven to around 200 Celsius.   Take pastry and roll out to fit your dish – I used a 23cm square loose bottomed cake tin. Prick the bottom and put back in the fridge for about another 15 minutes.

Line pastry with baking paper, fill with baking beans and put into preheated oven. Cook for about 15 minutes . Remove baking paper and beans put pastry back into oven for about another 10 minutes (to dry out the bottom before you place the filling into it).   Reduce the oven to around 180 C.

While pastry is cooking heat oil in a pan and gently cook shallots, onions (if using) and garlic until softened and golden. Add bacon and other vegetables – except for spinach and cook for about another 8 minutes.   Take off the heat and add parsley and spinach, mixing into the mixture so spinach is wilted.

Lightly beat eggs and mix into cream. Add vegetable mixture and cheese. Add half of the lemon zest. Season.

Pour mixture into prepared pastry case – you could add a little extra cheese as topping here. Cook for about 40 minutes in oven. Filling should be set and firm to the touch.   Let cool slightly, then garnish with more parsley and rest of lemon zest.

A tart like this is so versatile.  The ingredients really can depend on what you have in store.  No two should ever be the same!

//