Valentine Dinner at home

Most of us have plans to celebrate valentine day with someone special, some will go to fancy restaurants, some will buy expensive jewelry, and some prefer to cook a nice dinner and enjoy a quiet romantic evening ... If you are one of many who like to prepare a nice romantic dinner at home, this is a great meal for you and your loved one.

This meal is great as a family dinner, or get together, it meal can be prepared and assembled the day before, to be ready for the oven when you plan to serve it.

An amazing tasty dinner, easy to prepare , either using roasted chicken,  from the store, or from leftover roasted chicken, or leftover roasted turkey. Or you can cook the chicken with some veggies and herbs to make homemade stock (don't overcook the chicken, take it out and let it cool, then debone and return the bones to the stock to give an extra flavour to the stock).

The wild mushroom gives the dish a wonderful earthy flavour, and the wine takes it to the next level.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 whole chicken or pieces skinless
350 grams of smoked ham cut into pieces
Over One pound wild mushroom, cleaned and sliced
2 cups warm whole milk or 1 ½ cups milk + ½ cup heavy cream
4 cups chicken stock (from cooking the chicken)
1 pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
White pepper and salt to taste
2 ½  cups Mozzarella cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup white wine (optional – adds great flavour)
Package of Tagliatelli pasta

 Preparation:

Step 1: melt 2 tbsp. butter in a pot , cook the mushrooms in the butter first and when they starts browning move them to a plate add more butter add the flour and make a roux.  Add the wine and stir then little by little start adding the milk, and stock , keep stirring when it starts to thicken add the heavy cream if you are using. Cook for few minutes add the spices then add half of the cheese and stir.  Take from heat. You might think that the sauce is too much , don't worry the pasta will soak it , and become creamy.

Step 2: boil your pasta for 8 minutes only as it will continue cooking in the oven.

Drain and when your sauce starts to thicken, add your sliced chicken, the ham, cook for 10 more minutes on medium low, then add the drained pasta and the mushroom and toss well until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended, adjust the seasoning

Step 3: transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish, either 13 x 9 or two 8 x 8 ( you can bake one and freeze the second for another meal don’t add the cheese on top if freezing- freeze well).  Cover the baking dish with parchment paper then a foil paper, place the dish on a baking sheet to avoid any dripping in the oven. Bake in preheated 400F oven.

After twenty minutes, check the dish if it`s bubbling and almost ready, sprinkle the top with the cheese mix. Uncover and return to the oven to melt the cheese.

 Serve with white wine and enjoy an amazing meal.

 

Walnut Sauce for Pasta

Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids - the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts.

More than a decade of scientific evidence shows that incorporating walnuts in a healthy diet reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood vessel elasticity and plaque accumulation. Walnuts have also been shown to aid in the lowering LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). CRP was recently recognized as an independent marker and predictor of heart disease.

for all the above and more here is a very simple, yet elegant full of flavour , also can be as a vegetarian meal , and takes less than 15 minutes.

2 1/2 cups freshly shelled walnuts
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups whipping cream - half and half - full fat milk or even Soya Milk
(I use half and half, also tried this with regular milk to see the difference)
2 tbsp rosemary leaves chopped (I didn't have fresh I used dried)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
one pound tube pasta, or linguine
fresh black pepper and salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F . Scatter walnuts on a baking sheet and place them in the oven . Roast for couple of minutes until fragnant and lightly browned, allow to cool then chop coarsley. You can roast them in a non stick frying pan keeping an eye on them.

In a frying pan, on very low heat melt the butter and cook garlic until lightly golden, add the chopped nuts cream and rosemary cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
meanwhile bring a large port of water to a boil. add salt and pasta and cook until al dente, drain and toss with sauce. add the parmesan cheese , season and serve.

PASTA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGES ROASTED PEPPER & ONIONS

A simple , quick and delicious pasta meal, prepare it for your next dinner

serves 4

Ingredients:

6 Italian Sausages (you can choose either hot or medium- I mix the 2)

4 red peppers
3 big onions
half head of garlic
sausages and veggies out of the oven

Preparation:

Wash the peppers and slice them and put them on a tray with either siltpad or parchment paper,
cut your onions in half and slice them, and add them to the peppers, don't peel the garlic, add one table spoon of olive oil in small cup and brush your veggies and roast them in the oven .
while the veggies are in the oven, work on slicing your sausages by emptying them from the casing then slice them 1/2 cubes, using a non stick frying pan, without any oil or grease, add your sausages to the hot pan, and let them cook on medium heat, then will start cook and render all the fat , it will take around 10-15 minutes for the sausages to drain all the fat. and at the same time the veggies are getting roasted in the oven, take them out and move them to a clean stainless steal pan add the sausages over them, and return them to the oven for another five minutes.

The sauce is cooking..... You can even using the above as stuffing for a nice sub!!!

start boiling your pasta water, add enough sea salt to salt the water.

take your sausages from the oven and back to your stove, add one can whole tomato (28oz) break it with your hand or a knife to help releasing the juice. Let the sauce cook on medium heat, taste for seasoning. As soon as the sauce thickens its done to serve over your pasta.