(Oldstuff) Tomato Chilli Dip

Ideal with salted tortilla chips and a good beer (Becks, San Miguel etc).

Serves: Loads, as a side dish.

Ingredients:

• 1x tin tomatoes
• 1x large onion chopped finely
• 2x green chillies finely chopped
• 1x hot red chilli finely chopped (optional)
• 2x teaspoon of sugar
• 1x large clove garlic (crushed)
• 1/4x teaspoon of turmeric
• 1x teaspoon of mixed curry powder
• 1/3x cup of cooking oil
• 1/4-1/2x teaspoons of chilli powder (optional)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and cook gently. Add tomatoes only (remove the liquid - maybe have a bloody Mary or two ;)) and keep stirring until tomatoes are broken up and mixed with onions. Add all other ingredients and stir well.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning onto the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until liquid nearly gone and oil rising to the top. The oil can be drained off if you're going to eat the same day, otherwise leave in the mix as it acts as a preservative.

(Oldstuff) Pizza

I love authentic Italian style pizzas and this is the recipe I use for best authenticity.

Serves: 1 or 2 per pizza. The recipe below is makes 3 pizzas.

Ingredients:

• 2 Teaspoons Dried Yeast
• 400g Unbleached flour
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 250ml of Passata
• Chilli Oil or Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 chillies to taste
• 1/2 onion, chopped very finely.
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
• + Toppings!

Method:

Mix the yeast with 60ml of warm water in a large bowl and stand for 10 minutes. Then add 100g of flour and stir thoroughly. Cover and leave to stand for 1 hour.

Add the salt and the rest of the flour to the mix along with 230ml of warm water. Knead the dough until the texture is consistent and then divide into 3 pieces. Place the pieces o n a board or surface and cover. Allow the dough to rise for 2 hours (size should double).

While the dough is rising create the tomato sauce...Gently heat the onions, crushed garli c, chillies and a teaspoon of oil in a pan for a couple of minutes. Add the passata. Simme r for 25 minutes then allow to cool.

Once the dough has risen, knead each individual part for 5 minutes or so then roll out to a thin circle around 10 inches wide.

Now rub the chilli or olive oil over the base - this prevents the tomato sauce from makin g the base go soggy. Anyway, now cover the base with the tomato sauce. Don't put to much o n, you will probably have some sauce left over.

Now chuck the cheese on - I prefer to use buffalo mozzarella. Sprinkle with a little ore gano.

Now time for the toppings....Italian pizzas aren't supposed to be massively covered in to ppings, so don't go over the top...My favorite are:

• Capers, olives, anchovies, hot chilli peppers and optionally mussels.
• Ham, pineapple and sweetcorn.
• Marianated chicken & rocket (without cheese).

Once topped, place in an oven pre-heated to gas mark 9. For best taste cook on a pre-hea ted stonebase. Cooking time should be around 4 to 5 minutes.

Accompany with a nice italian red wine and serve with Chilli oil.

(Oldstuff) Pasta Carbonara

Can't go wrong with this one....Unless you're a vegetarian. Or are intolerant to pasta. Or are on a diet. Or....Anyway, I like it ;)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 500g Pasta (preferably fresh tagliatelle)
• 6 Bacon rashers (sliced thinly) OR 140g Pancetta ham (sliced or cubed)
• 250ml cream (or half cream)
• 3xEggs (Beaten)
• 80g Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Pepper

Method:

Cook pasta in boiling water as per instructions. 5 minutes before it's ready, start preparing the sauce.

Cook bacon / Pancetta in a little olive oil until crisp then add the cream. Add seasoning and heat thoroughly.

Drain pasta, mix bacon mix with pasta. Add eggs and parmesan and mix gently for 2 minutes. The egg is cooked by the heat of the other ingredients, so it is safe!

This meal is very filling, but can be varied by including small slices of chicken with the ham.

(Oldstuff) Chilli Oil

Chilli oil for all occasions. I like this on (home made...) pizza, drizzled on a salad o r used to stir fry prawns etc.

Serves: NA!

Ingredients:

• 1000ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Organic if possible)
• 3 table spoons of chilli flakes
• 2 x dried chillies
• 2 x fresh chillies (One red, one green)
• 2 x Cloves of Garlic
• 1 x Good sprig of Rosemary

Method:

This one is very easy! Put the oil into a big pan and start heating it gently. The oil should never get anywhere near boiling during this process or it will spoil.

Once the oil is warmed through, add all of the ingredients in one go. Heat and stir cont inuously for 10 minutes.

Finally, allow to cool and poor back in the bottle. Within a month the oil will be nice and hot, but will also keep gaining in heat over time.

(Oldstuff) Chicken, Mushroom and Ham Lasagne

A wholesome dish for the winter.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
• 4 oz mushrooms washed + sliced
• 6 oz ham
• 1x Large Carrot (grated)
• 1x Large Onion (thinly chopped)
• 1x Chicken OXO cube
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbs cornflour
• 2oz butter
• 2 oz flour
• 6 oz Grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Mustard powder
• 1 pint milk
• 9 sheets of lasagne verdi

Method:

Heat some oil in a pan, add onion and carrot for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms, ham and chicken. Grease a lasagne dish. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and a healthy pinch of pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

For the cheese sauce, heat butter in another pan. Once melted, remove from the heat and slowly add the flour whilst stirring. Return to the heat and stir until it turns into a paste. Remove the pan from the heat again and slowly stir in the milk. Bring to the boil STIRRING CONSTANTLY until it is quite thick. At this point, add pepper, cheese and the mustard.

Now we combine the two parts. Line the bottom of the lasagne dish with 3 sheets of cooked lasagne, then cover with half of the chicken mix. Add on top a third of the cheese sauce, followed by another layer of pasta. Add the rest of the chicken, add another 3rd of cheese and the last pasta. Finally top with the rest of the cheese sauce.

Place into an other pre-heated to gas mark 5 for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Server immediately with asparagus and broccoli or similar.

(Oldstuff) Tom Kha Gai

Serves: 3 or 4

Ingredients:

• 500ml of unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 500ml Chicken Stock
• 300g Shallots, chopped very finely
• 300g sliced mushrooms
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced. (Use 2 or more for a less mild taste!)
• 1 green chilli, thinly sliced
• 3 limes, juiced
• 4 Chicken breasts, cut width-wise into 1cm strips.
• 4 Tablespoons of fish sauce
• 20g Fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoon of freshly ground mixed pepper
• 1.5 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger
• 200g Egg Noodles

Method:

Mix the Coconut Milk, Chicken stock and fish sauce in a large pan and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and add all ingredients except the noodles.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook noodles according to instructions and place in the bottom of individualy bowls. Pou r soup on top and add a little more coriander to garnish.

This recipe can also make a nice "proper" thai dish rather than a soup. To do this reduc e the amount of chicken stock to 250ml and only include 350ml of coconut milk. Cook in the same way, for the same period and you'll have a thicker sauce. When cook this way adding big chunks of spring onions after 15 minutes of simmering is also a nic e variation.