Kane's Kitchen - 21st June 2011 - Hearty Bolognaise Sauce

I love a good spag bol!  Don’t use the canned sauces – make your own.  It’s easy and tastes delicious. 

Hearty Bolognaise Sauce

Serves:  6    

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  at least 30 minutes

What You’ll Need:

• 500g lean beef mince
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin tomato soup
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 10 button mushrooms, grated
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1tbsp worceteshire sauce
• Salt and pepper to season

What You’ll Need To Do:

1.            In a saucepan, add some olive oil and brown the mince.  Drain off all liquid / fat and set the mince aside.

2.            In the same saucepan, sauté onions and garlic for 2 minutes.  Add the mince.

3.            Add al other ingredients and bring to the boil.  Simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes (ideally 1 hour).   

4.            The longer you cook this sauce, the more flavoursome it becomes!  Serve over spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese and a fresh basil garnish. 

EASY!!!!!! 

Kane's Kitchen - 14th June 2011 - Fresh Pappardelle Carbonara with Crusty Garlic Bread

I love making fresh pasta.  There is nothing quite like it – it is soft, silky and not at all rubbery like some packet pastas can be.  It is a time-consuming process however, so if you don’t have time to make your own, pick up some fresh pasta from your local deli. 

This recipe calls for a raw egg yolk to finish the pasta sauce.  Don’t be alarmed – the egg will cook due to the heat from the pasta. 

I guarantee this sauce will be a favourite – the bread crumbs give the dish a great texture!

  

Fresh Pappardelle Carbonara with Crusty Garlic Bread

Serves:  4    

Prep Time:  40 mins

Cook Time:  10 mins

What You’ll Need:

Fresh Pasta

• 400g “00” flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp olive oil
• Cold water (if necessary)

Carbonara Sauce

• 400ml full cream
• 10 slices pancetta, sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• 4 egg yolks, whisked
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs, teasted
• 1tbsp olive oil
• Knob butter
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 loaf of garlic bread - prepared as per instructions

What You’ll Need To Do:

1.            For the fresh pasta, put the flour on a bench.  Make a well in the centre and crack 4 eggs into the centre of the flour well. Add salt and olive oil and combine with the fork.  Add a splash of water if the mixture is looking dry.    

2.            Kneed the flour and then pass through a pasta machine until you have it at the desired thickness (usually setting “3”).  Remember to always have a floured bench and to flour the pasta machine before passing the pasta through it. 

3.            Cut the pasta into 1 inch strips (pappardelle is a thicker version of fettuccine).  Set aside. 

4.            Combine the olive oil and breadcrumbs on a baking tray.  Season with salt and bake for 180 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden.  Set aside. 

5.            Saute pancetta, garlic, onions and mushroom with the butter until crispy and caramelised.  Set aside. 

6.            Toast the black pepper in a frypan for 30 seconds and add cream and white wine.  Reduce for 5 minutes and then add grated parmesan cheese. 

7.            Add the cream mixture to the pancetta mix and stir.  Remove from the heat.

8.            Cook fresh pasta for 4 minutes or until al dente. 

9.            Arrange pasta in a bowl and add some carbonara sauce.  Add 1 egg yolk per serve to the mix and stir through (this gives the pasta a creamy texture – the egg yolk will cook due to the heat from the pasta and sauce). 

10.        Garnish pasta with grated parmesan, parsley and a good amount of the toasted breadcrumbs.  Serve with crusty garlic bread.  

Kane's Kitchen - 7th June 2011 - Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta and Braised Cabbage

Osso Bucco translates to “bone with a hole” in Italian – and that’s exactly the cut of meat we use – the veal shank. The bone marrow from the shank gives the dish a rich and hearty flavour.  And with the zing of the gremolata on top – this dish is a winner!

This dish is cheap, easy to prepare and basically cooks itself – all you need to do is chop and stir. 

If you have a slow cooker, you can throw all the ingredients together and cook for 8 hours on the “Auto” setting (starts on high then switches to low after a few hours).  Me recipe is for stovetop cooking. 

Enjoy!

  

Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta and Braised Cabbage

Serves:  6    

Prep Time:  30 mins

Cook Time:  at least 2 hours

What You’ll Need:

• 8 osso bucco pieces
• ¼ cup plain flower
• 2 teaspoons powdered chicken stock
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 brown onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 800g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tblsp tomato paste
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to season
• Cornflour to thicken if necessary

Gremolata

• Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (traditional, but optional if you don’t want to eat raw garlic!)

Creamy Polenta

• 1 cup polenta
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 40g butter
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup cream

Braised Cabbage

• ½ cabbage, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to season

What You’ll Need To Do:

1.            Combine the flour and the chicken stock powder and coat the osso bucco pieces.  Put some olive oil in a fry pan and brown the osso bucco.  Set aside. 

2.            In a large saucepan, sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in some oil for 2 mins.  Add tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, white wine, beef stock, fresh thyme and rosemary and the bay leaves.  Bring to the boil. 

3.            Add osso bucco pieces.  They should be covered by the vegetable mixture.  Season with salt and pepper, turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. 

4.            To make the braised cabbage, combine butter and chicken stock in a saucepan.  Add cabbage and cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add more liquid to the saucepan if it gets dry.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.            Cook polenta as per packet instructions, but as a guide, put 1 cup of polenta to 3 cups of stock in a saucepan.  Stir constantly over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until polenta is cooked.  Once cooked, stir through butter, parmesan cheese and cream.  Season with salt and pepper. 

6.            Combine the chopped lemon zest with the parsley and chopped garlic. 

7.            Check osso bucco for seasoning and add salt if required.  If the mixture is a little runny, combine 3 tsp cornflour with some water in a cup.  Slowly add the dissolved mixture to the osso bucco until desired consistency is achieved.

8.    To serve, spoon polenta into a deep bowl and top with osso bucco.  Put some braised cabbage on the side and top entire dish with a good helping of the gremolata.  

Kane's Kitchen - 17th May 2011 - Miso-Poached Fish and Crunchy Asian Coleslaw with a Lime, Miso and Sesame Dressing

Poaching is a healthy way of serving fish – you can do so without using any oil.  You can flavour the poaching broth with any flavours you like – use your imagination and be creative!

  

  

Miso-Poached Fish and Crunchy Asian Coleslaw with a Lime, Miso and Sesame Dressing

Serves:  2

Prep Time:  20 mins

Cook Time:  10 mins

What You’ll Need:

• 2 fillets of white fish (Pink Ling, Basa – frozen is OK), cut into thirds

Poaching Broth:

•  2 tbsp miso paste
• 1L water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 clove garlic
• Thumb ginger
• Handful chopped spring onions

Salad:

•  1/4 wombok (chinese cabbage), shredded
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 strips ginger, thinly sliced
• Big handful fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp deep fried shallots

Dressing:

•  Juice of 2 lime
• 1 tsp miso paste
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• Salt and pepper to season

   

What You’ll Need To Do:

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and add to the salad.  Toss to combine.
3. Combine all ingredients for the poaching broth and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and place fish directly into the liquid.  Cook for about 2 minutes or until flesh goes white. 
4. Serve fish on top of the salad with a wedge of lime.  You can also add some of the poaching liquid to a bowl and drink as a miso soup!

Kane's Kitchen - 3rd May 2011 - Grilled Pork with Chilli-Braised Cabbage and Garlic Mushrooms and Potato

Grilled Pork with Chilli-Braised Cabbage and Garlic Mushrooms and Potato

Serves:  2

Prep Time:  10 mins

Cook Time:  30 mins

What You’ll Need:

• 3 pork steaks
• ¼ white cabbage, shredded
• ½ long red chilli, chopped
• 1 tblsp butter
• ½ cup water
• 3 tsp chicken stock powder
• 8 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 desiree potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Instant gravy powder (pork / roast meat)

What You’ll Need To Do:

1. Place potato into boiling water and cook until just soft.  Set aside. 
2. Combine cabbage, chilli, butter, chicken stock powder and water in a saucepan with a lid.  Braise over a medium heat with the lid on for about 20 minutes.  Top up the water if it gets dry. When braised, season with salt and pepper. 
3. Rub some salt and olive oil onto the pork steaks.  Place in a hot frypan and cook, approximately 5 minutes on each side (depending on thickness of the steaks).  Test with a knife – there should be no pink in the middle.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
4.   Combine the potatoes, mushrooms and garlic in a pan.  Saute until mushrooms are soft and potatoes have browned.  Season with salt. 
5. Add boiling water to the gravy powder and stir. 
6. Plate the dish by slicing the pork and placing it on the bed of cabbage.  Add potatoes and mushrooms and top with a generous amount of gravy.  

Kane's Kitchen - 10th May 2011 - Negative Calorie Vegetable Soup

This soup is perfect for the cold of winter and, as a bonus, you can eat as much as you like of it with no consequence! The energy your body will use to digest this soup is greater than energy contained in all of the ingredients.

Negative Calorie Vegetable Soup




Serves: 6, with leftovers
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: up to 2 hours




What You’ll Need:

• 2 litres of beef/chicken/vegetable stock
• 1 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 400g can green beans
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 packet French onion soup
• 2 bay leaves
• Handful of fresh basil or thyme
• Handful of dried porcini mushrooms
• Salt and pepper to taste

What You’ll Need To Do:

1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in about 200ml hot water for 15 minutes. 
2. Saute the garlic, onion and celery for 2 minutes. Place in large saucepan.
3. Add all other ingredients and bring to the boil, including the porcini mushrooms and the water that they were soaked in.
4. Simmer, covered, for at least one hour and up to two hours.
5. Test for seasoning and add more salt/pepper/herbs if desired.