Today, most South Africans go back to work and after a much-needed break, so am I. And I won’t lie, I really don’t want to. Of course I am so excited for 2013 especially as I have some incredibly exciting things in the pipeline, making 2013 (hopefully) the year that I want it to be. But I still can’t stop thinking about falling asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks a few metres away, the smell of salty, humid sea-air and toes in the sand. And so, the first meal I cooked when we got back home, was one that reminded me an awful lot of…
Simply Delicious
A general food and cooking blog. I like to experiment and try all different types of cuisine and I have a passion for food photography and styling.
Posts Tagged ‘Pasta’
Everyone needs a simple but stunning pasta recipe to pull out when inspiration has packed its bags and have bid you adieu. One of my favourites is the Roasted cherry tomato, ricotta & basil pesto pasta which I’ve cooked more times than I can remember. After a while though, these pastas become more of a staple than they should and you start getting tired of the tried and tested combination. As I needed a new pasta recipe (because I’ll be honest, I feel like my mojo is very slowly trickling out of me as we get closer to the end of the year), I decided to create this pasta. …
When I think of Fettucini Al Fredo, I think of the horrible restaurant variety. Over-cooked fettucini drowned in a stodgy sauce with flavourless ham and mushrooms. Not exactly appetising, but I come with good news. This is not the way it is meant to be and definitely not the way I cook it at home. A good Fettucini Al Fredo is one of the most delicious pastas you can make and is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods. The combination of crispy ham, perfectly cooked mushrooms and creamy sauce on top of al dente pasta is one that’s just too good to resist and is a favourite to many….
As I look out our office window, I am treated with the most beautiful bright pink Bougainvillea against a bright blue sky. The sight always puts a smile on my face because I know that Spring is well and truly here. Along with all the other things I adore about Spring, I love the fact that there is an abundance of lovely fresh produce around. Last week I saw the most beautiful Rosa tomatoes in my supermarket and decided to use them in a simple pasta to showcase their beautiful flavour. I decided to roast them along with two whole heads of garlic and made a quick sauce using…
When I told my kids that we would be having Ratatouille pasta for dinner last week, they were ecstatic. Not because they like the dish (they had in fact never tasted it before) but because of the movie. They are just obsessed with the little rat, Remy, who is bitten by the cooking bug and goes on to become a wonderful chef. Every time they watch it, Aidan asks what the rat is making when he layers sliced aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes. And every time he repeats “ratatouille” like it’s some magical word. I decided to chop all the vegetables and place them in a roasting dish with…
Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my absolute favourite, fall-back meals. By that I mean a meal that I can whip up in minutes with ingredients I have in my fridge/freezer with guaranteed success. It’s a really simple pasta but delivers big on flavour and ‘mmmm’-factor. Because this pasta is so simple however, it is necessary that you use only the very best quality ingredients you can get your hands on/afford. I suggest using dry cured, smoked streaky bacon, free-range eggs, strong Pecorino and the freshest cream possible. It’s also important to note that I am by no means an ‘authentic’ cook who sticks to traditions when I’m busy in the…
I am not ashamed about the fact that I dream about food. I do it quite often actually. Even when the dream isn’t ABOUT food, food features in my dreams more often than not. But when you dream about one ingredient, every night for a full week, you know the obsessive line has been crossed. Last week, this happened to me and I dreamt about Chorizo every single night. Now, I like to listen to my dreams when they repeat themselves and so I knew I would need to cook something with chorizo soon to stop myself from waking up, salivating! I wanted to keep it simple as my…
After weeks of excess and indulgence in December, I find myself craving simplicity in January. Even though, surprisingly, us as a family behaved ourselves on the food front and didn’t allow ourselves to get carried away, I still have the need to eat the simplest of foods. Toast with a smear of Bovril is great for breakfast and a simple Caprese salad is all I need for lunch but for Dinner, I’d like something a long those same lines, but with a little more punch and flavour. That’s where this ridiculously simple but absolutely delicious pasta comes in. I love that the sauce (if you can call it a sauce)…
The first time I saw this on Martha Stewart’s site, I just loved the look of it. Simple ingredients, beautiful flavours and using mostly ingredients that everyone has in their kitchens. Except for the artichokes of course. Let me just clarify here that I have not and probably will never prepare and cook an artichoke from scratch. This is where my laziness gets the better of me and I just can’t imagine myself peeling, cleaning and cooking them. I am very happy to buy the marinated kind from good supermarkets or deli’s. Granted, they are not cheap but they are definitely worth it. It is the Festive season after all! Any…
I know this looks terribly fiddly and like it’s going to be way too much trouble for a week night. And in some ways, it is. Because of that, I decided to eliminate the whole bechamel/cheese sauce part of normal lasagna making and substituted it with a very easy creme fraiche ‘sauce’ which can be made in a minute. To save even more time, you can buy ready-made fresh lasagna sheets. They aren’t easily available but I’ve seen them at a few supermarkets and I know Food Lover’s Market has most of the time. This just makes this recipe even easier to do as you don’t have to worry about…
