Sardine Bruschetta, Pasta with Parma Rosa sauce, Apple Fool

Saturday, 27th August

I fancied doing something with sardines and found this recipe for Lime Marinated Sardine Bruschetta. These came out very tasty indeed, even though it really only is fancy sardines on toast. (The cherry tomatoes are from my balcony.)
The pappardella were cooked with a creamy. tomato Parma Rosa sauce with added bacon and parma ham. The picture looks a bit strange (very pink) but pasta tasted very good, if a little heavy on the garlic.
With some apples from my partner's garden I made a simple apple puree with a lovely silky texture, mixed in some whipped cream and sprinkled with brown sugar to make the fool. Also very good, but less cream and sugar would have been even better.

Iberico pork loin and rösti

Thursday, 25th August

Got this nice piece of Iberico Lomo pork and simply fried it on all sides and finished it in the oven for a few minutes. Meanwhile cooked the rösti by just grating potato, squeezing out excess juice and frying gently in a little duck fat. Turning it over the first time didn't go so well, but I was able to recover. The sauce is caramelised onion and blackberry.

Green Dragon Walnut Meatballs

Monday, 22nd August

I have to give the honours for cooking the meatballs to my lovely girlfriend. Delicious.
I had the recipe in a Sainsbury's cookbook called "Marvellous Meals with Mince", which I can no longer find. But google came to the rescue.
At the weekend we had these with pasta and the dark chinese-y sauce of soy and sugar mentioned in the recipe. I had the left overs today with a sauce of roasted red pepper, garlic and fried onion, with a little balsamic added. Very good indeed, but a bit heavy on the garlic. Also, sauteed potatoes with rosemary.

Mahi Mahi and Vegetable stew

Sunday, 14th August

Japanese style stew with no particular recipe. I fried some shallots and ginger and added potato cut into small pieces, then sake, mirin, water and a little soy sauce. Then, at various points, diced pumpkin, tiny aubergines halfed, yellow courgette sliced, spring onions, bok choi, the mahi mahi and shitake mushrooms.
When the fish was done I finished it off with a little more soy, ponzu sauce and sansho pepper. I used a wide shallow pan and kept the veggies separate, so the various colours and shapes looked fantastic when it was done. But I messed up the photo, so you'll have to take my word for it.
Tasted good too, although the spring onions and aubergines should have gone in later.

Roast Guinea Fowl

Sunday, 17th July

Forgot to post this one, so it is out of order.
Roasted the guinea fowl fairly simply, stuffed with a half-lemon and some herbs and with bacon over the breast for the first 30 minutes. Roast potatoes and a sort of cross between a ratatouille and a stir fry of peppers, courgette, aubergine, onion and tomato. I usually find ratatouille disappointing but this was much nicer, with the veggies being less stewed to death. I had something similar in a restaurant recently (a scandinavian one I think), which inspired this attempt.
The bird came out very well, juicy and tender, and there was a nice lemony gravy from the pan juices.

Tuna with Spring Onions

Monday, 25th July

Not a very good photo, which is a shame as this is the signature dish of this blog. Even the weather helped out with the rain on the window. As expected, delicious and very easy to prepare, Fry everything in a little oil and the mix of soy, sake and mirin, for less time than you might think, and serve with plain rice.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Wednesday, 20th July

Not really authentic but very tasty. I used bacon instead of pancetta, because that is what I had.
Other than that I stuck pretty much to the standard recipe. Fry the meat until almost crispy, remove and cook onions and hot pepper in the same pan for a while, then add tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or so, then return the meat and heat through.
The half a dried chilli I put in was almost too much, and left the lips tingly and the forehead sweaty. But in a good way!