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Jan

Tried and True: Nigella’s Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Posted by: Lys | Comments (1)

The other night I stood in front of my fridge staring blankly in while thinking “There’s NOTHING to cook”. It was a nice change from morning closet whine “I have NOTHING to wear” lament. So, while I was debating to order out, a thought popped into my head, “I have pancetta – heavy cream – eggs – spaghetti – Nigella’s Spaghetti Alla Carbonara!”

Nigella makes everything look easy – and she’s right. I could see why she joked that she could eat it straight out of the pan. Bonus, I even had vermouth from one of my recent additions to the Philly liquor cabinet. This is a recipe that will be tried and tried and tried again…

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Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
2 cups cubed pancetta rind removed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

Directions

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy.
Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.
When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta.
Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix.
Thin with pasta water, if needed.
Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.

Lining up the ingredients…

Let the vermouth meld with the crispy pancetta

Mixing the egg & cream mixture with the pancetta coated pasta

Make sure to reserve some pasta water

Voila – Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

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Categories : Food Network, Nigella Lawson, Pasta, Recipe, Tried and True

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Jan

One Pot Meal: Nigella Lawson’s Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne

Posted by: Lys | Comments (0)

One of my fridge staples is Genuardi’s homemade chili. On those nights when I’m running crazy late, it has saved my butt. Making chili from scratch has not been a priority on the radar. However, during a burst of culinary creativity (and a repeat of Nigella Lawson episodes on the DVR), Nigella Lawson’s Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne seemed like the perfect one pot meal. One confession – I did use cornbread mix instead of her homemade cornbread topping. I topped the cornbread mixture with shredded cheddar and I have to say this recipe was out of this world. Only one change I think I would make is to use ground cardamom instead of the pods because biting into those pods isn’t always a pleasant experience. Also, like any FoodNetwork.com recipe, please make sure to read the reviews and comments. I read that often the cinnamon in Nigella’s cornbread topping did not work out well. (Again, I’m thankful I improvised with a box mix). Do not – stress DO NOT skip the secret ingredient – you will thank me later….

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Cornbread Topped Chili Con Carne

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson & FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

Chili

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried or crushed chili flakes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
5 cardamom pods, bruised
2 red peppers, seeded and finely diced
3 pounds 4 ounces ground beef
7 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato ketchup
1/2 cup tomato puree
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa (DO NOT LEAVE OUT!!!)
3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans

Cornbread:

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (See reviews / Might want to reduce)
3 cups buttermilk
4 eggs
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated Cheddar
Guacamole, recipe follows

Serving suggestion:

2 cups sour cream
Ground paprika, for dusting
3 3/4 cups grated Cheddar
Special equipment: Very large pan

Directions

Heat the oil in a very large pan and fry the onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add the chili, coriander, cumin, and crushed cardamom pods and stir well.

Add the peppers then break up the ground beef into the pan and, using a fork, keep turning it to separate it as the meat browns. Add the chopped tomatoes, ketchup, tomato puree, and water stirring to make a rich red sauce. When the chili starts to boil sprinkle over the cocoa and stir it in. Add the beans and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can cool and freeze the chili, or just keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pour the chili into a large, wide dish or keep in the pan you cooked it in if it is ovenproof.

Combine the salt, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, honey, and oil in a jug, and then stir into the dry ingredients mixing to make a vivid yellow batter.

Pour the cornmeal topping over the chili con carne, or blob it over to cover the top as evenly as possible.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the cornbread and then bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is risen and golden and the chili underneath is bubbling. How long this takes depends on the how cold or hot the chili was when it went into the oven. Since it’s such a huge vat, you may find it easiest to reheat it on the stove in its pan first.

Let the chili stand for about 5 minutes once out of the oven before cutting the cornbread top into squares or slices to serve with a helping of chili underneath.

Guacamole:

4 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Mash the avocados with the scallions and add the juice of up to 2 limes, to taste. Stir in most of the cilantro and turn into 2 bowls, sprinkling each with the remaining cilantro.

Divide the sour cream into another 2 bowls, and dust with a little paprika and, into another pair of bowls add the grated Cheddar so that people can take clumps and add the tangy cheese to their plates of guacamole and sour cream splodged chili.

Gather Your Ingredients….

Time For The Secret Ingredient…

The Secret Ingredient….

Pre-Cornbread Topping…

Add The Cornbread Topping and LOTS of Cheese…

Hot Out Of The Oven…..

Chili Hits The Spot….

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Categories : Comfort Food, Food Network, Nigella Lawson, Recipe

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Dec

B[u]y The Book: Nigella Christmas and a Tried & True Recipe for Bourbon Glazed Ribs…

Posted by: Lys | Comments (0)

Before you remind me of exactly what date it is and how I should have reviewed this BEFORE the holidays, hold up. I have to say Nigella Christmas: Food Family Friends Festivities by Nigella Lawson has recipes that are not just for the holidays. I have to confess that I was hesitant to pick this up because I thought “Lys, why the heck do you need a cookbook just for Christmas?!?!?” as my cookbook shelf began to scream in horror that it was about to have a new addition. However, in retrospect, I’m glad I picked it up because I have recipes that will take me through the year.

I flipped through it and the pictures are gorgeous. The recipes are somewhat simple for the home cook and, unlike this gal who blew up a food processor making the accompanying spoon bread (more on that later), everything is pretty straight forward. There are tips for entertaining, brunch ideas, great sides, etc. Some of the recipes that I’ve bookmarked for future “investigation” are the Pomegranate Martini, Boston Baked Beans, Butternut Orzotto, Triple Cheese and Onion Strata and, of course, the Espresso Martini. There’s a chapter on various chutneys, vodkas and other giftable items and even a schedule for the holiday day with what to do when. It’s a book that I will refer to time and time again.

The one recipe that I HAD to try was the Bourbon Glazed Ribs. Having never made a rack of ribs before, this was quite the challenge. I will say that unlike my friends, I don’t often drink Bourbon and I knew I’d have to go out and procure a bottle. In the move, the contents of my liquor cabinet (and the Maker’s Mark) was gifted to SL and I’m slowly rebuilding my Philly bar (Didn’t want to be branded “Lys Capone”). One problem: there are so many bourbons on the market and which one should a gal buy? After consulting with the Bourbon expert, Rifleman, I was told that “any” bourbon would be fine as he felt that Maker’s Mark might be too pricey. However, in true Nigella form, I thought that it would be a disservice to the recipe to not use Maker’s Mark. Having never bought a rack of ribs before, I bought one which turned out to be rancid within a day (shocked and surprised that Genuardis sold that) but after discussions with another butcher and learning what happens when they shrinkwrap ribs, I bought a different brand and attempted the recipe again.

The bourbon glaze is ADDICTING. Seriously, I’m thinking I might have to make another batch of it just to keep in the fridge to glaze chicken and everything. Nigella is prone to recipes that you can whip up the night before and leave in the fridge and this recipe was no exception. The next day we were treated to some amazing ribs and even though I terrorized my Cuisinart with attempting to make too much spoon bread in an 11 cup bowl when it clearly needed a 14 cup bowl, the dinner was a success. The camera was on life support as it fell in the leftover spoonbread batter while I was trying to clean up the chaos. Will I make this again – sure – but I would definitely cut the spoonbread recipe in half. The ribs – heck that’s a tried & true and I’ll probably make it with the Boston Baked Beans next time. Add this rib recipe to your repertoire – you won’t be sorry.

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Bourbon Glazed Ribs

Recipe adapted from Nigella Christmas: Food Family Friends Festivities

Ingredients:

24 St. Louis-style pork spareribs
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (I used dijon)
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

Directions:

Put the ribs in a resealable plastic bag and add the other ingredients to form a marinade. Place into the refrigerator, putting the bag into a bowl to avoid drips or spillages, and leave overnight.
The next day, remove the ribs from the refrigerator, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Pick the ribs out of the marinade and put them into a shallow roasting pan (lined with aluminum foil for easier cleanup), then pour the marinade into a saucepan.
Cook the ribs for 1 hour, turning them over halfway through cooking.
When the ribs are cooked, bring the marinade to a boil and cook for about 7 minutes or until it is thick and glossy.
Plate up the ribs than pour the bourbon sauce over them.

(Disclaimer – in my paranoia, I made a separate batch of the marinade and reduced it for the glaze rather than reuse the marinade from the night prior. What can I say – I get nervous with reusing marinades.)