Simply Delicious - Pea and Pancetta Linguine

Tonight's recipe ticks all the boxes for a fast, simple and delicious meal that you can knock up when you get home from work - but is nice enough to quite happily serve to guests as a great no drama dinner party dish. It uses very few ingredients, and doesn't require a lot of kitchen skill - but really delivers on taste.

We love this dish in our house and it is a real favourite. A simple combination of salty, punchy tasting Pancetta (salt cured and spiced pork belly) and the sweet peas are just gorgeous. I only use a small amount of Pancetta (200g) as it's richness is more than enough to carry through the pasta. The sauce is created by simply stirring the Pancetta, peas and Parmesan/egg mixture through the hot, freshly cooked pasta. Talk about low maintenance!

I made this whole dish tonight in well under 30 minutes. It is not a do ahead kind of thing - it needs to be cooked and served right away. So, gather everyone around the table, get the pasta pot boiling and enjoy this Gourmet Goddess favourite.

We are now in Autumn here in Australia, and it is my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler days, all the nature colours around us, and the lovely Autumn produce. Check out my "What's in Season" section to get some inspiration and to see what is at it's best right now. Even better, head out to your nearest farmers market if you have one close by, and check out what you can find - as well as top notch, seasonal produce, you also get the pleasure of dealing with the folks who actually grow the food.

Autumn is also the time I start to plant vegetables for harvesting in the winter. I've been a bit slack and have not been out in the garden to do this yet, or even actually decided on what I will plant this time around. I plan to get organised and make this all happen in the next couple of weeks. There is so much pleasure in growing your own food, regardless of whether you have a big kitchen garden - or like mine, just a collection of pots, hanging planters and odd bits and pieces in my little inner city patch of green.

Until next time - live and eat well!

Pea and Pancetta Linguine

You will need: 200g piece of Pancetta diced into cubes, 1 small finely chopped onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 1/2 cups cooked peas, 4 eggs, 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, 250g linguine (or spaghetti.)

Note: If you cannot buy Pancetta, you can substitute Speck, Prosciutto - or even good bacon.

Method: Heat the oil in a fry pan and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to become translucent. Add the Pancetta and cook until the it begins to get crisp at the edges. Add the garlic and the peas, toss through for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Put a large pot of well salted water on the stove to boil. While that is happening, whisk together the eggs and Parmesan. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Working quickly, drain the pasta and return it to the original pot. Add the egg mixture and the peas and Pancetta and stir it all together thoroughly. As you stir, the egg will cook, creating a fine coating on the pasta. The heat of the pasta will do this, and you should not need to return it to the heat. It will take about 5 minutes.

Serve right away with cracked pepper and a little more Parmesan.
Makes 2 generous mains or 4 entree sized serves.

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Summer on a Plate

Today's dish was inspired by some of the delicious green Summer vegetables that have just come in to season and are really fabulous right now - asparagus, green beans, peas and zucchini. This salad would work plated up individually as a light entree or lunch - or on a generous sharing platter as a change from your usual repertoire of Summer salads, to go with grilled meat or seafood. It would also be a beautiful vegetarian option for a BBQ or the Christmas dinner table. It is really easy to put together and tastes as good as it looks.

This salad has a great balance of flavours and textures - the crisp, light texture of the vegetables, the rich creaminess of the goat cheese, the tang of the simple chive vinaigrette dressing and the delightful freshness of the mint. Just perfect for a Summer menu.

I really adore Chevre (soft, creamy style goat cheese) but if you wanted to use the firmer aged goat cheese this would work just as well. I do think though that the younger, creamier style has a freshness that works particularly well with the lightness of the vegetables and the aromatics of the mint leaves. Of course if you detest goat cheese, feta would be a fine substitute.

We are heading to the South Coast for Christmas this year and this salad will definitely be on the menu while we are away. The vegetables will be easy to cook on the BBQ and it will be perfect as a light lunch by itself, or as an accompaniment to some fresh local seafood or a char grilled piece of lamb. It would also be great as a topping on some thickly cut, rustic sourdough toast.

I love the transition of the seasons when all the new produce starts to appear - out with the old and in with the new. It's easy to get in a bit of a rut - cooking the same stuff, but these new season ingredients always inspire me to try something new. To see what else is in season right now, check out the list on the right hand side of this page and get some inspiration too. In the meantime, here is my "Summer on a plate" salad to get you going.

Asparagus, Zucchini and Green Bean Salad

With Mint and Goat's Cheese

You will need:
For the salad - 1 bunch asparagus, 1 finely sliced spring onion, 2 smallish green zucchini, a generous handful or two of green beans, 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, About 60g Chevre (goat cheese), a handful of fresh mint leaves, a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

For the dressing - 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil, 1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey,  2 teaspoons finely chopped chives, 1 clove minced or super finely cut garlic (I do mine on a Microplane), salt and pepper. 

Method: First, make the dressing. Simply combine all of the ingredients and whisk together thoroughly until all combined. Put aside while you prepare the salad.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the beans for about a minute until they start to soften. Drain them and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Cook the peas until tender (I just do these in the microwave - quick and easy) Set aside to cool.

Cut the woody, hard ends off the asparagus and then chop the asparagus in half. Slice the zucchini in diagonal slices.

Heat a grill or fry pan and add a small splash of olive oil and cook the the zucchini and asparagus in batches, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. They should just colour up a little and not be overcooked. You want them to retain a little firmness. Set aside.

Chop or crumble the goat cheese.

Assemble the asparagus, zucchini, onion, beans, mint and peas on a serving dish, then add the goat cheese. Drizzle over the dressing, top with a few extra mint leaves and serve.

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Happy Birthday - A Celebration Menu

On the weekend we headed up to the Central Coast to visit my inlaws Kate and Peter, who happen to both have birthdays in August. After thinking of and subsequently discarding numerous completely underwhelming birthday gift ideas, I decided that I would treat them to a nice birthday dinner instead. I decided on a classic menu, based around seasonal ingredients - starting with an amuse bouche of vivid green fresh pea soup - given a luxurious touch with the addition of black truffle, brought back from our honeymoon in France.

Amuse Bouche

Fresh pea soup with black truffle

My original plan was a fish entree, however on visiting the fishmonger I could not resist the lure of gorgeous W.A lobster tails, so I built the entree around them, combining them with a crisp potato rosti, creamy horseradish and lashings of delicious salmon roe. The lobster was tossed in a touch of sea salt, paprika and pepper - then lightly sauteed in french butter (a recent purchase from the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show)

Entree

Pan fried lobster tail with potato rosti,

horseradish creme fraiche and salmon roe

The main course used lovely plump Game Farm duck breasts, rubbed with L'herbes de province, and pan fried to crisp the skin, followed by a brief stint in the oven, then rested and carved. I served the duck with sugar snap peas, maple roasted Dutch carrots and delicious caramelised eschallots. A duck jus accompanied the dish. An old fashioned favourite, but a lovely end of winter dish.

Main Course

Roasted Duck breast with winter vegetables,

caramelised eschallots and duck jus

I decided against a super heavy dessert, given the richness of the lobster and the duck. A handmade coffee icecream completed the meal, served with a delicious almond praline. Icecream and praline are both great options for a dinner party - you can make them a day or two ahead and they lend themselves to all sorts of presentation ideas. You can serve the icecream in slices, or as a base for posh icecream sandwiches, or go for sundaes or cones. I served our icecream and praline in lovely little paper patisserie cups I found in a homewares store last weekend, keeping it simple.

Dessert

Handmade coffee icecream with almond praline

The birthday dinner was a great success (I have decided to make it a yearly event) and Kate and Peter enjoyed having their dining room turned in to a restaurant for the night. Andrew provided his services as Sous Chef, waiter and dishwasher, which made everything go very smoothly, so I could just concentrate on the food. Special mention should also be made of the beautiful French champagne and wine that we enjoyed, courtesy of Peter's fabulous (and seemingly bottomless!) cellar.

One of the greatest joys of cooking for me is creating dishes for the people I care about, and Saturday night was no exception. I'm so glad that we ditched the dodgy birthday gift ideas and went with something personal and more meaningful. Happy Birthday Kate and Peter! Now.... to start musing on what to cook for you next year...........

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Gorgeous Game

I am a big fan of all kinds of game meat and with the arrival of beautiful Autumn produce, it is the perfect time to indulge in both! I had a couple of duck marylands in the freezer and thought I would team these with some lovely organic produce from the Addison Road Organic Market for dinner on Sunday night. I bought a bag of French Charlotte potatoes (a variety I had never tried before), some sugar snap peas, asparagus and a bunch of stunning ruby red beetroot.

I love the earthiness and sweetness of beetroot and it tastes fabulous when cooked until sticky and sweet with balsamic vinegar, lots of nutty roasted garlic and caramelised onions. It is the perfect addition to a dish of simply roasted duck. To prepare the duck, I simply took 2 marylands and rubbed them with garlic salt (made with 2 teaspoons of Maldon sea salt, a pinch of cayenne and 2 crushed cloves of garlic) I let the duck rest for about 2 hours in the fridge, before roasting it gently for about 35 minutes (let it rest for 10 mins before serving) For the sauce, I just used the pan juices, some homemade chicken stock and a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly whisked together and thickened slightly.

Below is the recipe for the caramelised balsamic beetroot - be warned, it is extremely moreish! I like the beetroot in reasonably large chunks, but you can also cut the beetroot small, so that it forms more of a relish. It can be served warm or cold and is great with all kinds of game - venison, duck, rabbit or quail. It will also work well with lamb or roasted pork if you aren't that keen on game.

Here is Sunday night's offering.....

Roasted duck marylands
with roasted balsamic beetroot and redcurrant gravy

Roasted Balsamic Beetroot

You will need:
5 or 6 small, fresh beetroot, 1 large red onion cut into thick slices, 6 cloves garlic peeled and cut into half, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon caster sugar, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper, generous pinch black pepper.

Method:
Cut the stalks from the beetroot and wash them well. Place them in a pot and cover them with water. Bring them to the boil and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Drain the beetroot and run them under cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, gently rub off the outer layer (it will come away easily) Cut the beetroot into quarters.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Combine the beetroot with all of the other ingredients. Cook for about an hour or until the onion and beetroot caramelises. Give the mixture a stir every 20 minutes or so.

Serve warm or cold with baked or roasted meat.

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Spring Chicken

The whole stuffed chicken breast thing is a bit old fashioned and retro I know, but I wanted something more than just a plain old grilled chicken breast for dinner last night. I put together a simple but really tasty filling of ricotta and italian flavours and served it with some beautiful green peas and beans jazzed up with mint and fetta for a fresh side dish. The result was a dish that felt very spring.

Chicken breast is always the least flavoursome of the various cuts of chicken, and it is always a challenge to cook it through whilst keeping it moist and succulent. I can't count the number of times I've been served overcooked, dry and tasteless chicken! The technique I used for this recipe is a great way to ensure that your chicken breast stays moist and retains as much flavour as possible. Sear first, then bake in the oven and be sure to rest it before serving for a tender result.

I made this dish up as I went along last night, but I think I will be cooking it again. The lightness of the dish and the lovely fresh flavours were really enjoyable. It would make a great do-ahead dinner party dish - just prepare the chicken a few hours ahead up to the searing stage and refrigerate until you are ready to cook it. The side dish only takes a few minutes, so you could have everything done in under half an hour. Anyway, here it is......

Ricotta, olive and tomato filled breast of chicken

with minted beans and fetta

You will need: For the chicken (Per person)1 skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon ricotta, 1 teaspoon chopped black olives, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon semi dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon finely chopped spring onion, salt and pepper, olive oil.

For the side dish:(Serves up to 4) 1 cup peas, 1/2 cup sliced green beans, 1/2 cup peeled broad beans, 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh mint, 2 tablespoons crumbled fetta, pepper, salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon (plus some extra lemon slices to serve), extra virgin olive oil.

Method: Combine the ricotta, olives, parmesan semi dried tomatoes, spring onion and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Carefully cut a deep pocket in the chicken breast/s. Gently fill the cavity with the stuffing. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a frypan/grill pan and sear the chicken till golden on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 mins. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To prepare the veges - steam the green beans, peas and broad beans. When cooked, toss through the mint, fetta, salt and pepper and a generous splash of olive oil. Serve with the chicken and some extra lemon and be sure to pour any juices from the chicken over the dish.

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