When I have the kids over on Thursdays I
like to treat them like any other Dinner Party Guests.
Let's introduce them
to new foods, as well as cooking old favourites
Time to do some research.
My MYSKY was full of Cooking Programmes that I hadn't viewed
I thought, two of my favourites Giada de Laurentis and Jacques Pepin would
probably have something delicious for the kids
The dinner got thumbs up from the kids
Correct... I found a great Lamb and Mint Pasta
Dish from Giada
This was a Lamb Ragu, I served it over Penne
It would also make an excellent Shepherds Pie
This amount fed 4 kids and 2 adults
I made my own Marinara sauce and also I used white wine.
Use what you have I reckon... and lamb takes white wine as well as red
500 gms penne pasta
For the Lamb Ragu
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
500 gms ground lamb
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red or white wine
4 cups marinara sauce, store-bought or home made
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Directions
Homemade Marinara
This is one of the most simple sauces, well worth making extra and keeping in the freezer
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 stick celery chopped
2 cans chopped tomatoes
Sea salt and Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
Little water
Place on pan on medium heat add
olive oil
Add
onions saute gently till soft
Season with
Salt and Pepper
Add
garlic, carrot and celery
Saute another 5 minutes
Add
tomatoes
Wash the tins out with a little water
Season again with
S & P and sugar
Bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes
Set aside
Meanwhile, in a large skillet
warm the
olive oil over high heat.
Add the
shallots and the garlic and
cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the
ground lamb, salt, and
pepper.
Cook until the lamb has browned and the juices have evaporated.
Add the wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan
using a wooden spoon.
Simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
Add the
marinara sauce and simmer over low heat until the flavors have blended,
about 10 minutes. Add the
mint and ricotta and stir until mixed.
The Pasta
Bring
a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Add the pasta and
cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally,
about 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain pasta.
Add
the cooked pasta and stir to coat. Serve immediately.
And a Chocolate Roulade from Monsieur Pepin
This is from his Essential Pepin Website
CAKE
1/2 cup granulated
sugar
1/4 cup water
6 large eggs,
separated
6 ounces semisweet
chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons very
strong coffee
FILLING
1 1/2 cups heavy
cream
2 tablespoons
confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
2 teaspoons kirsch (optional)
1 tablespoon icing sugar
Preheat the oven
to 190 degrees, with a rack in the center.
FOR THE CAKE:
Mix
the sugar and water in a saucepan,
bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat
for 2 minutes to make a light syrup.
Put the egg yolks in the bowl of a mixer
or another large bowl.
Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup over the yolks, mixing
vigorously with the whisk.
Continue whipping the mixture for about 5 minutes,
until fluffy, smooth, and pale yellow in color.
Add the melted chocolate and
coffee and mix well.
Whip the egg
whites in a large bowl until they hold firm peaks.
Add about one third of the
whites to the chocolate mixture and mix vigorously with the whisk.
Add the
remaining whites and fold in with a rubber spatula, mixing just enough to
combine the ingredients;
do not overmix.
Cut a piece of
parchment paper large enough to line a 12- by 16-inch baking sheet (or use a
nonstick baking mat).
Butter the paper and coat with flour, shaking off any
excess.
Little trick with the paper
Butter 1 half of it
Fold in half to spread the butter
Place in baking tray
Lift and turn over and push into place in tin
this stops it from slipping
Spread the batter
in the pan; it will be about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for about 12 minutes until
set and puffy.
Cool to room temperature; then cover with plastic wrap.
(Rolling
the cake is a delicate operation, but the wax paper aids in the removal and
rolling of the cake.
The plastic wrap keeps the cake moist, making it possible
to be rolled.)
FOR THE FILLING:
Whip the cream until it holds a soft peak.
Add the confectioners’ sugar,
vanilla, and kirsch and continue beating until the cream is firm.
TO ROLL THE CAKE:
Remove the plastic wrap and slide a knife all around the sides to loosen the
cake.
Spread the raspberry puree on the cake top with whipped cream
Starting from a long side, roll up
the cake, with the wax paper still on,
peeling the paper off a little at a time
as you roll the cake;
avoid pressing down on the cake as you roll, so that the
whipped cream is not squeezed out.
Continue rolling and removing the paper, and
finish with the seam underneath so that the cake looks smooth on top.
Use two
large spatulas to slide the cake onto a serving platter.
Put the icing sugar
in a sieve and shake it over the cake to coat the top.
Refrigerate until ready
to serve.
Cut into slices and serve.
It needs whipped cream on the side to "cut down the richness"
