Store Cupboard Tomato & Oregano Soup

The other evening I was faced with either take-out, getting in the car and going to buy some food, or making something from the meagre options I had in the cupboard and fridge...ok, so I'm not a huge take-out fan and could not be bothered to get in the car, so initiative was required. I didn't have much, but I had a tin of tomatoes, pasta, chicken stock, a couple of fresh tomatoes, some fresh oregano and cream and parmesan from yesterday's pasta dish and some onions and celery....hmmm..I'm not having pasta again, so it looked like soup..I could definitely conjure one up from these ingredients...the finished article - husband said he'd eat it every night of the week (well it did have a tasty grilled cheese with it too!) Enjoy!

Ingredients

•  1 x 14oz can of chopped tomatoes
• 2 fresh plum tomatoes chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 1 stick of celery finely chopped
• Salt & Cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup oregano finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Saute in a deep saucepan (we will be hand blending the soup later - you can use a blender for this too) the onion and garlic and celery on a medium heat
2. Once softened add the fresh and tinned tomatoes, oregano, sugar and stock. Cook, covered on a low heat for an hour ( this should break down the tomatoes completely). Remove from heat
3. Cool a little and then blend by hand to required smoothness
4. Add back to a medium low heat and add the cream and parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes until cheese melted.
5. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Sun Choked Chicken Penne

I've said before that my husband would eat pasta any night of the week, however it will never be my favourite. With guests coming around this evening I was looking for something other than the regular tomato based sauce that we normally have. This is super quick and makes use of that store time saver, the pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. We'll be having my Garlic bread and some salad. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie-cooked chicken de-skinned and shredded
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 jar (8oz) sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
• 1 jar (12oz) marinated artichoke quarters, drained
• Cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1lb favourite dried pasta

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente and drain
3. Whilst pasta is cooking gently fry the green onions and garlic until softened in the olive oil in a large frying pan.
4. Add the chilli flakes, orgegano, sundried tomatoes and artichokes and cook for a minute
5. Add the shredded chicken and cook until heated through
6. Add the chicken stock and heat through
7. Add the Cream and heat through
8. Add the chopped parsley and 1/2 cup of parmesan and cook until the cheese has melted.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste
10. Combine with the penne and then put into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top
11. Cook in the oven for 20 mintutes.

Serve with some salad and garlic bread

The Mighty Meatball Spagetti Dinner

My husbands favourite trick is to mark the recipes he would love to eat in each of the celebrity chef cookbooks with his initials…having made one, a special meat pasta, I was really disappointed with the taste or lack of it and the next night presented these meatballs…his initials have been crossed out on that page now!!! The rosemary gives the sauce a really fresh fragrant taste and the meatballs have that lovely background from the Italian sausage.

For 4 people
Ingredients
Enough pasta (we use spaghetti or fettucine) for 4 people (depends how big your appetites are!!!)

For the meatballs

• 1/2lb minced sirloin
• ¼ lb hot Italian bulk sausage
• ¼ lb mild Italian bulk sausage
• Buy sausages and split skins if you can’t get bulk
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons basil leaves chopped
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• ½ large red onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 5 tablespoon All purpose Flour
• 1 egg

For the sauce

• ½ large red onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
• 1 16oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 large fresh tomatoes skinned and chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• ½ cup red wine
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Steak Sauce (I use A1)

1. Combine all but 4 tablespoons of the flour and the oil for the meatballs in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine all the ingredients.

2. From the mixture take small sections and use remaining flour to help shape into meatballs. Set aside until all meatball formed.

3. Heat the Olive Oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Gently fry the meatballs until gently browned on both sides..you don’t need to fully cook they will finish in the sauce.

4. Reserve the meatballs to one side once browned.

5. In the same pan start the sauce. Add the oil and when hot add onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 5 mins (until carrot is soft).

6. Add the garlic, fresh tomatoes. Cook down for a few minutes until the tomatoes have broken down.

7. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried herbs, ½ rosemary, basil, red wine and steak sauce.

8. Turn heat down to low, cover and cook for about 20 mins.
9. Add back meatballs and any juices, cover each one with sauce and cook for another 20 mins

10. Add the heavy cream and reserved rosemary and cook for 5 mins. Cover and turn off heat
11. Cook the Spaghetti to taste ( I like al dente ) and drain

12. Take a few spoons of the sauce and mix through the cooked spaghetti. Turn onto serving platter. Cover with the rest of the meatballs and sauce and serve.

If you are really hungry serve with my Garlic, Garlic, Garlic Bread!

Enjoy!