Nigel Slater's simple suppers

Recipes to try from Simple Suppers (3rd Nov 2010)

Turkey and squash bake

Hand made pesto with watercress (and pasta)

Aromatic mackerel

Everyday roast chicken

Lemon, parmesan and smoked salmon linguine

From Channel 4 website. Very tasty. Made it with salmon fillets instead of smoked salmon and penne rather than linguine. A million weight watchers points per serving.

Serves 2
Ready in 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g linguine
• Butter, for frying
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 200ml pot half-fat crème fraiche
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 25g fresh Parmesan, grated
• 75g sliced smoked salmon, cut into strips
• Few wild rocket leaves, to serve (optional)

Method: How to make smoked salmon linguine

1. Cook the linguine according to packet instructions

2. Meanwhile, melt a little butter in a pan and cook the garlic until softened. Add the crème fraiche, lemon zest and Parmesan. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat.

3. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce and smoked salmon. Divide between 2 bowls and garnish with the rocket to serve, if you like.

Courgette, anchovy and lemon fettucine

This was OK but not amazing. I might have used too much pasta.

Guardian recipe. 8.5 WW points per serving.

This recipe fits our continuing January criteria of low-effort cooking, while also tasting uplifting enough for this time of year. The courgettes get cooked in the pasta water at the end. Then, after you have drained off the water, you melt the anchovies with garlic in the same pan (one-pot cooking!) and finish it by tossing it all together with lemon zest. A supremely simple supper.

Plenty for two. Takes 25 minutes of extremely relaxed pottering.

Some extra virgin olive oil

250g fettucine (or you can use pappardelle, tagliatelle, or any long, flat pasta)

3 medium courgettes, sliced 1cm thick

30g anchovy fillets, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Sprinkle of chilli flakes

Small knob of butter

Zest of 1 large lemon

Salt and pepper

Heat a large pan of salted water with a splash of the olive oil and, once it has come to a rolling boil, chuck in the pasta, give it a stir and whack a lid on.

Look on the pasta packet to see how long it takes to cook and, when it is four minutes away from being ready, drop in the courgettes and add an extra two minutes to the cooking time. Give it a good stir and stick the lid back on.

When the time is up, drain and put the empty pan back on a medium heat.

Gently fry the chopped anchovies, garlic and chilli in the butter and a healthy glug of olive oil for around three to four minutes until the anchovy pieces start to melt.

Turn off the heat, tip in the pasta and courgettes, along with some seasoning (a little salt and lots of pepper) and the lemon zest.

Toss, stir and give it all a good roll around, breaking up some of the courgette slices as you go, and add another slug of olive oil if you think it could do with it.

Once all the pasta is well coated, give it a last taste (you might want the extra zing of a squeeze of lemon juice), and serve in warm bowls.

Sicilian Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Aubergines

Delia Online recipe. Serves 2. Without the olive oil this recipe is 11.5 WW points per servings. With the olive oil it is 16.5 WW points!!

Aubergines, tomatoes and Mozzarella are the classic ingredients of any classic Sicilian sauce for pasta, and roasting the tomatoes and aubergines to get them slightly charred adds an extra flavour dimension.

Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) spaghetti

12 large tomatoes (roughly 2 lb/900 g)

1 large aubergine, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

about 4 tablespoons olive oil

12 large basil leaves, torn in half, plus a few extra for garnish

5 oz (150 g) Mozzarella, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes

salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

Method

First of all place the aubergine cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with salt and leave them to stand for half an hour, weighed down with something heavy to squeeze out the excess juices.

Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them and leaving them for 1 minute, then drain off the water and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut each tomato in half and place the halves on one of the baking trays (cut side uppermost), then season with salt and freshly milled black pepper. Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, distributing it evenly between the tomatoes, and follow this with a few drops of olive oil in each one. Top each tomato half with half a basil leaf, turning each piece of leaf over to give it a good coating of oil. Now place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened.

Meanwhile, drain the aubergines and squeeze out as much excess juice as possible, then dry them thoroughly with a clean cloth and place them in the other baking tray. Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over them and place them on the top shelf of the oven, above the tomatoes, giving them half an hour.

Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta. When the tomatoes and aubergines are ready, scrape them, along with all their lovely cooking juices, into a saucepan and place it over a low heat, then add the cubed Mozzarella and stir gently. Now drain the pasta, pile it into a warm bowl, spoon the tomato and aubergine mixture over the top and scatter over a few basil leaves.

Chicken, mushroom and spinach pasta

Made on 24th November 2009. YUM.

www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/chicken-mushroom-and-spinach-pasta-bake

Ingredients

1. 250g pasta shapes
2. 1 quantity defrosted Creamy chicken
3. 1 tbsp olive oil
4. 250g button mushrooms, sliced
5. A couple of handfuls baby spinach leaves
6. 4 tbsp double cream
7. 30g grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Method

1. 1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta shapes according to the packet instructions, then drain.
2. 2. Meanwhile, tip the defrosted creamy chicken into a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the mushrooms, for 4-5 minutes, until lightly golden.
3. 3. Drain on kitchen paper and stir into the chicken. Stir into the pasta the spinach leaves. Season well.
4. 4. Tip into a 1.2-litre ovenproof dish, drizzle with double cream and sprinkle with grated Parmesan or Grana Padano. Bake at 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 for 25 minutes.

Creamy Chicken in White Sauce

Made on 24th November 2009 and then developed into Chicken, mushroom, spinach pasta.

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/creamy-chicken-in-a-white-sauce

Ingredients

1. 2 tbsp vegetable oil
2. Knob of butter, plus extra 3 tbsp, softened
3. 16 boneless chicken thighs or 8 chicken breasts, diced
4. 1 large onion, finely chopped
5. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
6. 150ml dry white wine
7. 4 fresh bay leaves
8. Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
9. 3 tbsp plain flour
10. 700ml chicken stock, hot
11. 75ml double cream

Method

1. 1. Heat the vegetable oil and knob of butter in a large, deep frying pan or flameproof casserole. Season the chicken pieces and fry, in batches, over a medium-high heat, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken to a large bowl and set aside.
2. 2. Add the chopped onion to the pan and fry gently, without colouring, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the wine and herbs, then cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. 3. Remove the lid and bubble over a high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add to the bowl with the cooked chicken.
4. 4. Add the extra 3 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt. Add the flour and stir well to make a paste. Cook for 5 minutes, until a pale golden colour. Gradually add the hot stock, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened.
5. 5. Return the chicken and onions to the pan. Cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then add the double cream. Check the seasoning. Set aside to cool.
6. 6. Once cool, divide the creamy chicken between 3 freezer bags or freezerproof containers, label and freeze. Now you have your base, search for one of the following recipes: Chicken a la king; Chicken, mushroom and spinach pasta bake; or Chicken, pea and bacon pies.

Chicken and Chorizo Bake

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-and-Chorizo-Pasta-Bake/Detail.aspx

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 chorizo sausage, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until firm and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo is hot and the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove from heat.
4. Pour the tomato puree, cream, and red pepper flakes into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add drained pasta and sauce to the skillet containing the chicken and mix well. Spoon the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the Cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.