Keeping Chickens

Onion tart or onion fan is a favourite of mine and a good starting point for quiche. It is adaptable so you can add any other veg or cheese and it becomes a completely different dish. I could eat a savoury tart, flan or quiche every day of the week, hot or cold I love it.

Serves 4-6 or 1 me!

Link to measurement conversion chart

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 700g onions sliced into rings
• 200g mature Cheddar cheese grated
• 1 quantity of either shortcrust or gluten free pastry
• 2 egggs
• 50ml milk
• 150ml single cream
• Salt and pepper

You will also need

• An 8 inch deep tart tin or flan dish
• A frying pan

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190c
2. Line a 20cm deep fan dish with pastry and blind bake for 15 – 20 mins then allow to cool slightly. Increase the oven temperature to 200c
3. Heat a little oil or butter in a pan and gently saute the onions.
4. In a jug beat the eggs then slowly add the milk and cream beating to mix, season with a little salt and pepper
5. Layer the cheese, onions and egg mix in the pastry case starting with a little egg and finishing with a layer of cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 30 – 40 mins until golden brown and set

Serving suggestions and variations

• Try substituting the onions and cheddar for some of the following,
  • Broccoli and Stilton,
  • Ham and asparagus
  • bacon and brie, fry the bacon till crisp then roughly chop, streaky has more flavour 
  • Courgette and halloumi cubes, Brown the courgettes in butter to increase their flavour
  • Mushrooms, tuna and Cheddar – fry the mushrooms first so they release their water
  • Leeks and Lancashire cheese, lightly fry the leeks to soften them before they are added to the flan case
• Flans make a great hot meal served with a jacket potato but are equally good served cold with salad or taken on a picnic. Save me a slice!
• Try adding a tsp of paprika to the eggy mix for a bit of bite
• Arrange a few slices of tomato on the top before you add the last sprinkle of cheese to add a bit of decoration to your tart or flan

Acknowledgements

This recipe has evolved over time and I no longer look it up in a book however there are versions in most cook books and for me it originated the Hamlyn All colour cookbook, a book I have owned since my school days.

You might also like to try some of these recipes from our collection;

• For a warming lunch or supper give our lentil and frankfurter soup a try
• Homemade coleslaw makes a great accompaniment to any flan or quiche, and is much nicer than anything you can buy.
• finish off with oaty apple crumble for a delicious dessert.

If you liked this recipe we would love to hear from you or you can post dome photo’s onto our facebook page.

Happy eating!

Asparagus tart or asparagus flan evolved from the basic onion tart recipe, having made this version, for the first time ever, I had to fight the boys to get a slice, NOT FAIR! As you know may know I could eat a savoury tart, flan or quiche every day of the week, hot or cold I love it. The boys however are usually take it or leave it with this type of food, I now have to be more careful about the contents.

Serves 4-6 or 1 me if allowed!

Link to measurement conversion chart

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 12 asparagus spears, tips cut to 5cm lengths the rest roughly chopped
• 1 slice of ham chopped - optional
• 1 small onion chopped finely chopped
• 200g mature Cheddar cheese grated
• 1 quantity of either shortcrust or gluten free pastry
• 2 egggs
• 50ml milk
• 150ml single cream
• Salt and pepper

You will also need

• An 8 inch deep tart tin or flan dish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190c
2. Line a 20cm deep fan dish with pastry and blind bake for 15 – 20 mins then allow to cool slightly. Increase the oven temperature to 200c
3. In a jug beat the eggs then slowly add the milk and cream beating to mix, season with a little salt and pepper
4. Layer the cheese, onions, chopped asparagus, ham and egg mix in the pastry case starting with a little egg and finishing with the asparagus tips arranged decoratively on top, covered with a layer of cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 30 – 40 mins until golden brown and set

Serving suggestions and variations

• Try substituting the ham and asparagus for one of the following,
  • Onion and cheddar
  • Broccoli and Stilton,
  • bacon and brie, fry the bacon till crisp then roughly chop, streaky has more flavour 
  • Courgette and halloumi cubes, Brown the courgettes in butter to increase their flavour
  • Mushrooms, tuna and Cheddar – fry the mushrooms first so they release their water
  • Leeks and Lancashire cheese, lightly fry the leeks to soften them before they are added to the flan case
• Flans make a great hot meal served with a jacket potato but are equally good served cold with salad or taken on a picnic. Save me a slice!
• Try adding a tsp of paprika to the eggy mix for a bit of bite
• Arrange a few slices of tomato on the top before you add the last sprinkle of cheese to add to the decoration of your tart or flan

Acknowledgements

This recipe has evolved as a result of having plenty of asparagus and a deep love of savoury flans. the original recipe was a basic cheese and onion flan, which is listed in the Onion Recipe page, that originated the Hamlyn All colour cookbook, a book I have owned since my school days.

Other recipes you might like to try from our collection;

• Donated by a friend this Mama's Salad is a meal in itself but also proves very popular as a side at a BBQ
• If you have the oven going knock up a batch of fresh scones and treat yourself to a Cream Tea - yummy!
• Want to indulge and you have a few eggs to spare have a go at Alex's Chocolate Fudge Brownies, a wonderful fudgy/cakey mix great on their own or with a dollop of cream.

If you liked this recipe we would love to hear from you or you can post dome photo’s onto our facebook page.

Happy eating!

Leek and potato hotpot is a great midweek meal. The ingredients are easy to get hold of and it can be adapted to suit meat eaters and vegetarians. It is also a great way to use up a few potatoes when you are getting to the middle of winter and want to clear space for the new season’s potatoes in your stores. This recipe can be prepared ahead, up to 6 hours, and baked when ready.

Link to measurement conversion chart

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 800g potatoes peeled and thinly sliced – waxy ones are best
• 1 large leek trimmed and sliced
• 15g butter
• 250ml dry cider
• 1 pack of bacon pieces or 4 rashers of thick cut back bacon chopped
• Dried mixed herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

You will also need

• A 2 litre ovenproof casserole dish with lid

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 190c
2. Grease the baking dish or casserole
3. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the casserole, sprinkle a few mixed herbs over.
4. Layer the leeks, bacon and potatoes with herbs and a little salt and pepper in the dish, topping off with a layer of potatoes
5. Dot the butter on top of the potatoes then add the cider.
6. Put the lid on, or cover with foil and cook in the oven for 1 hour
7. Remove the lid and bake for another 20 mins to brown the top
8. Serve with some green vegetable or bread and butter

Serving suggestions and variations

• For a vegetarian option use sliced field mushrooms instead of bacon
• Try onions instead of leeks
• Sprinkle grated cheddar on top when you remove the lid
• Add a chopped apple to give the hotpot a sweeter flavour
• Miss out the bacon and serve as a potato side dish with a roast dinner

Acknowledgements

The original recipe came from a Sainsbury’s recipe card. We have adapted it to suit the ingredients we had to hand and it has become a firm family favourite.

You may also like to try one of these recipes from our collection;

• For a slow cooked side dish have a go at Runner Beans in Tomato Sauce to go with your hot pot
• Having friends round then Baked Camembert with Asparagus Dippers makes a great starter
• For a simple snack lunch or supper have a go at Quasadilla, ths recipe came fro Park City in America.

Happy eating!

Runner Bean Spaghetti Bolognaise is a tweak on the traditional. If you have never made Spaghetti Bolognaise this is a simplified version of most of the recipes you will find but just as tasty. Using runner beans instead of pasta is a fab way to use up a glut of beans and a great alternative if you can’t, or don’t eat pasta. The best Bolognaise sauce is made ahead of time and allowed to fester for a day to let the flavours improve so factor this in if you can.

Link to measurement conversion chart

This recipe uses makes enough for 4 – 6 depending upon your appetite.
NB you need  45 mins for your bolognaise sauce to cook, plus extra festering time for the flavours to improve if you possibly can, although festering is not essential.

Ingredients

• 250g pack of beef mince
• 100g pack of Pancetta pieces or the equivalent of streaky bacon chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 carrots cubed
• 6 medium sized mushrooms chopped
• 1 beef stock cube
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• water
• 1 glass of red wine – optional
• 1tbs mixed herbs
• A splash of Worcester sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 800g runner beans, or 200g per person, trimmed and sliced lengthways
• Grated parmesan cheese to serve

You will also need

• It is handy to a bean slicer
• 2 good sized saucepans, 1 with a lid. 

Method

1. Heat a large saucepan, add the pancetta/bacon and fry, stirring, until starting to brown, the pancetta provides all the oil you will need.
2. Add the mince and onion, break up the mince as it cooks, allow the meat to brown.
3. Add the wine, herbs and mushrooms, stir and cook for 2 mins.
4. Add the carrots, stock cube and tinned toms. Half fill the tomato tin and swirl around to get all the tomato goodness out and add the liquid to the pot. Bring back to the boil and stir until the stock cube has dissolved. Then stir in a good splash of Worcester sauce.
5. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and allow your bolognaise to simmer slowly for 45 mins stirring occasionally.
6. Adjust the seasoning then allow the sauce to cool and fester for 30 mins to overnight if possible.
7. When ready to eat cook the runner beans and reheat the sauce.
8. Serve in warmed bowls with a shaving of parmesan if desired

Serving suggestions and variations

• If you want to feed 6 - 8 increase the volume of vegetables and add an extra tin of chooped tomatoes
• Fresh tomatoes are just as good as tinned but you will need to remove the skins before you add them
• We love garlic bread with ours, see our simple garlic bread recipe if you want to make your own.
• Of course you can use pasta spaghetti instead of runner beans
• Courgettes also make a good spaghetti substitute
• Bolognaise sauce can be used in lasagne
• Add 2 tbs tomato puree or tomato ketchup for a more tomato flavour
• I like my bol sauce to have a thick consistency and sometimes add a few red lentils to thicken it up a bit
• If you are a huge garlic lover add 2 crushed cloves of garlic when you add the mince.

Acknowledgements

Our Bolognaise sauce has evolved over time. I’m afraid to say it rarely tastes the same twice as we tend to throw in whatever we have to hand in the quantities we have to hand rather than following strictly sticking to a recipe. Both John and I had our own versions before we met and this recipe is really a combination of the two. To this day John makes his differently to me but both are great.

You may also like to try these recipes from our collection;

• There is sumething special about Asparagus Soup, the texture is smooth and the flavour just wonderful.
• A nice veggy supper brings to mind Leek and Potato Hotpot great served on it's own with crusty bread.
• Just want a special snack or light lunch then have a go at our Egg and Mayonaise Open Sandwiches.

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Happy eating!

This recipe will create the classic Australian burger with the lot, something you will only have heard of if you have had fast food in the outback of Australia. Only for the truly adventurous, you need to be hungry and able to stretch your mouth in order to eat it without getting into a mess. Try one and you will understand why. I made a fair few of these, and the equally famous steak sandwich with the lot, whilst working in Alice Springs. They are the simple way to getting some of your 5 a day!

This recipe serves 1 and uses a big frying pan, if making for more than 1 person you can easily volume up but you will need to cook and keep things warm unless you have a large hotplate. If using a BBQ use a small frying pan for the eggs and onions.

Ingredients

• 1 Egg
• 1 burger patty – preferably good quality
• 1 burger bun – toasted
• 1-2 slices of a tasty cheddar cheese, enough to cover your burger
• 1 Onion sliced into rings
• 3 slices of cooked beetroot – preferably not pickled
• 1 pineapple ring – use tinned
• 2 rashers of Back bacon, smoked is best
• Mayo
• Ketchup

You will also need

• A large frying pan
• Optional a skewer to hold it all together when you try to eat it, but note that a rough, tough outback Aussie would scoff at a skewer!

Method

1. Cook the burger patty, onion and bacon, in a frying pan turning at mid point, till nicely browned on both sides.
2. When ready to turn the patty and bacon add the pineapple and beetroot, cook on both sides till lightly browned and warmed through.
3. When nearly done place the cheese on the burger and allow it to heat through so it starts to melt
4. When adding the cheese break your egg into the pan and fry to taste.
5. Meanwhile spread the base of the burger bun with mayo.
6. When all the hot ingredients are ready layer the bacon, onions, beetroot, pineapple and burger patty on the bun base, top the lot off with your fried egg, a good splash of ketchup and the the bun lid.
7. Eat and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and variations

• Substitute the burger patty for a good piece of frying steak, you may want to swap the bun for 2 slices of bread and make it a sandwich
• If serving as a plated meal add a few potato wedges or chips, some salad leaves and a good dollop of coleslaw
• Of course you can miss out any of the more unusual ingredients however unless you really don’t like them it is worth the taste experience to do The Lot at least once.
• If you don’t fancy fried beetroot try adding grated fresh beetroot instead
• If you want a vegetarian option use a large flat mushroom instead of the burger
• Try stilton or a hard goats cheese instead of cheddar

Acknowledgements

I spent a year in Australia when I was 19. It was a long way from home, I had a fabulous time there. I spent 3 months in Alice Springs, amongst other jobs, I spent most of the time working for Ernie in his chip shop. That is where I learnt to cook on a hotplate and use a huge deep fat fryer. We had to peel all the potatoes by hand for the chipper and I used to get plenty of grief for not doing it right! The addition of anything salad like to the burger was unheard of at that time, so no lettuce or tomatoes are in this version, they may well be there now. As with most happy memories I remember those times as being the best and really felt part of the local community. Thanks Ernie xx

If you like this recipe you may also like to try one of these from our collection;

• Potato jacket wedges are a great way to turn a burger with the lot from a snack into a meal.
• Mama's salad is a great accompaniment if you are having a BBQ
• want a nice dessert then profiterols with chocolate sauce are a great one to make ahead.

Happy eating!

Corned beef lasagne is a twist on the usual recipe.  The original recipe was adapted by us and the results are a family favourite. The corned beef I’m referring to here appears to be a UK speciality. It comes in tins or from the deli counter and has a unique flavour that you either love or hate. This lasagne recipe also contains savoy cabbage which is another unusual ingredient, but don’t let it put you off. Our lasagnes have to have at least 3 layers of pasta, it just isn’t right unless it is good and deep so don’t scrimp on the pasta and get an extra deep lasagne dish. The lasagne can easily be made ahead then heated through when needed.

Link to measurement conversion chart

Serves 8.

Ingredients

• ½ a savoy cabbage, de-cored, chopped and steamed for 5 mins
• 250 -400g lasagne sheets depending upon the number of layers you want
• 1 ball of mozzarella chopped into 1 cm chunks
• Grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the meat sauce

• Olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 x tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 340g tin of corned beef chopped into 1cm cubes
• ½ tsp dried thyme

For the cheese sauce

• 2tbsp flour
• 50g butter
• 500ml Milk
• 250g Ricotta

You will also need

• 1 x deep lasagne dish, ours is 18 x 26 x 6 cm
• 1 saucepan for the cheese sauce preparation
• 1 saucepan for the meat sauce preparation

Method

1. Make the meat sauce
   1. Heat the oil in pan add the onion and fry until softened,
   2. add the garlic herbs and tomatoes then bring to a boil
   3. reduce the heat slightly, add the corned beef and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the meat has no lumps
2. Make the cheese sauce
   1. Melt the butter in a pan
   2. Add the flour and fry off for a minute
   3. Remove the pan from the heat then add the milk, stirring. If you get a few lumps whisk them in
   4. Put the pan back on the heat and bring to the boil
   5. Add the ricotta and allow it to combine with the sauce
   6. Season to taste
3. Assemble the lasagne Note – if you plan to eat within an hour of assembling preheat the oven to 190C at this point.
   1. Work towards a 4 layer lasagne by putting 1/3 mozzarella and ¼ of the other ingredients in each layer.
   2. Layer the ingredients as follows;
      Meat
      Cabbage
      Lasagne sheets
      Cheese sauce
      Mozzarella, evenly dotted
   3. Finish with a layer of cheese sauce and instead of mozzarella sprinkle the top with grated parmesan.
   4. Bake in the oven at 190c for 45 – 55 mins

Serving suggestions and variations

• Lasagne is great served with a side salad and some garlic bread, have a go at our easy garlic bread and you'll never buy the shop ready version again
• If you love chips with your lasagne cook up some potato wedges while the oven is on instead
• Substitute savoy cabbage for curly kale, spinach (uncooked) or chopped Brussel sprouts
• Try ricotta with herbs for a more flavoursome cheese sauce
• The original recipe added 100g pecorino to the cheese sauce, you could also try grated hard goats cheese.

Acknowledgements
The original recipe concept comes from the “Good Cooks Library – Pasta cookbook”. It is called “Lasagne with savoy cabbage”. It uses ground beef but doesn’t make a meat sauce and the method confused us. So we adapted and came up with our own version, which is actually nothing like the original. We always loved the idea of having savoy cabbage in a lasagne and we have always used corned beef.

You might also like to try one of these recipes from our collection;

• For some gluten free pasta try runner bean spaghetti with the meat sauce,
• Potato wedges make a great alternative to chips with a lasagne,
• want another classic Italian for pud the try our Tiramisu.

Happy eating!

This recipe for Pea and Feta Frittata is one that Simon and I made up when we wanted a quick lunch, had loads of egg to use but didn’t want an ordinary omelette. We looked through the fridge for leftover ingredients and this frittata was born. It nearly had chorizo and peppers in as well but the Feta needed using up more and we decided to avoid the stronger flavours.

Serves 4 – 6 with a side salad

Link to measurement conversion chart

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 2 medium sized waxy potatoes cooked and sliced – leftovers are great for this.
• 2 small or 1 large onion sliced
• 200g frozen pea’s thawed or fresh peas cooked for 5 mins
• 200g block of Feta cheese
• 100ml double cream or creme fraiche
• Freshly ground pepper
• oil

You will need

• an oven proof frying pan or skillet that will fit in your oven, approx. 20cm diameter.

Method

1. Preheat the grill
2. Heat some oil in the pan and gently fry the onions and potatoes until warmed through and softened
3. Beat the eggs and cream together in a large jug
4. Add the peas to the pan and heat through
5. Add the Feta to the pan and stir in then pour over the eggs, tip the pan to ensure an even covering of eggs amongst the veg and cheese.
6. Heat through on a medium heat for 5 mins – do not stir the pan, your eggs need to set.
7. Put the pan under a hot grill and cook until the top is cooked and starting to brown.
8. Cut the tortilla into wedges and serve.

Serving suggestions and variations

• Don’t be tempted to add any salt, the Feta has salt enough.
• Great eaten with a side salad, add bread and butter if hungry
• Make sure the eggs are beaten well before you add the cream to avoid lumps of egg white in your tortilla
• You can add any combination of ingredients but think about the flavour combinations or you will have something unpalatable. Try;
  • Courgettes, onions and cheddar
  • Chorizo, peppers and red onions
  • Smoked salmon and asparagus
  • Mixed antipasto and parmesan.
• Goes nicely with baked beans and oven chips if you want a more filling meal

Acknowledgements

My thanks go to Simon for working on this recipe with me, preparing the ingredients and keeping a tight rein on the ingredients list.

You might also like to try the following recipes from our collection;

• For an interesting side Carrot Bharjia is a must have when you want a curry
• Plan for a little puff pastry left overs then an Asparagus Galette is a great snack
• Looking for a cheats way to knock up a Totally Tasty ottage Pie, here's the recipe for you.

Happy eating!

Mac and cheese makes a great snack and can be volume up to a filling meal. Recipes for macaroni cheese are easy to come by but we have been thinking of how to use a glut of runner beans up. We have a tasty recipe for Macaroni cheese and leeks which is a firm favourite in the leek season so we just switched the recipe about and used runner beans instead. Fantablious!

Link to measurement conversion chart

Makes enough for 3 hungry people or 4 as a light meal

Ingredients

• 600ml milk
• 225g Macaroni
• 200g tasty cheddar grated
• 100g breadcrumbs
• 50g Butter
• 40g plain flour
• A handful of Runner Beans approx. 5 per person, trimmed and sliced, then cut to approx. 10 cm

You will also need

• It is handy to have a bean slicer
• 1 large saucepan
• 1 small saucepan
• A casserole dish

Method

1. Pre heat your oven to 180 centigrade
2. Bring a large pan of water to boil, add the beans and macaroni, bring back to the boil and then simmer for 10 minutes, once cooked drain.
3. In a smaller pan melt the butter then add the flour, allow to cook for a minute – this is a roux
4. Remove the pan from the heat then gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until combined. Have a care at this stage as you may get lumps. If this happens, whisk the sauce until the lumps disappear.
5. Reheat until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
6. Add the cheese to the sauce, and continue to stir until the cheese melts.
7. Combine the macaroni with the sauce and stir to mix the beans evenly through, pour into an ovenproof dish
8. Combine the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs then sprinkle evenly over the top of the Mac and cheese.
9. Put into a hot oven and cook for 20 mins until the top is brown and crispy.

Serving suggestions and variations

• The boys insist that Mac and cheese should be served with a dollop of ketchup stirred in, I think this is disgusting. Each to their own
• Serve with a side of salad and some bread and butter
• If you want a bit of meat then sprinkle the top with chopped bacon
• If you want to add a little extra flavour stir in some fried onions
• Fancy a crispy top? try crumbling some unsalted tortilla chips on top before you bake and let the cheese melt over, see pics below - yummy

Acknowledgements

Simon can be credited with the name of this great dish. I can’t remember where the original recipe came from, that topped our Mac and cheese with Leeks, but it is embedded in our soles so much that macaroni cheese is not complete without leeks for us. We make it so often none of us uses a recipe any more. However now we have Running mac and cheese our world has opened up to any number of options.

You may also like to try these recipes from our collection;

• Fancy a little chutney instead of Ketchup then Carrot and Almond is a great one with Mac n Cheese
• For a rainy day brunch Rarebit hits the mark and this Onion Rarebit is just a bit different.
• an old fashioned pudding that is light is a rare thing, try Cherry Clafoutis which is a batter based baked dessert, and see what you think.

We hope you have enjoyed this recipe.

Eat and enjoy!

Making a souffled omelette is a good way to impress a lunch guest without going to too much effort. It helps if your guest is in the kitchen when you take the omelette out of the oven as, with any soufflé, it will sink fairly quickly, having said that it has a good depth to it even so. This omelette has a light spongy texture which benefits from the addition of a little grated cheese. It is a totally different experience to  a basic fried omelette and worth trying even if you only do it once.

Serves 1 hungry person or 2 for a light lunch/supper

Link to measurement conversion chart

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, separated to 2 good sized bowls
• Pinch of salt
• A knob of butter or dash of oil
• 100g Gruyère  or cheddar cheese grated

You will also need

• an oven proof omelette pan or skillet that will fit in your oven.

Method

1. pan to the oven for 3 – 4 mins until the omelette is well risen and golden brown
2. Carefully sliPreheat the oven 180c
3. Warm your pan in the oven.
4. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. Whisk the egg yolks with the salt until pale then add ¼ of the beaten egg whites.
6. Fold the yolk mixture into the remaining beaten whites until evenly mixed.
7. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, the handle will be hot. Add the oil or butter and swirl it around to evenly coat the pan.
8. Pour the eggy mix into the pan and sprinkle with cheese
9. Return the pan to the oven for 3 – 4 mins until the omelette is well risen and golden brown
10. Carefully slide the omelette onto a warm plate, folding it in half.
11. Serve right away.

Serving suggestions and variations

• Great eaten with a side salad, add bread and butter if hungry
• Don’t over beat the whites as it will make it more challenging to get an even mix with the yolks
• Use half and finely grated the cheese if you want less fat content
• Goes nicely with baked beans and oven chips if you want a more filling meal

Acknowledgements

My first experience of a souffled omelette was at a cookery demonstration at a local department store. At the time I decided it was too much effort to go to as the chef really did make a meal out of making it.  It was only when I was doing the research for these recipes that I stumbled across a simplified version. Having adapted the recipe slightly for our tastes I hope you like the result. Thanks go to the Food and Drink magazine team for giving me the inspiration.

You may also like to try one of the following recipes from our collection;

• For a filling breakfast or light lunch, Eggs Benedict make an alternative to an Omelette
• The Basevi Store Cupboard Carbonara is a great one for a bit of Italian inspiration
• Our Coffee Nut Meringue Gateaux will make a real centrepiece for a special occasion.

Happy eating!

This recipe for Spagetti Carbonara is one that Simon and I made up when we had no idea what we wanted for tea, had a few eggs and some bacon and decided to have a go at Carbonara. Now we didn't have all the ingredients for a classic Carbonara, so we improvised and came up with something even nicer.

A word of warning though there is a high risk of this sauce turning into scrambled eggs. The eggs add a richness to the sauce, if you are not confident miss the eggs out as whilst the sauce is perfectly edible it has a grainy texture if the eggs start to scramble and you might find that unpleasant.

Please note that I have included thois recipe in the scrambled egg section not because you want the sauce to end up like scrambled eggs, but because you don't.

Link to measurement conversion chart

This recipe serves  3-4 people.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti – 75g per person
• 1 pack of pancetta
• 6 medium button mushrooms finely chopped
• 100g hard goats cheese grated– use parmesan as an alternative
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 200ml double cream
• 2 eggs beaten, add an extra yolk if you have one to make the sauce extra rich.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan to taste
• A splash of olive oil

You will also need

• A small saucepan for your sauce
• A large saucepan for your spaghetti

Method

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water until Al-dente – approx. 8 mins
2. Whilst the spaghetti is cooking add the oil to a saucepan and crisp up the bacon, reduce the heat then add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened.
3. Add the cream, goats cheese and a little pepper to the pan, heat through stirring continuously until the cheese has melted. Remove from the heat.
4. Pour the spaghetti into a colander to drain and serve into warmed bowls.
5. Adjust the seasoning of the cooling sauce then add the eggs, stir to mix and serve immediately
6. Sprinkle a little parmesan over the top with a little chopped parsley if you have any.
7. Eat and enjoy!

Serving suggestions and variations

• The classic sauce has no onions or mushrooms and uses Pecorino cheese. Goats cheese is a good substitute and we usually have some in the fridge. If you don’t have either parmesan will do or a strong cheddar.
• If you are trying to impress and do not want to risk scrambled eggs instead of a rich smooth sauce, miss out the eggs
• Crème fraiche is a good alternative to double cream
• The classic recipe uses 4 tbsp of cream but we like plenty of sauce so I have increased it. Use less cream if you want a lighter meal.
• Don’t add too much salt, there is plenty in the cheese
• Try tagliatelli instead of spaghetti, any pasta shape will do but the texture of spaghetti or tagliatelli make these pasta’s a nicer meal experience
• John likes a knob of butter on his spaghetti, you might like to give it a go, add at stage 4
• if you have any sausages leftover from breakfast, chop them up and heat through as an alternative to bacon.
• We quite often add a few chopped mushrooms to ours, see the picture below. Adds a bit of extra texture and flavour.

Acknowledgements

Like bolognaise sauce there are loads of variations on the classic carbonara and rarely do we ever have an identical meal when we cook either of these at home. I guess I must have first tried a carbonara at a local Italian restaurant but have used my “Good Cooks Library – Pasta Cookbook” for reference when I cook a carbonara at home. I have cooked it myself many times but rarely using the correct ingredients as it is a store cupboard recipe for me and therefore I use whatever I have to hand, it usually tastes great but there is an art to getting the eggs right.

You might also like to try some of these other recipes from our collection

• For a hearty lunch or supper our French Onion Soup is well worth the try, use cheddar instead of Gruyere and it becomes a store cupboard meal.
• Looking for something tasty to do with your sprouts then try peas and sprouts, a little chopped bacon makes all the difference!
• Carrot cake is one that even the most carrot avoiding will love to eat. This one is low fat as well.

Happy eating!