Beef and Mushroom Ragu

I was really inspired by some gorgeous pasta recipes in the Guardian a few weeks back (see them here). I gave the beef sauce recipe a go but with a few variations. I used beef mince instead of beef shin, added some mushrooms, and stuck with the more traditional penne instead of pasta sheets.

The result? Delicious. With requests of a repeat. Soon. :-)

So if you have time on your hands this weekend, why not put it to good use? This recipe will take about 2.5-3 hours from start to finish, but is completely worth it!

This recipe is very easy but it does take time as it is necessary to give the sauce a couple of hours to simmer. So this is probably one best left for the weekend :-) But, it is worth it! The beef stock and wine add a great richness and depth to this dish

Serves 2

250g beef mince
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Half of 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
125ml red wine
350ml beef stock
1 200ml tin chopped tomatoes
250g mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Heat some oil in a large pot over a low heat. Put the onion, carrot, and celery in a pot with the bay leaves and thyme, cover and sweat for 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Remove the mixture from the pot, set aside, and remove the bay leaves. Turn up the heat and add the beef mince. Cook until the mince has turned a pale brown colour. But don't overcook, remove once the mince has changed colour.

Set the mince aside as well and add the wine to the pot. Cook on a high heat until the wine reduces by about two-thirds. Then return the beef and vegetables to the pot along with the stock and tomatoes. Now also add the mushrooms and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a low simmer and partially cover. Allow the ragu to simmer for two hours, stiring occasionally and remove the lid completely after the first hour. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.

Serve with pasta of your choice, such as penne or tagliatelle, and bread.

How to Cook Scallops

Scallops are possibly my favourite shellfish but they can be tricky to cook. Overcooking is the biggest problem with scallops but following the instructions below should improve your chances of getting that perfect texture.

Serves 2

180g King Scallops (about 6 individual scallops)
Olive oil

Before you begin cooking, pat the scallops with some kitchen tissue. Make sure you remove all excess moisture, as this is important for proper cooking.

Heat the pan to a very high heat. When the pan is very hot (it should be uncomfortable to hold your hand above the pan for a few seconds), add some oil and swirl it around the pan.

Place the scallops on the pan and leave for 2 minutes. Do not touch or move them in any way- this ensures they will get that nice seared, crispy texture. After 2 minutes, turn the scallops and cook for a further 1 and a half minutes.

Remove from the hot pan and serve as you like! I love scallops with pasta and a light tomato sauce (see pictures above).

Mussels and Courgette Pasta

This recipe is a quick and light dinner with lots of goodness packed in. I buy mussels from the fish counter that have already read been removed from their shells - this speeds up the preparation and eating process!

Serves 2

150-160g mussels (without shells)
1 courgette, sliced into strips about 1 and a half inch long
20 cherry or baby plum tomatoes, cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp crushed chili
200g pasta - preferably spaghetti or linguine

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pot over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Add the courgette slices. Cook for 5 minutes constantly moving the slices around the pan so they do not burn. When you add the courgette also bring some water to the boil in a large pot and cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack.

Add the tomatoes and mussels and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. The tomatoes should become soft but   make sure the pieces stay whole rather that turn into a sauce (like in photo above).

Add the basil and crushed chili and stir.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot. Then add the mussels, courgette, tomatoes, and garlic to the pot. Stir all together and add an extra tablespoon of good quality olive oil.

(Turkey) Meatballs and Spaghetti

This is a healthy twist on a classic dish. Turkey makes a great alternative to beef and pork. It is low in saturated fat and high in protein. I find that it is a really under-rated meat, so this is part of my attempt to get turkey into more tasty dinners!

Serves 2

250g turkey mince
1 tsp red pesto
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tsp of rosemary
1 tsp of basil
Salt and black pepper

To serve: 

1 400f jar or equivalent of homemade tomato sauce
200g dried Spaghetti

Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Mold into approximately 8 meatballs, each one about the size of a golf ball.

If possible, cover and leave to set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

When you're ready to eat, heat a pan to a high heat. Place the meatballs on in batches of four. Cook until brown all over then remove from the pan.

Heat the tomato sauce in a pan, when warm add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes. Check that the meatballs are cooked through before you serve.

At the same time that you add the meatballs to the sauce, boil some water in a pot and cook the spaghetti, as per instructions on the pack.

Serve in a bowl with some bread on the side.

I like to add some mushrooms and maybe some spinach to the sauce as well to make sure you get some nutritious vegetables into your dinner too.