Category Archives: 30-minute meals

30-minute meals, Desserts, Fruit, Pasta and noodles, Vegetarian main dishes

Baked Ziti with Tossed Salad and Apple Crisp

Matt and I became unwitting Sopranos fans last summer, when our son was a newborn. Our next-door neighbors had the series on DVD and loaned it to us after we told them we’d never seen any episodes. We broke it out one night when I didn’t have the energy to do anything but collapse on the sofa and watch TV. We were quickly hooked, to the point where we would often watch two or three episodes a night. One of the scenes that sticks out from the series is when, in The Happy Wanderer episode, a gang of them lock themselves away in a motel room for the Executive Game, a marathon high-stakes poker-playing session, and keep referring to “boxes of ziti” instead of money (one box of ziti being $1,000). I remember it because even for a show that throws in some mobspeak at every opportunity, this just seemed too over the top to me — nobody would really say that, would they? William Safire wrote that the show’s dialogue is “one part Italian, a little real Mafia slang, and a smattering of lingo remembered or made up for the show by former residents of a blue-collar neighborhood in East Boston,” so who knows?

This is a slimmed-down version of traditional baked ziti, which can have up to three different cheeses and maybe even some sour cream thrown in for good measure. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, making it a quick and easy meal for weeknights, but with just enough cream and cheese to make it feel like a comfort food treat. But if you’re looking for Carmela’s recipe, there’s always The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Baked Ziti
adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated Magazine (recipe via Serious Eats)

Serves 4

If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, just make the dinner in a regular pot or frying pan and transfer to a large ovenproof baking dish instead (which is what I did).

1 x 28-oz can (or 2 x 14-oz (400‑g) cans) whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (720 ml) water
12 oz (340 g) ziti (or rigatoni or penne)
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
1 oz (30 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh basil
4 oz (110 g) mozzarella, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Meanwhile, pour the whole can of tomatoes into a blender or food processor. Process until the tomatoes are roughly chopped, but not pureed.

Pour the oil into a large oven-safe skillet set over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add in the chopped tomatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the water, stir, and then add the pasta. Turn the heat back up to medium-high. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the cream, Parmesan, and basil. Stir well. Season with more salt and pepper, then sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Place the skillet in the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and slightly browned.

***

Apple Crisp with Brandy-soaked Currants
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson

Serves 6 to 8

For the apples, the authors recommend using Golden Delicious, Galas, Jonagolds, or another apple variety with a high water content. This recipe calls for soaking dried currants in brandy. The longer the currants steep, the more the flavor will be enhanced, so plan accordingly. If you forget to steep the currants, then leave them out because unsoaked currants will burn while cooking (I’m speaking from experience here).

for the brandy-soaked currants:
1/2 cup (70 g) dried currants (or raisins)
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple brandy (or regular brandy)

for the crisp topping:
3/4 cup packed (120 g) brown sugar
1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
pinch of ground cloves (optional)
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, melted

for the fruit filling:
8 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 inch thick (3 lb (1.4 kg) prepped)
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
heavy cream, custard or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Soak the currants (or raisins) in the brandy for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9‑inch-square baking pan.

To make the crisp topping, mix the brown sugar, flour, salt, and spices together in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then press the topping together with your hands to form small clumps. Put the topping in the freezer while you make the filling.

To make the fruit filling, toss the apples, sugar and flour together in a bowl until evenly combined, then transfer to the prepared pan.

Scatter the currants and any residual brandy over the apples, then sprinkle the crips topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the crisp is golden and the filling is bubbling up through the topping. Cool for 20 minutes before serving with a drizzle of heavy cream, warm custard or a scoop of ice cream.

This crisp is best served the day it’s made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Beef, Mexican food

Steak Fajitas with Pico de Gallo

In Milwaukee, you can find dozens of restaurants that serve fajitas, but it’s hard to find great fajitas. Maybe my expectations are too high after a childhood of eating Tex-Mex on a regular basis — in Texas, I should add. In my experience, fajitas are only as good as their ingredients. The meat is especially important, and a charcoal grill is essential. I think this is why so many restaurant fajitas fail — cheap meat and lack of charcoal flavor. There are a few things that made last night’s fajitas good. I made the pico de gallo with tomatoes and onions fresh from Rare Earth Farm. Reuben grilled the Sulzer’s rib-eye steaks to a perfect medium rare on our Weber grill. And last but not least, Whole Foods had fresh baked-in-store whole wheat tortillas in stock. How could we go wrong?

Steak Fajitas

Serves 4 to 6

2 rib-eye steaks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 onions (red and/or white)
2 bell peppers (any color)
1 tablespoon olive oil
toppings: pico de gallo, avocado, Monterey jack or cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper and marinate in the lime juice in a shallow dish. Prepare the grill with charcoal banked to one side (you’ll need direct and indirect heat for this meal).

While the grill heats up and the steaks marinate, peel and slice the onion into thin half moons (about 1/4 cm thick). Cut the bell pepper into 1/2‑cm-wide strips. Place the vegetables onto aluminum foil (preferably heavy-duty foil). You’ll need enough foil to completely wrap up the vegetables, about 18 inches or so. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp together the foil over the vegetables, starting with the short sides, then folding over the long sides. You’ll end up with a rectangular-shaped packet. The foil should be secure enough to remain closed throughout the grilling process.

When the grill is hot, place the foil packet of vegetables on the grill and cook over indirect heat for about 10 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the vegetable slices and the heat of the grill). If the vegetables aren’t tender, reseal the foil packet and cook for a few more minutes. Once tender, transfer the vegetables to a serving dish.

The steak can be cooked at the same time as the vegetables. Grill over a medium-high heat until desired doneness. Remove the steaks from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. While the meat rests, heat the tortillas on the grill for a few seconds on each side. After the meat has rested, slice it into thin strips against the grain of the meat.

To assemble the fajitas, place some sliced meat on a tortilla and top with onions, peppers, and other toppings (pico de gallo, avocado, cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream), al gusto, to taste.

***

Pico de Gallo

Makes about 3 cups (720 ml)

1 medium white onion, minced
3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, diced small
1 or 2 jalapenos, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime (or 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Rinse the onion in a colander under cold water for about 30 seconds. This will sweeten the onion and keep it crispy. Mix the onion and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to any Mexican meal.

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Asian food, Desserts, Pasta and noodles, Pork

Spring Rolls with Pork Meatballs and Spicy Peanut Sauce and Pinkberry-style Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

I love the idea of appetizers for dinner. Why waste time with big entrees when a succulent starter will do? My in-laws introduced me to a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant on the south side of Milwaukee called Phan’s Garden. After years of ordering and assembling their grilled pork meatball spring rolls, Reuben decided to take a stab at preparing the appetizer at home. Over the years, our recipe has been tweaked and nudged until we now no longer go to Phan’s Garden, preferring our home-cooked version of their spring rolls. We occasionally add a stir-fry or salad to the meal, but more often than not, the spring rolls alone make up our meal.

For those that aren’t familiar with Pinkberry, check out their website. I ate their yogurt only once, a couple of years ago while on vacation in New York, but still crave it. Luckily, 101 Cookbooks took a stab at creating a recipe to mimic Pinkberry’s concoction. I decreased the sugar further in an attempt to make the yogurt more tangy and less sweet, as I remember it. Add-ins are key to this type of yogurt. I love it with strawberry puree (great way to use frozen purees leftover from spring strawberry picking). This week, I stirred in toasted pecans and chocolate chips. Reuben makes a rocky road version with nuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows. And it’s yogurt so you can eat it with a clear conscious.

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Spring Rolls with Pork Meatballs

Serves 4 to 6

1 1/4 lb (570 g) ground pork
1 egg
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 rice spring roll skins
handful of torn lettuce leaves or mixed greens
4 oz (110 g) thin rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 carrots, grated
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced into thin half moons
1 bunch fresh basil and/or cilantro
1 serrano chili, thinly sliced

Combine the pork, egg, garlic, ginger, green onions, sugar, fish sauce and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Form the meat mixture into 1‑inch meatballs. Brown in the oil over a medium heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

The meatballs and remaining ingredients should be plated and brought to the table so each individual can make their own roll. To assemble rolls, soak a spring roll skin in a shallow dish of hot water (I use a pie plate) for 20 to 30 seconds until softened. Place a spring roll skin on plate and top (to taste) with lettuce, noodles, 2 or 3 meatballs (I split each meatball in half for easier rolling), shredded carrot, cucumber, fresh herbs, and a bit of chili. Do not overstuff or the rice skin will tear. Spicy peanut sauce can be added before rolling up or it can be served on the side for dipping. The roll is made like a burrito: fold the ends of the spring roll in, then roll up the long sides (see the picture below for an example).

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Spicy Peanut Sauce

Makes about 1 cup (240 ml)

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup (125 g) unsweetened peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sambal
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons shelled, roasted peanuts (optional)
1/4 cup (60 ml) hot water

Combine all the ingredients except the water in a food processor. Process until smooth; the mixture will be thick. While the processor is running, add the hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the consistency of pudding.

***

Pinkberry-style Vanilla Frozen Yogurt 
adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Makes about 1 quart

32 oz (960 g) plain whole-milk yogurt or 3 cups (720 g) Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

If using whole-milk yogurt, you will need to make strained yogurt by lining a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth or a thin dish towel. Scrape all the whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Place a strainer under the bowl to gather the liquid. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. After about 4 hours, the yogurt will be thickened and you should have about 3 cups of strained yogurt.

Mix together the strained yogurt (or Greek-style yogurt), sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This can be eaten directly from the ice cream maker as a soft-serve style frozen yogurt. To solidify the yogurt further, pour into a bowl, cover, and freeze longer.

30-minute meals, Italian food, Pasta and noodles, Salads

Tortellini with Spinach and Toasted Garlic and Caprese Salad

This is my go-to weeknight meal. You can prepare the whole menu in about 15 minutes, yet it’s tasty enough to serve at dinner parties. I frequently serve it alongside a broiled or grilled steak for extra protein. I made this menu for my good friend and first-time mom, Christie. Anabelle and I had the pleasure of visiting her and her darling daughter, and instead of showing up empty handed, I brought along the makings for this simple meal. Cooking is the last thing a new mom needs to worry about.

Tortellini with Spinach and Toasted Garlic

Serves 3

1 x 13-oz (370‑g) package cheese tortellini (Barilla recommended)
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
7 to 12 oz (200 to 280 g) baby spinach, washed and drained
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the tortellini until it’s al dente, according to package directions. Drain the tortellini (but do not rinse) and rinse out the pan. Add the olive oil and minced garlic to the pan and heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden. Watch the pan carefully, as the garlic will go from golden to burnt in a matter of seconds. If the garlic burns, start over with new olive oil and garlic. Just as the garlic turns golden, add the spinach to the pan. Saute the garlic and spinach together over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is just wilted. Return the tortellini to the pan and toss with the spinach, garlic, and olive oil. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

***

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Caprese Salad

Serves 3

2 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1 lb/450 g), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 lb (225 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 to 10 large fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Arrange the tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaves on a serving platter, overlapping them. Drizzle with olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

30-minute meals, Poultry, Salads

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Summer Corn Salad and Green Beans

Where I grew up in northern Illinois, there was a fabulous farm stand nearby at a busy intersection. My memory of it is that it always seemed to be on the verge of falling to pieces and I was always surprised when it reopened, having somehow made it through another punishing Midwestern winter. I remember getting huge watermelons there, and gallon jugs of apple cider in the autumn, but mostly my family bought all our sweet corn there in the summer. No barbecue or big family get-together was complete without someone getting sent outside to shuck all the ears of corn, piling the husks and corn silk into paper grocery bags at your feet.

Corn on the cob doesn’t feature much in Ireland. It’s actually kind of hard to find, and if you do, it tends to come in pairs, wrapped in cling film on a Styrofoam tray like you often see with exotic fruit. So when my organic fruit and veg supplier* started carrying it a few weeks ago, I bought some purely out of nostalgia, just so I could shuck a couple ears of it again. I guess you can take the girl out of the Midwest, but you can’t take the Midwest out of the girl.

*Don’t forget, it’s National Organic Week in Ireland. Click here for a listing of events throughout the country.

Grilled Lemon Chicken
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Serves 4

1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 or 3 large lemons)
1/2 cup (120 ml) good-quality olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill or griddle pan. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess. Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2‑inch-thick slices.

***

Summer Corn Salad
adapted from Allrecipes.com

Serves 4

6 ears corn, husked and cleaned
1/2 red onion, diced
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 oz (60 g) feta, crumbled (optional)
1/4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh basil (or parsley)
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the corn in boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness. Drain, cool, and cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.

Deflame the onion by placing the chopped pieces into a strainer, rinsing under cold water, and shaking off the excess.

In a large bowl, toss together the corn, onion, tomatoes, feta, basil, oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve. 

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Seafood

Pasta Shells with Lemon, Tuna and Artichokes

I had originally planned on making an autumn fish stew today, but with the sun splitting the stones, as they say here, for the past week, all thoughts of such wintry food went out the window. There will be plenty of time for that later. Considering that it rained almost every day of July and August, I’m going to enjoy every minute of this Indian summer for as long as it lasts, which means spending as much time playing outside with my poor pale kids as I can, instead of standing in front of the stove in the kitchen.

For anyone looking for something quick and easy to throw together after a long day at work or still easing their way into back-to-school routines, this is a no-cook dinner made up of kitchen cupboard staples that comes together in the time it takes to boil the pasta. It’s also the perfect recipe for hot days when you don’t want to turn on the oven or heat up the kitchen — or when you’re trying to hold onto the last few days of summer before making stews.

pasta shells with lemon, tuna and artichokes

Don’t forget, it’s National Organic Week in Ireland! Click here for a listing of events throughout the country.

Pasta Shells with Lemon, Tuna and Artichokes
adapted from Epicurious, August 1999

Serves 4

Looking around at other versions of this recipe, sun-dried tomatoes also seem to be a common addition.

1 lb (450 g) medium pasta shells (or other short pasta shape such as farfalle)
2 x 6‑oz (170‑g) cans tuna in olive oil, any bigger pieces broken into bite-sized chunks
1 x 6‑oz (170‑g) jar artichoke hearts, roughly chopped; reserve the oil they come in
6 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 cup (60 ml) capers, drained
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine (optional)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions, until al dente. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients except the Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the oil that the artichoke hearts (and/or the tuna) came in to the bowl as well. (Or if you prefer, drain the tuna and artichokes and add 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil instead.)

Drain the pasta, then add to the bowl and toss with the tuna mixture. Season to taste. Divide into 4 pasta bowls or plates. Grate Parmesan cheese over each bowl and serve.

30-minute meals, Pasta and noodles, Salads, Seafood

Spicy Seafood Fettuccini and Mediterranean Pepper Salad

Happy Labor Day to our American readers! If you’re looking for a tasty salad to set out at today’s barbecue, I have the recipe for you. The Mediterranean Pepper Salad from today’s menu is easy to prepare and best yet, it can sit for hours or even overnight in your fridge while its flavors meld. This was a first-time recipe for me. I chose it because I had to use up three bell peppers. Three peppers is an odd amount — too many to use in a stir-fry or omelette and not enough for stuffed peppers. Smitten Kitchen came through with a perfect three-pepper preparation that I’m already craving again.

The seafood pasta recipe is from a cookbook my in-laws gave me for Hanukkah several years back. While typing up this recipe, I realized I never made any other recipe from the cookbook though there are plenty more that intrigue me. Be on the lookout for Gorgonzola Ravioli with Sweet Red Pepper Cream or Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Salsa in future posts.  Hmm, now I’ve made myself hungry.

Spicy Seafood Fettuccini
adapted from Pacifica Blue Plates by Neil Stuart

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb (225 g) firm fish, such as swordfish, skinned and cut into 1‑inch cubes
1/4 lb (110 g) bay scallops
18 medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large red bell peppers, julienned
4 scallions, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup (120 ml) fish stock or water
6 tablespoons (90 g) butter
1 lb (450 g) fettuccine or other flat pasta, cooked and drained

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the seafood and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the red peppers, scallions and seasonings. Cook for 2 minutes and add the tomatoes, stock, and butter.

Increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 3 more minutes. Serve over the fettuccine.

***

Pepper Salad

Mediterranean Pepper Salad
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 8

1/4 cup (60 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 red onion, cut into a 1/2‑inch dice (use less if your onion is huge)
3 bell peppers, your choice of colors (I used 2 green and 1 purple)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 oz (110 g) firm feta cheese
4 oz (110 g) pitted Kalmata olives
6 to 8 oz (170 to 225 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Swish together the red wine vinegar, water, kosher salt and sugar in a small bowl until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the red onion and set it aside.

Meanwhile, time to practice your knife skills. Core and seed your bell peppers and chop them into 1/2‑inch pieces. Chop the cucumber and feta into similarly sized chunks. Put your peppers, cucumber, feta, olives, and tomatoes in a large bowl.

By now, your onions will have lightly pickled, both sweetening and softening their blow. Drain them and add them to the other vegetables in the large bowl, but reserve the vinegar mixture. Pour a quarter cup of the vinegar mixture over the salad, then drizzle with olive oil. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste. Toss evenly and serve at once, or let the flavors muddle together in the fridge for a few hours.

30-minute meals, Cakes, Fruit, Italian food, Potatoes, Vegetarian main dishes

Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta and Brandied Plum Cake

One of the great things about cooking is that the more you do it, the easier and faster it gets. (Though I’ve also become my own worst enemy in that regard — I do almost all the cooking, even on weekends when I could otherwise have a break from it, because I’m so much faster at it than my husband.) When you know that you can pull together a dinner in the time it takes for water to boil and some pasta to cook, or that you can cook some fresh fish in less than 10 minutes, frozen pizzas start to lose their appeal.

But even though I love to cook, there are plenty of days too when I don’t have the energy or am pressed for time to get something on the table for two hungry little kids. And as much as I prefer to cook from fresh, unprocessed ingredients, there are certainly worse convenience foods to have in your pantry than a jar of pasta sauce and a packet of potato gnocchi. Store-bought potato gnocchi cooks in 2 or 3 minutes, making it the ultimate fast food, plus a nice change from pasta. Check out all the quick and easy recipes for gnocchi from the UK’s Olive magazine for more inspiration.

If you like the sound of brandied plums but don’t have time for the cake, just make the plums on their own, which takes only 10 minutes. Serve them with vanilla ice cream, with the syrup drizzled over — no one will complain about not having them in a cake.

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Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta
adapted from Olive, November 2005

Serves 6

You could vary this recipe by using your favorite pasta shape instead of gnocchi, and stirring 1 tub of ricotta cheese directly into the sauce along with the spinach to make it nice and creamy. Do I even have to say that bacon would be good in this too?

2 x 18-oz (500‑g) packs store-bought potato gnocchi
2 x 14-oz (400‑g) good-quality jars of tomato sauce
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach, washed
2 x 9‑oz (250‑g) tubs of ricotta cheese
a handful of freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook the gnocchi according to packet instructions and drain. Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce, add the spinach and stir until wilted. Put the gnocchi in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish, pour the sauce over and dot with blobs of ricotta. Scatter the grated Parmesan over and pop into the hot oven until bubbling and golden, about 10 minutes.

***

Brandied Plum Cake
inspired by The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 12

This cake is very moist, so it doesn’t really need the brandy syrup drizzled over it at the end, though it’s a nice touch. Instead, you might like to save it in the fridge to drizzle over vanilla ice cream another time. If you have any leftover plums that won’t fit on top of the cake, save them to have with yogurt for breakfast.

for the brandied plums:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ripe plums, stoned and quartered

for the cake:
3/4 cup (160 g) butter
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (100 g) ground almonds
1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9‑inch springform pan and line the base with a piece of parchment paper.

To make the brandied plums, combine the sugar, brandy and cinnamon in a frying pan. Cook over a high heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat, add the plums and cook until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes. Transfer the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the brandy syrup left behind from the plums.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture with a spatula. Fold in the ground almonds and chopped walnuts.

Scrape the mixture into the lined springform pan. Place the quartered plums on top of the cake mixture (they will sink into the cake as it bakes). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. If you think the top of the cake is browning too much, cover it with tin foil. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan. Serve with some of the reserved syrup spooned over the top of each slice.