Childfriendly tuna pasta

I really like this simple tomato based tuna sauce. It's basically my bolognese recipe but with tuna instead of veal or beef. The kids love it which is why it's called childfriendly. I do have another recipe which is the unchildfriendly one as its a mix of basically everything my kids don't like. Anchovies, capers, olives and chili to name a few. 

This week I have also made a jerusalem artichoke soup (for adult indulging), a filo pastry pie with lamb (not greatly appreciated by the kids but I loved it), chicken skewers on lemongrass (Mummy, I like the chicken lollipop). Monday was salmon teriyaki. Tomorrow the kids will probably need something familiar so perhaps meatballs or bolognese. I am spending the weekend husband-less so will stick to simplest of the simplest to survive! 

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice (this is a very girly household so we chose butterflies today)

1 tin of tuna (I use white tinned tuna)

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

2 anchovy fillets

2 mini or 1 small zucchini

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

zest of 1 lemon and juice of half
1dl of water

1/2 tbsp of honey
1 bunch of parsley
Maybe 1 tbsp of vegetable liquid stock

salt and black pepper

Preparation

Cook the pasta according to instructions. 

Peel and chop the garlic and onion finely. Grate the zucchini (or just slice finely on a mandolin). Grate the lemon zest. Chop the parsley. 

Heat a pan and add some olive oil, then add the anchovies, garlic, onion and zucchini. Cook it until the onion is transparent and the anchovies have melted. Then add the chopped tomatoes, lemon zest, and lemon juice, water, honey and salt and pepper to taste. If you want you can add the liquid stock. 

Let it simmer for 10 mins, then add the tuna and separate it with a fork into small pieces, add the parsley and remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lots of parmesan cheese and a green salad (or green beans for the kids). 

Lemony lasagna

Oh dear! What happened? It's practically been a month since my last post. Well, the life of this blog is very much at the mercy of my family life. It lives on the margin. Any unexpected events and my plans for a creative moment in the kitchen, with the camera or in front of the computer quickly has to jump to the end of the queue and patiently wait its turn. The past month has been full of such events, pleasant, like our trip to the sun but also tiring such as children, poorly with mean colds, needing heaps of tender and loving care. Then, when the colds are getting better and appetites return they need to fill their tummies with healthy but comforting food. Here is one of those. 

If you search for a recipe of a lasagna on the internet you will be overwhelmed. It will win any popularity contest single handily. It's hard, though, to make that perfect one and I find that it often gets a bit dry. The secret is adding fresh mozzarella and loads of bechamel. This recipe adds  lemon zest and nutmeg. You've probably noticed by now that I really LOVE using lemons in my food especially anything that has tomatoes in it. Sorry, but it makes such a difference.  

Lemony lasagna

I have not been very precise with the amounts in this recipe, it doesn't really matter much just make sure you add bechamel on top of every lasagna sheet. I had made a double recipe of bolognese and used what was left from dinner to make the lasagne. I think that is the way to do it otherwise it just takes too long. If you do make it from scratch probably about 400 g of beef (or veal or lamb) mince will be enough.

Ingredients
1 recipe of your favourite bolognese sauce (or this one, Bolognese)
fresh lasagna sheets
1 packet of mozzarella
tomatoes

Bechamel
2,5 tbsp flour
2,5 tbsp butter
6 dl milk

200 g of grated cheese (any mature one will do, gruyere or cheddar for example, I used this cheddar from the Park Farm which I bought at my local farmers market on Sunday).

the zest of one lemon

grated nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir for a bit until it is mixed, then quickly add the milk and stir so that the flour and butter mixture is dissolved, then let it simmer for three minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the flour taste disappears. Then remove from heat and add the grated cheese, but save some to sprinkle on top of the lasagne, let it melt and then add the lemon zest, and nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the mozzarella and tomatoes in slices. In an oven proof dish add a layer of a third of the bechamel sauce, then lasagna sheets, then half the bolognese, tomatoes and mozzarella, lasagna sheets, a third of the bechamel, the rest of the bolognese, tomatoes and mozzarella, lasagna sheets, the rest of the bechamel. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until it looks golden brown.

Spag bol!

I know, it is the most boring dish ever so why even bother talking about it. Well, because it is so good, (come on, admit it) the kids love it and you can basically put anything you find in the fridge in it. Unless you are a real food police who will only cook the "real" version of ragú al Bolognese registered by the Accademia Italiana dela cucina in 1982 (beef, pancetta, onions, celery stalk, tomato paste, meat broth, red wine, milk, salt and pepper). The recipe below is my version (on this particular day that is).

Ingredients
400 g of aged minced beef
1-2 pork sausages (just because I had some left over)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 red onion
2 small carrots
1/4 of a small celeriac
1 can of chopped tomatoes (and any left over tomatoes you may have)
2-3 tbsp thai fish sauce
zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2
1 tbsp honey
a few sprigs of lemon thyme
flat leaf parsley to serve
salt and pepper
olive oil
parmesan cheese

Preparation
Chop the onion and garlic finely, grate the carrots and celeriac. Heat a pan with olive oil and cook until soft but not browned. Remove from pan.

Remove the skin from the sausages, put the them and the beef in the pan and cook through. Then add back the onion, garlic, carrot and celeriac as well as chopped tomatoes, fish sauce, lemon zest and juice, honey, lemon thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 mins. Serve with pasta of your choice, chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.