Midweek meals: Spaghetti Bolognese #Dolmio #ThankGoodness

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of the most popular dishes, and there are lots of different variations of the original ragu recipe. Last March Mary Berry caused a SpagBolGate on social media, as she added white wine and double cream to her Bolognese pasta. I didn't watch the TV programme, but there was no escape from the indignant hullabaloo online and in the papers the next day. As if she has committed a culinary crime of the century.
Of course, the Italians never serve Ragú Bolognese with spaghetti anyway.

Amused by all the commotion, I decided to do a little research and check my collection of cook books, to find out which recipes for Ragù Bolognese they offer.

The Oxford Companion to Food, the food bible written by food historian and author Alan Davidson has an entry on Ragù:
"Ragù - the true name for the Bolognese sauce which has acquired international currency, especially in Spaghetti alla Bolognese. In Bologna, the home of this sauce, it was first used for a baked pie of lasagne, not as the sauce for spaghetti or other pasta... The original sauce was made without benefit of the meat mincer, and the meat was chopped into smallish chunks. Nor did it contain tomato, which didn't arrive in Italy from America until later, and even then was only grudgingly accepted; even now a correct ragù bolognese has only a light tomato flavour.
The principal ingredient is always minced meat, usually beef, cooked with chicken livers, unsmoked bacon, onion, celery, tomato puree, and wine. Debased forms of the sauce are frequently met; these lack the subtlety and roundness of flavour which characterize the authentic versions".

The expression "debased forms" has left me in stitches, but yes, what most people here know as Spaghetti Bolognese could be easily described as such by the purists.

Let's have a look at Saveur Cooks/Authentic Italian - Ragù alla Bolognese recipe includes prosciutto, chopped chicken livers, ground chuck, white wine and the mellowing surprise of milk. It also uses pureed plum tomatoes.

Biba Caggiano in Biba's Taste of Italy offers a recipe for Tagliatelle with Bolognese Ragu - she uses a mix of minced pancetta, ground beef chuck and ground pork loin. As for wine, she goes for medium-bodied red wine, such as Chianti Classico. Plus whole milk.

Sonia Peronaci of the Giallo Zafferano fame cooks her Ragù with a mix of ground beef and pork, as well as pancetta, adding red wine and whole milk.

The Chiappa Sisters who wrote Simply Italian have borrowed their recipe from chef Anna Maria. Her secret is to let the ragu simmer for 3 hours and never use tinned tomatoes. They use pancetta with beef mince, a glass of red wine and no dairy except the parmesan to serve it with.

Julia Della Croce in Italian Comfort Food, on the other hand, uses tinned tomatoes. There is minced beef, dry white wine and milk in her recipe too.

As you can see, there is not consensus even among the Italian cooks.

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Last month BritMums and Dolmio have invited bloggers to cook a Spaghetti Bolognese meal, using Dolmio Bolognese sauce.

What goes into a jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce? It is 100% natural, contains no artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners. In each jar, you will find at least 10 juicy diced tomatoes, some tomato puree, half an onion, sunflower oil, garlic, a handful of herbs, a teaspoon of cornflour, a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of pepper, two teaspoons of beet sugar for taste, a squeeze of lemon juice, a splash of water and nothing more.
In fact, a jar provides a family of four with one of their 5-a-day makin a great mid-week meal option for the whole family.

All participating bloggers were provided with ingredients to make several meals including either a meat-based or vegetarian version of Spaghetti Bolognese.

Typically I use red wine as well as tinned tomatoes, but as the cooking challenge was set up by BritMums and Dolmio, I used a jar of Dolmio Bolognese sauce.
Since it is already made, I didn't need to simmer it for long, as I would do if I cooked a tinned tomato-based sauce. Thumbs up for the ease and convenience, that is definitely a useful kitchen staple to have for mid-week meals, when you don't want to spend hours stirring sauce in the kitchen.
I decided to experiment and add white wine to the sauce. I don't add chicken livers, as my family don't like it.

Spaghetti Bolognese (serves 4)
Ingredients:
500g minced beef and pork (half-half)
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 jar of Dolmio tomato ragu sauce
1tsp mixed herbs (dried)
100ml white wine (optional)
5tbsp olive oil for frying
sea salt
In a big frying pan heat up the oil, and fry finely chopped onion for about 5-6 minutes.
Add the minced beef and pork, as well as carrot and celery and cook stirring until the mince is well browned.  Add the chopped garlic, herbs, white wine and tomato sauce. Season well and cook on low for about 10 minutes. The ragu will be simmering slowly. Give it an occasional stir.

Cook spaghetti al dente in the boiling salted water. Drain the pasta and serve with the ragu.
Grate a bit of parmesan or Grana Padano on top if you fancy it.

As the food delivery had enough ingredients for several meals, I used the second jar of Dolmio to cook a one-pot baked chicken.
How do you cook your spaghetti Bolognese?

Check out what my blogging buddies Alison from Dragons and Fairy Dust and Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews cooked for the challenge (just click on the links, they'll take you straight to recipes).

Midweek Challenge with Dolmio

and

Bolognese rice two ways

Disclosure: We received ingredients courtesy of Dolmio to cook this meal. 

This post is an entry for the #Dolmio #ThankGoodness Challenge, sponsored by Dolmio www.dolmio.co.uk/thankgoodness

Lemon, garlic and chorizo jam roasted cabbage

Cabbage is like a Marmite. My guys don't like it, so I rarely have a chance to cook it. As my husband is away for a few days, I decided that I'll cook a roast cabbage just for myself, and it should last me a few days.

1 medium sized cabbage, about 800g, sliced
4+ tbsp olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
fennel seeds
chorizo jam (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Slice the cabbage into round pieces about 1.5-2cm thick (actually thinner would be better, so that it would cook faster).
Pour about 2tbsp olive oil in a deep roasting tray, place the wedges on top.
Mix the lemon zest 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of half a lemon and two crushed garlic cloves. Spread the mix over the cabbage slices and season well with sea salt. Roast for half an hour, then sprinkle with the fennel seeds and roast for another hour. Add the chorizo jam in the last 20 minutes of cooking (about half a teaspoon per slice).
If the cabbage gets too brown but not cooked through yet, cover the tray with the foil and keep cooking until the cabbage is tender.
If you're cooking for vegetarians, skip the chorizo jam.

I have found Eat17 chorizo jam in Waitrose (currently on offer). I've seen the eat17 range in the shops but haven' had a chance to try any of their bacon jams before. Chorizo jam is made with red onion, diced chorizo (40%), herbs, apple juice, garlic, tomato puree, soy sauce and more. If you love bacon, chorizo and all things pork, then this is a perfect little spread. The aroma is simply mouth-watering, it is so good.
I think I might get another jam from the range, just to try for the purposes of research, you know.

Have you tried a chorizo or bacon jam?

Fruity pork stew

It has been a mild weather for winter, but a bit on the cold front in March. Quite a few mornings I woke up to see a frozen puddle on our kitchen roof (I can see it from the bathroom window). On days like this you crave some comfort foods like soups and stews. It has to be thick and hearty, and bursting with flavours.

Fruity pork stew
Ingredients:
4tbsp olive oil
600g pork (shoulder steaks, cut into strips)
1tsp plain flour
1/2tsp fennel seeds
black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 vegetable stock cube
a small handful of dried apricots
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g, I used Cirio chopped tomatoes)
5tbsp green lentils
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 chorizo stick
1 peach
2 medium potatoes
sea salt

Cut the pork shoulder into strips and coat with a dusting of plain flour. Brown the pork on all sides in a deep frying pan with the olive oil. Add the fennel seeds, black pepper, bay leaves, a crumbled stock cube (I used a Knorr vegetable stock cube), a handful of sliced dried apricots and a tin of chopped tomatoes. Add the lentils and pour enough water to cover all the ingredients.
Finely slice an onion and fry it with chopped chorizo stick for about 5 minutes. Add to the stew with 1 stoned and sliced fresh peach. Season with salt (but taste first, as the stock cube already has some salt).
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for an hour+. Add the peeled and chopped potatoes in the last half an hour of cooking. Check once in a while and add more water.
Serve hot, with a chunky bread to mop up all the juices.
Pork benefits from the sweetness of fruit, smokiness of chorizo and tart notes of tomatoes. You can substitute dried apricots for prunes or raisins, and swap a peach for an apple.

Just the other day I read that Fiona from London Unattached has cooked a different version of the pork stew - check out her recipe for a delicious pork, white bean and chorizo casserole. 
Not surprising that on colder days we fancy comfort food.

In this recipe I used a tin of Cirio Chopped Tomatoes. I have already mentioned Cirio on my blog, as it is a great Italian range of tomato products. I love their tinned pomodorini (cherry tomatoes), and have tried quite a few of their products, all of which bring authentic Italian flavours to our tables.
Cirio as a brand has a long history, going back to 1856.  Their tomato products are a welcome addition to any pantry, either basic or well-stocked. It's always handy to have a couple of tins in the kitchen, so you can rustle up a great tasting pasta sauce, ragu, soup or stew.

Disclosure: I received a selection of Cirio products for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Stir fry pork in yellow bean sauce

"Mummy, is that bean like in Mr Bean?! Is it Mr Bean sauce?"

The year of the Monkey kicked off on the 8th of February, but who said we cannot continue celebrating 10 days later?! Did I read somewhere that the celebrations go on for two weeks?! I fancied trying a Wing Yip Yellow Bean stir fry sauce which I received together with the other  Chinese foods recently. I have already cooked a chicken fried rice and sweet and sour chicken with Wing Yip sauces, and both meals were very tasty.

Pork in yellow bean sauce
Ingredients:
500g lean pork
3tbsp sesame oil
2 medium carrots
1 celery stalk
1 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
90g pak choi
1 jar of yellow bean stir fry sauce
spring onions for garnish

Add the sesame oil to the wok, once it's very hot and sizzling add the cubed pork. Stir it so that the pork is browned on all sides. Add the sliced carrot and celery, finely chopped onion and garlic, and white bits of pak choi. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Pour the sauce over the pork and simmer until the pork is cooked well. Add the green parts of pak choi in the last minute of cooking.
Before serving add some chopped spring onions.

Serve with noodles or rice.

Wing Yip Yellow Bean stir fry sauce comes in a 185ml jar, this size is enough to prepare a meal for a family of 4. It helps create an authentic Chinese meal at home.
If pork is not your favourite meat, have a look at the recipe of Chicken with yellow bean sauce as created by Alison from Dragons and Fairy Dust.

For a full range of authentic Chinese products visit Wing Yip store.

Disclosure: I received the sauce as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Schwartz Slow Cookers' BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe Mix

Pulled pork sandwiches make the most satisfying meal for the meat eaters. Just imagine the tender, juicy pieces of pork with the smokey flavour. Simply delicious. Many families have their own favourite marinade for pulled pork. Recently I have tested a new Slow Cookers' BBQ recipe mix from Schwartz, the UK's leading herbs and spices brand.

I don't have a slow cooker (I did win two in the past and gave both away as gifts), and our BBQ is too rusty and decrepit to function, so I cooked the pork shoulder in a ceramic pot in the oven.

Using the Schwartz recipe mix couldn't be easier. For the marinade just mix the contents of the sachet with 125ml tomato ketchup, 2tbsp brown sugar and 3tbsp cider vinegar.
I have also added 1tbsp of molasses for the extra sweetness. There is enough salt in the recipe mix, so I didn't add any.
This is a sweet recipe mix including sugar, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt, molasses powder, black pepper and more.
You will need about 1.4kg boneless pork shoulder.
Pour the marinade over the pork and cook up to 4 hours on high or up to 8 hours on low until the meat is tender, cooked through and is easily pulled apart with a fork. I cooked the pork without a lid for the 1st hour on high, then covered with the lid and cooked on low for several hours (cannot tell how many exactly, as we went out and I switched the oven off, but it was still inside the hot oven).

The caramelised top of the pork is very dark and sticky. Make a sandwich with the salad leaves of your choice and pour a good amount of sticky sauce over the pulled pork.

Enjoy with a glass of red wine or a beer, with a choice of pickles.

For the full range of Schwartz products and recipes ideas, visit Schwartz.

Disclosure: I received a sachet of a new recipe mix for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Spice Parisienne (Seasoned Pioneers)

"Spices, of course, are essential" (Marcus Samuelsson)

Spice Parisienne, a blend of white peppercorns, nutmeg, paprika, clove buds, thyme, cinnamon, basil, savory and bay leaves, tastes as good as it sounds. It has been traditionally dry-roasted and blended by hand to a genuine French recipe. Like all the spice blends from Seasoned Pioneers that I have tried, this is a high quality product. It comes in a pouch sealed for freshness (resealable for your convenience). This warm, aromatic spice mix has a complex aroma. Smell it to unravel the bouquet of fragrant spices. It is great with chicken and pork.

Spice Parisienne 

I first tried the new spice, while roasting a whole chicken. I put a lemon sliced in half in the cavity and seasoned well with the sea salt and Spice Parisienne. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the chicken and roast until cooked through for an hour and a half (depending on the size of the chicken).
The chicken was moist, wonderfully flavoured and very tasty.

Just a few days ago I have seen one of the bloggers asking something along the lines Have you ever had roasted grapes? as if it were an exotic rarity and a culinary revelation. Actually I had, many times, and if you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for?
This time I cooked pork steaks with grapes in apple cider (mildly alcoholic, just 1%) and cream, as well as Spice Parisienne.

Pork steaks in cider and cream sauce (serves 6)
Ingredients:
6 lean pork steaks
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp Spice Parisienne
sea salt
grapes, a small bowl of
1/3 bottle of apple cider
a small tub of single cream, 170ml
Place the steaks in a well oiled tray. Sprinkle with Spice Parisienne. Scatter a handful of green grapes. Put the tray in the oven preheated to 180C. Roast for 10 minutes, then pour some cider around the steaks to keep the meat moist. Cook for 45+ minutes, adding more cider as it cooks. Add the cream to the cider in the last five minutes or so.
Serve hot. I served the steaks with the roasted butternut squash, but mashed potatoes would be fab as well.

For the whole range of Seasoned Pioneers spices, visit Seasoned Pioneers. The choice of spices is impressive.

Disclosure: I received a selection of spices for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

Pumpkin, pork and chorizo stew

It's cold and miserable outdoors, just the right time for slow-cooked stews and casseroles. Imagine ladling a rich smoky stew in a deep bowl and dipping a chunky bread in it. As I have just had a big delivery of colourful pumpkins from Abel & Cole, I am cooking everything with pumpkins these days, from cupcakes to stew. Pumpkin, pork and chorizo stew is a great comfort food and a belly warmer.

Pumpkin, pork and chorizo stew (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin
700g pork belly
2tbsp olive oil
pepper
100g chorizo
3tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
1 cube of Knorr ham stock
1tbsp fresh thyme, chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic
2 parsnips
1 carrot
9 dried apricots, sliced in half
1 tin of plum tomatoes (400g)
1 tin of butter beans (235g drained weight)
1 potato

Wrap a small pumpkin in foil. Cook it in the oven preheated to 200C for a half an hour to soften a tough skin.
Once the pumpkin is cool, remove the skin and seeds and cube the flesh. Set is aside.
Cut the pork into big size cubes. Heat the oil in a big pan and fry the pork for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle it with fresh thyme & pepper and pour 1tbsp soy sauce over it.

Chop the chorizo and fry it for about 3-4 minutes in the pan where the pork has been cooked. Chop the parsnips and carrot, put them in a big pan and add boiling water. Put the pork and chorizo in as well. All the vegetables and meat should be well covered with water. Add 2tbsp soy sauce, a cube of ham stock, finely chopped garlic and sliced apricots. Open tins of butter beans and plum tomatoes and add the contents to the pan. Cook simmering for half an hour, then add a chopped potato, and cubed pumpkin. Cook for another 30 minutes on low.

I didn't add the salt, as the stock cube and soy sauce gave all the saltiness that was needed.

I used Kikkoman's naturally brewed soy sauce in this recipe. It is a versatile ingredient, which is much more than an Oriental cuisine product. In fact, it is a universal seasoning, and I often use it instead of salt in salads and roasts.
I was recently invited to make a one-pot warming winter dish as part of Kikkoman Blogger recipe challenge. The task was to make anything so long as it not oriental in style.

Disclosure; I received a bottle of Kikkoman soy sauce. All the other ingredients were purchased by me.

If you are looking for seasonal recipes, check out this delicious soup recipe from Cheryl (Madhouse Family Reviews) called Autumnal Hug in a Bowl.

Pork with pears, wild plums and lavender

We have a little wild plum tree in the garden, and this year it has a decent amount of very tart fruit. These plums are small in size, and there is not enough for making jam. Once roasted, they are transformed into mini sweet and sour treasures. I had some lean pork steaks in the fridge, and fancied something a little different. Having a walk in the garden, I came back in the kitchen with a handful of wild plums and some lavender sprigs, plus I bought some hard blush pears which I wanted to use with pork. I do love the fruit and meat combinations, and this dish was delicious served with gigli pasta.

Pork with pears, wild plums and lavender (serves 6)
Ingredients:
6 pork loin steaks
2tbsp olive oil
2 pears, quartered
about 10 wild plums
12 grapes
zest of 1 lemon
lavender flowers
sea salt with thyme
1/2+ cup of vegetable stock or wine
to serve with the gigli pasta

Place the pork loin steaks on the oiled grill pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Season with sea salt. Remove the steaks from the pan and put them in a deep ceramic tray or roasting dish, add the juices collected in the grill pan. Slightly grill the quartered pear slices, and later arrange them around the pork. Add the wild plums and zest of one lemon. Scatter the grapes and lavender flowers (depending on how aromatic you want it, one or two sprigs). Pour the stock over the pork, and place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C. Cook for about 45 minutes. You might need to add a bit more stock to prevent the pork from drying (I used lean steaks with hardy any fat).

Cook the gigli pasta in the salted boiling water until al dente, mix with roasted cubed squash and a bit of grated cheddar cheese.

Lavender added a wonderful aroma to the dish. The smells wafting from the kitchen were just beautiful.
If you don't fancy any lavender, then thyme might be a good substitute. Wild plums could be swapped for "normal" plums. Roasted grapes are also very tasty with meat, if you haven't tried it yet, you're in for a treat.

Adding my recipe to splendid Karen's from Lavender and Lovage linky Cooking with Herbs, as the theme for August is Summer Herbs and Flowers.

Also adding my recipe to Shop Local linky on lovely Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary blog, since the pork was purchased at the local butcher's, and the plums and lavender were picked in our own garden, couldn't be more local than that.

Cevapi for the World Cup kick off

To celebrate the World Cup kick off today, when Brazil plays the opening match with Croatia, I have cooked a Croatian recipe Cevapi, and we'll raise a glass of a Brazilian beer too.

I have come across the cevapi recipes in last week's Family section of the Guardian (see Cevapi with Mum'sAjvar, sorry cannot post the link, as you have to pay for it now. Since when did the Guardian started charging for the online version?). There was also another Cevapi recipe in the Jamie Oliver magazine, which thankfully you can read online).
My version is a mix of both, with some adjustments.

Cevapi
Ingredients:
500g minced beef
400g pork sausage meat
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1tsp paprika
100g pancetta, finely chopped
1tsp baking powder
5 leaves of fresh sage, chopped
1tsp mixed herbs (with marjoram)

Mix the minced beef with the pork sausage meat in a big bowl. I used the sausage meat rather than the minced pork because I simply couldn't find any while doing my grocery shopping, and had no time to go elsewhere. Crush the garlic cloves through the press and add to the meat. Add the paprika, very finely chopped pancetta, baking power (not quite sure why, typically I never add it to the meatballs or burgers), herbs and mix well.
Place a bowl of cold water next to you on the working surface. Divide the meat into 12+ pieces, and using your hands shape them into mini torpedoes.
Or just plain burgers.
As I was shaping the first few torpedoes, my younger son watched me and commented: "Mummy, they look like poo".
Not quite the effect I was after. But he had a point. So, I made 6 torpedoes and 9 mini burgers to have a more aesthetic appearance.

Preheat the grill and cook the burgers/torpedoes on the oiled grill for at least 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
You could also cook them on the BBQ for the smoked flavour.
Serve with Ajvar, i.e. an aubergine relish. I was dead sure we had a jar at home, but it turned out I have a jar of Luteniza which is much spicier than Ajvar.
So, I am going to serve the cevapi with a bit of Luteniza and some roasted butternut squash sprinkled with cinnamon.

Are you planning to celebrate the World Cup?

Chris from Cooking Around the World has challenged the foodies to take part in a culinary-football-themed game this month. Read all about the rules of the game in his linky Bloggers Around the World.

Check out the delicious Croatian recipes which Cheryl from Madhouse Family Reviews and Chris from Cooking Around the World have cooked today:
Kiflice
and
Fritule

A typically British BBQ

What do the Brits do when there is a sunny weekend? They go for a picnic or a BBQ in the garden. We have arranged to have a BBQ with our friends Jay, Annette and their children. Sunday's forecast was promising. Jay is an Aussie, so he was our master chef for the evening. He is an excellent cook, and knows everything you need to know about a BBQ.

Our boys Eddie and Peter were enjoying themselves, doing silly things which boys around the word enjoy the most, running and chasing each other, pushing and playing a tug of war. Eddie thought it was hilarious to play with a fruit netting.
Sasha was in and out of the house with his ipad, keeping an eye on our shenanigans. Ellie and Alex were watching the boys' antics.

While Jay was slaving at the BBQ, we chatted and watched the boys playing. We all agreed that the weather was lovely, not too hot and not too cold, just right.

Jay cooked a fabulous pork roast with the proper crackling. We also had chicken drumsticks, marinated with the juice and zest of lime and oranges as well as pepper and olive oil. There was a grilled halloumi, roasted onions, lots of condiments (Colman's Sweet chilli mango sauce was particularly tasty, with a right balance of flavours), a big bowl of potato salad and a carrot cake plus the drinks for kids and grown-ups.

Eddie was impatient to tuck into the carrot cake but he had to wait.

I prepared a Brazilian potato salad (<-- click on the link if you want to know the recipe). It is quite a universal potato salad, I would say, very similar to the one they make in Russia, apart from the added lime juice. I have also baked a carrot cake the day before (the recipe is coming).

The birds were singing. We were ready to spend the evening out in the garden, when the first clouds appeared.

Our friends

The first rain drops ensued. We laughed it off and said: it's just a few drops. What are we, wimps? It wouldn't be a British BBQ without a bit of rain. Then we split and moved under the trees, hiding and hoping to resume our outdoorsy dinner. But at some point we just knew it was pointless to stay outside. So off we escaped into the sanctuary of our summerhouse.
After a while the rain stopped, and our boys went back to frolic on the lawn. We stayed in and enjoyed our BBQ in the summerhouse.
All in all, a typically British BBQ.