Attempt #61: Gennaro's butternut squash & pancetta penne

I was not able to get butternut squash, hence I replaced it with pumpkin. And I replaced pancetta with bacon. Penne was also replaced with Tagliatelle by a dear friend and her hubs! 

The result: Equally balanced with the right sweetness from the pumpkin and saltiness of the bacon, making it a wonderful pasta dish that warms up the tummy.

Jamie's version: 

The recipe as below in this link:

Attempt #55: Pancetta hash with eggs & apple salad

One of the best thing that I love about Jamie's salad recipes is that you can replace or add new ingredients to them and they still taste wonderful! 

The result:

I replaced pancetta with bacon and watercress with spinach and I added zucchini into the recipe. But with the core or foundation of the salad being bacon, poached eggs and apples...whatever ingredients throw in or replaced will just further enhance the magical combination of this dish. 

Method

Heat a wide frying pan and add a splash of oil. Fry the pancetta, ham and potatoes together for 10–12 minutes, tossing occasionally until the potatoes are cooked, golden and crisp. Divide between 2 plates.

Meanwhile, bring a wide saucepan of water to the boil and add a splash of white wine vinegar. Poach 2 eggs gently in the water for a couple of minutes, until softly set. Remove and place one on each plate of ham and potatoes.

Toss the watercress and sliced apple together and dress with a pinch of salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Top the poached eggs with a little pile of salad and serve.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 6 slices higher-welfare pancetta, cut into wide strips
• 2 slices good-quality ham, torn into pieces
• 500 g potatoes, cubed
• 1 splash white wine vinegar
• 2 very fresh free-range eggs
• 1 large handful watercress
• 1 red apple, very finely sliced
• 1 squeeze lemon juice

Attempt #51: Avocado, Pancetta & Pine Nut salad

I started my attempts with Jamie Oliver’s recipes last year out of one goal that is to test out if anyone can cook if we try. After 50 attempts (and counting), I can vouch for that and do believe that anyone can cook. We may not be great sous- chefs but with the right combination of ingredients and more importantly fresh ingredients, the meal can turn out to be pretty good if not decent.

Here’s a surprisingly yummy salad that anyone can whipped out in a matter of minutes – the combination of the ingredients were just perfect. 

The result:

As long as the pancetta is nicely fried and not burnt, the avocado and spinach leaves are fresh and you if have good quality pine nuts, this is simply one of the easiest and most delicious salads to make. 

Method:

Heat a frying pan and fry the pancetta slices till crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, lightly toast the pine nuts. 

Make your dressing by combining 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Taste to make sure your dressing is balanced – add a little more oil or vinegar if you need to. 

On serving plates, lay out the avocado. Sprinkle over the spinach leaves, pancetta and toasted pine nuts. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle over your dressing. Great served with some warm crusty bread and a lovely glass of wine.

Ingredients: 

(Serves 6)

·         12 slices pancetta

·         50 g pine nuts

·         balsamic vinegar

·         good-quality extra virgin olive oil

·         sea salt

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         6 ripe avocados, stoned, peeled and quartered

·         4 big handfuls baby spinach, washed

Attempt #40: Tagliatelle with asparagus, crispy pancetta & Parmesan

This recipe is certainly quick and easy as Jamie had introduced it in his website. While you can’t go wrong with this recipe as it is really so easy, I find it lacking in sufficient taste. It doesn’t call for garlic or onions and you have to solely rely on the quality of your olive oil, parmesan cheese in (which too much isn't that healthy) and the freshness of your pasta. In this case I can now understand why the recipe calls for FRESH egg tagliatelle pasta. Note the word FRESH. J

NOTE: Tagliatelle pastas are long, flat ribbons that are similar in shape to fettuccine and are typically about 6.5 mm to 10 mm (0.25 to 0.375 inch) wide. Tagliatelle pastas are usually made from egg and can be served with a variety of sauces, though the classic is a meat sauce or Bolognese sauce.

The result of my attempt as below:

 

Not a recipe that I will try again unless I am ill in bed and need a mild concoction of carbohydrate J

Jamie’s rendition:

 

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 bunch asparagus

• 12 thin slices higher-welfare pancetta, sliced into small strips
• 500 g fresh egg tagliatelle
• 40 g Parmesan, grated
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Method

Snap the woody bottoms off the asparagus stalks and throw them away.

Cut off the top 4cm of each stalk, put to one side and finely chop the remaining stalks. Heat a wide frying pan and gently fry the chopped asparagus stalks in a little olive oil with the pancetta. When the asparagus softens slightly turn the heat off and mash them roughly with the back of a fork.

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water, according to pack instructions. Add the asparagus tips for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and toss with the mashed asparagus and pancetta.

Stir in most of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. If needed loosen the pasta with a little of the cooking water. Serve with the last of the Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Tip: Cooking your asparagus with the pasta is a clever way to save on time and washing up.