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.

Attempt #28: Baked Mushrooms stuffed with Ricotta

Mushroom & Cheese combination is like Banana and Ice Cream. They taste great on their own but together, they add a level of sophistication to the recipe.

The result:

I used Brown field mushrooms instead of Portobello mushrooms as the Portobello ones in the grocer here were the size of an orange!

The challenge was getting good quality and fresh Portobello or Field mushrooms and cheese in KL (as they are imported items). Although the dish turn out pretty decent which means that overall, very good recipe…I find that it would have been better if the quality of the mushrooms and cheese were fresher.

ingredients:

• 100g good crumbly ricotta cheese
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (to taste)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
• a good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
• 4 handfuls of mushrooms, brushed clean
• extra virgin olive oil
• a handful of rocket or soft leafy herbs

method:
Preheat your oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Put your ricotta into a bowl with the lemon zest, chilli and a little salt and pepper. Beat together with a wooden spoon, then fold in your chopped oregano and the Parmesan.

Carefully remove the stalks from your mushrooms and discard them (or keep them for making a pasta sauce), then toss the mushroom caps in a little oil, salt and pepper. Lay them upside down on a baking tray so that they can be filled with small amounts of your fantastic ricotta mixture. Carefully spoon in the filling, sprinkle a little Parmesan over the top and bake in the preheated oven till golden –about 15 minutes. Great served on a big plate, sprinkled with some dressed rocket leaves or soft leafy herbs.

Jamie's rendition:

 

Attempt #15: Mexican-style Corn

Hola! to Mexican-style corn.

Corn, to me is simply a magic ingredient. It does wonders for soups, stews, BBQ and who doesn’t love a hot-buttered corn on cob? And now I found a new recipe for corn on cob. A little bit of chile and loads of grated parmesan cheese on the traditional hot-buttered corn just makes it sexier.

The Result:

 

Overall, can’t go wrong with corn on cob.

Usually, I would steamed my corn but as the recipe calls for boiling them, I did just that. However, I find that I get too worked up trying to ensure that the corn is not left in the boiling water for too long as then the nutrients and sweetness will be absorbed into the boiling water but yet I needed the corn to be soft enough.

In the end, the corn was not tender enough and also not as sweet as it would have been if I were to steam them. Lesson learnt: Steam them!

Recipe (serve 4):

Boil 4 heads of corn on the cob in salted, boiling water for 8-10 minutes with a lid on the pan. When tender, drain in a colander.

Grate ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese (or more if you like them to be more cheesy! J) over the surface of a large serving platter or over individual serving plates.

Halve seed and finely chop 1 fresh red chilli and sprinkle evenly over the cheese. Place a little pat of butter on each cob and brush over the corn to coat. When the butter has melted, roll each cob in the cheese and chile, so the flavours stick to the outside.

Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Attempt #11: Grilled asparagus with olive oil, lemon and parmesan

OK, I was kinda lazy and decided to try out a recipe that involves less than 5 ingredients. I was thrilled when I saw this recipe as it also involves less than 5 steps to get the entire dish done! J

The ingredients:

1.    Asparagus
2.    Olive oil
3.    Lemon
4.    Grated parmesan

The method:

You will need to wash 2 big handfuls or 800g of whichever kind of asparagus you’re using, with their woody ends snipped off.

This is a great combination. Parmesan, olive oil and lemon are wonderful with asparagus. Heat a large griddle pan and dry-griddle the asparagus spears on both sides until nicely marked. As soon as they're ready, put them on to four plates and dress with a good squeeze of lemon juice and three times as much olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then take a block of Parmesan to the table and either grate or shave some over the asparagus wtih a speed peeler.

The result:

Simple method to prepare a vege dish. In the process of preparing this dish, I have learnt the trick of shaving my asparagus with a peeler if the stems are too thick. This makes the asparagus softer and silkier rather than the strong nutty hard texture.

I did not follow the recommended ratio of lemon juice and olive oil as I didn’t want my asparagus to be too zesty nor oily. Hence, I just sprinkle an amount that suits to my taste. At the end of the day, I think that the black pepper and parmesan cheese did wonders!