Fettuccine with mushrooms and fungi (con salsa de champiñones y setas)

My family loves pasta and their most favorite sauce to go with it is the Bolognese sauce. But when I serve the pasta with always the same sauce, they (especially the kids) get tired of it. So, I came up with the Cream Cheese No-Eggs Carbonara which the kids really love. I still had half of a pack of fettuccine in my pantry and a pack of frozen mushrooms and fungi in my freezer. I came up with this quick and easy to make pasta dish which my family really loved! In the photo you see below, I served the pasta with Turkey Breast a la Teriyaki. You can get the recipe for this here.

fettuccine with mushrooms and fungi sauce

Fettucine served with Turkey Breast Teriyaki

You will need:

Fettuccine (any pasta you have on hand will do)

mushrooms and fungi (fresh or frozen)

1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, finely minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sherry brandy (Brandy de Jerez)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 dried laurel leaf

olive oil

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat a skillet and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. When the oil is already hot, sauté the onion until transparent then add the garlic. Add the laurel leaf and the mushrooms and/or fungi. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

4. Pour in the chicken broth and let it boil for 4-5 minutes.

5. When the broth has reduced, pour in the sherry brandy and flambé.

6. Toss in the pasta. Serve with meat or salad.

7. Enjoy.

Cannelloni a la Angela

I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law Angela (thus the name of the recipe) who is a superb cook!

cannelloni

For this recipe, you will need:

ground meat (I mix chicken, pork and beef)

chopped onions, minced garlic, salt, white ground pepper, chopped fresh parsley

For the bechamel: cornstarch, chopped onion, minced garlic and milk (not shown)

Foie Gras pâté(I use the Black Iberian Pork type)

Pre-cooked Lasagna Pasta (instead of using the cylindrical cannelloni pasta, I use lasagna pasta which allows me to make bigger canelones with more filling, just the way my family loves it!)

Dried or fresh oregano, grated cheese for grilling



Directions:

Heat olive oil and sauté the chopped onions and minced garlic until onions are transparent and garlic is lightly golden in color.


Add the ground meat and mix well.


Add the chopped fresh parsley. Mix well.


When the meat has already changed in color, add the foie gras. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

While we’re waiting for the filling to cool down, let’s proceed with the bechamel sauce.

Sauté chopped onions and minced garlic on olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the onions has become transparent, add some milk (desired amount depending on the quantity of canelones you’ll be making). For 1 tray of canelones, I typically add 1.5 liters of milk (more or less). In a cup of water (room temperature), add 3-4 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix until the cornstarch is well dissolved. Once the milk mixture is already boiling, pour the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly so the mixture won’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the bechamel doesn’t have the right consistency, just add cornstarch or milk (if it’s too thick, add milk. if it’s too thin, more constarch). Set aside.


For the canelones, I boil a pot of water. I blanch the lasagna pasta plates one by one and dry them on a towel. Don’t cook through your lasagna plates, just submerge it in to the boiling water and after a minute or two, scoop it up and dry it onto a towel. This would make them manageable.


When the filling is not hot anymore, proceed to work with your canelones. Get one pasta plate, fill it with the filling and roll.


Place your canelones on a buttered baking dish and pour bechamel sauce over it.


Sprinkle dried oregano over your bechamel sauce.


Top with grated cheese. Now you have a tray of yummy canelones!

Bake the canelones at 200ºC on a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

When it has already cooled down, I cut it into portions and freeze some. So when I need it, I just take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator the night before and just heat it in the oven before consumption.

 This is a great make ahead dish everybody will surely love!

canelones

Cannelloni

Easy and Quick Healthy Breakfast: Pasta and Egg

healthy quick and easy breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We need lots of energy to get through the rest of the day. So skipping breakfast is a big NO! But we don’t always have the time to whip up something for breakfast. Are you usually are too busy to have a bite of anything in the busy mornings? Then, this great breakfast idea is just for you! It’s easy and quick yet healthy!

For this recipe, you will need:

30 to 50 g of cooked pasta (your choice)

Olive oil

Diced bell pepper

Diced ham or bacon, cut into cubes (you can substitute with chicken strips or tuna flakes)

Beaten egg

Powdered cheese

Salt and pepper

Catsup

Directions:

  1. Prepare the pasta as usual.  TIP: Adding oil or Milk prevents the noodles from sticking together.
  2. When the noodles are almost ready, add bell pepper and ham. Let simmer for 5 minutes in low heat. Don’t overcook the bell pepper.
  3. Drain.
  4. Place pasta on a plate and season with salt and pepper and olive oil. Toss well.
  5. Heat a pan and pour a small amount of oil. When the pan is already hot, pour the beaten egg seasoned with salt and pepper. Add some powdered cheese. Stir well until cooked.
  6. Serve with the pasta, topped with some catsup.

Enjoy your breakfast with your desired hot or cold beverage!