12 Facts About Día de los Muertos
In Latin America, el Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life and death, and an invitation for the deceased to return home once again to those who love them.
1970-01-01 08:00
Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs
Combing pasta al forno (baked pasta) and pasta alla Siciliana, plus meatballs, this hybrid pasta bake brings a taste of the Med to your midweek meals. Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 6 Prep time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 250g rigatoni 1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 1 pack beef meatballs 1 large aubergine, chopped into 1cm cubes 2 x 400g tins tomatoes 215g mozzarella, drained 45g salami To serve: Fresh basil Method: Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and lightly fry the onion and garlic. Add the meatballs and cook until browned. Add the aubergine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and pour into the baking dish. Tear the salami and mozzarella over the top of the pasta. Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. For more recipe inspiration, visit www.aldi.co.uk/recipes Read More World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon How to make a classic lasagne Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
1970-01-01 08:00
World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite
Marmite. You either love it or you hate it. Nigella Lawson loves it. “I know the combination of pasta and Marmite sounds odd to the point of unfeasibility, but wait a moment,” she writes on her blog. She stumbled across a recipe for a “day-after-the-roast pasta dish” in Italian-British food writer Anna Del Conte’s memoirs and, realising Marmite’s potential as a replacement for the umami-ness of a stock cube, has been making a version of it on repeat ever since. “I haven’t as yet found a child who doesn’t like it,” she says. The simple and speedy dish requires just four easy-to-find ingredients: spaghetti, butter, parmesan (or vegan equivalent) and Marmite. Packed with saltiness and savouriness, Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite makes for a tasty midweek meal and, as an added benefit, its main ingredient is also high in vitamin B. Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: 375g spaghetti 50g unsalted butter 1 tsp Marmite Original (8g) Freshly grated parmesan cheese (to serve) For vegans, replace the parmesan cheese and butter with a plant-based alternative. Method: Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water, according to the packet instructions. When the pasta is almost cooked, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the Marmite and 1 tablespoon of the pasta water, mixing thoroughly to dissolve. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water; then drain the pasta and pour the Marmite mixture over the drained spaghetti, adding a little reserved pasta water to amalgamate if required. Serve with plenty of grated parmesan cheese. Read More This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs How to make a classic lasagne Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
1970-01-01 08:00
How to make a classic lasagne
Nothing says comfort food like a classic lasagne. It’s great for feeding a crowd, freezes well, and the leftovers will keep you happy for days. With rich ragu, tender pasta and a golden, bubbling cheese crust, it delivers on the three pillars of good Italian home cooking – and in just 90 minutes, to boot. Cut corners at your peril – making the ragu and the bechemel from scratch is worth the extra elbow grease. Classic lasagne A classic Italian dish – great for lunch or dinner. Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 70 minutes Ingredients: 500g steak minced beef 1 large onion 1 stick celery 1 red pepper 2 cloves garlic 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp pesto 1 tsp dried oregano 25g tomato puree 25ml olive oil 1 beef stock cube 6 sheets lasagne pasta 50g plain flour 60g butter 650ml semi skimmed milk 100g soft cheese 1 tsp English mustard 80g grated mature cheddar cheese Sea salt, white and black pepper Method: Peel, halve and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Wipe the celery and finely chop. Finely chop the red pepper, discarding any pith or seeds. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, pepper and the celery. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the mince and brown. Add the tinned tomatoes and crumble over the stock cube. Add the pesto, paprika, tomato purée, oregano and season with some salt and plenty of black pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, without a lid, stirring occasionally. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Meanwhile, make the white sauce. In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Then add the flour and cook for a minute. Add the milk, white pepper and the mustard. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring as you cook. Turn down the heat and cook for a couple of minutes, then whisk in the soft cheese until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Put half the meat mixture in the bottom of the dish, then lay 3 slices of the pasta on top in a line. Pour over half the white sauce. Sprinkle over half the grated cheese. Then repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes until browned. For more recipe inspiration, visit www.aldi.co.uk/recipes Read More World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
1970-01-01 08:00
This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon
Even skilled cooks rely on shortcuts from time to time. Shop-bought sun-dried tomato sauce is the secret weapon in this speedy seafood supper, ready in just 40 minutes. Using frozen prawns also minimises on food waste and ensures you always have the ingredients to hand. King prawn pappardelle Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 2 Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 180g pack frozen king prawns 8 sheets lasagne pasta 1 small red onion 1 courgette 1 clove garlic 1 lemon 150g tub stir-in sun-dried tomato sauce 60g lighter creme fraiche ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp chilli powder 1 heaped tsp paprika 60ml white wine 30ml olive oil Sea salt To garnish: Black pepper Basil leaves Method: Defrost the prawns, then drain and pat dry. Half fill a large roasting tin with boiling water and add 15ml olive oil. Soak the sheets of pasta for 10 minutes to soften. Remove them and cut each sheet into 3 strips lengthways. Put the pasta to one side. Don’t overlap the strips, as they will stick together. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Grate the courgette. Cut the lemon in half. Juice one half and use the other half as a garnish. In a large frying pan, sauté the onion and garlic gently in the olive oil for 4 minutes. Add the prawns and sauté for another 4 minutes. Add the white wine, chilli powder, paprika, oregano and the lemon juice and gently cook for 4 minutes. Add the stir-in sauce and the grated courgette, cooking for another 4 minutes. Add the crème fraîche and stir through. Cook the pasta strips in some salted boiling water with a splash of olive oil for 5 to 6 minutes until just cooked, then drain carefully. Divide the pasta between 2 plates and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with some lemon, fresh basil and black pepper. For more recipe inspiration, visit www.aldi.co.uk/recipes Read More World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs How to make a classic lasagne Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
1970-01-01 08:00
This Map Shows You Where to Find the Best Cider Donuts in New England
If you're planning a leaf-peeping trip through New England this fall, you'll want to map out the best spots for apple cider donuts along your route.
1970-01-01 08:00
Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider
For National Seafood Month (October) this year, I’d like to celebrate Cornish rope grown mussels and encourage more people to cook them at home. Juicy, sustainable, and nutritious, they are a lower-impact species but often consumed less than industrially caught seafood such as prawns, tuna, cod and salmon. They’re grown on long ropes out in St Austell Bay, and the best thing about them is they’re incredibly sustainable – feeding off the nutrient-rich water before being harvested, which means there’s no damage to any reefs or the shoreline. This also means they’re super clean with hardly any beards to cut off before cooking. They’re also great value at around a tenner for two decent bowlfuls, of which you can do so many recipes. I love classic moules marinière with onion, white wine and parsley, or, as below, mussels with spinach and cider – perfection! Mussels with spinach and cider Ingredients: 1.75kg mussels Handful of spinach leaves (when in season, these could be swapped for wild garlic) 2 shallots, finely chopped 15g butter 100ml Cornish cider, or your favourite local equivalent Plenty of crusty bread to soak up the sauce Method: 1. Wash the mussels under plenty of cold, running water. Discard any open ones that won’t close when tapped on a board. 2. Pull off any tough, fibrous beards attached to the tightly closed shells. Give the mussels another quick rinse to remove any little pieces of shell. 3. Soften shallots in the butter in a large pan. 4. Add the mussels and cider, turn up the heat, then cover and steam them open in their own juices for 3-4 minutes. Give the pan a good shake every now and then. 5. Add spinach and remove from the heat and allow to wilt. 6. Spoon into four large warmed bowls and serve with plenty of crusty bread. Jack Stein is chef director at Rick Stein Restaurants. You can buy Cornish rope grown mussels from Rick Stein online for £10. Read More Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook From Nepal to Tibet: Eight warming dishes from the coldest places on earth Two seasonal stews to keep the chill off this autumn Farmers’ markets in autumn are a cornucopia of colour Spice up your life: Three recipes from Nadiya Hussain’s new book that bring the heat
1970-01-01 08:00
8 Delicious Facts About Kolaches
These tasty treats have a European heritage and a very American following deep in the heart of Texas—and lately, from coast to coast.
1970-01-01 08:00
This Advent Calendar Is Perfect for Tea Lovers
Count down to Christmas the best way possible: by brewing delicious tea.
1970-01-01 08:00
Fastest Food: 10 Classic Chain Restaurants, Ranked by Drive-Thru Speed
If speed is your top priority, Taco Bell and KFC are the fast food drive-thrus for you.
1970-01-01 08:00
Meet Pepper X: Guinness World Records’ New Hottest Pepper
The Carolina Reaper used to be the hottest pepper in the world—but it just got dethroned by its own offspring.
1970-01-01 08:00
Pub grub: Three recipes from Tom Kerridge’s new cookbook
These warming and hearty pot pies are filled with succulent chicken, chestnut mushrooms and artichokes in a delicious creamy sauce flavoured with mustard,” says Tom Kerridge. “The filling takes a bit of time, but it’s well worth it once you break into that crispy pastry topping and see all your efforts inside!” Chicken and mushroom pot pies Serves: 4 Ingredients: 750g chicken thigh fillets 500ml chicken stock 5 black peppercorns 4 sprigs of thyme 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp olive oil 200g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved 2 banana shallots, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 150g chargrilled artichoke hearts, quartered 50g butter 50g plain flour, plus extra to dust 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped 100ml crème fraîche 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 500g packet ready-made puff pastry 1 large free-range egg, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt Salt and freshly ground pepper Method: 1. To cook the chicken thigh fillets, put the chicken stock, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves into a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken thighs, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. 2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook for two minutes. Add the shallots and garlic, stir and cook for three to four minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat, stir in the artichokes and set aside. Remove the chicken thighs from the stock and set aside on a tray. Strain the stock. Leave both to cool slightly. 3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for two minutes. Now gradually whisk in the chicken stock and continue to whisk over a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in both mustards, the chopped tarragon, crème fraîche and sherry vinegar, then the mushroom mix. 4. Cut the poached chicken into bite-sized pieces and fold through the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool slightly. Divide the pie filling between four individual pie dishes and place in the fridge to chill. 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Cut out four rounds, two centimetres wider than your pie dishes. Brush the edges with egg, then lay a pastry round, egg-washed edge down, over each pie dish. Brush the tops with egg wash and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. 6. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut a couple of slits in the top of each pastry lid, to let steam escape during cooking. Bake the pies for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and deep golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving, with a green veg and mash on the side if you like. Paneer and pea fritters “These spicy, rustic-looking nibbles are my take on South Asian fried street food,” says Kerridge. “Flavoured with chaat masala (a slightly tangy spice blend), the fritters are made with protein-rich paneer and gram (chickpea) flour, which adds a nutty, earthy flavour. They need little else other than mango chutney for dipping, and a cold drink to wash them down!” Makes: about 24 Ingredients: Vegetable oil, to fry 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 onion, finely chopped 150g frozen peas, defrosted 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 175g gram flour 1 tsp chaat masala 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves 250g paneer, coarsely grated Salt and freshly ground pepper To serve: Mango chutney Method: 1. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan then add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds before adding the onion. Cook for five to seven minutes until the onion is softened, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. 2. Once cooled, tip the onion and cumin mix into a bowl and add the peas, chilli, gram flour, chaat masala and chopped coriander. Stir to combine and season well with salt and pepper. Pour in 200 millilitres of water and mix well. Add the grated paneer and stir through gently. 3. You will need to cook the fritters in three or four batches. Heat a 4-5cm depth of oil in a sauté pan to 180C (check with a thermometer). When it is hot, drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, spacing them apart. Cook for two to three minutes on each side or until golden and crispy. 4. Remove the fritters from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in the low oven while you cook the rest. 5. Once they are all cooked, season the fritters with a little extra salt and serve with mango chutney and lime wedges on the side. Sticky date and banana pudding “This naughty, boozy pud is one of our pub classics,” says Kerridge. “Sticky, caramelised bananas shine alongside a sweet date pudding, and the easy-to-make toffee sauce served alongside takes it to another level of indulgence.” Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp softened butter, to grease the dishes 100g plain white flour, plus 1 tbsp to dust 100ml dark rum 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 150g pitted dates, chopped 85g vegetable suet 85g soft dark brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 large free-range eggs For the toffee sauce: 200ml double cream 100g soft dark brown sugar 75g butter A small pinch of salt To finish: 2 small bananas 2 tbsp demerara sugar Method: 1. Brush four individual ovenproof dishes (250 millilitre capacity) with the softened butter and dust lightly with flour, shaking out any excess. 2. Pour the rum and 100 millilitres of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then take off the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda and dates. Pop a lid on the pan and leave to stand for 10–15 minutes to allow the dates to soak up the liquid and cool down. 3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. 4. Tip the dates and liquid into a large bowl and add the flour, suet, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. 5. Meanwhile, to make the toffee sauce, pour the cream into a saucepan and add the brown sugar, butter and salt. Place over a low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil. Simmer for two to three minutes, then remove from the heat. 6. Peel and thinly slice the bananas. Once you’ve removed the puddings from the oven, arrange the banana slices, overlapping, around the edge of each dish. Sprinkle the banana slices liberally with demerara sugar and run a cook’s blowtorch over them to caramelise the sugar. 7. Serve the date and banana puddings with the toffee sauce in a jug on the side. ‘Pub Kitchen’ by Tom Kerridge (Bloomsbury Absolute, £27). Read More From Nepal to Tibet: Eight warming dishes from the coldest places on earth Obsessed with Boursin? It’s the perfect way to elevate your leftovers Two seasonal stews to keep the chill off this autumn Farmers’ markets in autumn are a cornucopia of colour Spice up your life: Three recipes from Nadiya Hussain’s new book that bring the heat Budget Bites: Three one-pan recipes that minimise on washing up
1970-01-01 08:00