A few basics

Everyone has a few recipes that they use over and over again – the quick and easy ones that you use on a weekly basis without even thinking about or the simple standby's that instantly transform a dish. If you look in a lot of cookbooks (especially restaurant cookbooks) either at the start or the very end of the book you will find a chapter dedicated to 'basics'. After much thought I have included a few of my fast and easy basics here (or 'extras' as I tend to label them) – it was tough because once I stopped to think about it I realised I have a lot of things I make and use as a basis to many dishes – so much so that it would probably lead to at least a month's worth of blogging about! Thankfully for now I narrowed it down to three – my basic tomato sauce recipe, which has to be my number one basics recipe as I make it all the time. Second is my cheat's aioli. I realise if I was a proper chef (or any type of chef for that matter) I would be including a recipe for real mayonnaise or aioli and although I do on certain occasions make my own mayonnaise, this cheat's aioli is so fast but so delicious that I had to include it here. I have actually already used it in one of my previous blogs, but because I do rely on it a lot it will probably feature here many times, therefore I decided it really deserved it's own posting. The third and final one is my basic vinaigrette recipe. I know a recipe for a vinaigrette might not sound very exciting but once again I use it every week. It is classic, easy and will transform any salad to new height's.

So here they are on 3 separate postings so that they have their own well deserved page....basic tomato sauce, cheat's aioli and my basic vinaigrette.

Basic Tomato Sauce

Although I named this my basic tomato sauce recipe, I realise that it doesn't really do it justice as although it may seem basic, nothing about it tastes so. I've mentioned this sauce already (Tomato Tomatoe post) because without any question of doubt, I use it at least once a week. It is perfect by itself for tossing with pasta as a simple, quick yet delicious tomato sauce finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good grating of Parmesan cheese, or you can use it as a foundation recipe to which you can add any meat, fish, vegetables and herbs that you like.

I have also been known to add some cream to it, turning it into a delicious rose sauce and if the mood strikes adding a shot of vodka to the sauce for the last minute before I stir in the pasta to make a wonderful Italian tomato & vodka pasta sauce. I also use it for my pizza sauce adding an extra teaspoon of oregano or stir it into risotto for a full flavoured, bright tomato risotto. There are so many things you can do with this sauce which is why I always have it on hand, or at the least, have all of the ingredients on hand! Make a few batches and keep it in the freezer so that you always have a delicious tomato sauce on hand, ready to go.

2 tbsp olive oil
2 – 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
2 x 400g tins of tomatoes (or 1 x 28oz can)*
1 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil in a pan and add the crushed garlic. Gently saute for a minute being careful not to brown it then add the tomatoes along with the oregano, chilli, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well then leave to simmer and reduce slightly for 30 minutes. When it has thickened slightly and looks ready, taste to check the seasoning and use as needed.

*You can use either chopped or whole plum tomatoes, it’s up to you, just break down the whole tomatoes if that is what you are using. If however you want a completely smooth sauce, either puree the whole tomatoes (handheld blenders work perfectly) or use passata which is sieved tomatoes and therefore has no chunks!

Cheat's Aioli

When I think of aioli it reminds me of holidays in France with my family. We would always go and buy the most delicious, fresh crevettes for lunch and then bask in the sun while leisurely peeling off the shells then dipping them into the perfect accompaniment of aioli. It is simple, delicious food at it's finest.

Aioli is similar to mayonnaise (oil and egg base) with the difference being the addition of garlic. You can add as much garlic as you like as it is meant to be quite pungent, however I find that one fat clove, finely crushed is strong enough for me. This recipe is quick and easy and although I have to admit it's not quite the same as making your own from scratch, it is delicious. You can use it for so many things - I use it as a dipping sauce for prawns, crab (Feeling crabby?!?), potato wedges and even to top my delicious wild mushroom bruschetta.

Cheat's Aioli

125ml good quality mayonnaise
1 fat clove of garlic, crushed (I like to use my microplane)
Squeeze of lemon juice
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and use as needed. Keep any leftovers in the fridge.

Basic Vinaigrette

Basic Vinaigrette

I have to admit when I go to dress my salads I'm a huge fan of simply balsamic vinegar and olive oil and more often that not grab that option. However when I feel like something different this is the vinaigrette for me. It is a lovely recipe that will perk up even the simplest of salads. I like to use one tablespoon of walnut oil but you could use another type of nut oil, for example hazelnut oil or almond oil, or if you don't have any nut oils simply use 3 tablespoons of olive oil. You can also add a little crushed garlic to it if you like, just go easy – ¼ - ½ a clove is more than enough.

1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp walnut oil (optional)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Maldon sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Put the mustard and honey in a small bowl or jar and add the red wine vinegar. Mix together then add a good pinch of salt (I prefer to use Maldon sea salt) and some black pepper. Add the oil and mix well so the vinaigrette emulsifies together. Taste to check the seasoning and serve drizzled over your salad of choice.

First Storm of the Season

Well it is official – another summer has been and gone. September 23rd was the first day of Autumn and with it came rain and a definite temperature drop. It's once again time to put away the flip-flops and tank tops and bring out my wooly socks and cozy jumpers. However as sad as I am that summer is over (it is definitely my favourite season) there is also something lovely and welcoming about this time of year and I actually really enjoy the first few weeks of Autumn when everything is turning a golden yellow and orange, the leaves are falling from the trees and the nights shorter with a crispness in the air. Friday was our first storm of the season so it was the perfect day to stay inside and make some autumnal butternut squash soup and plenty of baking.

I don't really bake that much – I would love to do it far more often but I don't generally have enough time to do it and also if I do, normally I end up eating too much of it which doesn't really fit in with my plans to lose the rest of my unwanted 'baby' weight!!! Luckily for me though, my sister flew out to stay with us earlier in the week so I have an on-call babysitter leaving me extra time to do some baking and of course babysitter's need to be rewarded. Thankfully she is more than happy to be rewarded with some fresh baking so I set to work while watching the rain lash against the windows and the trees twisting and arching under the force of the wind.

Butternut squash soup with thyme was first on my list to be eaten for lunch with some goats cheese crostini. After that it was straight on with some rose cupcakes. A little summery perhaps but ones I have wanted to try for a while – girly and glittery pink they were just what we needed on such a miserable day. Next on my list was a return to my childhood with mum's oatmeal cookies complete with retro glace cherries on top! In my opinion you can't beat spending a stormy day in the kitchen and this storm more than paid off with plenty of culinary delights from the kitchen and thankfully for us, no power cuts!

Mushroom & Goats Cheese Ravioli

Every time I make fresh pasta I always wonder why I have left it so long since I last made it. Nothing can compare with homemade fresh pasta and although I always have this notion in my head that it is time consuming and a lot of hard work, it actually takes no time at all to make and is very easy (especially if you have a pasta maker!). Although you can make pasta without a pasta maker it takes a bit longer since you have to roll out the pasta yourself and I find I can never get it thin enough, however don't let me put you off! If you want to try fresh pasta without a pasta maker please do so!


Since Mr. Vanilla has been away a lot recently for work we decided that we would have a nice, romantic meal on Saturday night. On the menu - one of my favourite pasta dishes, mushroom and goats cheese ravioli. Don't be intimidated by the thought of making ravioli as it is just as easy and any extra time that it takes is more than worth it for the taste. However that being said, I would say that this recipe (for me anyway) is definitely a weekend recipe when you have a bit more time and is perfect if you are wanting a recipe that will impress! Served with a lemon-parsley butter sauce this ravioli is light, absolutely delicious and will leave you wanting to make it again and again. We had it for a main course on Saturday then as a starter on Sunday – I told you, you will want it more than once!