FRENCH BREAD PIZZA

Bringing back memories of convenience food from the 1980s, but actually very tasty and extremely quick and easy to make.

 

Forget the current craze for just 5 ingredients, this needs only 4!

Amounts shown serve 2

French bread stick – cut into as many sections as you like

tomato puree

dried mixed herbs

grated cheese

Cut the bread in half and place on a baking tray.

Spread with the tomato puree.

Sprinkle over the herbs.

Cover with grated cheese.

Place under the grill until cheese has bubbled.

CREAMY MACARONI WITH TOMATOES

A comforting bowl of pasta in just 20 minutes.

I devised this today, on a whim, in order to make the most of the fact that half a greenhouse-worth of tomatoes seem to have come to fruition overnight. 
I will make it again.

Serves 2

 

150g macaroni

6 small fresh tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

100g soft cream cheese

1tbsp tomato puree

handful of basil leaves

1tbsp olive oil

Heat a pan of water and cook the pasta.

Meanwhile, gently fry the onion until soft and golden.

Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese and tomato puree, mixing together well in the residual heat.

Cut each tomato into four.



Rip the basil into pieces and add both to the mixture. 

Stir gently so that you do not damage the tomatoes.

Season and wait until the pasta is ready.

When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and return it to the same pan.

Then stir the tomato mixture through the pasta.


If you like you can leave it until later and heat up again when needed. If so, add a little milk and make sure everything is piping hot.

When ready, serve with the remaining basil leaves.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - JACK LEMMON

A while ago, Zelda had Walter Matthau around for some special sandwiches, so she thought that she should also do something for Jack Lemmon, his co-star in so many great films.
Lemmon always gave a superb performance, but one of my personal favourites is Avanti! where he learns to relax and love Italy, especially its pasta. (There is even a great scene where Juliet Mills lists types of pasta. In 1972 many people in the UK only knew of spaghetti.)

So here is a vegetarian pasta meal for Jack.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

100g cheese, grated very finely

3 eggs (2 whole eggs + 1 extra yolk)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

300g spaghetti

4 rashers fake bacon

75ml cream

1-2tbsp oil

When ready to eat, cook spaghetti in a pan. 
Then drain.

Meanwhile, in a wok, cook the ‘bacon’.

(This can has be done in advance).

In same wok, cook the garlic and add the bacon again.

In a bowl beat 2 eggs + 1 yolk. 

Then mix with cream and cheese and season.

Add the spaghetti to the wok with bacon.

Pour egg mixture over the top and stir all together.

Mix until silky and serve with garlic bread.

PESTO PASTA BAKE

PESTO PASTA BAKE

150g rigatoni (or other tube-shaped pasta)

1 onion, chopped

160g marinated tofu

4-5tbsp vegetarian pesto 

4-5tbsp crème fraiche

1 ball mozzarella

1tbsp olive oil

Cook the pasta in a pan of salted water.

Meanwhile, heat oil and start to fry the onion. When almost done, add the tofu and cook for a few minutes more.

When the pasta is ready, drain and return it to the same saucepan.

Mix in the tofu and onion.

Add the pesto and crème fraiche.

Stir well so that all the pasta is coated.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish.

Cut the mozzarella into slices and place them over the top.

Cover with foil. (You can now leave it until you are ready to cook.)

When ready, place in oven with the foil on and cook at Gas 7/ 220°C/ 425°F for about 15 minutes.

Then remove foil and cook for a further 10-12 minutes until cheese bubbles.

Serve with a salad or some garlic bread.

SOUTHERN FRIED LUNCH PITTAS

Another way to use up bits and pieces from the freezer...

2 pitta breads

4 Quorn Southern Fried Grills

shredded lettuce

grated cheese

spicy chutney or sauce of choice 

1tbsp oil

Heat oil and fry the Southern Fried grills.

Place shredded lettuce, grated cheese and chutney on a large plate.

Assemble at the table.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guests - WALLACE AND GROMIT

From their appearance in 1990's A Grand Day Out, Wallace and Gromit captivated the public with their easy charm. 
Gromit is especially good, exhibiting a range of recognisable human emotions (particularly in The Wrong Trousers).

We know they love cheese, so this would be on the table when they arrived at Zelda's...

CHEESE AND ONION FRITTERS

Makes about 10-12 fritters

200g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
2tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
2 free range eggs
280ml milk
1 onion, chopped
2 handfuls grated cheese
oil for frying

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Beat the eggs with the milk and stir this into the dry ingredients. (It should now look a bit frothy.)

Add the grated cheese and stir. 
Fry the onion until golden and soft. Add to the mixture.
Make sure everything is mixed together well.

Heat a little oil in a pan and drop in spoonfuls of the mixture.

Fry until just browned on both sides. 

Keep warm while you fry the rest.
(For more precise presentation, you can cut to a neat shape but I like the rustic appearance.)