Tomato & Ricotta Pasta Sauce - Zalza tat-Tadam u Rkotta

Well hello all!!! I am back!! Haven't blogged in a while because I have been quite busy with life. We have returned from a wonderful holiday in Mexico and now we feel really refreshed. I did come back with lots of Mexican recipes and food ideas but that is not what I am blogging about today. I will definitely be sharing some delicious Mexican recipes in the near future though. In the meantime here is a pasta sauce that is a huge favourite within Maltese households. A sauce that is very easy and quick to prepare and that everyone in your family will enjoy. Try it and you will definitely do it again...mark our words!! You can serve it with any pasta shapes you like, originally my mum used to boil some spirals/cellentani but anything will do. We like penne too as the sauce gets into the pasta...mmmm!! So here goes our version; for the sauce you will need...

• 350ml Passata Rustica (Thick tomato passata)
• 100ml water
• 125g ricotta
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
• Pinch peperoncino (chilli flakes) - optional
• Sea sat & freshly ground pepper, to taste

How to...

1. In a small pot, add the garlic to the olive oil and heat gently on a low heat until the garlic is golden.
2. Now carefully add the passata and water and give it a good stir. Add the marjoram, salt & pepper and chilli flakes (if using) and give it a good stir. Simmer covered on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the ricotta and stir well to incorporate within the tomato sauce. Simmer for a further 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
4. Serve hot with your boiled pasta and add more black pepper.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Stuffat tal-Qarnit - Maltese Octopus Stew

Well here is another classic from the Maltese islands which is one of Amanda's favourites...oh and mine as well!! Not everyone like octopus because of its rubbery texture but try and cook it this way and you will definitely love it. It is absolutely gorgeous served on some freshly cooked spaghetti (that is how this stew is usually served in Malta). Octopus in the Maltese islands is very common and is quite easily caught as they lurk around the rocky seashores of the islands. I remember going to the very famous Marsaxlokk market (do check it out if you ever visit Malta) on a Sunday morning and having a peek at these creatures that used to be still alive, crawling around the fish trays of the fishmonger. I also remember that every time we bought a huge octopus to cook at home, my mother used to put it in the kitchen sink with some salty water before cooking it and it was not the first time that we saw the octopus crawling out and attaching its tentacles to my mother's kitchen tiles. It was hilarious. Any way, do try this recipe as it is delicious. For 4-5 people you will need...

• 500g spaghetti
• 1 kilo octopus, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium onions, roughly diced
• A handful of frozen peas, defrosted
• 6 small potatoes, cut in half or thirds
• 500ml tomato passata
• 250ml boiling water
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A handful of green olives
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste

How to,,,

1. In a heavy based pot heat the oil and cook covered on medium heat until soft and transparent.
2. When onions are cooked add the octopus and increase the heat, cook for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Sometimes it releases a lot of water so make sure all the water is evaporated.
3. Add the wine and stir until all the wine has evaporated. 
4. Now add the passata, water, tomato paste, olives, potatoes, sugar and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well bring to the boil and simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
5. In the meantime cook the spaghetti al dente.
6. After 45 minutes, add the peas to the octopus sauce and simmer gently for another 15 minutes.
7. Drain the spaghetti. Serve in a bowl or plate and spoon some octopus stew/sauce on top.
8. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Bzar biz-zalza - Peppers in Tomato Sauce Maltese Style

This recipe is definitely a Maltese classic. A summer classic dish that can be eaten hot or cold and usually eaten with Maltese bread and/or fried fish, mainly Lampuki [Dolphin Fish or Dorado in English]. We love it and whenever we cook it, it reminds Amanda of when her mother used to prepare fried Lampuki and this pepper sauce. My dad love it a lot as well...to be fair, every Maltese person does I guess!! This dish is a relative of the Sicilian dish Peperonata. Give it a go and as I said you can serve it as a side dish or as a delicious vegetarian dish on its own and eat it with some nice crusty bread or tortillas even....preferably Maltese obviously...for 4 people you will need...

• 3 Green peppers, de-seeded & sliced
• 3 Red peppers, de-seeded & sliced
• 700 ml tomato passata
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Handful whole green olives
• 3 teaspoons capers
• ½ teaspoon dried mint
• 4 Fresh basil leaves
• Salt & pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to..

1. In a medium sized pan heat some olive oil & the garlic and fry until golden brown. 
2. Then add the peppers and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Now add the rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir and simmer on low/medium heat until the peppers are cooked through. We left ours simmer gently for about 3 hours (The longer the simmer, the tastier the sauce...gives it more flavour) but you can simmer for an hour on medium heat always stirring occasionally.
4. Serve hot or cold with bread/tortillas or as a side dish.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Meatloaf

Meatloaf needs no introduction whatsoever. According to Wikipedia, meatloaf originated in Europe, mainly in Germany and Belgium and is also closely related to Dutch meatball. Although, in the 5th century Roman cookery collection called Apiciusas, minced meat was mentioned. The infamous American meatloaf has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times. Actually, the contemporary version of the American meatloaf has been a must on every American cookbook since the late 19th century. In our version we used only beef but feel free to mix two or three types of meat like lamb or even pork. We found this recipe when we got married in one of Amanda's cookbooks and we adapted it and made it our own ever since. Just give our version a try and you will love it. We serve it with a kind of sweet and sour tomato sauce. So for a loaf you will need...

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely diced [optional]
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1kg minced beef
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs [we used Panko]
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup tomato passata
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp vinegar
• About 4-5 baby onions, boiled, to serve

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
2. In a small pan heat the butter and fry the onion, green pepper [if using] and garlic until soft. When done set aside to cool a bit.
3. In a large mixing bowl put the beef, cooked onion, pepper & garlic, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and black pepper. Mix well with your hands until well mixed (if you do not like messing your hands up use a wooden spoon) but I believe using your hands will infuse the meat with all the flavours.
4. Now transfer the meat mixture into a loaf pan and press down with your hands. Bake in the preheated oven for about an hour and 15 minutes.. 
5. In the meantime, put the passata, vinegar, sugar and mustard in a small pan and heat through. Set aside.
6. When the loaf is done, drain all the excess fat and carefully invert upside down on a serving plate, top with the tomato sauce and onions. Serve hot!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Sausage & Onion Tomato Sauce

A family favourite, this sauce became one of my favourites when I was a kid and stayed that way since then. In Malta my mom used to prepare it using the unique Maltese sausage but here in England we use local sausages such as Lincolnshire sausages and also Cumberland sausages. It is very easy to prepare and wanted to share this recipe with you. For four people you will need...

• 8 Lincolnshire or Cumberland sausages (if using Maltese sausages use 4)
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 500ml thick tomato passata
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Grated Kefalotiri or Parmesan, to serve

How to...

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a shallow pan, add the sausages and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
2. Now add the onions and cook until onions are soft and transparent. Season with black pepper.
3. Add passata and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with cooked pasta and sprinkle with the grated cheese and more black pepper.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

We love Mexican & Tex-Mex food and in fact it features quite frequently  on our menu. (More like an obsession haha. We make our own tortillas too using our tortillera (tortilla press). Burritos, Enchiladas and  Tacos are certainly one of our favourites. I love very hot food and Amanda likes it medium, so I always add more chilli sauce to my tacos. Enchiladas are so delicious as they are baked so you have the delicious golden melted cheddar, that bit of crispy tortilla...oh dear...drooling right now...we love serving them with sour cream and fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves as they add a fresh contrast to the chilli. So give them a go...you will love them...you will need...

• 400g Lean beef mince
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 8 corn or wheat tortillas
• 100g mature cheddar, grated
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mild (eg. Ancho) or hot (eg. Habanero) chilli powder
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (regular oregano will do)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt & ground black pepper.
• 200ml water

For the sauce

• 300ml passata
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

To serve

• Sour cream
• Chopped coriander leaves

How to..

1. Start by preparing the sauce. On low heat, heat the oil and add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika and stir well until fragrant. About 45 seconds. Add the passata, vinegar and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. In a shallow pan on high heat, heat some vegetable oil and add the lean beef mince and brown well until dry. Add the bell pepper, the chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, sweet paprika, oregano and the water and cook until mixture dries out. Turn off the heat.
3. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 45 seconds. Fill the tortilla with the mince mixture, roll them up like pancakes and line them up in a rectangular oven dish. Pour the sauce on top and grate the cheese. Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
4. Serve with some sour cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pasta with Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

One of our favourite sauces, this sauce is just exquisite. It's what you say, naughty but nice! The sauce's pink colour also gives the dish a wonderful look. Mascarpone cheese is a delicious sweet, soft, full fat cheese from Italy that is made from cream which is coagulated with citric acid. It is most commonly known as one of the main ingredients in the famous Italian dessert, Tiramisù. Do try this sauce and you will definitely impress your family as it tastes gorgeous. The Mascarpone cheese should be added at the end of the cooking until all cheese is melted and incorporated into the tomato sauce. The ingredients in this recipe are for approximately 3-4 servings but it is always up to you. You will need...

• 250g fusilli, penne or other short pasta
• 350ml thick passata
• 125g Mascarpone
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 200ml vegetable stock
• ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan, to serve

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until transparent. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes. 
2. Add the passata, herbs and spices, sugar and stock and simmer on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until you get a bright red thick sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta and drain.
4. When the sauce is done, add the mascarpone and stir slowly into the tomato sauce until no chunks of cheese are left. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes.
5. Mix the sauce with the cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

Enjoy!!

R&A